WOTTON HUNDRED 



WOTTON 



only I ft. 5^ in. in width. There is also a small 

 plain piscina of the first period in the south wall of 

 the nave, beneath a lancet window and a square 

 aumbry, of like date, originally in the north wall of 

 the chancel, and now in the north aisle. 



The ancient doorway and lancet windows of 

 c. 1 2 20, re-set in the rebuilt north wall, are good 

 examples of their period. The north doorway, which 

 retains its ancient oak door, and the priest's door on 

 the south, now opening into the vestry, are plain to 

 the point of rudeness. The western doorway, of 

 c. 1430, within a modern porch, is wide and low, 

 with a four-centred arch, which, with the jambs, is 

 simply moulded. The door, of wide oak boards, with 

 plain strap-hinges, is coeval, and the east and west 

 windows, with cinquefbil-headed lights under square 

 heads, also of the later date, are of the plainest 

 character. In the flooring of the chancel and modern 

 north chapel are a number of stone ' sets,' alternately 

 white and yellow, apparently part of an ancient 

 floor. 



The arcade, of three arches in the nave and of two 

 in the chancel, with a wide pier marking the junction, 

 is, of course, modern, as are also the east and west 

 windows of the aisle. The large raking buttresses on 

 the south, east, and west sides date from the 1 8th 

 century; and between the two on the east wall a 

 sexton's shed has been inserted. There is a small 

 modern gallery at the west end, and above this rises 

 the bell-turret, also of modern date, which, with its 

 silvery oak shingles, makes a very pleasing feature. 



The main roof, as before mentioned, is ancient, 

 that of the aisle being, of course, new; the seating and 

 aJl other furniture being likewise modern. 



In the last restoration the walls and window-splays 

 were found to be covered with ancient paintings 

 figure subjects and scroll-work patterns of unusual 

 excellence chiefly of the early part of the 1 3th 

 century, but some of 1 4th and 15th-century dates. 

 As most of these occurred upon the north wall, they 

 were unhappily destroyed when it was pulled down, 

 but tracings were made which are said to be still in 

 existence. On the north wall were two pairs of large 

 figures, and on the east wall two single figures, two 

 others, with ornamental patterns, being painted over 

 the south door of the chancel. St. George and the 

 dragon, on the south wall, near the west end, of 15th- 

 century date, is mentioned among the destroyed sub- 

 jects, 89 " and on the eastern part of the south wall of the 

 chancel is still preserved the Visitation, the figures of 

 St. Mary and St. Elizabeth being drawn in coarse red 

 outline, about life-size, with red drapery. At the 

 west end, on the north, west, and south walls, 

 'numerous small figures, parts of a large subject,' said 

 to have been of 15th-century date, were uncovered, 

 but were not preserved. 



In the two lancets on the south side of the chancel 

 are preserved some rare and beautiful fragments of 

 ancient glass. That in the eastern of the two is of 

 early 13th-century date, coeval with the window in 

 which it stands. It is grisaille pattern work, the 

 design being in large diamonds, almost the width of 

 the opening, inclosed in white borders. Sprays of 



stiff-leaf foliage, with bunches of fruit, fill the diamond 

 spaces, which are a deep, rich grey-green in places. 

 In the western are fragments of two dates, including 

 some very elegant natural leafage of early 14th-century 

 character, and a flaming sun, a rose, and some flowered 

 quarries of the 1 5th century. 



A good late- 17th-century chest is preserved in the 

 church. 



There are no monuments of special interest or 

 antiquity with the exception of the interesting brass 

 to Edward de la Hale, 1431, which lies in the 

 chancel floor, and is now covered by a trap-door. 

 The figure is unusually small, only I ft. 5^ in. in 

 height, and has been very delicately engraved. It 

 shows him in plate-armour, with his gauntleted hands 

 joined in prayer, a helm of pointed oval shape, a 

 collar of SS, roundels at the armpits, skirt of laces, 

 and long-toed sollerets, with one rowelled spur. A 

 long sword against his left side is slung from the right 

 hip, and a dagger is suspended on the right side ; his 

 feet rest upon a lion. Above the head is a curved 

 scroll bearing the words, IHU MERCY, and at the foot 

 is an inscription plate now set upside down 



Hie IACET EDWARDUS DE LA HALE ARMIG' DE COM 



SURR' 

 Qui OBIIT VIII . DIE MENSIS SEPTEMBR* ANNO DNI 



MlLLO. 

 CCCC. XXXI . CuiUS ANIME p'pICIETUR DEUS AMEN. 



The registers date only from 1670. 



Of the plate in use at the chapel, the oldest piece, 

 a silver cup, with a disproportionately large and deep 

 bowl, dates from 1794. It bears the usual star orna- 

 ment, and on the other side are the arms of the 

 Evelyns of Wotton, with the inscription : ' The Gift 

 of Mr. and Mrs. Evelyn of Wotton to Oakwood 

 Church, Surrey, 6 January 1878.' The other pieces 

 are dated 1837 and 1844, with similar ornament, 

 arms and inscription ; there is also a brass almsdish. 



In the library at Wotton House are preserved some 

 other pieces, replaced by the foregoing, viz.: a plated 

 cup, and a cup, paten, plate and flagon of pewter, the 

 plate bearing the date 1692, which appears from the 

 marks to be that of the other pewter pieces. There 

 is little doubt that they were all provided at the time 

 of the repair of the chapel in 1701. 



The one bell is modern. 



Wotton Church is mentioned in 

 4DVOIVSONS the Taxation of Pope Nicholas, 1 291. 

 William Latimer presented in I 3O4, 70 

 and again in 1305." In 1306 divers malicious 

 persons broke into the parson's house, and even carried 

 their atrocities to the length of killing one of his 

 servants." From this time onwards the advowson 

 appears to have followed the descent of the manor. 

 Queen Philippa, to whom the custody of William 

 Latimer had apparently been granted, presented in 

 1345:" the advowson was granted with the manor 

 to Thomas Morstede in 1429," belonged afterwards to 

 the Owens," and passed with the manor to the Evelyn 

 family." 



The presentation of the chapel of Okewood " went 

 with that of Wotton.' 8 



" Traces of this have lately been found 

 by Mrs. Shearme, wife of the vicar. 

 70 Winton Epis. Reg. Pontoise, fol. 410. 

 ' Ibid. Woodlock, fol. 3*. 

 " Col. Pat, 1301-7, p. 479, 

 ' Ibid. 1345-8, p. 250. 



7* Cloc, 7 Hen. VI, no. 7 d. 



7* Feet of F. Hil. 14 Eliz. 



7 Ibid. Surr. Trin. 21 Eliz. 



77 Okewood is no doubt the correct 

 spelling. A small stream which rises in 

 Ockley and Wotton, and flows past the 



I6 3 



chapel, is called the Oke. Compare 

 Okehampton on the Oke in Devonshire. 

 It joins the Arun. 



'<> Close, 9 Hen. V, m. 17 ; 7 Hen. VI, 

 m. 7. 



