GODALMING HUNDRED
��WITLEY
��style, with a bell turret. The north aisle was added in 1894.
The church of All Saints, Grayswood, was built in 19001 and consecrated in 1902.
A church is mentioned in the JDfOIVSONS Domesday Survey of Witley. 1 "
The advowson of Witley Church was appurtenant to the manor until Gilbert Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, gave it to the Abbey of St. Mary de Gloria, Anagni, to which Pope Gregory IX granted an indult to enter in possession in September 1238, a vicar's portion being reserved. 14 * This appropriation does not seem to have been carried into effect, and the advowson itself was evidently restored to the lords of the manor before 1289,'" when it was included in the confirmatory grant to Guy Ferre. 158
In 1321 Queen Isabella presented a rector to Witley Church. 159 In 1 342 Edward III gave the advowson to Dartford Priory, 160 to which the church was appropriated c. 1 368, 161 but the prioress, doubt- ing the validity of the former appropriation and
- being in no small need,' obtained a fresh licence
from the pope in October I395. 161 In 1544, after the suppression of the priory, the king sold the rectory and advowson of Witley as a manor to Thomas Jones, ' his servant,' 16S who sold them in 1571 to Thomas Smith, controller of the queen's household. 144 In 1642 a Thomas Smith his grandson presented to the vicarage, and left the manor in his will for sale. 1641 In 1670 George Smith his son 16S presented. From him the rectory manor descended in moieties to Susan Smith and Sarah wife of Michael Purefoy. 158 Susan Smith either inherited or purchased the second moiety, for she was possessed of the whole rectory and advowson in iy\$, K1 and alienated them
��to the use of William Myers. 168 He died in 1739. His son William Myers made a settlement of Witley rectory on his marriage in I743. 169 In 1775 William Myers his son sold the rectory, advowson, and great tithes of Witley (but not of Thursley) to John Leech, Ph.D., of Alton and John Chandler of Witley." The former took the rectory, manor-house, and part of the land, the latter the advowson of Witley and Thursley, the vicarage house, and other lands.
This Mr. Chandler's grandson was patron and vicar in 1837. The present patron is Mr. E. A. Chandler. The rectory manor passed ultimately to Mr. John Leech, of Lea, M.P. for West Surrey, son of Dr. Leech, who died in 1 847. His widow Mary married William Wight, and died 1878. The manor was then sold to W. H. Stone, whence it probably passed with Lea, where Dr. Leech and Mr. Stone had lived, to Whitaker Wright, and was seemingly lost sight of as a manor.
There were manorial rights attached to the rectory as well as court leet. 1 " With regard to the latter, the parson of Witley claimed view of frankpledge and assize of bread and ale in 1279, but the king recovered seisin of them through his default. 1 ' 1 Apparently, however, the rectors had regained view of frankpledge before the Dissolution, and the rector had both court baron and court leet late in the 1 7th century. 173
Milford was formed into a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1844. The vicar of Witley is patron of the living. 174
Grayswood was formed into a separate ecclesiastical parish from Chiddingfold, Haslemere, Thursley, and Witley in 1900. The Bishop of Winchester is patron 17i of the living, which is a vicarage.
��155 y.C.H. Surr. i, 313.
156 Cat. of Papal Letters, i, 164, 176. The gift was made before 26 Oct. 1237.
67 It ii doubtful whether the Earl Mar- thai had any right to alienate the advowson of which he had only the custody ; the church is expressly excepted, however, in Queen Eleanor's first grant of the manor to Guy Ferre.
158 Cal. Pat. 1272-81, p. 125 ; ibid. 1281-92, p. 329.
/>. Reg. Wintm (Hants Rec. Soc.}, 446.
m Pat. 31 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, no. 12. It appears therefore that Philippa of Hainault
��did not have it in dower with Witley Manor, for we infer from the wording of Edward's grant that it referred to the advowson itself and not the reversion.
151 Wyktham't Reg. (Hants Rec. Soc.), ii, 23.
168 Cal. of Papal Letters (Rec. Com.), iv, 517.
163 L. and P. Hen. VIII, xix, i, 374 ; Aug. Off. Partic. of Grants, 650. He was son of the Thomas Jones, server of the chamber to Henry VIII, to whom there is a brass in the church.
164 Close, 14 Eliz. pt. 27.
"*> Will proved Load. 7 Mar. 1658 (Pell 152).
��"> Inst. Bks. P.R.O.
' Feet of F. Surr. Hil. 1689-94 (year not given) ; ibid. Hil. 2 Will, and Mary.
W Recov. R. East. I Ceo. I, m. 57, 67.
168 Feet of F. Surr. Trin. 1 Geo. I.
169 Recov. R. East. 16 Geo. II, rot. 24.
170 Close, 17 Geo. Ill, pt. v, no. 7.
171 Partic. for Grants (Aug. Off.), 650. 178 Plac. de Quo tVarr. (Rec. Com.),
738.
W Add. MS. 6167.
17 < Pop. Ret. 1891, i, 350.
l " Ibid. 1901, p. 5.
�� �
