5 [V r ol. xxx iii. 



Knights Templars held an estate or preceptory at Sudington 

 near Selborne, their order being dissolved in 1312. Here 

 also are many encaustic tiles, which may possibly have come 

 from Selborne Priory *, which was founded in the reign of 

 Henry III. by Peter de la Roche, or from the pavement of 

 the Chancel. In the chancel and east end of the north 

 aisle, known in Gilbert White's time as the North Chancel, 

 are many memorial tablets to the White family, and in the 

 floor of the chancel is the slate tombstone of Gilbert White 

 the grandfather with the family arms thereon. High up on 

 the wall of the south side of the chancel is the memorial 

 tablet of the great Naturalist, which records that ' In the 

 fifth grave from this wall are interred the remains of Gilbert 

 White, M.A. " His grave, however, lies outside the north-east 

 corner of the church, and the explanation of the inaccuracy 

 is that the tablet was originally fixed outside the church on 

 the north wall, and when brought inside for better preser- 

 vation, was inappropriately affixed where it now is. The pic- 

 ture over the Altar table was presented to the Church by 

 Benjamin White the publisher (Gilbert's brother) in 1790, 

 and has been recently restored. It represents the Adoration 

 of the Magi and must formerly have been a beautiful 

 painting ; it has been variously attributed to John de 

 Mauberge and to the school of Albert Diirer, and is believed 

 to date from the year 1500 "j\ 



On leaving the Church, the Yew Tree close to the porch 

 should be noticed ; it is said to be some 1200 years old and 

 one of the largest in England. At the north-east corner of 

 the Church is the simple grass-grown grave of Gilbert 

 W r hite. The small and severely plain head-stone bears the 

 inscription, ' G. W., June 26, 1793/ That on the foot- 

 stone (to the east) is fast disappearing. Plain and humble 



* The site of the Priory is now occupied by the Priory Farm, where 

 some attempts at excavation have been made. 



t In the 1813 edition (large paper 4to) of the ' Natural History ' a 

 reproduction of this picture by John Harris, a well-known painter, is 

 given, which shows how neglect has impaired the colouring of the 

 original. 



