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Mrs. Carter's Rambles to Northbourne Court

Mrs. Elizabeth Carter was born in Deal in 1717, the eldest daughter of Dr. Nicholas Carter, perpetual curate of the Chapel of St. George. Her father gave her, and her brothers, a classical education in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. She also learnt French, and taught herself Italian, Spanish, German; later in life she learnt Arabic and Portuguese. She became well known for her translation of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus (c. AD 55 - c. 135) published in 1758. Among the best Greek scholars of her time, at the height of her reputation, in the 1760s and 70s, she was known as 'Epictetus Carter'.

Her friends and acquaintances included: Dr. Johnson, Samuel Richardson, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Horace Walpole, and the Archbishop of Canterbury - Dr. Thomas Secker. Mrs. Carter often stayed as a guest at Lambeth Palace. One day Archbishop Secker brought her a bookseller's catalogue, saying,

'Here Madam Carter, see how ill I am used by the world; here are my sermons selling at half-price, while your Epictetus truly is not to be had under eighteen shillings; three shillings less than the original subscription.'^[1]

She was also known as a 'Blue-stocking' - a member of a Blue-stocking club, '... where the fair sex might participate in conversation with literary and ingenious men ...' The term actually came about because a certain Mr. Stillingfleet wore blue stockings.

Mrs. Carter would walk considerable distances, and it was not unusual for her to return from London, stay at Canterbury and the following day to walk from Canterbury back home to Deal; a distance of at least 15 miles.

Without vanity, Elizabeth Carter claimed to be one of the best walkers in England, and her fellow-travellers followed her panting and grumbling at a considerable distance, climbing up the hill 'Difficulty,' till at length they sank into the 'Slough of Despond.' One of her sisters declined to go with her until she had learnt to fly, and another of her followers sent word that she could not possibly venture any more, as her last walk had absolutely disclocated all her bones.^[2]

She also ventured abroad at least twice, to Spa in 1763 and Paris in 1782.

In 1807, just over a year after Mrs. Carter's death, her nephew, the Rev. Montagu Pennington (1762-1849), vicar of Northbourne 1806-49, published her memoirs and later her collected letters. It is from these two publications we learn of her 'rambles' to Northbourne Court.

See full text of letters about Northbourne Court written in 1767 and 1770, and in 1782. In a letter in August 1767 Mrs. Carter reflects on the ruins:

I just remember the death of the possessor. The house survived him long enough for me to have a much more perfect idea of it, as I have often walked over it with great delight in its untenanted state. The apartments, unfurnished and solitary, had a striking air of sombre greatness, particularly a cedar gallery, which was a noble room, and had two very magnificent chimney-pieces. There was a little gloomy chapel, which I was once so lucky to see solemnly gilded by the rays of the setting sun; a picture which, young as I was, and with a set of gay companions, made a very strong impression on my imagination. We drank tea in a kind of pavilion, fronted by a marble colonnade, which looked upon a garden, where one mount rising above another reminded me of the pensile groves of Babylon.

Sir Edwin Sandys, member of parliament and treasurer of the Virginia Company, began building a new mansion at Northbourne Court in 1614, and was completed in 1616. The last 'possessor' would have been Sir Richard Sandys, who died in 1726. In a letter written in August 1770 she remembers the 'gallery, in which I have often walked with much Gothic delight' but:

This noble structure might have subsisted for many generations in venerable decay; but the last heirs to the estate, for the sake of the materials, anticipated the depredations of time, and levelled it nearly to the ground.

The summer of 1782 was very wet, and prevented Mrs. Carter taking many rambles. However while Lady Mary Coke and Mrs. Feilding were staying in the summer of 1782 she did manage a trip to Northbourne Court.

In a fine gallery belonging to the house, there was some beautiful painted glass, containing the arms of the family, probably for many generations. No care was taken to preserve these illuminated records of its antiquity, and they shared the fate of the bricks and stones of the building.

Most pathetic were the lamentations which Lady Mary Coke and I uttered over this sinking memorial of poor Sir Edwin [in the church].

Rev. Montagu Pennington in his footnote for the 1809 edition of the letters confirms: 'The monument itself is in a state of rapid decay'.

In Edward Seton Sandys' book, History of the Family of Sandys, published in 1930, there is a copy made from an 18th century ground floor plan of 'Norbourn House'. The original was probably made shortly before it was pulled down and states: 'Pool'd downe in the year 1750 by Ed. Tyler, Will Danne, A. Lytten. Courst Foure Hundred Pounds.'

Inevitably some of the architectural features of the mansion were salvaged and reused. The 'very magnificent chimney-pieces' were installed at St. Alban's Court, Nonington. The one in the dining room at St. Albans Court has Faith Hope and Charity carved on the lintel, and scenes of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from Eden. Lord Northbourne (2nd Baron, 1846-1923), writing in 1900, mentions 'some panels alleged to have been in the mansion were till lately in a cottage at Mongeham'.

Incidentally Mrs. Carter never married - In the 18th century the appellation 'Mrs.' was usually adopted by older society women.

The portrait above is from her memoirs, published in 1807.