A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



bv the following year his heir or heirs had succeeded 

 him.^ His heirs possibly were Isolda, the wife of 

 Brian Denford'" and the wife of Ralph de Pulteney, 

 as in 1262 Brian and Ralph were tenants here of the 

 Earl of Gloucester.''* 



In 1285 Ralph de Pulteney" was living, but in 1 3 14 

 he had been succeeded by William de Pulteney,'" and 

 in 1365 Isabella, daughter of William Pulteney, sold a 

 messuage and lands to Sir Richard Chamberlain Knt.'' 

 Before 1425 a tenement called Pultpneys was in the 

 hands of Richard Chamberlain,'- who held the other 

 moiety of Denford (q.v.), and though he granted it to 

 Thomas Chamberlain and his wife Katherine, it 

 seems probable that from this time the Chamberlains 

 and their successors held the greater part at least of 

 Matthew the Butler's half fee.'^ Brian Denford's share 

 cannot be traced after 1285, when his son Robert had 

 succeeded him.*'' 



Another tenant of the Gloucester Fee in Denford 

 before 1240 was Simon de Berughby, whose wife 

 Alice** was possibly another heir of Matthew the 

 Butler. Alice de Berughby was holding in 1262,** 

 William and Hugh Berughby appear as tenants in 

 1285," and John and Robert Berughby in 1314.*' 

 This may be the manor in Denford which, though 

 not held in chief, is said to have been granted 

 in 1374 or 5 by Edward III to Robert Ward.*' 

 The latter, with his wife Emma, conveyed it in 

 1410 or II to Thomas Cantlowe," who granted 

 it to William Aldwinkle.'^ The latter by will left 

 it to his wife Elizabeth, who afterwards married 

 W'illiam Chaumbre*^ It seems, however, to have 

 been in the hands of trustees, who sold it in 

 1488 to John Selyman, the chaplain of the chantry 

 founded by Chaumbre in Aldwinkle church.*^ The 

 lands of the chantry seem to have been seized by 

 Henry \'I1I, who in 1546 granted the manor to Sir 

 Edward Montagu." 



The Earls of Gloucester and their successors held 

 a court leet and view of frankpledge for their tenants 

 at Denford.** In 1616, Thomas Reade obtained a 

 grant of free warren in his manor of Denford.^ 



In 1086, two mills at Denford, paying [z los. Sd. 

 and 250 eels a year are mentioned, but it is not certain 

 that both were in Denford itself." A mill at Denford 

 is mentioned in the reign of Henry HI,*' and again 

 in 1537.** 



A free-fishery in Denford was granted in 1545, 

 by William Burton and his wife Joan, and Margaret 

 Gale, widow, to Gilbert Pickering.™ 



The church of the HOLJ' TRINITT 



CHURCH consists of chancel 31 ft. by 14 ft. 9 in., 



clcarstoried nave of four bays, 49 ft. 4 in. 



by 21 ft. 6 in., north and south aisles each 10 ft. 6 in. 



wide, south porch, and west tower 12 ft. 6 in. by 

 12 ft., surmounted by a spire. All these measure- 

 ments are internal. 



The building belongs generally to the later part of 

 the 13th century, c. 1275-90, but the lower stage of 

 the tower and some other features appear to be rather 

 earlier, and it is, therefore, not unlikely that the 

 church was building during a rather protracted period, 

 extending over the latter half of the century. In the 

 14th century, new windows were inserted in the 

 south aisle, and the clearstory was added, but no 

 material alteration was effected in the plan. The 

 east window and two in the north aisle are 15th- 

 century insertions, and a window at the east end of 

 the south aisle is about a century later. Originally, 

 the north aisle extended some 20 ft. further eastward, 

 covering the chancel for more than half its length, 

 and forming a chapel with a vestry at its east end. 

 The church was restored in 1864, and in 1897 the 

 lower part of the tower, including the buttresses, was 

 newly faced and the spire restored. In 1925, the 

 east ends of both aisles were taken down and rebuilt," 

 the north aisle roof renewed and the roof of the nave 

 repaired. The roofs are of low pitch, leaded to the 

 aisles, slated to the nave and chancel. 



The chancel is built of grey stone with an iron-stone 

 band every fourth course, and has plain parapets 

 and chamfered plinth, but no string course. The 

 walls inside are plastered. The east window retains 

 13th-century moulded jambs and part of the early 

 rear arch has been re-used, but is otherwise of 15th 

 century date, of four trefoOed lights and Perpendicular 

 tracery. Two late 13th-century windows remain in 

 the south wall, one of three and the other of two lights, 

 with tracery formed by the forking and intersection 

 of the mullions. There is no window in the north 

 wall, but a doorway (now blocked) with a drop arch 

 and continuous roll moulding, led formerly into the 

 vestry, from which there was a squint to the chancel. 

 In the usual position on the south side is a rather 

 plain 13th-century piscina, the bowl of which has 

 been blocked. Originally the interior of the chancel 

 was surrounded with trefoiled arcading. Two arches 

 remain on the south side, and four on the north, 

 with excellent filleted roll-mouldings and soffit 

 cusping, on triple clustered shafts and single- shafted 

 responds. The shafts stand clear of the wall and 

 have moulded capitals and bases, and in the spandrels 

 on the north side are sculptured faces, a man's and 

 two women's. Of the northern arches, three are 

 placed beneath a relieving arch in the wall, and in the 

 tympanum thus formed, are four recesses, which 

 may have been intended for acoustic purposes.^'' 

 The chancel arch is of two chamfered orders, the 



*• Book of Feet, ii, 937. 



♦' Feet of F. Northants. Trin. 31 Ilcn. 



in. 



*• Chan. Inq. p.m. 47 Hen. Ill, nu. 34. 



** Cbron. I'ctrob. 113. 



" Cban. In<i. p.m. 8 Edw. II, no. 68. 



»' Cott. Ch. (B.M.) jtxviii, 105. 



»> Harl. Ch. (B.M.) 47 I. 29. 



•• Cban. Idc|. p.m. 18 Ric. II, no. 43 ; 

 22 Ric. II, no. 46; 38 and 39 lien. VI, 

 no. 59. 



** Chron. Petrob. 113. 



" IVet of F. Northanti. Mich. 24 

 Hen III. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 47 Hen. Ill, no. 34. 



•' Cbron. Petrob. 1 13. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 8 Edw. II, no. 62. 

 " Bridges, Uist. of Nortbanls. i), 231. 

 «" Ibid. •' Ibid. •' Ibid. 



«• Cal.Pat. 1485-94, pp. 253,311. 

 " L. and P. Hen. fill, xxi (pt. ii), 

 g. 648(52). 

 *• Cal. Inij. iii, no. 371 ; iv, 435 ; Cat. 



Pat. i343-45> P- 3'''' i '4o'-°5. P- 349; 

 Chan. Iruj. p.m. 36 Kdw. Ill, pt. i,no. 37 i 

 P.R.O. Court R. (gen. «er.) pif. 194, f. 49. 



"Pat. R. 13 Jan. I,pt. 18. 



•' y.C.ll. Northanti. i, 309^. 



" Cott. Ch. xxviii, 74. 



•• Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. ii), U«xii, 75. 



"• Feet of F. Northanti. Mich. 

 37 Hen. VIII. 



194 



" The old materials were used and the 

 windows replaced. The fnnndaticms of 

 the original east end of tbo north aisle 

 were uncovered at this time : ex. 

 inform. Mr. H. F. 'IMylen, F.S.A. 

 architect. A considerable amount of 

 repair appears to have been done to the 

 north side of the chancel in the 18th 

 century, or perhaps earlier. 



" The recesses were discovered in 

 1864 : one of them still contains an 

 earthenware pot, or acoustic jar. The 

 rubble face of the wall is here left 

 exposed. Sec An. Arcb. Soc. Reporti, 

 vii, 102 ; Bloxam, Gothic Arcb. (iitb ed.) 

 ii, 154. 



