Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/231

 WOTTON HUNDRED

��WOTTON

��only I ft. 5^ in. in width. There is also a small plain piscina of the first period in the south wall of the nave, beneath a lancet window and a square aumbry, of like date, originally in the north wall of the chancel, and now in the north aisle.

The ancient doorway and lancet windows of c. 1 2 20, re-set in the rebuilt north wall, are good examples of their period. The north doorway, which retains its ancient oak door, and the priest's door on the south, now opening into the vestry, are plain to the point of rudeness. The western doorway, of c. 1430, within a modern porch, is wide and low, with a four-centred arch, which, with the jambs, is simply moulded. The door, of wide oak boards, with plain strap-hinges, is coeval, and the east and west windows, with cinquefbil-headed lights under square heads, also of the later date, are of the plainest character. In the flooring of the chancel and modern north chapel are a number of stone ' sets,' alternately white and yellow, apparently part of an ancient floor.

The arcade, of three arches in the nave and of two in the chancel, with a wide pier marking the junction, is, of course, modern, as are also the east and west windows of the aisle. The large raking buttresses on the south, east, and west sides date from the 1 8th century; and between the two on the east wall a sexton's shed has been inserted. There is a small modern gallery at the west end, and above this rises the bell-turret, also of modern date, which, with its silvery oak shingles, makes a very pleasing feature.

The main roof, as before mentioned, is ancient, that of the aisle being, of course, new; the seating and aJl other furniture being likewise modern.

In the last restoration the walls and window-splays were found to be covered with ancient paintings figure subjects and scroll-work patterns of unusual excellence chiefly of the early part of the 1 3th century, but some of 1 4th and 15th-century dates. As most of these occurred upon the north wall, they were unhappily destroyed when it was pulled down, but tracings were made which are said to be still in existence. On the north wall were two pairs of large figures, and on the east wall two single figures, two others, with ornamental patterns, being painted over the south door of the chancel. St. George and the dragon, on the south wall, near the west end, of 15th- century date, is mentioned among the destroyed sub- jects, 89 " and on the eastern part of the south wall of the chancel is still preserved the Visitation, the figures of St. Mary and St. Elizabeth being drawn in coarse red outline, about life-size, with red drapery. At the west end, on the north, west, and south walls, 'numerous small figures, parts of a large subject,' said to have been of 15th-century date, were uncovered, but were not preserved.

In the two lancets on the south side of the chancel are preserved some rare and beautiful fragments of ancient glass. That in the eastern of the two is of early 13th-century date, coeval with the window in which it stands. It is grisaille pattern work, the design being in large diamonds, almost the width of the opening, inclosed in white borders. Sprays of

��stiff-leaf foliage, with bunches of fruit, fill the diamond spaces, which are a deep, rich grey-green in places. In the western are fragments of two dates, including some very elegant natural leafage of early 14th-century character, and a flaming sun, a rose, and some flowered quarries of the 1 5th century.

A good late- 17th-century chest is preserved in the church.

There are no monuments of special interest or antiquity with the exception of the interesting brass to Edward de la Hale, 1431, which lies in the chancel floor, and is now covered by a trap-door. The figure is unusually small, only I ft. 5^ in. in height, and has been very delicately engraved. It shows him in plate-armour, with his gauntleted hands joined in prayer, a helm of pointed oval shape, a collar of SS, roundels at the armpits, skirt of laces, and long-toed sollerets, with one rowelled spur. A long sword against his left side is slung from the right hip, and a dagger is suspended on the right side ; his feet rest upon a lion. Above the head is a curved scroll bearing the words, IHU MERCY, and at the foot is an inscription plate now set upside down

Hie IACET EDWARDUS DE LA HALE ARMIG' DE COM

SURR' Qui OBIIT VIII. DIE MENSIS SEPTEMBR* ANNO DNI

MlLLO. CCCC. XXXI. CuiUS ANIME p'pICIETUR DEUS AMEN.

The registers date only from 1670.

Of the plate in use at the chapel, the oldest piece, a silver cup, with a disproportionately large and deep bowl, dates from 1794. It bears the usual star orna- ment, and on the other side are the arms of the Evelyns of Wotton, with the inscription : ' The Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Evelyn of Wotton to Oakwood Church, Surrey, 6 January 1878.' The other pieces are dated 1837 and 1844, with similar ornament, arms and inscription ; there is also a brass almsdish.

In the library at Wotton House are preserved some other pieces, replaced by the foregoing, viz.: a plated cup, and a cup, paten, plate and flagon of pewter, the plate bearing the date 1692, which appears from the marks to be that of the other pewter pieces. There is little doubt that they were all provided at the time of the repair of the chapel in 1701.

The one bell is modern.

Wotton Church is mentioned in 4DVOIVSONS the Taxation of Pope Nicholas, 1 291. William Latimer presented in I 3O4, 70 and again in 1305." In 1306 divers malicious persons broke into the parson's house, and even carried their atrocities to the length of killing one of his servants." From this time onwards the advowson appears to have followed the descent of the manor. Queen Philippa, to whom the custody of William Latimer had apparently been granted, presented in 1345:" the advowson was granted with the manor to Thomas Morstede in 1429," belonged afterwards to the Owens," and passed with the manor to the Evelyn family."

The presentation of the chapel of Okewood " went with that of Wotton.' 8

��" Traces of this have lately been found by Mrs. Shearme, wife of the vicar. 70 Winton Epis. Reg. Pontoise, fol. 410. ' Ibid. Woodlock, fol. 3*. " Col. Pat, 1301-7, p. 479, ' Ibid. 1345-8, p. 250.

��7* Cloc, 7 Hen. VI, no. 7 d.

7* Feet of F. Hil. 14 Eliz.

7 Ibid. Surr. Trin. 21 Eliz.

77 Okewood is no doubt the correct spelling. A small stream which rises in Ockley and Wotton, and flows past the

I6 3

��chapel, is called the Oke. Compare Okehampton on the Oke in Devonshire. It joins the Arun.

'<> Close, 9 Hen. V, m. 17 ; 7 Hen. VI, m. 7.

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