Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/168

 A HISTORY OF SURREY

��has a deep hollow between two round members, and is carried separately round the shafts and drum. 131

The oldest monument is a small brass to Robert Scarclyff, rector, 1412, in mass vestments. In his lengthy will, preserved at Lambeth, he directs that his body be buried in the chancel of ' Schire ' Church, to the south-west of the tomb of Master John Walter. 1 " He leaves special vestments to this church, and a picture, with a representation of the Trinity, the Blessed Mary, and St. Christopher in four divisions, to stand at the Lady altar. There are also bequests of various kinds to the poorer parishioners and others, and the residue of his effects were to be divided among poor couples of Shere, and in marriage portions for poor maidens of the parish.

Until 1 747, when it was taken down and the brass effigy laid on the chancel floor, there was on the south side of the chancel an altar tomb to John Touchet, Lord Audley, who died 20 September 1491. The upper half of the brass, 1 9^ in. long, showing a man in plate armour, alone remains, together with part of the inscription. At the east end of the Lady Chapel is a small brass to the wife of John Redfford ; and one to Oliver Sandes is fixed to the window-sill of the north transept.' 36

Besides these there is an early 1 7th-century tablet, with a pediment over it, to the right of the great east window ; and in the chancel and Lady Chapel are a few others of no great age or importance. Among these are some monuments to the Brays and Dun- combs. Against the south wall of the chancel is a tablet to the memory of William Bray, joint author of Manning and Bray's History of Surrey, who died in 1832, at the great age of ninety-seven.

There are two small dial-marks, 5 in. in diameter, on the lower stones of the eastern of the two pilaster buttresses on the south chancel wall ; and on one of the stones, which is a piece of Reigate or firestone, is a mason's mark, the letter R upside down. On the south doorway, also of the 1 2th century, are five or six dial-marks, two being very regularly scratched on the stone, and of the same size as those on the buttress. There are also a number of small crosses cut in the jambs of this doorway. The toolmarks on this door are very well preserved.

The only ancient articles of church plate are the very graceful silver cup and paten-cover of 1 569, now in use at the daughter church of Peaslake.

All the six mediaeval bells mentioned in the inven- tory of Edward VI's commissioners were recast in 1590, but so badly that, according to the church- wardens' accounts, a suit was instituted against the founder. They were recast by Richard Phelps in 1712, and two new ones have lately been added to the ring.

The registers now extant date from 1591. A volume from 1545 to 1590 has perished in the last hundred years.

Curious churchwardens' accounts are preserved,

��dating from 1500. Copious extracts have been printed from them by Manning and Bray. 1 * 7 The most curious thing recorded in them is the possession by the parish of two bows, which were hired out for the benefit of the rood light. The common idea that every peasant possessed a war bow, and could use it, is untrue. A load of wood was cut, at Vachery, for remaking the rood-loft, in 1506. One entry states that the entire church was re-roofed with 'shingles' in about 1500. By 'shingles' in this instance stone slabs are undoubtedly intended.

The accounts show that there were lights before the rood, St. John, and St. Nicholas, besides the sepulchre light. Church ales were held at Whitsuntide, and in 1 504 i 81. %d. was taken for drinking at the feast from visitors from Ewhurst, Wotton, Abinger, and Albury.

The church of ST. MART at Felday is in the old Shere parish. It was built of local stone and Sussex marble in 1879, at the expense and from the designs of the late Mr. Street, R.A. The style is 1 3th cen- tury. It consists of a nave, side aisles separated from the nave by arcades of three pointed arches, a chancel, and raised north annexe to the chancel. There is a screen at the west end, and a chancel screen of oak. The interior is highly decorated, and there are nine windows of stained glass. There is a turret at the west end, and six bells. The church stands upon a steep declivity, and the fall of the ground has been utilized to introduce two vestries and a sexton's room under the east end. The vestries communicate with the chancel, and the raised north annexe is above them. In the churchyard is a finely-sculptured churchyard cross.

The church of ST. MARK Peaslake was opened as a chapel of ease to Shere in 1889. It is of Weald stone, and has a nave and chancel with apsidal end, a bell-turret of wood, and three bells.

The advowson of the original JDrOWSONS parish church was in dispute be- tween the Abbots of Netley and the lords of Shiere Vachery from the 1 3th till the i6th century. Roger de Clare sold it to the abbey in I243- 118 In 1 244 the abbot had licence to appro- priate the church," 9 and the king confirmed the advowson to the abbey in 12501 ; uo but the appro- priation was not carried into efFect. 141 In 1253 the abbey is said to hold the patronage 'at the king's request. 714 * In 12589 John son of John, lord of Shiere Vachery, proved his claim to present as lord of the manor, but allowed the abbey to present for one turn. Consequently, in 1277-8, the abbot again brought forward his claim, but failed to prove it ; 14 * and for some years the lords of Shiere Vachery con- tinued to present; 144 but between 1346 and 1366 the abbot presented twice, 146 after which James, Earl of Ormond, disputed his claim, 146 but without success,, for the abbey presented in 1379-So, 147 and again in !39O, 148 and continued to do so till John Lord Audley

��144 This font is illustrated by a good tcel engraving in Hussey, Churches of Kent, Sun. and Surr. 341.

136 This John Walter, the immediate predecessor of Robert Scarclyff, willed to be buried in the chancel before the image of St. James, and bequeathed all his blocks of hewn stones lying about the manse of his rectory to the repair of the steps before the high altar of the church, and all hit flanks, or Eitricba hordes, at hit rectory

��to the repair of the ceiling of the high chancel of the church. Estricbei hordes means deal boards imported from eastern countries.

186 In the British Museum (Add. MSS. 32490, D. 9; K. 33 ; QQ. 22, 31) are preserved rubbings of the brasses before they were mutilated.

"" Op. cit. i, 529, &c.

V.C.H. Surr. ii, 146 ; Feet of F. Surr. 29 Hen. Ill, 23.

I2O

��lw Cal. of Papal Letters, i, 211. 140 Cart. Antiq. L. 26.

41 Cal. of Papal Letters, i, 283.

Ibid.

48 De Banco R. 19, m. 61.

44 Egerton MS. 2032, fol. 286, -j\a.

4 * Ibid. 2033, fol. 3011.

46 Wykeham's Reg. (Hants Rec. i, 61 ; ii, 600. "' Ibid, i, 105. 148 Ibid, i, 176.

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