WOODMANSTERNE
Odemerestor (xi cent.); Wudemareschorn (xii
cent.); Wudmannesthorne (xiii cent.); Wodemansterne, Wodemansthorne (xiv cent.).
Woodmansterne is a small parish, lying high upon
the Chalk Downs. It measures some 2½ miles from
north to south, and a mile from east to west, and
contains 1,591 acres. The village stands on a narrow
patch of clay superimposed upon the chalk, but the
character of the place is that of a down parish. The
highest part of it, between the village and the Banstead boundary, is 500 ft. or more above the sea;
the neighbourhood of the church is well over 400 ft.
Only on the south-east the ground slopes rapidly
down to Chipstead Bottom and its continuation
Smitham Bottom, which is now a dry depression in the
chalk. There seem to be no streams; water is reached
by deep wells, and on the clay near the church water
stands in the Mere pond. Many neolithic tools have
been found in the neighbourhood by Messrs. Johnson
and Wright, also an axe-head and flint flakes,
whilst certain depressions which exist may be hut
circles. (fn. 1)
The parish was once mainly sheepwalk; the name
is retained in two reputed rights of way, and in
Sheep Farm (pronounced Ship Farm, and so spelt
on the ordnance map). There is no Inclosure Act
on record, but undoubtedly a great deal of open
down has been inclosed.
The village is situated upon high ground about
4½ miles south-west of Croydon and 1 mile east
of Banstead. The main portion of the village lies
upon the road leading from the latter place to
Coulsdon. The church stands on the south-east of
the village, and adjoining the churchyard on the east
is the manor-house, a two-storied 18th-century building of red brick with a slate roof. The old rectoryhouse stands on the west side of the road, a short
distance beyond the manor-house. The front is of
18th-century date, though portions of the house appear
to be earlier. Opposite the church a road runs
northward to Carshalton down the hill-side. On
the east side of this road are some half-timber cottages
in poor condition. Beyond these there is little of
interest in the village.
About three-quarters of a mile north of the church
is the Oaks or Lambert's Oaks, so called from the
ancient family of Lambert settled in Woodmansterne
and the neighbourhood as early as the 14th century.
It is a large 18th-century house of red brick in the
castellated style. Jeffrey Lambert, eldest son of John
Lambert (seventh of the name, who died in 1533),
ancestor of the Lamberts of Banstead (q.v.), left his
Woodmansterne estate to his fourth son Roger, who
served in the Low Countries under the Earl of
Leicester. He died in 1617. His great-grandson
Roger Lambert, a Royalist, who became impoverished
in the Civil War, sold the estate in 1661 to Jeffrey
Lambert of Banstead, his second cousin once removed.
In 1759 the Earl of Derby acquired the lease then
held by his son-in-law Sir John Burgoyne, the general
who surrendered at Saratoga. His grandson, the
next earl, bought the estate in 1788 from William
Lambert, great-great-grandson of Jeffrey. He used
the house as a hunting and racing box, and the
famous sweepstakes whence the Derby and the Oaks
originated were founded there. In 1834 the estate
was sold to Sir Charles Grey and afterwards to
Mr. Smith. It is now the property of the heirs of the
late Mr. Harry B. James. (fn. 2) The house, which stands
in a park, seems to have been rebuilt in the 18th or
possibly the 17th century. Additions were made to
it by Lord Derby in 1771.
Shortes Place was another estate of the Lambert
family in Woodmansterne. Early in the 14th century
Adam a Lye held land called 'Shorteslond' which
he conveyed to Henry de la Colcharde and Robert
de la Colcharde, and they to Reginald le Forester.
It was purchased from Forester by Adam de St. Alban,
and his son John de St. Alban sold it in 1370 to
Robert Coces or Cotes. It remained in this family
until 1513, when John son of Richard Cotes sold the
estate to John Lambert. (fn. 3) As Royalists the Lamberts
became much impoverished, and Roger, the then
owner, sold Shortes to Jeffrey Lambert of Burgh in
Banstead. In the beginning of the 19th century
William Lambert, a judge in the Indian Civil Service
(son of William Lambert who sold the Oaks), pulled
down the old house called Shortes Place, which was
situated in a small park opposite the church, and sold
the property to John Lambert of Garratt's Hall,
Banstead. (fn. 4) Constable the painter often visited
Woodmansterne as a guest of Mr. Lambert, whose
portrait he painted. The smithy at the Oaks is
shown as the place where he painted his celebrated
White Horse. Fairlawn House, formerly Farnehill
(on the edge of Farnehill or Fairlawn Down), is the
property of Col. F. A. H. Lambert, F.S.A., J.P.
Dickens spent much of his time here when the
property was leased by the Lamberts to his publisher,
Mr. Chapman.
The village, owing to its high situation and distance
from railways, remains quite rural, as does most of
the parish. Only towards Smitham Bottom the
houses which have grown up so numerously near
Purley station have spread up the hill into part of
Woodmansterne parish. Woodmansterne school was
founded in 1842.
MANOR
The manor of WOODMANSTERNE
which before the Conquest was held of
King Edward by Azor was one of the
manors acquired by Richard de Tonbridge, lord of
Clare, who held it at the time of the Domesday
Survey. (fn. 5) The overlordship descended with the Clares. (fn. 6)
In 1314 Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Hertford and
Gloucester, was killed at the battle of Bannockburn;
he left no issue, and his estates were divided among
his three sisters, while his earldoms reverted to the
Crown. (fn. 7) Woodmansterne fell to the share of
Eleanor, the eldest sister, who married Hugh le
Despenser (fn. 8) ; their eldest son Hugh (fn. 9) died childless
and was succeeded by his brother's son Edward le
Despenser, who was overlord of the manor at his
death in 1375. (fn. 10) Edward's son and heir Thomas
was created Earl of Gloucester by Richard II;
he was attainted and his honours forfeited under
Henry IV, but his property seems to have passed to
his daughter Isabel, who became the second wife of
Richard Beauchamp, fifth Earl of Warwick; she
was overlord of the manor at her death in 1439. (fn. 11)
Henry, their only son, died in 1445 and his estates
devolved on his sister Anne, wife of Richard Nevill,
who became Earl of Warwick in his wife's right
He was killed at Barnet fighting against Edward IV
and his possessions escheated to the Crown. (fn. 12)
At an early date the Clares subinfeudated the manor.
By a charter of the latter part of the reign of Henry II
we find Gilbert son of William de Pudendane holding
land in Woodmansterne which he had inherited from
Godfrey de Delce, (fn. 13) the first sub-tenant of whom
we have record. Gilbert was probably the tenant
who in 1205 held a knight's fee in Woodmansterne,
which he claimed to be holding of the honour of
Clare. (fn. 14) His right appears to have been contested by
William Malet, (fn. 15) whose father Gilbert Malet is mentioned as holding land in Woodmansterne at the
same time as Gilbert de Pudendane. (fn. 16) William
Malet must have been in possession of the manor
about 1230, for in a charter of 1230–40 he granted
to the Hospital of St. Thomas the Martyr in Southwark a rent of 40s. for the services of a chaplain to
pray for the souls of his family; the rent was to be
drawn from the proceeds of a mill at Hakburgh, and
if that should prove insufficient he provided that it
should be charged on his manor of Woodmansterne. (fn. 17)
William's daughter Mabel married Hugh de Vivonia, (fn. 18)
who was seised of the manor. (fn. 19) and their second son
William de Fortibus (fn. 20) or le Fort succeeded, and in
1252–3 received a grant of free warren, (fn. 21) which was
confirmed to him in 1268–9. (fn. 22) He married Matilda
daughter of William de Ferrers Earl of Derby and
widow of William de Kyme, (fn. 23) who through her
mother was descended from the house of Clare. He
died between 1268 and 1278 and left four daughters.
Of these Mabel married Fulk de Archiac and inherited
two thirds of Woodmansterne Manor, one third being
allotted to Matilda as part of her dower with reversion to the heirs of Mabel. (fn. 24)
In 1278–9 Fulk de Archiac claimed as belonging to
his manor of Woodmansterne from time immemorial
view of frankpledge, assize of bread and ale and
tumbrel and the right of free warren granted by
Henry III. (fn. 25) Fulk died before 1304, and at the
inquisition taken at his death it was found that he
held Woodmansterne by right of his wife, then
deceased, by service of one knight's fee. His son
Adomar, then aged twenty-five, (fn. 26) had some difficulty
in establishing his claim to his father's estate, as
he had been born beyond sea and the truth as
to his age could not be ascertained, but the king
finally accepted his homage. (fn. 27) He died about 1314,
and was succeeded by his brother Fulk (fn. 28) ; but his
aunt Cecilia de Beauchamp,
one of the daughters of Matilda
de Kyme, claimed the manor
and obtained a writ of entry,
dated 4 August 1314. The
Sheriff of Surrey, a friend of
Fulk's, altered the date to the
14th, and during the ten days
thus gained Fulk conveyed
the manor to Sir William
Inge, (fn. 29) who obtained a grant
of free warren for himself and
his heirs, (fn. 30) and he is returned
as holding the manor in the
inquisition on the Earl of Gloucester (which is dated
two months after the latter's death). (fn. 31) It may be
that William Inge died childless. Cecilia de Beauchamp certainly succeeded ultimately in obtaining
possession, for she died seised in 1321, leaving a son
and heir John, aged forty. (fn. 32) He had been summoned to Parliament in 1299 as Lord Beauchamp
de Somerset and died in 1336. (fn. 33) His grandson John,
who died without issue in 1361, (fn. 34) left two heirs, viz.
Cecilia de Beauchamp, his sister, and John Meriet,
son of his sister Eleanor, who was then under age
and in the custody of the king. The descent of
Meriet's portion will be traced hereafter.
Beauchamp of Hacche. Vair.
Cecilia, who married first Sir Roger Seymour and
secondly Richard Turberville, had one third of the
manor as her share. (fn. 35) This she conveyed in 1375
under the name of 'all her lands and tenements in
Woodmansterne and Nutfield' to Richard Freeman
and others, (fn. 36) who enfeoffed Nicholas Carew. (fn. 37) Carew
already had lands in Woodmansterne (fn. 38) and had in
1373 received a grant of free warren in his demesne
lands there (fn. 39) In August 1390 he died seised of one
third of the manor and a messuage called 'Le Hoo'
which he held of Sir William Brian, kt., who was lord
of the remaining two thirds of the manor. (fn. 40)
Carew was succeeded by his son Nicholas, who on his
death in 1432 left his share (one third) in trust for
Mercy Ford, daughter of his son Thomas deceased, (fn. 41)
and her heirs, with remainder to her sister Joan wife
of William Sander and contingent remainder to his
son Nicholas and his heirs. (fn. 42) It appears that Mercy,
second wife of Nicholas Carew, sen., held this portion
of the manor for her life, for in 1440 Nicholas Carew,
jun., quitclaimed to Mercy, who was his father's wife,
all right in one third part of the manor of Woodmansterne and other lands and tenements formerly belonging to his father. (fn. 43) Towards the end of the 16th
century this part of the manor was in the possession
of the Skinner family. James Skinner settled it on
his great-nephew John and Alice Poyntz his wife. (fn. 44)
John died childless in 1584, and his sisters with Richard
Elyot his nephew were his heirs. (fn. 45) His purparty of
the manor fell to Richard Elyot, who died seised in
1608, (fn. 46) and his son and heir, another Richard, sold it
the next year to John Huntley. (fn. 47) He conveyed it in
1615 to Marlyon Rithe of Chipstead, (fn. 48) who through his
wife was already possessed of another third (see below).
His son Christopher succeeded him and in 1635 settled
the property on his son Marlyon on the occasion of
his marriage with Mary Short. (fn. 49) On the death of his
wife in 1647 Marlyon Rithe joined with his father in
conveying part of the estate to Abel Collyer, and the
remainder to Roger Lambert of Woodmansterne. In
1661 his kinsman Jeffrey Lambert of Burgh in Banstead acquired Shortes Place and the Oaks, Woodmansterne, from Roger, and in 1679 he bought the share
which had descended to Benjamin Collyer son of
Abel. This part of the manor became merged in the
rest of the Lambert property. (fn. 50)
In 1365 on the division of the manor John
Meriet, nephew of John de Beauchamp, inherited
two thirds (fn. 51) ; this portion he appears to have conveyed
to Guy Brian, chevalier, whose son William was
holding it as the manor in 1391. (fn. 52) William died
childless; his heirs were his nieces, of whom one
was Elizabeth wife of Sir Robert Lovell. (fn. 53) In 1424
John Iwardby and another, trustees of Elizabeth and
Robert, quitclaimed to John Burgh de Waleton and
Katherine his wife all right in the lands, tenements,
&c., in Woodmansterne which had belonged to
William Brian deceased. (fn. 54) In 1434–5 John Burgh
released to Richard Calcok of Chipstead his two
parts of the manor. (fn. 55) Richard had two daughters.
Eleanor the elder was disinherited on her marriage
with John Pope, a bondsman to the Duke of Norfolk,
and Joan the younger, wife of John Skinner, became
sole heir. (fn. 56) Their son Richard (fn. 57) had three children :
William, who died childless in 1499, (fn. 58) and Elizabeth
and Agnes, co-heirs. (fn. 59) Agnes was holding in 1506, (fn. 60) but
she appears to have released her right, for John Scott,
sen., her sister's husband, held the manor in 1513–14 (fn. 61)
and was holding it at his death in 1532. (fn. 62) Richard
Scott, son of John Scott, jun., succeeded to this moiety
on his father's death in 1558. (fn. 63) Richard conveyed
his purparty to Henry Iden, (fn. 64) who in 1562 sold it to
Robert Harris, (fn. 65) a master in Chancery. Robert
Harris had two daughters, co-heirs (fn. 66) : Martha married
Marlyon Rithe, who thus became possessed of two
thirds of the manor, (fn. 67) and the other moiety descended to Katherine, the second daughter of Robert
Harris and wife of Anthony Paynter of Gillingham. (fn. 68)
In 1653 their son William conveyed it to Sir
Edmund Bowyer of Camberwell. (fn. 69) Sir Edmund
held a court there in 1655, (fn. 70) and this moiety of the
manor remained in the Bowyer family, although
descending not always in the direct line, (fn. 71) until
1718, when Edmund Bowyer died seised, having
settled his estate in trust for his sister Frances for her
life, with remainder to his niece Martha (fn. 72) wife of
Joseph Windham, who had taken the name of Ashe.
She and her husband held a court in 1743, and at
her death the estate passed to her daughter and heir
Mary wife of John Windham of Wawne, co. York,
who took the name of Bowyer. They held a court
in 1752. Their son Joseph died without issue in
1810, when his sister Anne became sole heir; her
husband, Sir William Smijth of Hill Hall, co. Essex,
died in 1823. Sir Thomas, their second son and
heir, held a court in 1827 and died in 1833. Sir
John, his brother, held a court in 1835. He also
died without issue and a younger brother, Joseph
Smijth Windham, succeeded. He left a son and heir,
William George Smijth Windham. The manorhouse is now owned by Mr. A. Bryans, who bought
it from the executors of the late Mr. H. A. Wedd. (fn. 73)
Scott. Argent a fesse sable with three boars' heads or thereon.
Skinner. Gules three cross-bows argent with their stocks or.
CHURCH
The church of ST. PETER, entirely
rebuilt in the year 1876, consists of a
chancel, south transept, nave, south aisle,
vestry at the north-west of the nave and a wooden
bell turret at the west end.
The walls are faced with flint and the roofs are
tiled. The design is in the style of the middle of the
13th century. At the east end of the south wall of
the chancel is a 14th-century piscina from the former
church, with a trefoiled ogee head. The circular
basin appears to be modern. In the vestry window
is a small piece of 16th-century glass, probably
Flemish, containing a figure of St. Paul within a
foliated semicircular arch supported by baluster
columns. Some portions of the diapered ground of
this window may be of the 15th century. There
are a few similar pieces in the west window of the
nave. In the vestry is a fine Jacobean corner cupboard with a figure of Samson on the panel of the
door. A table and two chairs here are probably of
mid-17th-century date. The two chairs in the
chancel belong to the same period. The font of the
former church is now in a carpenter's shed adjoining
the old rectory. It is much mutilated, but is apparently modern.
No monuments of any interest now survive.
There are two bells inscribed as follows : (1)
'Bryanus Eldridge me Fecit 1661'; (2) 'Roger
Eastland Churchwarden James Bagley Fecit 1717.'
The plate consists of six pieces : silver chalice of
1711; silver paten of the same date; plated flagon;
plated credence plate; a larger plate, also plated;
silver alms-dish of 1847.
The registers previous to 1812 are in six volumes :
(i) baptisms 1568 to 1730, burials 1566 to 1710,
marriages 1568 to 1705; (ii) baptisms and burials
1730 to 1784, marriages 1731 to 1751; (iii) baptisms
and burials 1784 to 1796, marriages 1785 to 1800;
(iv) baptisms 1797 to 1812; (v) burials 1797 to
1812; (vi) marriages 1758 to 1782 and 1802 to
1810.
ADVOWSON
A church situated on the land of
Richard de Clare is mentioned in
the Domesday Survey. (fn. 74) It was
granted to the convent of St. Mary Overy in Southwark by Nigel de Mowbray in the reign of Henry I. (fn. 75)
They probably gave the benefice to some ecclesiastic
in consideration of an annual pension, for a parson is
mentioned in 1298 (fn. 76) and again in 1340, (fn. 77) and
among the receipts of the convent mentioned in the
Valor Ecclesiasticus is a pension of 20s. from the rector
of Woodmansterne. (fn. 78)
At the dissolution of Southwark Priory in 1539
the advowson passed to the Crown, where it still
remains. (fn. 79) In 1586 and 1587 Robert Harris, who at
that time owned two thirds of the manor, (fn. 80) presented,
probably under a grant from the queen. (fn. 81)
CHARITIES
Smith's charity is distributed as in
other Surrey parishes.
1662. Sarah Huntley left £100
for the poor.
1837. Miss Jane Lambert left £333 for the poor.
1873. Mrs. Rose Mildred left £710 to provide
coals for the poor, the rector and churchwardens
being made trustees.