ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



That some of the south-western parishes were only recently con- 

 stituted, or perhaps, though their churches were built and endowed, were 

 not yet recognized as parishes in the fourteenth century, appears from the 

 Subsidy Rolls of Edward the Third. The assessment there is usually 

 by parishes, but Alfold, Dunsfold, Hascombe, Wonersh,' Cranleigh," 

 Ewhurst, Capel, Thursley, Chiddingfold and Haslemere do not appear, 

 being taxed probably with the old manors to which their inhabited lands 

 originally belonged, namely Bramley, Shalford, Shiere, Gomshall, Dor- 

 king, Witley and Godalming. Wisley was taxed with Ockham, being 

 especially included by name with it.' 



The deaneries in 1291 were Southwark, Ewell and Guildford in 

 the Winchester diocese, Croydon in the diocese of Canterbury. 



The difference between the capella and the ecclesia was that the 

 former was not as a rule endowed with tithes ; nor, as a rule, used for 

 marriages and baptisms, and the neighbours who frequented it were bound 

 to go to the ecclesia on certain greater festivals that the latter might not 

 lose the offerings then made. 



It would seem that the religious houses had a share in the building 

 of churches and the formation of parishes in the outlying parts of the 

 county. Lay holders of land, as well as monasteries, built churches on 

 their manors, but a considerable proportion of the new parishes in Surrey 

 were, it happens, on monastic estates. The churches in Godley Hundred, 

 which, except Pirford, belonged altogether to Chertsey, were certainly the 

 creation of the abbots. Possibly churches upon their other manors were 

 founded by the abbey also. Pirford belonged to Westminster. Horley 

 in the Weald was another Chertsey manor, and the church there may 

 have been built by the abbey. It was appropriated, with a vicar ap- 

 pointed, in 1292.* 



The advowson of Ewhurst belonged toMerton from time immemorial, 

 Merton, Kingston, Effingham and Carshalton from the twelfth century ; 

 Limpsfield to Battle from the foundation of the abbey, but there was a 

 church there by 1086. Charlwood was in the gift of Christchurch, Canter- 

 bury ; Burstow, Gatton, Blechingley, Stoke next Guildford, St. Olave's 

 Southwark and Dorking and the subordinate chapel, afterwards Capel 

 parish church, were in the hands of the Cluniac priory at Lewes. Dorking 

 and Capel were transferred to the Augustine priory of Reigate. Dorking, 

 Gatton and Stoke churches were certainly older than either religious 

 house. Probably the Cluniacs of Lewes built the chapel at Capel, where 

 they, and afterwards the canons of Reigate, provided a service. It existed 

 in 1 129—71 from evidence of a confirmation to Lewes of churches in 

 Winchester diocese by Henry de Blois, Perhaps they also built Burstow 

 down in the forest. Frensham church was moved by Waverley Abbey in 



* Wonersh was a chapel, to which the Crown presented in 1224. It was dependent on Shalford 

 (Pat. 9 Hen. III. m. 8). 



* There is an appointment of a custos of the church here in 1 283 (Winton Epis. Reg., Pon- 



toise, IF. I, 6). 



* This Subsidy Roll is printed in the Appendix to the Political History m vol. i. 441. 



* Pat. 20 Edw. I. m. 1 1 ; cf. Pat. 6 Edw. II. pt. 2, m. 17. 



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