COULSDON
Colesdone (x cent.); Culesdon (xiii cent.); Cowlesdon (xvi cent.).
Coulsdon is a parish on the Chalk Downs 6 miles
south of Croydon and 16 miles by road from London.
It contains 4,313 acres. The subsoil is all chalk,
but clay, brick-earth and gravel occur on the surface. The soil is dry, and water is obtained by
deep wells in the chalk; but the curious dry depression in the chalk, called Smitham Bottom, once
no doubt the bed of a stream, the water of which
now breaks out only at the foot of the chalk in
Croydon and Beddington, runs through it. This
depression has been made use of for the joint Brighton
and South Eastern Companies' railway lines, the
Brighton road, and formerly the horse railway from
Croydon to Merstham. The Caterham Valley, another
depression, joins Smitham Bottom from the south-east,
and in wet seasons water used to break out near
Caterham and run down to Croydon. It is possible
that the water was on the surface when a prehistoric
population inhabited the Chalk Downs. Neolithic
implements and flakes occur very frequently. On
Farthing Down are a large number of barrows, which
from the remains found indicate Anglo-Saxon interments (fn. 1) ; but it is not impossible that the same spot
may have been the site of British interments. (fn. 2) It is
about 400 ft. above the sea level, and stands up
abruptly from the depression in the chalk just mentioned. On Riddlesdown are the remains of three
parallel banks with two ditches dividing them, crossing
the downs from north-east to south-west. The account
in Manning and Bray (fn. 3) speaks of a double bank and
ditch coming down the hill from a little wood on the
left (east) to the road in Hooley Lane, and says that
the banks on Riddlesdown point in the same direction,
as if the former were a continuation of these. These
Hooley Lane banks seem to be now obliterated.
Aubrey (fn. 4) speaks of three banks at the entrance of the
down, running for about 2 furlongs. These were
probably those on Riddlesdown. Manning and
Bray (fn. 5) interpolate 'Farthing' before the word Down.
They seem to be referred to in a survey of the manor
in the Chertsey Ledger as Newedich or Widedich. (fn. 6)
On Riddlesdown there appears to be a trace of an
old trackway rather below the crest of the down
crossing these banks, and coming from the south-east.
The Riddlesdown banks have recently been partly
destroyed by the building of new houses.
The village of Coulsdon consists of little more than
a few groups of old cottages, the National schools and
farm buildings, clustered round a green and duckpond, on one side of which is a circular brick and
flint lodge, leading to The Grange, the residence of
Mr. C. Babington, an old-fashioned house on an
ancient site, set in beautiful park-like grounds adjoining the church. There is a picturesque gabled cottage
on the green, with projecting upper story, probably
of early 16th-century date. The situation of the
village is unusual, being at the summit of a somewhat
steep rise, on a long ridge or elevated plateau, as in
the case of the neighbouring villages of Sanderstead,
Farley and Warlingham. The fine, tall elms that
line the roads and are dotted about in the grounds of
The Grange are a most picturesque feature. Coulsdon
Court, with extensive grounds, lies to the north of the
village. In the valley to the east, close to the Caterham
Valley railway line, is a mediaeval barn or stable, very
well built of black flints with firestone dressings. It has
narrow loops of the same stone in the walls, and appears
of late years to have served as a stable to the Rose and
Crown Inn, a hostelry dating back to the 16th century.
The barn or stable was probably built by the abbey
of Chertsey as a tithe-barn in the 14th century. The
present tiled roof is comparatively modern. (fn. 7)
The court rolls show common fields to have
existed in the parish, but the date of inclosure is not
known. The whole aspect of the parish has been completely transformed during the last twenty years by
building. It was a little while ago entirely rural with
a few new houses scattered along the line of the railway
and up the valley towards Caterham, whence another
deep depression in the chalk runs down to Smitham
Bottom. Now there are continuous rows of villas
and cottages and shops from Croydon to south of
Coulsdon station. Near Purley station villas spread
up the down on the west into Beddington parish
and up Riddlesdown and on both sides of the Caterham Valley, and now form a town. At Kenley,
higher up the Caterham Valley, a great number of
larger houses have been built, and gentlemen's houses,
some of a considerable size, have sprung up elsewhere
in the parish. Riddlesdown, Farthing Down, Foxley
Hill, Kenley Common and Coulsdon Common are
still, however, open spaces. The lines jointly used by
the London, Brighton and South Coast railway and
the South-Eastern and Chatham railway run though
Smitham Bottom with Purley, formerly called Caterham Junction, Stoat's Nest (goods station) and
Coulsdon stations on them. The Caterham Valley
line has Kenley station in this parish and the
Brighton line to East Grinstead tunnels under the
parish and runs above ground in it for a short
distance. Near Coulsdon and Purley stations are
some very extensive lime works. The London County
Asylum at Cane's Hill was opened in 1883. The
Reedham Orphanage, founded by the Rev. Andrew
Reed in 1844, was established here in 1856, and the
district is called Reedham from the founder's name.
The present rectory-house was built in 1841. The
school was first built in 1845; it was rebuilt in
1888 for 112 children and another has been recently
opened for 900 children. Kenley school was built in
1885 for 185 children, the majority of the children of
the inhabitants of Kenley (who number 1,300) not
being of the elementary school class. The school at
Purley was built on its present site in 1889. An infants'
school was built in 1893. The Commemoration Hall
at Kenley was built in 1897 as a public hall.
MANORS
The manor of COULSDON is mentioned in the Domesday Survey, when
it was held by the abbey of St. Peter,
Chertsey, (fn. 8) and the metes and bounds of the manor
are very fully described in the Ledger Book of that
abbey. (fn. 9) The manor was held of the king in chief (fn. 10)
by the service of half a knight's fee. (fn. 11) In 1278–9 it
was found that the abbey and convent had not the
right of free warren in Coulsdon. (fn. 12) In 1324 the
abbey lands were augmented by the gift of 171 acres,
1 rood of land and 1 rood of wood from Charles de
Conductu, parson of the church of Coulsdon. (fn. 13)
Manning asserts that this land was granted for the
purpose of founding a chantry in the monastery of
Chertsey to be supplied by a secular chaplain, (fn. 14) but
this is not named in the patent. Later the abbot
acquired 21 acres by an exchange of land with
Thomas North of Coulsdon. (fn. 15) The manor continued to be held by the abbey (fn. 16) until its dissolution
in 1537, when it was conveyed by the abbot to the
king. (fn. 17) In the same year the king granted it in tailmale to Sir Nicholas Carew, (fn. 18) but in 1539, by reason
of the attainder of Sir Nicholas, it returned to the
king and in 1540 was annexed to the honour of
Hampton Court. (fn. 19) Queen Mary in the first year of
her reign granted the estate to Francis only son of
Sir Nicholas Carew to be held in chief by the service
of one-fortieth part of a knight's fee. (fn. 20) John Berriman of Thames Ditton, yeoman, lessee of the abbey
of Chertsey, quitclaimed the remainder of his lease
to Carew in 1582. (fn. 21) In 1589 Elizabeth granted
the reversion of the estate in the event of Carew's
death without male issue to the nephew of Sir
Francis Carew, Edward Darcy, and his heirs male to
hold by an annual rent of £45 12s. 3d. (fn. 22) Sir
Francis died unmarried in 1611. (fn. 23) Sir Edward Darcy
(knighted in 1603) succeeded, and at his death in
1612 he was found seised of the manor. (fn. 24) His son
Robert died in 1618, leaving a son and heir Edward,
aged eight. (fn. 25)
There were several petitioners to the Crown for the
reversion of the manor of Coulsdon, should it lapse to
the Crown for lack of male heirs to Edward Darcy, (fn. 26)
and in 1663–4 (Darcy then having no son) Charles II
granted the reversion of the estate to Jerome second
Earl of Portland in consideration of his surrender of the
presidentship of Munster, (fn. 27) to
be held as of the royal manor
of East Greenwich in free
socage, by payment of a rent
of £45 12s. 3d. (fn. 28) This rent
the king granted to his queen
Katherine. (fn. 29) Edward Darcy,
who held a court in Coulsdon
in 1668, (fn. 30) purchased the feefarm rent in 1670. Thomas
fourth Earl of Portland, holder
of the reversion, (fn. 31) had sold
this in 1669 to Thomas Walcott and Edward Pulter, (fn. 32) probably trustees for Richard
Mason, to whom in the same year Elizabeth Barnes
and Katherine Phillips, daughters of Edward Darcy, (fn. 33)
with their husbands quitclaimed all right to the
manor. (fn. 34) Sir Richard Mason held a court in 1670.
He died in 1685, and by his will, dated 10 March
1685, he devised all his real estates to his wife and
daughter. Lady Mason held her court at Coulsdon
in 1687, and the following year she and her daughter
Dorothy sold the estate to Sir Edward Bouverie. (fn. 35)
During the next hundred years the manor remained
in the Bouverie family, which was raised to the
peerage in 1747, Sir Jacob Bouverie being created
Viscount Folkestone and Baron Longford. (fn. 36) His son
William, created Earl of Radnor in 1765, (fn. 37) died in
1776 and his son sold the estate in 1782 to Thomas
Byron, (fn. 38) in whose family it has since remained. It
is now the property of Mr. Edmund Byron, J.P.,
who resides at Coulsdon Court. A rabbit warren
belonging to Coulsdon Manor is mentioned in the
grants by Queen Mary to Sir Francis Carew, and in
that to the Earl of Portland, (fn. 39) and there are two
charters extant of Sir Francis Carew granting a lease
of the 'game of coneys' in the parish of Coulsdon. (fn. 40)
The warren was on Hartley Down, and covered
77 acres and produced twenty dozen of rabbits yearly
when it was broken up in 1760. This seems a
small number, but rabbits were not so numerous
then as they have been since their natural enemies
have been destroyed by gamekeepers.
Weston, Earl of Portland. Or an engle sable looking backwards.
WHATTINGDON (Whatindone, viii cent.;
Watendone, xi cent.; Wodinton, xiii cent.) was
among the lands said to have
been granted by Frithwald,
subregulus of Surrey, and
Bishop Erkenwald to Chertsey
Abbey in the 7th century, (fn. 41)
and confirmed by King
Edgar. (fn. 42) At the time of the
Domesday Survey it was held
by the abbey of Chertsey, (fn. 43)
and was assessed for 5 hides.
After the dissolution of Chertsey Abbey lands in Whattingdon and Coulsdon, parcel of
the manor of Coulsdon, were
annexed to the honour of
Hampton Court. (fn. 44)
Chertsey Abbey. Party or and argent St. Paul's sword argent, its hilt or, crossed with St. Peter's keys gules and azure.
In 1545 Henry VIII
granted two messuages in Whattingdon called Welcombes and Lawrences to Sir John Gresham, kt., (fn. 45)
who devised them by will in 1554 to his wife
Catherine for life, with remainder to his son
William. (fn. 46) This William died in 1578, leaving two
sons, of whom the eldest, William, received licence
to grant the manor to his mother, Beatrice Gresham,
to hold in chief, (fn. 47) and she died seised of 'the manor
or farm called Welcombes and Lawrence' in 1604. (fn. 48)
Since then the estate has passed through various
hands until it was purchased in 1800 by Christopher
Saville. (fn. 49) It afterwards belonged to Mr. John Young,
from whom it was bought by the present owner,
Mr. Carleton F. Tufnell, about 1900. Mr. Tufnell
built the present house, called Watendone Manor,
near the site of the old chapel.
TAUNTONS (Tanton, xvi cent.).— In 1234
Margaret daughter of William granted to the
hospital of St. Thomas the Martyr of Acre in Coulsdon and to the knightly brethren there all her land in
Coulsdon with the houses, buildings, men and all that
went with them, saving the king's service from free land
in the said town and saving to the church of Chertsey
8s. payable yearly at Coulsdon and to William de
Lisle 1 lb. of pepper. (fn. 50) This was augmented in 1259–60 by a grant from Robert de Scothon and Margery
his wife of 1 carucate of land in Coulsdon. (fn. 51) In
1290 the master of the house of St. Thomas of Acre
was granted licence to alienate part of this estate to the
Prior and brethren of the Hospital of St. John of
Jerusalem. (fn. 52) In 1367 Thomas
Purley granted to Thomas de
Sallowe, then Master of the
House of St. Thomas of Acre,
lands, rents and tenements in
Coulsdon to be held of the
Abbot of Chertsey. (fn. 53) At the
time of the Valor Ecclesiasticus
the annual rent accruing to
the House of St. Thomas of
Acre from the manor of
Tauntons was 100s. and
there were about 45 acres of
wood belonging to it valued
at a yearly rent of 12d. per
acre. (fn. 54) In 1558 Thomas Reve was seised of the
manor, (fn. 55) and two years later John Tomson and
Dorothy his wife quitclaimed it to Geoffrey Lambert
and Richard Lambert his son and heir. (fn. 56) After
this it appears to have been divided and the moieties
dispersed among various families. Manning and Bray
assert that in the beginning of the 19th century
there were no courts held in this manor and no quitrents or services due to it. (fn. 57) The moieties were
then owned by Mr. Dewdney and Mrs. Cotterell.
Taunton House is now the seat of Mr. Harold
Kinder, and Taunton Farm is occupied as a farm-house.
Hospital of St. Thomas of Acre. Sable a cross formy parted argent and gules.
The estate called HOLEGH, now HOOLEY
HOUSE, appears early in the 13th century as a hide
of land granted to Roger de Holegh by Elwin son of
John. (fn. 58) In 1258 Thomas de Holegh quitclaimed
1 carucate of land to Robert de Walton and Beatrice
his wife. (fn. 59) In 1323 Peter de Purley and his wife
Julyan had a licence for a chapel in Holegh. (fn. 60) At
the beginning of the 15th century the estate was
held by the family of Wood (see monumental inscriptions) and afterwards came into the possession of
Thomas Byron, in whose family it continued until
early in the 19th century. Subsequently it was
bought by Mr. Richard Shuter. It is now converted
into a residential hotel, known as the Ashdown Park
Hotel.
In 1312 John son of Roger de Wood died seised
of the messuage and land now called WOOD PLACE. (fn. 61)
It came into the king's hands by reason of the
idiocy of John; but it was found by inquisition that
at his death he held nothing in chief of which the
custody of his lands should pertain to the king. (fn. 62)
His sister Lucy was his heir. In 1357 Peter Atte
Wood had licence for an oratory in his house at
Coulsdon. (fn. 63) In 1403 Hugh Quecche died seised by
right of his wife Elizabeth, leaving a daughter and
heir Joan; he held it of the Abbot of Chertsey. (fn. 64) In
the beginning of the 17th century it had passed into
the Lambert family and so continued until 1685,
when Alexander Lambert died seised, leaving seven
sisters, among whom it was divided. (fn. 65) The greater
part ultimately descended to the Roffey family, who
also held land in Chaldon and Caterham (vide
Stansterd in Chaldon). It is now known as Wood
Place Farm.
In 1403 Hugh Quecche died seised of a tenement
called KENLEY. This was granted by John Norton,
who married Joan daughter of Quecche, to the
chantry in the chapel of St. Mary in Steyning
Church, Sussex. After the dissolution of the chantry
Kenley was granted with other lands to Henry
Polsted. (fn. 66)
CHURCH
The church of ST. JOHN THE
EVANGELIST occupies the site of one
standing here in 1086. The churchyard adjoins the grounds of The Grange, and has
lately been extended towards the south. It is well
timbered and contains an ancient yew and a great
chestnut at the south-east end. At the western end
is a modern lych-gate, leading to the west doorway,
in front of which are three old ledgers of dark slate
with heraldic panels, bearing dates 1760, 1768 and
1773, and inscriptions to the family of Bangham.
There are also three ancient coffin slabs of the 13th
and 14th centuries, one having a floreated cross in the
head, and some fine headstones dated 1757 and
1763.
Plan of Coulsdon Church
The church is built of field flints, chalk and firestone rubble, with dressings of firestone, the walls,
excepting the chancel, being covered with rough-cast.
Bath stone has been used in the recent restoration of
the north aisle. Against the south aisle and chancel
walls are heavy buttresses of red and brown brick
(one lately rebuilt), with two unsightly brick chimneys,
and there are brick lacing courses in the chancel
walls. The roofs, originally of Horsham slabs, are
slated, as is also the base of the spire, the upper part
being shingled. The spire appears to date from
1807, as in a drawing in the Sharpe collection made
in 1790 the tower is shown with battlements.
The buttress weatherings of the tower are tiled.
In 1807, according to Cracklow, (fn. 67) 'the church
underwent a thorough course of repair and cleansing,' the evil effects of which, including the
scabby rough-cast, the brick patchings, the slated
roofs, the wooden 'Gothic' tracery of the south aisle
windows and the curious lobby squeezed in between
the western buttresses of the tower, are still very
evident; at the same time the narrow north aisle was
extended to its present width. In 1843 and later
further repairs and alterations were carried out, and
in 1898 the north aisle was partially rebuilt, with
shingle wall facing and stone battlementing of the
churchwarden type. Notwithstanding these 'restorations,' the church, especially externally, bears as
unrestored an appearance as any in the county, and
parts, such as the south aisle, are sorely in need of
repair.
The plan is unusual in several respects. It consists
of a nave 19 ft. 1 in. by 29 ft. on the north and
29 ft. 9 in. on the south; with
north aisle 30 ft. 10 in. long,
varying in width from 13 ft. 2 in.
to 12 ft. 9 in. (fn. 68) ; south aisle
31 ft. 10 in. to 33 ft. long by
12 ft. 9 in. wide; western tower
11 ft. 7 in. north to south and
10 ft. 11 in. west to east, with
walls nearly 4 ft. thick and
massive buttresses of deep projection; and chancel 32 ft. 1 in.
long by 17 ft. 2 in. in the west
end and 16 ft. in the east end.
Within the space inclosed by the
western buttresses of the tower a
sort of porch, with churchcleaner's cupboards right and
left, was built in 1807, a doorway to correspond being at the
same time pierced in the west
wall of the tower. Previously it
would appear that the main entrance was in the south wall of
the south aisle, with a porch, as
shown in Cracklow's view, which doorway now
opens into the 19th-century vestry that has taken
the place of the porch. The tower, added about
1400, appears to follow an original distortion of
the west wall of the nave and is set very much
askew. It contains a circular stair in its north-east
angle and terminates in a tapering broach spire,
resembling that of Banstead. The bell-chamber is
lit by louvred cinquefoil-headed lights, while the
ringing-chamber has a broad pointed window in the
west wall (above which is a clock) and another, which
has lost its head, in the south. In the west wall of
the ground story is a two-light window, with cinquefoiled heads, rebated for shutters and retaining its
original stanchions and saddle-bars, beneath which
the modern doorway has been made. The upper
and lower doorways of the tower stair have circular
heads. In the east wall of the ringing-chamber is a
square-headed opening looking into the nave. Externally the construction of the tower is entirely concealed by the heavy coating of rough-cast, and the
stone buttress-weatherings are covered with tile slopes,
but it appears to be very solidly built of flints and
rabble, and the original dressings of the windows
remain, patched with cement. The tower arch, of
pointed form, rises from a chamfered plinth and is of
two continuous chamfered orders, the inner broader
than the outer.
In about 1250 the north aisle was thrown out,
and certain indications (such as the position of the
original windows and Cracklow's plan) suggest that
its original width was only about 7 ft. To this
period belong the trefoil-headed rebated lancet in its
western wall, with hollow-moulded drop-arch inside,
and the curious and unusual triplet in the eastern,
which consists of two short lancets with pointed
heads and between them a higher trefoil-headed
light, separated by broad rebated and chamfered
mullions, the whole under one internal arch of
pointed segmental form, with a hollow worked on the
underside. The flat internal sill is kept high for an
altar, and in the wall of the aisle adjoining is a small
piscina, with a credence shelf and shouldered arch,
having a quirked roll moulding. Above and around
this the wall has been faced with chalk blocks in
modern times and an opening pierced in the wall
space, which is repeated on the opposite side. The
north aisle was extended about 6 ft. to the northward,
probably in the beginning of the 19th century, but, as
its north wall has lately been rebuilt and the two
windows therein are entirely modern, it is impossible
to date the extension by any feature. This aisle
suffered severely from the 'churchwarden' repairs of
1807, which included a sort of embattled parapet of
coping stones and stuccoed brickwork. This was
removed in 1898, but, unfortunately, replaced by an
equally meaningless battlement in Bath stone.
The chancel, which must have been the work of
Chertsey Abbey, is also of about 1250, and is exceptionally long—2 ft. or so more than the nave—and
its details are extremely elegant and good. The wide
and lofty chancel arch is of three orders, each a plain
hollow, the inner dying into the pier, the middle
continuous with the pier, and the outer resting upon
a very graceful corbel with hollowed diagonal facet,
delicately moulded. The angle of the eastern face
of the piers is worked as a shaft between hollows, to
form the start of a charming blind arcade of three
lofty arches, carried up to the top of the wall, on
either side of the chancel. The east and west arches
of these arcades are of pointed segmental shape, while
the centre one, which is about 1 ft. narrower, is
circular segmental, or very slightly pointed, and
depressed below the crowns of the others. All stand
out in relief from the wall below, and are worked
with a single deep hollow, the backs being chamfered. Above the capitals of the slender shafts a
cushion is worked in the springers to stop the hollows.
Instead of a shaft in the two western bays the capital
has a corbel dying into the wall, no doubt on account
of the quire stalls planned for the space below. These
capitals are of different and very graceful sections
and resemble the contemporary work in Westminster
Abbey, a sister Benedictine house with Chertsey. (fn. 69)
The bases originally rested upon a stone bench-table,
parts of which remain, particularly to the west of the
beautiful range of sedilia and piscina, which stand
under the easternmost arch on the south side. This
feature is by far the best of its kind in Surrey. The
three recessed seats are stepped up, and the arches
over them, deeply moulded, with projecting hoods,
are trefoiled, as is that of the piscina. The latter has
shafts of Purbeck marble. The hood mouldings
terminate in cone-shaped fluted stops. The western
arch of the sedilia has a splayed jamb instead of a
shaft, and is narrower than the others. The
mouldings closely resemble those of the north doorway of St. Mary's, Guildford. There is no priest's
door, although one may have existed. There is a
coeval low-side window, with pointed head, now
blocked up, in the south wall. The opening window
in the east wall, which internally is ancient, is filled
with incongruous modern tracery, while the original
windows of the side walls were replaced, in about
1400, by the present two-light openings with
segmental heads and cinquefoiled sub-arches.
The south aisle seems to have been built as a family
chapel at about the same date as the north aisle and
chancel, but no doubt by different builders, as the
details differ. It cannot be later than c. 1270,
and may not be so late. (fn. 70) The south door has a
pointed head with continuous hollow mouldings in
two orders. In the gabled west wall is a very wide
and tall lancet, also worked with hollow mouldings,
and eastward of the door is a segmental-arched recess,
probably covering a founder's tomb. Beyond this is
probably a piscina, still blocked up. In the same
eastern part of this south wall is a large window,
widely splayed, with a segmental rear arch, and in the
east wall another with rebated splays and a nicely
proportioned pointed arch, both original work
internally, but now filled with incongruous two-light
tracery of cement and wood.
The great problem in deciphering the architectural
history of this church is the disappearing of the 13th-century arcades between these aisles and the nave.
Whatever their character, they have entirely vanished
and in their place we have two arcades precisely
similar in design and detail of early 15th-century
date corresponding to the period of the building of
the tower. They have piers and responds of octagon
form, and the two arches on either side are of two
chamfered orders, the capitals and bases being of
common 15th-century sections. (fn. 71) The east responds
have a considerable wall space behind them,
probably for the accommodation of the destroyed
rood-screen, and the modern openings like squints
pierced through this wall space may have been
suggested by some doorway in either pier to give
access to the loft.
The modern roof of the chancel is of an elaborate
cradled form, of trefoil section, with curved ribs and
moulded purlins. The north aisle roof is also modern,
but that of the nave, which has four ancient tie-beams,
is ancient, though concealed by modern boarding, and
the south aisle roof, similarly treated, is probably also
ancient.
The step levels in the chancel, the tile-paving, the
stone reredos, the dwarf chancel screen, the chancel
and nave seating, the communion rails, pulpit, lectern
and font are all modern, as is the painted glass in the
chancel and the new windows of the north aisle.
There are many patches of mediaeval colouring on the
chancel arch and north and south arcades, chiefly red
with a little black.
The coffin slabs and ledgers bearing indents of
brasses outside by the tower have been already referred
to. On the south wall of the tower is a small brass inscription as follows: 'Anthonie Bois the sonne of
Thomas Bois A man of Armes in Calais & Captaine
of Dele Castelle & of Malin daughter of Nicolas
Leigh of Addigton, Esq: A man for his pietie,
integritie, modestie, charitie to the poore & most
lovinge & kinde carriage towards all singvlarly
beloved whilest he lived, and after his death generally
deplored of the whole covntry, lived Parson of this
chvrch 22 yeares & died the 4 day of Avgvst in the
yeare of ovr Lord 1610. Non moriar sed viuam et
narrabo opera domini: ps. 118.' In the tower floor
are two slate slabs to Thomas Wood of Howley,
1716 (probably a descendant of the foregoing, who had
turned his name into French), and to his son Thomas,
1723; also two Sussex and Purbeck marble slabs
with indents of brasses.
Coulsdon Church from the South-west
High up on the south wall of the south aisle is a
very curious little monument to Grace Rowed, 1633,
resembling some of the Evelyn monuments in Wotton
Church. It is of alabaster and black marble, with a
circular pediment, pilasters and a central pedestal, on
which stands a well-modelled female figure in alabaster,
holding a ball in her left hand. Her face is upturned
towards a rising sun in the pediment, besides which
are carved masses of rolling clouds and a flying scroll—perhaps in allusion to Revelation vi, 14—' And the
heaven departed as a scroll.' Below the cornice are
carved two veils or curtains on which are the texts
(left): 'For the Lord will destroy in this mountain
the face of the covering cast over all people, and the
vaile that is spread over all nations,' Isaiah xxv, 7, 8;
and (right) 'For unto this day when the law is
read, the vaile is upon their heart. Nevertheless
when it shall turn to the Lord, the vaile shall be
taken away,' 2 Corinthians iii, 15, 16. The
initial letters of the inscription beneath this, which
is undecipherable, make an acrostic on the names
Grace Rowed.
Besides these there are several modern tablets.
The five bells bear the inscription 'John Hodson
made me 1675 Ch Thoms Wood Jasper Wood
Chvrchwardens.'
The plate is modern and of no interest. There is
a brass alms-basin.
The registers are contained in three books:
(1) baptisms and burials 1653 to 1767, marriages
1653 to 1754; (2) baptisms and burials 1768 to
1812; (3) marriages 1755 to 1812.
The church of ALL SAINTS, Kenley, was built
in 1870 and enlarged in 1897 and 1902. A parish
was formed for it in 1888. It is of stone and brick
with tower and spire. There is also a large Wesleyan
chapel at Kenley.
Purley was made an ecclesiastical district in
1884. CHRIST CHURCH, Purley, was begun
in 1877; it is in 14th-century style, of Kentish
rag with Bath stone dressings; it has a turret for
one bell. There is a large Congregational chapel
at Purley, built in 1902, and a Congregational
hall. ST. MARK'S CHURCH, Woodcote, at
Parkshill, is an iron building, a chapel of ease to
Christ Church.
The Memorial Hall was built in 1900 by
Mr. William Webb in memory of his father
Mr. W. H. Webb, and is used for religious services
and other purposes. The district of Purley extends
to Sanderstead and Beddington, in the latter of which
St. Mark's Church and the Warehousemen's School
(see Beddington) are actually situated.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of the church of
Coulsdon mentioned in Domesday
Book (fn. 72) belonged to the abbey and
convent of Chertsey, who obtained a bull from Pope
Clement III for its appropriation; the charter of
John of Pontoise, Bishop of Winchester, granting
licence for the appropriation was confirmed by
Edward I in 1292, (fn. 73) but it was never carried into
effect. The convent had, however, a portion of
tithes in certain lands in Coulsdon worth 25s. (fn. 74)
A bull of Pope Alexander IV confirmed to them
this right. (fn. 75) In 1535 the clear value of the rectory
of Coulsdon was £21 17s. 1½d. (fn. 76) Two years later
the abbot conveyed the advowson to the king, (fn. 77)
who granted it in the same year to Sir Nicholas
Carew, (fn. 78) while all tithes and annual portions which
had been due to the abbey from the church were
granted to the king's new abbey at Bisham, (fn. 79) which,
however, was surrendered immediately. On the
attainder of Sir Nicholas Carew the advowson also
again came into the king's hands, and was granted
by Edward VI to the Archbishop of Canterbury to
be held in chief. (fn. 80) Francis Carew, lord of the
manor of Coulsdon, presented in 1557, after the
manor had been restored to him by Queen
Mary, (fn. 81) and again in 1588, and in 1609 gave
the next nomination, whenever and however it
should occur, to George Hamden, priest, A.M. (fn. 82)
The lord of the manor, then Edward Darcy,
presented in 1640. (fn. 83) The archbishop exercised
his right in 1662, (fn. 84) and the king in 1677, the
see being then vacant; but the advowson was
included in the king's grant of the manor to
the Earl of Portland, (fn. 85) and continued with it in
the various sales of the estate. (fn. 86) In 1721 the
archbishop again presented, and has done so on
each subsequent vacancy. (fn. 87)
A church at Watendene or Whattingdon is mentioned in the Domesday Survey, (fn. 88) and in a grant of
land in 1367. (fn. 89) The presentations to the church
of Coulsdon were sometimes made 'cum capellâ
Whatingdon'; Henry Gerbregge was so instituted
in 1453. (fn. 90) In 1549–50 Edward VI granted to
William Ward 'the former chapel of Whattingdon
in Coulsdon with the burial-ground belonging to
the chapel and all its appurtenances.' (fn. 91) At the end
of the 17th century Anne Templeman sold the site
of the chapel to Thomas Templeman for £200. (fn. 92)
The building was used as a barn in the 18th century,
and was burnt in 1780. Human bones are still
found near the site.
CHARITIES
Smith's charity is distributed as in
other Surrey parishes, and there are
small charities founded by Byron,
Redder (in 1827) and Crowe (in 1835) for the poor
of Coulsdon, the aggregate income of which amounts
to £11 16s. per annum; and one by Wood in 1842
suspended by order of the commissioners till the
principal reaches £100 consols.