Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/464

 A HISTORY OF SURREY

��wall to light the ground stage, and the west doorway has jambs and a pointed arch of two very small cham- fered orders, perhaps cut from a single order, and a modern label in Roman cement. In the angles of the tower are large posts framed and braced together and carrying the wooden bell-cage above, independ- ently of the tower walls ; they are obviously of con- siderable age, but their date can only be conjectured.

The tower is of three stages, but has no dividing string-courses ; in the middle stage is a narrow loop light on the north, west, and south sides. These are of brick, but they are set in old, probably i jth-cen- tury, jambs. The top stage is of brick with a window in each face, and is crowned with an embattled para- pet ; it dates from early in the last century.

The roofs are tiled, all the timbers being modern.

All the internal fittings are modern except two Jacobean chairs in the chancel, which have carved backs and baluster legs'and arm rests. There is also a small table in the vestry, which is possibly older still. The chancel screen was set up in 1897 in memory of the Rev. Freeman Wilson, rector, who died in the church on Sunday 1 1 October 1 896."

There are several interesting brasses, the most im- portant being a small one on the north wall of the chancel, on which is represented a kneeling bishop in mass vestments and with a mitre and his pastoral staff. On a shield opposite him are the arms of Booth Three boars' heads razed with a label.

Below is an inscription : ' Quisquis eris qui tran- sieris sta plege plora. | Sum q d eris fuer3 q3 q d es : pro me precor ora. | Hie jacet Johs Bowthe quoda Eps Exonien qui | Obiit v die mesi Aprelis A dm M cccc LXXVIH.'

On the north abutment of the chancel arch is a brass demi-figure of a civilian of the time of Richard II in a loose gown buttoned down the front with sleeves and a hood. He has a forked beard and a moustache, with short hair, and wears buttoned mittens. The in- scription which is unfortunately lost, was as follows : ' Hie jacet Robertusde Brentyngham, Prater Reverend! Patris Thome Exon Episcopi. Cujus anime pro- picietur Deus." Thomas was Bishop of Exeter from 1370 to 1394.

There are also two brasses of the Snelling family, one in the north aisle having the in- scription : ' Pray for the sowllis of John Snellyng and Alys hys wyfe the whych desecyd the vin day of ffeveryll in the yer of owr lorde M cccc LXXXXVIII on whose sowllis god have mercy.'

Above are the figures of John and Alice, and below are those of their six sons and five daughters.

The other brass is on the south wall of the nave and has the following inscription : ' Of your charity pray for the soulis of Thomas Snellinge late of the Parishe of Est Horsley smith and Jone his wife which Thomas disceased the xxvm day of May in ye yere of our lorde MCCCCCIIII. And for the soules ofthefaders and moders of the foresaid Thomas and Jone with all

���SHILLING. Cults three griffins' headt razed or and a chief indented erminois.

��theyr childerne on whoes sowlys Almyghty Jhu have mercy Amen.'

Below are the figures of eight sons and five daugh- ters, but those of the parents are now missing, with the upper part of the stone.

In the north aisle are the alabaster effigies and other fragments of a fine alabaster tomb of Thomas Cornwallis, esq., and Lady Katherine his wife, daugh- ter of Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton and Lord Chancellor of England, and their two sons Robert and Henry. She died in 1626 'and was 30 years a widdow.' Above are the arms of Cornwallis impaling those of Wriothesley, with the crests of a stag and a bull, which are also set at the feet of the effigies. On the north wall of the aisle i: a monu- ment to Henry Hildyard, eldest surviving son and heir of Sir Christopher Hildyard, of Winestead, co. York. He died in 1674.

In the window near the Cornwallis tomb is a frag- ment of glass dated 1573, and three quarries with the crest of Acton of Worcestershire : An arm in armour holding a sword on which is a boar's head, with the motto ' Vaillance avance.' There are also several small pieces of old heraldic glass, too broken for identification.

There are four bells in the tower, the treble being inscribed 'Bryan Eldridge made mee 1 648'; the second and tenor are by William Eldridge 1 703 ; and the third is by Richard Hille of London, c. 1450, and has a black letter inscription : ' Sit nomen Domini benedictum ' with the ' cross and ring ' shield.

The plate comprises a cup and paten of 1640, and a cup, paten, and two large flagons of 1649.

The registers are contained in three books ; the first having baptisms from 1666 to 1752, marriages 1668 to 1752, and burials from 1666 to 1753. The second has baptisms and burials from 1753 to 1787, and one or two marriages ; and the third book contains baptisms, marriages, and burials from 1788 to 1812.

In 1666 the registers record the death of eight persons from the plague.

A small yard surrounds the church, which is entered from the road on the west side, and there are large trees on the adjoining property on the south and east sides. The advowson of East Horsley was dDfOtPSON in the hands of the archbishop, except in 1 349, when the king presented twice, 'because of the vacancy in the archbishopric."* It was the year of the Black Death. Henry VIII probably took over the advowson with the manor in 1538. In 1551 it was granted to Thomas Fisher, 65 grantee of the Bishop's Manor (to which it had not been attached before), and it descended for some years with this manor. After the Restoration the advowson was successfully reclaimed by the arch- bishop, who presented in 1662," and continued to do so till 1876, when it was transferred to the Dean and chapter of Canterbury."

Smith's Charity is distributed as in CHARITIES other Surrey parishes. There is a rent-charge on land called Bishop's Mead, supposed to be the gift of Bishop Booth of Exeter, who is buried in the church, for the relief of the poor ; and another small charge on other land for the same purpose.

��" The Rev. F. Wilson, rector of East Horsley, died suddenly in church on the

��tame day on which Archbishop Benson died in church at Hawarden.

M Pat. 23 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 20.

352

��58 Pat. 3 Edw. VI, pt. vi.

M Inst. Bks. (P.R.O.)

" Liind. Gax. 4 Aug. 1876, p. 4370.

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