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Ratcliff's Newport Pagnell Hundreds 1900

History and Antiquities of the Newport Pagnell Hundreds

compiled, printed and published by Oliver Ratcliff
Cowper Press, Olney, Bucks
1900

Pages 199 to 206 are devoted to Sherington. The following is a transcription of these pages.


SHERINGTON

is a parish of 1,805 acres and a population of 566 inhabitants, according to the census of 1891 ; the population of 1851 was 826. It is bounded on the north, by Emberton ; on the south and east, by Chicheley ; and on the west, by the river Ouse, Lathbury and Tyringham. The village, which is large, is situated about 2 miles north, from Newport Pagnell; and 3 miles south, from Olney ; and on the main road between Newport Pagnell and Wellingborough. It is divided into two parts, Church End and Calves' End, the church and the greater part being seated upon an eminence ; the remainder in a hollow. In the latter portion are several good houses, some of which are of modern date and in the Gothic style : and these impart an air of respectability to this part of the place. It is in the petty sessional division, county court district, and union of Newport Pagnell ; rural deanery of Newport Pagnell ; archdeaconry of Buckingham ; and diocese of Oxford. Both Congregationalists and Wesleyans have chapels here. Sherington bridge, which crosses the Ouse about a mile from the village, is a handsome structure of three large and two small arches. The open fields in this parish were inclosed under an act passed in 1796.

Manorial History of Sherington.

At the time of Edward the Confessor there were three manors in Sherington, which were given by the Conqueror, after the battle of Hastings, to Geoffrey Bishop of Constance, and were holden by him at the compiling of the Domesday Book ; when the bishop was taxed for his manor of Sherington, as ten hides. There were eleven carucates. In the demesne three hides ; and there were four carucates. Twenty-two villeins with six bordars having six carucates, and a seventh might have been added. There were eight servants ; and one mill, of 26/- rent; four carucates of pasture : wood for one hundred hogs; altogether worth £10 ; when he first held it, £7 ; in the time of Edward £10. Of this manor, Edwin, son of Borret, held six hides for one manor ; Alwin, his man, one hide for a manor ; and Osulf, a man of King Edward, three hides for a manor ; all of whom might give or sell their land.

The lands of the Bishop of Constance were forfeited in the reign of William Rufus, for his adherance to Robert Duke of Normandy ; and thus Sherington became vested in the crown.

At what time this manor was again granted out, or to whom, does not appear ; but one William, hence surnamed, accounted for the scutage hereof in 1161, and this William de Sherington, when that king levied an aid for the marriage of his daughter, in 1165, returned that he held it in capite, for two knight's-fees, and had not enfeoffed any under-tenant. He lived till 1189, and his name occurs in the Liber Rubeus, and in the Pipe Rolls, as paying the scutage for Sherington up to that year.

To him succeeded in this manor, Richard de Carun, called also Richard de Sherrington ; but whether he was the son, or the husband of the daughter, of the preceeding lord, has not been ascertained. He, however, held in capite, the two knight's-fees, and paid one hundred marks for livery for his lands in 1189 ; and also scutage for the same year. He probably died before 1195 ; for, in that year, one William de Sherrington paid scutage for Sherington, as for two knight's-fees.

In 1202, Robert de Vipont gave twenty marks and a palfry for the wardship of Sherrington's lands and heir ; and this wardship he continued to hold to 1213 ; for, in that year, he paid, the scutage due from Sherrington. The name of the heir so in ward, was probably John, for John de Carun, called also John de Sherrington, paid scutage for this manor in the reign of Henry III. .

This manor was in the possession of Roger Carun, in 1313 ; of Ralph Basset, in 1326 ; of Henry Grey, in 1396 : in the family of Linford, from 1356, to 14o8 ; and in the lands of John Tyringham in 1476 ; when it passed, by the marriage of Elizabeth, sole daughter and heir of Sir William Tyringham, about 1678, to John Backwell, son of Edward Backwell, alderman of London ; who, about 1694, sold it to Roger Chapman, attorney-at-law, of Newport Pagnell ; on whose death, in 1701, it descended to his eldest son and heir, Thomas Chapman ; and was afterwards purchased by the family of Praed, of Tyringham.

A second manor in this parish also belonged to the family of Carun, from whom it afterwards passed to the Linfords ; the last of whose family died in 1468. From the Linfords, this manor came to the family of Reynes, of Clifton Reynes; and so passing in marriage with Anne, daughter and heir of Richard Reynes, to Thomas Lowe, it descended to Francis Lowe, who settled at Sherington, and had a son, named Thomas Lowe, father to Agnes Lowe, who brought this estate in marriage, to Mr. Adams, of Monmouth. This family conveyed it, about 1710, to Sir John Chester, of Chicheley, bart. ; to whose eldest son and heir, it belonged in 1735.

A third manor, dissevered, as is presumed, from the first manor, was possessed by the Bassets, temp. Edward 1., and held under the manor of Olney, of which Ralph Lord Basset died possessed, 1316. This manor came to John Lord Grey de Wilton by the marriage of Maud, daughter of Ralph Lord Basset of Drayton ; in whose family it continued until 1505, when Edmund Lord Grey passed a fine of an estate at Sherington, to Thomas Crayford. and others ; but, as no manor is mentioned in the deed, it is presumed to have passed to Richard Mareot, who died in 1491, lord of this parish. This estate seems to have belonged to the family of Montgomery, in Queen Elizabeth's time and so to have descended to the Nortons ; for, in 1634, in the reign of Charles 1., it was in the possession of William Norton ; who had issue, by Anne his wife, a son, named Brett Norton, born in 1627 ; and a daughter, named Margaret, first married to Thomas Wiseman, of Essex ; and secondly, to Thomas Duncombe, of Broughton ; on failure of whose male-issue, it came, about 1690, in marriage, to the Pargiters: and about 1710, on the death of Thomas Pargiter, to the Smiths, of Passenham, near Stony Stratford.

St Lauds (opposite page 201)

Ecclesiastical History of Sherington.

Before the reign of John, this church was given by William de Sherrington to the abbey of Marmontier ; who paid scutage in 1162. In 1202, the prior of Newport Pagnell returned, that he held one virgate of land, with the appurtenances in Sherington, in free alms, as belonging to his church, which he held of the gift of William de Sherrington, who had that virgate ; and also another, which he gave to the church in perpetual eleemosynage, when he presented him to the church of Sherington ; and in 1235, John de Carun paid four marks scutage, for fees to the king, for lands held in capite, of which Robert de Cockfield held one fee. Martin de Carun attempted to recover, by suit against Richard de la Mare, one messuage and ninety acres of land in Sherington, as his escheat, because William de St. Edmund died without heirs and thereupon, it was adjudged, before the king, in his court, that he had rightful process.

The king having in 1294, commanded the sheriff to take into his hands all the lands and tenements of Martin de Carun, the writ was issued accordingly ; and in 1296, the king accepted the homage of Roger de Carun, of Sherington, for all the lands and tenements which Martin de Carun, his father, deceased, had holden of the king in capite. The dispute which had taken place respecting the patronage of the church, between the prior of Tickford and the Caruns, having been decided in favour of the former, the priory continued to present to the rectory, until the donation of the advowson to the See of Lincoln, in 1293 ; and in 1343 a fine was passed between Richard Fitz Simon le Smith and Richard Linford and Sibil his wife ; and their son, John Linford, died possessed in 1357 ; as did a second John Linford, who had given one hundred shillings for license, that he might enfeoff the manor of Sherington, with its appurtenances, to Sir Henry Grey of Wilton, knight, and others, in a certain form.

Rectors of Sherington.

THOMAS DE SCHYREFORD was presented 1230, by the prior and convent of Newport who had recovered the presentation before the justices of assize, against John de Carun. At his death
WILLIAM LA MAR was presented by the prior and convent of Tickford extra Newport Pagnell, in 1259.
JOHN DE LUCA was presented about 1270. He died rector in 1300 ; and was succeeded by
ADAM DE LUDFORD, S.T.P., collated by the bishop 16 April 1300. At his death
THOMAS DE LUDA was admitted 5 May 1303. He died 1319, prebendary of Lincoln and treasurer there, having long before resigned this living.
WILLIAM DE BEBY was collated 1 January 1309.
WALTER DE STAURENCE succeeded.
JOHN DE WYE was collated 6 February 1329. At his death
WALTER DE FARNDALE was collated in 1361. He exchanged for Thingford, in Northamptonshire, with
WILLIAM ATTE CROSSE, 20 August 1379 ; who also exchanged for Stanhope, in the diocese of Durham, with
WILLIAM RYEL, 10 June 1401. He exchanged for Langton, in Yorkshire, with
JOHN DISWORTH, 10 August 1405 ; who exchanged for Helmdon, Northampton, with
WILLIAM BARROW, LL.D., 21 January 1406. He was, in 1418, made bishop of Bangor ; and, 1423, translated to the See of Carlisle. In his will, dated 1 September 1429, he gave some plate to his cathedral ; -£20 to a priest to sing for him in St. Catherine's chantry there ; and bequeathed lands and tenements at Sherington, where he seems to have contributed towards the present church, to his kinsman. Hugh. His successor in this living was
PETER HORTON, S.T.P., admitted 20 July 1424, on the king's presentation, during the vacancy of the See of Lincoln.
ROBERT MONTER was presented in 1425,
WILLIAM DERBY was collated 26 July 1433. He was succeeded by
ROBERT KIRKEHAM ; who exchanged for Surfleet, in Lincolnshire, with
GILBERT ALTOFT, 13 February 1444. He afterwards exchanged for Holbeach, in Lincolnshire, with
WILLIAM GREYBARN, S.T.P., who was collated in 1474,
JOHN PROCTER was the next rector, but resigned ; and
RICHARD HAWARDYN, also rector of Stoke Goldington, was collated 27 September 1510. He was presented at bishop Atwater's visitation, about 1515. At his death,
RICHARD MAWDLEY was collated 7 December 1518. He was archdeacon of Leicester; died in 1530; and is said to have been buried at Thame.
ROBERT KENCOT, or KENCOK, was collated 28 May 1529. He died ; and
THOMAS ROBERTSON, M.A., called Capellanus Regis was collated by the bishop of Lincoln, but was afterwards deprived by queen Elizabeth.
WILLIAM ROLSTON was collated 11 February 1543, and occurs rector 1555.
FRANCIS BALINGTON succeeded in 1557: but resigned in 1562.
GILES SNELL was presented by Thomas Highgate and William Ardes 1562, no doubt, on a grant of the advowson, or a lease made by the bishop of Lincoln. How long he held the living is not known : but his successor.
HENRY BARLEY, or BARLOW, paid his first fruits in 1569, and was succeeded, at his death, by
JOHN MARTIN, B.A., who was collated 30 November 1581. He died ; and
THOMAS GILDER was collated 29 January 1626 ; but died about 1647.
IGNATIUS FULLER, intruded in 1647, and possessed it in those times of anarchy ; but conforming at the restoration of Charles, he took out the king's title, 10 March 1661. He was a native of this county. He resided here sixty-four years, and was reputed to be a Socinian. He died 21 October 1711, age 86, and was, with many of his family, buried in the church here.
JOHN BARTON, M.A., collated 10 December 1711. He resigned, in 1743, to his son, and returned to his other rectory of Great Brickhill, after having greatly improved the parsonage house.
PHILIP BARTON, M.A. was collated by bishop Reynolds 7 July 1739, and included 20 December 1743. His wife died in 1781 ; and he exchanged this living for Stoke Hammond. He was succeeded by
ALEXANDER CROMELHOLME, M.A., who was collated about November 1781. He was also rector of Adstock; and, at his death, was succeeded in this living by
JOHN PRETYMAN, M.A., who was collated in 1811, by the bishop of Lincoln.
JOHN CHARLES WILLIAMS, M.A., who was instituted 1842. He dying,
ALEXANDER KING, was instituted in 1848. He resigned, and
EDWARD ELTON, M.A., was presented in 1884. At his death, he was succeeded by
R. F. MALLAM, who was instituted on the presentation of the bishop, 1898.

The Church of St. Laud, Sherington.

This church, like that of North Crawley, is dedicated to a French bishop. It stands on an eminence, and is a handsome edifice as may be seen by the accompanying sketch, and is composed of a chancel, a lofty clerestoried nave, north and south aisles, a south porch, and a fine tower between the chancel and the nave. The general style of architectiure is good Decorated. There are some fine three-light windows on the south side. The east window is Decorated, but the west window, and those on the south side of the chancel are good Perpendicular. The tower, which is of the latter style, has good double windows on each face of the upper stage, an exterior stair turret, and is embattled, and attains the height of 62 feet. It contains a clock and five excellent bells, inscribed :

First : THOS ROGERS & JNo STUBBS CHURCH WARDENS PACK & CHAPMAN OF LONDON FECIT 1773.
Second : GABREL
Third : IOHN BABINGTON AND THOMAS MERSHALL CHVRCH WARDENS 1672.
Fourth: 1591 and the alphabet of small black letters.
Fifth : The alphabet of capital black letters and date 1591.

One of the bells from Filgrave church is said to have been brought here.

The nave and aisles are covered with lead, the chancel with tiles. The porch is handsome, and has a vaulted and groined roof with a large boss in the centre, and a parvise above it. Its side walls exhibit an arcade of semicircular arches. The holy water stoupe and stone sediles remain. The handle of the porch door is stamped with the arms of the See of Bangor, William Barrow, a former rector, who contributed towards the building of this church, having become bishop of that See as before stated. The arches of the nave are semicircular and very good ; those on the north side being supported by round piers, and those on the south by octagonal ; in both cases the capitals are moulded and good. The tower is supported on four arches. The clerestory is lighted by eight three-light windows. The west window is a noble one of five lights. The roofs are of ancient oak, and in their original condition. That on the north aisle is supported on corbals of wood carved to represent angels bearing shields. The pulpit is of oak with the centre panel inlaid ; the font is octagonal and enriched with figures in niches, closely resembling that in Clifton Reynes church, though not so fine. In the nave is a handsome pendant brass chandelier for twelve lights, inscribed, " The gift of Geo. Rose, Sherrington, 1783." The chancel arch is supported by demi-round clustered columns. The east window of the chancel is of three lights. In the south wall are the three seats or stalls for the priests ; graduating in height towards the east. They are separated by pilasters, and their richly sculptured canopies are under an arch. The piscina is blocked up. The leper's window or squint is good and contains stained glass inscribed at the foot "Sanctus Laudus ; " it is at the west end of the south side of the chancel and penetrates the south-west buttress of the tower. There is a piscina in the west wall of the north aisle ; and another in the south wall of the south aisle, thus showing that these aisles were distinct chantries and contained their altars. The east window of the south aisle is filled with stained glass to the memory of Alexander King, a former rector ; two in the south wall are to the memory of Alfred Umney, and George Nelson and Georgiana Susannah his wife (only child of Alfred Umney).

There are memorials of the family Smith, the Rev. Alexander Cromleholme, the Rev. John Charles Williams, and the Rev. John Pretyman, who were former rectors.

Lipscombe gives the following description of memorials, now lost, probably through the oversight or want of care of the church officials at the restoration of the church :

" A stone near the communion table is inscribed to the Rev. Ignatius Fuller, who was rector of this church for 64 years, and died in 1711, aged 86. He was inducted into this living in 1647, and possessed it in those troublous times ; but conforming at the restoration of Charles II., he took the king's title in 1661. He was a native of this county, and a reputed Socinian. His wife, and other members of his family, are also buried here.

" Near the desk, in the nave, on an ancient stone, is the portraiture of a man in brass : at his feet was a tablet, which had an inscription engraved on it, both of which are lost. On the same stone, below, were the effigies of a man and a woman, with four male children stand¬ing between them, in brass, which have met with the same fate. However, the following inscription remains :

  "Of your charitee pray for the Soules of Robert Yonge & Alice his wyf : the whiche Robert decessed the iij. Day of June in the year of our Lord God Mcccccxlij. On whose Soules xxx have mercy. Amen.

" On an ancient marble, near the upper south window, are portraitures of a man and a woman, in brass ; near them was a crucifix, now torn off ; above the woman, on a scroll :

                Miserere nobis Domine.

" at her feet, this inscription, on brass :

  Hic sepelitur corpus Ricardi Mareot, venerabilis Jurisperiti, quondam unius Dominorum hujus Villae, ac Justiciarii Pacis hujus Comitatus. Qui quidem Ricardus filiam et heredem desponsavit Humphridi Catesby Armigeri filii et heredis Johis Catesby Militis, quondam de Whiteston in Comitatu Northampton ; et obiit idem Ricardus Mareot xvij. die Julij Ano. Dni. Mcccclxxxxj. Cujus aie propicietur Deus.
  Credo [quod Redemptor meus] vivit, et in no[vissimo die de Terra re]surrecturus sum, et in came mea videbo Deum Salvatorem meum, quern visurus sum egi ipse, et non alius ; et oculi mei conspecturi sunt ; et in carne mea [videbo] Salvatorem meum ; reposita est haec spes mea in sinu meo.

" The last paragraph is carried round the verge on a fillet of brass. At the two corners, at the top, were the arms of Mareot, impaling Catesby.

"Against the wall of the north aisle, is a brick altar monument, covered at the top with a white marble, whereon are cut the portraitures of a man and a woman. At their feet : Quarterly, 1 and 4, a bend between six mullets. 2 and 3, a cup covered, impaling i and 4; a chevron between three saltires ; 2 and 3, a lion rampant. Round the verge, this inscription :

  ........ qui quidem Johis obijt xviijo. die Martij. A.D. Millesimo cccclxviij. ; et dicta Isabella obijt xxiiijo. die Augusti, A.D. Millesimo………..

" This tomb was for John Linford, whose family lived in a house on the north side of the church, which belonged formerly to the Lowes, and afterwards to the family of Adams. It was sold about 1710, to Sir John Chester, bart., of Chicheley." Having become much out of repair it was found necessary to pull it down and to build the present Church Farm house.

On a tablet of wood, on the north wall is the following :

  Extract from the last Will and Testament of Edward Fuller, late of Watford, in the county of Hertford, deceased, dated 4 August 5705. " I give and bequeath, and hereby direct my executors to lay out the sum of one hundred and twenty pounds, or what other sum will be sufficent for that purpose, in purchase of a rent charge of inheritance of five pounds per annum, free from all charges and dedualions, to be vested in such trustees as my executors shall direct, for the use of the parish of Sherington to be issuing out of lands in or near Sherington, as may be ; which rent charge shall be paid and disposed of in manner following, viz. :—twenty shillings per annum to the minister of the said parish for the time being, and he to preach a Sermon for the same on the twenty-seventh day of March yearly for ever, and ten shillings yearly to be expended on the minister and churchwardens of the said parish on the day of preaching the said Sermon; six and twenty half crowns to be given to six and twenty poor and necessitous persons of the said parish, such as the minister and churchwardens in their discretion shall think fit, to be yearly on the day of preaching the said Sermon; and five shillings on the same day to the clerk of the said parish for the time being, yearly for ever.
                RD. HUMPHREYS,     Church Wardens.
                JOHN FIELD,
                  1813.

In the registers, which date from 1698, is the following entry in reference to the repairing of the parish roads.

Memorand. Dec. 29th 1719.
    It is agreed & acknowleged yt the Parsonage Lane does belong to the Rectr of Sherington seperately to mend, by yt the Parson has mended it for his own convenience & in lieu of eighteen days service to yt Comon highways wth his Teem, & yt ye Causeway by ye Parsonage Close belongs to ye Rectr to mend, but yt he has nothg to do wth ye repair of ye Bridge or Causeway by John Babington's Close altho he freely gave Gravel & Stones for ye mends thereof.
        wittness our hands,
                Danll Broughton.
                Robt Adams.
                Tho. Loams.
                Jno Knight.
                John Chibnall.
                Edward Hooton.

In the churchyard, near the west side of the porch is a remarkable grave stone to the memory of John Campion. This has, in bold relief, a dying person in bed, at the foot of the bed is the fell destroyer Death in the act of striking the heart of the prostrate figure with a long barbed dart held in his right hand, whilst with his left he is placing an extinguisher upon a lighted candle, that is placed in an ornamental candle-holder in the foreground. At the rear of the skeleton, the emblem of death, is old " Father Time," in the attitude of making a hasty retreat from the death chamber. In his hurry to decamp he has upset an hour glass that is seen falling at the foot of the bed. Between these two arrivals is to be seen, upon a bracket, a clock. Hovering over the bed are two guardian angels casting down a ray of glory upon the departing spirit. A bureau, at the head of the bed completes the decoration of this, probably unique, head stone.

The churchyard is entered by a lych-gate at the main entrance,

Sherington Rectory

Stands about a quarter of a mile distant on the south side from the church. It is a large building and is surrounded by neat pleasure grounds and gardens. An old terrier, dated 1639, gives the following :

  The parsonage house, containing five bays of buildings. The barn, containing seven bays. The Granary, Dovecote, and Stable in the middle of the yard, containing three bays. The garden and yard, and site, two acres. The Pightles, two acres and a half. Seven roods of glebe meadow in the town mead. Commons for five cows and a half, and for thirty sheep, In Windmill Field, five acres three roods and one-third and one ley arable. In the little field, four acres two roods arable. In Goldworth Furlong, four acres one rood arable.

In the month of June, 1645, a portion of the Parliamentarian army, under Fairfax, is said to have encamped in the field known as " Bancraft," which adjoins the rectory.

Sherington Manor House,

The residence of Mr. Wellesley Taylor, is a large ancient building, much modernised, and situated at the south east of the village, on the Newport road.

A XVIIth Century Token of Sherington.

There was, between the years 1651 and 1671, two varieties of a token issued for small change in this village by a man named Edward Britnell, who spelt the name Shirrinton on one, and Sherington on the other. As there is only the following entry in the parish register :

1699. Joseph Whitmee, a baker & Mary Britwell were married June 29.

it is impossible to give any account of this progressive tradesman of Sherington. The small coin is, in detail, like those of Emberton and Olney, excepting the legend:*

*For a more graphic account of these tokens, see chapters on Lavendon, Olney and Newport Pagnell.  

Lipscomb's History of Bucks 1831 - Back to Village Events


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