LETHERHEAD
Leodride (x cent.); Leret (xi cent.); Lereda, Lerred
(xii cent.); Ledred and Leddered (xiii cent.); Ledered
alias Letherhed (xv cent.); Lethered and Letherhed
(xvii and xviii cents.); Leatherhead (xix cent.).
Letherhead is a small town or large village 4 miles
south-west of Epsom and 5 miles north of Dorking.
The parish measures 4 miles from north-west to
south-east, from 2 to 1½ miles across, and contains
3,481 acres. It lies across the Mole valley, and is
traversed by the river in its southern part. The
south-eastern part is on the chalk downs; the village
is at the foot of the Chalk and partly on the Thanet
and Woolwich Beds, and the parish extends northwards
on to the London Clay. The immediate valley of the
river is alluvium. The clay rises at the northern
extremity of the parish into an open common, with
some wood on it, called Letherhead Common. The
open grass-land on the downs has been partly inclosed,
but there is still some on Letherhead Downs. The
yew grows thickly on the chalk downs about Cherkley
Court.
The village consisted originally of one long street,
with a cross-street running down to the bridge over
the Mole, but building has recently been extended in
several directions, especially to the north and east.
It is governed by an Urban District Council, under
the Act of 1894, and is supplied with gas by a company started in 1850 and incorporated by Act of
Parliament in 1901, and with water by a company
formed in 1883, the wells of which are in Fetcham.
There are a brewery and brick and tile works; the
parish is otherwise agricultural. The main road from
London to Horsham, through Epsom and Dorking,
traverses the main street. The London and South
Western Railway line from Wimbledon and Worcester
Park had a terminus in Letherhead, opened in 1859.
It had been intended to take this line on to Dorking,
but it was never done by the original company. In
1867 the through-route by Epsom, Dorking, and
Horsham to Portsmouth was completed by the London,
Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company using
part of the South Western line, but with a separate
station at Letherhead. This route had been originally surveyed for the first line to Brighton, which
was to have gone through Shoreham Gap in the
South Downs, but this plan was defeated chiefly
through the exertions of Letherhead people and a
Parliamentary counsel whose father lived at Thorncroft. (fn. 1) The South Western Railway line was continued to Guildford in 1887.
Neolithic flints have been found on Letherhead
Downs, and British coins have also been found. (fn. 2)
The Anglo-Saxon remains found at Fetcham (q.v.)
lay close to Letherhead parish. Near Pachevesham, not far from the Mole, in a wood by
the side of a small stream is a rectangular inclosure
of a single bank and ditch measuring about 80 yds.
by 75 yds. At the nearest point of the Mole to
this work there is a ford, by the side of Randall's
Park. Stone 'pot-boilers' are said to have been
picked up in the square inclosure, (fn. 3) and the ordnance
map records that Roman coins were found in the
field south-west of it in 1859. Fragments of Roman
tile are not at all uncommon in that and the adjoining
field, and Pachevesham, now only a farm-house, gave
its name to the Domesday manor, indicating that the
chief settlement of the neighbourhood had been here
by the road leading to the ford.
Part of the south-east of the parish is traversed by
the Roman or British track across the downs, described
under Mickleham, and near it on Letherhead Downs
are two barrows, of which one to the west of the
road is in good condition. The other has been
opened. The ordnance map marks three tumuli east
of the road, but this is the only one visible now.
Historically, Letherhead has claimed consideration
as the old county town, but it is doubtful whether the
County Court was ever held there continuously. In
1259 a complaint was made that the County Court
was held at Guildford instead of at Letherhead,
'Comitatus qui semper solebat teneri apud Leddrede.' (fn. 4)
But it may be remarked that the mediaeval semper
is a loose term, and it is quite certain that in 1195
the king's justices had sat at Guildford, not Letherhead,
and in 1202 Guildford Castle was the county gaol.
Letherhead was quite possibly the meeting-place
of the Hundred Court of Copthorne. (fn. 5) It is also
geographically near the centre of the county, and a
convenient place for the meetings of influential people
in Surrey, as in 1642 on the eve of the Civil Wars, (fn. 6)
and in 1685 for a county election, though Evelyn
seems rather to complain of the election being held
at an obscure place. (fn. 7)
'The Running Horse,' Letherhead.
A character famous at least in literary history lived
at Letherhead, Eleanor Rummyng, celebrated by
Skelton, poet-laureate to Henry VIII, in the poem
called The Tunnyng of Elynour Rummynge. Her
traditionary inn is now called 'The Running Horse,'
and is near the bridge. Part of the fabric is as old as
the 16th century, and there is no reason to doubt
that the brewster was a real woman. The name
Rumming occurs in the Lay Subsidy assessments in
the neighbourhood, and is in the parish registers as
late as 1669. A John Skelton was assessed in Kingston
in 1524–5, but the poet was in orders, so this is
probably not the same man.
Letherhead Bridge is carried on fourteen arches,
with stone piers and brick parapets, over a wide part
of the Mole, where formerly there was a ford.
According to a common practice, the bridge used to
be closed by a bar except in flood time, when the
ford was dangerous. In 1362 a licence was granted
to collect money for the repair of a bridge here. (fn. 8) An
unknown benefactor left land in Fetcham for its
repair, but in 1782 an Act was passed (fn. 9) making it a
county bridge, providing for its widening, and for the
sale of the land given for its maintenance. As it is
said to have been let at the time for 18s. a year, (fn. 10) the
parishes of Letherhead and Fetcham, in which
the bridge lies, must have really kept it up.
Letherhead had a large common on the downs,
common fields on the slope of the chalk, a common meadow by the river, a common called
Letherhead Common, which still exists, and is
mentioned above, and a common on the manor
of Thorncroft. Under an Act of 1859 the
common fields were inclosed: the date of the
award was 20 November 1862; and the commons were inclosed by an award of 4 May
1865. (fn. 11) The common fields were among the
last extensive common fields in the county.
There are a large number of gentlemen's
houses in the parish besides those belonging to
the old manors. Gravel Hill is the seat of
Admiral Booth; Cherkley Court was that of
the late Mr. A. Dixon; The Priory is that of
Mr. A. H. Tritton, J.P.; Pachesham Park, of
Mr. F. C. Ramsey; Wrydelands, of Mr. S. Le
Blanc Smith; Givons, formerly Gibbon's Grove,
of Mr. H. P. Sturgis. Letherhead Court, at
the western extremity of the parish, is a large
ladies'-school, kept by Miss Tullis.
St. John's School, Letherhead, was established
first in St. John's Wood in 1852, and after
being held at Clapton from 1858 to 1872, was
moved to Letherhead. It provides a gratuitous
education to a certain number of sons of clergy
of the Church of England, receives clergymen's
sons beyond the number of foundationers on low
terms, and admits other boys also. The foundation depends upon voluntary support. It is
carried on as a first-class public school. The
head master is the Rev. E. A. Downes, University
College, Oxford. The buildings, begun in 1872,
and added to in 1890 and 1894, are in 16thcentury style in brick with stone dressing. There is
a handsome chapel.
The School for the Blind, Highlands Road, was
founded in St. George's Fields, 1799, incorporated by
royal charter in 1826, and removed to Letherhead in
1902. The first stone of the new buildings was laid
by H.R.H. the Princess Christian.
The Literary and Scientific Institute was given by the
late Mr. Abraham Dixon, of Cherkley Court, in 1892.
All Saints' chapel of ease, on the Kingston Road,
was built in 1889 by the late Sir Arthur Blomfield.
There is a Wesleyan chapel and hall, a Baptist
chapel, and a Congregational chapel, which was
built in 1844, but represents an older congregation.
The Victoria Memorial Cottage Hospital was built
in 1903.
Mr. John Lucas, by will, endowed a school with
£500 in 1797. The Highlands Road School
(National) was built by subscription in 1837–8. It
is now used as the boys' school. The girls' school in
Poplar Road was built in 1883. Fairfield Road (infants)
is on a site given to the vicar and churchwardens by
Mr. John Henderson of Randalls Park; and All Saints',
Kingston Road (infants), was built when the chapel
of ease was built. The schools were regulated under
a scheme of the Charity Commissioners in 1873.
MANORS
The earliest mention of Letherhead
occurs in the will of King Alfred, who
bequeathed land at 'Leodrian' to his
son Edward, (fn. 12) but it is uncertain with which part of
the Letherhead land mentioned in Domesday this is
connected.
The Bishop of Bayeux was overlord of the manor
of PACHESHAM, later called MAGNA PACHEVESHAM, in Letherhead, at the time of the Domesday
Survey. (fn. 13) Hugh held Pachevesham under the bishop.
His holding was that which had belonged to Ælmer
under the Confessor. (fn. 14) A certain Baingiard also held
part of Pachevesham, that which Ælmer had held of
King Harold. Both owned moieties of mills. (fn. 15)
Subsequently (probably when Odo's lands were
forfeited to William II) Pachevesham came into the
king's hands. In 1203 King John granted 60 solidates and 2 denariates of land in Letherhead to Brian
de Therfield for rent of a sparrowhawk. (fn. 16) In the
reign of Henry III the royal estate seems to have
been held for three serjeanties. William Frankelen
then held certain land by finding a hall for the county
court, then held in Letherhead. Walter le Hore held
land by finding a prison for prisoners taken at the
sheriff's tourn, and William de Oxencroft (fn. 17) held his
land by finding a pound for cattle taken for the
king's debt. (fn. 18) The whole of the land held by the
serjeanties and the sparrowhawk passed to Walter de
Thorp. (fn. 19) He subinfeudated to Eustace de Hacche,
who held the manor in 1292–3, (fn. 20) when he was accused
before the justices itinerant of seizing upon horses and
carts that did not belong to him in Kingston marketplace, for carrying timber to his 'manor of Pachevesham.' (fn. 21) He made a warren in Pachevesham. (fn. 22) He
also appears to have acquired a rent (fn. 23) of 10s. which
King Richard granted to William d'Eyo, (fn. 24) afterwards
held by Eustace d'Eyo (fn. 25) and Matthew Besill. (fn. 26)
The next lord of Pachevesham of whom there
seems to be any record was the favourite of Edward II
—Piers Gaveston. To him free warren in his lands
in Pachevesham was granted by Edward in the year
he came to the throne. On Gaveston's marriage
with Margaret sister of the Earl of Gloucester, (fn. 27)
two years later, the king confirmed Gaveston's grant
of Pachevesham to Robert Darcy and Joan his wife. (fn. 28)
Charters of Edward III gave to Darcy free warren, (fn. 29)
view of frankpledge, (fn. 30) a weekly market on Fridays,
and a yearly fair upon the festival of St. Peter ad
Vincula at Letherhead. (fn. 31) Dying in 1343, Robert
Darcy left a daughter Margaret, (fn. 32) who married Sir
John Argentine or Argentham, (fn. 33) who held the manor
in 1347. (fn. 34) He died in 1382–3, (fn. 35) leaving three coheirs, two grandchildren, and his daughter Maud, the
wife of Sir Ivo Fitz Warin, kt., who held the manor
in his wife's right until his death in 1414. (fn. 36) They
left a daughter Eleanor, who had married John
Chideok. (fn. 37) She presumably alienated the manor,
since William Massey (fn. 38) seems to have been lord of
Pachevesham in 1420, and Eleanor Chideok did not
die till 1433. (fn. 39)
Possibly William Massey left co-heirs, for it seems
that John Bacon and Reginald Rakett owned, in right
of their wives, Dorothy and Joan, three parts of the
manor of Magna Pachevesham in 1538, which they
conveyed by fine to Thomas Stydolf, who left it in
1545 to his son John. (fn. 40) There exists an account of
the boundaries of part of the manor at this time. (fn. 41)
The lane called 'Bygnallane,' the regia via from
Great Bockham to Kingston, appears to have formed
a boundary. This is the road that runs from
Bookham, over Hawks Hill, through Letherhead, and
on to Kingston. Probably the Letherhead part of
the road was 'Bygnallane.' Following the same
boundaries that divided the parishes of Letherhead
and Stoke d'Abernon, the manor stretched to places
named 'Page Grene,' 'Charlewood Corner,' 'Hornshyll,' and 'Ravennest,' and so to where the ditch
divided Pachevesham Common from the common of
Chessington. It crossed the old highway from
Dorking to Kingston, reaching Ashtead Common
and 'Asshested Crosse,' and so on to the ditch which
severed Pachevesham Common from that of Thorncroft,
another Letherhead manor. Thence it stretched to a
bridge named 'Woodbrydge,' and so by copses to
'Bygnallane' again. By this it seems that the manor
comprised all the northern part of Letherhead parish,
but did not extend south of the village.
Stydolf having three parts of the manor, there
remained a fourth part, which was acquired by John
Agmondesham from the heirs of Joan wife of Sir
Robert Fynes, probably one of the co-heirs of Massey. (fn. 42)
His son John Agmondesham,
who died in 1519, was described as holding the fourth
of the manor which had descended to him from his father. (fn. 43)
Agmondesham. Argent a cheveron azure between three boars' heads sable with three cinqfoils or upon the cheveron.
The heir of the younger
John Agmondesham was his
son Edward, a child of seven
years, (fn. 44) who, later, died childless, so that his sisters became
his co-heirs, one of whom,
Jane, who had married Thomas
Sandes, died in 1557 (fn. 45) possessed of a third of the fourth
part of the manor, which descended to her son Robert. (fn. 46) Another of the coheirs was probably Mary wife of William Husee,
who alienated in 1570 another third of the fourth
part of the manor to Sir John Godwyn; (fn. 47) he, in
1572, alienated it to Robert Sandes, who thus became possessed of two thirds of the fourth. (fn. 48)
The remaining third of the fourth part had become the property of the Herberts, for in 1561
William and Matthew Herbert alienated it to John
Stydolf, (fn. 49) who thus held the three parts (which had
descended to him from his father), and a third of the
remaining fourth part of the manor. His son Thomas
Stydolf acquiring from Robert Sandes in 1586 the
remaining two thirds of the fourth part, (fn. 50) the whole
manor became the property of the Stydolfs. The
descent of Pachevesham Magna then is identical with
that of Mickleham and Norbury, the neighbouring
manors of the Stydolf family. (fn. 51) In the reign
of Anne it was the property of Sir Richard Stydolf's
grandson, James Tryon, who devised the manor to
his nephew Charles Tryon.
According to Manning and Bray, Mr. Tryon sold
the estate to Anthony Chapman in 1766, who sold
it in 1773 to Benjamin Bond Hopkins. Of him
Henry Boulton of Thorncroft bought it in 1781. (fn. 52)
Mr. Robert Ladbroke bought it from Mr. Henry
Crab Boulton's trustees after 1828, according to
Brayley; (fn. 53) but Mr. Richard Boulton, his son, was
lord in 1833. (fn. 54) Mr. Felix Ladbroke, son of Robert,
sold the manor in 1857 to Mr. Robert Henderson;
his son, Mr. John Henderson, is the present lord of
the manor, which is now amalgamated with Parva
Pachevesham.
PARVA PACHEVESHAM or RANDALLS
PARVA PACHEVESHAM or RANDALLS.—
The origin of the estate called Randalls seems to be
found in the hide and virgate which Randulf held of
Bishop Odo in 1086. (fn. 55) The name of Randulf still
remained in connexion with Letherhead in the reign of
Edward III. John Randulf seems to have possessed a
several fishery and land in Letherhead. (fn. 56) William
Randulf later in the same reign owned two mills and
lands in Letherhead and Fetcham, (fn. 57) and in the reign
of Henry V Nicholas Randolf, who in Fuller's Worthies
is described as J.P., was holding land there. (fn. 58) The
holding of the Randulfs is never described as a manor,
although they must have been persons of some
importance, as John Randulf 'of Packlesham' had
licence for an oratory in his mansion at Letherhead. (fn. 59)
Their lands became amalgamated with another estate
called Parva Pachevesham, being represented by the
messuage and property within the manor known as
Randalls. Parva Pachevesham was evidently formed
from a manor of Letherhead which was held with
Fetcham (q.v.) by the d'Abernons. John d'Abernon,
in 1331, claimed that he and his ancestors had enjoyed
from time immemorial the right to a pillory in Letherhead, which pillory Robert Darcy (lord of Magna
Pachevesham) had broken down. (fn. 60) Robert Darcy
declared that the pillory had been set up in his
ground. (fn. 61) Sir Edmund Bray, heir of the d'Abernons,
held this manor in 1538, (fn. 62) and it descended to Frances
Lyfield, sister of John, Lord Bray. (fn. 62a) After this it
became amalgamated with Fetcham. (fn. 63) Of this manor
John Agmondesham held lands at his death in
1509 (fn. 63a) which in the inquisition on Jane Sandes,
one of the co-heirs of John Agmondesham, are
called Patesham, or Pachevesham Parva. (fn. 64) Jane
Sandes's third part descended to her son Robert. (fn. 65)
Another third was owned by William or Matthew
Herbert, who sold it in 1561 to John Stydolf (fn. 66)
of Magna Pachevesham. By William Husee,
who was evidently the husband of another of the
co-heirs, the remaining third was granted to Sir
John Godwyn, who alienated it in 1571 to Robert
Sandes. (fn. 67) John Stydolf's third descended to his
son Thomas. (fn. 68) According to Manning and Bray
he alienated it to Robert Sandes, but according to
the inquisition taken at his death he died in possession of it. (fn. 69) However, alienated it evidently was
at some time, for John son of Robert Sandes held the
whole manor, which included the capital messuage
called Randalls in Letherhead. (fn. 70) The manor descended
to his son and grandson, Thomas and John Sandes, (fn. 71)
the latter of whom, with his wife Elizabeth,
conveyed the manor of Parva Pachevesham or
Randalls by fine in 1700 to Arthur Moore, (fn. 72) whose
widow Theophila and son William sold to the Hon.
Thomas Pagett in 1736. (fn. 73) By Caroline daughter of
Thomas Pagett and her husband Sir Nicholas Bayly
in 1753 Parva Pachevesham was sold to George Lord
Carpenter, Earl of Tyrconnel, (fn. 74) whose son conveyed
to Lewis Montolieu in 1788. (fn. 75) He sold it in 1792
to Henry Casmajor, who conveyed the mansion
house in 1795 to Thomas Kingscote, from whom it
passed by sale in 1802 to Sir John Coghill. (fn. 76) In
1812 Sir John sold to Nathaniel Bland, who in 1829
pulled down the old house,
which was a timbered one close
to the river, and built the present house called Randalls Park
on a new site. Rather before
this the road leading to the
ford across the Mole and to
Fetcham had been diverted to
the westward, but still crosses
the river at the old ford. (fn. 77)
The manor was bought in 1856
from Bland's trustees by Mr.
Robert Henderson, whose son,
Mr. John Henderson, is now
lord of the manor.
Henderson of Randalls. Gules three piles issuing from the sinister or and a chief engrailed ermine.
THORNCROFT
THORNCROFT, a manor in Letherhead, formed
part of the lands of Richard de Tonbridge, lord
of Clare. (fn. 78) Of the honour of Clare the manor
was continuously held. (fn. 79) Jordan son of Amfred
held half a virgate in Letherhead in the reign of
Henry III. (fn. 80) This half-virgate William le Moine
in 1226 claimed against Henry son of Jordan, (fn. 81) and
in 1228 William Monk or le Moine quitclaimed his
right in a virgate of land in Letherhead to John de
Chereburg or Cheleburg, (fn. 82) who according to the
Testa de Nevill held half a knight's fee there of the
honour of Clare. He alienated all his Letherhead
property to Sir Philip Basset and the Lady Ela his
wife, Countess of Warwick. (fn. 83) The countess and
Sir Philip in 1267 granted two carucates of land in
Letherhead to Walter de Merton for the support of
the house of his scholars at Oxford. (fn. 84) Merton
College, Oxford, still holds the manor. (fn. 85) Sir Thomas
Bludder (vide Reigate) lived there, also Mr. Henry
Crab Boulton (vide Headley), who rebuilt the house
in 1772. It was occupied in the 19th century by
Colonel Drinkwater Bethune, author of The Siege of
Gibraltar.
MYNCHIN
MYNCHIN.—In 1195 Ailric of Leddrede claimed
and obtained half a hide of land in Letherhead against
his brother Baldwin. (fn. 86) Baldwin's son, however, seems
to have owned it later, if this was the same half-hide
that William the son of Baldwin granted to Ralph de
Bradele in 1248. (fn. 87) Whether or not this was the
land which was shortly afterwards in the possession of
the Apperdele family cannot be ascertained. The
Apperdeles held land in Letherhead at the end of the
reign of Henry III when Henry de Apperdele claimed
against William de Apperdele and Maud his wife
various parcels of land in Letherhead which he declared he had given to them when he was 'non
compos mentis, et extra se et extra mentem suam.'
He also thought that the Prior of Holy Cross, Reigate,
ought not to retain the 26 acres in Letherhead which
Alexander, Henry's son, had given him, because he
(Henry) had given them to Alexander when he was
mentally unbalanced, and that gifts made at such a
time were quite invalid. The other parties, however,
said that Henry had not been out of his mind at the
time, and had himself afterwards ratified his son's grant
to the prior, and five years after his grant to William
had further assured the same to him. The jury not
inclining to the excuse of mental aberration sent
Henry to prison. (fn. 88)
Roger de Apperdele in the 14th century founded
a chantry in Letherhead Church, (fn. 89) and in 1365
granted a messuage, 30 acres of land, 8 acres of
meadow, and 13s. 4d. rent in Letherhead to the
Prior and convent of Kilburn. (fn. 90) Roger de Apperdele held some of his land of Sir John Argentine as
of his manor of Pachevesham and some of Merton
Priory. (fn. 91) Part of the land given to the prioress seems
to have been rather poor ground: some of the pasture
was too stony to be sown, and some lay in so dry a
place that it could only be mown in a wet season. (fn. 92)
This lay in the north of the parish bordering on
Letherhead Common, which is poor land; other
Apperdele land was between the river and the Dorking road, now called Aprils. (fn. 93) The property remained with Kilburn until its dissolution, when it
was granted under the name of the manor (fn. 94) of
Minchen to Thomas Stydolf, and then followed the
descent of Pachevesham (fn. 95) and the other Stydolf
property.
The priory of Merton had an estate in Letherhead which in the 16th century is called the manor
of PAKENHAM. In 1535 the possessions of the
monastery in Pachevesham were valued at 20s. (fn. 96) In
1579 'the lordship and manor of Pakenham in
Letherhead, late part of the possessions of the
monastery of Merton,' was granted to Edmund
Downing and John Walker and their heirs. (fn. 97) There
seems to be no further trace of this manor.
CHURCHES
The church of ST. NICHOLAS consists of a chancel 48 ft. by 16 ft., north
transept 30 ft. 5 in. by 16 ft. 4 in.,
south transept 17ft. 8 in. by 13 ft. 2 in., nave 54 ft. 2 in.
long on its north side by 23 ft. 9 in., north aisle
9 ft. 5 in. wide, north porch, south aisle 10 ft. 7 in.
wide, and a west tower 17 ft. 9 in. wide by 12 ft. 10 in.
deep; all these measurements are internal.
The plan of the nave, apart from the interruption
caused by the irregular setting of the tower, is doubtless of the 12th century, as the early 13th-century arches
of the arcades are clearly pierced in an older wall,
which was leaning outwards, especially on the south
side, at the time. To counteract this lean the inner
order of the south arcade is built as nearly vertically
as the conditions allow, while the outer order has of
necessity to follow the line of the wall above, giving a
curious twisted effect to the arches. That this is not
a late alteration is shown by the fact that it occurs in
the western arch of the arcade, which is partly buried
in the west tower, an addition of c. 1500; it is of
course possible that it may have been done between
the 13th and the 16th century, but it is perhaps more
likely to be an original expedient. The north arcade
is of somewhat earlier character than the south, dating
from the opening years of the 13th century, and was
originally of three bays only. It does not, however,
seem likely that the nave was any shorter at the time
of its building than when the south arcade was set up.
In the first half of the 14th century the church was
considerably enlarged on the east, the old chancel
giving place to a larger one flanked by transepts on
the north-west and south-west, and with a north-east
vestry, its axis being deflected northward from that of
the nave. It is to be noted that the east wall of the
nave is not at right angles to the north and south
arcades, but this may be due to an irregularity in the
original setting out. The transepts also are not of
equal width with each other, and while the north
transept is set at right angles with the chancel, the
south transept follows rather the lines of the nave.
There is also a break in the chancel wall near its
junction with this transept, and while it is clear that
the chancel and north transept are of one build, it is
quite possible that the plan of the south transept is of
earlier date. There may, indeed, have been a church
here in the 12th century of the same kind of plan as
Charlwood, with a tower between nave and chancel,
and the thickness of the existing east wall of the nave
points in this direction. The south transept may
have been added to this tower before the 14th-century alterations, and preserved its plan, though apparently rebuilt with the rest of the eastern parts of the
church. Manning and Bray record that when Leeds
Priory obtained the advowson of the church in 1346
they rebuilt the tower, transepts, and chancel; the
chancel looks some twenty years earlier than this date,
but 'restorations' may account for this. The existing tower is of much later date.
Plan of Letherhead Church
The aisles of the nave seem to have been widened
in the 15th century, being made equal in width to
the transepts, and the west tower belongs to the end
of this century or the early years of the next. Its
oblong plan and the violent angle at which it is set
to the nave are evidently due to the necessity of preserving space for a procession path round the churchyard, the boundary of which comes close to the west
end of the church, and the builders did not hesitate
to cut into the west bay of the south arcade in order
to effect their purpose; the west respond of the arcade
is to be seen on the west side of the south-east buttress
of the tower, in which it is partly buried.
A general repair was carried out in 1701–2, and
in later times a great deal of restoration work to the
windows and external stonework, so that the only
windows retaining their original external stone are one
of the 15th century in the north aisle, and a later one
in the porch. The tower was plastered over in 1766,
but has been stripped and the flintwork pointed; the
north transept has been lengthened to take an organ,
and other work has been done to the roofs, &c.
The east window of the chancel is a modern one
of three cinquefoiled lights under a pointed head
with net tracery. In the north wall are two windows
with modern tracery of two cinquefoiled lights, and
14th-century jambs and rear arches; in the south
wall are two similar windows, the western of which
is entirely modern, while the other has old jambs.
At the north-east of the chancel there has been a
contemporary vestry, 8 ft. square, the blocked doorway of which remains. It seems to have been of two
stories, and a shallow cupboard recess remains in the
outer face of the chancel wall at some height from
the ground. A wide arched recess on the inner face
of the wall, now much modernized, has served as a
cupboard and probably as an Easter sepulchre. Two
pieces of dog-tooth ornament are built into the wall
above the site of the destroyed vestry. In the south
wall of the chancel are a modern trefoiled piscina and
three sedilia with marble shafts.
A scroll-moulded string-course runs round the
chancel below the windows, much repaired, but some
of the original work remains. In the north-west
corner is cut a double squint from the transept at a
very acute angle; it has two openings separated by a
mullion towards the chancel, and the eastern opening
commands the site of the high altar, while the other
gives a view of the sedilia. There are no arches
across the openings to the transepts, but they were
doubtless inclosed by screens in former times. The
north transept has an inserted 15th-century east
window of three lights under a traceried head, the
tracery and outer stonework being modern, while the
inner jambs and hollow-chamfered rear arch are old;
between it and the squint is a small square recess with
chamfered edges, and north and south of the window,
but below the level of its sill, are plain chamfered
image-brackets. The modern extension of the transept is used as a vestry.
The south transept has a modern east window of
three lights resembling that of the chancel, and a
south window of four lights with a four-centred head
and moulded label, also modern; and there are
14th-century arches opening to the aisles from both
transepts, each of two wave-moulded orders. The
chancel arch is of 13th-century date, with two moulded
orders and a string at the springing, the chamfers of
the western jambs being stopped below the string
with a pretty shell ornament; the wall is very thick
and probably older than the arch, but the ashlar
courses on its west face run through from the arch to
the respond of the south arcade of the nave at the
level of its capital; the broken courses below are
probably due to the former existence here of a recess
behind the south nave altar. To the north of the
chancel arch the facing ranges neither with the jambs
of the arch nor with those of the north arcade, but
appears to be of later date than the latter, against
which it ends with a straight joint. Above the
springing level of the chancel are shallow arched
recesses to the north and south, now apparently quite
modern, but perhaps representing entrances to the
rood-loft. They now contain painted figures of our
Lady and the Angel of the Annunciation.
The north arcade of the nave has four bays, the
western bay being modern, cut through a wall which
was previously blank. The other three bays are early
13th-century work, the east and west responds being
semi-octagonal with moulded bases and capitals, while
the first pillar is round with a moulded base, and a
capital enriched with a line of beautiful trefoil foliage;
the second pillar is octagonal and has a moulded
capital without carving. All the bases are modern,
but the rest of the arcade is old, the arches being
two-centred, with a chamfered inner order, and an
outer order with an undercut keeled roll towards the
nave, and a chamfer towards the aisle, hollow in the
eastern bay. The levels of the bases rise from west
to east in this and the south arcade, following the
rise of the ground, as commonly happens in old
churches, the necessity of a level floor being a tenet
of the modern 'restorer' only.
The south arcade is of four bays; the responds are
semi-octagonal, the middle pillar octagonal, and the
other two circular; all have moulded bases and
capitals, the former renewed in modern times; the
arches are pointed and of a slightly more elaborate
section than those of the other side, the edge roll of
the outer order having a side fillet and an additional
small roll or bead. The west respond and part of the
arch are partly buried in the stonework of the tower
which cuts into it, and are somewhat distorted, perhaps by a settlement of the newer work. The curious
treatment of the inner order of the arches has been
already remarked upon. Of the three north windows
in the north aisle only the middle one is old, of
15th-century date, with two cinquefoiled lights, and
the north doorway is modern or modernized, with
mouldings of 15th-century style.
The north porch appears to be of the late 15th or
16th century, and has a pointed archway and a plain
square-headed west window; the lower part of the
porch is of brick, the rest of flint and stone. In the south
aisle only the doorway is old, of simple 15th-century
style, and there is a modern vestry at the west end of
the aisle.
The tower is of three stages, the western angles
are strengthened by pairs of deep buttresses, and the
stair rises on the north-east corner; at the south-east
a buttress cuts into the south arcade, and the tower
arch has a low four-centred head with jambs of two
orders, and moulded with a series of rolls and hollows
of very dry detail. In the wall south of the arch is a
large recess 14 in. deep with a four-centred arch, and
a seat or ledge about 3 ft. above the floor. The stair
is entered through a four-centred doorway within the
tower, opening to a rib-vaulted passage leading to the
stair foot.
The west doorway is a modern one with a four-centred arch in a square head, and over it outside is
an inscription in memory of Edward Rickards, 1893.
The window above is of four lights divided by a
transom, the lights below the transom and also in the
head are cinquefoiled; the arch is four-centred and
filled with perpendicular tracery; it is all now of
modern stone except the rear arch and jambs. In
the north wall inside, higher up, is a wide recess
with a rough four-centred arch, entered from the
stair, and showing marks of use as a ringing-gallery.
In the second stage is a modern west window of two
trefoiled lights under a square head; the bell chamber is lighted by windows of three plain lights with
four-centred heads; the parapet is embattled and the
roof pyramidal; the stair turret stands up above the
parapet and has a pointed roof.
The chancel has a modern open-timbered cradle
roof covered with tiles; at the crossing the roof is
of collar-beam type. The transepts have panelled
ceilings; the north transept is covered with Horsham
stone slabs and tiles, the southern with tiles only.
The nave has a modern collar-beam roof with trusses,
the king-posts of which have capitals and bases; in it,
on the north side, are two gabled dormer windows,
each of three lights, and one on the south side. The
aisles have lean-to roofs, that on the north covered
with stone slabs, and in the south aisle is a four-light
dormer window with a transom.
The altar-table is modern, and behind it is a
modern reredos of stone. An old altar-slab is preserved in the church. The pulpit is a modern one
of stone and marble, and the font appears to be of
15th-century date; it is octagonal with a panelled
bowl moulded on its upper and lower edges; the
stem is plain and the base moulded. Under the
tower is an old chest covered with leather, and
bearing in nail-heads the date 1663. Preserved in
cases are a Book of Homilies of 1683 and a Book of
Common Prayer of 1669; both had been removed
from the church, and were restored in 1885.
At the west end of the north aisle, against the wall,
is a stone slab, on which is the brass figure of a man
in civil dress, c. 1470, and the indent of the figure of
his wife; below are the small figures of their three sons
and three daughters, and near the top of the slab is a
small circular indent. A modern inscription in brass
is attached to the stone: 'Hic jacet Matild Hamildun
… ux Thomae at Hull que obiit … die mens
Octob Anno Dni mccccx cujus anime propicictur (sic)
Deus Amen.' Incised at the foot of the slab is a
record of its removal from the middle aisle in 1873.
Two pieces of the inscription of a brass, c. 1340,
were found lately in excavations on the site of the
vestry; they read: '[Mar]garete … nre seig[neur].'
On the east respond of the south arcade is a curious
inscription on brass to Robert Gardner, chief serjeant
of the cellar to Queen Elizabeth, 1571:
'Here fryndly Robartt Gardnar lyes, well borne of
ryghtt good race
Who sarvd in cowrtt wyth credytt styll, in worthi
rowlm and place
Cheeff Sargantt of the Seller longe, whear he dyd
duetty shoe
Wyth good regard to all degrees, as ffar as powre
myghtt goeduetty shoe
He past hys youth in sutch good ffraem, he cam to
aeged yearsduetty shoe
And thearby porchaest honest naem, as by reportt
a peers
A ffrynd whear any cawse he ffownd, and corttes
unto all
Of myrry moode and pleasantt spetch, howe ever happ
dyd ffall
Ffowr chyldern for to ffornysh fforth, the table rownd
he had
Wyth sober wyeff most matrenlyk, to mak a man
ffull glad
Prepaerd to dye longe ear his day, whych argues
greatt good mynd
And told us in the other world, whatt hoep he had
to ffynd
We leave hyme whear he loektt to be, our lord
receyve hys spreett
Wyth peace and rest in habram's brest, whear we att
leynth may meett.
'Qd Churchyard
He departed owte of thys transetory worlde the
xth daye of November anno dĈ 1571 being then
of the age of lxxiii yeres.'
Over the inscription is a shield with the arms—Sable
a cheveron between three hunting-horns argent on a
pile argent a covered cup gules all within a border
or charged with eight roundels sable. His helm,
with the crest of a goat's head, is on a bracket above.
In the tower are ten bells, five of which are by
T. Mears, 1816, and the other five by Warner & Sons,
1877.
The communion plate comprises a large cup of
1661, large flagon of 1704, three chalices of 1871,
1872, and 1891 respectively, three patens of 1832,
1890, and 1891, and a small paten without a mark
or date; besides these are four pewter plates, two of
which are dated 1711.
In the first book of the registers the baptisms
begin regularly in 1656, but there are individual
entries in the years 1626, 1647, and 1649; they
continue to 1793; the marriages date from 1626
to 1753, and the burials 1626 to 1794; the book is
of paper. The second book contains marriages from
1754 to 1792, the third continues them to 1812,
and the fourth has baptisms and burials from 1794 to
1812.
ALL SAINTS' church is a medium-sized, modern
building of flint and stone in the style of the 13th
century, consisting of a chancel, nave, south chapel
and aisle, vestry, and north porch. Over the chancel
arch is a wooden bell-turret with one bell; the inside
of the building is lined with red brick.
ADVOWSON
The church of Letherhead, at the
time of the Domesday Survey, was
appurtenant to the manor of Ewell,
and, together with 40 acres of land, was held by
Osbern de Ow. (fn. 98) It later became the property of the
abbey of Colchester, to whom it was granted by
Eustace de Broc. (fn. 99)
Brother Robert, Abbot of Colchester, granted
the advowson in 1287 to the king (Edward I), (fn. 100)
who presented before 1304. (fn. 101) The advowson remained with the Crown (fn. 102) until Edward III in
1341, at the request of his mother, Queen Isabel,
and to recompense the priory of Leeds, Kent, for
losses sustained when Edward II besieged the
castle of Leeds in order to avenge an insult offered
to the queen, granted the advowson to the Prior and
convent of Leeds (fn. 103) with licence to appropriate the
church, and the monastery continuously presented to
the church until its dissolution. (fn. 104) Henry VIII then
gave the rectory and church and advowson of the
vicarage of Letherhead to the Dean and Chapter of
Rochester, (fn. 105) who are the present patrons. (fn. 106)
Besides their advowson, the Prior and convent of
Leeds owned land in Letherhead. Edward III
granted them free warren, (fn. 107) which shows they had
a considerable estate. The prior held, as glebe land,
fields and crofts named Morescroft, Bunteynesland,
and Necrofts in Letherhead. (fn. 108)
CHARITIES
Smith's Charity is distributed as
in other Surrey parishes.
In 1608 John Skeet left £140 to
buy land to provide bread for the poor.
In 1642 Charles, Earl of Nottingham, left £50 to
the poor. It was not paid till 1679, when the parish
added £20 and bought a house for an almshouse. In
1725 it was let for 15s. a year for the use of the poor.
In 1807 it was sold, and a new house of industry
built, which existed until the passing of the Poor Law
of 1834.
In 1692 Edward Hudson left £3 a year to the
trustees of Skeet's Charity to provide beef for the poor
at Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide, and £1 to the
vicar and parish clerk for saying evening prayer on the
eve of those festivals.
In 1777 Elizabeth Rolfe gave the interest of £400
to maintain a monument in the church and for
distribution among ten poor families.
In 1786 William Denne left £250 for coals to
the poor.
In 1797 John Lucas, the founder of the school,
endowed a midwife with £100, and left £100 for
bread, the latter sum being diverted to the school in
1815.
In 1812 Richard Toye left £1,200 for monthly
grants to six poor and aged persons.
In 1842 Richard Emberton left £300, the interest
to be laid out in beautifying the church.
In 1843 James Roberts left £89 10s. for the benefit
of four poor widows with dependent families. (fn. 109)
Mr. John Sandes, after 1725, left a rent-charge of
50s. for bread.
In 1715 Dr. Shortrudge gave a benefaction to the
vicars of Letherhead, Great Bookham, Effingham, and
Shalford.
The total of the charities amounts to £300 a year.