"Elizabeth Fane's Monument.
In the Chancel [of Brenchley Church], south of the Communion Table, is the long inscription which eulogises Elizabeth Fane, widow successively of William Waller, of Groombridge, and of George Fane, of Badsell. This monument represents that she died in September, 1566, aged 73. Canon Scott Robertson, editor of our Archceologia Canticina, intimated to me that this date must be an error. From manuscript records connected with her first husband William Waller, he had discovered that she married her second husband about 1548, that her grandson Thomas Waller, who defrayed the cost of her funeral, was not born until about 1569, that her second husband George Fane lived until 1571, and that her long widowhood after his death most probably extended to 1596, so that she had lived forty-eight years after her second marriage. Badsell, the seat of George Fane, lies in Tudely, not in Brenchley, and I was enabled to verify the date of his death, by examining minutely the inscription upon his tomb at Tudely.
The monument commemorating George Fane, of Badsell, and Joan Waller, his first wife, is an altar tomb on the north side of the chancel of Tudely church. ... Its front is divided into two compartments, and ornamented with circular scrolls. The ledger stone, around which runs (in Roman capital letters) the inscription given below, supports three Ionic columns, with entablature, frieze and cornice. Against the wall rises a pyramidal backing, on which are blazoned the arms of the Fane family. ... 'Hic jacent Georg' Fane et Joane Waller vxor eius, filivs et heres Hi' Fane et Agnet' filie et heredis Hen' filii et hered' T. Stidvlf et Marion Badsell filie et hered' John' Badsell, qvi G. F. obit 4 die Fe' 1571, et Io' Waller 6 die Fe' 1545.'
The death of George Fane in 1571 rendered it impossible that his widow could have died in 1566. Accordingly when, through the courtesy of the Vicar of Brenchley, I was enabled to search the Register of that parish, I found that, as Mr. Scott Robertson had suggested, Mrs. Fane was buried in 1596. The entry in the Register is " 1596, September. The xx day was buried the Right Worshiopfull Mrs. ffane, widow." It thus became evident that the stonemason had simply reversed the tail of the 9 and cut 66 instead of 96. It is to me a great pleasure to be enabled thus to correct an error (of thirty years) in the ascribed date of Elizabeth Fane's death; an error which has been reproduced, again and again, in various books for nearly three centuries.
The inscription, in Roman capital letters, is as follows: 'Here lyeth enterred Elizabeth Fane widowe eldest of the three davghters and coheires of Sr Walter Hendley of CovBhrovrne in Crambrooke in Kent knight by his wyfe Hellen Ashborneham of Brornebam in Geslinge in Svssex this Elizabeth was first marryed to William Waller of Groomebriclge in Speldhvrst in Kent Esqvire by whome she had issve Walter Waller Knight who svrvived her William and Margerie that dyed before her withovt issve lastly shee was maryed to George Fane of Badsill in Tewdley in Kent Esqvire by whome she had issve one sonne and fower davghters viz. : Frances, Margaret, Svsan Faith and Path all which died yovng withovt issve. Amongste other her vertves as her modestie in her virgin lyfe her vnspotted love to her hvsbauds her reverend demeanor in her widdowhoods her motherly care of her servants her memorable hospitalitie made her famovs and renowned which she mainteyned and coutinved 48 yeres withovt ever dissolving her hovshold- wherein shee was so provident and bovntifull as she was ever able and alike willing in plentie and in dearth to have her doores open to entertaine the rich and relieve the poore which she did in svch measvre as that both of rich and poore she was reverenced loved and desired as appeares after her death by their advancing her vertves their affectionate bemoning her fvneralls and their passionate bewailinge their deprivation of her she lived right vertvovsly seventy-three yeares and dyed most religiovslye the sixte of September the moneth of her birth 1566 [an error for 1596] her fvneralles were accordinge to her worthynes worshipfvlly perfovrmed at the cost of Thomas Waller knight the yovnger of her twoe grandchildren who in fvrther testi- monye of his dvtifvll love vnto her cavsed this rnonvment to be erected for the perpetvall memory of her name and vertves against the ingratefvll nature of oblivious time.'
Although the Wallers did not possess Brenchley rectory for more than fifty years, the old rectory-house seems to have become inseparably connected with the memory of young William Waller's widow, better known as Elizabeth Fane. She seems to have had it as her dowry house, and as she lies buried in Brenchley, not in Tudely, it is probable that she passed her long widowhood in this house rather than at Badsell." [1]
[1] J.F. Wadmore, "Brenchley, Its Church and Ancient Houses," Archaeologia Cantiana 13 (1880), 127-140, at 132, [InternetArchive].