A History of the Parishes of Chipping Warden and Edgcote

by

Janet Budge B.A.

A Master's Dissertation, submitted in partial fulfilment • of the requirements for the award of the Master of Arts degree of the Loughborough University of Technology

September 1992

Supervisor: Prof. Michael Reed, M.A. Department of Information and Library Studies

©J. Budge, 1992 ------

Abstract

The parishes of Chipping Warden and Edgcote lie in the Midland region of England, within the county of

Northamptonshire. This work looks at the origins of settlement and the development of the village communities towards those of today. Archeological and documentary evidence of early settlement is studied as is the ancestry of the local gentry. Features of Chipping Warden which were important during the medieval period, such as its thriving market, are traced back to their origins, and the involvement of Edgcote in the Wars of the Roses of the fIfteenth century is similarly explored. The development of both the Church of England and the Methodist faith is scrutinised within the bounds of the parishes, the architecture of the local churches playing a significant part in their histories. The new phenomenon of compulsory education within the parishes and its development during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries is examined. Though predominantly a farming community there has been a growth in industry during the past five decades following the Second World War in which Chipping Warden aerodrome played a significant part Finally the traditions and way of life of the village communities within living memory are explored and a comparison made between times past and present.

(i) List of Contents

Page

List of Figures iii

List of Plates iv

Acknowledgements v

Preface vi

Chapter 1 Origins and Communications 1

Chapter 2 Archaeology and Landscape 7

Chapter3 The History of Chipping Warden 21

Chapter 4 The History of Edgcote 33

Chapter 5 The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, Chipping Warden 40

Chapter 6 The Parish Church of St James, Edgcote 47

Chapter 7 Chapel and School 52

Chapter 8 War and Change 59

Chapter 9 The Parishes at Leisure 65

Chapter 10 Past and Present 72

Bibliography 76

(H) List of Figures

Page

Figure 1 Nonhamptonshire: natural regions 1

Figure 2 Iron Age fort with windmill mound 8

Figure 3 Roman bath house 12

Figure 4 Traditional looped palstave axe and nonhem type socketed axe 13

Figure 5 The deserted medieval village of Trafford 14

Figure 6 The deserted medieval village of Edgcote 18

(iii) ------

List of Plates

Page

Plate I Iron Age fort windmill mound 9

Plate 2 Site of Roman villa at Blackgrounds 11

Plate 3 Well Cottage and old chapel building 27

Plate 4 Old market steps with manor house in background 28

Plate 5 Mounting block or gallows stone 29

Plate 6 Edgcote House 37

Plate 7 The parish church of St Peter and St Paul, Chipping Warden 40

Plate 8 The parish church of St Jarnes, Edgcote 47

Plate 9 The Weslyan chapel 55

Plate 10 The village school, former hospital unit of the RAF squadron based in Chipping Warden during the Second World War 55

Plate 11 Farm at Calves Close Spinney, former NAAFI and theatre 60

Plate 12 Example of housing at Arbury Banks 61

Plate 13 Example of housing at Alien's Orchard 62

Plate 14 Example of housing at The Close 62

Plate 15 Speculo's Cottage shop 63

Plate 16 The village shop today 64

Plate 17 The Griffm public house 69

Plate 18 The Rose and Crown public house 69

Plate 19 The old elm tree on Rainbow Corner 71

Plate 20 The English village -little changed over the centuries 75

Plates nos 4,15,18,19 and 20 - photographs cow-tesy ofThe Packer Collection, Centre for Oxfordshire Studies, Central Ubrary, Oxford.

All other photographs cow-tesy of Mr Alan Maclde, Edgcote.

(iv) Acknowledgements

During the course of my work I have received help and advice from numerous sources and would like to thank the following:

The staff of the Local Studies Library, Northampton; Northamptonshire Record Office; William Salt Library, Stafford; Pilkington Library, Loughborough University; Banbury Public Library.

The many villagers of Chipping Warden and Edgcote who contributed their knowledge and encouragement

Particular thanks go to:

Mr D Clarke, Director of Hook Norton Brewery Company Ltd, for access to the deeds of the Rose and Crown, Chipping Warden.

Mr I Cranley, for information regarding Chipping Warden aerodrome, taken from correspondence with the Ministry of Defence.

Mr John Gilbert, the Estates Surveyor of the Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries plc, for information relating to The Griffin, Chipping Warden, and photocopies of relevant deeds.

Mr and Mrs David Jones of Chipping Warden whose scrapbooks and various documents relating to the village and whose help and advice was invaluable.

Mrs King, present headteacher of Chipping Warden Primary School who kindly allowed me free access to the school log books.

Mr R Livesay, for the loan of the booklet The Parish History o/Chipping Warden and Edgcote, written by Mrs Moyna Morris in the 1950s.

Mr Alan Mackie for various photographs of Chipping Warden and Edgcote.

Mrs Inez Ronaldson who loaned scrapbooks of cuttings taken from local newspapers.

Mrs Hazel Stagg and Mrs Stanbridge for their help and information relating to the Weslyan Chapel.

Christine Worth for undertaking the clerical work, and for much appreciated flexibility regarding the meeting of deadlines.

Last, but not least, my tutor Professor Michael Reed of the Department of Information and Library Studies, Loughborough University, without whose guidance the work would not be here today.

(v) Preface

It is only having embarked upon a local history study of this scale that the author realises the depth of investigation which is necessary and the attention to detail that is desirable. Thus this study may only skim the surface of what is a long and complex history, and for this I apologise, but hope that the work may be of use to some, and of interest to many.

(vi) Chapter One

Origins and Communications

Located centrally in the British Isles, Northamptonshire lies within the great belt of scarplands formed by the Jurassic Age, stretching from Yorkshire to Dorset (I). The high ground in the west of the county, known as the Northamptonshire Heights, descends gradually towards the east, the underlying rock strata also following this line of descent In the south-west of the county a series of ridges and hills which rise at times to over 500 feet is interspersed with deeply carved valleys formed by the river Cherwell and its tributaries and this more undulating landscape is known as the Wolds, on the edge of which lie the parishes of Chipping Warden and

Edgcote (see Figure 1).

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o 5 "

Figure 1. Northamptonshire: natural regions. Taken from: Steane, John. The Northamptonshire Landscape. The making of the English landscape series. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1974. Because the underlying geological fonnations are Middle Lias rock, which is part of the Jurassic succession, the local stone produced is Upper Marlstone and an abundance of springs are to be found in the area where the Middle Lias band meets that of the Upper and Lower Lias rocks. Chipping Warden and Edgcote lie along a line of spring villages which stretches from Staverton to Kings Sotton. The Upper Marlstone rock forms two different types of soil; the Marlstone clay and the Marlstone brashy loam which is a rich, reddish-brown, medium to heavy soil, and ideal for both pasture and arable fanning (2).

This pattern of early settlement was encouraged in the Wolds by a number of natural advantages, not least of which was the River Cherwell. The river and its banks would provide settlers with fish, eels and wildfowl in addition to a constant supply of fresh water, and good pastureland was to be found on the floodplain of the river to provide cattlefeed and a consequent supply of dairy products. The grass found in large areas of the

Wolds is the Agrosti with ryegrass type, ideal for dairy or sheep fanning. In the area today, Leicesters and

Hampshires are reared for meat, and Lincolns for wool, whilst cattle bred includes Welsh Blacks, Herefords and

Jerseys.

Beyond this band of rich grazing land a damp, lush soil suitable for crops is to be found, and sufficiently far enough away from the flood plain of the river to enable the building of homes and fanns.

Evidence taken from the Domesday Book suggests that the south-west region of Northamptonshire because of the high proportion of plough-teams per thousand acres was, agriCulturally, the more dominant part of the county and the region today remains an important part of Northamptonshire's agricultural wealth (3) ..

Today the main crop grown in this area is wheat with some barley, oats and potatoes. In addition field beans are grown for cattle feed, as is barley to feed what is known locally as 'barley beef, or very young cattle. Also grown are linseed for oil and rape for butter and cooking oil whilst some of this crop is retained and dried to provide further cattle feed.

Further away still from the river-banks the woodland would provide a plentiful supply of timber, and scrub for the rough grazing of pigs and sheep. The sporadic spinneys of the twentieth century have led scholars to believe that there was once almost total forest cover in this area around the sixth century AD, and that it was during the following five hundred years that patterns of settlement began to develop. Small tnlckways appeared, some of which are retained as tracks or roads today and this may possibly account for the concentrated network of country lanes and tracks which is evident in the south-west of Northamptonshire today (4).

The parishes of Chipping Warden and Edgcote are situated on southern facing gentle slopes, thus taking full advantage of any available sunshine, for both wannth of the inhabitants and the healthy growth of crops. The

2 shelter of Warden Hill to the north provides a natural line of defence and the hill slopes gradually towards

Banbury to the south of the parishes.

The village of Chipping Warden clusters around the main A361 trunk road, ten miles south of Daventry and seven miles north of Banbury, whilst Edgcote nestles to the south of Chipping Warden, not directly alongside, but within sight of the road.

There is some local speculation regarding the ancient route taken by the Jurassic Way, dating from the

Iron Age and which some feel may have extended as far as the Roman station of 'Brinavis', now the site of

Blackgrounds farm, entering the village along what is now Culworth Road. The Roman road, Watling Street, now the A5, passes nearby, through Towcester and Weedon and may once have been an important link to other parts of the country.

The MI motorway passes through Northamptonshire, the nearest junction to Chipping Warden and

Edgcote, travelling northwards being No 18, situated north of Daventry, near Crick; and travelling southwards, number 16, situated east of Daventry, near Upper Heyford.

Other lines of communication today have been established by rail links to London and the south of

England, and Birmingham and the north-west of England, by the main Inter City railway line between

Edinburgh and the south coast, which passes through Banbury.

Also passing through Banbury is the Oxford Canal, a branch of the Grand Union Canal which travels through Northamptonshire from Braunston to the Cherwell valley, through Banbury and on to Oxford. Once heavily used for the transportation of goods and industrial materials, the canal now promotes tourism in the area and provides a recreational facility of outstanding beauty and peacefulness.

The River Cherwell, rising near Charwelton, forms pan of the parish boundaries between Chipping

Warden and Edgcote, excepting a small stretch north of Edgcote House, and goes on to form pan of the western county boundary with Oxfordshire, just north of Banbury. The river eventually flows through Oxford and joins the River Thames.

Northamptonshire is known as the county of spires and squires, the latter indicating the existence of a large amount of parkland in the county. Edgcote is a good example of this, the medieval village having been flattened in the eighteenth century to provide a park for the estate, and consequently hunting is a popular sport.

Chipping Warden and Edgcote lie in the country of the Bicester and Warden Hill Hunt, and the hunt meets in

Chipping Warden once a year in November.

As far as local government administration is concerned, both Chipping Warden and Edgcote are pan of

3 the recently created 'Wardoun' ward, which has been named thus after the Domesday Book spelling of Warden

Hill. The ward was fonned during the 1974 local government reorganisation, and includes also the nearby parishes of Wardington, Aston-Ie-Walls and Boddington.

There is documentary evidence of the existence of Northamptonshire as early as 1011, in the Anglo­

Saxon chronicle when 'Hamtanscir' was described as a place which part of the Danish army occupied. In its full fonn, Northampton was fIrst mentioned in 1065.

The place-name ending 'ton', as appearing in Northampton, is a suffix of Saxon origin meaning 'town', and this, backed up by geographical and other evidence suggests the existence of a sizeable community during the Anglo-Saxon period, although it must be stressed that our own interpretation of the word 'town' may differ radically to that of the Anglo-Saxon, whose town may merely have consisted of a small number of farms.

The Domesday Book undertaken in 1086 on the orders ofWilliam the Conqueror was an effort to establish the value of all lands in the kingdom for purposes of tax assessment, and is a vital source of infonnation for the local historian. At the time of the compilation of the Domesday Book, Northamptonshire consisted of twenty-nine hundreds, of which the hundred of Chipping Warden was one. Three hundred and twenty four places in Northamptonshire are mentioned, whilst only forty which exist today were not, again further evidence of the early development of settlement in the area, the main network as it exists today being evident in 1086. As lands were given over to Nonnan lords after the conquest of 1066, patterns of senlement did change, but tended to grow and develop around the villages and towns already then in existence in England (5).

The Domesday Book of 1086 contains the ftrst documentary evidence of the existence of Chipping

Warden, where the fann taken is 'Waredon(e)', appearing again in this fonn in 1205 in the Calendar of Close

Rolls, and again in 1389 as 'Chepyng Wardoun' (6).

Chipping, derived from the Old English word 'ceopan', meaning 'to buy' suggests an old market community and the link may be made to the Danish word for market town, still used today, which is 'Kopng'.

This link is uaced in greater detail in a later chapter.

Warden refers to the watch which seems to have been undertaken on Warden Hill, to the north-east of the village.

The hundred of Chipping Warden encompasses Appletree, Aston-Ie-Walls, Upper and Lower

Boddington, ByfIeld, Edgcote, Eydon, Greatworth, Sulgmve, Chipping Warden and Woodford. First noted as

'Werdunes' in the Geld Roll of 1076, this is the frrst documentary evidence of the hundred of Chipping Warden.

The fonn had slightly altered by the Domesday Book of 1086 to 'Waredon', and by the Twelfth Survey of 1178

4 the fonn was as today, 'Warden' (7).

Known as 'Horecote' in the Domesday Book, this appears also to be the first time that Edgcote is mentioned in documentary fonn. The next in 1220, as 'Ochecot' appears in a The Book ofFees. By 1297 the name had slightly altered to 'Hochcote', appearing in the Calendar of Close Rolls, and in 1284 as 'Hechcot' in the Feudal Aids. The Catalogue ofAncient Deeds records 'Hoggecote' in 1323, later to become 'Oggecote' in the 1404 Assize Rolls. Becoming nearer to the recognised name of today, 'Edgecotte' appears in 1526 in a subsidy collected in the diocese of Lincoln, and similarly as 'Edgecoote' in the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535.

The first use of Ihe name as we know it today appears on Greenwoods map of the County of Norlhampton, in

1826 (8).

There is no satisfactory conclusion as to the origins of Ihis place-name. However Ihere is some local speculation as to the possible meaning of Edgcote as being originally a cottage, situated at Ihe edge of the county near to Ihe border wilh Oxfordshire.

Wilhin Ihe parish of Edgcote the battle of Danesmoor is said to have taken place in 1467 suggesting a place-name of medieval origin. This first appears in 1467 as 'Danysmore' in the Norlhamptonshire Charters and other unpublished documents held in Ihe BodIeian Library at Oxford, and not again until 1779 as 'Dunsmore' on an engraving of the County of Northampton by W. Fardon. In Bryant's map of the County of Norlhampton of

1823, 'Dunsmoor' appears, illustrating the site of Ihe battle of the Wars of Ihe Roses of 1467 at 'Hegecote seu

Danysmore'.

Regarding the origin of Ihe name, tradition tells of an ancient battle fought here between the Danes and

Ihe British, but this is mere speculation as Ihe fonn produced Ihen would probably then have been 'Danemore'

(9). Morton, however, supports Ihe speculation by recording the saying which has traditionally been attributed to

Ihe Danes, before commencing the battle of Danesmoor. "If we can Pad-well evergoe and Horestone we can see; the lands of England we shall be." (10) Pad-well is described as "a noted flush spring in Edgcote grands", and the Horestone, a "famous old stone in Wardlington field", and Ihis still stands today.

By looking at evidence such as described in Ihis chapter we can see Ihe reasons for the development of the parishes of Chipping Warden and Edgcote, and can trace back Iheir origins by both looking at geographical factors and documentary evidence. The next chapter however deals wilh archaeological evidence of this settlement and we may look at sites actually occupied by settlers from centuries past

5 References

1. STAMP, L Dudley. The Report of the Land Utilisation Survey of Britain. Part 58. Northamptonshire. London: Geographical Publications Ltd, 1943, p. 334.

2. ibid, pp. 340-2.

3. ibid, p. 386.

4. STEANE, John. The Northamptonshire Landscape. The Making of the English Landscape Series. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1974, Chapter 2, The Anglo-Saxon Landscape.

5. ibid, p. 85.

6. GOYER, J E B, A Mawer and F M StenIOn. The Placenames ofNorthamptonshire. English Place-Name Society. Vol X. Cambridge: University Press, 1933, p. 32.

7. ibid, p. 32.

8. ibid, p. 34.

9. ibid, p. 34.

10. MORTON, John. A Natural History ofNorthamptonshire. London: R Knaplock and R Wilkin, 1712, p.541.

6 Chapter Two

Archaeology and Landscape

There is much archaeological evidence to substantiate the existence of fIrmly established settlements at

Chipping Warden and Edgcote during the medieval period. By looking at archaeological evidence however we can trace the history of these settlements still further back in time.

One site of notable interest in Chipping Warden is that known today as Arbury Banks, or Arbury Camp, which tradition claims to have been at one time the camp of Danish settlers. Later evidence suggests its use as a camping ground for troups prior to the Battle of Danesmoor in 1496 (Figure 2).

Situated at Ordnance Survey map reference SP 494486 and to the west of the A361 on entering the village from the south, this site consists of a flat summit to a low, rounded hill, and lies south-west of Chipping Warden village. Situated upon mainly marlstone rock the site covers three hectares and was prohably once surrounded by a bank and external ditch. Presumed originally to have been roughly circular, the shape today appears to be hexag­ onal, however this may largely be due to distortion caused by the farming patterns of the medieval period. Parts of the ramparts seem to have been incorporated into the layout of the ridge and furrow cultivation patterns which are still evident on the northern side of the site. The north-west section of the bank is relatively well preserved, due to the use of the bank as 'headlands' within the common field system, and stands one to five metres high on the north side, and one metre high on the interior. By comparison the east bank has suffered much damage and stands only ten centimetres high, all traces of the ditch having long been destroyed by overlying ridge and furrow cultivation. On the west traces of ridge and furrow lie over the bank, which is a broad, curving scarp standing two-and-a-half metres high in places, being reduced to between one-and-a-half metres and one metre in height as the scarp sweeps around the south-western corner of the site. Along the south rampart of the bank lies a mound which once supported a windmill, and the original rampart to the south-east of this is still clearly visible today.

On the tithe map of 1837, held by the Northampton Record Office, the fIeld is shown as Windmill Bank, but although the mound remained, the windmill had already disappeared. The mound is approximately twenty metres in diameter, is two-and-a-quarter metres high and has a flat top nine metres across with a cross shaped depression in the centre. Beyond this mound on the eastern edge of the bank, a gap suggests the original entrance, after which the rampart then re-appears and is up to two-and-a-half metres high on the eastern edge (I) (plate I).

7 Figure 2. Iron Age fort with windmill mound. Taken from: An inventory of the historical monuments in the county of Northamptonshire: VollV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England. London: HMSO, 1982, p. 28.

8 Plate 1. Iron Age fort windmill mound.

The site of the Battle of Danesmoor in the western part of Edgcote parish was once said to be marked by three small mounds, however no such evidence exislS today (2).

A further earthwork, just nonh-west of Chipping Warden village at Ordnance Survey map reference

SP 499491 is Wallow Bank, situated on the north side of Byfield Road on flat marlstone rock. A broad bank, thirteen metres in width, it runs from nonh-nonh-westto south-south-east and is thirty-two metres long. First mentioned by MOMn in his Na/ural His/ory oJ Northamptonshire of 1712, the site has been linked traditionally to Aston-le-Walls, whence the lalter's name originated. It was said by MOMn to have been part of a massive bank which ran from Walton, between Aynho and Kings' Sunon, through Aston-le-Walls, nonhwards to the

River Learn, extending approximately eight miles either way from Wallow Bank. Speculation as to ilS purpose has been diverse, some suggesting it is the remains of a West Saxon camp, occupied in their struggle against the

Mercians; others suggesting it to be a fortification erected by the Romans as a line of defence against the Britons of Warwickshire, held during their occupation of Britain. However there is little evidence to substantiate the claims, despite excavation in 1824, which revealed merely a simple earth bank (3).

In the centre of the parish, at Ordance Survey map reference SP 509498 a ditched trackway is evident, situated on Upper Lias clay at the foot of Warden Hill to the nonh-east of the village. Evident only from aerial

9 photographs, these show two parallel ditches, twelve metres apart, which run from north to south for ninety metres (4). This could have been part of the same earthworlc as that of Wallow Bank, but there is no evidence to support this theory.

Earthworlcs such as these show the extent of settlement in pre-historic times, and suggest a fairly advanced civilisation, although the specific use and object of such earthworlcs may only be speculated upon.

Of major archaeological interest is the site now known as Blackgrounds, at Ordnance Survey map reference SP 510482. Once a Roman settlement this area covers around forty acres and lies half a mile south­ east of the village, close to the north bank of the River Cherwell in a field once known as Caldwells, and is situated upon Lias clay. A gentle slope towards the river bank gives the site a sheltered, southern aspect and would have been an ideal location for settlement. There is evidence of only one villa but speculation exists as to the possiblity of a large settlement over a much larger area, substantiated by the wide area over which Roman coins and other artefacts have been discovered. However, the diffusion of pottery and coins could easily have been caused by the subsequent farming of the land.

The existence of the site was known as early as the eighteenth century, as Morton records the ploughing up of foundation stones, Roman coins and ashes (5). The latter fmd substantiates the theory that an old marlcet town once existed on this site, but was burnt to the ground, thus accounting for the finding of ashes and red, brittle stones which appear to have been scorched or burnt, and also explains the origin of the name

Blackgrounds by which the area is known today, due to the soil being of a darker hue to that of the surrounding area. This theory could also clarify the reason for Chipping Warden often being referred to as West Warden in documents from the medieval period, as the new village would have been built to the west of the original.

However there is also evidence to suggest that the 'West' exists to differentiate the parish from that of Warden in

Bedfordshire, where King Stephen had held lands and founded a monastery of Cistercian monks (6) (plate 2).

Coins found on both the Chipping Warden and Edgcote sides of the River Cherwell have been identified by Sir John Evans as being of the 'Central District' type, and include a bronze coin of Tasciovanus and three bronze coins of Cunobelinus (7). In 1826 an urn containing human bones was discovered, and later in 1849 when an extensive drainage programme was carried out upon the area, further artefacts were discovered including Samian pottery and four skeletons with one small bronze finger ring. Wellan gives an account of some of these fmds as witnessed by the late rector, The Reverend G G Walford and these he communicated to the

British Archaeological Association which published the said finds in their journal, Volume V, Part 1. This account gives the month of January as the commencement of the drainage programme and describes the

10 Plate 2. Site of Roman villa at Blackgrounds.

'cuttings' as being between three and seven feet deep, and extending from the top of the meadow to the river bank. Finds recorded are three fragments of embossed pottery, the fust, four inches by three inches, having the appearance of a bowl, decorated with compartments, divided by strings of small beads, and conlaining representations of Apollo, the branch of a shrub and various circular patterns. The second is recorded as being three inches by three-and-a-half inches, bearing a festoon and tassel ornament, also the breast and forelegs of a stag in flight, and an entire lion. The third, three- and-a-half inches by lwo-and-a-half inches, has for decoration the legs of two gladiators. Also found was a large portion of a shallow dish, which appears to have been eight inches in diameter with an ivy leaf ornamentation, and a black dish, the rim of which was nine-and-a-half inches in diameter, and which stood three-and-a-half inches high. Portions put together of three vases revealed a buff­ coloured, indented vase, eight-and-a-half inches high and six-and-a-quarter inches wide; a similar vase, eight inches in diameter and five-and-a-half inches high; and a third, seven inches in diameter and four-and-a-half inches high. This account also records the discovery of the four human skeletons which were "disposed with the head to the west and the feet to the east", enveloped in bog at a depth of five feet. Also unearthed were large quantities of horse bones, the jaw and tusks of a boar, a goal'S horn, a cow's horn and various bones of cows, sheep and goats (8).

11 However the most significant find of 1849 was that of a detached Roman bath-house near to the River

Cherwell, measuring thirty-six feet by eight feet and consisting of three rooms and a stoke hole. Further ploughing revealed more stone foundations including a small well. However the bath-house is the only part of the site to have been thoroughly excavated (9) (Figure 3).

, .

Figure 3. Roman bath house. Taken from: Doubleday, H Arthur, ed. The Victoria history of the counties of England. A history of the county of Northampton. Volume 1. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co Ltd, 1902, p. 29.

The Roman villa is thought to have once been named Brinavis, which name occurs in the lists of the

Ravenna Geographer and is used in the itineries of Richard of Cirencester (10). Brinavis is thought to have been the intermediate station between Isannavaria, now known as Burnt Walls near Daventty, and Allia Castra, which is now Aicester near Bicester in Oxfordshire, and situated on the Port Way which was a Roman road thought to have diverged from Watling Slreet (11).

Other coins discovered within the parish of Chipping Warden are a British 'Remic' gold stater and a gold quarter stater. Various other coins thought to be from the Iron Age camp are now held in private hands. However there is an absence of significant finds aCUlally taken from the site of the Iron Age fort as noted by S S Frere in

1958 (12).

Other finds include Anglo-Saxon sceattas, or Old English coins, possibly found on the site of

Blackgrounds, and a sixth century francisca, which is a battle axe used by the Franks, but the exact origin of this is unknown, though it is thought to have possibly been part of the contents of a male grave. An iron bolt-head with hinged barbs was discovered on Warden Hill in 1836, and is thought to be a relic of the Battle of

Danesmoor of 1469 (13).

In 1961 in the north of the parish, around Ordnance Survey map reference SP 517508 a portion of a large

12 flint implement was found, also two bronze axes of unknown origin which are now held in Nonharnpton

Museum.

Another highly significant find was made by Mrs Turner as recently as 1977 in the north-west of the village on the disused airfield at Ordnance Survey map reference SP 495497. This find, the contents of which are now held in Banbury Museum, consisted of a looped palstave axe and a socketed axe. The former is a late

Bronze Age version of the axe produced in the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, probably dating from between

1400 BC and 700 BC, and was hafted by splitting the wooden handle and binding with a leather thong, a further thong being bound around the handle and through the loop of the palstave. The latter, of the type found on the continent of Europe during the Middle Bronze Age probably dates from around 1050 BC to 700 BC, and has an

L-shaped haft which was placed inside the socket and bound on to the axe with a leather thong through the side loop. Bo!!, axes were produced by the casting of molten bronze in two-piece moulds (14) (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Traditional looped palsta~e axe and northern type socketed axe. Taken from: Leaf/et: report on two bronze axes brought in for identification by Mrs Turner (origin of leaf/et unknown).

In the east of the parish of Chipping Warden, lying west of the River Cherwell at Ordnance Survey map reference SP 527486, on marlstone rock and Lias clay, is the site of the deserted medieval village of Trafford.

Once belonging to the parish of Byfield, the village lies at the southern edge of a strip of land which was formerly a detached part of B yfield parish, as shown by the Tithe Map of Byfield of 1831, now held in the

Nonharnpton Record Office. This land did not become part of the parish of Chipping Warden until the late nineteenth century.

At the time of the Domesday Book, Trafford was recorded as being a small manor with a population of six (15). By 1301 the population has increased slightly as thirteen people were then eligible to pay the lay

13 subsidy of this year. Trafford is again mentioned in 1316 in rhe Nomina Vi/larum, but after this date was always

taxed as part of Byfield parish. It is uncertain when exactly rhis village was depopulated but it appears to have

been a gradual process, as in 1547rhe manor was recorded as having six hundred sheep grazing rhere,

suggesting a lack of population, and by rhe early nineteenrh century only rhe present farmhouse and some

cottages to rhe nOM ofrhis remained (16).

The main hollow-way, which is up to one metre deep in places, rhough damaged, runs from rhe west of

rhe site, eastwards towards Trafford farm rhen sourh-eastwards to rhe River Cherwell, curving round to run in a

nOM-easterly direction between the farm and two rectangular fish-ponds, each up to one-and-a-half metres deep

(see Figure 5 - a-iH:). To rhe sourh of rhe main hOllow-way are a series of closes and scarps, suggesting rhe

existence of field divisions, and noM of rhe fields are several irregularly shaped patterns which may once have

been rhe sites of buildings. To rhe nOM of Trafford farm are rhe remains of at least one enclosure, wirh

surrounding low scarps, and to rhe nOM-west is anorher hollow-way which has been used as headlands for rhe

pattern of ridge and furrow farming. The site of rhe old pond is evident from surviving scarps to rhe sourh-west

of rhe farm, rhe modem pond now extending to rhe east (17) . . ------.t"- --1- . -- '---1--' - --, ------.-,-/ / / / / / -~------_... ." -- _#~ ...... - ". ./,/////// ------X----:/",/"",-. ------r------////// ~. ,:~ ... -/, ... \.- ---._-----_-- --_- __ "" --_-_--_-:::_-_------E ....Y d 0 11 .:.' --/--/' :..--...... -\ ...... -'" \:.. ------.---_-~~:t=-_=--...... '" .... - ...... -,-;:::------;::--.:;::------: '" 11 '.,-, --- _,.-,-dg::eI.- 1-- /' .-_-\_ ...... -...... ---_- p h. ~ ~:::" ~{ ------t- .--/' ------...... -----; ~ - ,,> ._-----':-:-Q,·'fJ-.!:.~-7------_/~...... / ...::--..::\;:">..:--..::--~--- -- ... ---...... --;;--..... (' In ..,~ 'x"" _-':~----_--r-: --_/~ ~_;::;I:":=--;;'.,.~\ ~"..,;"'" ~ :) fl ;<:: ___ -f"V.!o.r_o-w\_!--- _/""1 <;;-.-:..-' i~. ~ ,,-, _____ J::._--, 1_--_-I?-- \ _ i\ ,_ /<, '. ~=0-______:--ii~:--;-~)f \ rP :~~;;,~ .~,'~"~~ i )~~~2~ :-=-::::-::::-~-::::-:::l:=::1~.:=:. L\. I ~~VF2"~d'/'.~:.:~'::;~'\ II '~:::; ~') 13 ~JI"".""",:'i ,. ""' ------:.------.;;/1 I "-'11." I \\ :1 C~\"'..... · \, ------/ I..... It :s-'l.:1' / ----- / I """,,- .... n""""' / ....,.", '~""""'J ,#V ''7' ,··"X"'\"""'~\~':"~~''''';a / l --Z--IM,_ ...... __• ","III"''"''''''''~- '" ~ '%.'" -~"'"I ~~" #0$ ~~ /'.' . • .•"~::~~.\:.,,. ./ ~"""Ullllo o!. i f I r-' l \ -"",~~/" 1 f J"{ ,,,~ ~"S ...••... :-: .."1- .. , /" .. '- i - l )7'\---~'._r .»"\ 1, !J "t!~,~ \, .:: p' /' I~:? l ! % i I --- 1 ~ \:- -" J~"'-i~ , ..... "~"":' .. ," / .# ~ ...... j '" / 1 i ~ 'i ....l t t .. c::'.· .~. "" / .,/" /"...... ~~""~--:-~ i ~l b 'lm'" - ~ , ...: .. :: .....','""", / I // / '\., ./~; ----~-- ~. -"'~. . ','" ,~" .."'~ ,-/:1:1... _ / \?,.d- '" -'. -- ..... ,'',' ",:' if \a.?o I "'Od~, - ... , /""~'~"/("'- / ' "/"-,.,- ", , , , -, , , , , I 1 "-'-_ p'"", ,c:: " , , '" '~l" , , , \\....)!/' ~ --_. ------_/I ... • " , , ...." '- ," , '-/''"" .. ""' , " ' '\ • -1 , , , , ...... I, ...... , ~i- , " / .'"'" ," " ",;!", ".... ,',,'", ...... I .~_ '" .;; .; / , , ", ''to,' """, "" "'-. Ji> I" . .___ / ___ "\"\"'-':::""')"'~'::-"'. I . ' ,,\., .... , , , , "- . \ ... - ---':r-':::--_~----. -..- .~-:....(,'''' '/.','"" '.' ,'- -./_-__ - _0, """""" ,\.'\ \ :::'r-- - .... -!.-" "V' ", ,\\\ ~ - ~J- c::~ - ---~ \. 'X"" '\. \.' \ \ \ \ \ ,00 o ,",00 ~oof'n ~=I:-':__ -~__ - '\',"'~ , \ \ \ \ \ .~, -~, . :I:::~--~:": / "~~,,, .,\\,\,\,' , ' 'OO~O"-__SOi2... __~o ______-" ~\!- ______-. '\ \ \ \ ,-----:::--:_---_..:./ \ '. \, \ \ '. '.' \ \ \ \ Figure 5. The deserted medieval village of Trafford. Taken from: An invento!}, of the historical monuments in the county of Northamptonshire: VollV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England. London: HMSO, 1982, p. 31

t4 There is evidence of the existence of a moat on the south-east side of the village, close 10 the River

Cherwell, situated on Lower Uas clay at Ordnance Survey map reference SP 501483. This is now pastureland, and although almost completely destroyed by farming of the land, there appears 10 have been a roughly rectangular moated enclosure. Baker mentions evidence of the existence of a castle or "baronial residence of the ancient lords", between Edgcote lodge and the mansion,lying south of the church (18). This theory is substantiated further by a map of Chipping Warden in 1809, which is kept by the NorthamplOn Record Office, when the area was known as Castle Yard. From aerial pholOgraphs there is evidence of slight traces of ridge and furrow inside the enclosure, which is then surrounded by the moat where water was presumed 10 enter in the north-east comer and return 10 the River Cherwell by a large ditch on the south-eastern side (19).

Also south of the church, but 10 the west of the 'castle' site, at Ordnance Survey map reference

SP 499485 are the remains of an ancient cemetery from which many burials were discovered in the early nineteenth century. These included both large pits of bones and spurs, also some single interments where the bodies had been laid out in lines. Speculation connects this site 10 the Battle of Danesmoor which occurred within the neighbouring parish of Edgcote in 1469 (20).

A number of fishponds are evident in this area, south east of the village of Chipping Warden, on the edge of Edgcote Park. Situated on Middle Lias clay at Ordance Survey map reference SP 501486 are a line of three flat bottomed ponds, running from north to south and up 10 two metres deep. The two most northerly are relatively small in comparison 10 the southern-most pond which measures one hundred and twenty metres by fUry metres. Speculation exists as to their purpose but the three distinctly separate ponds may have been part of an intensive fish breeding operation, where the division of species or function was necessary. The fishponds were filled by springs to the north of the uppermost pond, and water still runs today from the lower pond 10 the moated site which it once filled (21).

To the west of the lower fishpond, earthworks remain which may be remnants of houses from the days prior 10 the landscaping of Edgcote Park in the eighteenth century (22).

A further fishpond at Ordnance Survey map reference SP 497484, lying south-west of the church shows as a roughly rectangular hollow, approximately forty metres by sixty-five metres and cut back inlO the hillside which is of Middle Lias clay. Reaching a depth of two metres, the southern end of the pond has a large earthen dam measuring fUteen metres wide and two-and-a-half metres in height (23).

Earlier settlement remains at Ordnance Survey map reference SP 497486 were evidently part of Chipping

Warden village as can be seen from aerial photographs taken in 1947. West of the church, between Mill Lane

15 and Banbury Road, and further south were a series of rectangular closes with low sC3Ips, seemingly field divisions. No evidence of houses was visible, however the whole area has now been built upon with the erection of council houses a shon time after the end of the Second World War. The council estate is named Arbury Banks to commemorate the Iron Age site to the west (24).

Enclosed by an Act of Parliament of 1733, much of the parish of Chipping Warden has evidence of ridge and furrow farming patterns, laid in either 'end on' or 'interlocked' furlongs. To the west of the village the ridge and furrow is preserved in permanent pasture and reaches seventy-five centimetreS in height in places. Many of the headlands are retained, being pan of the ramparts of the Iron Age fon. There is also evidence of ridge and furrow in the nonh of the parish around Warden Hill, the exception being to the east of this area where unstable clay has formed landslips making the area unsuitable for ploughing. Funher nonh of this is a large area of narrow-rig ploughing thought to be from the late eighteenth or early nineteenth cenrury (25).

Immediately west and nonh-west of Edgcote House, at Ordnance Survey map reference SP 503480, standing on Middle Lias clay is the desened medieval village of Edgcote. First evidence of a settlement here is found in the Domesday Book which records a two-hide manor held by Walchelin of the Bishop of Countances, and a community with twenty-five inhabitants (26). By 1301 the population had risen, evident from the number paying the u.y Subsidy of that year, which was fifty-seven. Next mentioned in the Nomina Villarum of 1316 and again in the tax assesment of 1334, by 1337 the Poll Tax paying population, which included anyone over the age of fourteen years, had risen to ninety-five. As with Trafford the desertion of Edgcote seems to have been a gradual process before the demolition of buildings in the eighteenth century to make way for parkland. The flISt indication of a fall in population comes in 1502 when 120 acres each of arable and pasture land were enclosed, necessitating the destruction of nine houses. By 1524 the tax payers had reduced to sixteen and by 1547 the manor held lands for the grazing of five hundned sheep. In 1791 when Bridges wrote his History of

Northamptonshire, he described Edgcote as a community of eighteen families, this being the last reference to

Edgcote before the present Edgcote House was built between 1747 and 1752 on the same site as the previous manor (27). This in turn led to the demolition of the village of Edgcote between 1761 and 1788 when landscaped parkland was formed to provide a pleasant setting for the manor house. However two new farms and seven cottages were later erected, presumably to house workers of the estate, and the population by the 1801 census had risen again to sixty-six (28).

We can conclude from the documentary evidence available that the community had been relatively large and this assumption is backed up by archaeological evidence in the form of eanhworks. Around the drive which

16 leads northwards to Chipping Warden (see Figure 6-b) are some well preserved earthworks which on the western side include a series of rectangular closes and scarps up to one metre high. To the east of the drive are the remains of a possible hollow-way, which divides into three as it progresses to the north (see Figure 6-c). To the immediate west of Edgcote House the earthworks are not so visible, perhaps due to this part having been deliberately flattened for parkland (see Figure 6-a). Further west, earthworks which were evident have now disappeared altogether with the advent of modem farming methods, but aerial photographs taken before this disappearance suggest another hollow-way which ran from west of the church in a north-westerly direction.

Ploughing of this area has produced much stone rubble, animal bones and pottery ranging from the twelfth to eighteenth century corroborating evidence of the existence of a medieval settlement.

The partial enclosure of Edgcote in 1502 was fully completed by 1720 as recorded by Bridges in his

History ofNorthamptonshire (29). Much evidence of ridge and furrow abounds in this area, and close to the

River Cherwell the furlongs are interlocked and rectangular, whilst further south the furlongs radiate outwards to follow the contours of the slope. The permanent pasture around Edgcote House, particularly to the south, holds very well preserved patterns of ridge and furrow, and reversed-S curves, headlands and access ways are all still evident. Landslips to the west of the house necessitate the cessation of the ridge and furrow pattern, although in two places the latter lies over the landslips, running both parallel and at right angles to the landslips (30).

Physical evidence of early settlement in Chipping Warden and Edgcote has been present for many centuries. However it is only gradually and sporadically that the significance of certain features of the landscape became clear. Little by little the pieces are put together to form a theory which scholars and local historians may study and speculate upon. Yet even today much remains unknown. Many people living and working alongside these sites of historical interest may not realise their importance, but after reading this summary of archaeological features, some may see their local landscape in a different light.

17 " P h.

w e c < I } I , / / /' /'

rli \ \ I \ \ I I \ \ I I -\ ~ n I I \ \ I \ "I1 -\ \ \I 11 ifurrow 1\ \ \ \ \ \ I \ I/, \ \ \ 11/'111 \ I \ I I \ I \ \ \ 11 \ \ I{ \ I I I \ \ 1 \ \ ,/0 \ \ \ \ \ 1 I I 111 \ \ \ \ \ \ \ , 1 \ /, ! 1 \ \ \ \ / I , \ / /

former

ear thwor~.r

now

de.rtroyed.

/ d / / /

Figure 6. The deserted medieval village of Edgcote. Taken from: An inventory of the historical monuments in the county of Northamptonshire: VollV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments. England. London: HMSO. 1982. p. 48.

18 References

1. An Inventory of the Historical Monwnents in the County of Northampton: Vol IV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England. London: HMSO, 1982,p.27.

2. WELLAN, Francis. The History, Topography and Directory ofNorthamptonshire, 2nd ed. London: Whittaker, 1874, p. 453.

3. BEESLEY, A. HistoryofBanbury, 1841, p. 29.

4. An Inventory of the Historical Monwnents in the County ofNorthampton: Vol IV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England. London: HMSO, 1982, p. 27.

5. MORTON, 1. A Natural History ofNorthamptonshire. London: R Knaplock and R Wilkin, 1712, p. 526.

6. BRIDGES. A History of Northamptonshire. Volume 1. Oxford: publisher unknown, 1791, p. Ill.

7. DOUBLEDAY, H Arthur, (ed). The Victoria History of the Counties of England. A History of the County ofNorthampton. Volume 1. Wesuninster: Archibald Constable & Co Ltd, 1902, p. 200.

8. WELLAN, Francis. The History. Topography and Directory ofNorthamptonshire, 2nd ed. London: Whittaker, 1874, pp. 449--50.

9. BAKFR, G. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Voll. London: 10hn Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, pp. 530-2.

10. DOUBLEDAY, H Arthur, (ed). The Victoria History of the Counties of England. A History of the County ofNorthampton. Volume 1. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co Ltd, 1902, p. 201.

11. BAKFR, G. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Voll. London: 10hn Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, pp. 530-1.

12. FRERE,S 5, (ed). Problems of the Iron Age in Southern Britain, 1958, pp. 223,233 and 284.

13. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County ofNorthampton: Vol IV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England. London: HMSO, 1982, p. 29.

14. Leaflet. Report on /wo bronze axes brought infor identification by Mrs Turner. Origin of leaflet unknown.

15. DOUBLEDAY, H Arthur, (ed). The Victoria History of the Counties of England. A History of the County ofNorthampton. Volume 1. Wesuninster: Archibald Constable & Co Ltd, 1902, p. 332.

16. ALLISON, K 1 et al. The Deserted Vii/ages ofNorthamptonshire, 1966, p. 47.

17. An Inventory of the Historical Monwnents in the County ofNorthampton: Vol IV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England. London: HMSO, 1982, p. 30.

18. BAKFR, G. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Vol I. London: 10hn Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, p.527.

19. An Inventory of the Historical Monwnents in the County ofNorthampton: Vol IV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England. London: HMSO, 1982, p. 29.

19 20. BEESLEY, A. History of8anhury. London: Nichols and Son, 1841, p. 28.

21. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County ofNorthampton: Vol IV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England. London: HMSO, 1982, pp. 29-30.

22. BAKER, G. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Vol1. London: John Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, p.527.

23. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County ofNorthampton: Vol IV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England. London: HMSO, 1982, p. 30.

24. ibid,p.30.

25. ibid, p. 30-31.

26. DOUBLEDAY, H Arthur, (ed). The Victoria History of the Counties of England. A History of the County ofNorthampton. Volume 1. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co Ltd, 1902, p. 310.

27. BRIDGES. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Volume 1. Oxford: publisher unknown, 1791, p. 117.

28. ALLISON, K J et al. The Deserted Vii/ages ofNorthamptonshire, 1966, p. 38.

29. BRIDGES. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Volume 1. Oxford: publisher unknown, 1791, p. 117.

30. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the County ofNorthampton: Vol IV: Archaeological sites in south-west Northamptonshire. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England. London: HMSO, 1982, pp. 47-49.

20 Chapter Three

The History of Chipping Warden

An important part of the history of the parishes of both Chipping Warden and Edgcote are the manor houses. Along with the parish churches they dominate the skyline and are steeped in history giving us a splendid insight into the lives of their occupants over the centuries.

The inheritance of the manor of Chipping Warden and the lands thereof have heen recorded in fairly comprehensive detail and are almost chronologically complete from 1086.

The Domesday Book of this year is the first concrete evidence we have of details of ownership, although this does state that the manor and lands were formerly held as a freehold by the Saxon earl, Tosti. At the time of the compilation of the Domesday Book, however, the lands were held by Wido de Reinbudcurt, sometimes recorded as Guy de Reinbudcurt, and consisted of two hides and three virgates in Warden Hundred, six and a half carucates of which was arable land, and one hide and three carucates held in demesne, meaning that the lord held this amount of land for his own domestic use. He was also lord to fifteen villeins, a priest and two bordars, and had the use of five ploughs. Within these lands were two mills worth twenty-six shillings per year, and twenty acres of meadow land. The lands, formerly having been rated at one hundred shillings yearly were now raised to eight pounds, or one hundred and sixty shillings yearly. Also listed are various amounts of land held in four other hundreds in Northamptonshire, plus six manors in each of Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire, four in

Lincolnshire, also the manor of Wroxton in Oxfordshire. However Warden is mentioned as constituting the head of his barony, held in capite by the service of fifteen knights fees and yearly payments of each fee to the Ward of

Rockingham Castle, and only Warden and Burton in the Northamptonshire hundred of Huxlow were held in demesne (1).

Upon the lord's death, his son Richard de Reinbudcurt inherited the lands and is remembered for having lost twenty-five marks (or £16 13s 4d) to King Henry I in a game of dice, His Royal Highness seizing Burton as security for payment. Richard de Reinbudcurt died without male issue and the inheritance passed to his daughter

Margaret, who later married Robert Foliot, who obtained a grant, or confmnation, of all the lands of Richard de

Reinbudcurt from Henry II sometime between 1157 and 1162. In 1167 his barony is entered in the Liber Niger.

Between 1147 and 1166 RobertFoliot is recorded as having granted to the lands of Chipping Warden church

21 acquittance from all secular customs and services, excepting those due to the Crown.

Succeeded by his son Richard Folio!, the latter is recorded in the Hydarium of Henry IT as holding in

Wardene, two and a half hides, a large virgate and four parts of a knights fee, of the king in capite. In 1194 he paid £13 Ss scutage for the ransom of King Richard I who was held by the German emperor. In 1196 he was recorded as having paid the same scutage for Normandy and in 1199 he was recorded as still owing £6 for the second scutage, to King John, then in his ftrst year on the throne of England.

Richard also died without male issue and his lands lands were inherited by his daughter Margaret, whose husband Wischard Ledet received in 1204 the king's writ for custody of the lands held by his wife's grandmother, also named MargareL In 1211 he was acquitted by writ of the scutage of Wales, and is recorded as having died ten yerus later in 1221.

The inheritance then passed to the daughter of Margaret and Wischard Ledet, Christiana, whose fIrst husband, Henry de Braybrok was given relief of the barony of Warden and lands thereof in 1221. He died in

1234 but soon after Christiana married Gerard de Furnival of Hallamshire who was recorded in the Testa de

Nevill as paying twelve marks in 1235 forfour fees in the county of the barony of Warden. He also died in 1241 when the lands were resumed by Christiana, who is also recorded in the Testa de Nevill, after this date resuming her maiden name ofLedet In 1245 she paid £13 10s scutage for the marriage of King Henry rn's eldest daughter, a year later £27 scutage of Gannoc and in 1254 the same amount again for the bestowing of a knighthood upon King Henry rn's eldest son.

It is recorded that Christiana died in 1271. Her will divided her lands between her three sons, two from her fIrst marriage and one from her second. However it was the eldest son of her former marriage, Wischard, who was to inherit the barony of Warden. Correctly named Wischard de Braybrok, he was however known by his mother's maiden name, as Wischard LedeL

He however, had died in 1241 leaving the inheritance of Warden to his son Walter, the exact date of whose death we are unsure other than that it was some time before 1257.

His two daughters A1icia and Christiana succeeded as co·heiresses to the lands of Warden on the death of

Christiana and became wards of King Henry III who arranged their marriages to the two brothers, William and

John de Latimer. Attending Prince Edward on his expedition to the Holy Land the brothers were present at the siege of Acres. Meanwhile in England, Henry III died in 1272. His son Edward, now King Edward I, being overseas, appointed Gilbert de Clare, the Earl of Gloucester, as regent in his absence. Also, in the absence of the de Latimer brothers, the younger son of Christiana Ledet and younger brother of Wischard Lede!, John de

22 Braybrok,laid claim to the lands of Warden. Complaining of his injustice to Edward I, WiIliam de Latimer received a letter from the king ordering that the Earl of Gloucester should restore the lands forthwith. Upon hearing this news, John de Braybrok immediately forfeited his lands to the Earl of Gloucester, who however is recorded to have claimed 1200 marks, or £800, for the safe delivery of the lands to William de Latimer. In a document of 1274, a writ of scire facias was issued by the Sheriff of Northamptonshire against the Earl of

Gloucester demanding that the lands be retumed to WilIiam de Latimer, and this seems to have had the desired effect

Upon the death of John de Latimer in 1283 the inheritance was then divided between WilIiam de Latimer and Christiana, John's widow, until her death in 1292 when her son Sir Thomas Latimer, aged twenty-two years, inherited the lands. The importance of the Latimer family is evident from Sir Thomas's summons to parliament in 1290, a knight at only twenty years of age. Later in a plea to a quo wa"anto, he claimed the same privileges in West Warden as had his mother Christiana in 1285 but with the addition of free warren, a gallows and a weekly market to be held each Tuesday.

Sir Thomas Latimer died in 1334 when his son Warine, aged twenty-six years, inherited part of the lands, but had claim to only two-thirds of Warden, the other third being given over to his father's second wife, Lora.

However, one year later in 1335 there is documentary evidence of the reversal of this claim, the final third of lands being claimed by Warine and his wife Catherine, for life.

Warine Latimer died in 1349 leaving a son John Latimer. However Catherine survived until 1361,later than their eldest son's death, and upon her death in 1361 the barony and lands of warden descended to Thomas

Latimer Bochard, their third eldest son, aged twenty years, who was later knighted.

Around this time there is evidence of Martin de Littlebury of Trafford holding one toft and forty acres of land in West Warden. However, upon his being convicted of various felonies the lands were seized by the

Crown and later received by Thomas Latimer in 1396.

Dying without issue in 1401, Thomas was succeeded by his brother Edward, who, ten years later also died without issue when the lands were held for a while by his widow, Margaret. At her death in 1421 the inheritance then passed to the grandson of Edward's sister Elizabeth and by her marriage, to Thomas Griffm of

Weston Favell, passed through their son Richard to John Griffin, the grandson who became successor to the barony and lands of Chipping Warden in 1421. Thus began the lordship of Chipping Warden of the Griffm family, after whom, possibly, the village inn, The Griffin, was named.

In February 1444 John Griffm died without issue and his successor was his nephew, Nicholas Griffin.

23 Having enjoyed a long period of lordship in Chipping Warden he also died in 1491 leaving the manorial estate to his son, also named Nicholas. This Nicholas was not however, the eldest son, the latter, named Thomas, received not lands but a knighthood. Upon the death of Nicholas, the son of Sir Thomas Griffm, also named Thomas, inherited the manor, advowson and hundred of Chipping Warden, but these were held in trust as for the past twelve years he had been a "dumb idiot and lunatic" (2). From here the inheritance passed through the brother of

Sir Thomas, Rice Griffin, to his niece, Mary, whom it appears was responsible for the sale of the manor, hundred and advowsen of the church of Chipping Warden, and several other manors in 1567, to Clement Catesby for the sum of £2,040 (3).

Not long out of the ownership of the Griffm family the lands of Chipping Warden were re-sold to

Edward Griffin of Dingley, another brother of Sir Thomas Griffin who had held the prestigious title of Attorney

General to King Edward VI and Queen Mary.

On his death in 1569 the inheritance passed to his son Edward, later knighted, who again sold the estate some time prior to 1619 to Sir Richard Saltonstall. It is thought that the latter was responsible for the re-building of the manor house some time during the seventeenth century, the present house standing upon the same site as the previous (4).

Sir Richard Saltonstall died in 1620 and his successor was the Honourable George Montagu, the second

Earl of Halifax, by his marriage to Ricarda Posthuma Saltonstall. Upon his death the estate passed through his only surviving daughter, Lucy to her husband Francis North, the first Earl of Guilford.

Their eldest son Frederick Lord North was Prime Minister during the American War of Independence, and held the office from 1770 to 1782. Thus there was much local interest in the affairs of America as Sulgrave

Manor, home of the descendants of George Washington is only six miles away from Chipping Warden. In 1792

Francis North died and Frederick Lord North succeeded to the barony of Chipping Warden becoming the second

Earl of Guilford. His three sons followed him into the title, the eldest, George Augustus became the third Earl of

Guilford, Francis, the fourth, and the youngest son Frederick became the fifth Earl of Guilford, all sons enjoying a brief lordship over the manor of Chipping Warden. The last son, Frederick was lord of the manor and hundred of Chipping Warden at the time the historian, George Baker was writing his History ofNorthamptonshire between 1822 and 1830 (5).

Upon his death the estate was then divided between his three daughters, the eldest being the Marchioness of Bute who died in 1841 leaving the inheritance to the second eldest daughter, Lucy Baroness North, whose seat was Wroxton Abbey in Oxfordshire. She had married John Sidney Doyle in 1835, who three years later

24 assumed the surname of North and succeeded to the barony of Chipping Warden in 1841. The baroness North was foremost in instigating educational refonn in Chipping Warden and was the patron of the village's fIrst school.

The North family were to retain the manor of Chipping Warden into the twentieth century by a direct line, through William Henry John, who died in 1932, his son William Frederick John North who died in 1938 and his grandson John Dudley, who became the 13th Baron North (6). In 1901 the manor was let to the Holland family, the Norths now vacating the premises.

In 1926 the manor and lands of Chipping Warden were sold by Lord North Wroxton to General Sir

Bertram Nonnan Sergison-Brooke, a Guards Brigade Commander with a very distinguished army career, serving in South Africa in the Boer War, in Egyp~ at Ypres and in Shangai. In 1915 he married Prudence Ida

Evelyn Sergison, daughter of Captain C W Sergison of CookfIeld Park, Sussex, thus acquiring the double­ barreled name. She died in 1918 and in 1923 he re-married, to Hilda, daughter of Mr Mark Fenwick, of

Abbotswood, Stow-on-the Wold. She died in 1954 (7).

Upon his death in March of 1967, the General's son by his second marriage, Timothy Mark Sergison­

Brooke succeeded to the barony of Chipping Warden. Born in 1924 he was educated at Eton and served with the

Grenadier Gnards in the Second World War. In 1964 he married Mary-Anne Hare, daughter of John Hare, the

First Viscount B1akenharn. The latter was one time Chainnan of the Conservative Party and enjoyed a distinguished political career which included positions as War Secretary from 1956 to 1958, Minister of

Agriculture in 1958 and Minister of Labour in 1960, and he was made a viscount in 1963 by Sir Alec Douglas­

Hume. He was forced to resign in 1964 due to ill health (8).

His daughter followed in her father'S footsteps and became politically active when she stood as candidate for the Wardoun ward in the by-elections of South Northamptonshire District Council and became a representative in October 1980. She had previously been Vice-Chainnan of the Cowdray Club for nurses and professional women, for four years. Her hobby is restoring antiques (9).

The Sergison-Brookes have a son and a daughter, the fonner, Nicholas Mark born in 1966, the latter,

Kate Constantina born in 1968, and the family live today in Chipping Warden manor house.

Of the original manor house of Chipping Warden little is known. However Pevsner tells us that the fonner house included a tower, and was situated to the east of the church, presumably on the same site as the present manor house, which was built by the Saltonstalls sometime in the seventeenth century (10). Retaining much of the essential character of the period, more recent additions have not detracted from its original character (11).

25 Inside the house carved panels and fIreplaces in both oak and stone adorn the walls, the moulded ceilings are similarly panelled and carved into intricate designs. The main stairway has the original wooden balustrade still intact and is wide and imposing. Many original wooden doors grace the manor house. Of Ihe many bedrooms one contains a four-poster bed. Evidently once a much larger room, as can be seen from Ihe extensive ceiling carvings which run Ihrough into Ihe next room, divided only by a more recently constructed partition, Ihe long room was said to have been used during the medieval period by Ihe ladies of Ihe house for walking to and fro adorned wilh Ihick coats with Ihe purpose of keeping warm in such a cold and draughty building as Ihis must have originally been. Long galleries such as this were once very fashionable.

The back stairway, formerly leading to the servants' quarters, is also still intact allhough now leading only to storage attics. At the base of Ihe stairway, what was once the butler'S room is now used as a cloakroom.

A secret room, thought to have been a priests' hole, was only discovered relatively recently in 1922. Now a bathroom, the original stairs descend for a few steps only and Ihen disappear, however Ihe line of Ihe original stairway is still evident leading downwards to the side courtyard Ihereby enabling Ihe priest and Ihe attendants of illegal religious meetings to escape Ihrough Ihe side gate, which still remains today and emerges on Ihe outer manor wall, by Ihe market square.

The outside of the house is fringed wilh stone parapets and diamond-shaped cornerstones said to be

Carolean in design, also an ornate wrought iron drainpipe on the soulh side of the building is enscrolled wilh Ihe year 1668, and Ihese factors joined wilh the diversity in design of Ihe chimney" stacks substantiates the Iheary

Ihat the building has been added to little by little over Ihe centuries.

The windows are of Ihe cross type, wilh one mullion, or vertical post, and one transom, or horizontal bar

(12). One particularly interesting window lies on Ihe east-facing part of Ihe building. It has three mullions and two transoms and slopes downwards at an angle to the right. Whether this sloping design was purposeful at the time of the building's construction or whelher Ihe slope is due to the movement of Ihe building over Ihe years we can only speculate upon.

Anolher building of great interest in Chipping Warden is Well Cottage which stands at the junction of

ByfIeld Road and Culworth Road, on Rainbow Corner, and is of medieval origin. Named Ihus because of Ihe abundance of natural springs which run benealh this part of Ihe village, the cottage still has its own well, situated at the front of the building. An original cruck designed cottage, the timber frame is still clearly visible inside the house bolh on the stairway and in Ihe present kitchen, and a date showing 1482 can be found inside Ihe inglenook fIreplace, substantiating the estimate of fIfteenlh century origin (plate 3 ).

26 Plate 3. Well Cottage and old chapel buifding.

During the medieval period the network of trade and exchange expanded and diversified continuously and the development of markets as centres of tnlde began. A charter was obtained by the lord of the manor thus allowing him to hold a weekly village market, and eventually the expansion of these centres of tnlde led to the emergence of the English market town. The charter for a market in Chipping Warden was first granted to

Wischard Ledet in 1219, despite much opposition from Banbury, and in rerum for the charter he was to make the gift of a palfrey to King Henry III (13). In March of 1227 the charter for a market, or fair, was transferred to

Henry de Braybrok, the son-in-law ofWischard Ledet (14). However, only one month later, in April of the same year, the grant was then disallowed and the market prohibited on the grounds that the original charter had been granted during the minority of King Henry III and was therefore invalid. A second attempt to procure a grant in

1229 also proved fruitless (15).

In June of 1283 the second husband of Christiana Ledet, Gerard de Fumival was granted a fresh charter for life for the conducting of a market in Chipping Warden on Mondays (16). However in July of the same year the Bishop of Lincoln challenged the right of existence of the market due to the creation of competition for his own market in Banbury, and the market was once again prohibited (17).

The next claim for the right to hold a market in Chipping Warden came in 1330 from Sir Thomas

27 Latirner, when he was granted the rightLO hold a Tuesday market, and this is recorded on his death in 1334 in the

Placita de Quo lVaranto as mak:ing an annual profit of 3s 6d (18).

There is evidence of the continuation of the market!hroughout the founeenth century and of particular note is an incident in 1338 when the Latimers brought an action against Williarn Slough, the vicar of Blakesley for disturbance of the market In defence Slough pleaded that he was acting in his role as !he Dean of Bracldey serving the summons of John, Bishop of Lincoln upon John Wodarde of Knebbeworlh, then residing in

Chipping Warden, who was charged with "maintaining and spreading abroad divers heresies and errors and publicly preaching against the beliefs of the Catholic Church within the diocese of Lincoln"(19).

Towards the end of the founeenth century there was a contraction in !he trade network and many markets disappeared, one of which may have been that at Chipping Warden. It is not clear when exactly the market ceased LO be held but all that remains of its memory now is a monument known locally as 'the steps', which formerly supported the old market cross, and stands on the village green in front of the church, at the side of which stands the remains of the hollow trunk of an old elm tree, perhaps once shelter for the market vendors

(plate 4 ).

Plate 4. Old market steps with manor house in background.

28 Along the A361lOwards Byfield in the nOM of the parish of Chipping Warden immediately after the

crossroads leading 10 AslOn-le-WaIls and Culworth is a SlOne monument It is said 10 be a mounting SlOne set up

by a villager who lost his way home in the fog, over three centuries ago. On hearing the beUs of Chipping

Warden church the man was said 10 be so grateful for this assistance in the direction he was 10 take that he

donated the stone 10 convey his thanks 10 the village. The inscription on the stone reads, ''Thomas llight of

Warden set up this July the 30, 1659'. However there has recently been local speculation as to the authenticity of

this tale. Many believe the stone was originally a gallows block from which the victims fell and so were hung,

and the regular occurrence of people dying by 'fa1ling from a cart' may refer to a cart being used in this way

also. Evidence to support this theory may be found on an Estate Map of ) 926 which shows the names of the

surrounding fields, the field on the left of the modem road being named GalJows Leys, meaning GalJows

meadow (20). When the road was recently realigned the stone was lifted and replaced and this may account for a

slight change in its location (plate 5 ).

Plate 5. Mounting block or gallows stone.

With the expansion of trade in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the growth of towns and the consequent depopulation of villages, the agrarian system of England began to change. The old open field system of farming could no longer be successful in a society which was based upon money, and where land was farmed

29 for monetary return. Landlords and fanners tried to liberate themselves from the common rights of the local people and conflicting economic interests led to the implementation of enclosure, sometimes uncontrolled, and often increasing the hardship of the peasant, causing disorder in many parts of England, particularly the midlands and the south. Enclosure was controlled by the landowners at local level and lack of government regulation resulted in lack of uniformity and consequently varying degrees of satisfaction.

The Act of Enclosure of Chipping Warden was passed in 1733, one of the earliest in Northamptonshire, and eleven commissioners were appointed to oversee the organisation of the process (21). At this time the parish was estimated to consist of around 1,964 acres, 1,545 of these belonging to the lord of the manor, Francis North, the frrst Earl of Guilford; 120 acres belonging to the rector, John Spencer, and 150 acres belonging to Thomas

Carter of Edgcote (22). The Award of Enclosure for Chipping Warden, dated 1734 is now held by the

Northamptonshire County Record Office. There is little evidence today of the effects of enclosure, the small rectangular partitions with which we associate enclosure having been replaced by larger fields now fanned by the major landowners of the area as one unit of land (23).

Some flavour of the danger of village life at the turn of the nineteenth century may be assessed by considering the great frre which raged on the 23rd of May 1799. Beginning at four o'clock in the afternoon and la.ting for two hours, the frre was caused by a man blowing asunder some logs of frrewood with gunpowder.

The damage was immense as the main building material was wood, and seventy-four bays of buildings were destroyed, including the original Griffm lon, thought to have stood on the site of the Beeches, today a private house; also much household furniture, vast amounts of crops in storage, the contents of buildings alone reaching a value of almost £ 1,500.

The danger and destruction of frre is not confined to centuries gone by and almost two hundred years later in 1978, frre was to be the cause of more extensive damage in Chipping Warden. Caused by a spark from a builder's chainsaw, this set alight a Dutch barn at Beeches Farm. The builder was making repairs to the roof of the barn, which belonged to Mr R Thomas. The resulting destruction was over three hundred tons of hay and the barn itself (24).

The adjoining parish of Edcote has a similarly fascinating history, the manor house being the focal point of activity both in the past and at present, as we shall see in the next chapter.

30 References

1. DOUBLEDA Y, R Art/mr. The Victoria History of the Counties of England. A History of the County of Northampton. Voll. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co Ltd, 1902.

2. BAKER., G A. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1822-30, pp. 521-8.

3. WELLAN, Francis. The History, Topography and Directory ofNorthamptonshire, 2nd ed. London: Whittaker, 1874, p. 448.

4. ibid, p. 449.

5. BAKER., G A. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1822-30, pp. 526.

6. KIDD, Charles and Williamson, David (eds). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. London: Macmillan, 1990, p. 922.

7. The Times. 29th March, 1967.

8. The Banbury Guardian. January, 1981.

9. ibid, 28th August. 1981.

10. PEVSNER, Nikolaus. The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd, 1961, p. 149.

11. MBE, Arthur, (ed). Northamptonshire - County of Spires and Stately Homes. The King's England Series. London: Rodder & Stoughton, 1945, p. 74.

12. PEVSNER, Nikolaus. The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd, 1961, p. 59.

13. BAKER., G A. History ofNorthamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1822-30, p.528.

14. The Calendar of Close Rolls. Voll. p. 22.

IS. ibid, p. 33.

16. The Calendar of Close Rolls. VoIN. p. 66.

17. ibid, p. 73.

18. GOODFELLOW, Peter. Medieval markets in Northamptonshire. Northamptonshire Past and Present, Vol VlI, 1987-88,5, pp. 311-19.

19.' BAKER., G A. History ofNorthamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1822-30, p.528.

20. Ordnance Map ofNorthamptonshire. Sheet LIV, The Parish of Chipping Warden, Map B.

21. ANSCOMBE, J W. Parliamentary enclosure in Northamptonshire. Northamptonshire Past and Present, Vol VlI, 1988-89,6, p. 416.

22. BAKER., G A. History of Northamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1822-30, p.521.

31 23. TATE, W E. A Domesday of English Enclosure Acts and Awards. Reading: University of Reading, 1978, p. 191.

24. The 8anbury Focus, July 20th 1978.

32 Chapter Four

The History or Edgeote

Prior to Ihe time of Ihe Domesday Book compilation, Ihe manor and lands of Edgcote had been part of a large eslate held by Ihe Saxon lhane, Burred. However during Ihe reign of William Ihe Conqueror Edgcote was forfeited by Burred and given over to Geoffrey, Bishop of COUlances in Normandy. In 10861hey were held under Ihe bishop by Walchelin. Consisting of two hides, Ihere were five carucates of arable land, of which two were in demesne wilh two servants, and twenty-one villeins and two bordars were working Ihe wee remaining carucates. A mill which was worlh ten shillings yearly is still to be found in Ihe same location today, Ihough not now in working order. Also held were six acres of meadow. The total was valued bolh before and after Ihe

Domesday survey at £4 per annum.

Upon Ihe dealh of Ihe Bishop of Coulances in 1093 Ihe lands escheated to Ihe Crown, and from here were passed on to Ihe Lukenor family, who enfeoffed Ihe Murdak family in Ihe eslate, Ihus making Edgcote a subordi­ nate member to Iheir capital manor of Harrowden. The first lord of Ihe manor of Ihe Murdak family was Robert.

In 1179 in Ihe Hydarium of Henry II, Robert's son and heir, Roger Murdak is recorded as holding two hides in Edgcote, of Ihe fee of King David of Scotland and Earl of Huntingdon. According to Ihe Testa de Nevill of around 1240, Geoffrey de Lukenor had one fee in Edgcote which was held of Isabel de Bruce, Ihe grandmolher of Robert Ihe Bruce, who when crowned King of Scotland in 1306 had all of his English eSlates seized by Edward I of England. In 1378, Edward, Ihe Prince of Wales is recorded as being given alllhe lands held formerly by Geoffrey de Lukenor.

Throughout Ihis time Ihe Murdak family were still in residence at Edgcote manor, and passing Ihrough a direct line of descent, Ihe son of Roger, named Henry, was succeeded by his son, Thomas, who died in 1253 and left Ihe inherilance to his son William, Member of Parliament for Ihe county of Norlhamptonshire between 1288 and 1290. During his lordship a grant of free warren was obtained in Edgcote.

Upon his dealh in 13151he manor and lands passed to his eldest surviving son, Sir Thomas Murdak, whose younger brolher Nicholas was Ihe rector of Edgcote church from 1309 to 1343. Sir Thomas was succeeded by his son, John Murdak who was summoned by writ of quo wa"anto in 1329 to give reasons for his claim for extra privileges in Edgcote, including free warren and acquitlance from fines and pleas for murder.

33 ------

Upon this summons he immediately abandoned his claim for the acquittances, but produced the charter for free warren obtained by his grandfather, William, and was duly allowed to continue with this privilege. The privilege of frank pledge was taken into the king's hands but later returned upon payment of the fine of one half mark.

Next to inherit the manor and lands of Edgcote was John's son, Thomas, who together with his wife

Helen levied a fme of the manor in 1382. Their heir, Arnold, was the last of the Murdak family to inherit

Edgcote which he did in 1404 (I).

The next recorded owner of Edgcote was Lord John Lovell ofTitchmarsh, who held the manor of

Sir William Thiming, as of his manor of Harrowden. Upon his death in 1408 his son John, aged 30 years, inherited the estate, but by 1410 ownership had been regained by the crown. In 1413 Henry, Prince of Wales was in possession of Edgcote as can be seen when, upon his accession to the English throne, he levied a fme upon the manor.

However it did not long remain in royal hands as Richard Buckland was recorded in 1436 as being the holder of Edgcote. Following his death an inquisition was begun into the succession, and Robert Whytingharn, his great grandson was found to be the heir to the estate at the age of thirty years. Probably due to his absence from the manor in 1461, whilst attending a parliament summoned by Edward N, he was disinherited of the lands, which then passed to his daughter Margaret and her husband, Thomas Haselwode, and his cousin, also named Margare~ married to John Vemey.

The two Margarets sold the manor and advowson of Edgcote in 1490 to Sir Reginald Bray for the sum of

£800. We have recorded in May of 1492 receipt of 800 marks (£533 6s Bd) as part payment for the lands,and the property was passed over to the clerk Thomas Parmeter who gave the right of inheritance to Sir Reginald

Bray, and thence to his nephew, Edmund, to be held for him by trustees. The lands were not released by the trustees until 1523 when the knigh~ now Sir Edmund Lord Bray was given full ownership of the manor and advowsen of Edgcote (2).

In May of 1535 he sold the property to Robert Darmer of Eythorp in Buckinghamshire who in September of the same year again sold the manor and advowson to Thomas Cromwell, then Vicar General to Henry VIII.

Born of a blacksmith in Putney around 1498, Thomas Cromwell's rise to power was all the more spectacular considering his lowly origins. Sworn on to the Privy Council in 1531, he was made Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1532 and by 1534 was the Principal Secretary of State and Master of the Rolls for Henry VIII. There is evidence to suggest a knighthood around 1531. However in the documents recording the sale of Edgcote he is addressed only as 'Thomas Crumwell, Esquier'. Whilst owner of Edgcote he was made Visitor General of all the

34 monasteries in England and was largely responsible for their subsequent suppression and eventual dissolution. In

July of 1536 he was appointed Lord Privy Seal, gained the title of Baron Cromwell ofOakham and was also given the title of Vice-Regent, answerable only to the king as Supreme Head of the Church in England. Having precedence even over the archbishops, Cromwell was foremost in instigating the Reformation of the Church of

England. One of his main responsibilities as Vicar -General was to implement the translation of the Holy Scriptures, prayer books and parish registers into the English language, rather than the formidable Latin. In 1537 he was made a Knight of the Garter, and three years later given the title the Earl of Essex and appointed Lord High

Chamberlain. It was his negotiation which brought about the marriage between Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves, an act which was to contribute to his eventual downfall. His reign of supremacy was not to last and on 16th June

1540 he was arrested and taken to the Tower of London, on charges of heresy and high treason, the pretext for his arrest being the belief that he leaned too far towards the reformed faith. Despite pleas for mercy from both himself and Archbishop Cranmer he was beheaded without defence on Tower Hill on 26th July 1540 (3).

Whilst in possession of the manor of Edgcote, Cromwell made a number of improvements. He built a large kitchen on the back of the house with two stone chimneys and an archway between the two. Alterations were also made to various door-cases and windows, giving then the appearance of chapel windows and doors (4).

His son and heir, Gregory, inherited many of the lands owned by his father, Edgcote, however, escheated to the Crown and in January of 1541 was included in the dower granted for life to Anne of Cleves, recently divorced from the king by her own consenL

Although remaining in England until her death in 1557, Anne of Cl eves did not live at Edgcote and in

1543 the manor and advowson were rented to a gentleman of Edgcote named William Chauncy, for the sum of

£43 6s 8d per annum. Two years later the same gentleman obtained a grant for ownership of the estate, thus beginning the long line of the Chauncy family which held Edgcote and are so well remembered by monuments in Edgcote church.

Upon the death ofWilliam Chauncy, his son Tobias inherited the manor and lands and was responsible for the adornment of an upstairs chimney breast wim me family coat of arms in stonework, also statuettes of

Mars, Venus, Cupid, Apollo and Vulcan.

In 1608 he died and me inheritance followed a direct line of descent to his son Williarn; in 1644 to his son Toby; in 1662 to his son also named Toby; and in 1725 me estate was again inherited by a son named Toby.

Differentiated by his politically active career this member of the Chauncy family was the Member of Parliament for Banbury in 1730. Upon his death at the age of sixty in 1733, his cousin, Richard Chauncy inherited the

35 property, and it is whilst in his possession that the old manor house was destroyed by fire and the new house, which still stands today, was constructed.

Inheriting the new mansion in 1761, his son William Henry Chauncy lived only until 1788 when the property passed to his sister Anna Maria Chauncy, whose marriage to Thomas Carter resulted in the beginning of the line of Carter family as holders of Edgcote. Thomas Carter was related also to Richard's brother Toby, through his daughter, Anna Tobina's marriage to Thomas Richard Carter of the Inner Temple, London, a barrister at law and the father of Thomas Carter. Also politically active, the latter was Member of Parliament for

Tamworth between 1796 and 1802 and later Member of Parliament for Callington from 1807 until 1810 (5).

Thomas Carter's daughter married into the Aubrey family and his grand-daughter, Julia Aubrey married a Cartwright of Aynho, and together they inherited the Edgcote estate. This they retained until 1926 when the manor was sold to Mr Edward Courage, a racehorse trainer and National Hunt breeder. Famous Grand National entrants included Tiberetta, Spanish Steps and Royal Relief. Contracting polio in 1938 Mr Courage was confined to a wheelchair and played a leading part in the Action Research for the Crippled Child, also for the

Injured Jockey Fund. He was a former director of Courage's brewery, the family business, also an Area

Chairman for the National Westrninster Bank. His work also included the setting up of a special hotel in

Skegness for handicapped children, and the founding of the Foscote Clinic in Banbury, where he died in 1982 (6).

His wife Hermione, and married son, Christopher, live today on the Edgcote estate.

Set in approximately 1,340 acres of parkland, most of which is now permanent pasture, the present

Edgcote House is an impressive and dignified Classical-style mansion. Built on almost the same site as the previous house which was destroyed by fire in the eighteenth century, the house has two main facades, facing east and west, and overlooking the garden and lake, which was a later addition by the Carter family who converted several streams and pools from the River Cherwell into one large expanse of water.

Built under the lordship of Sir Richard Chauncy in the 1740s the work took five years to complete, and records of the details of workmanship have been retained. The designer was William Smith of Warwick and shows influences along Classical Italian lines, as first put forward by Inigo Jones and Robert Prau in the seventeenth century. The stables, also designed by Smith, show an Age of Reason influence and were built in

I 747,just prior to the designer's death. The architect was WilIiam Jones whose fee for the five years work was

£250, the entire cost of the building being £20,204 18s IOd (7).

Built of yellow sandstone and rich brown ironstone the contrasts are further heightened by the use of silver grey stone dressings to divide sections of the building. Consisting of three storeys, including attics and

36 donners and also a basement, the two facades are divided imo nine bays, the cenll"e three being crowned with a

pediment, suessed by SlDne corbels for support, showing anns in the I)'panium, of a shield in a carIOuche, or

ornate frame. The main enuance is approached from the drive by a double balusuaded flight of slDne steps.

Inside the house the enuance hall is adorned with portrailS of past generations of the Chauncy family; Sir

WiIliam in 1636 in black dresscoot with lace turnover; Richard Chauncy of London who was lord of the manor

at the time of consll"Uction, and his wife Elizabeth Dean; also a handsome portrait of William Henry Chauncy

painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. An open stairway of two flighlS has intricately carved balusuades and the ceiling of the saloon is divided inlD frames by panels, with talllantems, and a number of features showing

influences of both PalIadian and Roccoco fonn. Also worthy of note are the many carved wooden chimney­

pieces and ovennantles, the carpenuy undertaken by a gentleman named Abraham Swan. The eighteenth century marble fireplaces and chimney pieces were the work of Richard Newman, and a Mr J Whitehead was

responsible for the plastering and stucco-work with especially fine work on the wall and cupola or the stairway.

The furniture of late seventeenth and early eighteenth century design was the work of Mr Cobb (8) (plate 6 ).

To the south of Edgcote church the reclDry stands and is an example of simple Georgian style, with five

bays and two slDreys and seems ID have been conSll"Ucted during the same period as the main house.

Plate 6. Edgcote House.

37 The Wars of the Roses of the ftfteenth century was a long struggle between two branches of the royal family, which became known as the Yorkists and the Lancastrians, and Edgcote became implicated in the civil war and figures prominently in the history books.

Following a quarrel between King Edward IV and Warwick the Kingmaker, the latter became allied to the Lancastrian cause alongside Queen Margaret and Henry VI. Shortly afterwards, a rebellion in the north led by Sir John Coniers and Sir Henry Nevill, culminated in a march upon London which King Edward IV sent

William Herben, the Earl of Pembroke, to intercept. Having gathered extra forces in Wales and joined by a further eight hundred men of Lord Stafford, the several branches of the Yarkist army met in Banbury. There ensued a dispute between the Earl of Pembroke and Lord Stafford over quarters, the result of this being the withdrawal of his forces by Lord Stafford, possibly a major contribution to the subsequent defeat of the Yorkists.

The hostile armies met north of Banbury at Danesmoor near Edgcote on what is now believed to have been the 26th July 1469, though for centuries historians believed the day to have been the 24th. The Yorkists with a force of around twenty thousand men encamped on the hill to the west of Danesmoor, the Lancastrians with around seventeen or eighteen thousand men to the south. As pan of the pre-battle skirmishes one of the leaders of the Lancastrian camp, Sir Henry Nevill was captured by the Yorkists and murdered, thereby infuriating the Lancastrians, and full hattle ensued. The close of battle came when John Clapham, a retainer of the Earl of Warwick marched from the east with five hundred men, and although only local village men, they were mistaken for the armed forces of the Earl of Warwick and consequently the Yorkists fled, and many were slain by their pursuers.

The leaders taken prisoner, including the Earl of Pembroke, were dealt with very harshly, perhaps due to the earlier murder of Sir Henry Nevill by the Yorkists. The Lancastrians had their revenge when all twelve leaders were beheaded at Banbury, on 27th July (9).

Much Welsh poetry relating the events of the Battle of Danesmoor was written, partly due to the fact that

William Herben, the Earl of Pembroke and his brother Richard Herbert of Colebrook were the foremost patrons of Welsh poetry in the fifteenth century. There is a certain biased leaning to the Yorkist cause, however much can be gained from the poetry to give us an insight into the events of the day (10).

Edgcote features again in English history almost two centuries later during the English Civil War.

The king had mustered his Royalist forces at Shrewsbury ready for the march to London and battle with the parliamentary forces. On 21st October 1642 the Royalists had reached Southarn, in Warwickshire and on the

22nd began their march towards Edgcote. The traditional tale relates the story of a man playing with his hounds

38 in a nearby field, who was spotted and approached by the leader.; of the Royalist army, and entreated to muster his forces and fight for the king, which he duly did. This man, a local gentleman, was Mr Richard Shuckburgh, later knighted for his loyalty to the crown at the Battle of Edge Hill.

On reaching Edgcote the king, Charles Stuartand his two sons, spent the night of Saturday the 22nd

October at Edgcote manor as guests of William Chauncy, and the bed and chamber was preserved in memory of this honour until fire destroyed the building in the eighteenth century. The king was awakened early by Prince

Rupert who had received a message that the Roundheads were near. Alerting their forces ,of around fourteen thousand on foot, and a further four thousand on horseback, who were camped between Edgcote and Cropredy, the Royalists marched to Edge Hill to meet the parliamentary forces at Keynton, between Stratford-upon-Avon and Banbury, and the Battle of Edge Hill was foughton Sunday 23rd October, 1642. After a very equal conflict both sides claimed the victory, the king withdrawing towards Oxford and remaining at Aynho in the south of

Northamptonshire, for a further four days (11)

Thus we see that the parish of Edgcote has played an important part in the affairs of the country in centuries past, and it is with pride that local inhabitants reflect upon this involvement.

References

1. BAKER, G. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1822-30, p.491.

2. ibid, p. 492.

3. ibid, p. 49~.

4. BRIDGES. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Vol!. Oxford: (publisher unknown), 1791, p. 117.

5. BAKER, G. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1822-30, p.494-5.

6. The Banbury Guardian. August, 1982.

7. PEVSNER, Nickolaus. The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd, 1961,p.62.

8. The Manor of Edgcote (leaflet). Origin unknown. Printer unknown, date unknown.

9. BAKER, G. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Vol 1. London: John Bowyer, Nichols and Son, 1822-30, p.500.

10. LEWIS, Wi1liam Gwyn, The Exact Date of the Battle ofBanbury, 1469. Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research, Vol55, No 132.

11. MEE, Arthur, ed. Northamptonshire - County ofSpires and Stately Homes. The Kings England Series. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1945, p. 112.

39 Chapter Five

The Parish Church of St Peter and SI Paul, Chipping Warden

The centre around which Ihe community moved during Ihe medieval period was undoubtedly Ihe church, and to some extent Ihis is still true today. Despite a decline in religious fervour and Ihe emergence of alternative

pastimes, Ihe church remains an important part of community life and Ihe building itself dominates Ihe surround­ ing countryside, standing as a glorious monument to Ihe past (plate 7).

The parish church of Chipping Warden is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul and lies wilhin Ihe deanery of

Bracldey. Formerly belonging to Ihe Abbey of Warden in Bedfordshire, Ihe parish was subject to tilhes as late as

1839 when Ihe payment was recorded at £34 3s 6d. By bolh Ihe taxations of Henry ID in 1254 and Edward I in

1291, Ihe church was rated 312A marks per annum, or around £16. By 1535, in Ihe ecclesiastical survey carried out under Ihe instruction of Henry VIn, Ihe rate had risen to £27 Os 7d per annum, whilst 10s 7d of Ihis was deducted for synodaJs and procurations of Ihe archdeacon of Norlhampton. In 1655 Ihe Parliamentary

Commissioners valued Ihe church at £88 per annum. A portion of land, around fourteen acres, was allotted to Ihe rector for Ihe glebe land by Ihe Commissioners of Enclosure in 1733 and was charged at an annual rent of £200

Plate 7. The parish church of St Peter and St Paul, Chipping Warden. 40 in lieu of tithes. In 1809 by an Act of Parliament of George Ill, the Earl of Guilford granted to the rector of

Chipping Warden 103 acres of land in commutation of the rent charged. By 1874, Whellan quoted the wealth of the church and its lands at £282 per annum (I).

The church, of local stone, is thought to have been built around the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, different designs indicating that the building was undertaken in stages. There is however some evidence to suggest earlier origins. Mainly in Decorated style, many features show aspects of the Perpendicular era. There is also evidence of an earlier construction of Norman origin. The former two styles indicate the historical division of English gothic architecture during the medieval period; Decorated styles originating from the era pre-1350, whilst Perpendicular design covers the period following this until the early sixteenth century. Around the mid fourteenth century, however there is little development in building programmes due to the onslaught of the

Black Death.

The building consists of a west tower, nave, north and south aisles, a south porch, chancel and north vestry.

The tower of mainly Perpendicular style is sixteen feet long and fIfteen feet six inches wide. The western doorway is decorated with fleurons and has a crocketted ogee hood-mould protecting the entrance from rain water and above this is a window situated between two canopied niches. The entrance resembles that of Edgcote church to such an extent that it is believed that the same architect was responsible for both churches (2). The tower has battlement style buttresses and on each corner a pinnacle rises to a crocketted spire (3). Within the tower is a clock and five bells. The first bell of thirty-two inches diameter holds the inscription 'Cantate Domino

CanticvmNovvm. 1674. The second, inscribed 'Henricus Bagley Me Fecit 1674' is thirty-three and a half inches in diameter. The third, slightly larger at thirty-five inches diameter reads 'Gabriel Lambert and John Lynes

Churchwardens 1674'. The final two bells hold inscriptions a little more eloquent and are larger still at thirty­ nine and forty-three inches wide, reading respectively 'Bee it knowne to all that do mee see that Bagley of

Chacombe made mee 1674,' and 'I ring to sermon with a lusty borne that all may come and non may stay at home. 1674.' In 1552 in the returns of the commissioners for taking lists of the ornaments of Northamptonshire churches, Chipping Warden is recorded as possessing "iij bells and a sauncts bell in the steple of A meane ring" (4).

Tradition holds that the rector of 1434 to 1468, William Smarte, encouraged the ringing of the curfew bell at six o'clock am and eight o'clock pm daily following an incident which enabled him to be guided home by the bell one foggy night and this trndition was maintained until the beginning of the Second World War. This same rector was responsible for setting up a charity in Chipping Warden when in 1467 he gave several acres of

41 land to the parish officers in trust partly to provide payment for the sexton and thus the continuation of the curfew

bell ringing and partly to the poor of the parish. Another local charity was fanned in 1668 by the rector Richard

Bathurst, arising out of lands in Thorpe Mandeville given in trust to the masters and fellows of Trinity College,

Oxford to be used for charitable purposes of an educational nature within the parish of Chipping Warden.

The nave, measuring forty-nine feet six inches by fifteen feet six inches is a lofty arcade with a series of

clerestory windows and is of early Perpendicular design with memories of Decomted style. Four wide bays

separate the nave from the aisles, and piers or supports divide into four main shafts and four subsidiary, with

broad fillets for decomtion. The arches between are decomtively moulded, particularly around the square plinth

bases and the capitals.

Both the north and south aisles extend as far as the tower and are estimated to be older than the nave (5).

The north aisle, sixty-five feet six inches long by seventeen feet wide leads to the east end of the church

and the burial place of past lords of the manor, including a vault for the burial of members of the Saltonstall

,family. Leading to a small chantry chapel this was in times of Roman Catholicism used for the chanting of the

names of souls who were rich enough to pay for this privilege. From the chapel a small opening, or 'squint',

connects to the high altar enabling the cumte conducting mass in the side chapel to see the stage of development

of the main service by the rector at the high altar. An archivolt with good mouldings is connected by a dripstone

which springs from small corbal heads with demi-angels in the spandrels. The north aisle has three decomted windows, of three lights, the elongated flowing trefoils culminating in a large circular wheel design of four mouchettes, the curvilinear tracery resembling a curved dagger which was a popular decoration in the fourteenth century. The windows retain fragments of old green and ruby red glass, remnants of an old stained glass window.

The only complete stained glass window in the church is in the east wall and was a gift of the Douglas family, during the sixteenth century. It shows the Adomtion of the Wise Men and scenes from the lives of

St Peter and StPaul, and was produced by the workshop of Ch risto ph er Whall (6).

Of similar length to the north aisle but slightly wider at twenty-one feet two inches, is the south aisle leading to the east end of the church and a fme example of an early English sedilia, of three parallel seats for use by the priests. This appears to be set into the wall of the chancel. However closer investigation reveals that the wall has been built around the sedilia, indicating the age of the latter to be greater than that of the walls. The south aisle is lofted by arches with capitals connected to a piscina, with shafts and fillets showing fmgments of fanner dog-tooth ornamentation, which consists of a four-cornered star rising pyrarnidically in the centre (7). Of the windows along the south aisle, most are Decomted with good examples of reticulated tracery. However the

42 clerestery windows overlooking the nave are of Perpendicular design (8).

The chancel, measuring thirty-six feet by sixteen feet eight inches has early fourteenth century origins evident from the southern outside wall which has traces of a small round headed doorway evident in the masonry. The northern side has two tall blocked round arches, one of which is cut into by the present chancel arch and suggests a fonner chancel reaching further west, thought to be possibly of origins around 1200 (9).

Also of interest in the chancel is the battlemented reredos, an omarnental screen at the rear of the altar, with an outer moulding of stone rosettes filled by oak panels (10). In the south wall of the chancel is a piscina, which is now broken. The windows of the chancel are mainly of three lights with detailed intersected tracery. However the eastern most window has four lights and is of early Perpendicular design with a two centred arch and ogee detail. The lower side window has two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil pierced through the spandrel, and suggests an origin of around 1300.

Behind the southern wall is a two-roomed vestry of dimensions twenty-four feet nine inches by nine feet

three inches. The western most room has a window of Perpendicular design and in the south wall is a piscina, whilst the eastern room has an east facing window of Decorated design. Once the old chapel, the division

between the chancel and the vestry shows an old groove, previously used for hinges and the remains of a long

slanting opening.

The interior of the church is well paved with both open benches, and box pews with high wooden enclosures, placed in tiers and situated at the west end of the church facing eastwards. Above this there is a hatchment bearing the royal coat of arms of the eighteenth century.

The font, of simple design with fleur de lys and other foliage to decorate its eight sides has caused speculation as to its date, Mee believing it to be of fifteenth century origin, whilst Pevsner estimates its origin to be around 1660.

A canopied pulpit with wooden back panel boasts an iron handrail of delicate work with a design of crossed swords and keys. North of the altar is a stone shelf of embattled design with a stone corbel for support believed by Pevsner to be of fourteenth century origin. On the wall at the north side of the altar an old carved cupboard was given as a gift to the church by John Ward, the village carpenter in 1627, along with a credence table, now disappeared. Some evidence of Art Nouveau influence is present in the metalwork of both the bronze eagle lectern, in the style of Henry Wilson and dated 1902, and the Celtic brass altar cross, by John Williarns, dated 1901. Other treasures inside the church include an old oak chest decorated with metal plate, and the altar drapery of cream and gold needlepoint lace.

43 Church plate, as identified by a survey in 1889-94, included a silver paten, two silver cups and a silver flagon. The silver paten, measuring one inch by eight inches was hallmarked in 1742-3 and holds the inscription

'JOHN SPENCER RECfOR of Chipping Warden gave this plate to place the bread upon at the sacrament for use of the communicants, for the greater safety he desires it may be kept by the future rectors'. Both cups meas- ure seven inches in height and three-and-a-quarter inches in diameter. The first is hallmarked around 1570-1 and is Elizabethan in design with ornamentation around the centre of the bowl. The second, dated 1880-1 holds

London hallmarks and was presumably made to match the former cup. The inside of the bowl of this cup reads

'Presented by Colonel North MP and the Baroness North to the rector and churchwardens of Chipping Warden for the use of the parish church, 6 Feb 1881'. The flagon, eleven inches high and four-and-three-quarter inches in diameter also has London hallmarks of 1880-1 and is of the round bellied type with the words inscribed, 'Glory be to God on high'. There was recorded also to have been in 1843 a pewter flagon and a further silver paten (11).

The roof inside the church is supported by many carved heads of angels, whilst outside gargoyles have the dual purpose of both warding off evil spirits and providing drainage for the roof.

The organ, originating from Kent, was brought to the church in 1895 and for sixty-two years the organist has remained the same. Sidney Ellis Smith, known locally as 'Bud', began playing the organ at the age of fifteen in nearby Wormleiton, and since 1930 has played at Chipping Warden, as well as at Edgcote for twenty-seven years. At one time Bud himself, two sisters, a brother-in-law and an uncle were all organists in local churches.

It is not only organ music which has been heard in Chipping Warden church over the years, as a musical entertainment during the Christmas of 1977 shows. Performed by the cellist Charles Dickie, and the rock band

'Van der Graaf' and friends, later to become known as 'Pool of Sound', the programme included classical music of Scarlatti and Handel, also some jazz and rock pieces performed by the latter artists (12).

Inside the church, monuments include a brass plate below a small figure of an ecclesiastic in memory of former rector William Smarte who died in 1468, a brass plaque set into the floor to commemorate Richard

Makepeace, a yeoman who died in 1584, and a plate in memory of Richard Stanwix also former rector who died in 1656. Above the ~oor a stone monument is set in memory of Edward Bathurst by his son Richard, former \ rector and is dated 1668. The family of former rector John Spencer is buried beneath a stone monument dated

1773. Both previous rectors by the name of Lamb are remembered in a stone monument, the Reverend Matthew who died in 1797 and his son John who died in 1831, erected by his nephew Captain Thomas Lamb. A brass plaque dated 1889 commemorates the restoration of the church clock by the friends and parishioners of

Chipping Warden, in memory of the former rector Robert Tomkinson. Above the pews are two plaques erected

44 by the Douglas family in memory of family members, who have been active members of the church throughout the twentieth century, and date from 1902 to 1956. Two large brass plaques list the names of men who were lost in the Great War of 1914-18, and originated from the parishes of Chipping Warden or Edgcote. A prayer book stand is dedicated in memory ofFred Lovell and is dated 1974. The dedications within the church show the very close 1inks between the church and the local community, and local family names often occur several times. This also shows the great importance in which the church was held, both in the past and, to a lesser extent, in the present

Just inside the door of the church is a list of the past and present rectors, dating back to 1243. The fIrst was Robert Belvocen, an archdeacon whose patron was Sir Thomas Gretley. Many of the rectors to follow him were presented by the lords of the manor of the time, displaying the importance of the patronage of the local gentry. For example, John Griffm presented William Smarte to the rectory on 13 August 1434, this rector having previously been mentioned as forming the charity which still exists today in Chipping Warden. Ralph GriffIn, who took offIce in 1555, had the same name as the lord of the manor and can presumably be supposed to have been a relative. Links between the manor and the church were strong and patronage is seen to have been dependent upon the flexibility of the rector. Thus in 1643 Richard Stanwix came to offIce and, according to a brass plate in the chancel, maintained his position 'by submitting to the men in power during the times of usurpation,' referring to the Civil War in England. The same rector was responsible for the publication of a religious work entitled A Holy Life Here, The Only Way to Eternal Life Hereafter, which outlined the common neglect of Christian law amongst Christians and recommended a holy life, essential for salvation. This rector, and several others, are buried in Chipping Warden churchyard. In 1846 John Francis Doyle took offIce but in

1854 was the subject of complaint, when a member of the Douglas family wrote to the Bishop of Peterborough complaining that the services were not being conducted properly and consequently attendance was low.

Examples of complaint were consequent lack of communicants at the Communion service, the missing out of many prayers, and Doyle' s need to refer to books while publishing the banns of marriage. These complaints may have arisen because of his frequent absences when the curate John Henry Pullin was left in charge. Despite these disapprovals he retained offIce until 1876. In 1950 J N Robertson-G lasgow took offIce, a cousin of the sporting and literary fIgure, R 0 Robertson-Glasgow. He retained his position as rector of Chipping Warden for thirty years until in 1980 he was replaced by A P Clarke. Three years later in 1983 the Reverend H Clegg took offIce and he was replaced in 1990 by the present rector, the Reverend Simon Crawley (13).

45 References

1. BAKER, G. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Vol!. London: John Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, p.528.

2. ibid, p. 529.

3. PEVSNER, Nickolaus. The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd, 1961, p. 148.

4. NORm, Thomas. The Church Bells of Northamptonshire: Their Inscriptions, Traditions and Peculiar Uses. Leicester: Samuel Clarke, 1878, pp. 221-2.

5. MEE, Arthur (ed). The Kings England. Northamptonshire. County of Spires and Stately Homes. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1945, p. 73.

6. ibid, p. 73.

7. PEVSNER, Nickolaus. The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd, 1961, p. 148.

8. BAKER, G. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Vol!. London: John Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, p.529.

9. PEVSNER, Nicko1aus. The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd, 1961, p. 149.

10. MEE, Arthur (ed). The Kings England. Northamptonshire. County ofSpires and Stately Homes. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1945, p. 73.

11. MARKHAM. Christopher A. The Church Plate ofNorthampton. Northampton: Spratton. 1889-94.

12. The Banbury Guardian. January 1978.

13. BAKER, G. A History ofNorthamptonshire. Vol!. London: John Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, p.528.

46 Chapter Six

The Parish Church or SI James, Edgcole

Also within the deanery of BrackJey is the parish church of Edgcote, which is dedicated to StJames. By the taxations of Henry m in 1254 and Edward 1 in 1291 the church was estimated to be valued at fifteen marks, or ten pounds, per annum. By the survey of Henry vm in 1535 this sum had risen to £12 10s 7d per annum, with 10s 7d deducted for synodals and procurations paid to the archdeacon of Nonharnpton. In 1552, during the reign of Edward VI the church was leased to the lord of the manor for a period of 199 years, and when this expired in 1751 the lordship was subject to the payment of tithes. In 1655 the Parliamentary Commissioners rated the living at £36 per annum (1).

Situated between Edgcote manor house and the rectory, the church is built of local stone and appears also to have been constructed in various stages, although some features suggest that it may be older in origin than the church at Chipping Warden. Consisting of a tower, south aisle, north vestry, nave and chancel, the design is again a mixture of Perpendicular and Decorated, with some evidence of Norman, and Old English origins (plate 8).

Plate S. The parish church of St James, Edgcote.

47 The windows in the main body of the church are of stained glass, the west window, transomed and with battlement features is Perpendicular in design, as are the south windows of the chancel and north vestry, whilst to the north of the east window is a small vacant niche, the purpose of which we cannot be sure.

The tower, measuring ten feet two inches long by eleven feet nine inches wide, is also Perpendicular in design, suggestive of thirteenth century origins. The western entrance has a crocketted ogee head-mould over the archway for protection from rainwater, and this is flanked at each side by narrow pillaster buttresses of

Decorated design. The architrave has hollow mouldings for ornament, running down towards the base of the arch. On the south side of the tower is an appendage thought to be the remnants of a stoop, or small porch (2).

The tower contains four bells and a priest's bell. The flISt, measuring twenty-eight and a quarter inches in diameter, is inscribed 'Henry Bagley made mee 1668'. The second, measuring thirty and a quarter inches in diameter, holds the inscription 'Bartholemew ATIVN 1592' and was cast in Leicester by Bartholemew Atton, who was connected with the Newcombe family of Leicester, prominent figures in local government at this time.

Thus Bartholemew Atton became a member of the Merchants Guild in 1582-3 and the bell, forged in the foundry at Leicester, has the crest of the Guild stamped upon it. The third bell, of thirty-two and three-quarters inches in diameter, has the same inscription as the first, but an earlier date of 1660. We are not sure of the name of the man who forged the fourth bell but at thirty-six and a half inches in diameter it is the largest bell and is inscribed 'Prayse ye the lorde alwayse 1623'. The small priests' bell at ten inches diameter is blank. The returns of the commissioners of 1552 recorded Edgcote as having "iij bells in the steple of the treble rynge and a sancts bell". A custom to chime bells at a funeral, thrice three tolls for a man, thrice two for a woman and three single chimes for a child, although becoming obsolete during the nineteenth century was recorded as continuing at

Edgcote in 1878 (3).

In a speech to Chipping Warden and Edgcote Womens Institute in 1978 Mr Ruddleston of Cui worth told of the tradition of the casting of bells. Said to be made originally in fields near to the church, a hollow was made in the ground and a mould then made from stones, over which the metal was then cast. Mr Ruddleston stated that a fine bell-chime could ring 120 changes (4).

The south aisle and porch has windows of Old English design and an arcade of three bays believed to be of early thirteenth century origin. The south aisle is supported by circular piers with circular abaci on top of the capital, and pointed double-chamfered arches which cut across at an angle of forty-five degrees. The door, opening to the north vestry, is of Perpendicular style and has traces of Old English pillar bases, suggesting the possibility of the previous existence of a north aisle in the church.

48 The north chapel, which is now a veslry, measures nine feet eleven inches by twelve feet and once had two storeys, the priest living in the upper section. The door to the priest's room is still visible in the wall of the veslry, around nine to ten feet from the ground. The door from the veslry to the main part of the church is of interest for its fifteenth century ironwork, the utilitarian latch and sanctuary handle, said to be used by persecuted fugitives who would cling to the handle and so seek sanctuary in the church.

The nave, measuring forty-three feet four inches in length by sixteen feet three inches in width, is divided from the south aisle by three arches on low circular pillars, the latter of Norman design, the former of Old

English suggesting the transition around the turn of the twelfth century from one style to another. The westem­ most pillar has plain mouldings, the east has rude heads at its capital and an omarnentation of a hand holding a skull, a feature of Old English architecture.

Within the rails of the chancel on the south side is a piscina under a trefoiled arch and near to this, set into the wall, a plain locker.

The wooden pulpit and box pews are thought to be of eighteenth century origin, and on the north side of the chancel is the family pew for lords of the manOr of Edgcote. This is so completely separate from the other pews within the church as to resemble a small private house with a window overlooking the main part of the church, and is set with a plate dated 1768 (5).

A survey undertaken to determine the existence of church plate in Northamptonshire from 1889 to 1894 records a paten, a cup, a flagon and an alms dish as belonging to Edgcote church. The silver paten measures one and a half by five and three-quarters by two and a half inches and although !lie paten contains no hallmarks the date is thought to be around 1768. The initials 'W C' are inscribed upon the paten and are presumably those of the donor. The cup, also silver, measures eight by three and three-quarter inches. Its four hallmarks suggest the date of 1768-9, and the bell-shaped bowl holds the monogram of the donor and is inscribed 'D D W H

Chauncey, Arm. 1768'. The cup also has a baluster style stem and plain foot. The flagon, ten inches by six and a half inches, is silver. Its hallmarks are the same as those on the cup and the date is also 1768-9. Its shape is that of a plain tankard, and on the front is the same inSCription to that of the cup. The alms dish is made of brass and holds the text 'he that hath pity upon the poor tendeth to the herd' (6).

The earliest recorded curate at Edgcote was Ralph de Lukingcoht, presented by Oliver de BillY in 1224.

Rectors remembered by monuments in the church at Edgcote included Edward Derby, who held office from

April 1733 until his death in April 1765. The rector to follow him, John Loggin, is also remembered by a black marble slab. Arden Bayley, who was rector at Edgcote from 1828 until 1878, is remembered by a brass tablet.

49 From 1893 onwards the rectors of Chipping Warden held the livings of both Chipping Warden and Edgcote parishes simultaneously, the most recent of which are mentioned in the previous chapter (7).

A very distinct feature of Edgcote church is the collection of monuments, created over the years to commemorate fonner lords of the manor, particularly the Chauncy family, who held the lordship for 243 years.

Two Elizabethan tombs, made of alabaster, are situated in the south aisle, and are spectacular monuments. The fIrst is the tomb of Tobias Chauncy who died in 1579, and is laid between his two wives, both adorned with enonnous ruffs. The fonns of their nine children, three sons and six daughters are carved in relief around the tomb, four of these merely tiny babies, wrapped in swaddling clothes, illustrating their early death.

The second is the tomb of Sir Williarn Cbauncy who died in 1585, and his wife Joan. His alabaster fonn is panly armed with a sword and dagger, and his hands hold a prayer book. At his feet lies a lion, at his head a crested helmet Along the front of the tomb is the Chauncy family motto, 'Virtute duce comitefortuna' (8).

A marble bust by the distinguished artist, J M Rysbrack, commemorates Sir Richard Chauncy, the re­ builder of Edgcote House, who died in 1734, and beneath this an inscription stone remembers Bridgit Chauncy who died in 1730, unmarried, thus 'Under this marble stone lies whatsoever was mortal of Bridgit Chauncy, of whom man was not worthy'. Also by Rysbrack are two further tablets commemorating WiIliann Chauncy, who died in 1644, and the children of Tobias Chauncy. Two tablets to remember Tobias Chauncy who died in 1662 and another Tobias, who died in 1724 have been anributed to the Sntiths of Warwick, who designed Edgcote

House in the 1740s. Along the western side of the south aisle a tablet reads, 'Sir William Chauncy adorned this temple'.

The Cartwright family have been commemorated in the windows of the church, the death of J ulia

Cartwright in 1856 inspiring a gothic triptych with two allegorical fIgures to adorn. The artist is unknown (9).

A beautiful church, Edgcote shows many different styles of building and of monumental tombs and stones, and illustrates clearly the devotion to God, the church and the fannily which was of great importance in centnries gone by.

50 References

1. BAKER, G. A History oJNorthamptonshire. Vol I. London: John Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, p.495.

2. PEVSNER, Nickolaus. The Buildings oJ England: Northamptonshire. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd, 1961, p. 208.

3. NORTH, Thomas. The ChurchBe//s oJNorthamptonshire: Their Inscriptions, Traditions and Peculiar Uses. Leicester: Samuel Clarke, 1878, pp. 85, 113, 135,261.

4. The Banbury Guardian. Chrisunas, 1978.

5. BAKER, G. A History oJ Northamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, p.496-7.

6. MARKHAM, Christopher A. The Church Plate oJ Northampton. Nonhampton: Spratton, 1889-94.

7. BAKER, G. A History oJNorthamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, p.495-6.

8. MEE, Anhur (ed). The Kings England. Northomptonshire. County oJ Spires and Stately Homes. London: Rodder & Stoughton, 1945, p. 112.

9. PEVSNER, Nickolaus. The Buildings oJ England: Northomptonshire. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd, 1961, p. 208.

51 Chapter Seven

Chapel and School

The advent of two institutions into the community in the nineteenth century caused widespread social change. The development of education for all members of society was a revolutionary innovation, as prior to this only the wealthier section of the population were able to afford an education. Also revolutionary was the ability to choose freely which religious doctrine to follow.

During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries there had been an increase in Lollard opinions in England, as can be discovered from the Oldcastle Rebellion of 1414 which took advantage of the situation of a young king, Henry V, new to the throne. Involved in this uprising were men of south-west Northamptonshire, which became traditionally known as a centre ofLollard activity, an antecedent of Puritanism. In the 1380s the princi­ pal patron of Lollardism in this region was Sir Thomas Latimer, who held the manor of Chipping Warden at this time. Consequently Chipping Warden, along with Byfield and Eydon, became closely involved with the growth of Lollardism. The 'Cross Tree' public house at Byfield is said to take its name from the secret meeting place in the woods from which Lollards used to conduct services and meetings, thus avoiding conflict with Roman

Catholic followers. Between 1380 and 1414 there was much local interest in following the non-conformist faith, and Sheiis records there to be image-breaking in DaventIy at this time, also the execution of two inhabitants of

Byfield, whose heads were displayed upon the gates of CoventIy and Northampton "to discourage any rebels remaining there" (1). Evidently interest waned, or more likely was kept underground, as in the Compton Survey of 1676 the non-conformists in Chipping Warden numbered only two, although this is believed to indicate two families, as against 364 conformists in the parish. In the parish of Edgcote were recorded 86 conformists and no non-conformists (2).

Meetings in Chipping Warden were held originally in a room over the bakehouse of a cottage in the village, or in other private houses, firstly in secret, and later, when tolerance became more widespread, in the open. The old schoolhouse, now a private house known as 'Redgates', was another venue for religious meetings.

Prior to the building of the present chapel, the barn like construction adjacent to it was used as a chapel, but proved too small for the growing congregation, and is now used as a storeroom for building materials.

The site for the present chapel was purchased in 1882 at a cost of £200 and was originally the plot for

52 seven cottages, though some may have been burnt down before their demolition to make way for the chapel.

This was built in 1884 on Byfield Road, by the Cropredy family builders, Thomas Cherry and Sons, who also built the sister chapel at Cropredy with its commemorative window to acknowledge the link. The two chapels of brick are very similar in design, and Thomas Cherry and Sons still retain the family business in Cropredy today.

The foundation stone was laid by Mrs Richard Wirnbush, whose grandson, Gorden Wimbush still has the silver trowel which was used at the ceremony, and the family still has connections with the chapel.

The chapel is approached through an iron gate, by a path with gardens to each side, and by three steps.

The west facing front wall has an arched doorway, two single arched windows, and a double above the door, with a stone inscription 'Weslyan Chapel 1884' . Along each side wall are three double arched windows. The remains of a stone cross can be seen at the front pinnacle, the rest of the cross lying on the ground by the chapel where it was blown by a freak whirlwind which hit the village on a Sunday afternoon around twenty years ago.

The property was re-decorated in 1976 and has modern wooden pews, and a balcony, now unused. A

Roll of Honour adorns the wall remembering twenty-two local men who were killed or wounded in action during the Great War. Mainly from the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire

Light Infanrry, and the Warwickshire Hussars, one man from the Worcester Regiment, Harry Berry has the honour of the new hymn books being dedicated to him. The wooden pulpit houses the Bible which was given to the chapel by Mrs Hankinson of Banbury.

The minister, the Reverend Trevor Thomas of Banbury, is also minister over nine other chapels in the area, and the Sunday school has been taken by Mrs Swift for around twenty years. The latter has eighteen members. However the chapel members are sadly depleted, with only ten regular members, and congregations can be as low as six. This shows the trend of the times, when no longer is the church and chapel the focal centre of the community, having to contend with competitors such as radio, television and Sunday trading. The service held each Sunday begins at 3pm. At Christmas a special carol service is held, as is the Harvest Festival, and the annual Sunday School anniversary.

Centenary celebrations in 1984 saw many special services, including a musical evening, and afternoon teas. A total of £480 was raised by the centenary calendar to help towards roof repairs of the chapel. At the time of the centenary in 1984 the minister was the Reverend Barbara Halstead (3) (plate 9).

Schooling in the parishes had been, prior to the I 870s, a rather spasmodic affair. The first village school set up in Chipping Warden by Baroness North in 1832 had no government support and relied solely on the patronage of the Baroness. However, following government legislation in 1870, local education authorities were

53 ------

obliged to build schools, and from 1880 had the power to enforce compulsory education, which eleven years later became free for all children in the community between the ages of three and fourteen years. A School

Board was created, and a rate levied for the improvement of the existing schoolhouse, which remains today and stands opposite the church. In 1873 the building was extended, and on the 1st August of this year lessons were

'held in the playground for the convenience of the workmen', a policy which would undoubtedly be considered less than satisfactory today. The school log books reoord further improvements made to the building in 1912.

Despite improvements the building was still unsatisfactory, being too hot and lacking in ventilation in the summer, and too cold in the winter. On 4th December 1874 a note was made that a stove was required as the school was "like an ice-well- much crying on account of the cold ... Jack Frost in full possession and master of the situation". In November 1910 the building was reported to be badly designed, giving a "strong smell from an adjacent pig sty"! In 1934 the burning of thatch when a nearby cottage was re-roofed resulted in 'running eyes and coughing' for three days.

Teaching aids were also in shon supply and the Misses Canwright from Edgcote were frequent visitors to the school, giving gifts of prizes, inkwells, a blackboard, spelling books and National Society test examination cards, although these, it was noted in 1872, left the children "quite helpless and puzzled over them". The Misses

Cartwright often supervised needlework classes of the girls, supplying materials and work, which was later sold to parents at cost price. During the Chrisunas of 1873 the children were invited to Edgcote House by Mr

Cartwright where they were provided with tea and entenainments including a Chrisunas tree. The twentieth century also saw patronage from the lords of the manor, when Lady Brooke of Chipping Warden was recorded in December 1940 as having distributed new shillings to pupils of the school. The Chrisunas pany in 1954 included a visit from Santa Claus and subsequent present-giving, a Chrisunas tree and conjurer, though money for this entertainment was probably taken from the school fund. In 1936 the frrst recorded school concen was evidently a great success and in 1939 the concen raised £6 13s for the church restoration fund. It is not until the

1950s and 60s that money raised through various events is collected to form a school fund and SO alleviate fmancial problems. In 1964 a 'Bring and Buy' raised £26 for the school fund, another in 1969 raised £35. A concen of music and drama raised £10 in 1965, and in 1978 a horse show and gymkhana raised £70.

In October 1951 the school moved its premises to the former hospital unit of the RAF squadron which was based in Chipping Warden during the Second World War (plate 10). This was situated on Byfield Road and consisted of three airy, well-lit classrooms, a hall, cloakroom, drying room,lavatories and a canteen. This allowed the children to eat school meals which were prepared at Woodford Halse, and later Byfield, and

54 Plate 9. The Wes/yan chapel.

Plate 10. The viI/age school, former hospital unit of the RAF squadron based in Chipping Warden during the Second World War.

55 transported to Chipping Warden. The canteen was also considered for use as a village hall at this time. However, permission for this was refused by the County Education Officer. A different site did not put an end to building maintenance difficulties however and in 1961 outside repairs were undertaken and a classroom was re-plastered.

In 1969 roof repairs were necessary. However the efficiency of these were not long-lasting as ten yeaIS later a classroom was flooded due to a leaking roof. Oil fired central heating was installed in 1969 and must have resulted in a great improvement in working conditions, but the international oil crisis of the 1970s caused problems of supply and the school was forced to close for three days in 1971.

Attendance at school, though compulsory by 1880, was evidently not taken as seriously as it is today.

Reasons for absences included haymaking, potato picking, turnip-thinning and acorning, thus reflecting the needs of the farming community when an extra pair of hands was often welcome. Absences through boys following the Bassett hounds in the hunting season were'also common, and resulted, in one case, in the caning of two boys. Weather was also a determining factor on attendance, a spate of snow, rain or even wind resulting in many absences. Epidemics were easily spread through such a community as this, which was, and still is, close and relatively small. Illnesses reported were scarlatina, diphtheria, chicken-pox and influenza, and the school was forced to be closed twice during its history for reasons of illness, for three weeks in MaIch 1909 to prevent thefurther spread of measles, and for a period in July 1911 when an epidemic of whooping -cough was responsi­ ble. On both occasions the school was closed on the orders of the Medical Officer of Health. During the twentieth century there are many visits by the school nurse, the health visitor and the dentist, the latter by 1951 arriving by caravan.

Staff were also the victims of various illnesses, or accidents. However, the reasons for some absences were left vague. These vary from "obliged to go out", "absent to visit relatives", to the early closing of the school to enable a temporary teacher to catch her train. One teacher whose continual absence was noted was dismissed following various excuses for late time-keeping, culminating in the plea that she was chased by a ram!

In addition, national and local holidays were many, examples of the former being the Coronation of King

George V in 1911, the wedding of Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth in 1947, and the annual holidays of Good Friday, and May Day when the children were allowed to go 'Maying' or singing and dancing around the village with garlands in their hair. On Empire Day the children were given a talk on "our big family, the

British Empire", and following this, a half day's holiday. Holidays were also granted locally for such reasons as the Banbury Fair, the Oxford Show or a confirmation in the village, also on one occasion for a fete at the

Rectory. In July 1872 the school was closed for cleaning, implying this to be a luxury rather than a daily

56 occurrence. The annual summer break, which was originally for five weeks, was named the 'harvest' holiday,

suggesting fannwork again as being the reason for the holiday. The rector often came into school to check the

Attendance Register and perhaps his knowledge of the local community may have enabled him to detect the

truants.

The curriculum since 1870 has included arithmetic, grammar, dictation, Scripture lessons, singing,

drawing, observation (or nature study), deportment, with sewing for the girls and gardening for the boys. There

was much emphasis laid upon the gardening lesson, although it was often not held due to adverse weather con­

ditions, but this, together with the fact that girls also were allowed to learn gardening after April 1922, reflects

the importance of this type of knowledge in a fanning community. By the turn of the century, Hygiene and

Physical Training had been added to the curriculum, as was moral instruction. In 1954 a psychologists visited

the school to conduct intelligence tests. In 1962 a speech therapist was a regular visitor, and by 1972 the pupils

could benefit from the advice of an education psychologist Sports and leisure facilities were similarly improved,

with the boys winning a cup at the Bracldey and District Athletic Association in 1958. The Davenlly Annual

Folk Dance Festival was attended by the pupils in 1959, and other school trips of this year included an outing to

London Airport, and a visit to the Natural History and Science Museum in London. The Northamptonshire

County Library made regular visits to the school from 1956 onwards to allow new books to be selected by the

pupils.

Reports from the Education Inspector varied from year to year. However reports in the early days of the

school invariably emphasised low attainments, inadequate conditions and supplies, and lack of discipline. This

resulted not in extra funds with which to rectify these problems, but a cut in the grant allowed, so that the

situation worsened. Headteachers and other staff were often the subject of extreme criticism, and it was not

unusual to find resignations immediately following the Inspector's report. However not all was gloom, and in

1933 the children were reported by the Inspector to be "well mannered, cheerful and easily approachable" and in

1959 the Inspector reported an "excellent atmosphere and efficient work".

Not all terms of service were short at the school, and in 1937 a head teacher, Mrs Ballard, on retiring at

sixty, wrote, "I do feel strongly that we elderly women should not hang on too long and keep out the younger

pecple". Mrs Haworth was given a clock in 1954 upon her retirement, following seventeen years employment

Training opportunities for staff were few until more recent years, but in 1978 the headmistress attended a course at Nene College, Northampton entitled' An assessment of reading schemes'. Similarly the head in 1979 attended the same venue to study 'Language development'.

57 During the Second World War the school held a special 'Evacuee Roll' recording the attendances of evacuees from London, and numbers in attendance were seen to increase accordingly. Used as a centre for the distribution of gas masks, the school also took the precaution of applying strips of cellulose to the windows to prevent their shattering during an air auack. Hours of school opening were adjusted to comply with Blackout regulations. After the war attendance figures remained high due to the occupation of the abandoned RAF huts by squatters, whose houses had been burnt or destroyed. Thus attendance peaked in 1953 at ninety-one pupils, and not until all the squatters had been re-housed did the number of pupils decline again to the more manageable level of sixty-two. Numbers of pupils registered in 1992 are twenty-eight, which is anticipated to rise to thiny- eight in the autumn term.

We shall study in greater detail the effect of the Royal Air Force base upon Chipping Warden during the war in the following chapter (4).

References

1. SHElLS, W J. The Puritans in the Diocese of Peterborough 1558-1610. Northampton: Northampton Record Society Publication Vol XXX, 1979, p. 13.

2. WHITEMAN, Anne (ed). The Compton Census of 1676: A Critical Edition. London: Oxford University Press, 1986, p. 385.

3. Chipping Warden Methodist Church. Centenary 1884-1984. Leaflet printer unknown.

4. School Log Books. Vol I, 1868-1909; Vol n, 1909 onwards.

58 Chapter Eight

War and Change

The image of Chipping Warden as a medieval market town, though still discernible, is fading fast, due to the encroachment of modern industry upon the village. A major turning point of this progression was the Second

World War, when RAF Chipping Warden was formed, and which was to have a long lasting effect upon both the local community and the landscape.

Village life prior to the Second World War was little changed from the medieval community, the most predominant occupation being farming. Kelly' s Directory of 1847 gives a list of the tradesmen and occupations of the men of Chipping Warden, thus we find the village was provided with two blacksmiths, a bootrnaker, a grocer, a draper, a mason, a bricklayer, two tailor.;, a wheelwright, a butcher, a carpenter, a maltster and thirteen farmers. In addition were the two inns of the village, whose proprietors were also both farmer.;, a Post Office, which received its mail from Banbury, and a carrier, who made trips to Banbury on Mondays, Thursdays and

Saturdays (1). Farming then, as now, was an imponant part of the economy, and nearby Banbury cattle market, still the largest in Europe, has been of major significance to the sheep and dairy farmer.; of the area. Today, however, industry vies for domination of the economy and small cottage industries and businesses have been replaced by an industria1 estate, built on the site of the wartime aerodrome.

Previously farmland, the aerodrome was built by Howard Farrers during the summer of 1941, and consisted of five hangars, three runways varying in length from 1,600 yards to 1,100 yards, a control tower and various buildings essential to the operation of a Bomber Command Training Centre. On 1st August 1941, No 12

Operational Training Unit, from Benson, moved into the aerodrome. The base housed Wellington bombers with twin-engines and took part in heavy air attacks on Germany and other parts of occupied Europe. In addition, a lodger unit, No 1517 of Beam Approach Training Flight, known as the Oxfords, arrived in November 1942 and made use of the aerodrome until the summer of 1945 (2).

Many of the recreational facilities essential to RAF Chipping Warden were centred around Calves Close

Spinney situated to the east of the aerodrome. Buildings, of which there is still some evidence today, included the Navy, Army and Air Force Institute (known as the NAAFI), the Officer.; Mess, the cookhouse, gymnasium, theatre and cinema, complete with a sloping floor, which remains today (plate 11).

59 Plate 11. Farm at Calves Close Spinney, former NAAFI and theatre.

When the Operational Training Unit disbanded at the end of the war, the station was reduced to inactive

status, but still used as an Air Navigation School by the Flying Training Command from August until November

1945. During this time both Anson Is and Wellington TXs were flown here. In January of the following year the

airfield was transferred to Maintenance Command, and was used to store Horsa gliders for Brize Norton RAF

base. In December 1946 the airfield finally closed (3).

One ttagic wartime incident which served to put Chipping Warden on the map was the fatal air crash of

Ken Fames, fast bowling hero of the England cricket team. By profession a leacher at Worksop College, Fames

also played cricket for Cambridge University and Essex, taking 720 wickets at first class cricket level and a total

of sixty wickets in fifteen test appearances for England. At the outbreak of the war he wen t to Canada and lrained

as a night pilot, and was later stationed in Chipping Warden. On 20 October 1941 his Wellington bomber crashed

and caught fire in the vicinity of Hogg End, Chipping Warden, and the thirty year old cricketer turned airman was

fatally injured. He is now buried in the RAF section of Brookwood Military Cemetery in Woking, Surrey (4).

To compare the extent of change in the defences of the area over three centuries the Northamptonshire

Lieutenancy Papers list Chipping Warden in 1613 as possessing one corslette, which was the armour and equipment for a pikeman, and one caliver, or infantry handgun. Edgcote possessed only one corslette (5).

60 A number of factors contributed to the necessity for economic expansion after the Second World War.

There was an immediate rise in population as squatters, made homeless by the dereliction caused by the war, moved into the now vacant RAF huts around the village. Efforts to re-house these families, mainly from

Birmingham, Coventry and London, led to the building of the council houses known as Arbury Banks, in the latter half of the 1940s (plate 12). Two decades later more housing was added, AIlen's Orchard (plate 13) and

The Close (plate 14), and thus the population of the village was constantly on the increase.

Also, an increase in tourism was a consequence of the ease of mobility due to the motor car now being within reach of the family budget Shops and other facilities were in demand therefore, also the increased population demanded an increase in jobs and the growth of industry in the area supplied this demand.

Not all the businesses of Chipping Warden were industrial giants however. A tea shop selling the hand­ made products of over four hundred British craftsmen was opened by Tina Shrimpton in the 1970s, and run on a rota basis with the co-operation of several villagers. The setting was a cottage garden or dining room, depending on the kindness of the weather. The success of this venture was such that the business later expanded to an arcade in Milton Keynes (6). Another small shop, named 'Warden Antiques' was opened in one of the church cottages on Mill Lane by Mr J Hartwell, and proved to be equally popular. A hair stylist, Mrs Brenda Davies opened 'The Salon' on The Green. Various grocery shops now supplied goods for the increased populace, one

Plate 12. Example of housing at Arbury Banks.

61 Plate 13. Example of housing at Alien's Orchard.

Plate 14. Example of housing at The Close.

62 run by Bud Smith from his garage on Culwonh Road, another from Speculo's Couage, named after the Belgian

prisoner of war who was the proprielOr (plate 15), and the village shop and Post Office which still holds the same site today, on Rainbow Corner (plate 16).

However the site of the vacant aerodrome in Chipping Warden was lO prove 10 attract industry on a scale never seen before in the village. Export Packing Services (Banbury) Lld is a subsidiary company of the Export

Packing Corporation based at Sittingboume in Kent and this company bought the sixty-four acre site, converted

it inlO units which it then rented out for SlOrage, packing and distribution purposes. Companies attracted included mM, Boots, British Telecom, Guinness, Otivetti, Owen Brown, House of Holland and Carreras Rothman.

Europa Manor, a manufacturer of aluminium greenhouses, received the Queens Award for Industry in 1988, also, in the same year the Queens Award for Export Achievement, as 70% of the company's turnover supplied continental Europe and North America. As technology advanced, newly formed companies such as Prime

Computers and Honeywell also rented units in Chipping Warden. In 1986 the opening of Saxon Contracts, a

mail order distribution centre, ereated new jobs, and provided the village with the added attraction of a visit from

Noel Edmonds, radio and television presenter, who arrived at the industrial estate and later at the village school

in a helicopter.

Plate 15. Specula's Cottage shop.

63 Plate 16. The vii/age shop today.

This expansion in industry was not without problems, and the 1970s saw a number of strikes, and several

hundred redundancies due mainly to the falling in orders within the motor car industry for which Chipping

Warden was, and still is a storage centre. However, despite these problems the industrial estate has survived in a

very difficult economic climate, and continues not only to provide the village with many jobs but also to attract

new people and businesses into the area, making the prospects for continued expansion very favourable.

References

1. Ke/ly' s Directory for Northamptonshire, 1847.

2. Letters and documents pertaining to Chipping Warden aerodrome supplied by the Ministry of Defence, Air Historical Branch 5, RAF, London, 1982.

3. Air Pictorial, August 1974.

4. WRlGHf, Terry. Fames: an Essex and England terror. Wisden Cricket Monthly, Vol 13, No 5, October 1991, pp. 41-2.

5. GORING, Jeremy and Joan Wake (eds). Northamptonshire Lieutenancy Papers. Northampton: Northamptonshire Record Society, Vol xxvn, 1975, pp. 88-9.

6. Coventry Evening Telegraph, 20 June 1978.

64 Chapter Nine

The Parishes at Leisure

An industrious community necessitates the opportunity for relaxation, and the inhabitants of Chipping

Warden and Edgcote do this in a variety of ways. Primarily, the beautiful countryside which makes up the two parishes and surrounding areas, provides the community with ample opportunity for leisure, and walking, fishing and shooting are all countryside pastimes which are enjoyed by local people. A fust hand account of these pleasures was noted by a villager William Bassett in his booklet Country Life and Happenings, printed in 1973, and gives us a splendid insight into the life of the country dweller (I).

A variety of spons are enjoyed by the local community, Chipping Warden Football Club being a

Division One member of the Banbury and District Football League and Chipping Warden Cricket Club winning promotion in 1991 to the Premier Division of the South Northamptonshire Cricket League. Both these sides share a pitch on Culworth Road. The game of cricket appears to have been a popular pastime of the village for some time, there being frequent references to the game at Chipping Warden before 1835 (2).

Horse-racing has played a major pan in the history of the region, Mr Courage of Edgcote House having been a National Hunt breeder, and the racing stables of Mr Webber being situated in nearby Cropredy. A

Chipping Warden man made history by winning the Grand National in 1967. The jockey was John Buckingham, and the horse Foinavan, and together they rode to victory following a massive pile-up at the twenty-third fence caused by two riderless horses, and which Mr Buckingham and Foinavan managed to avoid. The latter fence at

Aintree has since been named Foinavan in memory of the 1967 victory. John Buckingham returned to Ainrree in

1984 to receive from Princess Anne a porcelain cup engraved with his name, that of the horse, and the year

1967, and decorated in the jockey's colours (3). Other famous horses from the stables at Edgcote to run in the

Grand National were Tibereua, Spanish Steps, Royal Relief and Smart Tar.

Local girl Judy Herbert has had success in the field of Cross Country riding and has appeared at

Badminton on several occasions, her speciality being the dressage section.

In 1986, farmer's son Robert Thame was awarded a six-month polo scholarship in New Zealand. At seventeen years of age and a zero handicapped player, he had previously captained the English Pony Club polo side, and was the only player to be in a winning side in these championships for three successive years. Polo is

65 also a popular sport of Edgcote where polo horses are bred, and Christopher Courage, the present owner of

Edgcote manor house is an avid polo player, enjoying the use of his own polo pitch on the Edgcote estate.

In the field of athletics, the village of Chipping Warden has also been successful thanks to two local boys,

Marc and Jamie Chatfield, who were members of the Banbury Harriers C"iub. At the age of 14, Marc Chatfield won the boys race at the International Athletic Club's cross country meeting at Crystal Palace in 1982.

Golf is also a sport popular with many in the villages, nearby courses including Cherwell Edge, Hellidon

Lakes and Staverton, near Daventry. Daventry Golf Club hosts the annual match open to any residents of

Chipping Warden, the AJan Hughes Memorial Cup. Played in memory of Alan Hughes, a Chipping Warden man who died suddenly in 1981 at the age of thirty-six, funds from this match go to the British Heart Foundation.

Mr Hughes, former golfer, and former captain of both the Chipping Warden cricket and football teams, is remembered also by an annual cricket match, the winners of which attain the AJan Hughes Memorial Trophy.

Chipping Warden also have a branch of the Women's Institute which began in January 1919 and has been meeting on a regular basis since. The green painted wooden hut on Cui worth Road is the venue and their motto, 'For Home and Country', adorns the outside. A branch of the Brownies meets in Chipping Warden at the village school. However, Guides have to go to Cropredy to meet and clubs and scouts to Mollington.

Frequent visitors to Chipping Warden are Cotswold Morris dancers, from Adderbury, or nearby Eydon, and more recently Hedge Betty of Kidderminster made a visit to the village to display traditional Lancashire clog dancing. There is nothing like a traditional country folk dance performed upon the village green to create the idyllic image and aunosphere of village life, and to complete the picture it is essential to have the village pub.

Chipping Warden is fortunate in that it boasts two public houses which are the hub of social activity in the village. The 'Griffin' on Culworth Road we may link with the family name of the lords of the manor of the fIfteenth and sixteenth centuries. There is also the possibility that a tower of Rockingham Castle in

Northamptonshire, named Griffin's tower, may be connected to the name of the inn, as it is recorded that the knights of Chipping Warden were required to pay annual fees to Rockingham for the support and repairs of this tower. Prior to becoming an inn the property consisted of three cottages, a garden and outbuildings. The earliest documentary evidence of ownership is the will and testament of Henry Dalton Douglas, a yeoman who died in

1817, and who left his 'messuage or tenement' in Chipping Warden to his daughter Elizabeth, and her heirs.

Evidently a wealthy man, Mr Douglas also owned properties in Braunston and Cropredy which he left to his son, and younger daughter. The will also mentions that Mr Douglas inherited the property in Chipping Warden from his brother George. By 1836 the property was evidently held by Mr Golby, who arranged a one-year lease to Mr

66 Hart1ey for five shillings in February of that year. In September 1864 the property was sold for £100 to

Mr G Douglas, possibly a relative of the previous occupant by the same name. By June of 1875 the value had risen to £350 when the property was conveyed from Mr Douglas to a farmer, Mr William Horwood. Three years later an indenture made between Mr John Sidney North, then lord of the manor of Chipping Warden, and

Mr Horwood detailing the right of way awarded to the latter, to the west side of the building, and in addition along a trackway to the east which leads to the back of the premises. It is thought that the property was converted into a public house sometime between 1875 and 1884 and the procedures allowing right of way may have coin­ cided with this. As mentioned in an earlier chapter the village inn which had previously been known as 'The

Griffm', had been located on the site of The Beeches, now a private house, but was destroyed by the fire of

1799. In 1884 the mortgage was vacated by WilIiam Horwood and taken over by John WiIks, a saddler and iron­ monger of Banbury. One year later the property was sold for £530 to the farmer, Mr Francis Mongomery of

Heathercote in Northamptonshire. In the census of 1891 the inn, entry no 79, is described as the 'Griffin Hotel', and consisted of five rooms, or above. The innkeeper, also a butcher, originating from Buckinghamshire and living previously in Slratton Audley in Oxfordshire, was Mr WilIiam Hadland, aged fifty-nine. Also living at the

Griffm were his wife Anne, aged fifty-seven, a daughter Louisa, aged twenty-three and four sons, WilIiam, a carpenter and wheelwright, aged twenty-two, Waiter, a baker, aged twenty-one, Robert, aged sixteen and Sidney, a scholar, aged eleven. Although the men of age held full-time jobs, it is presumed that the women of the house­ hold tended to the needs of the customers in the absence of the innkeeper. In 1936 the 'Griffin' was bought out by Northampton Breweries, who held the inn until 1959 when it was sold to Chesham and Brackley Breweries

Ltd. In 1985 the building was appointed a listed building. Three years later the inn was bought by the

Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewery, which still holds the property today (4). Previous landlords of the inn within living memory were Charles Mascord, Ted and Ethel Reid, who held the licence during the Second

World War, the latter partner still living in Chipping Warden today, Archie Stewart, and Wyndham Knight, whose affectionately remembered nickname, 'Windy Night', demonstrates the sense of humour of his regular customers. The landlord to follow him, Doug Barnfield reached the darts semi-final for the North Home Region, in 1980, and won a prize of £25 for his local branch of the Licensed VictuaJler Association, for whom he was also darts champion. Holders of the licence for the past eight years have been Paul Upton, Fergus Corcoran, and

Colin Budge, who holds the licence today. The property is made of local stone, and had originally a thatched roof. This however was covered in tin to protect it from incendiary bombs in the Second World War, and was only converted to a tiled roof as recently as 1988 (plate 17).

67 The other village inn in Chipping Warden standing on the main Banbury Road, is the Rose and Crown.

Its name is a popular public house name in England, but may refer more specifically to the events of the Wars of

the Roses with which the area has connections, as mentioned in an earlier chapter. The fIrst documentary evi-

dence relating to the Rose and Crown is an Indenture of 1850 which states that Mr WiUiam Wilson borrowed the

sum of £600 from Mr George Heath to buy the propeny and was to repay the sum as a mortgage repayment with

an interest rate of £4 IOs per annum. The document also mentions previous owners of the inn as Joseph Marriot

and Thomas Wilson, presumably a relative of WilIiam. By an indenture of 1870 we learn that the property

consisted of the inn, and three cottages to the west of this, also outhouses, walls and drains. Previous owners of

the cottage to the immediate west of the inn, were Elizabeth MarshaII, James Walker and WiIliam Walker, of the

second cottage Edward Lynes, James Marshall and John Walker and of the third most westerly cottage, Samuel

Wilson, John Wilson, Henry Lynes, who converted the cottage into two tenements, and George Gubbins. Upon

the death of Mr William Wilson in 1870 his wife Elizabeth sold the property to Miss Eliza Gubbins, of Sand gate

in Kent, for £800 which was to be paid in two parts of £500 and £300. The census of 1891 records the Rose and

Crown, entry no 22 as having fIve or more rooms. It was occupied at this time by John Gubbins, aged sixty-one,

a farmer and innkeeper. Also in occupation were his wife, Annie aged forty-four, two sons, John, an ostler and

groom aged twenty-four and William J, aged nineteen, and a niece, Anne E Price, aged sixteen. Evidently the

propeny was still owned, but not occupied, by Eliza Gubbins as in 190 I she is recorded to have sold the inn,

under her married name of Mrs Eliza Pilgrim, to the Hook Norton Brewery Company for £2,000. Her marriage

to Thomas Pilgrim in 1878 took place at St Pauls in Knightsbridge, Middlesex, and substantiates this theory of

her absence. Her husband died in January 1882. Upon the purchase of the property the Hook Norton Brewery

Company then rented back the inn to Mrs Pilgrim as a tenant, until her death in 1914. The Hook Norton Brewery

Company still own the Rose and Crown Inn today, but the cottages have since been sold, the fIrst in March 1956

to Mr William Nash Ratcliffe, and the remaining two in October 1957 to AIice Louise elements. The owner of

the latter cottages was also tenant of the inn for a while, running the business with her sister (5). Landlords

follOwing this were Douglas Tolley, Thomas Prattley, Ran FauIkner, and Reginald Pratt, who is licensee of the

Rose and Crown today. This propeny is also made of local stone, is three storeys high and has an arched entrance to the west side of the inn which suggests the possibility of it being used as a stagecoach inn at one time (plate 18). \

68 Plate 17. The Griffin public house.

Plate 18. The Rose and Crown public house.

69 Names which occur in this chapter and in those previous are often repeated in various documents and suggest a close-knit community. Families such as the Bassetts and Douglases have been residents of the village for many years, and the latter family are remembered by a private residence now named 'Douglas House'.

There are many beautiful gardens in Chipping Warden, and two are opened for one day each year to raise money for the National Gardens Scheme Charitable Trust which began in 1927. Chipping Warden manor gardens have both formal and informal sections, also herbaceous borders, a kitchen garden and a pond walk. The

Spring House on Mill Lane is approached through a tapestry hedge, has three acres of trees, spring blossoms, and roses, a water and bog garden and splendid views of the surrounding countryside. Both gardens have an open day in May, when teas are served and the village buzzes with hundreds of eager horticulruralists.

Chipping Warden was designated a Conservation Area by South Northamptonshire District Council in

January 1970, in an effort to maintain the trees and buildings of special or historic interest and to improve the character of the village. Various buildings are listed under a Preservation Order, and these include the Court

House, of seventeenth and eighteenth century origin, the Old Post Office, which has Domesday connections, the

Manor House and cottages, the old Rectory and the two public houses, the Griffm and the Rose and Crown. In

1988 a conservation award was made to Major W B Bannister and his son Ivan by the Banbury Agricultural

Association for work done on their 'Warden Hill' farm, which included the crearion of five lakes from waste­ land, and the planting of over four thousand trees and shrubs in the space of two years (6). An old elm tree which stood in the road on Rainbow Com~r provided a meeting place for local residents for over four hundred years, and when Dutch Elm disease overtook the tree, concrete was poured into the hollow trunk to stabilise it

However these efforts were proved to have been in vain and in 1983 the tree was felled due to its dangerous position and to the introduction of a road improvement scheme. Pieces of the blink still remain dotted around the village, on the recreation ground on Culworth Road, and in the village school playground. Thus a relic of the old character of Chipping Warden is retained (plate 19).

70 Plate 19. The old elm tree on Rainbow Corner.

References

1. BASSETI, William. Country Life and Happenings. Unpublished, printed by Manson Graphic, 1973.

2. COLDHAM, James D. Early Northamptonshire cricket. Northamptonshire Past and Present, Vol11 . Northampton: Northamptonshire Record Society, 1954, p. 131.

3. Banbury Guardian, April 1984.

4. Various deeds relating to the Griffm, provided by the Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries plc.

5. Various deeds relating to the Rose and Crown, provided by the Hook NOrlOn Brewery Company Ltd.

6. The Banbury Cake, November 1988.

71 Chapter Ten

Past and Present

On the surface of things, village life changes little over the years, but many changes occur right under our noses often without our realising it. The advent of industry has had a profound effect upon Chipping Warden as we have seen, also the changes in motorised transport have necessitated road improvements, and a careful eye when crossing the main road! Another thing to change over the years has been the population level, and although the population of Chipping Warden has steadily increased over the centuries this may not have been apparent to residents who lived here for a relatively short period. Edgcote shows a similar increase, but this is halted by the demolition of the village in the eighteenth century, the population increases after t1tis date being mainly the result of an increased workforce on the estate.

The estimated population of Chipping Warden at the time of the Subsidy of 1524 was 240. This had increased by one hundred to 340 by the Hearth Tax of 1670, an estimate of eighty-five families. The Compton

Census of 1676 although conducted only six years later again shows an increase, to 366 (1). In 1777 the

Northamptonshire Militia Lists were produced, showing the inhabitants of each parish that were qualified to serve as militia men, the age limit for t1tis qualification being between eighteen and forty-five. The hundred of

Chipping Warden produced a total of376 men, thirty-eight of whom came from the village of Chipping Warden.

The paper stated that anyone aggrieved by their inclusion on the list, must present themselves at the 'Three

Conies' in 'Thrup Mandivill' on 8th December 1777 (2). Bridges, writing A History of Northamptonshire in

1791 estimated there to be eighty families living in Chipping Warden at this time. The national census beginning in 1801 gives us much more reliable figures with which to deal, in addition the number of dwellings in which the population lived. In 1801 Chipping Warden consisted of fifty-nine houses, with 294 inhabitants, an estimate of around sixty-five families. At this time families often shared houses, their accommodation consisting merely of one room, and house-sharing appears to have been present here. The census of 1811 shows a population of 438 with ninety-two houses, suggesting an extensive building programme undertaken during the previous ten years.

There is comparatively little change in the number of houses in the census of 1821, with ninety-two being record­ ed, the population then increasing slightly to 488 (3). By the census of 1931 the total of population had fallen to

298. By the mid-twentieth century the fashion for large families was beginning to fade, partly due to the drop in

72 in Edgcote House. The population today stands at around fifty-six, residing in twenty-five dwellings.

Other changes within the parishes over the years include the housing. Both styles of building and the materials used have changed gradually, but a more noticeable difference over the last fourteen years has been the selling prices. To gain an idea of this we can look at a few examples. A three-bedroomed cottage on Rainbow

Corner sold for £16,250 in 1978, a similar home for £35,000 one year later, and in 1989 a cottage on Rainbow

Corner was advertised for sale at £137,500. In the ten years between 1978 and 1988 the asking prioe for a three­ bedroomed house on AlIen's Orchard has risen from £18,750 to £72,500. A similar increase of around four-fold is evident on house prices between 1878 and 1987 for a property at Malt House Cottages, the prices of which rose from £15,950 to £61,500 (9).

However alarming these figures and other changes may be, there are some things about a village that never change, and that is the abundance of 'old characters' which give the village its charm and character. One such was Eddie McGowan of Chipping Warden, now sadly deceased. An ex-London bus driver and former

Banbury ambulance driver, Eddie made charity runs all over the world in his beloved MG Sports Roadster, raising money for, amongst other charities, the Birmingham Children's Hospital, Canoer Research and

Leukemia Research. His exploits took him to Russia where he met Leonard Brezhnev in 1979, to Buckingham

PaIaoe in 1984, and resulted in appearances on Channel4's 'Years Ahead' in 1984, and BBC's 'Kilroy' discussion in 1988. In the same year, at the age of 80 he was given a place in the Guinness Book of Records as his 1969 MG Roadster held the world's long-distance mileage record of 351,000 miles, with all its original parts.

Other characters of the village of Chipping Warden include Bud Smith, well-loved and long-standing church organist of both parishes, and Henry 'Geordie' Barrass, originally a Durham man, who has lived in Chipping

Warden for thirty-two years, and is possibly the oldest paper boy in England, still delivering newspapers at the ageof83!

Described in the Oxford English Dictionary as an assemblage of houses in a country district, the English village has proved to be much more than bricks and mortar. The village is the focal point of a great community spirit which has been created by the inhabitants of the village in generations gone by and is maintained by their descendants. Thereby the traditions and character of the village is retained and enjoyed by the inhabitants of today and the essential uniqueness of village life continues (plate 20).

74 the infant mortality rate brought about by improved health care, and also because of the wider availability of

contraceptives. In addition, the continued growth of the towns as major centres of industry served to depopulate

villages throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the expansion of the car industry in the Midlands

had a widespread effect upon the depopulation of villages in the area. The census of 1951 however shows a

dramatic increase in the population of the village, at 701, 330 being male and 371 female. A clue to the reasons

for this increase is held in the number of recorded dwellings at 204, with 857 rooms, and refers largely to temp­

orary accommodation left vacant by the RAF following the Second World War. Families made homeless by the

war lived in these huts until more suitable accommodation could be found (4). Ten years later, by the census of

1961 the number of dwellings had fallen to 133, with 648 rooms as the temporary accommodation was

demolished, and families moved to new homes in outlying districts. Consequently the population also declined

and in 1961 there were 423 inhabitants of Chipping Warden (5). The number of inhabitants of the parish of

Chipping Warden today is around 513, with a total of 213 houses.

By the Subsidy of 1524 the estimated population of Edgcote was ninety-two, this had decreased by the

Hearth Tax of 1670 to seventy-two, an estimated eighteen families. Six years later by the Compton Census of

1676 the population had again increased to eighty-six. This flucruation of population levels is a natural occur­

rence which depends on the mortality rate and birth rate at any particular time (6). The Northamptonshire Militia

Lists of 1777 record Edgcote as having nine able bodied men fit for service between the ages of eighteen and

forty-five. Four of these nine were servants of the lord of the manor at this time, Mr William Henry Chauncy (1).

Bridges, writing in 1791 estimates there to be eighteen families living in Edgcote at this time, though once again

there may have been more than one family to each house. The census of 1801 records thirteen houses and sixty­

six inhabitants in Edgcote, rising slightly in 1811 to fifteen houses and sixty-seven inhabitants, and again dropping

ten years later to fourteen houses and sixty-two inhabitants by the census of 1821. These figures are based upon

the village of Edgcote as reconstructed following the demolition of the medieval village to form landscaped

parkland. Baker, writing between 1822 and 1830 describes the parish of Edgcote as consisting of three farm­

houses, one mill, seven cottages, a rectory, the manor house with two cottages attached to the manor garden (8).

By the census of 1931 the parish held eighty-four inhabitants, twenty years later eighty-one, of which thirty­

seven were male and forty-four female, and in 1951 the number of dwellings in the parish was twenty-two, with

a total of 125 rooms. By the census of 1961 the dwellings had reduced to twenty, with 123 rooms, and the

population to seventy-six, of which forty-one were make and thirty-five female. The number of rooms per head of population is necessarily high in Edgcote due to the low number of dwellings and the high number of rooms

73 ~I

Plate 20. The English village -little changed over the centuries.

References

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2. HA1LEY, Victor A (ed). Northamptonshire Militia lists, 1771. Nonhampton: Nonhamptonshire Record Society, Vol XXV, 1972.

3. BAKER, G. A History o/Northamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, pp. 527-8.

4. Census 1951. England and Wales. County Report - Nonhamptonshire. London: HMSO, 1954.

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6. PETIlT, Philip A J. The Forests of Northamptonshire. A Study in their Economy. 1558-1714. Population of non-forest Villages. Nonhampton: Nonhamptonshire Record Society, Vol xxrn, 1963, p. 202.

7. HA1LEY, Victor A (ed). Northamptonshire Militia lists, 1771. Nonhampton: Nonhamptonshire Record Society, Vol XXV, 1972.

8. BAKER, G. A History of Northamptonshire. Voll. London: John Bowyer Nichols & Son, 1822-30, p.495.

9. The Banbury Guardian - various clippings - 1978-89.

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78