Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/584

 A HISTORY OF SURREY

��The font is modern and stands at the west end of the nave ; it is octagonal and of poor design.

The bells are three in number, the treble by T. Swain 1753, the second, by William Eldridge 1693, and the tenor by Richard Phelps, 1725.

The plate comprises a fine silver cup with the Copenhagen hall-marks for 1 704, and the arms of Vernon impaling Buck ; a large silver flagon given in 1 73 9 and made in the preceding year ; a paten which has lost its foot, has only the maker's mark @ re- peated four times, it is of late 1 7th-century date ; and two silver almsdishes of 1839 and 1869.

The first book of registers has an ornamented title- page and contains mixed entries 1653 to 1812, but marriages only to 1754; the second book contains banns and marriages 1754 to 1812.

The church is not mentioned JDPOWSON in the Taxation of Pope Nicholas, 1291, but was probably included with Egham, the vicar of Egham appointing a chaplain. This duty was neglected before 1401, as appears by a dispute between the abbey and vicar concerning the finding of a chaplain for the ' chapel of Thorpe in the parish of Egham.' 38 In 1428 a further dispute arose between the Abbot of Chertsey and the inhabitants of Thorpe concerning the finding and supporting of this chaplain. Finally the bishop arbitrated, and certain of the inhabitants were given the custody of the goods of the chapel, together with the duty of providing the chaplain. The rights of sepulchre were granted to Thorpe parish, an annual fixed payment of 6/. 8</., collected from the inhabitants, being allotted to the abbot as his portion of the burial dues. An annual rent of \d. for the chaplain's house was to be paid to the abbot by the inhabitants. The abbot on his part was to induct the chaplain, to undertake the repair of the chancel, and to provide bread and wine for one mass daily, two candles for processions, and sufficient straw to strew the chapel twice a year. To the chaplain was allotted a cottage and garden, and some land, tithes of wool and lambs and other tithes in Thorpe, mortuaries, four loads of firewood annually and certain other rights. 39 This composition, by which the inhabitants were made responsible for the chaplain's stipend, appears to have held good, in theory at least, until the 1 7th century,

��as in 1637 Henry Duncomb the chaplain petitioned the king stating that this ancient composition ' hath been for a long time concealed and the tithes, with the piece of land, unjustly detained by the parishioners, and only 20 marks paid yearly by them, to the great prejudice of the petitioner and the church.' 40

The rectory and advowson were surrendered in 1537," with the other possessions of the abbey of Chertsey, and the rectory was granted to Bisham monastery in the same year," to return once more to the Crown in 1538. A twenty-one years' lease of the rectory was granted to Thomas Stydolf by the Abbot of Bisham in March 1538 ; the rever- sion for another term of twenty-one years was granted to Thomas Shelton in 1566, a further lease to Sir Francis Grey being made in 1581.** In 1590, however, the rectory of Thorpe was granted to Sir John Wolley and his heirs. 44 Francis Wolley, his son, inherited the property on his father's death in 1596." He himself died in 1609, bequeathing the rectory of Thorpe to William Minterne, his cousin, whose grandson, Wolley Leigh, inherited this property, together with both the manors in Thorpe, in 1627," and the rectory was held afterwards by the lord of the manor of Thorpe (q.v.).

The advowson surrendered, as has been said, in 1537 remained in the Crown from that time until after 1860, the Lord Chancellor presenting during the last thirty years or so of this period. 47 It was bought by a Miss Fergusson, who presented Mr. Martin as vicar in 1874, and afterwards gave him the advowson. es. b- sold it to his next successor, who also sold to the n^xt incumbent, Mr. Morgan. Mrs. Morgan, his widow, afterwards presented. It was then sold to Mr. if 't-h- Bennett, father of the present patron, and the n 1On -y invested for the benefit of the vicarage. 48

The charities include Smith's CHARITIES Charity as in other Surrey parishes.

Giles Travers in 1706 left 6 a year for apprenticing poor children.

William Beddington in 1762 left 4 61. 8J. a year for bread for the poor.

Isaac Townsend in 1765 left a house and land worth 6 a year for the poor. He was Admiral of the White and Governor of Greenwich Hospital. He is buried in the church.

��"Winton Epi. Reg. Wykeham, ii (2), fol. 3380 ; cf. Egerton MS. 2033, fol. 1 60.

88 Exch. K.R. Mine. Bk. vol. 25, fol. 42.

40 Cat. S.P. Dam. 1637-8, p. 318.

��41 Feet of F. Div. Co. Trin. 29 Hen. VIII.

42 Pat. 29 Hen. VIII, pt. iv, m. 35.

48 Ibid. 32 Eliz. pt. xvii, m. I.

��45 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Set. 2) ccxlix, 74..

46 Ibid, ccccxlviii, 125.

4 ? Int. Bk. (P.R.O.) ; Clergy Lfsa. 48 Information from the Rev. E. W. Carpenter, late vicar of Thorpe.

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