Leatherhead, Surrey

Description
Leatherhead, a small town and a parish in Surrey. The town stands on the river Mole, at a fourteen-arched bridge across the stream, and has stations on the L. & S.W. and L.B. & S.C.R. 18 miles from London, and 4 SW by S of Epsom, and has a post, money order, and telegraph office. It was known to the Saxons as Leodre, Ledret, and Leadrite; appears to have been long a place of considerable importance; was the seat of the sheriff county court prior to the end of Henry III.'s reign, and was also a market-town; consists now of four streets, with large gardens sloping down from the back of one of them to the river; and has two chief inns, a church, Baptist, Wesleyan, and Congregational chapels, a mechanics' institute, and charities. One of the inns has a spacious apartment for balls, concerts, and public meetings. A small inn, a timber-built house recently much altered, close to the bridge, is said to have been the hostel of " Dame Eleanor Eummyng," celebrated by Skelton, the laureate of Henry VIII. St John's or Foundation is a school for the free boarding and education of sons of clergymen of the Church of England; it was first established at Clapton, but was transferred to Leatherhead in 1872, and the buildings were considerably enlarged in 1890. The church stands on an eminence above the Mickleham Road; is a cruciform edifice of the 13th century; was given, about the middle of the 14th century, to the priory of Leeds in Kent; has a tower with octagon staircase at the NE corner, and strong double buttresses at each of the other corners; contains carved screens at the division between the nave and the transepts; contains also, in its E window, stained glass brought from Eouen by the Eev. J. DaUaway, at the time when he was publishing his. history of West Sussex; and contains likewise a beautiful monument to Mrs. Dixon, and many ancient marble tablets. Mailing and brewing are carried on. Area of parish, 3480 acres; population, 4305. The manor, with Eandall Parky belongs to the Henderson family. Leatherhead House was the seat of the Gores and of Judge Jeffreys. Bricks and tiles are made. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Winchester; value, £350 with residence. Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Eochester.