A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



A share in the Peterborough fee equal to that of 

 Guy Maufe belonged to Reginald le Moyne in the 

 reign of Henry I.** This seems to be the so-called 

 manor said to have been conveyed by Berengar le 

 Moyne in the 13th century to Sir Richard de Reming- 

 ton,''* but in 1 31 5 a later Reginald le Moyne still held 

 the sixth of a knight's fee in Hemington and Little- 

 thorp of the abbot of Peterborough.'*^ 



Two landowners in Hemington whose names appear 

 in the return of 1316 are John Sandon and John Car- 

 doun.*® John Cardoun was at the same date one of 

 the lords of Thurning with Winwick, then in the 

 county of Huntingdon,'*' and either he or his heir of 

 the same name in 1330 defended his right to take toll 

 of carts passing through Winwick to avoid the difficult 

 transit by the highway through Thurning and 

 Hemington.'** John Sandon may possibly be the 

 Essex landowner of that name in 1303.'** 



In 1 291 there was a mill on the Ramsey Abbey land 

 in Hemington.*" 



The church of ST. PETER AND ST. 

 CHURCH PAUL stands on the south side of the 

 village and consists of chancel 24 ft. 6 in. 

 by 16 ft. 2 in., nave 38 ft. 6 in. by 19 ft. 4 in., south 

 porch, and west tower 8 ft. 8 in. by 9 ft. 6 in., all these 

 measurements being internal. With the exception 

 of the tower, which is of late 15th century date, very 

 little ancient work survives, the old chancel and nave 

 having been pulled down in 1666 and a new building 

 erected by Lord Montagu consisting of a rectangular 

 body measuring 38 ft. by 19 ft.,** with square-headed 

 windows taken from the ruins of the old manor-house.** 

 The church remained in that condition until 1872, 

 when the nave was restored and a chancel and south 

 porch added.*' The new work is in the style of the 

 14th century, but the chancel arch is said to be a 

 reproduction of an arch which had formerly existed 

 and of which a few stones had been built into the 

 walls.** These stones are of early 13th century date, 

 and include the two respond capitals, which have nail- 

 head ornament, and part of a moulded base. The 

 arch itself, which is almost wholly modern, is of two 

 chamfered orders. New windows in the 14th century 

 style were inserted in the nave in place of the old 

 square-headed windows, but the 17th century round- 

 headed south doorway remains. The chancel is faced 

 with ashlar and has a slated eaved roof. The nave 

 retains its 17th century open-timber roof of four bays, 

 with turned pendants to the tie beams. It is covered 

 with grey Colleyweston slates. 



The tower is of grey rubble masonry in four stages, 

 with embattled parapet and diagonal buttresses. 

 Above the west doorway is a square panel with the 

 arms of Montagu, and the west window is of three 

 cinquefoiled lights, with four-centered head and 



hoodmould. The mullions and tracery are new. 

 The bell-chamber windows are also four-centered and 

 of two plain pointed lights. The lofty tower-arch 

 is Ot two chamfered orders dying into the wall. 

 There is no vice. 



The font is of late 12th or early 13th century date, 

 and consists of an octagonal bowl and circular moulded 

 stem, in which the nail-head ornament occurs. The 

 shorter sides of the bowl have carved heads in their 

 upper part. 



In the chancel are ten oak stalls, five on each side, 

 of late 15th century date, said to have come from 

 Fotheringhay church.** All retain their carved 

 misericords the subjects of which are as follows :— 

 North side : (l) dragon, (2) crown, (3) hawk in fetter- 

 lock, (4) publican with jug, (5) mermaid ; South side: 

 (6) owl, (7) tailed beast in monk's hood, (8) tumbler, 

 (9) two boars saltire-wise, (10) helm and mantling. 

 The four end counters have traceried designs, and 

 carvings of a rose, boar, crown, and hawk in fetterlock. 

 The knops are also carved. 



At the east end of the nave is a floor slab with brass 

 figures of Thomas Montagu and his wife Agnes 

 (Dudley), and a shield in each of the four corners. 

 The male figure is bareheaded, with long flowing hair 

 and wears a large cloak and gown edged with fur ; the 

 ladv is habited in a tight-fitting gown and wears a 

 pedimental headdress. The inscription records that 

 Montagu died 5 September, 1517.** 



A glass panel with the arms of Montagu is in one of 

 the south windows of the nave.*' 



Some portions of carved screen work and tracery, 

 found in 1 872, have been worked into the new oak 

 pulpit. 



There are four bells in the tower, the treble by 

 J. Taylor & Co., of Loughborough, 1872, the second 

 by Thomas Eayre of Kettering, 1724, the third a 

 recasting by Taylor in 1908 of a bell dated 1598, 

 inscribed ' Cum voco ad ecclesiam venite,'*' and the 

 tenor undated, but inscribed ' Obe the Prince.' 

 There is a pit for a fifth bell. 



The plate consists of a cup and cover paten of 

 about 1683, and a paten and flagon of 1699 presented 

 by Robert Wells and .'Mice his wife,' who designe to be 

 Buried in this church by their only son Robert, who 

 died y" 12"" of Nov'' 1685.'*' There is also a brass 

 alms dish. 



The registers before 1812 are as follows : (i) bap- 

 tisms 1574-82, 1596-1783, marriages 1596-1753, 

 burials 1562-90, 1597-1783 ; (ii) baptisms and burials 

 1784-1812 ; (iii) marriages 1755-1812. 



The advowson of the church, dedi- 



ADVOIVSON cated to St. Peter, at least as early 



as 1254,'" but since 1786 to St. Peter 



and St. Paul," was given, with a virgate of land in the 



*'y.C.H. tiortbanti. i, 367a. 



" Bridgei, op. cit. ii, 399, quoting from 

 (he Duke of Mcntjgu'j cvidcncei. 



"Cott. MS. Veip. E xii, fol. 30A. 



•• Feud. Aidi, iv, 28. 



•' Ibid, ii, 472. 



«' Plac. de Quo War. (Rec. Com.), 526. 



"Feud. Aidi, ii, 148. 



w Pope Nich. Tax (Rec. Com.), 55*. 



" Theic are the dimeniioni given by 

 Bridget, ii, 40t. He deicribei the building 

 ai of frecitone, covered with ilate. and 

 joined at the weit end to the old itteple. 

 Thomai Montagu in i;i4 directed thai 

 hii bodj ihould be buried in the chapel 



of Holy Trinity, and left money for the 

 repair of the steeple (Wills, Probate OfT. 

 Northampton, A, 329.) 



"Whellan, Dtreclory oj Nortbanis 

 (1874), 710. The building i> said to have 

 had an ' entirely domestic appearance.' 



"The coit was borne by the Duke of 

 Bucclcuch. 



"Whellan, op. cit., 710. 

 "H. K. Bonney, //»/. Notes on Folher- 

 ingbay {t9it). The stalls are said to have 

 been left by will to Hemington church 

 by a farmer of Fotheringhay in the iSth 

 cent. Inf. from Rev. F. II. La Trobe. 

 '• I'ranklin lludmn.Jiraiieiof Norlbanli. 



82 



" Bridges (op. cit. ii, 401) says that the 

 arms of Mont.igu were in the east window. 



'» The old third hell also bore the 

 initials E. M. (probably for Sir Edward 

 Montagu, lord of the manor ; died 

 Jan. 1601-2); the inscription has been 

 retained. See North, Cb. Bells oj Nortb- 

 anis. 303. 



'• The inscription is on the paten 

 only : Markham, Cb. Plate of Northants. 



'55- 



•" Bucclcuch Deeds, B 14, 18 ; Rol. 

 Ric. Gravesend (Cant, and York Soc), 

 119. 



" Bacon, Ltber Regit, 829. 



