Statue of St George in the south transept (St George Chapel) of St Mary's church, Teynham.
The South Transept was the ‘Frogenhall’ Chantry Chapel. Now dedicated to and known as St. George's Chapel, it forms part of the Parish War Memorial. The local branch of The Royal British Legion has done restoration work here. The Laudian altar rails and the prayer desk were each memorial gifts made by parishioners .
A nearby plaque tells us:
The statue of St George
was placed here by
Percy French, Churchwarden
in memory of his loved wife
Lilian Vine French
who died 25th Novenber 1949
and of their eldest son
Percy Kenneth French
who died 23rd May 1948It was restored by the Royal Society of St George in 2003.
"The Royal Society of St George is an English patriotic society established in 1894 to encourage interest in the English way of life, and English customs and traditions.
In 1415 St. George became the Patron Saint of England after the English soldiers fighting under the command of King Henry V had beaten the French at the Battle of Agincourt. Ever since then, St George has been the patriotic rallying point for the English people.
Before the formation of The Royal Society of St. George and the American Revolution, Societies of St. George had been founded in the then North American Colonies for the relief of British immigrants and to give them general assistance in the new country. The earliest Branches of which there are any records are those of New York (1770), Philadelphia (1772) and Charlestown (1773). Subsequently Branches were formed in all the great cities of the North American continent and celebrations were always held on St. George's Day. At the time of the War of Independence many Loyalists moved to Canada and founded similar Societies in Halifax (1786) and other cities.
Howard Ruff was the founder in 1894 and the first Honorary Secretary of the Royal Society of St. George. In 1900 he gave up farming to devote his time exclusively to the Society. The Society's first Royal Patron was Queen Victoria - each monarch since has been the patron of the Society.
The Society is incorporated by a Royal Charter which was presented by Elizabeth II in 1963 and has its own Armorial Bearings granted under Letters Patent in 1990 and also now has members and branches around the world.
Today the Society considers itself as the standard bearer of traditional English values, both at home and abroad. Of itself, the Society says, our
“ …role is primarily educational, promoting the common cultural heritage of people throughout the English-speaking world, including our former Dominions and Colonies. The Society now focuses its work on the younger generations of English and kindred people whose most valuable inheritance is our nation's history and culture.SOURCE - (
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"Very little is known about St. George’s life, but it is thought he was a high ranking officer in the Roman army who was killed in around AD 303.
It seems that the Emperor Diocletian had St. George tortured to make him deny his faith in Christ. However despite some of the most terrible torture even for that time, St George showed incredible courage and faith and was finally beheaded near Lydda in Palestine. His head was later taken to Rome where it was interred in the church dedicated to him.
Stories of his strength and courage soon spread throughout Europe. The best-known story about St. George is his fight with a dragon, but it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever visited England, however his name was known there as early as the eighth-century.
In the Middle Ages the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil. Unfortunately the many legends connected with St. George’s name are fictitious, and the slaying of the ‘Dragon’ was first credited to him in the 12th century.
St. George, so the story goes, killed a dragon on the flat topped Dragon Hill in Uffington, Berkshire, and it is said that no grass grows where the dragon’s blood trickled down!
It was probably the 12th century Crusaders however who first invoked his name as an aid in battle.
King Edward III made him the Patron Saint of England when he formed the Order of the Garter in St. George’s name in 1350, and the cult of the Saint was further advanced by King Henry V, at the battle of Agincourt in northern France.
Shakespeare made sure that nobody would forget St. George, and has King Henry V finishing his pre-battle speech with the famous phrase, ‘Cry God for Harry, England and St. George!’
King Henry himself, who was both warlike and devout, was thought by his followers to possess many of the saint’s characteristics.
In England St. George’s Day is celebrated, and his flag flown, on his feast day, April 23rd.
An interesting piece of trivia – Shakespeare was born on St. George’s Day 1564, and if the story is to be believed, died on St. George’s Day 1616."
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