Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/600

 A HISTORY OF SURREY

��and Molesey Hurst is to the north of it on the banks of the Thames. This was a famous place for cricket- matches, prize-fights, and occasionally for duels. Hampton races used to be held upon it, Hampton being just across the Thames, over which is a ferry. The Hurst Park Racing Club was established on the ground in 1892. The Lambeth Waterworks have reservoirs partly in West Molesey.

There was an Inclosure Act in 1815 for East and West Molesey, though the award was not till I June 1821.* This inclosed commons and common fields.

In 1800, when Walton Commons were inclosed, the 6 13*. dfd. set apart from the Walton tithes for a curate of West Molesey was secured upon part of the inclosed land. The income has been raised to 150 by voluntary gifts.

East Molesey is a large scattered village 2 miles west of Kingston. It is bounded on the north-east by the Thames, on the east by Thames Ditton, on the south by Esher, on the west by Walton and West Molesey. It contains 743 acres of land and 38 of water. The Mole, which flows through the parish, divides to the south of the village, the western branch forming part of the boundary between West and East Molesey, the eastern branch between East Molesey and Thames Ditton. They re-unite and fall into the Thames within the parish. Dun- stable Common and Molesey Hurst are partly in East and partly in West Molesey. The branch line from Surbiton to Hampton Court passes through part of the parish and terminates in it at Hampton Court station on the southern bank of the Thames. The soil is the gravel and alluvium of the river valleys.

Molesey was formerly a chapelry of Kingston parish, but was erected into a separate perpetual curacy by the Act 9 Geo. Ill, cap. 65. Previous to this date, however, it possessed parish officers of its own.

In 1856 Kent Town in East Molesey was made an ecclesiastical parish. A church (St. Paul's) was con- secrated that year, but was finally rebuilt in 1888. It is of 1 5th-century style, of stone, with a tower and spire. The Wesleyan Chapel was built in 1876 and the Baptist Chapel in 1885. The drinking fountain in Bridge Street was set up to commemorate the Jubilee of 1887. Hampton Court Bridge was built by James Clarke, who had a lease of the manor of Molesey Prior in 1750.'" It was of wood and soon fell into disrepair. It was rebuilt of wood in 1778, and remained till 1865, when it was replaced by an iron bridge.

The limit of the tide in the unlocked Thames was near Molesey. Drayton refers to it in the Polyolbion' and Selden's note on the passage is ' Mole's fall into the Thames is near the utmost of the flood.' As usual, near the head of the tide, there was a ford. When there was a question of the route by which Monmouth was to be brought as a prisoner from Guildford to London, Lord Lumley wrote, ' I think the best way will be by way of Hampton, where there is a good ford (opposite Molesey), and I think is a much

��better way than by Cobham and Kingston." * How- ever, the ford was not used then.' But its existence, as well as fords at Coway Stakes and Halliford, all near the flood limits, make the identification of Caesar's crossing-place impossible.

The Cottage Hospital was built by the Dowager Lady Barrow in 1890. There is a Roman Catholic convent in the parish, established in 1907.

At the time of the Domesday Survey MANORS there were two manors of ' Molesham ' both held of Richard de Tonbridge by John ' and by Roger D'Abernon respectively. They were both probably parts of what was afterwards Mole- sey Prior. Aluric and Toco had been the respective holders under King Edward. 6 Unless the two were amalgamated under Richard in the hands of the D'Abernom or under-tenants, the former disappears altogether.

Between 1129 and 1135 Engelram D'Abernon granted to Merton Priory this manor, thenceforth frequently called MOLESET PRIOR.' Much confusion has arisen from the fact that both this manor and the manor of Molesey Matham are spoken of as ' the manor of East Moulsey.' Both seem to have in- cluded lands in both Moleseys and in Walton on Thames.

Early in the reign of Edward I the prior claimed rights of infangtheof, outfangtheof, &c., in Mole- sey. His claim was allowed. 8 In 1284 he com- plained that another of his rights there pleas of theft had been infringed. Amice of Ewell had been captured with stolen goods within his liberties at Molesey by two of his servants, and had been sub- sequently rescued." The priory is stated in the Taxatio of Pope Nicholas to have held property at Molesey which was taxed at 3 6s. 1 " At the time of the Valor of 1535 the possessions of Merton Priory in Molesey were valued at 2$ izs. zd., being rents of assize and other rents, farm of the mill, &c. n

In 1518 the prior and convent demised to Sir Thomas Heneage, kt., the manor of 'East Mole- sey, with all their land and all their tithes in the precinct of East Molesey and Thames Ditton, and their live stock there ; for which he was to pay a rent, partly in money and partly in kind, amounting in all to 26 21. 2ii.' The lease was for a term of sixty- six years."

Henry VIII, when engaged in making the Chase of Hampton, desired to obtain possession of the manor and estate of East Molesey, and gave in exchange for it to the priory of Merton certain lands, tenements, advowsons, &c., formerly belonging to the suppressed monastery of Calwich, co. Stafford." Whereupon 4 John, Prior of Merton, and the convent by inden- ture dated 1536 conveyed to the king all their tithes,

���MERTON PRIORY. Or fretty azure viith eaglet argent at tht crostings of the fret.

��1 Blue Bk. Incl. A-uiards.

la By Act 27 Geo. II, cap. 37.

9 Polyoltioti, Jtvii, 71.

3 Lord Lumley to the Sec. of State, quoted by Fea, King Monmoutb, 314.

4 Land. Gax. 16 July 1685.

5 This John is possibly John who held Woldingham and Walton on the Hill of

��Richard, probably ancestor of the family of Dammartin ; see V.C.H. Surr. i, 315, 316. The statement by Willis that Woldingham once belonged to Merton may originate in John's manor at Mole- sey having been granted to Merton with the D'Abernon land. 6 V.C.H. Surr. i, 318*.

452

��'' Ibid.

8 Plac. de Qua Warr. (Rec. Com.), 748.

Cal. Pat. 1281-92, p. 199.

10 Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 206. " Valor Reel. (Rec. Com.), ii, 48.

11 Bray ley, Hist, of Surr., ii, 300. L. and P. Hen. VIII, xi, 1411.

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