SANDERSTEAD
Sonderstade (ix cent.); Sandestede (xi cent.).
Sanderstead is a country parish 3 miles south-east
of Croydon. The parish is on the chalk, with considerable surface deposits of gravel in the southern
part. It contains 3,151 acres. It lies high, Purley
Down being nearly 400 ft., Sanderstead Down
adjoining Riddlesdown in Coulsdon, above 400 ft.,
Selsdon Hill added to the civil parish of Sanderstead
from Croydon in 1883, above 500 ft., and the
ground near the church 550 ft. above sea level.
The joint Brighton and South Eastern Railway Company's lines pass through the extremity of the parish
on the north-west with Purley Oaks station in it,
and the Brighton Company's line to East Grinstead
tunnels under it or passes through it with a Sanderstead station. Both, however, are on the outskirts
of the parish. Consequently, though houses have
grown up along its edge where it touches Smitham
Bottom near South Croydon along the road to
Purley, the greater part of the parish has remained
comparatively rural, the population in 1901 being
1,001, and excluding Selsdon, and the part of the
parish within Purley ecclesiastical district, only 506.
Sanderstead is rich in ancient remains. In the
north of the parish at Croham Hurst, a wooded hill
on ground now acquired by the Borough of Croydon as an open space, are remains of hut circles
described by Mr. Clinch. (fn. 1) Neolithic flints are
frequent here and at Purley. In 1884 Anglo-Saxon
interments were found at Sanderstead by Mr. Garraway Rice. (fn. 2)
Purley Beeches, a very picturesque piece of wooded
down, has been recently acquired as a public open
space; but before this there were no common lands
in Sanderstead, the open downs being private property. The village and church stand on the summit
of a steep hill. The churchyard is well cared for
and contains three fine old yews and some other
trees. Adjoining the churchyard on the south
and east sides, but divided from it by a tall holly
hedge, are the grounds of Sanderstead Court. (fn. 3)
There are a few old cottages in the village and the
old rectory-house dates from 1680.
Though the parish is not nearly so closely built
over as Coulsdon a considerable number of villas as
well as larger houses exist. Selsdon Park is the seat
of Mr. Wickham Noakes, J.P. Unstedbury Wood
evidently takes its name from the family of Ownsted,
resident in the manor of Sanderstead (q.v.) at an
early date. At the end of the 18th century John
Horne Tooke lived at Purley in the house of
William Tooke and there began the 'Diversions of
Purley.'
A school board was elected for Sanderstead in
1875 and a school was built in the same year on a
site given for the purpose.
There is no record of an inclosure award, yet it
would appear that the twenty-one villeins with eight
ploughs recorded in the Domesday Survey must have
had common fields.
MANORS
In the Domesday Survey SANDERSTEAD was found to belong to the
abbey of St. Peter of Hyde at Winchester. (fn. 4) The manors of Sanderstead and Warlingham were contiguous and the ill-defined boundary
led to much quarrelling between the Abbot of Hyde
and the Abbot of Bermondsey, who were lords of
the adjoining manors. In 1272 there was a lawsuit
between them to establish the proper boundaries, the
Abbot of Bermondsey complaining that his neighbour
had taken 16 acres of land in one place and a rood and
a half in another. (fn. 5) In 1276 the Abbot of Hyde
impleaded the Prior of Bermondsey for setting up a
gallows within his manor of Sanderstead, the prior
maintaining that it was within his own manor of Warlingham. (fn. 6) At the taxation of Pope Nicholas the manor
was valued at £16 2s. 3¾d., (fn. 7) and in the same year
its lands were augmented by the grant of a carucate
of land from John de la Sale. (fn. 8) In 1310 the abbot
granted an annuity from the manor to Master Jordan
Morant, (fn. 9) and in 1339 Richard Woodstock paid
5 marks for the king's licence to retain the manor. (fn. 10)
The abbot and convent appear to have always let
the manor on short leases; in 1323–4 they received
licence to lease it with appurtenances, except the
advowson, to Walter Bishop of Exeter for ten years
at a yearly rent of £20. (fn. 11) In 1348 they had let it
at farm to Nicholas and Thomas de Chynham, who
refused to pay the fifteenth of wool, which in addition to the tenth had been granted by the people of
England to the king, asserting that church lands paid
only the tenth. (fn. 12) Sanderstead continued the property
of Hyde Abbey until 1538, when the abbot surrendered to Henry VIII. (fn. 13) The following year the king
granted the manor to John Gresham (fn. 14) (Lord Mayor
of London in 1537) and renewed the grant in fee in
1545. (fn. 15) He was knighted in 1546 and before his
death, ten years later, (fn. 16) he devised the estate by will
to his wife Katherine for her life with remainder to
his third son Edmund and his heirs male. (fn. 17) Edmund
died in 1586 and left the manor by will to his son
Richard and his heirs. (fn. 18) In 1590–1 Richard sold it
to John Ownsted (fn. 19) (sergeant of the carriages of
Queen Elizabeth) (fn. 20) and Joan his wife. John Ownsted died seised in 1600. Having no issue he
devised Sanderstead to his wife Margaret for life.
After her death his sisters Anne Knepp and Joyce
Holloway were to have one third and his cousin
Harman Atwood the remaining two thirds. (fn. 21) By
1618 Harman Atwood had bought the moieties of
the one third from John Ownsted's sisters or their
heirs, (fn. 22) and in 1653 he died seised of the whole. (fn. 23)
He was succeeded by his fourth son Harman, who
died in February 1676–7. The estate remained in
the Atwood family until 1759, (fn. 24) when John Atwood
died without issue, having devised it to his wife for
her life with remainder to his nephew Thomas
Wigsell, an attorney of New Inn, London, who died
in 1778. The estate then became the property in
turn of his nephews Atwood Wigsell and the Rev.
Thomas Wigsell and of his niece Susannah, who all
died without issue, and in 1807 it devolved on
Atwood Wigsell Taylor, who assumed the name of
Wigsell. He died in 1821 and was succeeded by
his son Colonel Wigsell, who died after 1880. His
successor was Captain F. Wigsell Arkwright, who
died about 1902, and the present lord of the manor
is Mr. E. F. Wigsell Arkwright. (fn. 25)
It appears that the Abbots of Hyde had a grange
attached to the manor, which was pulled down at
the dissolution of the monastery. The well remains,
350 ft. deep. A manor-house called Sanderstead
Place was built out of the materials, and perhaps on
the site of the grange, which was south-west of
Sanderstead Court. It was pulled down about 1800.
The present manor-house, called Sanderstead Court,
was rebuilt by Harman Atwood, and has his initials
and arms and the date 1676 carved above the
entrance doorway. (fn. 26) He died 16 February 1676–7,
and must have rebuilt it within a year of his death.
There was evidently an earlier house, as the Atwoods
are described as of Sanderstead Court in 1586. (fn. 27)
The house contains a great hall dating from the
16th century, but decorated in the 18th century.
This is two-storied and has fluted columns with
Corinthian capitals. The moulded brick chimneys
are worth notice. Some years ago a secret chamber
is said to have been discovered behind the chimney
of the hall. It was, however, partially closed up and
may have been nothing more than the recess of a great
open fireplace. There is a room called 'the Queen's
room,' in which Queen Elizabeth is said to have
slept, but it is doubtful if the room is of so early
a date.
Sanderstead Court.
PURLEY (Pirelea, xii cent.; Pirle, xv cent.).
—A
charter quoted by Manning and Bray in their history
contains a 12th-century grant by John, Abbot of
Hyde, to William son of Osbert de Purley of a moiety
of a wood called Nithea in the manor of Sanderstead. (fn. 28) The property was augmented in the reign
of Richard I by the purchase of half a hide of land
from Hugh de Wingham and confirmed by the abbot,
of whom it was held. (fn. 29) There are various charters
extant relating to the purchase and exchange of land
by the Purley family. (fn. 30) In 1332 Reginald de Purley
had the bishop's licence to hear divine service in his
oratory in Sanderstead, which in 1346 was also
granted to John de Purley. (fn. 31) Towards the end of
the 14th century the lands appear to have been
divided.
EAST PURLEY.
—In 1377 Simon son of John
Oliver quitclaimed to Nicholas Carew certain lands
which had formerly belonged to John de Purley. (fn. 32)
Nicholas Carew died seised in 1432, leaving the
estate in trust for his granddaughter Joan and her
heirs. (fn. 33) Joan married William Sanders, and her greatgrandson Thomas Sanders, who was knighted by
Edward VI and was Remembrancer of the Exchequer,
settled the manor of East Purley on his wife Alice,
daughter of Sir Edmund Walsingham. Sir Thomas
Sander died seised of East Purley in 1565. (fn. 34) According to Manning and Bray, (fn. 35) Edmund son of Sir
Thomas and Alice conveyed the reversion in 1580
to Arnold King, who sold it to Edmund Gresham;
it certainly formed part of the estate which Queen
Elizabeth gave Sir Richard Gresham licence to alienate
to John Ownsted in 1590, (fn. 36) and from that time
it has descended with the manor of Sanderstead.
Thomas de Purley, who died about 1377, left his
lands called WEST PURLEY in trust (fn. 37) for John his
son. John died before 1439, leaving a widow Agnes
and two sisters Margaret Kyriell and Joan Frolbury. (fn. 38)
The two sisters conveyed the estate to John Stopynden
and John Kyriell. (fn. 39) It passed through the hands of
various trustees, (fn. 40) and was finally sold to Thomas
Ive, (fn. 41) to whom Agnes Woodstock, relict of Thomas
de Purley, quitclaimed her right about 1462. (fn. 42)
Margaret Coke, one of the daughters and heirs of
Joan Frolbury, also quitclaimed to Thomas Ive in
1471. (fn. 43) From Mr. Glover's deeds, quoted by
Manning and Bray, (fn. 44) it appears that Henry Polsted
of Albury conveyed it in 1554 to Humphrey Covell,
and his son John Covell in 1578 conveyed it to
William Walter of Wimbledon, whose son Sir William
conveyed it in 1617 to Matthew Bedell, merchant
tailor. In 1636 Matthew Bedell died seised of the
capital messuage called West Purley, (fn. 45) and by his
will directed that it should be sold and various legacies
paid out of the proceeds, with a proviso that if either
of his sons-in-law would undertake to pay the legacies
they might take the estate. Ralph Hawtrey, husband
of Mary Bedell, elected to do so. (fn. 46) His son conveyed
the estate to Lewis Audley, a major in the Parliamentary army and a man of some note in the
Commonwealth. He was a justice of the peace, and
marriages were celebrated at his house, according to
an Act of Parliament dated 24 July 1653. (fn. 47) He
really took the principal part in suppressing Holland's
Royalist rising in 1648 and wrote a spirited account
of the affair. He also dispersed the abortive Royalist
rising in Surrey in 1659. He married Ralph
Hawtrey's widow in 1647. (fn. 48) In 1661 Major Audley
conveyed the estate to Harman Atwood, who already
possessed East Purley, and it has since descended
with Sanderstead Manor. (fn. 49)
Plan of All Saints' Church, Sanderstead
LYMES PLACE.
—While Sir John Gresham was
lord of the manor of Sanderstead (1545–56) John
Comport was holding of him at will a messuage, one
toft, 1 yd. of land, and 18 acres of land with appurtenances in Sanderstead. He desired Sir John Gresham
to demise these premises to Robert Mellish for twenty
years. Sir John consented on condition that Robert
Mellish should at his own cost erect a new house
upon the premises. (fn. 50) By an inquisition taken in
1627 it was found that Robert Mellish was holding
at his death a mansion-house called Lymes Place in
Sanderstead. (fn. 51) His son Henry Mellish, a Levant
merchant, died in 1677. He left two sons, George
and John, of whom George died, aged twenty-two,
in 1603, and one daughter Mary, the wife of
Mr. Walter Hampton, who left issue. Henry
St. John was the only resident gentleman returned
at the visitation of 1725. He and Henry St. John,
son of Henry St. John, baptized at Sanderstead in
1716, married there in 1746, and buried there in
1773, may have lived at Lymes Place.
CHURCH
The church of ALL SAINTS consists
of a chancel, nave, north and south
aisles, west tower, and south porch. (fn. 52)
Although some axe tooling on the stones at the east
end of the north aisle suggests an earlier date, the
present church was begun about 1230. The earliest
part is the eastern arch on the north side, with the
respond (behind which is a contemporary piscina
with segmental head and plain circular dishing to
the drain) and the first pier. The
eastern bay of the south aisle followed
about 1250. About 1310 the two
western bays on both sides were
added, making an arcade of three
arches to both aisles; and this
rather suggests that the original
nave may have had its western wall
a little to the westward of the
second column from the east, giving
a length of about 28 ft. and showing
an extension of about 15 ft. 6 in.
westward for the whole building.
Very singularly, however, this extension seems hardly to have been
carried out before a further change
was planned, involving the partial
blocking up of the westernmost arch
on both sides. This was caused by
the erection of the tower; and part
of the arches, together with the
west responds, of the nave arcades
may be detected built into the mass of masonry
forming the abutments of the lofty tower arch. In
the early 16th century a new window was inserted
in the north aisle. In 1832 and later in 1846
extensive repairs were carried out, involving the
renewal of nearly all the windows. At the earlier
date the chancel would seem to have been almost
wholly rebuilt, as appears from a stone tablet inserted in the south wall : 'The Rev. J. Courtney
repaired ye chancel A.D. 1832.' (fn. 53) There are three
windows on either side of the chancel, single lights,
with cinquefoiled heads and hood mouldings, and
as these correspond with the windows shown in
Cracklow's engraving (1824) they are probably fairly
correct reproductions. The east window, on the other
hand, is of an entirely modern design, quite different
from the old, which had simple intersecting tracery,
and was set much lower in the wall. The wide
chancel arch appears to date from c. 1310, and is of
two chamfered orders with chamfered piers having
imposts instead of capitals, moulded with beaded
scroll, bell and necking. The nave arcades are of
three bays, with arches of two orders, moulded
with a small and a large chamfer. The capitals and
bases of the eastern arch on the north side, which
dates from c. 1230, have simple early mouldings.
The mouldings of the capitals and bases of the
east bay of the south arcade are of a curiously clumsy
section, suggesting the handiwork of a local mason.
The two western bays appear to date from c. 1310.
The mouldings of the capitals and bases are characteristic of the period. The west responds, as mentioned
above, are built into the abutments of the tower arch.
All the columns and responds are octagonal. The
hood moulding and corbel heads to all the arches
are of stucco and date from c. 1832. The west
window within the tower has modern tracery,
apparently a restoration, as its form is similar to that
shown in an engraving of c. 1770. (fn. 54) The windows
of the side walls of the aisles are of two lights, squareheaded, without hood mouldings, the heads of the
lights being cinquefoiled. An exception is the
easternmost window in the north aisle and north
wall, which has four-centred arched heads of flat
pitch, trefoiled. The stonework is the original, and
dates from about 1520. All these windows have
plastered splays and lintels internally, so that it is
difficult to say how far they represent old work. At
the east end of each aisle is a two-light window of
early 14th-century character, having a pointed reararch, with a sharp hollow on the angle. The tracery,
which is modern, judging by Cracklow's plate (1824)
does not accurately reproduce the original. A stone
chamfered corbel or image-bracket adjoins the east
window of the north aisle. Beneath the external sill
of the corresponding window in the south aisle the
basin of a holy water stoup is built in. On the inside
behind the Audley tomb (see below) are two masses of
rubble, which may be the remains of a small mediaeval
altar. The western window of this aisle, a spherical
triangle, is modern. Somewhat singularly, there is
only one doorway, near the western end of the south
wall of the south aisle. It is plain, of early 14thcentury date, with pointed head and continuous
double chamfers. At present, as originally, the aisle
roofs are continued in one long sweep from that of
the nave; they are thus shown in the view of 1770,
referred to above; but between this date and 1846
a view of about 1824 shows an upper story of brick,
with high-pitched hipped roof and square windows,
as built on to the old aisle walls, no doubt for the
accommodation of a gallery. The same view shows
the church as mantled with ivy, with which the walls
are still largely covered. The north aisle seems always
to have retained its long low roof, as at present. In
the early part of the 19th century it had two plain
'cottage' windows, since replaced by the present
stone openings. The whole construction of the
tower proclaims it to be an insertion within the
original nave area, of circa 1330, and is extremely
curious and unusual, (fn. 55) the space inclosed on the ground
level being a narrow oblong the entire width of the
nave, while above two pointed segmental bridging
arches span this space east to west, and upon the
contracted area thus produced the thin external walls
of the tower proper rise out of the roof. The central
area is used as the baptistery, and in the lateral recesses
thus formed the organ and large cupboards are placed;
while the western ends of the north and south aisles
are screened off to serve as clergy and quire vestries.
The windows of the upper story of the tower are
square-headed chamfered slits, in the original firestone,
placed immediately under the eaves of the spire.
This spire, which is shingled, appears to be of ancient
construction. Below these windows is a weathered
set off or string course, marking the increased thickness of the lower walls of the tower. The quoins of
the upper stage of the tower where visible on the
south side are of long and short stones, and probably
represent a repair of the 17th or 18th century. The
tower arches are of two orders chamfered. The south
porch is modern. It is faced with flint, and replaces
an old one of timber.
The church is built of flints, originally covered with
a thin coat of plaster, which remains in part of the
west wall and buttresses of the tower, but elsewhere
most of the walling surfaces appear to have been renewed in later and (as in the chancel) modern times. (fn. 56)
The original dressings were in firestone, but of these
little is now visible externally, owing to coatings of
Roman cement (west wall) and general renewal in
Bath stone. The firestone may still be seen in the
quoins of the western buttresses, the upper part of the
tower, and of the east wall of the chancel; also in the
window in the north wall of the north aisle, the south
doorway, and generally in the interior stonework.
The roofs are tiled, and, except in the aisles,
where they are plastered, appear to be modern, but
that of the nave, which is cased with deal panelling,
may be ancient.
Most of the paving in the nave and chancel is of
stone slabs. The step levels in the chancel are
wholly modern, as are also the tile pavement of the
sanctuary, the font, the seating, and all the furniture,
except a curious old oak settle of 17th-century date
against the east face of the tower arch-wall, and a fine
sanctuary chair of the same date having a carving,
on the back, of Abraham offering up Isaac. The glass
is entirely modern, but Manning and Bray (fn. 57) record as
existing in their time in the east window of the
chancel a triangle, emblematic of the Trinity.
The earliest monuments are those of the Atwoods
and Ownsteds, beginning with a brass, now mural,
in the chancel to John Atwodde (d ed 1525) and
Dyones his wife. The man is shown clean shaven,
with bushy hair, in a long gown with deep furred
sleeves and broad-toed shoes, his hands joined in
prayer; the woman in like attitude, with kennel headdress, furred cuffs, jewelled or embroidered cincture,
having three roses in the centre, and pendant chains
or cords terminating in three bells below the knee.
The inscription, in black letter, reads: 'Off yor
charite pray for the soull of John A Wodde and
Dyones his wyfe which John decessid the xxx day
of July, Ao d[omini]. MoVcXXVo, on whos soul ihũ have
m'ci.'
On the opposite wall is a small brass of a group of
ten children, apparently of the same date as the last,
and probably originally belonging to it. As placed,
however, a connexion is assumed, incorrectly, with the
nine children mentioned on the inscription beneath,
which reads as follows (fn. 58) : 'Here lyeth Nicholas Wood,
the thirde sonne of John at Wood of Sandersted Corte
who served Quene Elizabeth sens the second yeare of
her Rayne . & deceassed the xiiith of May . 1586 and
lefte behinde him a wife & children ix, vii sonns:
harmon . John . Nicholas . Thom[as] . James . John .
Richarde . Allis . & Mary.'
Sanderstead Church from the South-west.
The last name is uncertain The brasses of Nicholas
and his wife, which no doubt once accompanied the
inscription, are missing. This inscription-plate is a
palimpsest, on the reverse being one to Nicholas Pury.
which reads: 'xv die Marcii Anno d[omini] 1585.
Clauditur hoc templo Nicolaus Puryus heros armiger
et Templi qui medii socius erat. Beati qui in
Domino moriuntur.'
There was formerly another brass inscription to
Henry Pollestede, gent., of Pirl'ew (Purley), citizen
and merchant tailor of London, who died in 1556,
which was also a palimpsest. It bore on one side
the following: 'Here Restithe ye bodye of Henrye
Pollestede late of pirllew gentilmā Somtyme Cittezein
& marchant taylor of Londō which Henrye deptyde
ye xxv daye of de[cem]ber Anô M.VcLVI. O whose soule
Ihū haue mercy.'
The inscription on the reverse, according to
Manning and Bray, (fn. 59) was to one William Bycklay,
who died in 1467. It ran:
'Bycklay Will'mus jacet hic sub marmore victus
Et hic regimen p' quo rogo funde p'cam'
Anno post B : : d'ni hic migrat ab urbe
MLXV. C. d[omini] quater ij simul adde.'
On the floor of the nave is a brass inscription to
Mrs. Joan Ownsted, which reads: 'Here lyeth
ye body of Johane Ounsted, late wyfe of John
Ounsted Esquyer of sanderstede Corte, which
Deceased the xviijth daye of January . 1587.'
In one of the spandrels of the south arcade of
the nave is a small tablet with an effigy to the
same lady.
On the south wall of the chancel is a fine mural
monument to John Ownsted, who is represented
in armour and a ruff, kneeling at a faldstool
beneath a circular arch, on the soffit of which are
flowers, a lion's head forming the keystone, with
large roses in the spandrels. The flanking
pilasters and the scroll-borders at bottom have
delicate arabesque work, and above the cornice,
between two obelisks, is the family crest on a
background of scrollwork. The inscription runs:
'Here lieth bvried the bodie of John Ownsted
esqvier, servavnt to ye most excellent Princess &
ovr dread soveraigne Qveene Elizabeth and Seriant
of her Maties Cariage by ye space of 40. yeres, he
died in ye 66. yere of his age on the 9th of
Avgvst. 1600.'
On the north wall of the north aisle, near to
its eastern end, is a most gracefully designed
monument to George son of Henry Mellish, who
died 18 November 1693, aged twenty-three. He
is represented in a flowing wig, and his epitaph,
traditionally ascribed to Dryden, is as follows:—
'Here lies a Youth who Virtue's Race had Run,
When scarce his yeares of Man-hood were Begun :
So swift a Progress call'd for early Rest,
And plac'd his Soul Betimes among the Blest.
Another such our Age despairs to find
Of charming Person and accomplish'd Mind,
Where manly Sense and sweetest Temper join'd,
But Fame's large volume would be fill'd to tell
Those Qualities in which he did excell !
Then, Reader, dropp a Tear, and only say,
Death saw the Virtuous Youth prepar'd to pay
Great Nature's Debt, and called Before its Day.'
The most interesting monument in the church is
the recumbent effigy in white Carrara marble, upon
a large table tomb, composed of grey, white and black
marble, to Mary Audley. It must originally, no
doubt, have been placed east and west, but at some
time—probably in 1832—it has been moved to its
present very unsuitable position, standing north and
south, blocking the end of the south aisle, where only
one side can be seen and one of the inscriptions read.
To the walls right and left are affixed a hatchment
in marble and other heraldic ornaments, probably
removed from the sides of the tomb when it was
placed in its present position.
The figure of the dead woman in shroud and graveclothes is perhaps the finest monumental carving of
its kind in Surrey, and is equal to anything ever done
by Flaxman. Her head, with bound-up chin, rests,
as in the sleep of death, upon a tasselled pillow, and
the body lies upon a cord mattress rolled at the top
to form a bolster. On the cartouches at the ends of
the front hang shields; one bears the arms of Bedell,
a cheveron charged with a fleur de lis between three
scallops; the other is the quarterly indented shield
with the bend and eagles of Audley, her second
husband. The inscription on the black marble slab
of the front reads:—
'Maria,
Mathæ Bedelli Armigeri Filia,
Radvlphi Hawtrei, Vxor & Vidva,
Lvdovico Avdleio Armigero Renvpta,
Filivm peperit Lvdovicvm, Franciscam Filiam.
Mvlier Optima, Melior Marita,
Post Secvndi Conivgii Septenne Cvrricvlvm,
Divtinâ infirmitate Victa, Victrix patientia,
Die Ivnii xxix, Anno Christi MDCLV.
Ætatis Svæ 45. Divortivm sensit
A mole Corporis, havd Amore Conivgis,
Qvippe Radvlphi tvmvlo Lvdovici pectore cond
Vtroqz; Vidvata, fit, Consors Vtrivsq sine Zælotypia
Dvm Anima Feliciori Contvbernio Consors Cælitvm
Redivivi Corporis perennes Expectat Nvptias,
Hic iam sepvlti mox hinc proditvri.'
On what is now the east side of the tomb are
inscribed the 25th, 26th and 27th verses of the
19th chapter of the Book of Job, 'I know that my
Redeemer liveth,' &c. Manning and Bray state that
near this monument, 'partly within a low arch within
the wall, is a low altar-tomb, without inscription';
but of this no trace is now visible—possibly its remains
are still behind the pewing that blocks the aisle.
Above the Audley monument, on the south wall of
the south aisle, is a handsome monument of black and
white marble, with pediment, Doric columns and
heraldic embellishments, among which is a lozenge
bearing the cheveron and scallops of Bedell. This
commemorates Ralph Hawtrey and Mary his wife
(the Mary Audley of the tomb below), the former
dying in 1645, together with their fourth son John,
who, as the concluding lines of the inscription record,
was for four years rector of this church, dying in
1678. The inscription was illegible in Manning
and Bray's time, but was copied by Aubrey.
There are many 18th and 19th-century tablets,
not calling for special mention.
The two bells in the tower are modern.
Among the plate are a good silver flagon of 1654
and a plate of 1713, besides several modern pieces.
The registers, which are in good condition, are
contained in four books (fn. 60) : (1) baptisms 1565 to
1778, burials 1567 to 1778, marriages 1564 to 1672;
(2) baptisms and burials 1779 to 1812; (3) and (4)
marriages 1755 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The church of Sanderstead is first
mentioned in the Taxation of Pope
Nicholas (1291). The advowson
belonged with the manor to the abbey of Hyde, (fn. 61)
and remained with the abbey until its dissolution,
when it passed into the hands of the king and was
granted with the manor to Gresham in 1545. (fn. 62)
Aubrey implies that Harman Atwood, lord of the
manor, who died in 1653, restored the appropriated
tithes to the living and also built a rectory-house, (fn. 63)
but there is no record of any appropriation, and the
living is called a rectory in the grant of the advowson
to Gresham. From this date it has always gone with
the manor, except in 1674, when the bishop, and
in 1715, when Joseph Lee presented. (fn. 64)
CHARITIES
Smith's charity is distributed as in
other Surrey parishes.
Harman Atwood, by deed in 1675,
gave £5 a year for one poor person.
Henry Mellish left by will in 1677 land to the
value of £5 per annum for the poor.
Lady Allott (wife of Lord Mayor Sir John Allott,
of 1590) left £1 a year for the repair of the church.
Mr. J. H. Smith, by will proved 1887, left
£1,023, the interest of which is given in clothing
and money to the poor at Christmas.