Alexander Dence was born circa 1520 the eldest son of Richard Dence of Cranbrook. Little is known of Alexander's life other than that he created in 1567 a school for the children of Cranbrook in a house next to St Dunstan's Church. In 1573 he made a memorable will of some 40 pages - "I will, give and bequeath unto the School-house, of my building, in the Church-yard, all my tenements and lands … " so that all the poor children of Cranbrook parish should receive their education free of any charge. This bequest after Alexander's death on 22nd January 1574 ran into difficulties and disputes with his executor Alexander Weller and his family which was not resolved untill an arbitration award in 1605. The school survived for the next three hundred years under various names - Dence's Free School, the English Free School and the English Writing School - and more than fulfilled the ambition that Alexander had in 1568.

Alexander Dence is buried in St Dunstan's Church and the school house - now called Church House - has a plaque in his memory