Horsley, West (St. Mary)

HORSLEY, WEST (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Guildford, Second division of the hundred of Woking, W. division of Surrey, 3 miles (S. E.) from Ripley; containing 671 inhabitants, and comprising 3006a. 34p. "The Place," an extensive mansion belonging to the Westons, appears to have been chiefly built in the time of James I., but it has been much altered since; some parts were in existence prior to the reign of Elizabeth. A collection of valuable portraits, of the date of the 17th century, is still preserved here. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £22. 17. 1.; net income, £317; patron and incumbent, the Rev. H. S. Cerjat: the tithes have been commuted for £305, and the glebe contains 30½ acres. The church, situated on the side of the road from Leatherhead to Guildford, was repewed, and a vestry-room built, in 1810, at the expense of the Rev. Weston Fullerton, the rector, to whose memory there is a neat monument in the chancel, by Bacon. The east window contains some very ancient stained glass; and there are two handsome monuments to the Nicholas family, one of whom, Sir Edward, was secretary of state to Charles I. and II.; and an altar-tomb with an effigy of one of the Berners, a family who resided here about the time of Richard II.: the head of Sir Walter Raleigh was buried here. The tower is exceedingly picturesque, being covered with ivy, and surmounted by a spire. A Sunday school was founded in 1813, and endowed with £600 by the Rev. Weston Fullerton, who also, in 1817, left £3200 three per cent. reduced consols., the interest to be given to three poor men and three poor widows.