SPELTHORNE HUNDRED 



LITTLETON 



It descended with the manor (q.v.), and thus came 

 by purchase to Sir Robert Lowther in 1736."* In 

 1773 and 1778, however, Laleham is again 

 mentioned as a chapel of Staines, 115 and during the 

 early part of the igth century it continued to be 

 served by a curate of the mother church. At that 

 time services were held on alternate Sundays with 

 Ashfbrd, although it is mentioned in 1826 that 

 ' the inhabitants have the benefit of other preachers, 

 who officiate occasionally.' The living was a 

 perpetual curacy in the gift of the Earl of Lucan 

 from 1858 to i865, 116 after which it is called a 

 vicarage. The advowson still remains with the 

 Earl of Lucan. 



In the 1 4th century 10 marks from the church 

 of Oakham were paid yearly to the Abbot of 

 Westminster's household. 1 " These were given up 

 by Abbot Littlington to the convent, and I o marks 

 from the church at Laleham were granted instead, 

 for the supply of plate. 



The rectory, which was held by Westminster 

 Abbey till the Dissolution, was granted in 1602 

 to Guy Godolphin and John Smythe. 118 

 Godolphin sold his interest to Smythe, who con- 

 veyed the rectory to Urias Babington. 1 " The 

 latter died seised of it in 1606, having demised it 

 to his younger son William. 110 Under the 

 Commonwealth it was held by George and Robert 

 Holmes, who in 1650 and 1657 conveyed their 

 respective shares to William Powell or Hinson. 1 " 

 Before 1682 it came into the hands of Robert 

 Gibbon, 1 " in whose family it continued until Mrs. 

 Elizabeth Joddrell, daughter of Phillipps Gibbon, 

 sold it to Mr?. Mary Jeffreson, who in 1733 

 alienated to Samuel Freeman. 11 * The latter's 

 daughter Martha married Captain John Coggan, 114 

 who held the rectory in 1782, and as late as 

 1 8oo. 115 In 1836 Mr. Conosmaker, Mr. Hartwell, 



and Mr. John Irving are mentioned as the im- 

 propriators, 116 but after this nothing can be learnt 

 about the rectory. 



Charity of Ann Reeve for bread : 

 CHARITIES see under Ashford. 



In 1819 Mrs. Mary Hodgson, 

 by will dated 4. September, bequeathed a sum of 

 stock, now represented by 95 consols with the 

 official trustees, the income to be given to the poor 

 of the parish by the vicar and his successors to 

 whom and in what manner he should think 

 necessary. 



The Poor's Land consists of 173. 2 r. acquired 

 under the Inclosure Act, let at 22 lew. a year, 

 the administration of which was regulated by a 

 scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 4 August 

 1865. 



In 1 896 Dr. John Hearn Pinckney, by a 

 declaration of trust dated 10 February, settled a 

 sum of 1 20 London, Chatham and Dover Railway 

 4$ per cent, stock for the benefit of the National 

 School. 



By a scheme of the Board of Education, the 

 Poor's Land and Dr. Pinckney's Charity were con- 

 solidated with the National School under the title 

 of the ' Laleham School Foundation,' whereby the 

 trustees were authorized to raise a loan of 300 by 

 mortgage of the trust property, and to sell the 

 railway stock for the purpose of the enlargement of 

 the school buildings, at a cost of ^500. A sum of 

 ^150 ig/. 6d. was realized by the sale of the 

 railway stock. The loan is subject to replacement 

 within thirty years, and within the same period 

 a sum of 174 consols has to be funded with the 

 official trustees in lieu of the railway stock. 



In 1906-7 the income of the charities (other 

 than Ann Reeve's Charity) was used as a contri- 

 bution to the School Enlargement Fund. 



LITTLETON 



Lutleton, Litlinton (xiii cent.) ; Lutlyngton, 

 Littelyngton, Littelton (xiv cent.) ; Lytelyngton, 

 (xvi cent.). 



The parish of Littleton lies to the west of 

 Laleham. The northern portion is roughly 

 triangular in shape, the base about 2 miles long, 

 lying along the road from Staines to Kingston, 

 the sides narrowing gradually towards the village 

 at the apex. The southern part is a mere slip of 

 land about l^ miles long and nowhere more than 

 half a mile wide, which runs from the village to 

 the River Thames. The curious shape of the 

 parish may perhaps be accounted for by the fact 

 that it probably formed part of Laleham until the 

 end of the nth century, 1 when this wedge-shaped 

 piece was separated from the western part of the 



latter, the dividing line being drawn at the River 

 Ash. The ground falls gradually towards the 

 Thames, and the higher and more northerly parts 

 are well wooded, while two stretches of common, 

 known respectively as Astlam and Littleton Common, 

 fall within the northern boundary. The village is 

 one of the least spoilt in the county. It is built 

 almost entirely of red brick, and presents a cheer- 

 ful and peaceful aspect as it clusters about the 

 church. There has never been either public- 

 house or shop in the parish, and the only trade 

 represented is that of the blacksmith. No railway 

 line runs through the parish, the nearest station 

 being at Shepperton, ij miles. A road from 

 Feltham passes through the village from north to 

 south, and joins the Laleham-Shepperton road, 



" Recov. R. Mich. 10 Geo. II, rot. 



's Inst. Bks. (P.R.O.). 



116 Clergy Lisa, passim. 

 "? Hist. MSS. Cm. Ref. iv, App. i, 

 171. 



118 Pat. 44 Eliz. pt. xii., m. 6. 



119 Lysons, Environs of Land. (1800), 

 v, i. 



140 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccxcii, 

 186 ; Exch. Dtp. Mich. 7 Jus. I, no. 



1657. 



Feet of F. Trin. 1650; Eat. 

 401 



1M Feet of Div. Co. East. 34 Chas. 



II. 



1M Lysons, Environs of Land, v, 200. 



l" Ibid. 



Feet of F. East. 22 Ceo. III. 



" 6 Clerical Guide, 1836. 



1 See descent of manor. 



