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Adapted from the Abthorpe Millennium CD and reproduced with kind permission
A Brief History of Abthorpe Abthorpe, previously known as "Abethorpe" and at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 simply as "Torp", was one of a number of small settlements to the west of Towcester. In mediaeval times there were two small settlements nearby - Challock and Foxcote (or Foscote), but these declined and disappeared till in the 19th century the only evidence of them were the farms which still bore their name. Charlock Farm and Foscote House both figure in the Wakefield Estate Sale of 1919 listed elsewhere in this section. Population and housing data shows a pattern familiar in other villages of the Grafton Estate - steady growth till the latter stages of the 19th century, then a steady decline until the latter part of the last century, when permitted development allowed the building of more houses and a rise in the village population. Even so, by 1981 the total population wasn't even half what it had been in 1871.
Whilst there have been no significant finds or evidence of prehistoric or Roman occupation in Abthorpe, there is evidence of two medieval settlements at Foscote and Challock. In Abthorpe there used to be two irregular shaped ponds, evidence of medieval occupation. Foscote has evidence of a deserted hamlet. The first documented reference to Foscote is in 1200, but there is much evidence to suppose that it is much older in that: it originally had several houses and a green. Most of these were pulled down by the early 19th century, leaving only Foscote House, Hill Farm, and two cottages to the SE of the old green. The deserted hamlet of Challock lies within Challock Farm. Little has been recorded of this site. By the 20th century the three settlements were counted as just Abthorpe, but in the time of the Grafton Estate, several surveys mention Abthorpe and Foscote as separate entities, even though the data was aggregated for recording purposes.
Abthorpe was originally administered by the church as a chapelry of Towcester. In 1736, an act of parliament decided that Towcester was "very populous" with several hamlets attached. A Mr Thomas Nicholl made available certain charitable bequests to "Abthorpe & Foxcoate" on condition that they became a distinct parish. Abthorpe's case was also facilitated by the skilful assistance of Valentine Barford. (Click here for more details). A further charitable gift had been made by Mrs Jane Leeson in 1646. Thus the Leeson Trust was established to enable the village to maintain its own church, its own school (Click here for more details) and look after the poor people of the parish. Certain land was also given to the new parish. Abthorpe, with Foxcote, and Challock, contained about 1930 acres of land. The Duke of Grafton - the lord of the Manor - owned about 810 acres, Samuel Dendy of London owned Bucknell Woods, approx 425 acres, the Vicar looked after 120 acres as lessee of the Leeson Charity land and about 50 acres were glebe land. Mr William James Bailey of Shenley in Buckinghamshire owned another 105 acres. The church has been able to sustain itself and also carry out extensive rebuilding in the mid-19th Century, with the aid of a grant from the Duke of Grafton.
In 1851 a Meeting House certificate was granted for a room or building in Abthorpe which joined the house which was occupied by Elizabeth Linnell. The baptism records were kept in within the Primitive Methodist register book 1844 to 1941 where several different Primitive Methodist Chapels including Abthorpe all had their baptisms recorded.
The Village used to have two pubs, (The Stocking Frame & The New Inn), a blacksmiths, a wheelwright, and a bakehouse. Apart from agricultural work, village employment was centred around two businesses - making pillow lace for a Leicestershire buyer and doing "outwork" for the local shoe factory. The factory became Vintage Radiators, but is now being converted into Flats.
As one of the villages furthest away from the administrative centre of the Grafton Estate, it is perhaps not surprising that Abthorpe was sold in the major disposal of the Estate in 1919. In common with most villages on the Estate, the farms sold themselves, especially where - as at Foscote and Charlock - there had been major upgrading in the 1840s (click here for more details). With the sale of the Estate lands, a significant part of Abthorpe's history came to an end. Life continued - but on a different basis. |
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