STRATFIELDSAYE
Stradfelle (xi cent.); Stretfeld Magna, Stratfeld
Stuteville (xiii cent.); Strattefeud Say, Stratford Say
(xiv cent.); Strathfieldsay (xvi cent.); Stratfield Sea
(xviii cent.).
Stratfieldsaye is a village and parish on the Berkshire border of the county, 3½ miles south-east from
Mortimer station on the Reading and Basingstoke
branch of the Great Western Railway. The River
Loddon forms its eastern boundary, while the great
Roman road from London to Bath, from which it
derives its name, now generally called The Devil's
Highway, forms the county boundary on the north.
The elevation of the parish ranges from about 160 ft.
above the ordnance datum in the extreme east by the
Loddon to nearly 300 ft. above the ordnance datum
in the west. Stratfieldsaye Park, which is about 1 mile
broad by 1½ miles long, and contains altogether 1,500
acres, covers the eastern corner of the parish, and
extends into the neighbouring parishes of Hartley
Wespall, Stratfield Turgis, Heckfield, and Swallowfield
(co. Berks.). It is much diversified, and has some fine
old trees, oaks, elms, and hawthorns, scattered over its
heights and hollows. Stratfieldsaye House is pleasantly situated, overlooking the Loddon, which is
expanded into several sheets of ornamental waters.
From Swallowfield it is approached by a very fine
avenue of Cornish elms about a mile in length,
and another well-known avenue of Wellingtonias
leads out to Heckfield Heath. In the grounds north
of the house are some cedars of Lebanon, and some
tulip-trees, said to be the finest in England, while in
a paddock near the south-eastern corner, under the
shade of a Turkish oak, is the grave of the great
duke's famous charger, Copenhagen, who died in
1825, and was buried with military honours. The
rectory house and the church of St. Mary the Virgin
are situated near the western extremity of the park.
This church was built by the first Lord Rivers in
1784, and superseded one which stood to the northwest of the stables on what is now called the old
churchyard. The village, with the New Inn, the schools,
and a recreation ground, lies a short distance to the
west of the junction of cross roads in about the centre
of the parish. Farther to the west there are two small
hamlets, West End Green and Fair Oak Green, the
latter of which contains an iron church which was
erected in 1881 as a chapel of ease at the sole expense
of the then rector, the Rev. Horace George Monro,
M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. Stratfieldsaye covers an area of 2,743 acres, of which 1,089¾
acres are arable land, 1,680 acres permanent grass,
and 106¼ acres woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The soil is
various, while the subsoil is chiefly clay. Chequer
Green, Fair Oak Green, and West End Green were
inclosed by authority of the General Inclosure Acts
on 14 March 1866. (fn. 2)
Beech Hill was formed into an ecclesiastical parish
on 31 January 1868, out of the Berkshire portion of
Stratfieldsaye, (fn. 3) and was transferred from the diocese
of Winchester to that of Oxford on 30 April 1869. (fn. 4)
It is situated 1½ miles east from Mortimer railway
station. A short distance to the east of the village,
on the banks of the Loddon, is the Priory, now used
as a gentleman's residence, and hard by, the Cannon
Bridge over the Loddon marks the connexion of the
abbey of St. Mary Vallemont with the place. Beech
Hill House, a large and plain mansion of brick, is the
seat of Lieut.-Colonel Henry Lannoy-Hunter, B.A.,
J.P. It was purchased by his ancestor Henry LannoyHunter in 1740 from the Harrison family, who had
long possessed it. The soil is clay, and the subsoil
gravel. The chief crops are wheat, beans, and grass.
The area is 945 acres of land and 4 acres of land
covered by water.
The following place-names in the parish are found
in extant records:—Meadows called 'Langhome,'
'Heywoodland,' 'Square Burghfield,' 'Rough Burghfield,' 'Goddard Hills,' 'The Wirgg,' and 'Yarrow
Land, (fn. 5) (xvi cent.); messuages called 'Nutbeames,' (fn. 6)
'Fower Landes,' and 'Elains' or 'Faire Crosse House,'
and a green called 'Foure Land Greene ' (fn. 7) (xvii cent.).
Manors
At the time of the Domesday Survey
there were probably three estates in the
parish of STRATFlELDSAYE (fn. 8) —one
assessed at 7½ hides, which Bundi had held of Edward
the Confessor, and which then belonged to Hugh the
son of Baldri; (fn. 9) another which Hugh was holding of
Gilbert de Breteville, the holder of the king's manor of
Swallowfield (fn. 10) (co. Berks.), and the third assessed at
2 hides, and in the possession of Alvric, who had
succeeded Godric and Siward, the holders in the
reign of King Edward. (fn. 11) It is probable that the
first two holdings merged and became the later manor
of Stratfieldsaye, while the third estate possibly represents the later Hey wood's Farm, the history of which
is given below. In the 12th century the manor was
owned by the Stoteville family, as is apparent from
various charters in the possession of Eton College, and
from that circumstance it was called the manor of
STRATFIELD STOTEVILLE. William de Stoteville, the founder of the hermitage of St. Leonard.
Stratfieldsaye, a possession of the abbey of St. Mary
Vallemont, in Normandy, was the lord of the manor
towards the close of the 12th century, and in answer
to his petition Joscelin, Bishop of Salisbury, and
Hubert, Archbishop of Canterbury, between 1193
and 1205, confirmed the grant made by him to
Godard and his successors at the Hermitage. (fn. 12) Alice
wife of Ellis de Boeles is called the heiress of Stratfield in the charter whereby she confirmed to Godard
the hermit and the brethren of that place the gifts
made by her father William de Stoteville, (fn. 13) but
whether she succeeded William directly or followed
Robert de Stoteville, whose gifts to the abbey of
St. Mary Vallemont were confirmed by his relict
Leonia, (fn. 14) is uncertain. It
seems probable, however, that
her father gave Stratfield to
her in free marriage, for the
manor was subsequently held
of the Stotevilles. Thus John
de Stoteville is given as the
overlord in the Testa de
Nevill, (fn. 15) and Robert de Stoteville as overlord (fn. 16) had the
custody of the lands and heir
of the deceased lord of the
manor at the beginning of
the reign of Edward I. (fn. 17) Alice married as her second
husband Robert de Say, and in conjunction with him
granted land at Stratfield to the monks of Stratfield. (fn. 18)
The land of Robert de Say at Stratfield is mentioned
in a charter of 1227 disafforesting certain parts of
Berkshire, (fn. 19) but the exact date of his death is uncertain. He was apparently succeeded by Sir William
de Say, in whose life-time the name of the manor
was changed from Stratfield Stoteville to Stratfieldsaye.
Thus in 1260–1 William, as "William de Say of
Stratfieldsaye," released the abbey of St. Mary
Vallemont and the hermitage of St. Leonard from
the obligation of paying suit at his court, (fn. 20) whereas some time previously he had granted a piece
of land at Stratfield Stoteville to the church of St.
Leonard, and the monks there. (fn. 21) William at his
death left a widow Sybil and a son Robert, (fn. 22) who died
at the beginning of the reign of Edward I, leaving a
widow Emma and an infant son Thomas. (fn. 23) In 1278
Sybil de Say was successful in recovering the third part
of the manor as her dower from Robert de Stoteville, (fn. 24)
but Emma de Say refused to give up her son to his
custody, and therefore went dowerless. (fn. 25) Thomas de
Say presented a rector to the church of Stratfieldsaye
during the episcopacy of John of Pontoise (fn. 26) (1282–1304), and in 1312 the manor was settled on him
and his wife Isabel in fee tail, with contingent remainder to John Bluet the lord of Silchester and his
heirs. (fn. 27) Thomas, as Sir Thomas de Say, presented
to the church between 1323 and 1333, (fn. 28) and died
leaving as his heir his daughter Sybil. (fn. 29) His widow
Isabel subsequently married John Wace, (fn. 30) who as lord
of the manor presented to the church during the
episcopacy of Adam Orlton (fn. 31) (1333–45). Even
after the death of Isabel John seems to have retained
the manor. Thus he obtained licence from William Edendon, Bishop of Winchester (1346–66),
to hear mass in the oratory of his house in
the parish of Stratfieldsaye, (fn. 32) and in 1346 it was
stated that John Wace and Margaret his wife were
holding three-quarters of a knight's fee in Stratfieldsaye formerly belonging to Thomas de Say. (fn. 33) It was
probably on this account that Edward III in 1347
commanded the fine of 1312 to be inspected, (fn. 34) and
soon afterwards no doubt John Wace surrendered the
manor to Sybil, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas
de Say. The name of Sybil's husband is unknown, (fn. 35)
but before 1370 the manor had passed into the
Dabridgecourt family (fn. 36) by the marriage of her only
daughter and heir Elizabeth with Sir Nicholas
Dabridgecourt. (fn. 37) Sir Nicholas died on 20 May
1400, (fn. 38) and on the death of
his widow four years later the
manor passed to his son Sir
John Dabridgecourt, (fn. 39) who
died on 18 August 1418, leaving a son and heir John. (fn. 40) The
latter, who had married Agnes
daughter of William Bekingham in 1428, (fn. 41) immediately
after attaining his majority, (fn. 42)
died in 1431, leaving an infant
son Thomas, (fn. 43) and the manor
then passed, in accordance with
the terms of the marriage settlement, to his widow, (fn. 44) who subsequently married
William Brocas of Beaurepaire. (fn. 45) Agnes granted 9 messuages, 1 mill, 9 gardens, 100 acres of land, and 6 acres
of meadow in Stratfieldsaye to her son Thomas
Dabridgecourt in 1453, (fn. 46) probably on the occasion of
his marriage with his wife Beatrice, but remained
lady of the manor of Stratfieldsaye till her death in
1470. Her heir was her grandson Thomas, son of
her son Thomas, (fn. 47) who had died in 1466. (fn. 48) On his
death in 1495 he was succeeded by his son and
namesake, (fn. 49) who made good his title to the manor in
1538, (fn. 50) and died seised two years later. (fn. 51) George
Dabridgecourt, son and heir of Thomas, died on
26 February 1559, (fn. 52) having by will dated on the day
of his death bequeathed £100 each to his daughters
Dorothy and Susan, with the proviso however that 'if
it fortune eyther of my said daughters to contracte
theymselves in marriage without the consent of my
wyf or my overseer, then I will she so misbehavinge
herself to be rewarded at their discretion.' (fn. 53) His
son and heir Thomas, who was afterwards knighted,
and was sheriff of Hampshire in 1583, died in 1614,
and was followed by his son Henry. (fn. 54) The latter
died fifteen years later, and was succeeded by his son
and heir George, (fn. 55) who sold
the manor for £4,800 to Edward Pitt, son and heir of Sir
William Pitt, in 1629. (fn. 56) Edward Pitt died in 1643, leaving a son George, (fn. 57) concerning
whom the major-general of
Hampshire wrote as follows to
the Council in 1656 (fn. 58) : 'That
his father died in 1643 leaving him a minor to the tuition
of his kinsman Sir Ralph Hopton then in arms. That petitioner had frequently to repair
to him for advice in the management of his estate.
That, as soon as he had means to travel he went to
France in 1644, and remained till the end of the
first war. That he was never sequestered and was
acquitted on examination by the Committee of Dorset
of ever having acted against the state. That this
notwithstanding, on Parliament's vote for voluntary
discoveries, he having been under a delinquent
guardian offered himself for composition to the Commissioners at Goldsmiths' Hall and paid the £1,200
fine. That in 1648 he voluntarily lent Parliament
£700 on the Public Faith, and bought on the state's
title to bishops', deans', and chapters' lands, and on the
whole matter the Commissioners could find no cause
of delinquency against him, but because he had compounded they conceived themselves bound by instructions not to discharge him, yet for his good affection
and the character given him by several of repute they
recommend him for grace. That George Pitt be
discharged from any proceedings against him or his
estate by the Majors-Generals and that letters be
written accordingly.' (fn. 59) On his death in 1694 he
was followed by his son George, who died in 1734,
leaving as his heir his son and namesake. (fn. 60) The lastnamed, at his death in 1745, left as his heir his son,
likewise named George, who was created Lord Rivers
of Stratfieldsaye on 20 May 1776, and died on
7 May 1803, aged eighty-two. (fn. 61) From his son and
heir George Pitt, second Lord Rivers, the manor was
purchased by the nation in 1817, (fn. 62) and granted to
Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington, 'to be
held to him and his heirs of the
king and his heirs and successors
as of his castle of Windsor in
free and common soccage by
fealty and rendering to his majesty, his heirs and successors
on the eighteenth day of June
in every year at the Castle of
Windsor one tri-coloured flag
for all manners of rents, services, exactions and demands
whatever.' The owner of
Stratfieldsaye at the present
time is Arthur Charles Wellesley, fourth Duke of Wellington, nephew of Arthur Richard Wellesley, the second
duke, who succeeded his father
the first duke in 1852 and
died without issue in 1884. (fn. 63)
Stoteville. Burelly argent and gules.
Dabridgecourt. Ermine three bars gules cut off at the ends.
Pitt of Stratfieldsaye. Sable a fesse checky argent and azure between three bezants.
Wellesley, Duke of Wellington. Gules a cross between twenty roundels argent for Wellesley quartered with Or a lion gules for Colley; with a scutcheon in the chief of the Union badge of the United Kingdom.
Stratfieldsaye House is a plain building of little
architectural interest. In plan it consists of a main
block facing north-west and south-east with wings at
either end, which form, with a central portico, an
E-shape on the north-west front, but are only of
slight projection at the back; beyond them at either
end are later additions. The house is of two stories
with plain rectangular windows, and an attic with
square dormer windows in the roof. Between the
first-floor windows on the main front are shallow
Ionic pilasters, and there are also four round-headed
niches for figures, and a small pediment as a central
feature. The ends of the wings have curved and
pedimented gables.
It is not improbable that some parts of the building
date from the 16th century and the time of the
Dabridgecourts, but it has been so much altered
and enlarged since then that it is difficult to trace the
original work. The greater part of these enlargements were carried out by Lord Rivers who, in 1795,
added the long gallery, the dining-room, the library,
the present billiard-room, the duke's sitting-room,
and two ground-floor bedrooms; he also raised the
ceiling of the hall to its present height by the abolition of the rooms then above it. The first Duke of
Wellington built the first-floor rooms and attics to
the two wings, also the rooms for the first duchess
over the dining-room. In the long gallery, which is
on the south-east front, are a series of engravings
cemented to the finely-plastered walls. This was
done by Lord Rivers, but the third duke had them
inclosed with gilt frames and the walls painted a dead
gold.
Under the floor of the 'steward's room' in the
north wing there is a paved chamber containing a
large copper or boiling apparatus supposed to have
been used by Lord Rivers as a laundry or a structure
wherein food was prepared for his dogs, and a number of sheep bones and other debris found below the
drawing-room points to there having been a pond
there before the space was inclosed in the house.
In the entrance hall is a number of portrait busts
of various generals and other contemporaries of the
first duke, one being a striking bronze of Marshal
Massena; an interesting historic relic is the duke's
banner which formerly hung nbove his stall as Knight
of the Garter in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.
There are several portraits of the duke, but the
finest is probably the half-length figure by Sir Thomas
Lawrence, which hangs in the dining-room.
Several Silchester relics are preserved here, notably
two of the earliest found pavements, and a bronze
eagle. The tennis-court (built by the first duke)
and the stables stand to the north-west of the
house.
The elm avenue in the park already mentioned is
said to be over 150 years old, planted by the first
Lord Rivers; between the elms are horse chestnuts
planted by the first Duke of Wellington. The
avenue as it nears the house is succeeded by one of
yew trees, which expands and surrounds the oval plot
in front of the house. On the west side of the latter,
and between it and the kitchen gardens, is the
'American garden,' laid out by the first duke's
gardener with rhododendrons, azaleas, araucarias, etc.,
and with a basin and fountain in the centre.
There were two mills appurtenant to the manor at
the time of the Domesday Survey. (fn. 64) In the inquisition taken after the death of Elizabeth Dabridgecourt
in 1404. three mills are mentioned as belonging to
the manor—two water-mills of the yearly value of
£2 and one fulling-mill worth 6s. 8d. a year. (fn. 65) A
mill is included in the settlement made by Agnes
Brocas on her son Thomas Dabridgecourt in 1453, (fn. 66)
and this probably represents the modern Stanford
Mill, north of the park just within the Berkshire
borders. (fn. 67) A free fishery in the Loddon was another
appurtenance of the manor. (fn. 68)
The park of Stratfieldsaye dates back to 1261, in
which year Henry III granted licence to William de
Say to inclose his wood of Hangre, which was within
the metes of the forest of Pamber, and to make it
into a park there. (fn. 69)
Towards the end of the reign of Edward III the
bond-tenants of Stratfieldsaye claimed their freedom
in accordance with an indenture made by Thomas de
Say when lord of the manor. An inquisition on the
subject was held in 1364, and it was ascertained that
after the death of Thomas de Say the indenture had
come into the possession of Robert de St. Manefeo,
lord of the manor of Heckfield, who had sold it to
the bond-tenants for £55, but that Thomas de Say
and Isabel his wife and all other lords of the manor
had been seised of the bond-services of the tenants as
much after the date of the indenture as before. (fn. 70)
HEYWOOD'S FARM, in the south of the parish,
a little to the west of the River Loddon, perpetuates
the name of the Hey wood or Haywode family, by
whom it was held for about three centuries. In the
12th century Osbert de Heywood granted an acre of
land to St. Mary and St. Leonard-on-Loddon and
the brethren serving God there. (fn. 71) In the 13th century a John de Heywood witnessed a grant of land in
Stratfield made by William de Say, (fn. 72) while some time
later John son of John de Heywood obtained an
acre of land at Stratfield from William Neuman. (fn. 73)
During the episcopacy of Adam Orlton (1333–45)
licence to hold service in his oratory within the parish
of Stratfieldsaye was granted to Nicholas de Heywood, (fn. 74) and in 1348 1 messuage, 2 carucates of land,
20 acres of meadow, 10 acres of wood, and 50s. rent
in Stratfieldsaye were settled upon him in fee-tail
with contingent remainder to Walter de Heywood, (fn. 75)
who had obtained 1 toft, 50 acres of land, 6 acres of
meadow, and 3 acres of wood in the same place from
John de la Penne and Agatha his wife four years previously. (fn. 76) Walter eventually succeeded, and in 1403,
with Thomasina his wife, sold all his lands and tenements by the description of 6 messuages, 6 tofts,
240 acres of land, 30 acres of meadow, 66 acres of
pasture, the crop and pasture of 20 acres of meadow,
12 acres of wood, a fishery, and a weir in 'Denemede,' and rents of 26s. 8d., one pound of pepper,
and one pound of cummin in Stratfieldsaye and
Bramley, together with the right of bearing the Heywood arms, to John Fromond. (fn. 77) This holding appears
to have passed soon afterwards by sale, for it is
probably represented by the 3 messuages, toft, and
lands in Stratfieldsaye, Heywood, Bramley, Heckfield, &c., of which Agnes widow of William Brocas
died seised in 1470. (fn. 78) In the 16th century, as the
'manor of Heywood,' it appears in the possession of
the lords of Wolverton. Edward Barrett died seised
in 1586, (fn. 79) and from that date Heywood has followed
the descent of Wolverton (fn. 80) (q.v.), its present owner
being Arthur Charles Wellesley, fourth Duke of
Wellington.
The reputed manor (fn. 81) of BEECH HILL or BEECH
HILL WYKE was held of the manor of Stratfield
Mortimer, and followed the same descent as the manor
of Stratfieldsaye (q.v.) until 1606, when Sir Thomas
Dabridgecourt and Margaret his wife granted it to
their daughters Elizabeth and Susan. (fn. 82) The former
married Sir Stephen Leysyure, while the latter
became the wife of Charles Evans. (fn. 83) In 1634 Charles
Evans and Susan granted a twenty-one years' lease of
the manor to Sir Francis Knollys, (fn. 84) while two years
later they gave up all their right to Edward Pitt, (fn. 85)
the owner of Stratfieldsaye. From this date this
manor has again followed the same descent as the
manor of Stratfieldsaye (q.v. supra), the present owner
being the fourth Duke of Wellington.
Priory Manor
In 1294, when difficulties arose as
to the alien priories owing to the war
with France, Edward I had the whole of
their property and goods valued throughout England. (fn. 86) The Prior of Stratfieldsaye at that
time held a messuage with dovecote within the precincts of the priory manor worth 6s. 8d. a year. He
held also 100 acres of arable land worth 25s. a year,
7 acres of meadow worth 8s. 9d. a year, and 6 acres
of underwood worth 1s. 6d.: total, £2 1s. 11d.
There were seven free tenants holding 2 virgates at a
rent of £1 15s. 9d. The prior also drew a pension
of £3 11s. 8d. from the church of Stratfieldsaye,
making the total annual value £7 9s. 4d. (fn. 87)
In 1342 another inquiry was held concerning the
possessions of the priory, and it was ascertained that it
held lands, rents, a mill, and a dovecote in Berkshire
of the yearly value of £3 14s. 3d., and lands and
rents in Hampshire worth £1 16s. 1d. a year. (fn. 88) It
was also returned that it was burdened with the keep
of two monks, and that it was incumbent on it to
give one night's shelter and a meal to every one who
sought the charity of the hermitage. (fn. 89) In 1378 a
further extent of the priory was taken, and its gross
annual value was given as £13 9s. 2½d., from which
had to be subtracted every year
£6 13s. 4d. for the support of
one chaplain, 2s. rent to the
lord of Stratfieldsaye, and 3s.
rent to the lord of Burghfield. (fn. 90)
The priory remained the property of successive kings of England until 1461, when Edward IV granted it with all its
possessions in free alms to the
'Provost and the College of
St. Mary's Eton by Windsor.' (fn. 91)
The provost and fellows are still
the owners of the priory, which
retains no features in its existing portions later than 1648.
Eton College. Sable three garden lilies argent and a chief party azure and gules "with a fleur-de-lis or in the aaure and a leopard or in the gules.
Church
The church of OUR LADY is a brick
building in the shape of a Greek cross,
and was built by George Pitt, afterwards
Lord Rivers, in 1784. It was dedicated on 1 September 1758 by John Thomas, Bishop of Salisbury,
by permission of Benjamin Hoadley, then Bishop
of Winchester. (fn. 91a) It consists of a chancel, a nave,
and north and south transepts, with a north organ
chamber, and a west portico, and over the centre
of the building is a low octagonal tower with a slated
cupola. The exterior is very plain, with roundheaded brick windows and a brick cornice; but the
proportions are not unpleasing, and the three arches
of the west portico have a good effect. Within, the
altar is set in a recess with a semicircular head,
lighted by a triple window now filled with glass in
memory of the third Duke of Wellington; the nave
and north transept are filled with galleries, and all
fittings are modern. There is a good 18th-century
alabaster font at the west end of the nave, but the
chief interest of the building lies in the monuments.
There are mural monuments with busts of the second
and third Dukes of Wellington in the south transept,
but the earliest memorials to former possessors of
Stratfieldsaye are two plates of brass on the north
side of the chancel. The first one bears an inscription
in black letter which begins as follows: 'Epitaph[u]m
Georgii Dabrigecort armigeri (nup[er] dom[inus] de Stratfeldsay)
a filio suo et herede Thoma Dabrigecort paulo post
morte cōditu[..] obiit 27 die februarii anno d[omi]ni 1558,' &c.
The other piece of brass is small and has simply the
words: 'per me Thomā dabrigecort.'
On the west jamb of the arch opening to the organchamber is an inscription to John Howsman, rector,
'who here continued a paynfull Preacher by the
space of 41 yeares.' He died in 1626. The inscription is set in a carved stone frame with an arched
panel over containing a kneeling figure.
On the south side of the south transept is a large
monument to Sir William Pitt and his wife Edith,
set up by their eldest son Edward Pitt. The
husband died in 1636 and the wife in 1633. The
effigies of alabaster are of very good workmanship, as
is the whole tomb, and the sculptors, John and Matthew Christmas, have set on it their name and the
date 1640. The two effigies recline on their left
arms, that of Sir William at a higher level than his
wife; he wears a long, furred gown, and holds a
scroll in his right hand; she rests her elbow on a
cushion and holds a small book. Below is a panelled
front, the side panels of which are carved in alabaster
as grated openings through which skulls and bones are
seen. The inscription is on a black marble slab above
the effigies, and over it is a broken pediment with
entablature carried by two Corinthian columns.
In the pediment are the arms of Pitt.
There are also two shields on the back of the tomb,the
first being Pitt impaling Gules a fesse vairy or and azure
between three goats' heads razed argent, for Catesbury,
which latter coat appears in the second shield.
To the east of this is a large mural monument
accompanied by fourteen shields of arms, of which
the first nine refer to the matches of Edward Pitt and
his children.
1. Pitt impaling Gules a goat's head razed argent
having its horns or, quarterly with ermine,
for Morton (Edward Pitt and Rachel Morton
his wife).
2. Pitt impaling Argent six lioncels sable, for Rivers
(George Pitt and Lady Jane Rivers his wife).
3. Pitt impaling Azure two bars argent with the
difference of a martlet sable, for Venables
(John Pitt and Katherine Venables his wife).
4. Pitt impaling Argent a cheveron between three
griffons' heads razed gules, which are the arms
of Tilney.
5. Pitt impaling Ermine a lion sable, for Jeffreys
(Francis Pitt and Elizabeth Jeffreys his wife).
6. Pitt impaling Or three piles gules and a quarter
ermine, for Bassett, impaling Pitt (Christopher
Pitt and Dionisia Bassett his wife).
7. Argent three rams passant sable, for Sydenham
or Sidnam, impaling Pitt (Charles Sydenham
and Edith Pitt his wife).
8. Argent crusilly fitchy with a cheveron between
three mill-rinds sable and a chief ermine, for
Kingsmill, impaling Pitt (John Kingsmill and
Rachel Pitt his wife).
9. Sable three voided lozenges argent, for Whitaker,
impaling Pitt (Francis Whitaker and Katherine
Pitt his wife).
10. Pitt impaling party fessewise in chief Argent,
a cross between four lozenges gules, in base
Barry argent and azure a label of five points
gules bezanty.
11. Sable three lions passant bendwise argent,
between double cotises argent (with the badge
of Ulster) impaling Pitt.
12. Lozengy gules and argent, quartering Gules
three martlets bendwise between double
cotises argent, impaling Pitt.
13. Azure three mullets or, impaling Pitt.
14. Argent a cheveron between three griffons'
heads razed gules impaling Pitt.
The inscription reads:—' Here were inter'd in the
year 1643 ye Bodyes of Edw Pitt Esq. Sonn & heire
of Sr Wm Pitt Kt and Rachell his wife the eldest
Daughter of Sr George Morton of Milborne in the
County of Dorsett Barrt by whom he had issue Tenn
Sonns (viz.) Wm and two Edwards who dyed unmaryed.
Nichs and Samuel not maryed when this was ingraven.
John maryed to Katherine Daughter of Nichs Venables of Andover in the County of South'ton Esq.
Thomas Maryed to Frances Daughter of Giles
Cossey of Cosseys Compton in ye County Glocester
Esq. Francis Maryed to Eliz: Daughter of Jeffery
Jefferyes of Alburcunick in ye County of Brecon Esq.
Christopher ye youngest Maryed to Dionisia sister of
Sr Wm Bassett of Carlton in ye County of Sum[m]ersett.
He had allsoe four Daughters: Edith Maryed to
Charles Sydenham Esq. Sonn and heire of Sr Edw.
Sydenham Knigt-Marshall. Rachell Maryed to John
Kingesmell of Sandelford in the County of Berkes
Esqr. Katherine Maryed to Francis Whitaker of
St. Martins in the County of Midelsex Esq. Eliz.
the youngest dyed in her Infancy. George the third
Sonn by Birth became (in ye yeare 1643) the Eldest
Sonn and heire of Edward & Inter-Maryed with the
Right Honourable Jane Lady Chandos 2nd Daughter
to John Earle Rivers and Relict of George Lord
Chandos Baron of Sudeley by whom he had four
sonns George William John and Edward and four
daughters Mary Eliz: Jane & Ann all living at the
Death of theire Mother who departed this life the
6 of June 1676 to the greate Griefe of all that knew
her,' &c. Her husband erected this monument in
1681, and was himself buried here in 1694.
On the lower part of the same monument is an
inscription to George Pitt, esq., 1734, and Lucy (Pile)
and Lora (Grey) his first and second wives.
To the west of Sir Wm. Pitt's monument is one to
George Lord Rivers, 1803, with life-size figures in
white marble in classic costume, and a ridiculously
laudatory inscription.
On the south wall of the nave is a brass on which
is inscribed an elegy on the death of Eustace Dabrigecourt, written by John Howsman, rector. He
died at sixteen, and his father, Thomas, died in 1594,
the date of the son's death not being given.
On the floor of the west portico are the indents of
several brasses, one of which had the figures of a man
and a woman with an inscription below and the
figure of one child. A scroll from the man's mouth
evidently bore an address to his patron saint, whose
figure was above him, and close to its indent is a cross,
from which it seems that the stone is an altar-slab
re-used. There are, however, no signs of crosses at
the other three corners of the slab. In one of them
is the indent of a shield. To the right of the man
is the indent of a vertical strip of brass. A second
slab has the much-worn indents of two large figures
under a canopy flanked by shields, and two other slabs
preserve only the nails which fastened brasses to them.
The cupola contains five bells, the treble, second,
and third being by Thomas Swain, 1756, the fourth
by Thomas Mears, 1841, and the tenor by John
Warner & Sons, 1864.
The plate consists of a cup and cover paten of
1650 with the names of the churchwardens for 1667;
a silver gilt cup of 1712, given by George Pitt and
Lora his wife in that year; a paten belonging to it;
another plain silver gilt paten; two flagons, silver, of
the same date and gift; and a silver plate inscribed
M.D.
The registers begin in 1539, the first book containing baptisms from 1671, marriages to 1672, and
burials to 1673. The second has baptisms and burials
from 1673 to 1770, and marriages to 1754; the third
continues the marriages from 1754 to 1799, the fourth
baptisms and burials from 1771 to 1812, and the fifth
marriages from 1799 to 1812. They have also all
been indexed into the names of the various families.
Advowson
A church existed in the parish at
the time of the Domesday Survey. (fn. 92)
The advowson was granted to the
abbey of St. Mary Vallemont by William de Stoteville. His gift was confirmed by Alice wife of Ellis
de Boeles, (fn. 93) but subsequently the abbey seems to have
given up its right to the advowson to the lords of the
manor in return for an annual pension. (fn. 94) The advowson has from this time followed the same descent
as the manor, (fn. 95) the living at the present time being a
rectory, net yearly value £383, with 18 acres of
glebe, in the gift of the Duke of Wellington.
The question of tithes was dealt with by the Court
of Exchequer in the reign of George II. (fn. 96)
From Mrs. Forbes, who created the living of Beech
Hill by buying the tithes from the rector of Stratfieldsaye, the advowson passed to her only surviving child,
Miss Forbes, who, dying in 1908, left it by will to
her cousin, Lieut.-Colonel Henry Lannoy-Hunter,
B.A., J.P.
In Beech Hill there is a chapel for Baptists,
founded in 1796, with 140 sittings, and an endowment for a minister.
Charities
The charity of George Pitt and
others for educational purposes and for
poor in sums of 5s. each, formerly
consisted of a farm in Odiham of 33 acres, purchased
in 1739, with donations of Mrs. Lora Pitt and other
members of the family. The farm was sold in 1880
to Sir Henry Mildmay, bart. The trust funds, which
were augmented in 1892 by a gift of £100 by the
Rev. H. G. Monro, now consist of £1,163 14s. 2d.
consols.
By an order of the Charity Commissioners of
13 October 1903, made under the Board of Education Act, 1899, three-fourths of the trust funds,
namely, £872 15s. 8d. stock, producing yearly
£21 16s. 4d., was determined to be the educational
foundation, and one-fourth, namely, £290 18s. 6d.
stock, to be the eleemosynary branch of the charity.
The poor also receive £10 a year from the trustees
of the charity of James Christmas in Sherfield upon
Loddon, founded by will 1735.
In 1791 George, Lord Rivers, by will proved in the
P.C.C. 1803, bequeathed £60 for the poor, which,
augmented by subscriptions, is now represented by
£109 1s. 10d. consols.
'The Stratfieldsaye Charity,' founded by deed of
10 March 1879, consists of £114 4s 11d. consols,
the dividends being applicable for the benefit of poor
persons resident in the parish.
The several sums of stock are held by the official
trustees. The income of the eleemosynary charities,
amounting to about £20 a year, is applied in money
gifts varying from 5s. to £1 to each recipient.