PEPER HAROW
Pipereherge (xi cent.); Piperinges (xiii cent.);
Pyperhaghe (xiv cent.).
Peper Harow is a small parish lying west of
Godalming town. It measures about 4 miles from
north to south, about 2 miles in breadth in the
northern and under a mile in the southern part.
The soil is exclusively the Lower Green Sand, except
for alluvium in the valley of the Wey, which runs
in a winding course across the parish from west to
east. The southern part of the parish includes
Ockley Common and Pudmoor, extensive heathlands
connected with Thursley Common and Elstead Heath.
In the northern part of it is Peper Harow Park, the
seat of Viscount Midleton, extending to both sides
of the Wey, and reaching on the southern bank into
Witley parish. The area is 1,301 acres of land and
19 of water. The road from Farnham to Godalming crosses the parish from west to east. The
population is under 200.
The charter of Edward of Wessex to the church
of Winchester, c. 909, (fn. 1) gives the boundary of Elstead
and of Peper Harow as it now exists in part:
'Aerest aet vii dican to Ottanforda, swa to Sumaeres
forda, (now Somerset Bridge), őouan to Ocanlea
(Ockley Common).'
The park and grounds at Peper Harow contain
some fine timber, notably some cedars of Lebanon,
which were put in as seedlings from pots in 1735. (fn. 2)
In the park are the remains of Oxenford Grange,
a grange of Waverley Abbey. The fifth Viscount
Midleton employed Mr. Pugin to build an imitation
13th-century farm here, and a gatehouse to the park
in the same style in 1844, and in 1843 Mr. Pugin
built an arch of similar design over the Bonfield
Spring in the neighbourhood—a medicinal spring
of local repute, said by Aubrey to be good for all
eyesores and ulcers. This land of Oxenford is
now counted in Witley parish. (fn. 3)
A conveyance to Sir Walter Covert in 1605
speaks of the land in the 'Parish and Field' of
Peper Harow. But the end of 'the Field' is not
known. There was no Inclosure Act.
MANOR
PEPER HAROW was held by Alward
under Edward the Confessor, and after the
Conquest came into the possession of
Walter, Governor of Windsor Castle, son of Other,
ancestor of the Windsors, (fn. 4) to whose honour of Windsor
the overlordship of the manor belonged. (fn. 5) The actual
tenant of Peper Harow in 1086 was a certain Girard, (fn. 6)
one of whose successors, Osbert of Peper Harow, sold
Peper Harow to Ralph de Broc. His son-in-law
Stephen de Turnham received a confirmation of the
sale from King John in 1205. (fn. 7) Stephen's daughter
Clemency received Peper Harow as her portion on
her marriage with her first husband Alan de Plugenhay; (fn. 8) she afterwards married Wandrith de Corcell,
and her third husband, Henry Braybrok, who evidently survived her, sued Ralph son of Bernard and
his wife Eleanor, daughter of Clemency by Wandrith
de Corcell, (fn. 9) for Peper Harow as having been settled
on him at his marriage with Clemency. (fn. 10) Clearly
the suit was decided in favour of Ralph and Eleanor, (fn. 11)
for William Braunch, husband of their daughter Joan,
held a fee in 'Piperinges' of the honour of Windsor. (fn. 12) William and Joan settled a rent of 2 marks
from the manor on Giffard, Abbot of Waverley, and his
successors in 1246, (fn. 13) and Joan was still in possession
of Peper Harow in 1279, when she claimed free
warren there under a charter of Henry III, her right
being disputed on the ground of the previous disafforestation of the whole county. (fn. 14) A fresh grant
of free warren in Peper Harow was issued to Henry
of Guildford in 1303, when he was lord of the
manor. (fn. 15) Joan Braunch died before 21 December
1279, leaving a son and heir Nicholas, (fn. 16) who suffered
a recovery to Henry of Guildford, marshal of the king's
household 1297–8, and gave him a release. Henry
died 1312 holding the manor, (fn. 17) and among the executors of his will was Hervey (or
Henry) de Stanton, (fn. 18) who obtained a release of the manor
from Henry de Stoughton. (fn. 19)
Henry de Stoughton was assessed for feudal aid in Peper
Harow in 1316. (fn. 20) He is said
to have obtained it from Henry
of Guildford 1312–13 and to
have conveyed it to Henry
de Stanton c. 1360–2, from
whom it descended to Hervey
de Stanton. (fn. 21) He held the
manor for some time. (fn. 22) The Stoughtons recovered
their estate, though by illegal means, for in 1343
Henry de Stoughton was fined for persuading Walter
de St. Neot to come to Bagshot calling himself
Master Hervey de Stanton, and in that name to
make quitclaim of Peper Harrow to John son of
Henry de Stoughton. (fn. 23) In the same year Sir
Andrew Braunch, son of Nicholas, (fn. 24) purchased
Henry Stoughton's rights in Peper Harow for
£100. (fn. 25) He was succeeded by a young son and
heir Thomas, who died in the wardship of the king
in 1360, leaving, though he was only eleven years of
age, a widow Mary, (fn. 26) to whom dower was assigned
in the manor. (fn. 27) Stephen de Wydeslade, Andrew
Braunch's nephew by his sister Eleanor, heir to
Thomas, seems to have sold the manor, for in 1368
it appears in the possession of John Chapman and
Geoffrey Edyth, evidently trustees, who conveyed
it early in 1368 to Bernard Brocas, clerk, for life, with
remainder to Sir Bernard Brocas of Beaurepaire and
his wife Mary in tail. (fn. 28) The latter's son and heir,
Sir Bernard, succeeded to Peper Harow at his father's
death in 1395, (fn. 29) but forfeited it by his share in the
conspiracy to restore Richard II. (fn. 30) His son William,
however, was restored to his father's estates in the
following year, (fn. 31) and died in 1456. (fn. 32) His son
William, sheriff of Berkshire and Oxfordshire in
1459, held the manor, (fn. 33) as is recorded by his wife's
inscription in Peper Harow Church. It had been
seized by Edward IV and granted in 1477 to his
servant John Smyth, (fn. 34) but it was clearly recovered by
Brocas. His son John followed, and was succeeded
by William Brocas, also of Beaurepaire.
Stoughton. Azure a cross engrailed ermine.
His two daughters and heirs, Anne and Edith, were
aged respectively twelve and nine at their father's
death in July 1506. (fn. 35) Edith, who was ultimately
her sister's heir, married Ralph Pexsall, (fn. 36) during
whose tenure the house and demesne lands, except the rights of fishing, were leased for ten years
to John Moth of Sherborne. (fn. 37) Ralph's son, Mr.
Richard Pexsall, afterwards knighted, was holding in
the survey of the manor of Godalming in 1547. (fn. 38)
He was once attacked at Peper Harow by a certain
'Bedon,' who with his friends had entered upon
lands belonging to the Parsonage. (fn. 39) Sir Richard's
daughter Anne having married Bernard Brocas of
Horton, a descendant of Sir Bernard, the supporter
of Richard II, most of the Pexsall lands were settled
on her son Pexsall Brocas, (fn. 40) and among them a considerable portion of Peper Harow. In 1585 he sold
ten-twelfths of the manor and the advowson to Henry
Smythe, (fn. 41) the remaining two-twelfths of the manor
being in possession of Pexsall's aunt Margery Cotton,
and of Edward Savage, son of Sir John Savage, second
husband of Eleanor widow of Sir Richard Pexsall. (fn. 42)
The former conveyed her share to Henry Smythe in
1594, (fn. 43) while Edward Savage sold his to Sir Walter
Covert, kt., (fn. 44) who in 1605 bought the other eleven
parts from Henry Smythe. (fn. 45) Sir Walter died
22 January 1631–2, (fn. 46) the manor being settled on his
widow Joan for life, with remainder to John Covert,
son of Sir Walter Covert of
Maidstone, who in June 1655
sold the reversion at Joan's
death to the Hon. Denzil
Holles of Damerham, afterwards Lord Holles, who died
1680. (fn. 47) The manor descended
to his son, Francis, Lord
Holles. (fn. 48) At the death of his
son Denzil (who had no issue)
in 1694, the manor reverted
to John, Duke of Newcastle,
male heir of the elder branch
of the family. (fn. 49) He sold it in February 1699–1700
to Philip Frowde, (fn. 50) who in 1713 sold it to Alan
Brodrick, afterwards Viscount Midleton.
Pexsall. Argent a flowered cross engrailed sable between four birds azure having beaks and legs gules and collars argent with a scallop argent in the cross.
Brocas. Sable a leopard rampant or.
Holles, Lord Holles. Ermine two piles sable.
In 1725 Viscount Midleton was 'expected to
reside shortly,' and was patron. (fn. 51) He died 1728.
His son Alan, second viscount, died 1747. In his
time his first cousin Vice-Admiral Thomas Brodrick was
residing at Peper Harow. (fn. 52)
George, the third viscount, son
of Alan the second, died 1765.
He was succeeded by his son
George, created Baron Brodrick of Peper Harow in the
peerage of the United Kingdom. He died 1836. His son
George Alan was succeeded
in 1848 by his cousin Charles,
grandson of the third viscount,
who died in 1863. The
manor passed to his brother
the Very Rev. William John Brodrick, who dying in
1870 was succeeded by his son William, the late Lord
Lieutenant of Surrey. Viscount Midleton died in 1907,
and was succeeded by his eldest son, the present viscount.
Brodrick, Viscount Midleton. Argent a chief vert and therein two spear-heads argent having drops of blood upon them.
There is mention in 1353 of a manor-house (fn. 53) at
Peper Harow. It formed for a time the residence of
William Brocas and his widow Joan, who was buried
in the church in 1487. (fn. 54) The third viscount pulled
down the old house, but at his death in 1765 the new
house, which was being built from designs by Sir
William Chambers, was not completed. It was finished
by his son when he came of age ten years later, and
afterwards added to, under the advice of Wyatt. It
is a plain Italian building, in brick and stucco.
RIEHULL
RIEHULL (or Royal hodie) in Peper Harow was a
very early grant to Waverley Abbey by Ralph the
sheriff, confirmed by the pope in 1147. (fn. 55) It is presumably part of the land in Peper Harow of which
the Earl of Southampton, the grantee of Waverley,
died seised in 1542. In 1602 Henry Smith, who
owned Peper Harow, (fn. 56) settled 'Ryalls' on his son
William on his marriage. (fn. 57)
The property continued with the Smiths till about
1837, when it passed to Mr. Fielder King, son of
George and Elizabeth King, under the will of —
Smith, brother of the latter. The King family sold
the property to Lord Midleton. (fn. 58)
Besides the liberty of warren claimed by Joan
Braunch and granted to Henry of Guildford, the
lords of Peper Harow had free fishery, which last was
reserved by Ralph Brocas in granting a lease of the
manor. He also claimed hospitality from his tenant
when he came to the manor to hold his courts. There
is mention in the survey of 1086 of a mill at Peper
Harow; this had fallen into ruins before 1353. (fn. 59)
CHURCH
The church of ST. NICHOLAS is
situated in the park. The churchyard,
which is beautifully kept, is surrounded
by trees. The ancient parts of the church are built
of local sandstone rubble, with dressings of clunch,
covered with rough plaster; the modern work is in
local stone rubble with Caen stone dressings, except
the tower, which is coursed stone. The roofs are tiled.
The church consists of a nave about 35 ft. by 20 ft.,
and a chancel 18 ft. long by 20 ft. wide. These
represent the extent of the mediaeval building. To
them in 1826 a western tower was added, replacing the
wooden bell-turret with shingled spire shown in
Cracklow's view. A north aisle was added to the nave
and a mortuary chapel opening out of it to the chancel
by the then Viscount Midleton in 1847, from the
designs of the late A. W. Pugin, while in 1877 the
nave was reroofed and reseated, and a new porch
added on the south side, to replace one built in 1826.
There is a vestry on the north of the aisle. These
successive works have considerably changed the ancient
aspect of the building; but even so they have stopped
short of what was proposed to be done, judging by the
plate published in Brayley's Surrey.
The nave is entered through the south porch by an
ancient round-headed doorway of two plain orders,
with a hood-mould and impost simply chamfered.
The only other ancient features in this wall are the
external south-east quoins of chalk and a single-light
window low down in the wall close adjoining, with
an ogee trefoiled head, evidently inserted to light the
south nave altar, and dating from about 1330; it is
set in a recess going down to the floor on the inside.
The two windows to the westward are quite modern.
In the south wall of the chancel, near to its western
end, is a low side window renewed in modern stone.
All the other windows and external features in the
chancel, chapel, north aisle, and tower are modern.
In the interior the most striking features are the
much-restored chancel arch and its flanking recesses—
that to the south pierced with a squint—dating from
the middle of the 12th century. But though parts of
the works are old, particularly in the recesses, the whole
has been so much renewed, with the addition of
carved shafts and elaborate mouldings, that it possesses
little interest for archaeologists. The arcade to the
new aisle, also a very elaborate piece of work, has
been built to accord with the chancel arch, the
materials used being chalk and Caen stone, with
shafts of Irish marble from Lord Midleton's estates
in that country.
Within the chancel practically all is new, including
the sedilia in the south wall, but the piscina is said to
be a copy of that formerly in existence. The chancel
and chapel windows, which are entirely modern, are
designed in the style of the early part of the 14th
century, and there are also some image niches and other
features in the new work with much carving about
them. The roofs, fittings, and glass are also modern.
The chancel roof is panelled and covered with sacred
emblems. That of the chapel has quatrefoiled bosses,
with painting and gilding in the panels. The reredos, of Caen stone, has five canopied compartments,
the middle one containing a cross supported by
angels, and the other four cherubim standing on
their wheels.
Besides the monuments to Lord Midleton's family
in the chapel there are some brasses of ancient date, one
on the north wall of the chancel to Joan Adderley,
bearing date 1487. It is fixed in a slab of Sussex
marble, and represents her in widow's dress kneeling
at a prayer-desk before a representation of the Blessed
Trinity with labels inscribed, 'Ihu Mercy—Lady
helpe' and the inscription in black letter:—
Ex vestra caritate orate pro anima Johane Adderley
quondam uxoris Johanis Adderley quondam Majoris
Civitatis London', et nuper uxoris Willelmi Brokes,
armigeri, Patroni istius ecclesie, que quidem Johana
obiit xviij die Novembris ao Domini mcccclxxxvij;
cujus anime propicietur Deus. Amen.
In front of the altar rails is another slab bearing a
brass cross which formerly marked the actual place of
her burial.
Among the church plate is a paten of 1717 and a
chalice and paten of peculiar design and uncertain date,
made at Danzig, Germany.
There are three bells, all of 17th-century date.
The registers of baptisms begin in 1697, of burials
in 1698, of marriages in 1699. There is a note at the
beginning that the old registers were destroyed when
the rectory house was burnt 'in Dr. Mead's time.'
He was rector 1661 to 1687.
ADVOWSON
The church is not mentioned in
the Domesday Survey of Peper Harow,
but it was assessed at £5 in 1291. (fn. 60)
The advowson was an appurtenance of the manor,
with which it has descended till the present day.
CHARITIES
The charities are a rent-change on
an estate at Shelley in Essex, for the
use of poor persons, amounting to 30s.,
left by Nicholas Wallis, rector in 1606; and Smith's
Charity for the relief of aged and infirm persons of good
character, apprenticing children, portioning maids, &c.,
payable out of the Warbleton estate, Sussex, and
amounting to about £3 a year or under.