REIGATE HUNDRED 



REIGATE 



and gold running above, being coloured cobalt, is 

 divided by gold paterae, each space being charged 

 with two silver palm branches with the stems 

 together. The foliated crest is gilt. The buttresses 

 and pedestals of the four large niches,' i.e. those right 

 and left of the window, ' are painted murrey colour, 

 and have silver panels on them, ending in ogee heads, 

 with singularly ugly tracery and silver flowers spring- 

 ing from the apex of each ogee. The triangular 

 cinquefoil heads above terminate with a buttress and 

 crocketed finial in the centre, and terminate below in 

 a gilt rose. The backs of these four niches are 

 painted blue, . . . with a diaper composed of thin 

 gold embossed, four leaves making a pattern, which 

 was again powdered with silver stars of an inch and 

 a half diameter, having six rays, each ray embossed 

 and laid on separately ; * under these four niches 

 were apparently the names of the saints whose images 

 they were made to contain, the letters RIE probably 

 part of the name MARIE being visible under one of 

 them. ' On one of the twelve small niches, that to 

 the right of the centre, the letters me are very 

 plainly to be seen in gold upon the pedestal.' ' A 

 very fine encaustic tile was found in the rubble work 

 with which the niches were stopped up, and an 

 octagonal column and capital of about six inches in 

 diameter painted all over each surface of the octagon, 

 having flowers and crosses alternately of red and silver, 

 and upon the angles between them lozenges of 

 blue.' The canopied niches of the north chancel, 

 remains of which were brought to light in 1845, and 

 also a fine stoup to the east of the south door in the 

 aisle, in 1873, were found to have been richly 

 coloured and gilt. The shields with painted coats of 

 arms on the chapel ceiling are modern. 



There is no ancient glass remaining in the church, 

 and the modern stained glass is not of a very high 

 class ; the east window in particular, which dates from 

 1845, is interesting as an early essay in the revived 

 art of glass painting, but in itself is very ugly, and the 

 same may be said of the east window of the south 

 chapel. 



The font, at the west end of the south aisle, is 

 modern, and copied from an unfortunat: model, 

 the octagonal bowl and stem being carved with 

 flamboyant tracery and the bowl with twenty- 

 four grotesque heads leering and putting out their 

 tongues. In old work this sort of thing might be 

 deemed quaint, but in a modern font it is surely 

 rather childish. The pulpit, lectern, altar, and quire- 

 stalls are modern, but some carvings imported from 

 Belgium are worked up into the latter. The large 

 organ almost fills the western part of the north chapel, 

 hiding the large monument on its northern wall. All 

 the seating in the church is modern. The oldest 

 monument in the church is a stone coffin lid, of 1 3th 

 or 14th-century date, now lying in the tower. 



The John Skinner who helped to build the vestry 

 had an inscription in his memory, no longer to be 

 found : ' Orate pro animS JohfS Skynner generosi 

 qui obiit 8 die mensis Martii, 1516, anno regis 

 Henrici octavi octavo, cujus anfe propicietur Deus. 

 Amen.' Another formerly existing inscription ran : 



' Here lieth buried Mary, the wife of George Holme- 

 den, of Longfield, in the Countie of Surrey, gent., 

 and one of the daughters of John Skynner, late of 

 Rigate Esq., deceased, while he lived, who departed 

 this mortal life at Riegate, 1578.' There was also 

 formerly a monument containing various escutcheons, 

 viz., Skinner, impaling Colcoke, the same impaling 

 Barley, Newdigate, Poyntz, &c., and bearing the 

 inscription on brass : 



' This monument was erected by Alice, one of the 

 daughters of John Poyntz, of Alderley, in the County 

 of Gloucester, Esq. in memorie of hir loveing husband 

 Joh Skynner, Esq., the onely sonne of John Skynner 

 Esq., one of the Clerk-con trovlers of the household 

 to the high and mighte Prince Queene Elizabeth, 

 which John deceised the 19 day of May, A.D. 1584.' 



This John Skinner represented Reigate in the 

 Parliament of 14 Elizabeth, and his monument is 

 referred to again by Manning and Bray ai as follows : 

 ' At the east end of the north chancel is a large altar 

 tomb of Sussex marble, on each side are 3 coats of 

 arms, and one at the end, but entirely defaced. The 

 inscription also round the edge (if in reality there 

 ever was one) is totally illegible.' *** On a brass plate 

 in a gravestone in the chancel, prior to 1804, was 

 inscribed: 'Orate pro Anima Katherine Skynner 

 Vidve, nuper uxoris Johannis Skynner Armigeri que 

 obiit viii. die Septembris Ao. 1545. Cujus a'ie 

 propicietur Deus. Amen.' Another bore the follow- 

 ing : ' Pray for the soule of Elizabeth Skynner, 

 second wife of James Skynner, of Rigate, Esq., which 

 Elizabeth deceased the 29 of Avgvst in the yeare of 

 ovr Lord God 1549. On whose soule Christ have 

 mercy. Amen.' And on another were the words : 

 ' Here lieth buried James Skynner of Rigate in the 

 Countie of Surrey, Esquire, which died the xxx. day 

 of July in the year of ovr Lord God 1558. Upon 

 whose sovle ovr Lord have mercy. Amen.' 



None of these inscriptions are now known to be in 

 existence. The Skinners became possessed of the 

 impropriation of the rectory of Reigate shortly after 

 the dissolution of the Priory of St. Mary Overy, 

 Southwark. 



The Elyots of Reigate and Albury, who were 

 connected by marriage with the Skinners, left a tomb 

 which till 1845 stood against 

 the north wall of the sacra- 

 rium, but was then taken 

 down, its beautiful canopy de- 

 stroyed, and the remains, in- 

 cluding the recumbent figures 

 of the two Richard Elyots, 

 father and son, who lived at 

 the mansion called the Lodge 

 and died respectively in 1608 

 and 1612, placed in the north 

 chancel.'" The statue of the 

 father, with hands joined in 



prayer, is a good piece of work. Upon the front of 

 this tomb were the kneeling figures of Rachel, widow 

 of Richard Elyot, senior, daughter of Matthew Poyntz, 

 of Alderley, Gloucestershire, and their six surviving 

 daughters. 



ELYOT. Aaure afesu 



*" Hilt. ofSurr. i, 319. 



* Rev. J. W. Pickance (' Reigate 

 Church and Monuments,' Surr. Arch. 

 Cell, xi, 195) quotes from an annotated 



copy of Manning and Bray, Surr., a pencil 

 note by Ambrose Glover to the effect that 

 this monument was * taken down by 

 Mr. (Bryant), the antiquary mentioned in 

 the preface to Manning and Bray, and 



243 



literally broken to pieces. The inscription 

 was then gone.' 



m > Richard Elyot the younger was in 

 the service of Henry, Prince of Wales, 

 elder brother of King Charles I. 



