WOTTON HUNDRED 



CAPEL 



same period belongs the western porch, so far as its 

 walls are concerned. The doorway, with its pointed 

 segmental head, and the square loophole in the 

 northern wall, are of this date, but the remarkable roof 

 is a survival of the original timber porch, the walls 

 being built anew, probably because of the exposed 

 situation. Each separate rafter is shaped as a bold 

 horseshoe trefoil, as though built for a barge board. 

 There is something very suggestive of Saracenic art in 

 the whole look of this roof. 



Of the original font, the Sussex marble base alone 

 remains, being built in against the nave wall, west of 

 the south porch. It shows the common arrangement 

 of four angle shafts and a central drum, through 

 which the drain was pierced, the latter making a large 

 hole in the base. Doubtless the bowl was of square 

 form, with perhaps a shallow arcade cut round the 

 sides, according to the common type, of which so 

 many examples remain in the home counties. 30 The 

 modern font is made of serpentine, with some little 

 carving and gilding. 



The roofs of the chancel and nave are both 

 ancient, and possibly coeval with the original build- 

 ing. They are of trussed collar construction, with 

 massive tie-beams and wall plates, the latter being of 

 enormous scantling, and worked with double hollows 

 in the chancel, exactly the same as at West Clandon 

 chancel. The posts and beams of the timber bell- 

 turret, and its carved braces, appear to have been 

 partially renewed. The copings to the gables are 

 modern. 



In pre-Reformation wills an altar of our Lady and 

 an image of the same are specified. This altar was 

 probably on the south of the chancel arch on the 

 nave side. An image of St. Lawrence (and probably 

 an altar) stood in the chancel. 



To the south wall of the chancel are affixed two 

 monuments of some interest, the eastern being that 

 of John Cowper and his wife, date I 590. It is com- 

 posed of alabaster, with panels of black marble, on 

 which is cut the inscription, the whole retaining 

 the original colouring in a very perfect state. At 

 the apex, within a circular disc, is a shield of Cowper 

 impaling argent a fesse between three trefoils sable, 

 which are the arms of Blackdenn. This shield 

 is festooned with twisted red ribbons, and stands 

 within a broken pediment, beneath which and an 

 entablature bordered by black marble columns is a 

 circular arch. Within this are the kneeling figures 

 of John Cowper and his wife, facing each other at a 

 fald-stool of graceful design, on which are prayer- 

 books. The husband is represented in the scarlet 

 robe of a serjeant-at-law, with a coif and a cloak 

 over his shoulder. The wife's figure, kneeling on a 

 cushion, in the ruff, stomacher, and fardingale of the 

 period, is uncoloured probably an indication that 

 the monument was put up during her widowhood, 

 and that thus the effigy was not completed as to 

 colouring by her descendants. The inscription in 

 the two panels reads : 



HEARE LYET BVRYED NEER TO THIS MONvl!NT 

 IOHN COWPER LATE SERIEANT AT LAWE DECEASED WHO 

 WAS BORNE AT HORLYE IN Y E COVNTY OF SVRREY IN 

 AO DO : 1539. & AT HIS AGE OF 26 YEARS TORE TO 

 WIEFE IVLYAN THE DAVGTER OF CVTHBERT BLACKDENN 



ESQUIOR AND THEN BEGAN TO STVDDY THE CoSTSN LAWE 

 IN THE INNER TEMPLE AND THER c5lNVED Z\ YEARES 

 WHICH TIME HE SPENT IN THIS MANNER . 8 YEARES 

 VNDER THE BARR 8 YEARS AT THE BARR AND 8 

 YEARS AT THE BENCHE AND THEN WAS CALLED TO BE 

 SERIEANT AT THE LAWE IN W CH DEGREE HE CONTYNVED 

 ONE YEARE AND A HAVLFE AND THEN ENDE D HIS LIEFB 

 THB 15 DAYE OF MARCHE A I59O, BEING THEN OF THE 

 AGE OF 51 YEARS. 



NEC PRIMVS NEC VLT1MVS MVLTI 

 ANTECESSERVNT ET OMNES SEQVENTVR. 



Below the inscription panels is an apron of scroll- 

 work in alabaster. 



The other monument, to the westward, is also 

 finely designed, according to its period, and is in 

 Sicilian marble, with Corinthian columns and pedi- 

 ment, having at top a cartouche, bearing the family 

 arms, and over it the crest of a black lion holding a 

 silver tilting-spear. The inscription is as follows : 



" Underneath lyeth the body of ROB T COWPER late of 

 London, Gent, a younger son of RICHARD COWPER late 

 of Temfle Elfont, Esq' (by SARAH Eldest daughter of 

 w" KNIGHTLEY late of Kingston Esq r ) who was Son & 

 Heir of s" RICHARD COWPER Kn', by Dame ELIZ. z d 

 Daughter of s" THOMAS GRESHAM K" He Dyed y" 

 3 d of May 1720, In the 65"* year of his Age. To 

 whose Memory this Monum' was Erected by his 

 3 Neices, the Daughters & Coheirs of RICHARD 

 COWPER late of London Gent. Viz' Sarah the Eldest 

 Daughter Wife of John Vincent of Hampstead in the 

 County of Midd" Brewer, Mary y" 2 d Daughter, wife 

 of Henry Ashton of Hackney in y same County of 

 Midd. Gent, and Hannah the youngest Daughter wife 

 of RICHARD DAWSON of Lambttk in the County of 

 Surry Glass maker." 



In addition to these monuments, Manning and 

 Bray give the following : 



' On a brass plate in capitals ' : 



'HERE LYETH THE BODY OF DAME ELIZABETH, THE 

 SECOND DAUGHTER OF SIR THOMAS GRESHAM OF LYMS- 

 FEILD IN THE COUNTY OF SURREY, KNT., AND WIFE OF 

 SIR RICHARD COWPER OF CAPEL IN THE SAID COUNTY, 

 KNT. SHEE DECEASED THE XX OF AUGUST ANNO 



DOMINI 1633.' 



' On a brass plate, on a gravestone, in capitals ' : 



' HERE LYETH INTERRED THE BODY OF SARAH COWPER, 

 WIFE OF RICHARD COWPER, OF TEMPLE ELFANT IN SURREY, 

 ESQ., ELDEST DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM KNIGHTLEY OF 

 KINGSTONE-UPON-THAMES, ESQ., HAVING HAD ISSUE SEAVEN 

 SONNES & ONE DAUGHTER, AND DECEASED THE 3 DAY OF 

 NOVEMBER IN THE 38 YEAR OF HER AGE, ANNO DOMINI 

 1662.' 



' On a black marble grave-stone in the chancel in 

 capitals, is this inscription' : 



' SARAH, DAUGHTER OF JOHN COWPER ESQ., AGED 9 

 MONTHS. DIED THE 22 AUGUST 1676.' 



' On the floor ' : 

 'WILLIAM HEWITT, 1760.' 



o A at Beddington, Great Bookham, West Clandon, Frensham, Merstham, Mickleham, Scale, and Worplesdon in 

 Surrey ; and many others in Kent, Sussex, Middlesex, &c. 



139 



