ARTINGTON
(In the Parish of St. Nicholas, Guildford)
Ertindun (xiii cent.)
The parish of St. Nicholas, Guildford, contains
2,693 acres. It is for the greater part of its eastern
side bounded by the Wey, on the left bank of which
it lies. A great part of the parish is in the borough
of Guildford, and part has always been in the borough,
so far as is known. But the rural part of the parish
has always been in Godalming Hundred, and the
parish, 3 miles north to south, 2 or 1½ miles east
to west, was originally a rural parish. The idea
suggested in old histories that Guildford was once in
this parish on the left bank of the Wey is baseless.
The name 'Bury Fields,' in St. Nicholas parish,
refers of course to the town fields, not to the town.
Neither have draining or building revealed any old
foundations on the left bank. The Guildford Cemetery is in the parish of St. Nicholas, in the part
included in the borough since 1904. It is under a
joint committee on which the rural parish is represented.
The main part of the parish is on the Green Sand,
with an outcrop of the Atherfield and of the Wealden
Clay in the middle of it. But the northern part crosses
the chalk ridge of the Hog's Back and reaches on to
the Woolwich Beds and London Clay beyond.
Guildford station is in the parish, and of late
years, in the neighbourhood of the station and on the
Hog's Back, building has much increased. The
Portsmouth road also traverses the parish, and houses
extend along it for a mile, connecting Guildford
with the hamlet of St. Catherine's. The old Portsmouth road came past St. Nicholas's Church, along
Bury Fields, and up what was called the Little
Mount into the line of the present road. The old
Farnham road came along the ridge of the Hog's
Back and down the Great Mount by a very steep
descent. (fn. 1) The Act of Parliament for making the new
Farnham road was passed in 1796, but the road was
not begun till some years later. A parcel of land
south of the Great Mount is in Farnham Manor, and
was the site probably of a lodging of the Bishop of
Winchester when he was travelling on the road. The
end of the Hog's Back is known as Guildown, and
this old Farnham road is the Strata de Geldedone
referred to in the Pipe Rolls of 1189 as the southern
boundary of the purlieu of Windsor Forest.
In the south of the parish part of the common
called Peasemarsh is included. Great part of this
was inclosed in 1803. It is very poor soil. In the
old river gravel on it some palaeolithic flints have
been found.
The northern part of the parish beyond the Hog's
Back is called Guildford Park. This was the site of
the old royal park of Guildford. Much of the
history of the park is involved in that of the forest of
Windsor, the Surrey bailiwick of which extended
over the whole county north of the Hog's Back and
west of the Wey. It would appear that Henry II
inclosed the park at the beginning of his reign. (fn. 2) The
custody of the park often went with the office of
constable of the castle and steward of the king's
manor, for Guildford was a royal manor and castle
from before the Conquest. There was a manorhouse in the park, but it was quite a small place.
The residence of the kings, who were frequently in
Guildford, was in the castle. It was here that the
extensive buildings and decorations of Henry III
were executed, not at the park manor-house, for they
involved buying of land for the extension of the
building, an impossibility at the latter place, which
lay in the middle of the park surrounded by the
king's land on every side. In 1299 the park was
assigned to Margaret, second wife of Edward I, (fn. 3) but
reverted to the Crown under Edward II. When
Edward III granted the royal manor in fee-farm to
the good men (probi homines) of Guildford the park
and castle were reserved. Helming Leggette was
given the custody of the park for life in 1370. (fn. 4) On
the decease of Sir Hugh Waterton it was granted to
Sir John Stanley for life in 1409–10. (fn. 5) In 1444 it
was granted to John Genyn and Richard Ludlow,
serjeants of the king's cellar, and to Richard's heirs. (fn. 6)
But in 1463 Edward IV granted it to Thomas St.
Leger, who married his sister Anne, widow of the
Duke of Exeter, and gave him the further charge of
certain enlargements of the park made before 1475–6. (fn. 7)
St. Leger received the herbage and pannage of the
park, without rendering account, and £10 a year for
the maintenance of the deer in winter. (fn. 8) The manor
of Cleygate in Ash was granted to St. Leger in 1475,
for the further maintenance of the game. (fn. 9) He was
attainted for rebellion against Richard III, when the
custody of the park was perhaps given to William
Mistelbroke, who received Cleygate. (fn. 10) In 1488 Sir
Reginald Bray received the custody of the park, and
Cleygate. (fn. 11) Sir Michael Stanhope was the next
holder. (fn. 12) When Guildford Grammar School was refounded by Edward VI, the Marquis of Northampton
held it. (fn. 13) Under Elizabeth Lord Montague was
keeper, and had much anxiety with poachers of deer
and snarers of rabbits and pheasants. (fn. 14) He died 1592,
and Sir Thomas Gorges, who had married Northampton's widow, was perhaps the next keeper. In his
time Norden's survey was executed. He describes
the park as of 6¼ miles' circuit with 7½ miles of pales.
Part of the southern side was inclosed and cultivated.
It contained 1,620 acres by estimation, and was
'meanely timbered,' not enough to repair the pales.
There were about 600 fallow deer, but 'not above
30 bucks,' i.e. males of two years old and upwards.
The manor-house was 'puled down and defaced.'
This stood, by his plan, where the farm called Manor
Farm is now. There were three other lodges. The
chief lodge was by the bank of the river, and is partly
standing now as a farm-house at the end of Walnut
Tree Close, between the railway and the river. The
'Deer Leap,' or place for taking deer alive, was by
the side of the Great Mount, where a path now leads
from the mount to the new Farnham road. (fn. 15) Mr.
Carter was then under-keeper. He was the Mr.
John Carter who later received a grant of Guildford
Castle. Gorges died in 1610, and John Murray,
afterwards Earl of Annandale, succeeded. In 1631
Charles I granted it to him in fee-simple, to be held
as for a quarter of a knight's fee, and by his heirs for
ever. (fn. 16) His son, the second earl, died childless, and
the Guildford Park Estate was ultimately sold in 1709
to the Hon. Thomas Onslow, afterwards Lord Onslow,
and the park was disparked before 1717. The park
extended from the road on the Hog's Back to the road
between Woodbridge and Worplesdon, and from close
to the river to a line of hedges and a green lane east
of a small stream and west of Strawberry Grove, which
exactly corresponds to the boundary on John Norden's
plan.
West of St. Catherine's Hill stand St. Catherine's
House, in which the late Mr. W. More-Molyneux
lived, and Mount Browne, the residence of the Dowager
Marchioness of Sligo. Littleton School was built by
Mr. James More-Molyneux of Loseley in 1843. It
has been recently enlarged, and a service is celebrated
there on Sundays by a curate of St. Nicholas. It
was let to the County Council in 1903. A new
school is in course of erection.
MANORS
ARTINGTON MANOR
ARTINGTON MANOR was originally
a part of Godalming, from which it was
separated by Henry II, who, about the
year 1171, bestowed it on Master David of London,
an ambassador at Rome. (fn. 17) This Master David granted
it in fee farm to Ralph de Broc for £15, with whose
daughter Stephen de Turnham had it in marriage. (fn. 18)
In 1191 and again in 1205 Stephen obtained royal
confirmations of his right to the manor. (fn. 19) In 1220,
shortly after Stephen's death, his widow Edelina,
daughter of Ralph de Broc, put forward her claim to
certain rents in Artington against Stephen's five coheiresses, Mabel wife of Thomas de Bauelingham,
Alice wife of Adam de Bendeng, Eleanor wife of
Roger de Layburn, Eleanor wife of Ralph son of
Bernard, and Beatrice wife of Ralph de Fay. (fn. 20)
Edelina entered upon the land, but probably only for
life. The manor was divided into four portions, of
which Mabel de Bauelingham obtained one, the manor
of Artington; Beatrice de Fay a second; a third
portion, which was Alice de Bendeng's, afterwards
formed part or the whole of the manor of Braboeuf;
and a fourth became the manor of Piccard's.
Artington Manor, i.e. the portion of the original
manor which was assigned to Mabel de Bauelingham,
descended with her manor of Catteshull (fn. 21) till William
Weston and his wife Joan sold the latter in 1384–5, but
retained Artington. (fn. 22) A rent roll of William Weston's
lands in Artington, dated 3 November 1394, is among
the Loseley Manuscripts. (fn. 23) John Weston of Weston
died seised of Artington 17 November 1440, leaving
three married daughters, Agnes wife of John atte
Hull, Joan wife of John Skynet, and Anne wife of
Thomas Slifield. (fn. 24) Of these we find that Agnes atte
Hull died in widowhood in the year 1488 seised of
the manor of Artington, Henry atte Hull being her
grandson and heir. (fn. 25) The overlordship was conveyed
to Sir George More of Godalming, 3 November
1601, and the manor of Artington has since been in
the family of More of Loseley. Artington Manor
Farm was the manor house.
BRABOEUF MANOR
BRABOEUF MANOR, which extends very widely
about St. Catherine's Hill and towards Godalming,
includes that portion of Stephen de Turnham's
manor which was assigned to his daughter Alice de
Bendeng, for she granted her portion of Artington to
Geoffrey of Braboeuf in 1232, (fn. 26) and he had confirmation of the grant in 1251. (fn. 27) He had other lands in
Artington and Guildford, and in 1257, together with
Richard Testard, obtained a royal grant of the sites of
old mills in Guildford which they had recently sold to
the king, and also of new mills which they were to
remove to the site of the old ones. (fn. 28) Cicely 'la
Braboeuf' held a quarter of the manor at 'Artington
next Braboeuf' at her death in 1347, (fn. 29) probably as
dower. John Braboeuf witnessed deeds of Artington
in 1337 and again in 1350. (fn. 30) Andrew Braboeuf,
son of Andrew and Cecily de Braboeuf, died seised
of one quarter of Artington in 1361–2, leaving a
daughter Agnes, (fn. 31) who married first Robert Danhurst, and secondly, Robert Loxley. At her death
her grandson Robert Danhurst inherited her lands.
He died s.p.m. in 1481–2, having settled Braboeuf on
Bernard Jenyn and his wife Elizabeth, who was niece
of Agnes Braboeuf's second husband Robert Loxley. (fn. 32)
Bernard Jenyn settled the manor on his second son
Thomas, (fn. 33) who died in March 1508–9. (fn. 34) Sir John
Jenyn, kt., son of Thomas Jenyn, died holding
Braboeuf in 1545, leaving a son Edward aged five, (fn. 35)
who died a minor and was succeeded by his aunt
Joan, wife of Robert Kemp. (fn. 36) Agnes, wife of John
Wight of Wimbledon, and daughter of Joan Kemp,
was in possession of Braboeuf in 1559, (fn. 37) and was
succeeded by her son Rice (Riceus) Wight, who
died at Artington 31 October 1602. His son John
was born in 1674 and died in 1656, his son John died
1707 and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son
William, who died in 1722, and his son Tempest
Wight died 1768. John Wight, his son, died 1817,
his son Arthur Wight died 1847, having married Jane
More-Molyneux of Loseley. His son Albert Wight
died in 1905, and his widow, née Mary Anne Boulderson, is lady of the manor. (fn. 38)
Braboeuf Manor House is now occupied by Mr.
J. A. C. Younger. It has been much modernized,
but retains much of its original 16th-century work.
It was evidently a half-timber house consisting of a
main body facing east, as at present, with projecting
wings at either end; the north wing has disappeared,
but the south wing still stands with the main portion.
To the south of this old building are a modern diningroom and conservatory, and a modern wing extending
to the west.
The walls are now of modern stone, with mullioned
windows. The ground floor of the main (former)
central body contains the hall, entered directly by
the main entrance close to the south wing; the
library, at the north end of the hall, and doubtless
once a part of it; and the stair hall and other rooms
to the west, behind the hall, &c. The south wing
contains chiefly the billiard-room. Over the hall is
the drawing-room, with a fine fireplace (dated 1586),
and bedrooms, &c., and on the second floor are attic
bedrooms.
The entrance doorway—now within a modern
porch—has an old oak moulded frame. The hall has a
good late 16th-century ceiling, with heavy beams running east and west, and a shallower one running lengthwise (north and south), and upon the latter and the
walls are the joists, also running east and west; all the
beams and joists have moulded soffits. The fireplace
on the west side of the hall contains some 17th-century carving, made up with later work; the walls
of the hall are lined with late 16th or early 17th-century panelling; some of it is set in an irregular
fashion. Doorways at the ends give access to the
library and billiard-room, and an archway opposite
the entrance doorway opens on to the stair hall. The
thin wall dividing the hall from the library is evidently
a later insertion, but it is covered with the old panelling on the hall side. The library has a plain plaster
ceiling, which probably conceals some moulded woodwork as in the hall, and a heavy encased wood girder
close to the partition would, no doubt, prove to be
similar to the others. In the library is a large cupboard front containing some of the original carved
late 16th-century oak work in its cornice, &c., made
up with more modern woodwork; it stood formerly
against the partition at the south end of the hall.
The staircase is late 17th-century work; it has
turned balusters, and heavy panelled square newels
with shaped heads, and very heavy moulded handrail, 8 in. by 7 in.
The drawing-room on the first floor has a good
stone fireplace and chimneypiece in its outer or east
wall between the two windows. The opening has a
flat, four-centred arch, enriched with leaf and rose
ornament; above this is a fluted frieze with roses and
portcullises. The rest of the space above this is
divided by pilasters into two bays, the lower parts
treated as panels with a moulded cornice, and containing leaf designs; the upper parts filled with a
large Tudor rose and a portcullis carved in high relief;
each is surmounted by a small crown. At the top,
close to the ceiling, is carved the date 1586. The
whole of the fireplace is decorated with paint, most
of it modern, but said to be a restoration of the
original colour. The room has modern oak wall
lining, and an enriched plaster ceiling of four bays
divided by moulded wood beams. In some of the
bedrooms on this floor are some 17th-century panelling and plain old beams, and one of the attic bedrooms also has some similar panelling below its
window.
Over the porch entrance outside is set a small old
stone, carved with a representation of a phoenix,
perhaps the mark of an insurance company.
The grounds and park contain nothing of note.
There appears to have been no formal garden about
the house, or it has long since disappeared, as also
has the ancient dovecot which is mentioned in various
old records.
Beatrice de Fay's portion of Artington consisted of
20s. rent and a quarter of a mill. These she granted
to the abbey of Wherwell, co. Hants, towards the
maintenance of a chaplain to celebrate in the chapel
of St. Mary in the little meadow called St. Mary's
Garden. (fn. 39) In 1241–2 the abbess sued her tenants in
Artington for rent. (fn. 40) At the time of the surrender
of the abbey in November 1539 lands and rent in
Artington were still amongst its possessions. (fn. 41) These
were leased out by the Crown from time to time, the
lessee in 1567 being Michael Kettelwell, (fn. 42) and in
1595 Sir John Wolley, kt. (fn. 43) At this date the lands
included 'Millmeade' in Guildford. Sir John's son
Francis Wolley possibly obtained a grant in perpetuity, for he bequeathed his lands in Artington to
'the maiden child christened by his wife and Mrs.
Bridget Weston in Pirford Church by name of Mary
Wolley,' with remainder to Sir Arthur Mainwaring. (fn. 44)
The latter was disputing lands called the 'Holy Lands'
in Artington in 1628; they had lately been the
property of Wherwell Abbey, and were claimed by a
certain Thomas Tuesley. At this date they included
'an ancient dwelling-house' (fn. 45) near St. Catherine's Hill,
various fields at Artington, and one-sixth of Millmead. (fn. 46)
The estates have since been broken up, and part
has been bought by the Wight family.
LITTLETON
LITTLETON near Loseley Park is a hamlet of
Artington, and now consists of Orange Court, Orange
Court Farm, and a few cottages. Littleton is mentioned
in the Domesday Survey as being held by Wulwi the
huntsman, who had been in possession of it before the
Conquest. (fn. 47) Under Edward the Confessor it was
assessed for 2 hides and paid no geld, but in 1086
it was only assessed for 1 virgate. In 1218–19
William le Gras of Littleton granted 2 acres in a
field called la Hulle and other land on 'Lidhe' and
Guildown to Robert son of William of Littleton for a
yearly rent. (fn. 48) In 1285 Nicholas le Gras, who was
Sheriff of Surrey, obtained a grant of free warren in his
demesne lands of Littleton and Artington. (fn. 49) He died
before December 1293, (fn. 50) and seems to have been
succeeded by Ralph le Gras, (fn. 51) whose brother and heir
was Roger. Roger le Gras died seised of the manor
of Littleton on 28 November 1303, having been
murdered in Essex. (fn. 52) His heir was his brother
Nicholas, aged twenty-two. (fn. 53) It then included a
capital messuage and three free tenants and was held
of John of Cobham by service of entertaining him in
food and drink for two nights yearly. (fn. 54) Nicholas le
Gras, brother to Roger, was in possession of it in
1323–4. (fn. 55) The manor included much more than the
present hamlet and ran up to the road (via regia) on
the Hog's Back. (fn. 56) It is interesting to see that these
old manors, Loseley and Littleton, were, like the old
parishes generally, (fn. 57) bounded by the ridge of the chalk
downs. John le Em of Compton had lands and rent
there in 1325, (fn. 58) and William Shepherd and his wife
Margaret sold 60 acres of land and 2s. 6d. rent in
Littleton to Arnold Brocas in 1394 (fn. 59) (vide Loseley),
probably for the use of William Sidney, with whose
half of Loseley it seems to have since descended. It
is now held with Loseley.
In 1406–7 a Richard atte Park held land in Littleton. (fn. 60) A house called 'Hamptons' was sold with
land in Littleton in 1630, (fn. 61) while Orange Court
Farm was purchased circa 1750 by Sir William
More-Molyneux of Loseley. John Orange is among
Artington tenants in a 14th-century roll; and in
1464 Robert Bussebrigge left in perpetuity lands in
St. Nicholas, Guildford, called Orenges to Thomas
Costyn, and in 1481 Henry Costyn succeeded. (fn. 62)
LOSELEY MANOR
LOSELEY MANOR (Losele xi cent., Lousle
xiii cent., Loseley xvi cent. et seq.), which was held
before the Conquest by Osmund the thegn, was
assessed at 2 hides in 1086, and was at that time
in possession of Earl Roger of Shrewsbury, who had
also obtained Osmund's manor of Eaton Mewsey in
Wiltshire. Loseley was held of Earl Roger by
Turold, (fn. 63) who, with his successors, continued to hold
it of the various lords of Eaton Mewsey. (fn. 64) Among
the under-tenants, successors of Turold, was Richard
de Dol, one of the supporters of the barons in their
struggle against John. (fn. 65) He sold 2 hides in Loseley
to Hugh de Dol in January 1204–5. (fn. 66) Loseley
descended to Robert son of Hugh de Dol, whose
widow Eleanor obtained from the overlord the custody
of the manor during the minority of Robert's son
and heir, also named Robert. She pledged it in 1285
to Henry Gerard of Guildford for six years. (fn. 67) In
1316–17 'Elbrede atte Park de Lousle in viduitate
mea' granted land in Loseley to Robert and his wife
Isabella. This was the northern part of the manor,
bounded by the 'via regia de Guldedone,' i.e. the
Hog's Back road. (fn. 68) It shows that the whole had not
been acquired in 1204–5. This Robert was commissioner of array for Surrey in 1324, (fn. 69) and made an
agreement four years before his death by which his
daughter Joan had for life the whole of the profits of
the manor, together with Loseley Hall, while he
himself only retained the solar or upper room to the
east of Loseley Hall and an annual rent of 20 marks. (fn. 70)
He died 22 March 1355–6, leaving as heirs the same
daughter Joan de Bures, then a widow aged sixty, and
John de Norton, grandson and heir of his second
daughter Margaret. The solar and rent were divided
between them in 1357, (fn. 71) and the custody of John de
Norton's lands was granted to John de Tye. (fn. 72) After
the death of Joan de Bures in March 1371–2 one
moiety of Loseley descended to her son William de
Bures, on whom she had entailed it, while the other
moiety was inherited by John Norton, great-grandson
of her sister Margaret. (fn. 73) This second moiety was
committed to the custody of William de Brantingham
during the minority of John Norton. (fn. 74) In 1395
John Crosse conveyed lands in Loseley to Master
Arnold Brocas and others, evidently trustees. (fn. 75) One
moiety of the manor, probably the Norton moiety, (fn. 76)
was eventually obtained by William Sidney. He
was the William Sidney to whom Margaret, then
wife of Robert Danhurst, released lands in Artington
in 1426–7. (fn. 77) William Sidney died 1449, and his
elder son William acknowledged the right of his
mother, Thomasine, to half Loseley Manor in dower
in 1452, (fn. 78) and died seised of the reversion, as was
said, in October 1463. (fn. 79)
This William Sidney, described as of Stoke D'Abernon and of Baynards, left two daughters, Elizabeth
and Anne, subsequently married to John Hampden
and William Uvedale. But he had a younger
brother, also named William Sidney, of 'Kyngsham'
(Sussex), whose son Humphrey successfully claimed
the moiety of Loseley under the will of William
Sidney, his grandfather, after the death of Thomasine
his grandmother, who survived both her sons William
and died in January 1498. This claim was made in
1508. There is a large parchment roll at Loseley of
an Inspeximus of the Record of Proceedings before the
barons of the Exchequer enrolled Michaelmas term
23 Henry VII (1508). The unsuccessful parties were
the widow and daughters of William. Humphrey
Sidney's attorney was Christopher More, and the
suit is evidently connected with the acquisition
by More of the Sidney moiety, which he afterwards held. In 1515–16 Sir Christopher More
acquired the rights of John Twistleton, goldsmith, of
London, probably a mortgagee; and before 1532–3
he had evidently purchased this moiety in addition to the other (vide infra), for William son
of Humphrey Sidney then released all his rights
to him. (fn. 80)
The other moiety was in the hands of a John
Strode and Katherine his wife in 1429, and of
Katherine widow of John and John her son in 1435,
and of a Robert Strode in 1454–5. (fn. 81) They, in
granting a lease of land bounded by William Sidney's
land, spoke of 'nostra pars de manerio de Losele,'
and gave the grant at Loseley. This moiety therefore may possibly have included the manor-house,
and may have been the Bures moiety. Robert
Strode, heir of Thomas Strode, conveyed to trustees,
8 October 1476, (fn. 82) and by this means no doubt the
moiety was acquired by John Westbroke, for John
Westbroke held his first court at Loseley in 1481. (fn. 83)
John Westbroke was summoned to warrant the
manor of Loseley to Gilbert Stoughton and Thomas
Purvoche in 1500, (fn. 84) and on 31 October 1508 John
Westbroke of Godalming sold to Christopher More,
gentleman, all his moiety of Loseley Manor, reserving an annuity to himself and his wife Elizabeth for
life. (fn. 85) Christopher More held
his first court at Loseley
11 January 1508–9. (fn. 86) In
1530 he had licence to inclose
12 acres of land and a grant
of free warren and free fishery
within the park, of which this
may have been the nucleus. (fn. 87)
Sir Christopher More died
1549. His son William began to build the present
house, which was completed
in 1569. (fn. 88) William, who was
knighted in 1576, was the
most trusted agent of Elizabeth's Government in
Surrey, and a special favourite of the queen. The
lords lieutenant, the two Lords Howard of Effingham, and the Council, seem to have remitted all
business to him. He also acquired much property
in the county and elsewhere. In 1570 the Earl
of Southampton was removed to his custody and
remained at Loseley for three years. (fn. 89) Queen
Elizabeth visited the house three times, in 1576,
1583, and again in 1591. (fn. 90) Sir William's son and
heir, Sir George More, kt., who succeeded to the
estate in 1600, (fn. 91) was Lieutenant of the Tower, and
represented both Guildford and Surrey county in
Parliament, as his father had done before him. (fn. 92) He
was twice visited by James I at Loseley. (fn. 93) He died
and was buried in the Loseley Chapel, St. Nicholas,
Guildford, in 1632, his heir being Poynings, son
of his eldest son Sir Robert More, kt., who had
predeceased his father. (fn. 94) Loseley remained the property of his heirs male till 1689, when at the death
of Robert More, the then holder, his sister and sole
surviving heiress, Margaret wife of Sir Thomas
Molyneux, (fn. 95) inherited the manor. Their eldest son,
Sir William More-Molyneux, died 1760. His eldest
son James had died the year before. His son
Thomas More-Molyneux died unmarried in 1776,
and left the property to his sisters in succession, and
then to James Freeman alias Molyneux, son of Jane
Freeman, who was afterwards the wife of Samuel
Hill of Duke Street, gentleman. James, son of
Thomas, became owner in 1802, as James MoreMolyneux, and died 1823. His son James died 1874.
William More-Molyneux, son of James, (fn. 95a) died 1907.
The present owner is Mrs. More-Molyneux McCowan,
daughter of his brother, Admiral Sir Robert MoreMolyneux.
More of Loseley. Azure a cross argent with five martlets sable thereon.
View of frankpledge was held at Loseley by the
Bishop of Salisbury as lord of Godalming; (fn. 96) and
thus when the Mores of Loseley obtained Godalming they also obtained the right of view of frankpledge
on their manor of Loseley. There was an oratory
in this manor from the end of the 14th century,
when Robert de Dol had licence to hear mass there. (fn. 97)
Sir George More enlarged the new house and added
a chapel where he held licence for services in 1605. (fn. 98)
But this extension became ruinous, and was pulled
down by the late Mr. James More-Molyneux about
1835.
Loseley lies about 2 miles to the south-west of Guildford. There was certainly a moated house near this
site at a much earlier date, but the present mansion was
built from the ground between 1563 and 1569, by Sir
William More. Sir Christopher More, who came
out of Derbyshire, must have occupied from about
1515 an older house which probably stood on the site
of the lawn to the south of the present house, and he
obtained in 1530 a licence to empark. The 'park'
still remains, and forms—with its green turf, flowergardens, and trees, gathering on the west into a great
avenue which is perhaps more like a forest ride—a
worthy setting for the fine old house.
As originally planned, the house of 1563 was to
have occupied three sides of a square, a central gatehouse and flanking walls, with perhaps minor offices,
forming the fourth side, thus leaving a great open
quadrangle in the middle. In conformity with this
clinging to earlier traditions in planning is the style
of architecture in which the house is built, which leans
to the older Gothic in all its forms, rather than to
the Renaissance.
The original plan was never fully carried out, but
was confined in execution to the main block of
the south side of the square, thus giving the principal
front to the north—a fact that, with the sombre
colour of the stonework, and the stone roofs, accounts
for the somewhat gloomy aspect of the house. Early
in the 17th century, however, a considerable addition
was made by Sir George More, the son of the founder,
in the shape of a western wing, which included a
gallery 121 ft. long by 18 ft. wide, and a chapel.
This wing, said to have been designed by the famous
John Thorpe, was entirely removed about 1835, but
more recently a low range of offices has been erected in
the rear of the house. Built of Bargate stone rubble,
with dressings of firestone or clunch, the main front
consists of a series of gables and interspaces backed by
the long line of the main roof and planned with a
pleasing irregularity, to which the numerous stacks of
brick chimneys contribute. The pedimental doorway
is of classical design and of 17th-century date, but in
all other respects the front exhibits its original
features, most noticeable of which are the long ranges
of mullioned windows, in groups of two, three, four,
and six lights. The early character of the work is
evidenced in these, which have elliptical heads to the
lights and a hood-mould with returned ends, such as
might have been employed in work fifty years older
in date. The great window of the hall bay is very
tall and of three tiers of eight lights, including those
in the return walls. Among the other coats and
badges preserved in its glazing are the arms of the
More family, with the date 1563.
The rear of the house is not so imposing. At the
south-east angle is a large projecting group of gables,
and a garden porch of later character occupies the
centre of the recessed portion, with smaller gables to
the right and dormers in the roof over.
In the interior the drawing-room is remarkable for
its elaborate frieze, on which appears the rebus of the
More family, a mulberry-tree intertwined with the
motto, Morus tarde Moriens—Morum cito Moriturum.
The room is panelled from floor to ceiling, and the
latter is a fine specimen of plaster rib-work with pendants and devices framed in the geometrical patterns,
among them being the cockatrice (which occurs in
other rooms also), a bearing of the Mudge family, to
which Sir William More's mother belonged. The
great window of this room is of six lights, three on
either side of a broad pier, which in the interior is
finished as a carved console.
The stately mantelpiece, a masterpiece of delicate
carving in hard chalk, may without exaggeration be
placed among the finest things of its kind in England.
The fireplace opening is spanned by a flat arch, with
rusticated keystones, and flanked by caryatides and
coupled Corinthian columns, which stand upon
pedestals bearing swags of fruit. Above is a frieze of
arabesque or strap pattern, surmounted by a modillion
cornice: and the overmantel is formed of six panels
enriched with scrolled cartouches, bearing coats of
arms, and framed in by male and female caryatides
holding up the carved frieze and cornice under the
ceiling. (fn. 98a)
Many of the other rooms have panelling, ceilings,
and other features of interest, and the character of the
house has been admirably kept up by the successive
generations of its owners.
In some of the upper rooms are fine tapestries,
including a good specimen of the Mortlake Tapestry.
There was at one time a collection of armour
and weapons which were mostly exhibited in the
great hall, but these have been removed, and their
place is now taken by pictures, many of which
are of great interest, such as those of James I and
Anne of Denmark, painted in celebration of their
visit to Sir George More in 1603; and the large
painting of Sir William More-Molyneux with his
wife Cassandra and all their children. Besides these
there are in other parts of the house many portraits of
the More and Molyneux families; and, among royal
and eminent personages, Edward VI, presented by
Henry VIII to Sir Christopher More; Anne Boleyn;
Queen Elizabeth, presented by herself to Sir William
More; and Sir Thomas More, who was, however,
no connexion of this More family.
The finest collection of manuscripts of family, local,
and public interest, which is preserved in any private
house in Surrey, is at Loseley. Sir Christopher, Sir
William, and Sir George More, the three generations
of owners whose lives covered the time from the
beginning of the 16th century till the early part of
the reign of Charles I, were continually employed in
the public service. The first was King's Remembrancer
in the Exchequer, Sheriff and member for the county;
Sir William was at different times or simultaneously
Sheriff, Deputy-Lieutenant, and member for the county
or for Guildford, and Vice-Admiral of Sussex; Sir
George was Sheriff, Deputy-Lieutenant, member of
Parliament, and also Lieutenant of the Tower, Chancellor of the Garter, and Treasurer to the Prince
of Wales; Sir William was also executor to Sir Thomas
Cawarden, who was Master of the Revels from
Henry VIII to the first year of Elizabeth, and kept his
papers. They were also stewards of manors, constables of the castle, and keepers of the chase at Farnham, and all of them active justices of the peace. In
these various capacities they received a vast quantity
of official correspondence, besides private letters from
many persons of importance. The bulk of these letters is preserved in twelve volumes, but over and
above there is a great mass of letters, accounts, memoranda, Hundred Rolls and Court Rolls of Godalming
Hundred and of many manors, deeds and printed
pamphlets. The greater number belong to the
Tudor reigns and the time of James I, but they
extend earlier and later. Among them are letters and
papers of Dr. John Donne (1573–1631), poet and
Dean of St. Paul's, who was imprisoned in the Marshalsea for clandestinely marrying Anne daughter
of Sir George More. Later papers of much interest are memorials of a tour in Spain in the 18th
century. Mr. A. J. Kempe printed a small selection
of papers in extenso in 1835. (fn. 99) William Bray, the historian of Surrey, had previously had access to the
papers. They have been catalogued, very incompletely,
for the Historical MSS. Commission. (fn. 99a) Recently
the whole has been deposited on loan at the Public
Record Office. The present writer acknowledges with
gratitude the kindness of the owner, who has given
him free access to such a collection, interesting to
the historian generally and invaluable to the historian
of Surrey in particular. It is not too much to say
that the history of the administration of a county
under Elizabeth could be compiled from these sources
alone.
PICCARDS MANOR
PICCARDS MANOR seems to have formed a part
of Stephen de Turnham's manor of Artington, for it appears in 1279 in the possession of Joan wife of William
Branche and descendant of Clemency, one of Stephen
de Turnham's daughters. (fn. 100) Joan and William were
granted free warren in Artington by Henry III. (fn. 101)
It passed with their manor of Peper Harow to Henry
of Guildford, who died seised of land and rent in Artington together with pleas of court there early in the
14th century. (fn. 102) His kinsman and heir, John son of
Gilbert the Marshal of Guildford, paid relief for the
manor in 1319–20 (fn. 103) and granted it to John Piccard
of Guildford and his wife Margaret in 1323. (fn. 104) It is
evidently from this family that the manor obtained its
name of Piccards. In 1350 John son of John
Piccard and his mother Margaret conveyed all their
lands in Artington to Master Bernard Brocas, clerk,
in exchange for lands called Heysull in Chiddingfold. (fn. 105)
From this date Piccards descended with Peper Harow
(q.v.) till the death of Sir Richard Pexall, c. 1571. (fn. 106)
He bequeathed it to Pexall Brocas the elder son of
his daughter Anne, who had married Bernard Brocas
of Horton. (fn. 107) In 1586 Pexall Brocas sold ten-twelfths
of the manor to Sir William More of Loseley, (fn. 108)
who evidently bought up the remaining two-twelfths,
for he died seised of the whole in July 1600. (fn. 109)
Since then the descent of the manor has been coincident with that of Loseley (q.v.).
CHURCH
For an account of the church of
ST. NICHOLAS, see the history of
Guildford, within the boundaries of which
it is situated.
The ruins of ST. CATHERINE'S CHAPEL stand
on St. Catherine's or Drake Hill, (fn. 110) about a mile south
of Guildford Bridge. The building was a plain parallelogram of 45 ft. 6 in. by 20 ft. 6 in., inside measurement. The walls are mainly of sandstone, 3 ft. thick,
the windows, doors, and buttresses faced with chalk.
At the north-west corner is a turret, with vice, leading perhaps to a priest's room, as the top of the turret
does not seem like a belfry. The buttresses between
the three windows on each side and at the angles
ran up into pinnacles. There were large east and
west windows, and west and also north and south
doors. The side windows over the north and south
doors were at some period converted into doorways,
approached by outside steps and probably connected
by a gallery or bridge across the chapel. The northern door opened inwards, the southern outwards.
The only possible use was to allow a great number of
people to pass through the chapel, by the upper and
lower doors simultaneously, to venerate relics. The
present building is mainly early 14th-century. In
the Pipe Roll 14 Henry III (1230) 50s. was allowed to
the sheriff for his disbursement of so much to the
priest of St. Catherine's Chapel, by which it would seem
that the chapel, in the old royal manor of Godalming,
was still in the king's hands. The subordinate manor
of Artington was then held by the co-heiresses of
Stephen Turnham.
In 1317 Richard de Wauncey, rector of St.
Nicholas, had rebuilt the chapel and received
licence for its consecration after rebuilding. (fn. 111)
He had bought it and the neighbouring ground from
the holders of the manor of Artington before 1301.
Andrew Braboeuf granted by charter to Richard de
Wauncey, rector of St. Nicholas, and his successors,
all his rights on Drake Hill and in the chapel of St.
Catherine. (fn. 112) But in 1317 the king appointed Robert
de Kyrkeby to the chapel of Artington, belonging to
the king because the lands of John the Marshal were
in the king's hands. The rector's grant had been
annulled, and in 1318 the chapel was granted to
Richard le Constable, chaplain to the king and rector
of St. Mary's, Guildford. (fn. 113) But in 1328 Bernard
Brocas, rector of St. Nicholas, received a grant of the
chapel, (fn. 114) and the apparently delayed consecration
was carried out (fn. 115) in spite of the remonstrance of Constable. The chapel was valuable because attached to
it was the right of holding a fair on St. Matthew's
Day, and receiving the tolls. The lord of the manor
of Godalming, the Bishop of Salisbury, had, however,
certain dues from the fair. In the Godalming Hundred Rolls (fn. 116) the steward accounted to the lord for
3s. 4d., perquisites from the fair pro agro, picagio, stallagio, et diversis occupationibus. On 22 September 1453
the tithing-man of Artington presented one absentee
and nine persons for breaking the assize of ale at the
fair. This probably comprised all the inhabitants.
At least a century later there were only eleven men,
for in 1546 the court presented that all the inhabitants of Artington were sellers of beer at the time of
the fair, and paid according to ancient custom 1d.
each, hence the sum of 11d. was due, and paid. At
this time the manor was in the king's hands, and these
dues were going to him and not to the rector of St.
Nicholas. The episcopal registers are silent as to
appointments to the chaplaincy, and it may be that
the rectors failed to provide payment for a separate
priest. The chapel itself therefore may have
become disused. It does not appear among the
chapels or chantries suppressed under Edward VI. In
1653 John Manship, presented to St. Nicholas by the
Parliament, sold his rights in the fair to Mr. Wight,
lord of the manor of Braboeuf; and Sir William More,
lord of the manor of Godalming, failed to recover the
tolls in a Chancery suit. (fn. 117) Mr. Wight's representatives have since enjoyed the tolls of the fair, which are
now insignificant. At the change of style it was
brought on to 2 October. Within the memory of
the last generation universal selling of beer by the inhabitants continued, and the fair was of real commercial importance. Turner drew the chapel in Liber
Studiorum. The old Portsmouth road went over the
hill, near the chapel, and a cross-way led to the ferry,
which is probably on the site of the ford for the
Pilgrims' way. The fair was at the crossways.
CHARITIES
Caleb Lovejoy in 1677 left property
in Southwark for the teaching and
apprenticing of boys in the parish, the
preaching of a sermon, and the providing of a dinner,
on the anniversary of his death. The surplus was to
go to the foundation of almshouses for poor women.
In fact the property was insufficient, and the almshouses were not built till 1841. They hold four
women. They are nearly on the site of the house of
Caleb Lovejoy's father, which can be fixed from an
agreement recorded in the Parish Register.
George Benbrick in 1682 gave sums charged on
land at Alton and at Shalford for poor freemen (of
the borough) or their widows residing in St.
Nicholas.