The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-03-21
AN OLD ENGLISH VILLAGE.

are some visitors who are not content
/ to walk from the station to the race
track and back, and who have penetrated
as FAR as the village of Esher. For in
spite OF its nearness to London, its royal
residence. and its race course, Esher re-
tains many charming characteristics of a
village in its quaint, irregular High street,
its old inns with their projecting signs.
and its struggling green's, marked by
| fine old trees
Nothing in Esher is more interesting
! than st. Georges Church. locally known
as the Old Church, which has just been
| restored and reopened Hidden away in
corner OF High street. 1t is easy to over
look. The building. with its old clock
and little wooden belfry, has a very
quaint aspect. while the effect within
Is even more curious. It would appear
as IL an Anglican church. a Noncon-
formfst chapel, and a Greek temple all
had been united This somewhat incon-
gruous result is produced by the combina-
ton OF a nave and chancel and fine
arched wood beams OF the sixteenth CEN
fury. with plain arched windows and
square side aisle and gallery, while the
presence. on the south side of the church.
Of an immense chamber pew. on the gal
1ery level, guarded by pilasters and
pediment in the pseudo-classicai style.
has a curiously pagan effect Perha ps the
Christian virtues OF those who built for
themselves and their families those horrf-
BILE pews. where they could sit Cor Sleep
in state. separated from the vulgar herd"
were not very well developed. and there
for. pagan designs were adopted In the
eighteenth century separate pale even
was made in the communion rails. so that
the occupants of the lords pew could
keep their aristocratic aloofness.
The original church was built about
l54o. and Of this building. as has been
said. the nave and chancel walls and
tho roof beams survive. II was Thomas
Pelham-HoIcs. first Duke Of Newcastle, !
who built the chamber pew, a room Of
considerable size, reached by a private |
staircase. and whence the occupants |
could survey the whole church. This |
pew was afterward divided into two one
half for the use Of Clarement and the |
other FOR the benefit Of Eshsr Place |
where the dukes brother. Henry Pelham. |
was living. The duke also introduced |
tho round-headed windows. an alteration
The north aisle was built in 1872 by John !
Dc Ponthi"u Of Esther Lodge. while in
1870 a second gallery was built above the
old one at the west end Of the church,
producing a rather top-heavv effect I'm
such a small building. Doubtless it was
an effort to provide accommodation for
an Increasing congregation. but in 1854
the effort was abandoned. and the new
-I,r ~-t,. IL Il,
Church. was erected.
Since then the old church has not been
used for services and has fallen into dis
repair. 4 committee was formed 70
hasten It's restoration. 4 new floor was
put IN and the roof timbcrs. the pillars.
and the front ar the lower gallery. which
were covered with white paint. were
scraNcd. so as to allow the dark oak 10
10 seen. The clock which had not been
used for about forty years. also was re-
paired and set going. This Is ono Of tho
most interesting features Of the church
as II is Of very early design, and its exist
encc IS referred to in local document
dated 1859.
There arc many interesting royal mem
cries connected with Esther Old Church
It was in the Claremont pew that the
Princess Charlotte and Prince Leo
pod. afterward Leopold ]. King OF
the Relgians used 70 sit; and in one
corner Of the church is scuIpturod
10 the princess. who died in
such a melancholy way within a year
Of her marriage. It was executed by the
Of Queen Victoria, and was
placed originally on the staircase Of
CIaremont hut was presented to the
church by the Duchess Of Albany in
1910. 1t consists of three panels; in the
center one appear the portraits OF the
princess and her husband. engaged in
works OF charity. to which Princess I
Charlotte was devoted: in the panel on
the right tho death Of the princess is ,
shown: while in that on the left the
prince is portrayed accepting the crown
Of the Belgians, with the approval of
The princess afterward had a private
chapel fitted up a Claremont. change ;
due partly to the infrmity of the then
incumbent OF Esher parish. who was ,
very old. very deaf and very fndistinCt ,
n speech. and partly owing to desire ,
for greater privacy: for Il is recorded
that at that time the church was crowd
I'd. partly with booted beaux and dash '
ing eIegan;es. who on hired steeds and !
in glass coaches hurried from the me ! 7
tropoIis to render tho virtuOUs village :
II Esher on a Sunday a scene OF diSsi-
pation.''
The same Claremont pew at later
late was occupied by the late Duchesse
TOrleans, and Queen Victoria also used {
I before her accession, and afterward I
when she visited Claremont with the
Prince Consort.
The ecclesiastical history of ESher Old ,
Thrrch is OF considerable interest and
s fully detailed in a monograph on the
church written by the rector of Esher
Rev. J. h. Eloyer. the local secretary
or Surrey of the Society of Antiquaries
rhe pastorate on several occasions was
leld by a Nonconformist. The method of q
appointment in the first instance was
certainly curious. One of Esher's claims
o interest lies in fits association with
he famous Drake family. The great Sir Z
Francis Drake is said to have presented I
rom Santo Domingo. His brother, Il
Richard Drake equerry to Queen Eliza
,eth, purchased Esher Place, probably
,ut of the profits of some of his naval y
expeditions. 1t was Richards son, Fran q
is, who appointed to the living of Esher T
dr. Thomas Hooker later a -well-known
igure in the early history of the New II
england States. The object OF the ap- c
was to secure spiritual con-
olation for Mrs. Drake, who was suffer
ng from a form of religious mania. APP
arently she was the only member of Y
he congregation whose interests were d