GODALMING HUNDRED 



WITLEY 



style, with a bell turret. The north aisle was added 

 in 1894. 



The church of All Saints, Grayswood, was built in 

 19001 and consecrated in 1902. 



A church is mentioned in the 

 JDfOIVSONS Domesday Survey of Witley. 1 " 



The advowson of Witley Church 

 was appurtenant to the manor until Gilbert Marshal, 

 Earl of Pembroke, gave it to the Abbey of St. Mary 

 de Gloria, Anagni, to which Pope Gregory IX 

 granted an indult to enter in possession in September 

 1238, a vicar's portion being reserved. 14 * This 

 appropriation does not seem to have been carried 

 into effect, and the advowson itself was evidently 

 restored to the lords of the manor before 1289,'" 

 when it was included in the confirmatory grant to 

 Guy Ferre. 158 



In 1321 Queen Isabella presented a rector to 

 Witley Church. 159 In 1 342 Edward III gave the 

 advowson to Dartford Priory, 160 to which the church 

 was appropriated c. 1 368, 161 but the prioress, doubt- 

 ing the validity of the former appropriation and 

 * being in no small need,' obtained a fresh licence 

 from the pope in October I395. 161 In 1544, after 

 the suppression of the priory, the king sold the rectory 

 and advowson of Witley as a manor to Thomas 

 Jones, ' his servant,' 16S who sold them in 1571 to 

 Thomas Smith, controller of the queen's household. 144 

 In 1642 a Thomas Smith his grandson presented to 

 the vicarage, and left the manor in his will for 

 sale. 1641 In 1670 George Smith his son 16S presented. 

 From him the rectory manor descended in moieties to 

 Susan Smith and Sarah wife of Michael Purefoy. 158 

 Susan Smith either inherited or purchased the 

 second moiety, for she was possessed of the whole 

 rectory and advowson in iy\$, K1 and alienated them 



to the use of William Myers. 168 He died in 1739. 

 His son William Myers made a settlement of Witley 

 rectory on his marriage in I743. 169 In 1775 

 William Myers his son sold the rectory, advowson, 

 and great tithes of Witley (but not of Thursley) to 

 John Leech, Ph.D., of Alton and John Chandler of 

 Witley." The former took the rectory, manor-house, 

 and part of the land, the latter the advowson of 

 Witley and Thursley, the vicarage house, and other 

 lands. 



This Mr. Chandler's grandson was patron and vicar 

 in 1837. The present patron is Mr. E. A. Chandler. 

 The rectory manor passed ultimately to Mr. John 

 Leech, of Lea, M.P. for West Surrey, son of Dr. Leech, 

 who died in 1 847. His widow Mary married William 

 Wight, and died 1878. The manor was then sold to 

 W. H. Stone, whence it probably passed with Lea, 

 where Dr. Leech and Mr. Stone had lived, to 

 Whitaker Wright, and was seemingly lost sight of as 

 a manor. 



There were manorial rights attached to the rectory 

 as well as court leet. 1 " With regard to the latter, the 

 parson of Witley claimed view of frankpledge and 

 assize of bread and ale in 1279, but the king 

 recovered seisin of them through his default. 1 ' 1 

 Apparently, however, the rectors had regained view 

 of frankpledge before the Dissolution, and the rector 

 had both court baron and court leet late in the 

 1 7th century. 173 



Milford was formed into a separate ecclesiastical 

 parish in 1844. The vicar of Witley is patron of the 

 living. 174 



Grayswood was formed into a separate ecclesiastical 

 parish from Chiddingfold, Haslemere, Thursley, and 

 Witley in 1900. The Bishop of Winchester is 

 patron 17i of the living, which is a vicarage. 



155 y.C.H. Surr. i, 313. 



156 Cat. of Papal Letters, i, 164, 176. 

 The gift was made before 26 Oct. 

 1237. 



67 It ii doubtful whether the Earl Mar- 

 thai had any right to alienate the advowson 

 of which he had only the custody ; the 

 church is expressly excepted, however, in 

 Queen Eleanor's first grant of the manor 

 to Guy Ferre. 



158 Cal. Pat. 1272-81, p. 125 ; ibid. 

 1281-92, p. 329. 



/>. Reg. Wintm (Hants Rec. 

 Soc.}, 446. 



m Pat. 31 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, no. 12. It 

 appears therefore that Philippa of Hainault 



did not have it in dower with Witley Manor, 

 for we infer from the wording of Edward's 

 grant that it referred to the advowson itself 

 and not the reversion. 



151 Wyktham't Reg. (Hants Rec. Soc.), 

 ii, 23. 



168 Cal. of Papal Letters (Rec. Com.), 

 iv, 517. 



163 L. and P. Hen. VIII, xix, i, 374 ; 

 Aug. Off. Partic. of Grants, 650. He 

 was son of the Thomas Jones, server of 

 the chamber to Henry VIII, to whom 

 there is a brass in the church. 



164 Close, 14 Eliz. pt. 27. 



"*> Will proved Load. 7 Mar. 1658 

 (Pell 152). 



"> Inst. Bks. P.R.O. 



' Feet of F. Surr. Hil. 1689-94 

 (year not given) ; ibid. Hil. 2 Will, and 

 Mary. 



W Recov. R. East. I Ceo. I, m. 57, 

 67. 



168 Feet of F. Surr. Trin. 1 Geo. I. 



169 Recov. R. East. 16 Geo. II, rot. 

 24. 



170 Close, 17 Geo. Ill, pt. v, no. 7. 



171 Partic. for Grants (Aug. Off.), 650. 

 178 Plac. de Quo tVarr. (Rec. Com.), 



738. 



W Add. MS. 6167. 



17 < Pop. Ret. 1891, i, 350. 



l " Ibid. 1901, p. 5. 



