Hugh Herland of Upchurch, 14th Century Royal Carpenter by David Wood

Born during a period of social and political unrest in 1330, Hugh Herland followed his father William into carpentry and had the best facilities and training available. This was because William Herland had royal patronage and he became royal carpenter for Edward lll in 1354. With this background, Hugh later worked on a wide range of important projects which included monumental roofs, castles, royal tombs, chapels and a harbour which showed his versatility and ability.

According to the Patent Rolls of August 16th 1360 Hugh accompanied his father to work at Westminster Palace and the Tower of London where he gained early experience on big projects.

After his initial work in London Hugh worked as a military engineer at Queenborough Castle in 1366 and 1367. This became the first concentric castle constructed in the late Middle Ages to guard the estuary against possible French attacks during the Hundred Years War. While working at Queenborough Hugh also made springalds, giant catapults, for 8d a day.

King Edward lll changed the name of the town from Kingsborough to Queenborough in honour of his wife Philippa of Hainault. The town became a royal borough, it had the right of self-government and the right to export wool. Queenborough and Sandwich were the only two Kent ports with this right during the fourteenth century.

On September 8th 1370 the king rewarded Hugh for his work with ‘passage of wool’, the right to trade in wool from Queenborough. Soon after this Hugh and his wife Joan moved to Upchurch, a small village of about 200 people geographically close to Queenborough and not far from London where Hugh had important work.

When Hugh and his wife Joan moved to Upchurch during the 1370s, buildings in the village included the church, a priory, possibly a convent and a collection of simple dwellings made of sticks, straw and mud known as wattle and daub homes. Four manors also existed. Those at Otterham, Horsham and Gore were owned by a Lord of the Manor who lived in a big manor house, while the Abbey of Boxley owned Ham. The manors provided work for most people in the village who were poor, they had few rights and their lives were controlled by the manor and the church. Nothing is recorded about where Hugh and his wife lived in the village but they stayed until 1391.

King Edward lll rewarded Hugh’s father William for long service with a tenement in the City of London on March 21st 1371. Royal patronage continued when William and Hugh Herland were issued with funeral robes to attend the state funeral of Queen Philippa in 1369. Hugh later made the canopy above her tomb in the chapel of Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey. This work won praise and fame for the high level of decorative carving which set Hugh apart from other carpenters.

When King Edward lll died in 1377 his grandson Richard ll became king aged ten and he soon made Hugh Herland the king’s carpenter, a position that Hugh held for life. Hugh also joined a small group of men responsible for the king’s buildings known as the Office of the King’s Works. During this period Hugh worked at Westminster Palace, the Tower of London and on the canopy above the tomb of Edward lll. For his work at Westminster, he was paid 12d a day and provided with a winter garment.

After his work in London Hugh travelled to other locations. The Patent Rolls of March 14th 1381 record that Hugh took a group of fifty carpenters from Kent, Essex and Middlesex for the king’s service in Brittany. After this, he went to Winchester where he worked on the castle and at Winchester College.

At Winchester, Hugh obtained the patronage of William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and who had served as Chancellor of England from 1367 to 1371. Wykeham also founded Winchester College and New College Oxford and he invented the phrase ‘manners maketh man’ which became the motto of the two colleges.

Made by Betton & Evans of Shrewsbury in 1822, the stained glass East Window at Winchester College Chapel depicts what is believed to be the image of Upchurch, Royal Carpenter Hugh Herland.

Hugh worked at New College and at Winchester College where he supervised and may have drawn up the plans. He also completed the timber vaulting at Winchester College Chapel. After completion of the work a stained glass window which included Hugh Herland and the other men responsible for the work was fitted in the chapel. The window has the only recorded image of Hugh Herland. It shows him kneeling in a position of prayer on the left.

He dined with William of Wykham nine times from May to September 1392. This showed Hugh’s growing patronage with important connections. He also worked on and completed the timber vaults at the Arundal College churches from 1380 to 1390 then successfully organised the construction of a new harbour at Great Yarmouth, aided by fifty carpenters and shipwrights.

Hugh developed a connection with Kingston-Upon-Thames when he and his wife Joan inherited property from Joan’s family in the town in 1391. The Calendar Rolls of July 20th1391 state the following:

Philippa, daughter of William Voisdyke to Hugh Herland of Upchirche and Joan his wife to the heirs and assigns of the said Hugh. Quitclaim with warranty of all his lands with houses, buildings, tofts, common rights etc, in Kingston Upon Thames sometime of her said father.

Hugh also rented a mansion called Bishop’s Hall in Kingston-Upon-Thames. William of Wykeham owned the property and had once lived there. At this point, Hugh and Joan Herland moved away from Upchurch and Hugh obtained more property in London.

The Patent Rolls of April 28th 1396 state that Hugh was granted a house by the king in the City of London for storing his tools. The site of the house is at 24/25 Upper Thames Street in the City of London. According to Open Plaques website, a blue plaque in memory of Hugh Herland is soon to be fitted to the wall of the house on the site.

During the 1390s Hugh completed his masterpiece the hammer beam roof of Westminster Hall, considered to be one of the great architectural feats in England during the fourteenth century. He worked closely with leading stone mason Henry Yevele on the project.

What is a hammer beam roof? It’s a decorative timber roof in an English Gothic style that originated in France and flourished in England from about 1180 to 1520.

Geoffrey Webb states in his book ‘Architecture in Britain: The Middle Ages’, that the hammer beam was the most striking development of the fourteenth century. Westminster Hall has the largest Medieval roof in Northern Europe measuring 68 by 240 feet and was commissioned by Richard ll in 1393. He wanted it as a royal showpiece.

Designed by Hugh Herland, the oak hammer beams served as horizontal supports for the roof and were fixed to the walls by huge buttresses constructed by stone mason Henry Yevele. The beams meant that pillars to support the roof were not required. Wooden arches were fixed to the top of the beams which met centrally with a span of more than 67 feet. Craftsmen then constructed the slopes of the roof with the weight supported by the hammer beams and the buttressed walls. Finally, the roof was covered with 176 tons of lead. Two big lanterns were placed on the roof ridge to let smoke from open fires out and to allow light in. the work was completed in 1401.

The operation was complex and highly dangerous because of the height and scale of the job. The beams had to be lifted 92 feet and weighed 660 tons. The timber came from forests near Kingston-Upon-Thames then taken to Farnham to be cut to size then transported by wagon and boat to Westminster. People who had been banished from the kingdom and wished to return had to finance the roof by purchasing an expensive licence.

The roof of Westminster Hall became Hugh Herland’s greatest achievement. He completed one more significant job when he fitted the wagon roof to the Chapter House at Canterbury Cathedral. The roof includes twelve heavily decorated squares in Hugh Herland’s style but written evidence confirming that he was responsible is not available.

Hugh retired in 1400 and King Richard ll granted him several pensions. Hugh received 10 marks yearly for life, 12d daily for life, and 18 marks 6 shillings for life. After this information about Hugh Herland and his work ceases. He died aged 81 in 1411.

Could the two brasses in St. Mary's Church, Upchurch
be a memorial to Hugh and Joan Herland?

Surviving brasses on a wooden panel now hanging on the church wall were taken from the floor under the organ in the vestry and show an unidentified rich merchant and his wife from the fourteenth century. Could this be a memorial to Hugh and Joan Herland? This remains a mystery as written evidence does not exist. Brasses to civilians during the fourteenth century are rare with only four recorded in Kent. The nearest one to Upchurch is in Cobham parish church where there is a brass memorial to Joan of Cobham. Brasses were only made for wealthy people.

Finally, Hugh Herland is the first recorded famous historical figure from Upchurch. He made his mark nationally with his work on big important projects such as the hammer beam roof of Westminster Hall and he became rich and famous because of this. Although nothing is known about his activities in Upchurch, he made a huge contribution to fourteenth-century carpentry.

About David

David Wood was born, raised and still lives in Upchurch today. He is able to write from personal experience about village life and the changes that have taken place over the years, making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable and detailed historical study of the village.

David's book, ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David at: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk or from us here at Upchurch Matters.

Price £12 + £3.50 postage and packing.

David Wood