Page:Notes on the churches in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey.djvu/242

196 twenty-two acres called the Chapel Fields, in which a chapel formerly stood belonging to the neighbouring village of Crawley." (Cartwright's Rape of Bramber.) This quotation explains the entries in (A.D. 1291) of "Ecclia de Shellye," and in (Val. Eccl.) of "Capella de Shelley cum Crawley annexa." In the latter record St. Leonard's chapel also is valued. The (Nonæ Roll) mentions not only the church, but likewise the parish and the rector of "Shullegh," which name must signify Shelley. The place at which the Inquisition was taken, not being given, we have indeed no guide, slight as that would be, to the locality; but it is stated, that John de Ifield had imparked a carucate of land, which was worth ten shillings to the church; whence we may infer, that " Shullegh " was in the neighbourhood of Ifield, which agrees with the position of Shelley. This idea seems to be confirmed by the circumstance, that Crawley is not named in the (Nonæ Roll); which is accounted for if, as I suppose, the title, properly belonging only to the chapel as above, is applied to the entire parish and the mother church.—In the (Clergy List) we find "Upper Beeding, V., post town Steyning," and "Lower Beeding, P.C., post town Horsham;" the latter however is a modern foundation.—Northern or Lower Beeding is seven or eight miles distant from the other part of the parish. (Horsfield's Suss. II, 222.) In King Alfred's will "Bedning," mentioned together with Arundel, Barnham, Compton, and other names which I am unable to identify, can scarcely mean any place but Beeding. (Asser's Alfred by Wise, 77.)

22. .—In the Nonæ Roll this place is called "Bebbyngeton."

23. .—This church, comprising chancel, nave, north and south aisles, and low western tower with a shingled spire, has been so disfigured by alterations in the worst possible taste, as to present no attraction to visitors. Both nave and chancel are broader than common in proportion to their length; and in style are E.E.—It is stated, that Bersted was not a parish previous to A.D. 1200, but that the church was dependent upon that of Pagham, as was likewise the chapel of St. Bartholomew at Bognor: also that in the Bishop's register is a commission from the archbishop (it is one of the peculiars of the diocese of Canterbury) for the consecration of Bersted church in 1405. North Bersted is a tithing or manor in the parish of South Bersted. "There were two chapels, one at Bognor, and the other at North Bersted, which are recognised in the archives of