Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/692

 A HISTORY OF SURREY

��of the manor with the reversion of a third part of two knights' fees which Cecily widow of Eudo Fitz Brian held in dower was made in 1247 by Simon son of Richard," apparently an attorney of Peter de Maiden." A grant of free warren in the demesne lands of Maiden, Chessington, and Farley was made to Walter de Merton in 1 249."

At Maiden Walter de Merton, Chancellor of England, founded the house of the Scholars of Merton, which he endowed in 1264 with his manors of Maiden, Chessington, and Farley." It seems clear that the scholars did not reside at Maiden, for in his charter Walter de Merton states that he founded the house at Maiden for the support of twenty scholars residing in the schools at Oxford or elsewhere and of two or three priests residing in the house itself, which seems as though the intention of the founder was that the warden and priests of a religious house at Maiden should be 'a college' to manage the revenues of certain estates to be applied for the maintenance of them- selves and certain scholars at one of the universities. In 1274, on the founding of Merton College in Oxford, the warden and priests were removed there. 15

The manor has ever since belonged to Merton College, the Wateviles retaining their overlordship as late as 1287 ; 16 subsequently Maiden was held directly of the successors of the Clares. 17 In the reign of Elizabeth an attempt was made by the Crown to ob- tain the manors of Maiden and Chessington from the college, in order to bestow them on the Earl of Arundel in exchange for Nonsuch. The college was prevailed upon to make a lease, inclusive of the advowson and appropriation, for 5,000 years under a yearly rent of 40. The queen at once passed on the lease to the earl, who made a grant to Joan mother of John Goode. The college, being dis- satisfied with these alienations, applied for ejectment against the possessor. 18 A compromise was effected by which the lease was assigned to trustees for the benefit of the then holder for eighty years, after which it was to revert to the college, who were to have the advowson immediately. In 1633 the college obtained a confirmation from Charles I, who reserved the 120 acres which Henry VIII had seized. 1 ' The eighty years' lease expired in 1707, and the manor was surrendered to the college by Dame Penelope, widow of Sir Thomas Morley, heir of Goode. The demesne lands were afterwards granted to Richard Willis, Dean of Lincoln, later Bishop of Winchester, whose descendants continued to hold the same on lease.* The Manor House is now the residence of Mr. E. B. Hansen.

���M ERTON COLLEGE, OX- FORD. Or three cheve- rons party and counter* coloured azure and gules.

��The church of ST. JOHN THE CHURCH BAPTIST consists of a chancel, nave, south chapel, south aisle, and south-west tower. The nave and chancel were erected in 1875, before which year the present south chapel was the chancel and the aisle the nave. It is recorded that the nave and tower were built in 1610, but it is probable that the chancel, which leans to the north, was erected at least a century earlier.

The modern chancel and nave are built of red brick with stone dressings ; a modern archway opens from the chancel to the chapel, and an arcade of two bays separates the nave and south aisle.

The south chapel or old chancel measures 1 7 ft. 3 in. by 1 8 ft. i in. ; it has an east window of three lights with plain pointed heads. In the south wall is a small square piscina with old jambs and mutilated basin and a modern lintel. The south window of the chapel is an old one of two four-centred lights, repaired outside with cement. Across the entrance to the chapel is a modern wood arch. The aisle and former nave is 29 ft. 6 in. by 20 ft. 9 in., and has two south windows each of two lights with four- centred heads. The tower is built of red brick and consists of three stages ; the ground stage, which is 1 2 ft. square inside, has a modern west doorway ; the second has old windows with four-centred arches in square heads ; the third has a two-light window in each wall with four-centred arches in a square head ; the mullions have been removed. The parapet is plain brick.

All the fittings are modern ; the font has a marble bowl on a stone stem. In the south chapel window is a panel of glass dated 1 6 1 1 containing a shield of the arms of Mynors : Quarterly ( I ) Azure an eagle or and a chief argent ; (2) Sable a fesse argent ; (3) Argent a bend between six martlets gules with a crescent or on the bend ; (4) Argent a sun gules. On a mantled helm over is the crest of a man's arm grasping a black lion's paw in the hand. Two wall monuments in the chapel are to Sir Thomas Morley, who died in 1693, and John Goode, 1627. In the tower are gravestones to John Hammett, who died in 1643, and others of later date. There are six modern bells in the tower. The plate consists of a silver cup and cover of 1622, and a set of 1768.

The registers begin in 1676, the first volume con- taining baptisms from 1677 to 1806, marriages 1676 to 1754, and burials 1678 to 1807. The second has baptisms from 1806 to 1812, and burials 1807 to 1812 ; the third contains marriages from 175910 1812. A chapel or church existed in 4DVO1VSON Maiden at the time of the Domesday Survey," and was then included in the property of Robert de Watevile. It was granted by Eudo de Maiden before 1189 to the priory of Merlon." In 1245 the Prior of Merton unsuccess- fully sued for a writ ordering Brian Fitz Ralph and Gunnora his wife to restore to him the advowson of the church of Maiden." Brian then contested the

��" Feet of F. Surr. Trin. 31 Hen. Ill, no. 306.

u See Feet of F. Div. Co. 39 Hen. Ill, no. 123.

18 Col. Chart. R. 1126-57, P- 3+5-

" Harl^Chart. 53 H. 12 ; Feet of F. Div. Co. 5*5 Hen. Ill, no. 482. Licence from Richard de Clare for the assignment of Maiden wa> granted in 1262. Hey-

��wood, Foundation Charters of Merton Col- lege, Oxford, 3.

16 Manning and Bray, Hist, of Surr. iii,

4-

18 De Banco R. East, 15 Kdw. I, m. 53.

17 Chan. Inq. p.m. 8 Edw. II, no. 68 ; Inq. a.q.d. tile 286, no. 9.

ll * Manning and Bray, Hitf. of Surr. iii, 3 ; Cat. S.P. Dom. 1603-25, p. 593.

524

��19 Pat. 9 Chas. I, pt. v.

30 Manning and Bray, Hist, of Surr. iii, 3.


 * l f.C.H. Surr. i, 317.

M Cur. Reg. R. 42 (7 & 8 John), m. jd.; Cott. MS. Cleop. C vii, 61-2.

n Rot.de Oilatii et Fin. (Rec. Com.), 329. See note above and Abhrev. Plac. (Rec. Com.), 50.

�� �