WILLYBROOK HUNDRED 



COTTERSTOCK 



Codestoche (xi cent.), Cotherstoke (xii-xvi cent). 



The parish of Cotterstock, to which Glapthorn, 

 though a separate civil unit, is ecclesiastically attached, 

 covers about 706 acres, of which 202^^ is arable, 

 442 pasture, and 71^ wood. It is a low lying parish, 

 rising gradually from the bank of the Nene, which 

 forms its eastern boundary, towards Southwick on the 

 west, but it never attains a height of 200 ft. above 

 the ordnance datum. On the south and east it is 

 bounded by roads towards Glapthorn and Southwick. 

 The only main road which passes directly through 

 the parish is that crossing the road to Glapthorn, a 

 short distance to the west, and running south to 

 Oundle and north to Fotheringhay and Nassington. 



The subsoil is varied, a streak of Oxford clay in the 

 centre of the parish running down towards Benefield, 

 surrounded on the north, east, and south by Combrash 

 and great oolite. The top soil is principally clay, 

 and produces grain and pulse. The fields near the 

 river are liable to floods. 



The village of Cotterstock is built along the road 

 from Glapthorn, running south-east, which divides 

 into two near the river. At this point there is a 

 small village green, where in days gone by stocks used 

 to stand ; their place is now occupied by an ancient 

 cross, which was removed from another site. The 

 northern branch of the road leads up to the church 

 of St. Andrew, to the north of which are the remains 

 of Cotterstock College, now converted into ' the 

 Church Farm.' The southern branch of the road 

 leads towards Cotterstock Mills, and a little further 

 south is Cotterstock Bridge, the successor of that 

 bridge for the repair of which the men of Cotterstock 

 and Glapthorn were distrained in the reign of 

 Edward III.' 



Cotterstock Hall stands back from the village street 

 on the north side. Near it is the church school, 

 opened in 1876, for boys and girls. Cotterstock 

 Lodge, the residence of Mr. W. G. L. Montagu- 

 Douglas-Scott, stands some distance to the west of the 

 village, and is the only outlying house in the parish. 

 The population (numbering 151 in 1901) is mainly 

 engaged in agriculture ; a few persons are occupied 

 in various branches of the building trade. 



Cotterstock was enclosed in 1 8 1 5 ; the award is in 

 the custody of the vicar. Among the place-names 

 found in this parish is Monks Sink, where, according 

 to local tradition, there was a building with a chapel 

 dedicated to St. John in connexion with the college. 



PROFOSTS MJNOR.— The vill of 

 MANORS Cotterstock is mentioned in the spurious 

 charter of Wulfhere to the monks of 

 Peterborough in 664.' In 1086 two knights held 

 three hides in Cotterstock of the abbot of Peter- 

 borough.' Their names can be deduced from the 

 12th-century survey of Northamptonshire, when 

 Richard FitzHugh and Roger ' Infans ' each held 



one hide and a half in Cottentock of the abbot 

 of Peterborough.* The land of the latter afterwards 

 formed the provost's manor in Cotterstock. Roger 

 was lord of the Torpel fee and one of the most 

 important of the Peterborough knights ; he is stated 

 to claim land in Cotterstock in a description of the 

 abbey's possessions of the time of Henry I.' Cotter- 

 stock appears in the middle of the 1 2th century to 

 have been granted for a time to a younger member of 

 the Torpel family, for in 1147 the chronicler of 

 Peterborough writes that Robert son of Roger Infans, 

 of Torpel, came ill to the hospital of Peterborough, 

 and there, ' in the chapel of St. Leonard, gave his 

 soul and body to God and St. Peter, and all his land 

 in Cotterstock and Glapthorn.' ^ This transaction 

 does not appear to have been agreeable to the head 

 of the family, for in 1 191 Roger de Torpel obtained 

 from Benedict, abbot of Peterborough, a release of all 

 right in his lands at Cotterstock and Glapthorn in 

 return for other concessions.' Cotterstock from 

 henceforth remained part of the Torpel fee, and 

 passed with it in the reign of Henrj- III to the 

 Camoys family. When John Camoys gave up to 

 Queen Eleanor of Castile his manor of Torpel a 

 special provision was made that no suit at the court of 

 Torpel should be exacted from the men of Cotter- 

 stock and Glapthorn.* In 1280 the same John 

 confirmed the feoffment of William Paynel to John 

 Kirkby of the manor and advowson of Cotterstock, 

 with the mills of Perio.' John Kirkby was the well- 

 known bishop of Ely, the able treasurer of Edward 1.'° 

 He died in 1 290, leaving as his heir his brother 

 William. In the description of Cotterstock at that 

 date a capital messuage and a water-mill are in- 

 cluded." William died about twelve years later, 

 leaving his three sisters as his co-heirs." Cotterstock 

 was assigned finally to his sister Maud, widow of 

 Gilbert de Houby, though it was for some years held 

 in dower by Christiana, widow 

 of William Kirkby." About 

 1336 Walter de Houby, a 

 descendant of Maud, granted 

 the manor and advowson of the 

 church to John Giffard, of 

 Cotterstock." Shortly after- 

 wards Ralph Camoys gave up 

 all claim to rent and service of 

 John GifFard for Cotterstock to 

 John Ward, rector of Cotter- 

 stock, John of Clive, vicar of 

 Marholm, and John Giffard.'* 

 This transaction seems to have 



been in preparation for the endowment by John 

 Giffard of a college, or chantry on an extended 

 scale, at Cotterstock. In 1 3 37 the king gave leave 

 for the alienation of the manor of Cotterstock in 

 mortmain by John Giffard to a provost to be 



Giffard, GuUs three 

 lions passant argent. 



' Assize R. No. 632, m. ^oj. 

 ' Birch, Cart. Sax. i4o. 22. See Intro- 

 duction to soke of Peterborough. 

 » f^.CM. Nortbants, i, 315*. 



* Ibid. 388a. 



> CbronUon, p. 169. For Torpel see 

 Ufford. 



* Swapham, fol. 115. 



' Soc. Antiq. MS. No. 38, fol. 4+. 



« Close, 8 Edw. I, m. 2 J. 



» Anct. D. (P.R.O.), A 9069. Feet 

 of F. Northants, 9 Edw. I, No. 75. 

 William Paynel had married the wife 

 of John Camoys with John's consent, and 

 had become seised at the same time of 

 certain of the Camoys lands. Par/. R. 

 (Rec. Com. , i, i+6j. 



555 



"• Diet. Nat. Biog. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 18 Edw. I, No. 37. 



" Ibid. 30 Edw. I, No. 31. 



" Orig. R. (Rec. Com.), i, 113 ; Feet 

 of F. Northants, 35 Edw. 1, No. 520. 



n Ibid. 9 Edw. Ill, No. 143. For 

 account of John Giffard see history ol 

 college of Cotterstock in this volume. 



" Soc. Antiq. MS. No. 38, fol. 31. 



