A HISTORY OF SURREY 



same time removed This tower, which seems to 

 have been very massive and large, is shown in ruins 

 in the engraving published in Grose's Antiquities, from 

 a sketch taken in 1763," it having been thrown down 

 by a severe explosion at the Chilworth gunpowder 

 factories in that year. This view shows part of the 

 vault (apparently a plain quadripartite one without 

 ribs) as then existing, and beneath is a circular square- 

 edged arch opening into the nave. The simple character 

 of this arch, which was devoid of ornament except 

 for a chamfered impost at the springing, suggests that 

 it may have been part of Bishop Odo's work of the 

 last decades of the 1 1 th century ; and a small round- 

 headed window in the south wall of the nave, shown 

 in Cracklow's view of 1824, coincides very well with 

 this date. There seems to have been a plain early 

 doorway in the north and south walls, features that 

 together with the windows have been reproduced in 

 some sort in the new work. The nave, built on the 

 old foundations, measures 45 ft. in length by 1 5 ft. I in. 

 at the west, and 1 6 ft. at the east ; the central cross- 

 ing, 1 2 ft. 6 in. by 1 3 ft. 6 in. wide ; the north 

 transept, 1 1 ft. 8 in. by 1 2 ft., and the south transept, 

 1 2 ft. 8 in. by 1 2 ft. ; while the chancel is 2 3 ft. 



PLAN OF ST. MARTHA'S OR CHILWORTH CHURCH 



long by 1 6 ft. 8 in. The thickness of the present west 

 wall (3 ft. 6 in .) represents that of the walls of the de- 

 stroyed western tower. The transept and crossing 

 walls are 2 ft. 3 in. on an average. 



The authority for the present central tower is 

 very questionable, and in any case its ' Norman ' style 

 is out of keeping with the plain early pointed arches 

 on which it stands, parts of which are original work 

 of circa 1 1 90. 



Probably the first chancel was apsidal, and this 

 square space represented the quire. 



There is no window in the west wall of the north 

 transept or the north wall of the chancel, and all the 

 other windows are restorations. It is on record that 

 foundations were discovered in the ground to the 

 east of the transepts, probably those of chapels, perhaps 

 apsidal. Three aumbries were found in the chancel, and 

 two stone coffin-lids, with floriated crosses, much worn, 



were dug up, and now lie on the floor of the chancel. 

 Two buttresses against the south wall of the chancel 

 are probably not mediaeval, but a sort of buttress 

 projection in the angle between that wall and the 

 east wall of the south transept was possibly made to 

 allow of a squint being pierced from the transept to 

 command the high altar. 



There is reason to believe that the barrel-shaped 

 font, of sandstone, is the one described by Manning 

 and Bray as at Elstead Church, whence it had dis- 

 appeared before 1845. The St. Martha's font was 

 brought ' from another church,' where it had been 

 thrown out into the churchyard in 1 849, and the 

 carving added on the spot. The original was early 

 Norman, like that at Thursley. 35 



The silver cup and paten bear the London hall- 

 marks of 1780. 



The bells are all modern. 



An iron church in Chilworth hamlet was built in 

 1896 and is served from Shalford. 



St. Martha's was probably one of 

 ADVQW&QN the three churches appurtenant to 

 Bramley in 1 08 7, 3Sa and the advowson 

 alienated by the lord of Bramley, at the time when 

 Chilworth was granted out to 

 the lords of Utworth, for Elias 

 of Utworth " owned late in the 

 1 2th century, and granted it to 

 the Priory of St. Thomas the 

 Martyr at Aldebury." The 

 priory retained the advowson 

 until its surrender in 1538.** 

 In the episcopal registers of 

 1463 record is kept of an in- 

 dulgence granted to pilgrims to, 

 or benefactors of, the church of 

 St. Martha and All Holy Mar- 

 tyrs. 39 After the surrender of 

 the priory the advowson seems 

 to have become the property of 

 the lords of Chilworth Manor, 

 with which it has since de- 

 scended. 



The church in 1291 is called ecclesia not capella, 

 and the canons of Newark were endowed with all 

 the usual parochial revenues in 1 262.' They pre- 

 sented a vicar previous to 1330," and as late as 

 1412." Latterly it was a donative, probably from 

 the time of the Dissolution, and an annuity was 

 paid to a curate by the patron. The duty was 

 usually done by the incumbent of some neighbour- 

 ing parish or his curate. The registers are in 

 consequence imperfect, entries being in existence 

 in Wonersh, Albury, and elsewhere referring to 

 St. Martha's ; but there is a register with some 

 entries of baptisms and burials from 1779, an< ^ ^ 

 marriages from 1794. Since 1849 it has been 

 attached to Albury, and the rector of Albury, the 

 Rev. H. E. Crossley, was instituted by the Bishop 

 of Winchester as rector of Albury and vicar of St. 

 Martha's in 1904. 



81 In an engraving by Hill, probably 

 made between 1740 and 1750, published 

 in the Eccl. Topog. of Surr., all four walls 

 of the tower are shown as standing. Rus- 

 sel, Hist, of Guildford, mentions that there 

 were three bells in the tower, and that most 

 of the materials were carried off by Lord 

 Spencer's steward 'to mend the roads.' 



85 Information of the late Rev. J. R. 

 Charlsworth and of the late Mr. H. 

 Woodyer. 



*> r.C.H. Surr. i, 3014. 



86 See under Utworth. 



" i.e. the priory of Newark j Maitland, 

 B radon's Nott Bk. 928, 



1 06 



88 See V.C.H. Surr. ii, 104. 



89 Bishop Waynflete's Register, quoted 

 by Manning and Bray, op. cit. ii, 119. 



40 Winton Epis. Reg. Waynflete i (2), 

 fol. 83. 



41 Ibid. Stratford, fol. I2O. 



4a Ibid. Beaufort Inst. fol. 923. 



