POLEBROOK HUNDRED 



THURNING 



Azure six 



of Chadderton, in Lancashire,^* but twenty years 

 later had reverted to the heir-at-law, Sir William 

 Knyvet, who mortgaged and sold various estates, 

 including his lands in Thurning, to Sir Henry Colet, 

 of London, in 1472-7.^'' The 

 sale was confirmed by fine in 

 1478, the estate being de- 

 scribed as the manor of 

 Thurning, etc.^* Sir Henry 

 had married Christian Knyvet, 

 a kinswoman of the vendor. 

 He purchased other estates 

 in Thurning, as will be seen 

 below. 



On Sir Henry's death in 

 1505, the manors and estates 

 descended to his son and heir 



Dean Colet, who died in 1519, and by liis will left 

 his estate to his mother for her life, for division after 

 her death. The manor of Thurning, with other manors 

 and lands purchased from Sir William Knyvet, was to 

 pass to his mother's kinsman Edmund Knyvet, of 

 Ashwellthorpe (Norf.), Serjeant porter to Henry VIII, 

 while Molesworth's manor and the advowson of the 

 church, purchased from Thomas Molcsworth, 2 

 messuages, etc., in Thurning 

 purchased by Sir Henry from 

 Thomas Henson, and another 

 messuage purchased from 

 Thomas Newman were togo to 

 Christopher Knyvet, brother 

 of Edmund ; another brother, 

 Anthony, being in the re- 

 mainders.2^ 



Christopher's estate seems 

 to have reverted to his elder 

 brother Edmund, whose son 

 John and grandson Thomas 

 inherited Thurning. The last- 

 named in 1577 sold the manor of Thurning and lands 

 appurtenant in Thurning, Hemington and Ludding- 

 ton to four of the tenants — Robert Byworth, Robert 

 Smyth, Nicholas Smyth, and Silvester Collyn,-' who 

 seem to have di\'ided it among themselves. Thus the 

 manor seems to have ceased. 



From the inquisition after the death of Robert 

 Smith in 1622 it appears that his estate in the three 

 places named had been parcel of the manor called 

 Mullesworth's and afterwards Collet's manor, and 

 had been purchased by the deceased from Thomas 

 Knyvet. The heir was his son Henry Smith, aged 

 44. The lands were held of the king by fealty only .2* 



Silvester Collyn, another purchaser, died in 1589 

 holding his lands in Thurning, etc , of the queen in 

 chief ; the lands lay in Northamptonshire and Hun- 

 tingdonshire, but the capital messuage was in the 

 latter county. His heir was a son Silvester, only 

 4 years of age.^ 



Margery Sturrapp, widow of Thomas Sturrapp, 



Knyvet. .h^ciit a bend 

 and a border engrnUcd 

 sable. 



and daughter and heir of Robert Byworth (another 

 purchaser), died in 1624 holding her land of the 

 king."^ Her son and heir Thomas, then 26 years of 

 age, died in 1631, leaving a son Thomas, aged 12. 

 The land was now stated to be held of the king by 

 knight's service.*- 



\'arious religious houses had estates in the parish. 

 The earliest reference to Thurning is in a charter 

 by Burgred, king of Mercia (852-74) confirming a 

 grant of a hide and a half in Thurning made by 

 Grimketel to Croyland.'^ The estate is recorded in 

 Domesday Book, the land being held by Eustace in 

 1086. In 1303 only one hide was reckoned; the 

 services were unknown. '■* The abbey had a rent of 

 56/. id. from it in 1538 ; the pittancier used it.^^ \^ 

 1546 it was leased to John Strenie.^' 



Eugenius III in 1147 confirmed lands in Thurnmg 

 and Winwick to St. Mary's priory, Huntingdon. =" 

 The priory had copyhold rents in Winwick in 1538 

 amounting to £2 "js. y^-arly value. '* 



The Hospitallers had some estate in Thurning,^' 

 held as of the preceptory of Temple Bruer. In 1540 

 they had a free rent of I3if. from Thomas Henston 

 for a cottage and lands called Sessikke.*" This tene- 

 ment was with others sold in 1546 to WiUiam 

 Ramsden and Richard Vavasor,'"- who quickly resold 

 it to George Smyth, of Sibston.''- 



According to the Parliamentary Survey of 1650, 

 the Crown had had rents of js. from the freeholders 

 of Thurning, in lease to the Earl of Manchester ■" 



In 1874 the chief landowners were Borrett Bletsoe. 

 who lived at Barnwell All Saints, and John and James 

 Fortescue.**- 



There were 60 a. common in 1840.** 



The church of ST. JAMES consists of 

 CHURCH chancel, 25 ft. by 15 ft. 6 in., with 

 north vestry, clearstoried nave 33 ft. by 

 16 ft., north aisle 7 ft. 6 in. wide, south aisle 9 ft. wide, 

 south porch, and west tower, or turret, containing 

 two bells. All the above measurements are internal. 



In 1880-81 a great part of the structure was taken 

 down and rebuilt as nearly as possible in accordance 

 with the previous design, only the chancel, nave 

 arcades, south aisle wall, and the porch being left 

 standing ; the chancel was restored in 1902. Exter- 

 nally therefore the whole of the north and west sides 

 of the building, as well as the tower and clearstory, 

 is modern, but it appears to have replaced work of 

 the 15th century. The walls are of rubble, and the 

 roofs are modern and covered with lead. 



The earliest church of which there is evidence was 

 built in the first half of the 12th century, and con- 

 sisted of a small square-ended chancel and an aisleless 

 nave which probably covered the area of the present 

 nave. The semi-circular chancel arch belongs to 

 this church. It is 9 ft. wide, of two square orders, 

 and has moulded imposts and half round responds 

 with scalloped capitals and chamfered bases. The 

 north aisle was thrown out and the north arcade 



" y.C.II. Lams, v, 117. 



" Bridget, loc. cit., and Add Chart. 

 813-6, 7579- ) or a lease made by Colet 

 in 1482, see the Deeds Enrolled 00 De 

 Banco R. 882. 



" Feet of F. Divers Cos. 18 Edw. IV ; 

 see Early Chanc. Proc. bdle. 120, no. 18. 



" P.C.C. 22 Ayloffe. 



" Add. Chart. 704, 705 ; Pat. R. 



19 EHj;. pt. 3 (lie. of alienation) ; Feet of 

 F. Hunts. Mich. 19 Elii. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. ii), ccccxv, 115. 



"' Ibid, ccxx, 5. " Ibid, ccccxvi, 104. 



»= Ibid, cccdxiv, 8. 



" Dugdale, Mon. Angl. ii, 113, 115. 



" Feud Aids, ii, 470. 



'' Mins. Accts. Hen. VIII, 2020. 



•« L. 6- P. He;. VIII, xxi (2), p. 440. 



Ill 



" Diigdali-, !\fcti. An^l. vi, 80. 



" Ibid. 82, citing Mins. Accts. 



" Cal. Pal. 1549-51, p. 232. 



" Mins. Accts. Hen. VIII, n. 7274. 



" /.. (S- P. Hen. VIII, xxi (i), p. 356. 



" Ibid. p. 488. 



" Parly. Surv. Common W. Hunts, i, 



** V^'helan, Northants. 72;. 



*' Lewis, Tofofi. Diet. 



