A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



The windows of this chapel have been noted. The 

 lancet in the west wall has a wide splay. Of the 

 two 14th-century windows in the east wall, the 

 northern has been inserted in an arch of the 13th 

 century, which probably marks the inner opening of 

 a splayed lancet. At the back of the respond at the 

 south-east corner of the chapel there is a small 

 rectangular hollow. 



The south chapel, as already stated, is much smaUer*- 

 and is altogether of later work. Internally, however, 

 a large, thick string-course which runs beneath the 

 lancet at the east end of the south aisle is continued 

 along the east waD of the chapel, and evidently, as on 

 the outside, the builders took pains to conceal their 

 additions. The string is not continued along the 

 south wall, in which there is a double piscina with 

 two lancet openings, the heads of which are cut in a 

 Untel, and which are separated by a small sturdy 

 shaft. The bowls are circular, with drain-holes. 

 The tracery of the east window of this chapel is 

 formed of two trefoils with rounded ends, the heads 

 of which are carved out of one stone. A squint is cut 

 through the east respond of the south arcade. At 

 the south-east angle outside is an incised di.il. 



The chancel, except the arch, is almost entirely 

 of the 13th century, with a string-course similar 

 to that in the north chapel. The three eastern 

 lancets have rich mouldings and clusters of detached 

 shafts in the jambs. North of the altar is a rectangular 

 aumbry*^ and the adjoining vestry doorway has a head 

 cut in a lintel. In the south wall, in addition to the 

 windows already described, there is a beautiful double 

 piscina with much delicately carved dog-tooth 

 ornament and a hood-moulding stopped by masks 

 and a floral boss similar to those which end the hood 

 of the vestry doorway and are found in the arcading 

 of the north chapel. In the spandrel beneath the 

 arch of the piscina is a sunk quatrefoil. Both bowls 

 are fluted. 



The examination of all this work shows that the 

 chancel, the north chapel, and the outer walls of the 

 north aisle with the porch belong to one period of 

 building, which followed the addition of the south 

 aisle. It was probably intended to build a south 

 chapel similar to that on the north, but the work 

 was stopped, and the south chapel, when it was built, 

 had no relation to the former plan. 



There is a 15th century traceried rood-screen, with 

 some remains of colour on the panels. Some traces 

 of colour are also left upon the soffit and capitals of 

 the arch which opens into the north chapel. The 

 chancel has a 15th century roof of three bays, with 

 well-moulded tie-beams. The roofs of the nave, 

 aisles and chapels are largely new, but there are some 

 carved bosses in the nave roof, one of which has the 

 shield of the abbey of Peterborough. 



The octagonal font is of the later part of the 13th 

 century wnth trefoiled panels, circular pedestal, and 

 shafts with moulded capitals and bases supporting 

 the bowl. The oak pulpit is plain work of the 17th 



century, with fluted upper panels, on a modern stone 

 base : attached to the adjoining wall is an hour-glass 

 stand There is some 17th century seating in the 

 south chapel, and two chairs of the same period in the 

 chancel given by Gen. Ferguson. 



The organ, given in 1909 by Sophia Lady Paston- 

 Cooper, is in a loft over the chancel arch. In the 

 chancel are tablets to Joseph Johnston, rector (d. 

 1719), and Capt. John Orme (d. 1764), and in the 

 north chapel one to Charles Euseby Isham (d. 1862), 

 who was rector for nearly sixty-two years. 



There is a ring of five bells. The treble is dated 

 1717 and the tenor is by Joseph Eayre, of St. Neots, 

 1765, who also cast the fourth in 1771. The second is 

 inscribed " fAndrea," and is by Thomas Newcombe, 

 of Leicester (1562-80), while the third, inscribed 

 " S. Maria " bears a stamp used by Francis Watts, of 

 Leicester (i564-i6oo).*3 



The plate consists of a silver-plated cup, paten and 

 breadholder, each inscribed ' Parish of Polebrook, 

 anno Dom. 1811 ' ; a plated cup and flagon given 

 by Miss Hames in 1879 > ^ silver chalice and flagon 

 and processional cross were given by Gen. Ferguson ; 

 a silver almsdish by Lady Paston-Cooper, and two 

 silver almsbowls by Ivor Ferguson, Esq. 



The registers begin in 1655, the first volume con- 

 taining entries to 1770. 



There was a priest on the King's 

 ADVOWSON fee in Polebrook in io86.8^ The 

 advowson apparently belonged to 

 the Clopton family and at the beginning of the 13th 

 century Rose de Clopton as patron of the church of 

 Polebrook made an agreement regarding St. Leonards 

 Chapel at Armston.*^ Her husband Hugh le Fleming, 

 presented a clerk in the reign of Henry III. The 

 advowson descended to his son and heir, Robert 

 le Fleming,*' who granted the church and manor to 

 the Abbey of Peterborough.*' The claim to the 

 advowson made by Hugh's great-great-granddaughters 

 in 1284 was refuted by the production of Robert le 

 Fleming's charter'* and the church remained in the 

 possession of the Abbey until its surrender,*' when 

 the profits of the rectory with tithes, mansion and 

 glebe amounted to ^^29 14J. a year.^ In 1542 

 Henry VIII granted the advowson of the rectory 

 of Polebrook to the Bishop of Peterborough'* but 

 it was afterwards sold with the manor to Sir William 

 Sharington and alienated by him to Sir Edward 

 Montagu (see above). Sir Edward's heirs, however, 

 did not succeed in establishing their right to the church 

 though they made some attempt to do so in the 17th 

 century,'- and it has remained in the gift of the Bishop 

 of Peterborough to the present day."'' 



In 1 291 the Prior of Huntingdon enjoyed a portion 

 of tithes amounting to ^l a year, in the church of 

 Polebrook and portions of equal value from the church 

 also belonged to the sacristans of Peterborough and 

 Croyland and the Prior of St. Neots."'' The Hunting- 

 don portion amounted to only 1 3;. 4^/. in 1539,'* 

 when the Croyland portion was described as a certain 



•" It projecti beyond the aiile inter- 

 nally 12 (t.,and ii 13 ft. 6 in. wide. There 

 ii no separating arch. 



" Now covered by panelling. 



•• North, Cb. ttrlll of Sorlhanli. 384, 

 where the inicriptioni are given. There 

 ii no founder'! name on the treble. 



•• y.C.II. Norlbatiii. i, 349*. 



" Buccleuch Decdi, F. 26. 

 " De Banco R. 54 m. 15 d. 

 " Chron. Pelrob. i 5. 

 " De Banco R. 54, m. 15 d. 

 " Cal. Pal. 1361-64, p. 27; 

 E(el. (Rec. Com.) iv, 293. 



" Fahr Ecd. (Rec. Com.) iv, 293. 

 •' Pat. 33 Hen. VIII, pt. 31, m. 13 



108 



"Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Com. 

 Rep.), i, 214. Ciil. S. P. Dom. 1660-61. 

 p. llS. 



" Inst. Bks, (P.R.O.) ; Cal. S. P. Dom. 

 Valor 163S-39, p. 56; Bacon, Lib. Rrg. 828. 

 Private Act 30 Ceo. Ill, cap. 26. 



•' Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.) 39 b. 



•' Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.) iv, 254. 



