The Missing Church

Sutton continued to grow rapidly throughout the latter half of the 19th Century.  There were several reorganizations of the ancient parish of Sutton. The parish served by St Nicholas church was progressively reduced in size by the creation of the ecclesiastical parishes of Benhilton (All Saints), 1863, Sutton New Town (St Barnabas), 1884, and Christ Church, Sutton, 1888.

In 2006 the Sutton Team Ministry was established and reunited the parishes of Christ Church, St Barnabas Church and St Nicholas Church.

One of the mysteries of the history of St Nicholas however has been the 'missing church' called The Good Shepard.  See http://www.southwark.anglican.org/downloads/lostchurches/SUT01.pdf

"A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 4 (1912), pp. 243-246."  in its discussion of Sutton lists the mission church of The Good Shepherd as having a plated chalice and paten.

Some information about the the mission church of The Good Shepherd can be found in the Sutton Local Studies archive.  The lost church of The Good Shepherd was off Collingwood Road.  It opened some time between 1886 and 1890 and was closed in 1934.   The priest-in-charge of the Church of the Good Shepherd used to live at 88 Robin Hood Road.

See: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=362-6183&cid=-1#-1

The Ordinance Survey Map of 1898 shows the position of the Mission Church off Collingwood Road.

The Growth of Sutton

At the start of the 19th century Sutton was a small village.  The 1811 census counts 638 souls, half of whom worked on the land.

The old parish was approximately 3 miles long (north to south) and 1 mile wide (east to west) and comprised 1768 acres of land which were chiefly arable.  At south of the parish there were extensive chalk downs on which between 200 and 300 sheep were annually reared.  According to 'A Topographical Dictionary of England' (1848)these were "remarkable for their small size and superior flavour".

The soil in the northern part is clay with an intervening narrow tract of Thanet sand.  Nearly all of the houses in the parish were north of what is now the Cheam and Carshalton Roads because above those there were no sources of fresh water.

Major population growth happened after Sutton railway station was opened by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) on 10 May 1847.  Sutton was on the line from West Croydon to Epsom. Further connections to Epsom Downs and to Mitcham Junction were planned and would be built in the 1860s. The image below shows Sutton Railway Station in 1905.

By 1848 the population had grown to 1,304 inhabitants.  The arrival of the railway on its own did not cause the increase in population.  The census of 1851 shows that the population had only grown to 1,387 but in the next 10 years the population nearly trebled to 3,186 in 1861

It became obvious that the rapid growth of the population of Sutton meant that the old parish church of Sutton would no longer be able to cope.

Another important factor in the rapid population growth was the availably of plumbed water supplies.  The Sutton Water Company was incorporated in 1863, and the provision of water mains allowed houses to be built up onto the chalk land at the southern end of the parish. The Lord of the Manor at the time, Mr Alcock, sold land that was previously unsuitable for residential buildings, making it available for new construction.

The ancient parish of Sutton was divided in the same year and a new Parish of All Saints was created out of the northern half of the parish.  The construction of the Church of All Saints Benhilton began in 1863 and was consecrated in 1866.

Construction of the new St Nicholas Church started in 1862 ahead of the split of the old parish and was completed in 1864.

The New Church (1864)

The growth of the population of Sutton following the arrival of the railway in 1847 meant that the old parish church of Sutton was not longer able to cope.

The ancient parish of Sutton was divided in 1863 and a new Parish of All Saints was created out of the northern half of the parish.  The construction of the church of All Saints Benhilton began in 1863 and was consecrated in 1866.

The decision to rebuild the St Nicholas Church was made at a vestry meeting on 8 May 1862 when a committee to manage the project was appointed.  The building began the same year and the new building was consecrated on 17th February 1864.  It is now a grade II listed building (1974).

The building was designed by Edwin Nash FRIBA (1814 – 1884) whose son lived in Sutton Common Road.  The church is in the style of 13th century Gothic and the construction cost £7,200.  This would be about £4,450,000.00 today (2014) using increases in average earnings. The west end has a square tower, surmounted with a wooden spire with oak shingles.

The south porch has an inscription on the bargeboard: "How amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of Hosts"

The walls are of flint with stone cornering and the windows are also set in stone. The exterior roofs of the chancel and nave are of red tiles.  The red of the roofs contrast with the dark flint walls and the pale stone.

The internal length of the building is 112 feet (35m) and is 61 feet (18m) wide.

The nave has north and south aisles with two rows of stone pillars with capitals decorated with carved foliage and animals.  The interior walls were whitewashed.

The chancel is 34 feet (10m) by 19 feet (6m) with aisles either side separated from the body of the chancel by semi-screens of light ironwork of black with gilded highlights between pillars of polished Cornish marble.

The original pulpit was of stone decorated in a similar style as can be seen in the image below that dates from 1907.

The side aisles were originally used for seating.  In 1893 there were some major changes made to the church.  The organ was installed and a new vestry was built with clergy and choir rooms. In addition a large basement was added for the organ blowing plant and the north porch was built.  The organ was final installed in 1899 by the firm Norman and Beard of Norwich.

By 1914 when the image below was taken the original stone pulpit had been replaced by the current wrought iron one and a new chancel screen had been added to match the remaining screen on the south side of the chancel.

In the chancel is a reredos of white and yellow alabaster and stone.  The design is taken from the vision of the Apocalypse.  The reredos is recessed and has three arches.  The central figure is that of the Lamb in the midst of the throne.  Beneath his feet is the rainbow, and he bears a flag of victory.  On each side of the central figure are two angels kneeling in adoration.  Over the arches are 4 heads which represent Jesus as Redeemer, Prophet, Priest and King.

The original painting scheme has been covered.  The east wall of the chancel below the window was originally painted blue and was covered in gold stars.  On the left hand side at the top corner was the Greek letter 'alpha' and on the other side 'omega'.  Running across the wall and divided by the reredos was the text 'Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb'.

The new church was heated by hot water pipes and lit by gas.  The gas pipes were carried round the capitals of the pillars in the body of the church and along the tops of the iron screens in the chancel.  The pipes lead to numerous small jets which were said to 'give a good light and have a very pleasing effect'.  (Church's Illustrated Sutton 1880)

In the 1920s the southern aisle of the chancel was converted from seating into a Lady Chapel.  The small stone bowl on the column to the right of the picture is a piscina used for washing vessels during Mass.  It was discovered in the churchyard in the 1920s and would have been removed from the medieval church during the time of the reformation in the mid 16th century.

List of Rectors

Below is a list of Rectors of St Nicholas Church, Sutton. This information was originally taken from the list that is published at the west end of the Church. More information is being discovered and some of the gaps are being filled in.

Nicholas de Heddeshore
23rd October 1291
Patron: Chertsey Abbey. Abbot Bartholomew de Winton

Richard de Barton
26 September 1301, mentioned 1319?
Patron: Chertsey Abbey. Abbot Bartholomew de Winton

Oslacus?
Mentioned 1343
Patron: Chertsey Abbey. Abbot John de Rutherwyk

(Register 1345-1366 Lost)

Roger de Mohante
was Rector 1362, references in 1364 and 1367
Patron: Chertsey Abbey. Abbot William de Clyve

John Peyntor de Ludgershall
12 March 1377-8
Patron: Chertsey Abbey. Abbot John de Uske

John at Vyne
30 January 1391 to May 1392
Patron: Chertsey Abbey. Abbot John de Uske

John Pynnere
18 May 1392 to 15th October 1397
Patron: Chertsey Abbey. Abbot John de Uske

William Ferye
15 October 1397
Patron: King Richard II

Robert Peek
30 January 1398 to 17 February 1401 (or 2)
Patron: possibly King Richard II

William Grenefelde
17 February 1401 (or 2)
Patron: Chertsey Abbey. Abbot Thomas de Culverdone

John Baker
was Rector 6th June 1411 and 17 December 1412
Patron:

(Register 1415-1446 Lost)

William Barnet
Mentioned 1440, died 1451.
Patron:

Richard Sotty
19 April 1451
Patron: Archbishop of Canterbury on demise of Abbat, dated 10 March 1448-9 pro hac vice
(Note: John de Hermondesworth was Abbot of Chertsey from 1419 until his death in 1458, so I do not understand the above.)

William Morland
13 March 1461, resigned 1488
Patron: The King for this turn

William Kelet
15 November 1488, died late 1500
Patron: King Henry VII

(Register 1492-1500 Lost)

John Grygge LLD
c1500 - 1527
Patron: probably the King

William Benet LLD
19th March 1527 to 26th September 1533
Patron: probably the King

? Wright
was Rector 1534
Patron:

Richard Sedgrave
??? - Resigned 10th February 1540.
Patron: probably the King

Richard Eliot
10 February 1540 - died 1543
Patron: The King

Miles Braithwaite, M.A.
17 July 1543, deprived 1554
Patron: The King

Edmund Marvyn M.A.
4 July 1554, deprived 1560
Patron: Queen Mary


Henry Parry
17th February 1560 to deprived 1568???
Patron: Thomas Wyndsore

Thomas Halliday
8 September 1568
Patron: Henry Hungate, Citizen of London

James Griffith
3rd March 1569, died 29th December 1600
Patrons: Henry Browker of Stoke, Thomas Chaplin Esq, of Mere, John Powell, Hugh Powell

Ambrose Brigges
29 December 1600
Patron: Sir Francis Carew

Robert Cordell
22 March 1602-3
Patron:

Ralph Skynner
was Rector in 1624
Patron:

(Register 1616 - 1628 Lost)

Josse Glover
From 1625, Resigned 1636
Patron: Dame Grace Darcy

Henry Wyche
8 June 1636
Patron: Edward Darcy of Dartford

George Roberts
23 September 1678
Patron: Sir Richard Mason

Jeremiah Oakley
4 March 1685
Patron: Richard Mason, hac vice

William Stephens
26 July 1690
Patron: Lady Ann Mason

James Ramsey
10 March 1717-8
Patron: Thomas Case and Mary Blackman, hac vice

James Sanxay
31 December 1745
Patron: Henry Cliff, Esq

Giles Hatch
8 January 1767
Patron: Margaret Elianor Cliffe, by advice of Susannah, Widow her Guardian

Charles Gardner, DD
11 March 1800
Patron: Sarah Walford

Henry Hatch
9 May 1831
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

John Allen Giles, DD
1867
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

Charles Thomas Crutwell, M.A.
17 January 1885
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

Herbert William Turner, M.A.
7 February 1886
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

Edward Percy Woolcombe, OBE, MA
8 September 1922
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

Frederick James Gilbert, MA
12 January 1955
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

John Mackintosh Scott, MA
7 November 1964
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

John Norman Higgins, MA
25 April 1967
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

Frank Edward Rusby, MA
21 April 1978
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

David Hazlehurst, BSc
29 November 1984
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

Sara Jacoba Helena Goatcher
16 January 1996
Patron: Hertford College, Oxford

References

The List of Abbots of Chertsey has been drawn from:

'House of Benedictine monks: Abbey of Chertsey', A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 2 (1967), pp. 55-64.

The Old Church

The image below shows the Church as it was a few years before it was rebuilt in 1864.

The old St Nicholas Church was described as it was in 1850 in the book "A Topographical History of Surrey".  This was written by John Britton and Edward William Brayley.

The old church was small.  It was only 69 feet (21m) long and 37 feet (11m) wide and had undergone many changes during its history.   It was partially in the decorated English style and as the picture shows it had windows with closely spaced parallel mullions (vertical bars of stone) which went up to the level at which the arched top of the windows began. The mullions branched out and crossed and intersected to fill the top part of the window with a mesh of elaborate patterns called tracery.

The old church had a square tower of brick containing two bells which had replaced the old wooden tower sometime before 1792.  The two bells were both by Thomas Mears of  the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and dated 1841.

Its roof was covered in overlapping thin squares of flaky stones mortared into position.  These stone slabs varied between 18 and 24 inches square. That is about 45cm to 60cm in size.  The exterior walls of the church, especially the east end, were faced in flint.

The old church was divided into two parts, the chancel and the nave.  You can see this division in the picture above.  The chancel is end of the church nearest to us in the picture. This is the east end of the Church. Inside the church the chancel was raised by 3 steps.  Within the rails of the communion table at the east end were the tombs of Henry Wyche and George Roberts, both former rectors. The former died in 1678, the latter in 1686.

The people attending church would sit in the nave.  It was very crowded and to allow as many people to fit into church raised galleries had been added at the west end of the church and on its north side. With people sitting downstairs and upstairs the church could fit a congregation of about 400 people.  The old church didn't have an organ so people had to sing the psalms unaccompanied during services.

The pulpit which was used by the Rector or curate to preach the sermon was square and painted in imitation of wainscot (high quality wooden panelling) and fixed against the south wall of the nave.

The font, used for baptism, was small and made from stone and was in amongst the pews near the vestry in the north east corner of the nave.

The walls of the church were covered in monuments and charity boards.  These were all transferred to the new church.

The communion plate of the old church consisted of a silver chalice of 1843, silver paten with foot, of the same year and a silver flagon of 1842 and another silver paten of the same year, each inscribed 'Presented by Francis Gosling Esq. to the Parish of Sutton, 1843'.

The little church was kept in good order and it was described by in 1850 as having a 'very neat appearance'.

According to Robert P Smith in his book "A History of Sutton AD 675-1960" the flints from the old church were reused in the walls of the cottages making up 2-8 Lind Road and that other stones from the old church may have been used in the building of other properties in the same road.

This last image is an engraving of the old Church viewed from the northside.  It is from Charles Cracklow's 'Views of all the Churches and Chapelries in the County of Surrey' that was published in 1827 to accompany Manning and Bray's History of Surrey.