A HISTORY OF SURREY 



Apparently Rookham passed from the Newtimbers 

 to the family of Hale," since in 1537 Thomas Bourgh, 

 grandson of Elizabeth sister of Henry at Hale, granted 

 OJt rent from lands called Rookham and Newtimber in 

 Ockley and Wotton. 69 From him the estate passed to 

 John Caryl), who in 1560 made a settlement of the 

 ' minor of Rookham ' on his son Thomas." It seems 

 probable that the manor soon afterwards ceased to 

 exist as a separate entity ; for in 1610 a certain John 

 Hayne died seised of 'lands called Frenches, late 

 parcel of the tenement called Rookham in Wotton.' 

 These lands are stated to have comprised 1 8 acres in 

 extent. 60 Hayne also held lands in Ockley called 

 Millmeades, alias Ruckingham meades, but in the 

 Ockley Court Rolls of 1648 William Hayne holds 

 these of Ockley Manor, while Rookham in Wotton is 

 unmentioned ; they were not therefore part of this 

 manor and are still included in Ockley Manor. 



his death (1558), being the jointure of his widow 

 Jane. Their son Sir Edward, his son Reginald, and 

 Lady Bray conveyed the reversion to Thomas God- 

 man of Letherhead. In 1601 he conveyed it to 

 John Aleyn, whose son Henry conveyed to George 

 Evelyn of Wotton. 64 



The church of ST. JOHN THE 

 CHURCHES EF4NGELIST is not mentioned in 

 Domesday, but from certain evidence 

 in the existing structure it was probably standing in 

 the 1 1 th century. It is most beautifully situated on 

 the summit of a steep ridge, its east and south sides 

 overlooking a beautiful green valley and the hillside 

 opposite, which has all the appearance of the wild 

 down-land country of Sussex or Dorset, with patches 

 of bracken and blackberry bushes and clumps of fine 

 park-like trees, many, no doubt, of John Evelyn's own 

 planting. In the hollow behind this hill, to the south 



CHAPEL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, OKKWOOD, FROM THE SOUTH-WEST 



Rookham is a farm south of Okewood Hill, just 

 north of the Sussex border, upon the edge of the 

 detached part of Wotton parish now added to Abinger, 

 east of Ockley. Rucknam Mead and the old Rucken- 

 ham contributed to the repair of Ockley churchyard 

 fence in l628. 61 



WESTLJND was in Wotton, Abinger, Cranleigh, 

 Albury, Ewhurst, and Wonersh. The courts were 

 held at Okewood Hill in Wotton. In 1424-5 John 

 Newdigate was owner, and granted a lease of it. 6 ' 



In 1494 John Newdigate conveyed it to Ralph 

 Leigh of Paddington in Abinger, 6 * with which it 

 passed to Sir Edward Bray. It was separated after 



east, lies Wotton House. The churchyard is sur- 

 rounded by noble trees here, again, in some cases, of 

 Evelyn's planting. Two grand old beeches, with 

 wide-spreading boughs, that formed a conspicuous 

 feature, immediately to the north-east of the church, 

 have unhappily been cut down within recent years ; 

 other fine beeches are to be seen to the west of the 

 church, and there is a very beautiful avenue of limes 

 and horse-chestnuts leading to the south porch. The 

 churchyard contains a number of old wooden ' bed- 

 heads,' and a number of curiously-carved 18th-century 

 head-stones, some table-tombs and other memorials 

 ancient and modern, among the latter being many 



7 Probably Edward de la Hale, the 

 benefactor of Okewood Chapel (q.v.), was 

 i member of this family, as the places 

 ire all close together. 



58 Add. Chart. 18792. 



"Ibid. 18846. 



60 W. & L. Inq. p.m. bdle. 36, no. 163. 

 Ockley Pari.h Bks. 

 63 Manning and Bray, Hitt. of Surr. ii, 

 '53- 



I 5 8 



M Feet of F. Surr. 9 Hen. VII, 33. 



84 Manning and Bray, Hist, of Surr. ii, 

 152. (Bray was steward of the manor.) 

 From Ct. R. and deeds of Mr. Evelyn. 



