REIGATE HUNDRED 



REIGATE 



it on his nephew John in 1556 subject to his own life 

 interest. John died in 1584,** and was succeeded by 

 one of his nephews and co-heirs, Richard Elyot of Al- 

 bury.*" The latter's son Richard Elyot the younger 

 died in February l6iz-l3, wl> and his heirs sold the 

 rectory in the following year to Sir Roger James, kt., 109 

 who was succeeded in 1636 by his son Roger." 



In 1 679 it was settled on his son Haestreet James on 

 his marriage. Haestreet died in 1721. In 1730 his 

 son of the same name conveyed the land, but not the 

 tithes "' nor advowson, to Sir Thomas Scawen. 1 " The 

 tithes are said to have been sold in 1720 to Sir 

 William Scawen, uncle of Sir Thomas Scawen," 3 who 

 left them by will to the latter. He gave them to his 

 brother Robert, in whose hands the whole of the 

 rectory was therefore reunited. Under his will, how- 

 ever, the land was sold in 1780 to Gawen Harris 

 Nash, 114 who bequeathed it to his cousin Charles 



of the soft calcareous sandstone quarried in the locality, 

 with modern dressings and refacing (as in the tower) 

 of Bath stone, its roof being still for the most part 

 covered with the stone slabs usually called ' Horsham,' 

 but somewhat similar to stones which were also dug 

 in the Middle Ages from the Surrey Hills." 7 The 

 church was repaved and repewed in 1770, owing to 

 a legacy left by Mrs. Mary Okes of Redstone, and at 

 this time the building was full of galleries to which, 

 between 1804-18, others were added, disfiguring 

 alterations being made in the structure, and the tie- 

 beams of the roofs removed, nearly causing the nave 

 to collapse. From Cracldow's view of about 1824, it 

 would appear that the walls were at that date plastered 

 externally for the most part. The church underwent 

 a very destructive 'restoration' in 1845, under the 

 late Mr. H. Woodyer, and between 1877 and 1 88 1 was 

 again completely restored, chiefly under the direction 



5cale of Fccr. 



PLAN OF THE CHURCH of ST. MARY MAGDALEN, REIGATE 



Goring, from whom it was purchased by Charles Birk- 

 head of Walton-on-Thames." s 



The tithes were sold separately in 1787,"* and are 

 now said to be divided among twelve different owners. 

 The church of ST. MART MAG- 

 CHURCHES D4LEN, which ranks with Farnham, 

 Godalming, St. Mary's Guildford, 

 Dorking, Kingston and Lambeth, as one of the largest 

 ancient parish churches in Surrey, is chiefly constructed 



of the late Sir Gilbert Scott, the latter's work being in 

 the main of a conservative character, some of the 

 mischief of the earlier ' restoration ' being undone. 

 At the time of writing further works are in contem- 

 plation, involving the extension of the north aisle and 

 the building of an organ chamber. 



The plan presents many curious and puzzling 

 features. It consists of a nave, 77 ft. 6 in. on the north 

 and 77 ft. on the south side, 1 8 ft. wide at the west end, 



** Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cciv, 123. 



*' Ibid, cccxi, 1 1 6. 



M8 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccciii, 34. 



Feet, of F. Surr. Hi!. 1 1 Jas. I j 

 East. 12 Ja. I ; Mil. 14 Jas. I. 



Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cccclxxx, 

 106. 



2 Exch. Dep. Mich. 2 Geo. I, g , 

 Recov. R. Mich. 5 Geo. I, m. So; Feet of F. 



Surr. Trin. 8 Geo. I ; Trin. 10 Geo. I ; 

 MS. abstract of Reigate deeds seen by 

 editor. 



114 William Jamea appears to have re- 

 tained some interest in the rectory in 

 1756 (Recov. R. East. 29 Geo. II, m. 292), 

 although Robert and William Scawen 

 suffered recovery in 1740 (Recov. R, 

 Trin. 13 & 14 Geo. II, m. 292). 



239 



322. 



Manning and Bray, Hht. ofS^rr. i, 



414 Com. Pleas D. Enr. East. 20 Geo. 

 Ill, m. 209. 



415 Manning and Bray, loc. cit. 



216 Ibid. ; cf. Exch. Dep. Mich. 2 Geo. 

 I, m. g. 



41 7 From Chaldon for example, whence 

 they were brought to Westminster Abbey. 



