East Sussex. In 1324 the land was seized by the king, along with other alien priories, and it was acquired in the 1350s by Michael de la Pole (later Lord Chancellor and Earl of Suffolk), and his brothers Edmund and Thomas. In 1442 their descendant William (later Duke of Suffolk), together with his wife Alice, gave the manor to their recently established almshouse at Ewelme, Oxfordshire (Alice's home village). The Ewelme charity retained the Conock estate into the 20th century. Their tenants included several Ernle generations, beginning with Sir Walter Ernle, 1st Baronet (died 1682). During the 18th century, their descendants the Warriners gradually acquired leases from the Ewelme trustees, amounting to most of Conock tithing by the early 19th century. The Ewelme trustees sold the manor house in 1945 and Manor Farm in 1948 to Sir Frederick Sykes (died 1954), formerly Chief of the Air Staff, Member of Parliament and Governor of Bombay. In 1970, the charity retained Conock Old Manor, Conock Cottage (18th century) and a few estate cottages; these properties were sold in the early 21st century. Religious sites The Church of England parish church of St John the Baptist has Norman features; in the 12th century the church was granted to the newly established Llanthony Secunda priory at Gloucester. Some masonry in the chancel is from that century, as is the stone font with its eroded high-quality carving of the twelve apostles. The south doorway of c.1175 has two orders of elaborate carving, described by Orbach as "lavish". The aisles were made wider in the 14th century, and the tower and south porch were added in the 15th century. The timbers of the nave roof are c.1200 but the chancel roof was replaced in the severe restoration carried out in 1850 by William Butterfield, which also saw changes to several windows and the addition of the vestry. The church was designated as Grade I listed in 1962. The pulpit and pews are by Butterfield, and much of the stained glass is from the same 1850 restoration, including chancel windows by William Wailes. Four of the six bells are from the early 18th century. Monuments in the churchyard include four chest tombs for members of the Bruges family, from the 18th century and early 19th. The benefice was united with Marden in 1923, and the vicar was to live at the parsonage house in Chirton. From 1951,