The subjoined is copied from "St. Mary's Battersea Parish Magazine" for November, 1875. "Vicars of Battersea from Olden Times. The following extract from 'A History and Antiquities of Surrey,' begun by the Rev. Owen Manning, enlarged and continued to the year 1814 by William Bray, Esq., printed for White, Cochrane & Co., at Horace's Head, Fleet Street, will be of interest.
| Patron. | Vicar. | Institution. | |
| Abbot and Convent | |||
| of Westminster | Thomas de Sunbury | 13 Nov. 1301 | |
| " | William Trencheuent | 21 Nov. 1306 | |
| " | Gilbert de Swalelyve | 26 Oct. 1320 | |
| " | Richard Condray | 11 Dec. 1325 | |
| " | Thomas at Strete de | ||
| Cadyngton | 20 April 1328 | ||
| " | Elias de Hoggenorton | 10 Aug. 1330 | |
| " | Richard de Wolword | 9 Dec. 1331 | |
| " | William Handley | 26 Nov. 1366 | |
| " | John Gelle | Resigned, 1370 | |
| " | William Bakere | 8 Feb. 1370-1 | |
| " | John Colyn | 5 Oct. 1378 | |
| The King (the | |||
| temporalities | |||
| of the abbey | |||
| being in his | |||
| hands) | Henry Green | 31 Oct. 1383 | |
| Abbot and Convent | |||
| of Westminster | Henry Walyngford | Resigned, 1394 | |
| " | John Berewyk | 22 Oct. 1394 | |
| " | Richard Gatyn | 12 May 1402 | |
| " | William Comelond | Died, 1413 | |
| " | John Smyth | 25 Aug. 1413 | |
| " | Henry Oxyn | Resigned, 1457 | |
| " | John Moreys | 30 Sept. 1457 | |
| " | Thomas Huntyngton | 5 Nov. 1485 | |
| " | John Heron | 20 April 1487 | |
| " | Nicholas Townley | Resigned, | |
| 18 Feb. 1523-4 | |||
| " | Christopher Wylson | 9 Mar. 1523-4 | |
| " | Richard Rosse, L.L.D. | 16 May 1530 | |
| " | John Edwyn | 18 Nov. 1560 | |
| " | Thomas Mynthorne | 5 Jan. 1561 | |
| Queen Elizabeth | William Gray | 10 Mar. 1561-2 | |
| " | Owen Ridley | 21 June 1571 | |
| Sir John St. John, | |||
| Bart. | Thomas Temple, B.D. | 21 Nov. 1634 | |
| Sir Walter St. John | Simon Patrick, D.D.[1] | 1658 | |
| " | Gervase Howe, M.A. | 22 Mar. 1675-6 | |
| " | Nathaniel Gower | 20 Oct. 1701 | |
| Lord St. John | George Osborn | 4 Oct. 1727 | |
| Henry Viscount St. | |||
| John | Thomas Church, D.D | 10 Mar. 1739-40 | |
| Frederick Lord | |||
| Bolingbroke | Lilly Butler | 18 June 1757 | |
| " | William Fraigneau | 18 Mar. 1758 | |
| " | John Gardenor[2] | Oct. 1778 | |
| The Crown[3] | Robert Eden, M.A. | 1 Feb. 1835 | |
| " | John Simon Jenkinson, M.A. | 20 June 1847 | |
| Earl Spencer | John Erskine Clarke, M.A. | 2 Feb. 1872 |
The Registers of 1345, 1366, 1415, 1446, 1492, and 1500 are lost."
[1] The famous Bishop of Ely.
[2] He was many years a constant exhibitor at the Royal Academy. In 1788 he published a set of Views on the Rhine. In 1798 was printed a Sermon preached by him before the Armed Association of Battersea.
[3] The Patronage lapsed to the Crown, Dr. Allen having been appointed Bishop of Ely, and Dr. Eden, better known as Lord Auckland, Bishop of Sodor and Man.
In the reign of Henry VI. Thomas Lord Stanley held possession of a valuable estate in Battersea, which, in order to prevent its confiscation at that troublesome period, he had conveyed to trustees for the benefit of himself and that of Thomas his son and heir. In December, 1460, the property was transferred by the Trustees to Lawrence Booth, Bishop of Durham, and his heirs, and in the year following the grant was confirmed by the two Stanleys. The futility of this transfer was obvious for before Edward IV. had reigned eleven years the estate had escheated to the Crown "in consequence of the action of John Stanley, who assigned the lands and tenements in trust to the Abbot of Westminster, in contravention of the statute of Mortmain. The Bishop therefore had to apply to the King and on payment of £700 he obtained a grant under Letters Patent dated July 10th, 1472, of the property forfeited by John Stanley."
Lawrence Booth was made Bishop of Durham in 1457, he built a Mansion Brygge Court at Battersea, and by the King's license enclosed with walls and towers imparked his land there, with the right of warren and free chase therein. In 1476 he was translated to the See of York. He died in 1480 and bequeathed this property to the Dean and Chapter of York as an occasional residence when the Archbishop visited London. The name of York Road perpetuates this ancient occupancy. One of the few prelates who resided here was Archbishop Holgate who was committed to the Tower by Queen Mary in 1553 for being a married man, and lost much property by illegal seizure. Strype, in his life of Cranmer, relates that the officers who were sent to apprehend the Archbishop rifled his house at Battersea and took away from thence £300 worth of gold coin; 1,600 ounces of plate; a mitre of fine gold set with very fine diamonds, sapphires, and balists; other good stones and pearls; some very valuable rings, and the Archbishop's seal in silver; and his signet, an antique in gold. It is contended that Wolsey resided at York House, Battersea, where he was introduced to Anne Boleyne though the interview is more commonly believed to have taken place at York House, Whitehall; but Shakespere in his plays makes the King come by water, and York House, Battersea, was a residence of Wolsey and provided with a creek from the Thames for approach to the house. Sir Edward Wynter is said to have resided at York House, whose exploits surpassed even the heroic achievements of Lord Herbert Cherbury, who, alone in his shirt chased a host of midnight robbers from his house. Sir Edward Wynter's exploits have been already mentioned. The Mansion House was considerably altered by Joseph Benwell, Esq., the occupier who took down many of the old rooms. One of these called the painted chamber had a dome ceiling and is said to have been the room in which Wolsey entertained Henry VIII. with masquerades, and in which he saw Anne Boleyne. When the floor was removed there was found under it a chased gold ring on the side of which was inscribed "Thy virtue is thy honour." This superbly painted room with a dome forms the back ground of an ancient print representing the first interview of Henry VIII. with Anne Boleyne.
There was also another large building in 1818 standing parallel with York House but nearer the river divided into two houses, then in the possession of F. Alver and H. Tritton, Esqrs., and noted for having a very fine terrace in front next the Thames.
The art of transfer-printing produced from copper-plate impressions is said to have been made at Liverpool; but Mr. Binns, F.S.A., in his very interesting History of Worcester ware traces the claim of transfer-printing to the Battersea Enamel Works at York House, (the Archbishop's old palace) where Ravenet and other artists wrought in engraving plates from which impressions were taken on enamel plaques, etc., for snuff-boxes and other articles. The Liverpool claim to the invention dates from 1756. Whereas Horace Walpole writes from Strawberry Hill, six or seven miles from Battersea, to R. Bently, September 18th, 1755; "I shall send you a trifling snuff-box only as a sample of the new manufacture at Battersea which is done with Copper plates." The Battersea Porcelain[1] Works failed and Alderman Jansen's stock, furniture, etc., were sold by public auction, March 4, 1756. The Battersea and Chelsea wares being rarities are expensive, particularly the former. A writer in the "Athenæum" thinks it probable that some of the Battersea workmen found their way to Worcester and Liverpool.