A HISTORY OF SURREY 



has a deep hollow between two round members, and 

 is carried separately round the shafts and drum. 131 



The oldest monument is a small brass to Robert 

 Scarclyff, rector, 1412, in mass vestments. In his 

 lengthy will, preserved at Lambeth, he directs that 

 his body be buried in the chancel of ' Schire ' Church, 

 to the south-west of the tomb of Master John 

 Walter. 1 " He leaves special vestments to this church, 

 and a picture, with a representation of the Trinity, 

 the Blessed Mary, and St. Christopher in four 

 divisions, to stand at the Lady altar. There are also 

 bequests of various kinds to the poorer parishioners 

 and others, and the residue of his effects were to be 

 divided among poor couples of Shere, and in marriage 

 portions for poor maidens of the parish. 



Until 1 747, when it was taken down and the brass 

 effigy laid on the chancel floor, there was on the south 

 side of the chancel an altar tomb to John Touchet, 

 Lord Audley, who died 20 September 1491. The 

 upper half of the brass, 1 9^ in. long, showing a man 

 in plate armour, alone remains, together with part of 

 the inscription. At the east end of the Lady Chapel 

 is a small brass to the wife of John Redfford ; and 

 one to Oliver Sandes is fixed to the window-sill of the 

 north transept.' 36 



Besides these there is an early 1 7th-century tablet, 

 with a pediment over it, to the right of the great east 

 window ; and in the chancel and Lady Chapel are a 

 few others of no great age or importance. Among 

 these are some monuments to the Brays and Dun- 

 combs. Against the south wall of the chancel is a 

 tablet to the memory of William Bray, joint author 

 of Manning and Bray's History of Surrey, who died in 

 1832, at the great age of ninety-seven. 



There are two small dial-marks, 5 in. in diameter, 

 on the lower stones of the eastern of the two pilaster 

 buttresses on the south chancel wall ; and on one of 

 the stones, which is a piece of Reigate or firestone, 

 is a mason's mark, the letter R upside down. On 

 the south doorway, also of the 1 2th century, are five 

 or six dial-marks, two being very regularly scratched 

 on the stone, and of the same size as those on the 

 buttress. There are also a number of small crosses 

 cut in the jambs of this doorway. The toolmarks on 

 this door are very well preserved. 



The only ancient articles of church plate are the 

 very graceful silver cup and paten-cover of 1 569, now 

 in use at the daughter church of Peaslake. 



All the six mediaeval bells mentioned in the inven- 

 tory of Edward VI's commissioners were recast in 

 1590, but so badly that, according to the church- 

 wardens' accounts, a suit was instituted against the 

 founder. They were recast by Richard Phelps in 1712, 

 and two new ones have lately been added to the ring. 



The registers now extant date from 1591. A 

 volume from 1545 to 1590 has perished in the last 

 hundred years. 



Curious churchwardens' accounts are preserved, 



dating from 1500. Copious extracts have been 

 printed from them by Manning and Bray. 1 * 7 The 

 most curious thing recorded in them is the possession 

 by the parish of two bows, which were hired out for 

 the benefit of the rood light. The common idea 

 that every peasant possessed a war bow, and could 

 use it, is untrue. A load of wood was cut, at 

 Vachery, for remaking the rood-loft, in 1506. One 

 entry states that the entire church was re-roofed with 

 'shingles' in about 1500. By 'shingles' in this 

 instance stone slabs are undoubtedly intended. 



The accounts show that there were lights before the 

 rood, St. John, and St. Nicholas, besides the sepulchre 

 light. Church ales were held at Whitsuntide, and in 

 1 504 i 81. %d. was taken for drinking at the feast from 

 visitors from Ewhurst, Wotton, Abinger, and Albury. 



The church of ST. MART at Felday is in the old 

 Shere parish. It was built of local stone and Sussex 

 marble in 1879, at the expense and from the designs 

 of the late Mr. Street, R.A. The style is 1 3th cen- 

 tury. It consists of a nave, side aisles separated from 

 the nave by arcades of three pointed arches, a chancel, 

 and raised north annexe to the chancel. There is a 

 screen at the west end, and a chancel screen of oak. 

 The interior is highly decorated, and there are nine 

 windows of stained glass. There is a turret at the 

 west end, and six bells. The church stands upon a 

 steep declivity, and the fall of the ground has been 

 utilized to introduce two vestries and a sexton's room 

 under the east end. The vestries communicate with 

 the chancel, and the raised north annexe is above 

 them. In the churchyard is a finely-sculptured 

 churchyard cross. 



The church of ST. MARK Peaslake was opened as 

 a chapel of ease to Shere in 1889. It is of Weald 

 stone, and has a nave and chancel with apsidal end, a 

 bell-turret of wood, and three bells. 



The advowson of the original 

 JDrOWSONS parish church was in dispute be- 

 tween the Abbots of Netley and the 

 lords of Shiere Vachery from the 1 3th till the i6th 

 century. Roger de Clare sold it to the abbey in 

 I243- 118 In 1 244 the abbot had licence to appro- 

 priate the church," 9 and the king confirmed the 

 advowson to the abbey in 12501 ; uo but the appro- 

 priation was not carried into efFect. 141 In 1253 the 

 abbey is said to hold the patronage 'at the king's 

 request. 714 * In 12589 John son of John, lord of 

 Shiere Vachery, proved his claim to present as lord of 

 the manor, but allowed the abbey to present for one 

 turn. Consequently, in 1277-8, the abbot again 

 brought forward his claim, but failed to prove it ; 14 * 

 and for some years the lords of Shiere Vachery con- 

 tinued to present; 144 but between 1346 and 1366 

 the abbot presented twice, 146 after which James, Earl 

 of Ormond, disputed his claim, 146 but without success,, 

 for the abbey presented in 1379-So, 147 and again in 

 !39O, 148 and continued to do so till John Lord Audley 



144 This font is illustrated by a good 

 tcel engraving in Hussey, Churches of 

 Kent, Sun. and Surr. 341. 



136 This John Walter, the immediate 

 predecessor of Robert Scarclyff, willed to be 

 buried in the chancel before the image of 

 St. James, and bequeathed all his blocks 

 of hewn stones lying about the manse of 

 his rectory to the repair of the steps before 

 the high altar of the church, and all hit 

 flanks, or Eitricba hordes, at hit rectory 



to the repair of the ceiling of the high 

 chancel of the church. Estricbei hordes 

 means deal boards imported from eastern 

 countries. 



186 In the British Museum (Add. MSS. 

 32490, D. 9; K. 33 ; QQ. 22, 31) are 

 preserved rubbings of the brasses before 

 they were mutilated. 



"" Op. cit. i, 529, &c. 



V.C.H. Surr. ii, 146 ; Feet of F. 

 Surr. 29 Hen. Ill, 23. 



I2O 



lw Cal. of Papal Letters, i, 211. 

 140 Cart. Antiq. L. 26. 



41 Cal. of Papal Letters, i, 283. 



Ibid. 



48 De Banco R. 19, m. 61. 



44 Egerton MS. 2032, fol. 286, -j\a. 



4 * Ibid. 2033, fol. 3011. 



46 Wykeham's Reg. (Hants Rec. 

 i, 61 ; ii, 600. 

 "' Ibid, i, 105. 

 148 Ibid, i, 176. 



