POLEBROOK HUNDRED 



THURNING 



portion of rent issuing from the church of Polebrook.** 

 Tlie Croyland tithes were granted in 1562 to Henry 

 Best and John Holland who conveyed them to Thomas 

 Eastchurch and Robert Hunt who in 1563 sold them 

 to Sir Edward Montagu."'^ A pension of 20s. a year 

 was due from the rectory of Polebrook to Peterborough 

 Abbey at its dissolution, and was included in the grant 

 of 1548 to Sir William Sharington (y.f.) as was also 

 some land in the parish which had belonged to the 

 Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. Sir Edward 

 Montagu agreed with the parson of Polebrook in 

 consideration of the inclosure of Polebrook and in 

 order to discharge the manor from all tithes proposed, 

 he would give a portion of the tithes belonging to the 

 parsonage of Hemington, a pension of 20s. and a lease 

 of certain tithes in Polebrook belonging to the late 

 monastery of Croyland.*' 



A gild of Corpus Christi in the church of Polebrook 

 is mentioned in 1518 and 1524.'^ 



The Rev. Nicholas Latham, 

 CHARITIES founder of the Hospital at Oundle, 

 gave £z yearly to be distributed 

 equally among four poor people. This sum is regu- 

 larly paid and applied by the Trustees of Parson 

 Latham's Hospital at Oundle. 



The Rev. Charles E. Isham by Declaration of 

 Trust dated ll February, 1858, declared that the 

 dividends on a sum of /^loo Consols should be distri- 

 buted by the Rector equally among six of the most 

 deserving poor inhabitants who are members and 

 communicants of the Church of England, first con- 

 sideration to be given to widows. The distribution 

 takes place after divine service on Christmas Day. 



The Wcslcyan Methodist Chapel comprised in an 

 Indenture dated 25 July, 1863, is regulated by a 

 scheme of the Charity Commissioners, and is held on 

 trusts as expressed in The Wesleyan Chapel Model 

 Deed. 



THURNING 



Terning, Torning, 1086 ; Thiringez, Terringes, 

 Thirning, Thorning (xii cent.) ; Thernynge (xiv 

 cent.) ; Thurning (xv cent.). 



The parish of Thurning was formerly partly in 

 Northamptonshire and partly in Huntingdonshire 

 (Leightonstone Hundred), the church being in the 

 latter county. The boundary went north and south 

 through the main street. In 1888, however, the whole 

 was included in Northamptonshire. ^ The area is 

 1,016 acres, of which about two-thirds are under 

 permanent grass. The soil is clay, upon which 

 wheat and barley, beans and peas are grown. The 

 land rises gradually from north to south, from about 

 150 ft. to 240 ft. above sea level. The population 

 was 133 in 1921. 



The village lies about l\ miles south-east of Oundle 

 at the crossing of the roads from Barnwell St. Andrew 

 to Alconbury, and from Clapton to Luddington in 

 the Brook. The church stands to the south of the 

 village. The rectory house, which is to the east of 

 the church, is a two story building of timber and 

 plaster, with reed-thatched roof, probably of the late 

 15th century date, but partly refaced in yellow brick 

 with single story brick additions. The interior has 

 been modernised, but the original timber construc- 

 tion is everywhere visible. It has been the rectory 

 since the 17th century, to which period the stone 

 tithe barn on the north side of the house apparently 

 belongs. 



In 1263 Berengar le Moyne obtained a charter for 

 a weekly market on Wednesday at his manor of 

 Thurning, and a three days' fair at Michaelmas.^ 

 The grant may not have become effective, for Thur- 

 ning does not seem later to have been reckoned as a 

 market town. 



Sir William Thirning, a prominent lawyer and 

 judge of the Common Pleas in the time of Richard II 

 and Henry IV is supposed to have belonged to this 



place, but nothing is definitely known. He took a 

 prominent part in the deposition of Richard II in 

 1399, and died in 141 3.' 



In Domesday Book (1086) the greater 

 MANOR part of the land is recorded under 

 Huntingdonshire. The abbot of Croy- 

 land held ij hide, with land for a plough and a half ; 

 the soke was in the King's manor of Alconbury. 

 Eustace (the sheriff) held it of the abbot. In 1066 

 the value was 20^., and in 1086 the same. Eustace 

 held 5 hides in chief, there being land for 5 ploughs ; 

 the soke, as in the last case, was in Alconbury. The 

 value alike in 1066 and 1086 was 60/. Alured and 

 Gozelin held the land of Eustace, and Robert the 

 Dispenser claimed I virgate and i hide.* In 

 Northamptonshire there was only J hide, with land 

 for half a plough ; it belonged to the abbot of Peter- 

 borough and was appurtenant to Oundle. The 

 value, 2od. in 1 066, had doubled by 1086, being then 

 3^. 4i.6_ 



It is impossible to trace these various estates clearly. 

 The chief tenant in 1086 was Eustace, the sheriff, 

 whose fee passed to the Lovetots and followed the 

 descent of Clapton* {q.v.). Alured's holding went to 

 the Cloptons of Clapton {q.v.). The holding of 

 Robert the Dispenser may be represented by the 

 Marmion fee, as Roger Marmion, according to the 

 survey of c. 11 25, held 3 small virgates of the fee of 

 Peterborough.' By the end of the 13th century these 

 mesne tenancies had all been surrendered to Peter- 

 borough Abbey. 



The sub-tenants of the Lovetot's fee in the 13th 

 century were Robert, son of Walter de Polebrook, 

 Berengar le Moyne, Thomas de Hotot, Roger 

 Beaumes (de Bello Mesuagio)* and Ralph de Grendon. 

 Of these the holding of Robert, son of Walter de 

 Polebrook (liung in 1260-2)' appe.irs to have passed 

 to his son Walter, son of Robert de Polebrook.^' The 



•' VaUr Ecd. (Rcc. Com.) iv, 85. 

 ••« Buccleuch Coll. Ser. Chron. 271. 

 •' Ibid. 269. 



" P.C.C. 10 Aylofts ; Prob. of N'orth- 

 ampt B. 169. ■ Loc Gov. Bd. order. 



• Cai. Chart. 1257-1300, p. 46. 



• Foi3. yud^fS. 



• V.C.H. Hunt!, i, 342A, 350a. 



• V.C.H. Northantt. i, 314. 



• The long dispute with the Earls of 

 Gloucester, which included Thurning, is 

 given under Clapton. 



109 



' V.C.H. Norihanls. i, 367J ; cl. Round 

 Feud. Engl. 194-5. 



• Pytchley, Bk. of Fefs (Northants 

 Rec. Soc), 100. 



• Buccleuch Deeds A 31, 38, 39. 

 '"Ibid. G2, K2, 4. 



