POLEBROOK HUNDRED 



WARMINGTON 



At the east end of the south aisle there was an 

 altar, with a leJge for an image in the soutli-east 

 corner, and the piscina niche in the south wall has a 

 rounded trefnil opening with a triangular head, in 

 the tympanum of which is an octofoiled circle. West 

 of this is a tomb recess in the wall, now half blocked 

 up, and there is another recess in the same wall west 

 of the doorway. In each of these recesses part of a 

 13th century grave slab is exposed.*' 



The tower is low and massive and of three stages 

 with moulded plinth and square angle buttresses. 

 The elaborate west door-vay has an inner trefoilcd 

 head set within an outer arch of three moulded orders 

 on jamb-shafts with moulded capitals and bases, 

 the whole profusely ornamented with dog-tooth. 

 In the lower stage, north and south, is a tall round- 

 headed window, and in the middle stage a quatre- 

 foiled circle on each face. The bell-chamber windows 

 are of two lights deeply set, with a quatrefoil in the 

 spandrel, dog-tooth ornament, and jamb-shafts with 

 moulded capitals and bases. The spire is low, but 

 well proportioned to the tower. It rises from a corbel 

 table of masks and has three tiers of lights of somewhat 

 disproportionate height. The doorway to the vice, 

 in the south-west corner, has a rounded head and the 

 arch into the nave is of three chamfered orders, 

 the outer springing from small moulded corbels, 

 the others resting on half octagonal jambs round which 

 the mouldings of the corbels are continued ; the 

 jambs have bases with water-moulding and stand on 

 very large plinths. 



The stair to the rood loft is at the south-east corner 

 of the north aisle, and the doorway remains in the 

 wall of the nave above. The whole of the upper part 

 of the existing rood screen dates only from 1876, 

 before which time " a portion of the base " only 

 remained, in the panels of which were some vestiges 

 of colour.*^ The original work, which is of 15th 

 century date, has been restored and the whole is 

 richly coloured and gilded. The pulpit, similarly 

 restored, appears to be of about the same date ; it 

 has six panelled sides, with painted figures of our 

 Lord and St. John the Baptist. A handsome Jacobean 

 screen, extensively restored, incloses the eastern 

 bay of the north aisle, which contains a late gothic 

 table tomb, said to have been erected by Sir Robert 

 Kirkham," and an alabaster mural monument to 

 Thomas Elmes, of VVarmington (died 1664), his wife 

 Ann (died 1686) and son William (died 1653). 



The font has an octagonal bowl with trefoiled 

 panels, on a pedestal dated 1662, with the initials 

 S.S., W.B. ; it has a plain flat cover. 



The tower contains six bells, the treble being an 

 addition in 1912'' to a former ring of five, the second"' 

 and tenor of which had been recast by Mears and 



Stainbnnk in 1876. The present second (original 

 treble) is dated 1670, the fourth 1604, and the fifth 

 is by ilenry Penn, of Peterborough, 1710.°* 



The plate consists of a silver cup and cover paten c. 

 1570, a silver flagon of 1736 given by Mrs. Anna Maria 

 Compton, and a silver plate of 1834." 



The registers before 1812 arc as follows : (i) all 

 entries 1558-1687 ; (ii) all entries 1688-1718 ; (iii) 

 baptisms and burials I7l()-l8l2, marriages 1719- 

 1754 ; (iv) marriages 1754-1802 ; (v) marriages 1802- 

 1812. 



The advowson, like the manor, bc- 

 .inrOJl'SON longed to the monks of Peterborough, 

 and they presented the rectors. Giles 

 do Spolcto, one of the Legate Otho's clerks, was rector 

 in 1238, but not being resident, a " vicar," or deputy, 

 Thomas de Wudeston, chaplain, was appointed for 

 Giles's life ; he was to have all the altarage."' Ellis 

 de Bedingham, a judge without a taint, was rector in 

 1281 ; he was buried at Bottisham (Cambs.)*' 



In 1 291 the value of the rectory was estimated at 

 j^38 a year, out of which a pension of 261. 8tJ. was 

 paid to the abbot of Peterborough.'" In 1 316 the rec- 

 tory was appropriated to the abbey, and a vicarage 

 was ordained." 



On the dissolution of the abbey the rectory came 

 to the Crown. A lease of it was granted in 1595 to 

 Thomas Elmes,'- who in 1609 obtained it in fee, a 

 condition being that he paid ^10 a year to the vicar 

 and j^24 to the King." The advowson of the vicarage 

 was reserved. The rectory descended with the manor 

 of Papley to Arthur Elmes, who in 1654 sold or mort- 

 gaged it to Sir John Trevor.''' Sir P'rancis Compton 

 and Jane his wife (daughter of Sir John Trevor and 

 widow of A. Elmes) passed it to trustees in 1668,''' 

 and in 1701 James Compton had the tithes in Warm- 

 ington, Papley and Eaglethorp.'" Mrs. Anne Comp- 

 ton, widow of James, son of Sir Francis Compton, 

 was the lay rector in 1711." In 1656 an augmentation 

 of £20 a year for the minister was approved," but this 

 would not continue after the Restoration. Soon after- 

 wards the rectory was subdivided. The separate tithes 

 of Papley were acquired by Lord Rockingham, owner 

 of that manor, in 1704,'* and those of Eaglethorp 

 were held by William Whitwell and his wife in 1739 ;'" 

 the residue was probably the " moiety of the rectory " 

 which occurs in a fine of 1719 between Francis Cud- 

 worth Masham and Nathaniel Gower, clerk, and 

 Frances his wife.*' In 1775 John Williamson acquired 

 the rectory from William Compton and Catherine his 

 wife.'2 The tithes had been commuted in 1774, when 

 the Inclosure was made, excepting those of Eagle- 

 thorp. 



The rent of ^^24 reserved to the Crown when the 

 rectory was sold, was granted out in l6l9,'''' and came 



•' The stoncj arc moulded on the edge 

 and have a cross with shaped ornament 

 similar to that on a slab at Titchmarsh. 



•" Caveler, op. cit. 9. 



•' Bridges, lltst. oj Northant:^ ii. 4S2 

 where it is described as " an altar tomb 

 of grey marble, covered with a grey slab, 

 round the verge of which was an inscription 

 in brass and on the sides three escutcheons 

 of arms, all of which arc now torn off." 



•* " In memory of William 3rd Earl of 

 Carysfort K.P. who restored the church 

 in 1S76 " : inscription on bell. 



" Present third. 



"• The inscriptions on the old ring of 

 five are given in North, Cb. Bclb oj 

 Northants, 429. 



" Markham, Ch. /'laicofNorihanis, 299. 



" Rot. Rob. GrosieUite (Line. Rcc. 

 Snc), 170, 192. 



" Bridges, Hist. Nortbanls, ii, 4S3 ; 

 F088, Judges, iii, 52. 



" Pope Xirb. Tax. (Rec. Com), 39. 



'* Bridges, op. cit. ii, 480, quoting the 

 Lincoln Registers. 



" Pat R. 37 Elii. pt. 5. 



" Ibid. 7 Jas. I, pt. 39 i Cat. S. P. 

 Do:n. 1C03-IO, p. 496. 



121 



" Fret of K. Northants, Mich. 1654. 



" Ibid. Midi. 20 Chas. II. Thomas 

 Elmes was vouchee in the accompanying 

 recovery. 



" Feet of F. Northants, Easier 13 

 Will. III. 



" Bridges, Hist. Northants, ii, 4S0. 



" Cal. S. P. Dom. 1655-56, p. 331. 



'• Feet of F. Northants, Mil. 2 Anne. 



'» Ihid. nil. 12 Geo. II 



" Ibid. Mich. 6 Ceo. I. 



»' Ibid. Trin. 15 Geo. III. 



•• Pat. R. 17 Jas. I, pt. 3. 



