WILLYBROOK HUNDRED 



COTTERSTOCK 



east end of the wall with two trefoiled lights under a 

 square head. Below it are two recesses, one narrower 

 than the other, and on the outer face of the wall at 

 this point is a blocked square-headed low-side window 

 14 in. by 19 in., its sill being 2 ft. from the ground.' 

 From the north-east angle of the aisle is a squint to 

 the chancel, and in the south-east angle a plain image- 

 bracket. The west window of this aisle is of the 

 same date as that in the north aisle, but has three 

 lights instead of two. The south doorway is of 

 c. 1340, with two sunk quarter-round mouldings on 

 a continuous arch. The south porch has a ribbed 

 stone vault with the Trinity on the central boss, and 

 the evangelistic symbols on four others. The boss 

 over the outer arch has a scallop-shell, and that over 

 the door to the aisle the keys of St. Peter. In the 

 north and south walls of the porch are small two- 

 light windows, and on the vault bosses above them 

 are in one case a dolphin and in the other some wool 

 sacks. The outer arch of the porch is four-centred, 

 and over it is a low-pitched embattled gable with 

 heraldic beasts on the apex and angles, the embattled 

 parapet being carried round the north and south sides 

 of the porch. The west tower is of c. 1220, of 

 three stages, with a panelled and embattled parapet 

 of the 15 th century, built on an original cornice with 

 masks. The belfry windows are of two lights, with 

 central and jamb shafts, and a blank quatrefoil in the 

 head.' In the second stage is a lancet in the west 

 wall, its lower part destroyed by the insertion of a 

 14th-century canopied niche containing the pedestal 

 of an image' and a carved corbel below ; and on the 

 ground stage is a lancet in the west wall, its sill 

 cut into by the head of an inserted west doorway, 

 made up of re-used 1 2th-century masonry. It has a 

 round arch, less than a semicircle, with two orders of 

 zig-zag and jamb-shafts with scalloped capitals. The 

 east arch of the tower is of two chamfered orders, with 

 half-round shafts and moulded capitals with nail-head. 



In the north and south walls of the ground story 

 of the tower are small blocked doorways near the 

 western angles, and in the south wall is a second 

 blocked opening above the doorway, with a square 

 head. There is nothing to show what their use was ; 

 they may have led into buildings, perhaps of wood, 

 on either side of the tower, and it is to be noted that 

 the west windows of the aisles, which would have 

 been blocked by anything in such a position, are later 

 than any others in the church, and may have been 

 made after the destruction of such buildings. 



The roofs of the nave and aisles are of low pitch 

 and leaded, but that of the chancel is high pitched 

 and covered with CoUyweston slates. Internally 

 it has a low-pitched ceiling, with moulded beams 

 of original date, with carved heads at the junc- 

 tions of the ridge and principal rafters, the middle 

 bay having in this position a shield bearing nine 

 roundels. The other roofe of the church are modern. 



The font has an octagonal panelled bowl on a 

 panelled stem, the base, on which is carved a vine- 

 trail, being the only ancient part. 



The internal plastering of the church having been 

 destroyed no traces of wall paintings survive, and 

 the only remains of ancient glass are to be seen 

 in the eastern window in the north wall of the 

 north aisle. 



On the south side of the chancel is the beautiful 

 brass of Robert Wyntrj'ngham, provost of the college, 

 who died 4 July, 1420.* In the churchyard are two 

 grave slabs of late 13th-century date, one having a 

 figure with the bust and feet appearing in sinkings at 

 either end, and the other giving a good example of 

 the bracket-shaped scrolls on either side of the central 

 stem, whose meaning has never yet been satisfactorily 

 explained. In the former of these a chalice was found. 

 At both ends it has a mortice to take the tenons of 

 the head and foot stones, which were probably small 

 crosses. 



Near the south porch is the churchyard cross with 

 an inscription in three lines on its base, fairly legible 

 when the stone is damp. It runs 'Johs Leefe et Jac 

 . . . uxr eis hanc fecerunt fieri.' 



The church plate was renewed at the restoration 

 in 1878, and consists of a silver-gilt cup and paten of 

 1877, a white metal bread-holder, and a brass alms- 

 basin. There is also a silver credence paten given by 

 the present vicar. 



There are two bells by Henry Penn, 1708, two 

 others recast by Taylor in 1878, and a tenor also by 

 Taylor, given by the late Lord Melville in memor)' of 

 his marriage. 



The first book of the registers contains baptisms 

 and marriages from 163 1 to 1644, and burials from 

 1 63 1 to 1645. There is then a gap of 45 years, 

 the next book beginning in 1690, and taking bap- 

 tisms to 1782, burials to 1783, and marriages to 

 1790. Book iii contains marriages from 1790 

 to 1 81 2, and book iv, baptisms and burials from 

 1783 to 1812. 



There is one book of churchwardens' accounts from 

 1793 to 1897, and two of the accounts of Bellamy's 

 Apprenticing Charity from 1699 to 1904. 



Clement Bellamy, by will dated 

 CHARITIES 12 October, 1658, left his real estate 

 and residuary personality for the 

 poor. This demise was the subject of proceed- 

 ings in chancery and of a decree of Commissioners 

 for Charitable Uses. By a deed, dated i 5 September, 

 1693, it was provided that a rent-charge of £zo per 

 annum should be settled for the benefit of this parish 

 and the neighbouring parishes of Glapthorn, Tansor, 

 and Oundle, /■; of which is used for apprenticing 

 poor children of Cotterstock. 



John Whiteing, by will dated 5 Januar}', 1701, left 

 £1, the interest of which is divided among the poor 

 of the parish. 



' It is higher in the wall than the re- 

 cesses within, and its opening must have 

 sloped downwards to them. This suggests 



a bone-shoot, and the position is a common 

 one for a charnel. 



' In the west window the quatrefoil 

 is pierced, enclosing a fleur-de-lis. 



• A new figure of St. Andrew has now 

 (1906) been set in this niche. 



•* For a description of it, with the in 

 scription, see p. 169 of this volume. 



559 



