A HISTORY OF SURREY 



from the early 1 7th century. The Rev. Peter Aubertin, 

 rector in 1808, was the first resident rector for some 

 time, and found the old rectory converted into two 

 labourers' cottages. He recovered it for the proper use 

 and spent money on repairs.* But in 1902, owing to 

 its distance of 2 miles from the church, leave was 

 obtained to sell it, and the present rectory was built. 

 The Aubertin Memorial Church Hall was built in 

 1906, chiefly at the expense of Miss Aubertin, in 

 memory of her father, the late rector. 



Among the monuments in the church is one to the 

 memory of Sir Edward Banks, who raised himself from 

 the position of a labourer to become the builder of 

 Waterloo, Southwark, and London Bridges. He is 

 said to have first observed the pleasant situation of 

 Chipstead when working as 9 labourer on the Merst- 

 ham railway about 1803. He died in Sussex in 1835, 

 and was buried at Chipstead by his own express direction. 

 Alice Hooker, eldest daughter of the author of the 

 Ecclesiastical Polity, was buried here in 1 649. 



In 1 746 Mrs. Mary Stephens left a farm for teach- 

 ing six poor children to read, providing them each 

 with a Bible, and putting out such apprentices from 

 among them as the trustees should think fit. This is 

 the origin of the endowed school of Chipstead, now 

 carried on according to a scheme under the Endowed 

 Schools Acts, of 7 July 1874, in which year the 

 present school was built. 



The manor of CHIPSTEAD, according 

 M4NOR to Domesday, was held of King Edward 

 by one Ulnode. At the time of the Sur- 

 vey it was in the possession of Richard de Tonbridge,* 

 and as part of the honour of Clare was held in 

 chief by his descendants until the beginning of the 

 1 6th century. In 1290 Gilbert de Clare, having 

 married as his second wife Joan of Acre, daughter of 

 Edward I, surrendered all his estates in England and 

 Ireland to the king, who in several grants restored 

 them to him or his wife and heirs.' Amongst the 

 places so surrendered mention is made of ' Chepestede 

 in Kent,' but it seems certain that this is an error 

 for the Surrey Chipstead, the mistake being made 

 in the first grant and never corrected. This would 

 appear to be the case from the fact that there is no 

 further evidence at any other date of the Clares hav- 

 ing had possession of the Kent Chipstead, which was 

 held of the Archbishops of Canterbury. It is not 

 mentioned in 1217 amongst the Kentish possessions 

 for which Richard de Clare did homage at Otford," 

 neither is it alluded to in any other documents than 

 those referring to the lands of Gilbert de Clare, who 

 at the time of his death was seised of the manor of 

 Chipstead in Surrey,' and whose son, killed at Ban- 

 nockburn, died seised of the same. 8 This Gilbert, the 

 last Clare Earl of Gloucester and Hertford, left three 

 sisters and co-heirs, and his peerage dignities passed to 



CHIPSTEAD CHURCH FROM THE SOUTH-WEST 



Before the Rev. Peter Aubertin be- 

 came resident rector in 1808, Chipstead 

 was served from Croydon. It is related 

 that the dead used to be brought to the 

 church and left there till the parson next 

 came round. He used to give out the 

 next meet of the hounds from the pulpit, 

 and cricket matches were played on the 



church green just outside the church, while 

 the church itself was used as a pavilion 

 where beer and bread and cheese could be 

 had by the players. It is said the matches 

 were ' notched ' on the edge of the altar 1 

 (Information by Mrs.Watson, granddaugh- 

 ter of Mr. Aubertin.) 

 *V.C.H. Surr. i, 316. 



I 9 



6 Cal. Chart. R. ii, 350; Cat. Pat. 

 1281-92, pp. 351, 360. 



6 Chartul. of Cnristchurch, Canterbury, 

 Stowe MS. 924, p. 233. 



7 Doc. relating to Surr. MS. 6167, 

 fol. 89. 



8 Inq. p.m. 8 Edw. II, no. 68. 



