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By Marion Sargent

Eythorne, situated four or five miles NNW of Dover, was described in  Gorton's Topographical Dictionary in 1833 as being  "in  a pleasant  situation,  commanding  a fine view of the  surrounding country  and  the sea in the distance".   The population of  the village  was  390.   It was only a few years after this date that the Sargent family began its association with Eythorne.
                                                                                                                                                                      
PLACES TO SEE
 

Church Hill House  Located in Church Hill Road at  the  intersection  of  the roads  to  Nonington  and Barfrestone  is  an attractive two-storeyed  red  brick Georgian house,  now called Church Hill House, where George Eliel  Sargent  and his wife Emma (Hewlett) lived  after leaving  Oxford.  Six  of their children were  born  here  between  1842  and 1852.   It seems  that  an  extension, including two more windows at the front, was added to the left hand side after the Sargents left Eythorne.

 

Copley House  In The Street, Upper  Eythorne,  Copley House is an elegant  three-storeyed  Georgian light coloured brick house with  sash windows  and  a semi-circular fanlight above  the  front door. A hedge now screens the front garden.  William  Copley  and his wife Esther (nee Beuzeville, formerly Hewlett)  lived  here  from 1838 at the  invitation of the members of the Baptist  Church.  Rev Copley was the minister  until  he was  suspended  from his duties in  November  1842.   He eventually  left  his wife and moved back to his  native place  in the midlands.   Esther continued to live  here and  adminster  to the sick and needy until she died  17 July 1851.

 

Lime house  Another  house in Eythorne which has family  connections is a white painted two-storeyed Georgian house,  also in The Street, Upper  Eythorne,  with a large monkey puzzle tree in the front  garden.   This was where Esther's son  Theophilus Hewlett  lived  and operated a small private school  for boys.    George   Eliel  Sargent's  four  youngest  sons attended  this school under the guidance of their uncle. Theophilus emigrated to New Zealand.

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Eythorne Baptist Church  Situated in Chapel Road, the  present church was built in 1804,  but the  Baptist Church in Eythorne is probably one of the oldest of that denomination  in the United Kingdom.   It is approaching its  450th  anniversary.  For a detailed history of  the church,  read  W. Philip  Clark's book  Eythorne:  Our Baptist Heritage.  In  the graveyard there are at least three headstones of  significance to our family:

 
          1.    The  full  transcript of the headstone for George Eliel  and Emma  and two of  their young sons is reproduced on   the  George Eliel Sargent page of this  website.

2.    Esther (Beuzeville) Copley is buried  under  a tree near the gate.   A  transcript  of her headstone is
       on    Marion Clark's    website.
 
3.   Ebenezer  Beuzeville  Hewlett  was  the  son  of  Esther (Beuzeville)  Copley  and brother to Emma and
      Theophilus. He lived in Crabble Hill, Dover, and  died 1 May 1887 and was  buried at Eythorne.  The
      headstone also remembers  his  wife Mary (Chetham) who died 1 January 1907 and  is  laid to  rest at
      Radford, Coventry.