Where at last it is necessary to drop toward the Petworth
Chichester road a divergence may be made to East Lavington with its
associations and memories of Samuel Wilberforce, who is buried here and
in whose memory a memorial brass may be seen in the church; note also
the Bishop's pastoral staff fixed to the wall near the altar. There are
still "oldest inhabitants" of this peaceful place who remember the
celebrated Victorian, whose rather unkind sobriquet was really but a
tribute to his genial kindliness of disposition. Here he married in
1828 the local heiress, Miss Emily Sergent, and here Mrs. Wilberforce
was buried in 1841. It is said that at Oxford, or wherever the Bishop
was resident, there hung in his bedroom a picture of Lavington
churchyard "that I may ever see my own resting place."
Directly south of Lavington rises the _summit_ of the Downs--Duncton
Beacon (837 feet), like many other "highest tops" a great
disappointment after visiting some of the lesser heights, for the
Beacon, which is named "Littleton Down" on the Ordnance map, is not on
the edge of the range but stands back among encircling lesser heights
and is itself partly covered with trees which to a great extent cut off
the view.
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