Kellys_1914_0519.jpg

VILLAGES D IRECTORY— 1914.

SONNINO.

477

from W o k in g h a m , o v e r th e sam e line.
T h e parish con sists o f the
liberties o f Son nin g T o w n and W o o d le y and S a n d ford , in th e E astern
div ision o f th e co u n ty o f B erk s, h un dred o f S on nin g and th e lib e r ty o f
E arley, in the hundred of C h arlton , all in th e p e tty sessional d iv is io n
and union o f W o k in g h a m , co u n ty cou rt d istrict o f R e a d in g and co u n ty
o f B e r k s ; and also com prises th e lib e rty o f E y e and D u n sd en , in
O xfordsh ire, w ith in th e h un dred o f B in field and L o n g tre e , u nion o f
H en ley-on -T h a m es, all in th e rural dean ery o f Son n in g, a rch d ea con ry o f
B erks and d iocese o f O x fo rd . T h e ch u rch o f S t A n d re w is a la rg e
edifice o f flint and stone, d a tin g in part from the 1 1 th cen tu ry , and c o n ­
sists of a spacious ch ancel w ith aisles, clerestoried nave o f five b a ys,
aisles, north and south porch and an em b a ttled w estern tow e r con ta in in g
8 bells and a c l o c k : in 1912 th e bells w ere taken dow n and re-hung in
a steel fr a m e : the arches on the south side of th e ch ancel are
e llip tic a l; th ose on th e n orth side are p oin ted , on clu stered p iers, and
th e easternm ost arch is rich ly scu lptu red w ith figures in stone rep resen t­
in g on on e side Our L o rd blessing th e A p ostles, on th e oth er, figures o f
kings and queen s, w ith th e V irg in and C h ild as a k eyston e, and serves
as a ca n op y to a m on u m en t, erected to th e m em ory o f th e R ev. H u gh
Pearson , canon o f W in d s o r and vicar o f Son nin g 1841-82 : in the south
aisle is a m odern m arble m onum ent w ith brasses to variou s m em bers
o f the fa m ily o f P a lm er, o f H olm e P a rk , and h ere also is a pain ted
m onum ent o f m arble to K a th erin e, L a d y L id co tt, 1630, w ith her effigy
kneeling at a d e s k : a m ortu ary ch apel, separated from th is aisle b y an
oak screen, is alm ost en tirely a llotted to m em orials o f this fa m ily , and
th e b e lfry con tain s a p on derou s m on u m en t o f b la ck m arble to T h om as
R ich , alderm an o f G lou cester, 1613, and t o Sir T h om as R ich , b a rt. o f
S on nin g, his s o n , o b . O ct. 15, 1 6 6 7: in th e w all b y th e v estry d o o r are
tw o curious tablets, dated resp ectiv ely 1533 and 1605; in th e vestry ,
n orth o f th e ch a n cel, is a m ural in scrip tion to R o b e r t W r ig h t S .T .P .
O xon , and others ; b elow , to R ob ert (1533) and A gn es (1579), proba b ly
ch ildren , w ith a shield o f arm s : on th e floor o f the nave are brasses to
Laurence F y to n esq. b a iliff o f S on nin g, 1434 ; W illia m B a rk er, stew ard
o f th e lord sh ip o f S on n in g, 1549, and A n n e his w ife ; W illia m B a rk er
esq. 1575, and A n n e (S tou gh ton ) his w i f e ; A n n e (B a rk er), w ife o f
W illia m Staverton , o f O akingham , gent. 1589 ; and E lizab eth , dau ghter
o f St. G eorge and D a m e A n n C h ute, 1 6 2 7 ; in th e n orth aisle is a fine
tom b to A n n a , w ife o f Sir J oh n Clarke b a rt. o f S a lford , W a r w ic k ,
1654; and th ere are also m em orials to W illia m (S cott), first a nd o n ly
B aron Stow ell, w h o died Jan. 28, 1836 ; to V is co u n t S id m ou th and to
E. G o ld in g esq. : there are m em oria l w in d ow s to H u gh H en ry and
C arolin e P ea rson , and on e, in serted in 1893, to W illia m G re g o ry , la te
o r g a n is t ; th e fo n t is o f C aen stone w ith a lo ft y ca n op y o f oa k : in a
n iche ov e r the d oor o f the n orth porch is a figure o f St. A n d re w , th e
patron s a in t : th e ch urch w as co m p le te ly restored in 1853, and fu rth er
restorations w ere effected during th e period 1879-90, at a cost o f £ 9 0 0 :
there are 800 sittings. T h e chancel ro o f has also la tely b een decorated
by M r. B o d le y R .A . and a list o f b ishop s o f Sonning da tin g from
909 A .D . and vicars o f Sonning since 1222, have been added. T he
register dates fro m th e year 1592. T h e liv in g is a re cto ry , gross yea rly
value £970-, in clu d in g 3 acres of g leb e, w ith residen ce, in th e g ift o f th e
Bishop o f O x fo rd , held since 1907 h y th e R e v . G ib b s P a y n e C ra w fu rd
M .A . o f C orpus C hristi C ollege, O xford. R e ce n t excavations in H olm e
.P ark h ave revealed the fou n da tion s o f the old b ish op ’ s p a la ce, and m uch
of archaeological interest has been discovered. T h ere are ch arities for
a pp ren ticin g and clo th in g , besides ch arities for edu cation al and fo r