EFFINGHAM HUNDRED 



EFFINGHAM 



old square recess with chamfered edges in which is 

 set a modern sill with a basin and drain. 



A modern arch opens into the tower from the 

 nave. The west doorway is a modern one with a 

 pointed arch in a square head ; the window over is 

 of three lights with cusped tracery of ijth-century 

 style in a two-centred head, all modern except for 

 some old stones in the jambs ; over this window is a 

 clock. The bell-chamber is lighted by three lancets 

 in each wall except the east, which is unpierced, and 

 the parapet is embattled. The chancel and nave 

 roofs are both gabled and have modern panelled 

 ceilings, the transept has a low gabled ceiling of 

 plaster and appears to be old, but the single tie-beam 

 has been cased ; the aisle has a panelled lean-to roof. 

 The south porch is modern, and has pairs of lancet 

 windows on each side and a pointed entrance arch. 



The altar table is modern, and a former table (of 

 no great age) serves as a side altar in the transept. 

 There remains an old bench end with a fleur de lis 

 head and part of another, of 15th-century work or 

 perhaps earlier ; these have been copied in the modern 

 chancel seats. The font is modern with a bowl of 

 a fine piece of alabaster and a marble stem. 



In the nave floor is an early coffin-lid ; the inscrip- 

 tion around is almost illegible, but is said to read : 



+ VATER : DB : CEDDINGCES : GIT : ICI 

 DEV : A : SA : ALME : FACE : MERCI. 



In the tower are placed most of the old monu- 

 ments ; the most interesting perhaps are seven small 

 square tablets to the children of William Walker, 

 formerly vicar ; the inscriptions read thus : ' Hie jacent 

 Su M W. ob. 1670 act 8 an Robt. W. ob. 1686 

 act 3 an Rob. W. ob. 1688 act 2 hebs. Gu. 

 Walker huius eccle iam : iam vicario 1693.' They 

 are roughly cut, and are possibly the work of the vicar 

 himself. There are two other small stones, one 

 with initials, apparently, H M or H w dated 1651, 

 and another dated 1587. Another stone is inscribed : 

 'Thos. Bonney, vicar Thos. Killick Geo. Monk 

 Churchwardens 1 75 7 'and refers to the rebuilding 

 of the tower. A large broken stone slab with cham- 

 fered edges, lying in the churchyard south of the 

 transept, appears to be ancient, but has no inscription. 



There are also three small brass inscriptions, the 

 oldest reading : ' Pray for the soull of John Aley 

 which decessid the xxvi day of Apriell the yere of 

 oure Lord MCCCCCVII on whose soull Ihu have 

 mercy Ame.' Another has the inscription : ' Here 

 lyeth buried the body of John Agmondesham late of 

 Rowghbarnes in the County of Surr Esquire, som- 

 tymes reader of New Inne and after an aprentice in 

 the lawe who dyed the first day of August Anno dni 

 1598.' The third is in Roman type as follows: 

 'John Cooke and Frances his wife was buried ye 

 xxv day of April 1629.' 



There are five bells, all by Gillett of Croydon, 

 1890. 



Among the communion plate is a silver cup of 

 1569, with a cover paten dated 1570; there are 

 also a cup, standing paten, and flagon of 1828. 



The registers begin in 1565,^0 first book con- 

 taining baptisms, marriages, and burials from that date 



MERTON PRIORY. Or 

 fretty azure with eagles 

 argent at the crossings of 

 the fret. 



to 1725. The first portion is a copy of 1624 ; the 

 book is of paper. The second book contains baptisms 

 and burials from 1660 to 1812, and marriages from 

 1660 to 1772 ; the third has the marriages from 

 1754 to 1812. 



The churchyard is not large, and surrounds the 

 building ; to the south are some large chestnut and 

 other trees ; an iron railing bounds the ground to- 

 wards the road on the west side, and has two gates. 



The church of Effingham was 

 JDrOffSON bestowed on Merton Priory by 

 William de Dammartin, 8 * and in 

 1269 the advowson was granted to the prior by 

 Gilbert de Clare, 90 probably in confirmation of the 

 original grant. In 1291 the church was held by 

 the priory and valued at 

 .14 13*. 4</. with a pension 

 of 261. SJ. n The same valua- 

 tions were given on an inquiry 

 taken six years later as to 

 whether it would be to the 

 king's loss if the prior and 

 convent were to appropriate 

 the church to their own uses. 

 On a further inquiry, how- 

 ever, in 1299, the church was 

 found to be worth only 20 

 marks (13 61. 8</.), and the 

 prior and convent had licence 

 to appropriate accordingly. 93 

 In 1297 the bishop issued an ordinance for the 

 endowment of the vicarage, under which the vicar 

 was to receive for his maintenance all the altarage 

 of the church, and all small tithes and profits per- 

 taining to the altarage, with the tithe of the pro- 

 duce of crofts and gardens dug in the parish by foot 

 and spade ; also the tithe of all hay and produce of 

 the lands of William Wrenne in the parish, and 

 l8J acres of arable land with common pasture per- 

 taining to the church, free and quit of tithe, as the 

 rector of the place used to hold them, with herbage 

 of the cemetery, and also a competent site near the 

 church, to be assigned by the monks of Merton, 

 whereon to build a suitable vicarage within the space 

 of a year." 



In 1308 John de Rutherwyk, Abbot of Chertsey, 

 conceded to the Prior of Merton the tithes both great 

 and small from those demesne lands within the limits 

 of the parish church of Effingham, formerly of Philip 

 de la Leigh and Oswold de la Leigh, the prior ren- 

 dering in return to Chertsey Monastery 50*. per 

 annum,* 4 and on the dissolution of Chertsey this 

 payment was included among the possessions of the 

 monastery granted to the new foundation at Bisham. 9 * 

 In 1317 the prior mortgaged to Philip de Barthon, 

 Archdeacon of Surrey, the tithes of corn or fruit ot 

 the great tithes in Effingham, with the court or manse 

 there, for a term of six years, in consideration of a 

 sum of 26, the prior to be responsible for all extra- 

 ordinary expenses and for the pension of 50*. to the 

 Abbot of Chertsey ; the archdeacon to be responsible 

 for all ordinary payments and for the sustenance of all 

 houses and other buildings. 97 



In 1388 the prior was severely censured for neglect- 



89 Cartul. of Merton, Cott. MS. Cleop. 

 C. 7- 



Feet of F. Surr. Mich. $3 Hen. Ill, 

 no. 27. 



n Poj>e Nick. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 2o8i. 

 n Inq. a.q.d. 23 Edw. I, mciii, 12. 

 Mnq. p.m. 27 Edw. I, no. 6 1 ; Pat. 

 27 Edw. I, m. 30. 



3 2 5 



M Cott. MS. Cleop. C. vii, fol. 210. 

 5 Mic. Bks. (Exch. K.R.), bk. 2 5, p. 3 5. 

 * L. and P. Hen. fill, xii (2), 1 3 n (z). 

 " Surr. Arch. Soc. ix, 371, 



