A HISTORY OF SURREY 



two-centred arch and jambs. The porch is compara- 

 tively modern. Just west of it is the junction 

 of the old walling with the new, although the old 

 nave was some I o ft. or 12 ft. longer than this. The 

 south-west window is a new two-light one, similar to 

 that opposite. 



The arch dividing off the western portion of the 

 nave has old stones re-used, and is of like detail to the 

 chancel arch, except that the bases have a plain 

 hollow chamfer. The space to the west of it has 

 a three-light square-headed south window and a 

 west doorway ; on the north side is a stair to the gallery, 

 which contains the organ ; this gallery has a modern 

 panelled traceried front. Over it the bell-turret 

 rises ; it has battering sides covered with oak 

 shingles, and the bell-chamber is lighted on each side 

 by two-light windows. Over it is an octagonal 

 spire also covered with shingles, the whole being of 

 modern construction. 



Both the roofs are modern, and are covered with 

 Horsham stone slabs. All the furniture is modern. 

 The font has an octagonal bowl of grey marble with 

 shallow trefoiled panels in 13th-century style, carried 

 on a central stone stem and a cluster of shafts. 



There are three monumental brasses in the chancel ; 

 the slab on the north side of the altar has the figures 

 of John Arderne and Elizabeth his wife ; he wears a 

 long cloak with a high collar and loose sleeves gathered 

 in close at the wrists, and his tunic underneath is held 

 by a waistbelt enriched with rosettes. She wears a 

 mantle fastened across the breast by a cord which 

 descends below her waist and finishes with tasselled 

 ends, and a close-fitting gown with a high belt. A 

 shield above the man is charged with a fesse cheeky 

 between three crescents, for Arderne, that above the 

 woman is missing, as is also the main inscription. 

 Below are the mutilated figures of three sons and the 

 inscription : 'Thomas Johnes et Henricus, filii Johis 

 Arderne Armig'i et Elizabeth ux'is sue,' and the figures 

 of three daughters inscribed ' Anna, Birgitta, et Susanna 

 filiae Johis Arderne et Elizabeth ux'is sue.' 



Between the figures is a shield with the Arderne 

 arms impaling a quarterly coat, of which the first and 

 fourth are blank and the second and third paly of six. 



The slab south of the altar has lost the brass figures 

 of a man and woman, but the inscription below 

 remains intact and reads : ' Orate pro Animabus 

 Ricardi Ardern Gentilman et Johanne uxoris ejus qui 

 quidem Ricardus obiit xxii die Mensis Novembris 

 Anno Dm Millrno cccc 1 xxxxix Quoru Animabus 

 Propiciet' deus Amen." From the woman's mouth 

 issues a scroll inscribed ' Fill redemptor mfldi deus 

 miserere nobis,' and from the man's, 'Ut videntes 

 Ihum semper Colletemur.' Above is a small repre- 

 sentation of the Trinity between two shields, the first 

 Arderne as before, and the second with the same 

 impaling a cheveron between three harts tripping. 

 These two shields also occur in reverse order at the 

 bottom. 



The third brass is a small one west of the. com- 

 munion rail, and is to Susanna the daughter of John 

 Arderne, and shows her whole-length figure. It is 

 undated, but she is doubtless the same lady as the 



third daughter on the John Arderne slab ; a scroll 

 above her head is inscribed ' Mercy Jhu et graunt 

 m'cy.' 



The stained glass in the windows is modern, but 

 in the vestry are preserved a few fragments of old 

 glass, chiefly borders of three cinquefoiled heads, with 

 red roses and jessant de lys repeated continuously. 



There are five bells, all cast by Mears & Stain- 

 bank in 1889 ; the second was formerly by Lester & 

 Pack, 1756 ; the third by William Eldridge, 1687 ; 

 and the fourth by Bryan Eldridge, 1638. 



The communion plate includes a cup of 1606 with 

 an egg-and-tassel ornament around the foot ; below 

 the top edge is pricked the inscription 'TEH PARICH 

 OF LEIGH + cc + WN.' There are also a standing 

 paten of 1773, a flagon of 1899, both of silver, a 

 small modern plate of base metal, a large plated flagon 

 (now used to serve the font), a pewter plate, and a 

 pewter bowl. 



The first book of the registers has paper leaves and 

 begins in 1579. The entries are much mixed up, 

 but the baptisms appear to run from 1579 to 1703, 

 the marriages from 1584 to 1643, and 1648 to 1653, 

 and burials from 1584 to 1670 and 1674 to 1675. 

 There are also some churchwardens' accounts dating 

 from 1 5 86 in the same volume. The second book con- 

 tains baptisms from 1702 to 1800, marriages 1704 to 

 1754, and burials 1704 to 1800. The third book has 

 the marriages from 1754 to 1812, and the fourth 

 baptisms and burials from 1801 to 1812. 



The advowson of the church was 

 ADVQWSON granted to the priory of St. Mary 

 Overy, Southwark, by charter of 

 Hamelin de Warenne in 1202 ; w it is not evident 

 when it ceased to belong to this priory, but the 

 church was in the hands of the Prior and convent of 

 Newark next Guildford by 1262," and so remained 

 until the Dissolution. 6 * The cure of the parish was 

 habitually served by one of the canons, the successive 

 priors thus ' saving to themselves the stipend of a 

 curate.' 63 Richard Arderne of Leigh Place, who died 

 in 1499, expressed a desire in his will to be buried 

 before the image of St. Katherine in the parish church 

 of Leigh. 64 John Grave, elected prior in 1534, 

 demised the rectory for ninety-nine years to Edward 

 Shelley of Leigh Place, who afterwards granted his 

 term of years to Edmund Saunders. 64 By the terms 

 of the lease, according to Manning, the tenant of the 

 rectory was to find a priest, provide wine and wax, 

 to repair the parsonage and the chancel, and to find 

 food for men and horses when the prior's servants 

 came to collect rent. 66 



At the Dissolution, when the property came to the 

 Crown, there seems to have been some uncertainty 

 regarding the benefice of Leigh, as the advowson of the 

 ' vicarage' was granted apart from the rectory to Sir 

 Thomas Nevile, with remainder to his daughter 

 Margaret, wife of Sir Robert Southwell ; 67 the latter 

 conveyed it to Henry Lechford, 68 from whom it passed 

 to Richard his son. 69 Henry son of Richard in 1 599- 

 1600, during his father's lifetime, joined with Robert 

 Casey in purchasing the rectory of Leigh ' with the 

 mansion there,' &c., from the Crown for themselves 



y.C.H. Surr. ii, 10 ; Pat. 3 Edw. IV, 

 pt. iii, m. 21 61 V.C.H. Surr. ii, 103. 



yahr Ecd. (Rec. Com.), ii, 33 ; Dug- 

 dale, Man, vi, 383-4. 



Chan. Proc.(Ser. 2), bdle. 154, no. 14.. 



M P.C.C. 5 Moone. His tomb it on 

 the south side of the chancel. 



s See n. 63. 



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

 .84, 



212 



"I Pat. 30 Hen. VIII, pt. vii, m. 7 ; 

 Pat. 42 Eliz. pt. xr, m. 34. 



68 Chan. Proc. (Ser. 2), bdie. 154, 34 ; 

 Feet of F. Surr. Trin. i Edw. VI. 



69 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cxlv, 13. 



