By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 



133 



common story, but the fact is, that the square tower was added to 

 the Church by an Archdeacon Polton, of a family in the parish, as 

 an inscription testifies. 



There is a prevailing notion at Wanborough that once upon a 

 time there were a great many churches in it. Some of the more 

 ambitious of the village patriarchs will insist that they once had 

 thirty-two ! and as the number, like FalstafF's men in buckram, 

 continues to grow larger and larger, it may be time to enquire upon 

 what this tradition is founded. The number of endowed churches 

 that have been in any parish in this county, during the last 600 

 years or so, is easily ascertained by simply referring to the records 

 of the diocese. Now these, within that period, only show Presen- 

 tations, either to the parish Church, or to a Chapel of St. Katharine. 

 The former is still there, but the latter has been lost sight of for 

 nearly 400 years, and there is much doubt as to where it stood. 

 It is commonly supposed to have been the small projection on the 

 North side of Wanborough Church. But there are reasons for 

 thinking that it must have been a separate Church altogether. 

 St. Katharine's Chapel was a foundation of the Longespee family, 

 to whom the manor belonged. It was augmented with a second 

 endowment by one John de Wambergh, canon of Wells, and the 

 two endowments together were very nearly equal to that of the 

 Yicarage of Wanborough in those days. There were three P? tests 

 belonging to it ; viz. the chief, called Custos, and two chaplains. 

 There was more than one altar, and it had a choir. All this seems 

 to imply a building of more importance than the very small ap- 

 pendage to the church. 



St. Katharine's descended with the Longespee property to the 

 Lords Lovell, and in 1483, Francis Lord Lovell, already alluded 

 to, sold it to Bishop Waynflete, who gave it to Magdalen College, 

 Oxon. That College has now a considerable estate in Wanborough. 

 It was evidently a chapel for the use of the Lords of the Manor 

 when residing at Wanborough. Of course, the College not wanting 

 it for such purpose, it went to decay. It probably stood where the 

 house of the Lovells was, at a spot called Court Close. 



There was also in Wanborough another Mansion-house, called 



