WEST DEAN
Most of the 4,803 acres of this parish is downland,
lying between 400 ft. and 500 ft., but at the north-west
angle the ground rises steeply to nearly 780 ft. on Treyford Hill. At the south-east corner, where the Lavant
flows west and then south, the village lies on its right
bank at a height of 200 ft. The western portion of
the parish constituted the chapelry of Chilgrove, and
the bounds of the tithing of West Dean proper are set
out in the 15th century as follows: (fn. 1) beginning (1 mile
south of the village) at the Earl of Arundel's sheepcote
at Preston, they run along the edge of Binderton parish
to 'the upper end of Smallden' (at Brickkiln Farm), to
'a meadow at Ramnesden' (Ramsden Copse), to a
meadow in Elyngeden 'at the end of Witeweye' (perhaps Hylters Lane), … 'to a ditch above Stapelherssch'
(wood called 'The Ditches' above Stapleash Farm), …
'to a green way between the wood of the Earl of
Arundel (Westdean Wood) and Lynch (now Linchball) wood'. The next identifiable marks are 'the logge
of Downle (Downley) on the east side', and 'the Portway' (main road) between Singleton and West Dean;
'thence to the cross of Langedon' (probably 'The Seven
Points', just west of the Trundle, where the parish
boundary turns at a right angle west); and so by
'Duddelepe' back to Preston. Though not so heavily
wooded as East Dean there is a considerable block of
woodland in the north of the parish, plantations to the
west of the village, and to the east of it the extensive
park.
The line of the railway (fn. 2) between Chichester and
Midhurst runs parallel to the road, following the curve
of the Lavant valley, with Singleton station just within
the parish.
By the West Sussex Review Order of 1933 Binderton was attached to this parish.
The main road from London sweeps round in a wide
bend from Singleton on the east towards Chichester on
the south, passing west of the parish church, which
stands at the north-east end of the small group of
buildings that may be said to constitute the village.
West Dean House, a large building of flint and stone
erected in 1804, stands south of the church and West
Dean Park lies east and south of it.
The buildings along the main road are of little
interest, but south-east of and parallel with the bend
is a back lane running south-westwards from the church
and connected with the main thoroughfare by short
cross lanes. (fn. 3) The older buildings of the parish are in
this loop road. One, a former farm-house, on the south
side of the southernmost cross lane, about 3/8 mile south-west of the church, is of 17th-century origin. The walls
are of flint and brick. The north front is modernized,
but the gable ends have mullioned windows either of
stone or of old plaster imitation. A lower wing behind
has a 17th-century cross-shaped chimney-shaft. A flintand-brick cottage opposite also has a 17th-century
pilastered chimney-shaft. Another house at the next
corner to the north-east has walls of cut flints with
17th-century brick dressings, and the mullioned windows are treated with plaster to imitate stone. The
chimney-shaft of brick is of the rebated type. A thatched
cottage north-west of it on the north side of the next
cross lane is built half of early-17th-century timberframing and half of later flint and brick. Most of the
other later buildings also have flint-built walls.
MANORS
At the time of the Domesday Survey,
West Dean was included in the manor of
Singleton. Like East Dean, it was a forest
area and the park of West Dean frequently occurs
among the appurtenances of the earldom of Arundel. (fn. 4)
Later the manor of WEST DEAN was one of the
manors belonging to the honor of Arundel. In 1272 it
is mentioned among the manors held by John Fitzalan,
Earl of Arundel, at his death, one-third belonging to his
mother in dower; (fn. 5) and it was among the property
remaining in the king's hands during the minority of
the heir. (fn. 6) In 1274 John's widow Isabel sued in her
turn for dower, including ⅓ of the manor of West
Dean. (fn. 7) She was granted the custody of lands in West
Dean and Charlton (q.v.). The manor continued to
descend with the honor. It passed to Lord Lumley and
his wife Jane, daughter of the earl, by the agreement
of 1566. (fn. 8) It was one of the manors conveyed in 1588
to Richard Lewknor by John Lumley. (fn. 9) In 1621
Richard Lewknor, (fn. 10) and in 1636 his grandson Richard
Lewknor, (fn. 11) died in possession of it. It remained in the
family until the death (s.p.) in 1706 of John Lewknor
who left it by will to Elizabeth
Woodward Knight (later married to Bulstrode Peachey). She
is said to have left it to Thomas
May. In 1738 it passed back to
Sir John Peachey; (fn. 12) and from
him came to Sir James Peachey,
later Baron Selsey, on the death
of whose grandson, the last
Lord Selsey, in 1838 it passed to
the latter's sister Caroline Mary
Peachey, who married the Rev.
Leveson Vernon Harcourt, and
died in 1871. It was subsequently acquired by Frederick
Bower, and in about 1893 by William Dodge James. (fn. 13)
In 1938, E. F. W. James was lord of the manor and
principal landowner. (fn. 14)
Peachey, Lord Selsey. Azure a lion with two tails ermine crowned or and on a canton or a molet gules.
While in the hands of the Earls of Arundel, the
actual manor seems to have been sub-let only for the
short period from 1294 until after 1302, when Henry
de Guldeford held it for life together with East Dean
(q.v.) and land in Charlton. (fn. 15)
The western half of West Dean parish constituted
the tithing and chapelry of CHILGROVE. In 1200
Peter Blund, who held land worth 40s. in West Dean
in 1195, (fn. 16) was in possession of 11½ virgates in West
Dean and Chilgrove, (fn. 17) and in 1244 Thomas le Blund
and Itarius de Sandrevill held jointly ½ fee in Chilgrove
of Robert de Tateshale, the service of which was
assigned to the Countess of Arundel in dower. (fn. 18) Mary
le Blunde was the largest contributor to the subsidy of
1296 in West Dean. (fn. 19) John le Blount had succeeded
to the ¼ fee by 1304, (fn. 20) the overlordship of which was
assigned in 1309 to Thomas de Cailli, as one of the
coheirs of Tateshale. (fn. 21) In 1333 John Blount the elder
conveyed to John Blount the younger a messuage and
2 carucates in West Dean which William de Cherlton
held for life. (fn. 22) It was presumably the younger John
who in 1342 settled on himself and his wife Thomasine
land and rents in West Dean and Chilgrove. (fn. 23) In 1348
John le Blount held of John Bernak ½ knight's fee described, probably in error, as the manor of West Dean. (fn. 24)
He probably left four coheirs, as in 1352 John de
Marlebergh and Agnes his wife conveyed one-quarter
of this property to Adam Husee, (fn. 25) and in 1357 Richard,
Earl of Arundel, acquired one-quarter and half a
quarter of it from Nicholas Maunsel and William
Hervy and Joan his wife. (fn. 26) Two years later the earl
bought from Walter Bechere and Lora his wife an
estate in West Dean and Chilgrove which probably
represented another quarter. (fn. 27)
As already mentioned, (fn. 28) Itarius (sic) de Sandrevill
was joint tenant of the ½ fee in Chilgrove in 1244.
This can be carried back to 1184, when Hugh Esturmi
had the custody of the lands and heirs of Gilbert de
Salnervill in the honor of Arundel. (fn. 29) These heirs were
his daughters Sara, Agnes, and Itaria (also called
Italia). (fn. 30) Agnes and Itaria married respectively William Bernehus and Henry de Cheney, and in 1224 they
were disputing the right to land in 'Wellegrave', (fn. 31)
which is probably an error for Chilgrove. It seems
probable that the 'Itarius' of 1244 should read 'Itaria';
she had a son Hugh de Cheney, whose widow Mabel
confirmed a grant in Chilgrove made by Itaria to
Waverley Abbey, (fn. 32) which suggests that he had left no
heir. This ¼ fee is next found in 1304, when it was
held of Robert de Tateshale by John le Child, (fn. 33) whose
name appears under Chilgrove in the subsidy of 1296. (fn. 34)
On the division of the Tateshale fees in 1309 this was
assigned to Joan de Driby, (fn. 35) and it was held of her
daughter Alice and her husband William de Bernak in
1339 and 1341 by Thomas Child, (fn. 36) who occurs in the
subsidy of 1332. (fn. 37) This is the last definite mention of
this ¼ fee, but in 1348 tenements in Chilgrove were
held of John Bernak, grandson of William, by William
and Richard atte Wenden (fn. 38) by knight service as of his
manor of Walderton. (fn. 39) The subsequent history of this
estate is not known, but it was probably acquired by
Richard, Earl of Arundel, as in 1428 the entire ½ fee
in Chilgrove and West Dean was in the king's hands
as guardian of Earl John's heir. (fn. 40)
The portions of the Blund fee purchased by Richard,
Earl of Arundel, no doubt formed part, at least, of the
later manor of BROMES in Chilgrove. This first
occurs as one of the manors of which John, Duke of
Norfolk, and his wife Elizabeth made a settlement in
1469. (fn. 41) The next owners of the manor were the family
of Dawtrey. Sir John Dawtrey inherited it from his
father and died possessed of it in 1550. (fn. 42) It continued
in the family of Dawtrey until 1624, when Francis
Dawtrey conveyed it to John Hall, (fn. 43) who died seised
thereof in 1638, leaving a son John, then aged 35. (fn. 44)
The manor next passed to Henry Bulstrode and his wife
Mary: in 1657 by a fine with William Hall, and in
1666–7 by a fine with Mary Hall. (fn. 45) Mary wife of
Henry Bulstrode has been called the granddaughter of
John Hall but was apparently widow of (the younger)
John Hall. (fn. 46) Between 1670 and 1693 the manor of
Brome alias Chilgrove (with tenements in Chilgrove
and West Dean) was the subject of a series of fines
made by Henry and Mary Bulstrode by which the
reversion thereof seems to have been ensured to their
son-in-law William Peachey. (fn. 47) Dallaway says that
William Peachey's son Bulstrode Peachey, who took
the name of Knight, left it to his son by will and that
it descended to John, Lord Selsey, (fn. 48) after which it
descended with the main manor of West Dean.
At HYLTERS, in the centre of the parish there was
an estate which was held of the honor of Petworth. In
1302 John Child (of Chilgrove) held 1 virgate there, (fn. 49)
and in 1310 Gerard Huraunt was paying 7s. rent to
Henry de Percy for a tenement in le Hulstre. (fn. 50) The
greater part of the land, however, was given by Richard
de Percy to Geoffrey de Neville. (fn. 51) He gave it to his
son John, who in 1230 assigned it as a manor to his
brother Alan, subject to a lease for seven years to Claremunde widow of Brune de Hamton and then wife of
Stephen of Bordeaux. (fn. 52) In about 1245 Geoffrey son
of this Sir John de Neville, with his father's consent,
sold to Ernis, Precentor of Chichester, all his estate of
Hultre, to be held by yearly render of a pair of gloves
or 1d. as ¼ knight's fee. (fn. 53) It was held in 1302 by 'the
communar (comunarii) of the Church of Chichester', (fn. 54)
and in 1316 the vill of West Dean and Chilgrove was
said to be held by the Earl of Arundel and the Chapter
of Chichester. (fn. 55) In 1535 'the farm of West Dean called
Hilster', £4 11s. 8d., is entered as belonging to the
Precentor of Chichester, (fn. 56) but in 1584 'the manor of
Hulters', in the tenure of William Palmer, was said to
have belonged to the chantry of Bishop Ralph II in
Chichester Cathedral and to be worth 29s. above the
rent of £3 3s. 1½d. paid to the queen. (fn. 57) As it had been
'concealed' it was forfeited to the Crown and was
shortly afterwards conveyed to the Lord Chancellor,
Sir Christopher Hatton, who in 1588 sold it to Elizabeth Palmer of Parham, widow, subject to the feefarm rent of £3 3s. 1½d. (fn. 58) In 1611 this rent was being
paid by William Smyth of Binderton, (fn. 59) and in 1652
Thomas Smyth was paying £4 12s. 1½d. for 'Heltors'. (fn. 60)
The Smyths, however, were presumably only tenants,
as Peregrine Palmer, grandson of Elizabeth, owned
the manor (fn. 61) and in 1677 he conveyed it to William
Westbrooke. (fn. 62) The only later reference to the manor
appears to be in 1749, when it was conveyed by
Mary Woods, widow, and John Woods to Charles
Cole. (fn. 63)
Parish Church of St Andrew West Dean
A so-called manor of WEST DEAN CANONS,
late of the Dean and Chapter of Chichester, was sold
by the Commissioners in 1652 to William Baldwyn
and Edward Cobden. (fn. 64) It apparently corresponded to
the rectory, (fn. 65) as John Alwyn of Cannons in West Dean,
who made his will in 1557, (fn. 66) was probably the John
Alewyn who was farming the rectory of West Dean
from the dean and chapter in 1535. (fn. 67)
William d'Aubigny, 2nd Earl of Arundel, in about
1180 gave to the monks of Waverley Abbey (where his
father had died in 1176) land in Chilgrove. (fn. 68) The
abbot's tenants were said in 1278 to owe suit to the
hundred of Singleton, (fn. 69) and in 1339 he was excused
from providing 2 men-at-arms for his lands in Chilgrove, as they were not worth more than 40s. (fn. 70) At the
Dissolution these lands were granted to Sir William
Fitzwilliam, (fn. 71) who also received other lands in West
Dean which had belonged to Durford Abbey. (fn. 72)
Tortington Priory also had a small property in the
parish, which in 1545 was granted to William Berners; (fn. 73) it was then in the occupation of Richard Aylwyn
and may probably be identified with the messuage
called Staple Ash held by Thomas Aylwyn at his death
in 1594. (fn. 74) His son John died in 1604, leaving a son
John, aged 4½. (fn. 75) Staple Ash is next found in the hands
of John Tregosse, who died in 1618; (fn. 76) he may have
been guardian of John Aylwyn, as the families were
connected by marriage. (fn. 77)
Another small property, valued at only 6s. in 1535, (fn. 78)
was held by the Hospital of Arundel and on its suppression was granted in 1546 to Sir Richard Lee. (fn. 79)
CHURCH
The church of ST. ANDREW
(fn. 80) stands
in the Lavant valley south of the village;
till diverted the Binderton-Singleton road
ran along the north boundary of the churchyard. The
plan is now cruciform, with chancel flanked by a vestry
on the south, crossing, transepts, aisleless nave, and west
tower; it is built of rubble with ashlar dressings, part
plastered, and is now roofed with slate. The 11th-century church consisted of nave and chancel, the latter
on the site of the present crossing, east of this a new
chancel was built in the 13th century, one or both
transepts and the tower were added in the 18th, and
the vestry late in the 19th. The church was seriously
damaged by a fire on 26 November 1934, after which
all roofs and some of the stonework were renewed.
The chancel (originally 13th-century) has at each
eastern corner a pair of buttresses of two stages with
sloping offsets, three being of the 13th century, the
northern modern. In the east wall is a group of three
lancet windows rising to the centre, also 13th-century;
in the south wall is a modern recess serving as sedilia;
at the east end of the (rebuilt) north wall is a small
recess possibly representing an ancient aumbry. West
of this is a mural monument (fn. 81) to Sir Richard Lewkenor
(d. 1616) and his namesake son and grandson (d. 1602
and d. 1635). In the cleft of a broken segmental pediment were the arms, helm, and crest of Lewkenor
quartering Camoys; a classical entablature below this
was carried on two unfluted columns of ? Composite
order. At the back of the space enclosed were two
niches with round heads resting on an impost continued
as a string-course; in each of these was the kneeling
effigy of a man in armour of the tasset period, bareheaded; the eastern, Sir Richard's son, had a full beard,
over him was a shield bearing Lewkenor impaling
Brome; the western, Sir Richard's grandson, had a
shorter beard and wore jack-boots instead of greaves,
over him was a shield bearing Lewkenor impaling
Bennett. Between the two niches, below a large console, was a shield having fifteen quarterings. (fn. 82) Resting
on a slab which formed the uppermost member of the
dado was the recumbent effigy of Sir Richard, the
grandfather, in square cap, ruff, and gown, his feet
resting on a greyhound. The epitaph commemorating
the three was in two panels on the dado.
All four arches of the crossing are now plain pointed
arches of one order resting on square responds without
imposts, and are plastered.
The south transept was built between 1781, when
Sir William Burrell (fn. 83) enumerated 'nave, chancel, and
square tower', and 1795, (fn. 84) and was doubtless originally
made to be the private pew of West Dean House; it
has on the south side two buttresses of two stages with
sloping offsets, a doorway with four-centred arch and
hood-mould, both of the 18th century, and a squareheaded window with three uncusped pointed-headed
lights, modern. The doorway now leads to a small
vestibule giving access both to transept and to the
vestry; the latter (modern) has a single window of three
square-headed lights.
The north transept, perhaps originally contemporary
with the south, but now largely reconstructed, has in
its north wall a window resembling that opposite.
The north wall of the nave has two brick buttresses
of one stage with sloping offset, modern, two singlelight windows with segmental arched heads, originally
18th-century but renewed, and the (blocked) 11th-century north doorway; this has a round arch of one
order resting on chamfered imposts and square jambs
without rebate or door-check; west of it, under the
modern choir gallery, is a small window, modern, but
with head copied from those farther east. Outside the
south wall are two buttresses like those on the north,
a single plain lancet window of the 13th century, one
18th-century window like those on the north, and,
under the gallery a window corresponding to that opposite. The remains of an 11th-century doorway exist,
but are plastered over.
The tower arch (modern) resembles those of the
crossing; below gallery level it is closed with wooden
doors, the organ occupies its opening at gallery
level.
The west tower (18th-century (fn. 85) ) has at each western
corner a diagonal buttress; besides a plinth at ground
level these have a rebatement of like dimensions at the
level of the first stage, and are finished with sloping
offsets. In the west wall is a doorway with plain jambs
and imposts carrying an equally plain segmental arch
for the fan-light over the door. Over this, in the first
stage, is a wide single-light window with moulded
jambs and segmental arched head, lighting the former
ringing, now organ, chamber. There are similar, but
smaller, windows on all faces of the uppermost stage,
which is finished with a slight cornice, battlements, and
corner pinnacles in what was then understood to be the
Gothic manner.
All fittings are modern, save for a large brass chandelier (perhaps 18th-century) now fitted for electric light
and hanging in the crossing.
There were three bells: (fn. 86) one inscribed HALTON
FECIT; the others with the blundered dates 1601 and
1605 respectively.
The communion plate (fn. 87) includes a tall silver cup of
1706 with ornamentation added apparently in 1839;
another small cup, of foreign origin; and a silver flagon
given in 1730 by Bulstrode Knight.
The registers begin in 1554.
ADVOWSON
The church of West Dean was
given with that of Singleton (q.v.) to
the Cathedral of Chichester by the
Earl of Arundel in 1150, and it has ever since remained
in the hands of the Dean and Chapter of Chichester.
A vicarage was ordained in 1237, to which were
assigned the small tithes, tithes of apples and of the
canons' mill, and half the tithe of wool and cheese;
the tithe of flax was set aside for the ornaments of the
church. (fn. 88) In 1535, when the rectory was farmed at
£32 6s. 8d., (fn. 89) the vicarage was worth only £6 11s. 0½d.; (fn. 90)
and in view of its poverty it was united to the rectory
of Singleton in 1768. (fn. 91) In 1849, however, the two
benefices were again separated. (fn. 92)
The dean and chapter in 1481 demised to William
Collock for ten years the rectory of West Dean with
the chapels (i.e. the tithes of the chapelries) of Binderton, East Dean, Chilgrove, Didling, and Dumpford. (fn. 93)
The church or chapel of Binderton (q.v.) had been,
practically if not formally, united to West Dean at some
unknown early date. That of Chilgrove was already in
existence at the beginning of the 13th century, when
a road 'under Grenemere going to the chapel of Chelegrave' is mentioned. (fn. 94) It was presumably the chapel of
St. Margaret to the repair of which John Ferour, vicar
of West Dean, left 20d. in 1526. (fn. 95) The responsibility
of the vicar for this chapel was in 1596 referred to the
arbitration of four canons of Chichester, who decreed
that: the vicar of West Dean should read service at
Chilgrove on one Sunday in every month; he should
cause service to be held on every holy day and festival;
and should administer to the sick and impotent there
and solemnize marriages and baptisms; the inhabitants
were at other times to attend the church of West Dean,
and were to provide a Book of Prayer for the chapel. (fn. 96)
Two years later Bartholomew Storie left a rent charge
of 6s. 8d. on Chappell field to the chapel of Chilgrove
for its repair and provision of books and ornaments, so
long as service was performed there by the vicar of
West Dean; but if the chapel was not maintained the
bequest should be void. (fn. 97) It is not known how much
longer the chapel continued to function, but information was given in 1618 of the repair of its roof and of
the provision of a bible, surplice, and communion
cup. (fn. 98) Under the Commonwealth John Lewkenor was
ordered to pay £150 yearly to the ministers of East
Dean, Charlton, and Chilgrove, (fn. 99) but that this implies
that the chapel had temporarily replaced its mother
church is less likely than that Chilgrove was used as
a synonym for West Dean, perhaps to avoid confusion
with West Dean in East Sussex; if so, the innovation
was not continued.