STOKE D'ABERNON (fn. 1)
Stocke (xi cent.), Estokes (xii cent.), Stokes D'Abernon (xiii cent.), Stokes Daberoun (xiv cent.), Stoke
Dabernon, Dabernoun, Daubernoun (xiv and xv and
xvi cent.), Stoke d'Alborne 1843.
Stoke D'Abernon is a small village 3 miles northwest of Letherhead and a mile and a half east of Church
Cobham. The Mole separates the parish from the
Bookhams, and also for a short distance from Cobham.
The parish measures nearly 3½ miles north-east and
south-west by 1½ miles, and contains 2,022 acres. The
north-east part is high ground on the London Clay,
with patches of gravel. There is here an extensive
common, Stoke Common, much overgrown with wood,
and on it a medicinal spring called Jessopp's Well,
containing Epsom salts, and very powerful. The
lower part of the parish is in the alluvium of the
Mole valley, and the village, church, and manor-house
are on gravel near the river. The road from Letherhead to Cobham passes through it, and the Cobham
and Guildford line of the London and South Western
Railway has a station in the parish, Cobham and
Stoke D'Abernon, opened in 1885.
The neighbourhood of the church was presumably
occupied by some Roman building, many Roman
tiles being employed in the original walls. In Letherhead parish close by the boundary there is a square
entrenchment, and Roman tiles and coins have been
found in a field close to this and next to the Letherhead and Cobham road.
Stoke D'Abernon is mentioned in the Metrical History of Guillaume le Marechal, as the scene of his honeymoon with the heiress of the Earl of Pembroke:—
Quant les noces bien faites furent,
Et richement, si comme els durent,
La dame emmena, ce savon,
Chies Sire Angeran d'Abernon,
A Estokes, en liu paisable,
E aesie e delitable. (fn. 2)
There was an Inclosure Act for the parish in 1821, (fn. 3)
the award was made 30 July 1823. (fn. 4)
The bridge on the old road from Letherhead
crossed the Mole near the manor-house. It was of
wood, and, as elsewhere, used only in flood time, a
ford supplying the ordinary means of crossing. The
bridge was built by Sir Francis Vincent, 1757–75.
In 1805 it was replaced by a brick bridge higher up
the river, the road being diverted. A line of oaks
marks the old road leading to the ford, and some of
the supports of the wooden bridge are still visible in
both banks of the river.
Ockshot is a hamlet a mile and a half north-east
of Stoke D'Abernon Church, where a number of
houses have been built since the railway was opened.
There is a National school in the hamlet which is
used for services on Sunday. It was built in 1820,
the Duchess of Kent laying the foundation stone, and
was enlarged in 1897.
Woodlands Park, with a modern house, is the seat
of Mr. J. W. Benson, and D'Abernon Chase is the
residence of Sir William Vincent, bart. The Priory,
in the north of the parish, was so called from its
having belonged to Newark Priory. It has been
incorporated with the Claremont estate.
The French Huguenot family of Vaillant owned
the advowson of Stoke D'Abernon in the 19th century.
François Vaillant fled from Saumur in 1685 and
settled in London. His son Paul settled first at
Battersea and then (1732) at West Horsley. He was
born in France in 1672 and died at West Horsley
in 1739. His son Paul, born in 1715, bought the
advowson of Stoke D'Abernon and a house in the
village in 1800, and died in 1802, having in 1801
presented his son Philip Vaillant to the living, which
he held till 1846. The arms of the family are azure
a herring argent, a chief or. (fn. 5)
MANOR
Before the Norman Conquest STOKE
[D'ABERNON] was held by Bricsi of
King Edward. (fn. 6) William granted it to
Richard de Tonbridge, lord of Clare, (fn. 7) and it remained
part of the possessions of his family, a sub-tenant, however, being enfeoffed (probably) in the 12th century.
In 1314 Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and
Hertford, was killed at the battle of Bannockburn.
He left no issue and his estates were divided among
his three sisters, while the earldoms of Gloucester and
Hertford became extinct. (fn. 8) The manor of Stoke
D'Abernon fell to the share of Eleanor, the eldest
sister, (fn. 9) who married Hugh le Despenser the younger.
Their eldest son Hugh died childless, and was
succeeded by his brother's son Edward, afterwards
Baron Despenser, (fn. 10) who was overlord of the manor in
1375. (fn. 11) Edward's son and heir Thomas, created
Earl of Gloucester in 1397 by Richard II, lost his
earldom in 1399 through his faithful adherence to
that king's cause. (fn. 12) In 1418 the manor was said to
be held of the honour of Gloucester; (fn. 13) this came
to the Crown through the marriage of Lady Anne
Nevill with Richard III. (fn. 14)
Clare. Or three cheverons gules.
Despenser. Argent quartered with gules fretty or and a bend sable over all.
The head of the family which held the manor of
Stoke for centuries under the Earls of Gloucester,
and gave its name to the place, seems to have been
Roger D'Abernon, who held in West Molesey of
Richard in 1086. (fn. 15) The association of the name of
the family with Stoke indicates
an early and long connexion,
but the first who can certainly
be said to have been there was
Ingelram D'Abernon in 1189, (fn. 16)
when he lent his house there
to William Marshal and the
daughter of the Earl of Pembroke for their honeymoon. (fn. 17)
In 1205 there were four brothers living, Ingelram, Walter,
William, and Richard. Ingelram, son of Walter, died in
1235, without children, his heir being his kinsman
Jordan. (fn. 18) Jordan ceded his claims to his uncle Gilbert, (fn. 19)
which looks as if Ingelram and Jordan were grandsons,
not sons, of two of the four brothers mentioned above.
Gilbert was father to John, (fn. 20) who is commemorated by
the larger brass in the church. John was apparently
dead by 1278, when his son John was being pressed
to take up knighthood as holder of a knight's fee. (fn. 21)
John the younger died in 1327 leaving an heir John. (fn. 22)
William, probably his son, died in 1359. (fn. 23) He had
no son and the estate was inherited by his elder
daughter Elizabeth, who married, first, Sir William
Croyser, kt., and afterwards John de Grey of Ruthyn. (fn. 24) William Croyser, her son by her first
husband, inherited the manor from her, and dying in
1415 left it to his widow, Edith Croyser. (fn. 25) On her
death in 1418 it passed to their daughter Anne, who,
though only thirteen years of age, was already married
to Ingelram Bruyn, son of Sir Maurice Bruyn, kt. (fn. 26)
Before the year 1436 Anne married her second
husband, Sir Henry Norbury, kt., son of Sir John
Norbury, Treasurer of England. (fn. 27) In 1439 the
property was entailed on Sir Henry and his wife and
their issue. (fn. 28) Their eldest son, Sir John Norbury,
married Jane Gilbert. (fn. 29) The sole issue of this
marriage was a daughter, Anne, who married Sir
Richard Haleighwell. (fn. 30) From them the estate
descended to their daughter Jane, (fn. 31) wife of Sir Edmund
Bray, Lord Bray. (fn. 32) Lord Bray died in 1539. His
son John, the second Lord Bray, who died in 1557,
had a sister and co-heir, Frances, who married Thomas
Lyfeld, and the manor having come into their hands
in 1557, as Frances' share of her father's property, (fn. 33)
they settled it (fn. 34) on their daughter and heir, Jane, and
her husband, Thomas Vincent, for their lives, and then
on Jane's sons Francis and Bray Vincent, successively.
A further settlement took place on the marriage of
Francis Vincent with Sarah, daughter of Sir Amyas
Paulet, in 1589. (fn. 35) Francis Vincent was made a
baronet in 1620. (fn. 36) The manor descended in the
Vincent family till the early part of the 19th century. (fn. 37) Before 1824 it was sold to Hugh Smith, (fn. 38)
who died in 1831. (fn. 39) Almost
immediately afterwards the
manor-house was let to Mrs.
Phillips a widow, who died
there in 1842. Her son, the
Rev. F. P. Phillips, hon. canon
of Winchester and rector of
Stoke D'Abernon from 1862
to 1898, bought the manorhouse and manor. He died
in 1904. His son Mr. F. A.
Phillips died by an unhappy
accident in 1908, leaving
issue. (fn. 40)
D'Abernon. Azure a cheveron or.
Vincent, baronet. Azure three quatrefoils argent.
The manor-house close by the church is no doubt
on the site of that in which William Marshal stayed.
In the wall of one of the bedrooms on the first floor
are some very massive beams of 15th or 16thcentury date. This was one of the ends of an
E-shaped house (compare Slyfield, close by, in Great
Bookham parish). There are also traces of a gallery, since cut up into smaller rooms. The house
was practically rebuilt by Sir Francis Vincent,
who succeeded in 1757, and who filled up the
centre of the E with the present large hall. The
stable walls are partly of a date about 1600, which
perhaps indicates that the first Sir Thomas Vincent,
who died in 1613, was the builder who designed the
gallery. The earlier house might date to Sir John
Norbury, who died in 1521. The house now contains a fine collection of Morland's pictures.
In 1253 John D'Abernon, then lord of the manor,
received a grant of free warren from Henry III, (fn. 41) and
when in the following reign his son John claimed
that he and his ancestors time out of mind had held
a view of frankpledge in Stoke, the claim was allowed. (fn. 42)
In 1557 a free fishery in the River Mole was among
the rights of the lord of the manor. (fn. 43) Free fishery in
the waters of 'Emlyn' is mentioned in 1824. (fn. 44) Two
mills were established in the manor at the time of the
Domesday Survey, the profits of the one being worth
7s. and those of the other 6s. a year. (fn. 45)
There is in this parish a small manor within the
district of OCKSHOT (anciently Occasate, Oggesethe,
Hoggeset, &c.). Gilbert D'Abernon in the 13th century granted lands and pasture there to the monks of
Waverley, (fn. 46) who seem to have retained them, or some
part of them, (fn. 47) till the Dissolution, when they were
granted to Sir William Fitz William, K.G. (fn. 48) There
was a house in Ockshot called Ockshot Grange, perhaps part of the monks' holding, which was owned by
one of the Vincent family in the time of Charles I. (fn. 49)
The priory of Newark by Guildford as early as the
reign of Henry III had a small holding in Stoke
D'Abernon granted by Hugh de Fetcham and confirmed by John D'Abernon, (fn. 50) taxed in 1291 at
12s. 6½d. (fn. 51) After the Dissolution John Carleton of
Walton on Thames received a grant from the king of
'the messuage called Pryorne (i.e. the Priory) in Stoke
D'Abernon which belonged to the late Priory of
Newark, Surrey.' (fn. 52)
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN consists of a chancel 23 ft. 6 in.
by 15 ft. 6 in.; a north chapel 21 ft. by
13 ft.; a nave 49 ft. by 21 ft. 3 in.; a north aisle and
north transeptal organ-chamber; a north-west tower
and a south porch. The earliest parts of the church are
the chancel and the two eastern bays of the nave,
which are, so far as the walls are concerned, of preConquest date and represent a church consisting only
of a chancel and nave, the latter being 35 ft. long.
There was also very probably a south porch. In the
closing years of the 12th century a north aisle of two
bays was added, windows were inserted in both nave
and chancel, and a new chancel arch was built. At
the beginning of the 13th century the chancel was
vaulted and buttresses and new windows were inserted in the south wall of the chancel, and probably in the north wall as well. A window was also
inserted in the nave. In the middle of the 13th
century a new south door was inserted and the early
porch was destroyed. Probably at the same time a
nave altar recess was constructed to the north of the
chancel arch. This, however, no longer remains, but a
water-colour sketch made before the modern restoration
shows this feature very clearly. (fn. 53) Towards the end
of the 15th century the north chapel was built and
the rood stair inserted. In 1866 the whole church
was enlarged and 'restored.' The nave and aisle
were lengthened (the latter being completely rebuilt),
the old chancel arch was destroyed with the nave altar
recesses and the squints, and was replaced by a modern
one. The old bell-cot over the west end of the nave
was destroyed and replaced by the present tower at
the north-west, and various new windows were inserted.
The east window of the chancel is a modern triplet
of 18th-century design. On the north of the chancel
is an arcade, of two dissimilar bays, to the chapel.
The first of these has an obtuse four-centred head
flanked by fluted pilasters, with moulded capitals and
bases, which are carried up to an embattled cornice.
The spandrels are filled in with plain moulded panels,
and the soffit of the arch and the jambs are panelled.
Between this and the arch to the west is a short length
of walling. The second arch has a more acute fourcentred head, and is continuously moulded with a
deep hollow between a double ogee and a hollow
chamfer. There is no label or canopy. On the
south are two windows of the same date as the vaulting, both single lancets with wide splays and pointed
bowtel-moulded internal jambs and rear arch. The
moulded external jambs, head and label, are completely restored in modern material. The chancel
arch is entirely modern and of late 13th-century detail. It is two-centred and of two chamfered orders
with a plain chamfered label The jambs have circular
half shafts with plain moulded capitals and bases.
The chancel is vaulted in two bays. The circular
vaulting shafts are single in the angles and triple
clustered on the north and south walls, where they are
placed between the two arches and the two windows
respectively. The capitals are circular, moulded, of
varying design, and have plain bells. The bases have
a water-mould of somewhat unusual angular profile,
and are also circular. The vaulting ribs are moulded
with undercut rolls and the cross ribs are enriched with
dog-tooth. The vault is quadripartite with a filling of
small stuff now stripped of its plaster. At the intersection of the diagonal ribs of the west bay is a small
rosette boss. At the east is an elaborate modern
marble reredos with stations of the cross in very high
relief. On the north is a modern wall arcade of
13th-century design.
Above the chancel arch, and visible from the nave, is
an opening to the space over the vaulting; and over
and to the north of the north jamb is the rood loft
door, a plain pointed one, of 15th-century date. The
two western bays of the nave arcade have two-centred
arches of one chamfered order, and a plain chamfered
label. The respond is square with plain abaci, and is
much restored. The column is circular with a circular
roll-moulded base standing on a square plinth and
having plain angle-spurs. The capital has a plain
fairly shallow bell worked from the circular shaft to a
square hollow-chamfered abacus. The third and
fourth bays of the arcade are quite modern. At the
south-east of the nave is a piscina of late 15th-century
date. The head is segmental and with the jambs
continuously moulded with a double ogee. The
western jamb, however, has been mutilated to a
different form. The back is curved and the basin
circular with five channels, and the drain is masked
by a small boss. Near this is a small modern door to
the modern vestry, in the building of which a plain
lancet window of the same date as those in the south
of the chancel was blocked up. West of this again
is the original south door, now blocked up. This is
of mid-13th-century date and has a drop two-centred
head. It is continuously moulded with a roll set in
a hollow chamfer. In the east jamb is a recess for a
holy-water stock, with a plain segmental head. Previous to 1865 this was covered by a plain brick porch
of late date. Above the door is a small rough
sundial, which projects from the face of the wall
about 3 in. west of the door, and in the upper part
of the wall is a blocked opening with plain quoined
jambs and a flat stone lintel. This is possibly pre-Conquest, and may have opened to the first floor of an early
porch covering the south door. Between this and
the sundial a modern lancet window has been inserted.
The present entrance is on this side, and is again
further west and covered by a modern open timber
porch. The west window of the nave is modern.
Stoke D'Abernon Church before 1866.
The north chapel is lit on the east by an original
window of excellent design, of three trefoiled lights
with sub-mullions and smaller lights over and an
external label. The jambs, head, and mullions are
moulded. In the south wall are a pair of windows
of similar but less skilful design, and of only two
lights. In these the jambs and mullions are plain.
West of the second window is a blocked-up fireplace
of the same date, with a flat four-centred moulded
head. This is covered with scratchings. Amongst
others the name 'Edmund de Bray, knight,' may
be read, with a rough drawing of a bray. Near it,
in square inclosing lines, are the names: 'Bastiano
de Fan, Bern Macutto, Fran Latina,' all in roman
capitals.
At the south-west is the door to and a part of the
rood stair. At the west is a much restored and probably widened arch to the organ-chamber (originally
to the aisle). It is of obtuse two-centred form, and is
of two chamfered orders, the outer being continuous
in the jambs. Above it is a much restored quatrefoil
light.
The transeptal organ-chamber is quite modern and
replaces part of the aisle, which was itself rebuilt and
lengthened, and the tower, which fills the western bay,
of the present aisle, is also modern. It is surmounted
by a shingled spirelet. None of the old doors or windows of the aisle remain, all having been replaced by
modern ones.
The font is placed under the tower, and is a plain
octagonal one of late 15th-century date.
The pulpit is a handsome one of early 17th-century
date. It is seven-sided in form and stands upon a
central post with elaborately carved brackets. At
the angles are fantastic Ionic pilasters surmounted by
grotesques. The faces have carved and inlaid panels
with enriched mouldings, and the crown mould and
book-rest are elaborately ornamented.
At the back is a carved standard of similar detail
with an oval shield charged with the Vincent arms
and quarterings. This supports a large soundingboard with a carved central panel of grotesque design,
angle pendants and a carved cornice, held up by a
pair of elaborately scrolled wrought-iron stays, the
whole being an unusually complete example of an
early-17th-century church fitting. In the wall near
it is a wrought-iron hour-glass stand of the same
date. There is also a wooden eagle lectern of foreign
design and workmanship. In the north aisle is
a very fine chest of 13th-century date. It is of oak,
and in size is 3 ft. 11 in. by 1 ft. 6½ in. by 2 ft. 2 in.
high. It is raised from the floor about 7½ in. by end
standards of board, the inner edges of which below the
chest itself are roll-stop-chamfered. On the front
of the chest are three roundels of geometrical incised
work. There are three lock plates, and two hasps
remain. In the lid is a money slot. The altar
table is also of early 17th-century date and has a
movable top.
In the chancel floor is a large slab, some 8 ft. long,
of blue-grey marble. The margin is inscribed in sunk
Lombardic capitals: 'Sire Johan Daubernovn chivaler
gist icy Dev de sa Alme eyt mercy.' Let into the
slab is a life-size brass of a knight in armour, the
earliest now known in England; it dates from 1277.
He is shown wearing a coif and camail of chain mail,
the former strapped over the forehead. The hawberk
reaches about two-thirds down the thigh, and the
sleeves are corded at the wrists and terminate in mail
mittens. The legs are encased in mail chausses
fastened to kneecops of cuir bouilli which are ornamented with rosettes and an engrailed border. The
mail is then continued as a thigh covering. There
are no visible traces of a gambeson, though some
such garment would certainly be worn. The surcoat is very ample and open in front from a little
below the waist. The edge of this opening and the
skirts, which reach to the bottom of the calf, are
fringed. At the waist is a narrow plaited girdle.
The sword is large, about 4 ft. long. The hilt has a
large circular flat pommel, a corded grip, and short
heavy quillons curving slightly downwards. The
scabbard is tipped with metal and brought up into an
obtuse V clasping the guard on either side. The
sword-belt is broad and fairly plain, being merely ornamented with a stitched border and punched work at
the buckle-holes. The frog is elaborately arranged to
cant the sword at a slight angle, and the whole belt
passes diagonally round the hips.
The shield is small and heater-shaped and bears:
azure a cheveron or, the field being enamelled. The
cheveron is drawn very narrow and is carried up
to the top of the shield. The shield, resting on the
left arm, is slung over the right shoulder by a
broad belt ornamented with a rose and swastica and
having a broad buckle. In the crook of the right
arm is a lance some 6 ft. long, without grip or
vamplate, and with a small fringed pennon bearing a
cheveron.
Plain prick spurs are worn with a rather thin strap.
The hands are joined in prayer, and the feet rest upon
a lion which bites the butt of the lance.
Near this is another slab with a brass representing Sir John D'Abernon the younger, 1327. The
marginal inscription has unfortunately been lost
except a few short lengths on which the words
'ici g . . . eit merci,' appear in Lombardic capitals.
The figure is clad in armour, and wears first a
gambeson, the longitudinally padded square skirts of
which are visible and reach to just above the knee.
Over this is a hawberk of banded mail worked at the
skirts into a rounded point falling in front to a little
below the gambeson, while at the sides it is slightly
above it. The sleeves are wide and straight, the
bands running lengthwise of the fore-arm and round
the upper arm, and terminated without strapping at
about the middle of the forearm. Beneath is visible
some form of close-fitting arm defence, possibly of
leather, and part of the gambeson. Over the hawberk
is an aketoun of pourpoint with fringed skirts
reaching to the middle of the thigh. Over this
is worn a cyclas fitting the torso fairly closely and laced
up the sides, but having fairly wide skirts of unequal
length. In front it reaches to a little below the fork,
leaving visible two rows of the metal rosette studs of
the aketoun. At the back, however, it falls to the
bend of the leg, and the skirts are split at the side like
a dalmatic. There is no girdle, but the sword-belt
passing round the hips draws the cyclas together. The
sword is of fair size with a long corded grip and an
oval pommel and plain quillons with rounded ends.
The belt is richly ornamented, but quite simply
attached to the scabbard, which has an ornamental
metal tip and is somewhat less diminished from haft
to point than is the case in the earlier brass. On the
head is a fluted oval bascinet reaching to below the
ears and with a foiled point or socket at the top. The
aventail of banded mail is riveted to the bascinet and
covers the neck and shoulders, partly covering the
circular pauldrons. Rerebraces of plate are worn
strapped over the mail, which shows inside the arm.
The elbow cops appear to be articulated on the rerebrace and are reinforced by circular plates tied on
with points. No gauntlets are shown. The legs are
clad in mail chausses, over which are strapped plate
defences. The knee cops are large ridged and have
engrailed borders. The thigh defences are not visible.
The insteps are protected by articulated sollerets of
five plates, and short prick spurs are worn with rosette
bosses. A small heater-shaped shield of a rather acute
form rests on the left arm, but has no belt. The
hands are joined in prayer and the feet rest on a lion.
Over the head is an ogee cinquefoiled canopy, each foil
of which is subcusped to form a cinquefoil. This is
slightly damaged. The shield is charged with a very
broad cheveron.
In the chancel is also a plain marble slab with a
small brass shield and the indents of three others and
of an inscription in separate brass letters. The last
is so worn as to be indecipherable. The one remaining shield bears a cheveron with a label of four
points. At the north-west of the chancel floor is a
slab to 'Sir John Ackland, of Ackland, in the county
of Devon, Barronett,' who died in 1647. Two brasses
are fixed to the jambs of the east arch of the chancel
arcade. That on the east jamb is of a lady wearing
a long head veil, a pleated wimple, a full ungirt robe
with moderate sleeves, and an ample cloak with loose
cords to fasten it, which hangs down behind the
hands, which are joined in prayer. At her feet and
on her ample skirts are the figures to a smaller scale of
her four sons and four daughters. At the foot is the
following inscription: 'Hic jacet dña Anna Norbury
nup' ux' Henrici Norbury milit' || Ac filia Willi
Croyser qu'dam dni hui' loci que obiit xii° die || octobr' anno dni m° cccc°lx°iiii° cui' ai'e ppciet' deu'
amē.' The second brass is of a 'chrysom' child.
The swaddling clothes, which are brought over the
head in a kind of hood, are bound with crossing bands,
and over the forehead the clothes are marked with a
cross. Below is an inscription in black letter smalls
with capitals: 'Pray for the soule of Elyn bray dowter
of s' Edmond || bray Knyght and Jane hys wyfe
whiche elyn dyed ye xvi || day of Maij A° M Vc xvi.'
On the south side of the chapel is a brass to Frances
(Bray), 1592, wife of Thomas Lyfield, with a long
genealogical inscription. With this are the figures
of Frances, her husband, and their daughter Jane, the
wife of Thomas Vincent.
On the south wall of the chancel is a brass plate
with the following inscription: 'Hic jacet Johēs
Prowd Rector isti' eccliĉ et quat' || Rector ecclie de
esthorsley qui obiit nono die Octobr' || A° Dı
MCCCCLXXXVII° Cujus aĉ ppciet' d' amen.
On the east wall of the chapel is a brass plate with
the following inscription:
Thys Chauntrie foundyt by Syr John Norbury
The First Prest was Sir John Pinnoke truly:
Under thys stone lieth buryed His Body
Of whose soule Jesu have mercy.
He departed out of this world and from us he is
gone
In the yeare of oure Lord fifteen twenty and one
The fyrst day of the Month of August
In the Marcie of J'hu Christ He puttys all his
trust. Amen.
On the east wall is a small mural monument to Sir
John Norbury put up in 1633, as the inscription
explains, to replace 'the ould monument by injury
of time demolisht.' He is represented in early 17thcentury armour kneeling at a desk within a semicircular arch which is surmounted by a broken
pediment of classical design. Under the east window
of the chapel is the monument of Sarah (Paulet),
1608, wife of Sir Francis Vincent. There is a lifesize effigy lying on the left side with the cheek resting
on the left hand. The costume consists of a tight
fitting bodice with a pointed stomacher, and elaborately quilted sleeves, a heavily pleated skirt over a
farthingale, a deep ruff, and a wide hood. On the
plinth below are the kneeling figures of five sons and
two daughters. The tomb has a high semicircular
canopy the soffit of which is panelled. Above the
effigy is an elaborate inscription on a slate slab.
Three shields are shown, the first having the quatrefoils of Vincent, the second the three swords of Paulet,
the third being Vincent impaling Paulet. Between
the two windows on the north of the chapel is a
second monument, of slightly later date, to Sir Thomas
Vincent, 1613, and his wife, Lady Jane (Lyfield)
1619. Sir Thomas is wearing complete armour
consisting of a globose breast-plate, a back-plate, a
moderate gorget, articulated pauldrons, rerebraces and
vambraces, large winged elbow cops, very wide
articulated taces over stuffed trunks, articulated jambs,
knee cops, vamplate, and articulated sollerets. Over
the gorget a fair sized ruff is worn, and the wrists are
ruffed. He lies on his right side, and wears a pointed
beard. His wife, placed a little below him, is in a
recumbent attitude with the hands joined. She
wears a close-fitting bodice with a pointed stomacher
and moderate sleeves turned back at the cuff, a full
skirt with a farthingale, a small hood, a moderate ruff
and an ample cloak or mantle. The monument is
very similar in design to the last described, but is
ornamented with the scrollwork peculiar to the
period. The Vincent arms appear on a shield crowning the arch. On the back of the tomb are the
arms of Vincent and Lyfield, Or a cheveron thereon
between three demi-lions gules with three trefoils
or on the cheveron. In the churchyard are two
ancient grave slabs. The first of these is of plain
oblong form and mid-14th-century date with a marginal inscription in square-sunk Lombardic capitals as
follows:—'Johanna Femme de Sire Johan Dabernon
chivaler gist icy dieu de sa alme eit merci.' The
second is coffin-shaped and ornamented with a cross
crosslet with rounded ends to the base and a long stem.
It is marginally inscribed in Lombardic characters:
'Sire Richard Le Petit Iadis Persone de cest eiglise ici
gist Receyve sa alme Isu christ.' It is of Sussex
marble and is of mid 13th-century date.
On the south-east wall of the chancel are the remains
of a painting of the same date as the vaulting. It is
a portion of a representation of 'The adoration of the
Lamb.' At the bottom is a crowned and cloaked
figure playing a harp, probably one of the twentyfour elders; above this is a tier of figures of the
redeemed and then two tiers of angels, those in the
lower tier playing musical instruments. In the last
two cases and in the first only one figure remains, and
only a few of the second-tier figures are left. On
the one old pillar of the nave is painted a crucifix;
this is nearly obliterated. In the museum of the
Surrey Archaeological Society at Guildford is preserved
a sketch of a painting which was discovered in the
nave altar recess which was destroyed in 1866.
It consisted of the bearded figure of an archbishop in
mass vestments, before whom a knight in armour was
kneeling. Over the head of the figure was the partly
obliterated name of 'S. T [H] O M A S' in Lombardic
capitals.
In the window of the present tower are collected
some fragments of old glass mainly of 15th-century
date. Amongst others is the figure of an angel playing a fiddle, and also of St. Anne teaching the Virgin.
There are also some old quarries painted with the
'bray' or hemp-brake badge of the Brays in
the modern screen between the chapel and the aisle.
There are also some shields of arms, including
those of the Dabernons; Croyser impaling Dabernon; Norbury impaling Croyser; Haleighwell impaling
Norbury; Bray impaling Haleighwell; Lyfield
impaling Bray; Vincent impaling Lyfield; Vincent;
Vincent impaling Paulet, &c. On an iron bracket
in the chapel is a surcoat with a funeral helm.
There are three bells. The treble is by William
Eldridge, 1687. The second was cast by Warner &
Son in 1866. The third bears the initials I. S. and
was probably cast by Joan Sturdy, c. 1450.
The church plate consists of a cup with cover, two
patens, a flagon, and an alms basin, all electro plated.
The registers of baptisms and burials date from
1619, those of marriages from 1620.
ADVOWSON
There was a church on the
manor at the time of the Domesday Survey. (fn. 54) The advowson of the
rectory went always with the manor (fn. 55) till 1746,
when it was included with certain lands in a term of
500 years created by the marriage settlement of Sir
Francis Vincent for raising portions for younger children. (fn. 56) When sold under that authority about thirty
years later it was purchased by Paul Vaillant, a
gentleman of a Huguenot family, Sheriff of London. (fn. 57)
He died in 1802, and in the following year it was
sold by his executors, under the description of 'a neat
house, thirty acres of glebe, and the great and small
tithes of the parish,' to the Smith family, (fn. 58) one of
whom held the manor. It was acquired, with the
manor, by the Rev. F. P. Phillips. His son, Mr. F. A.
Phillips, held it until his death in 1908.
CHARITIES
Smith's Charity is distributed as in
other Surrey parishes. In 1786 land
worth 3s. a year for the use of the
poor, donor unknown, was returned.