HUXLOE HUNDRED 



year. In 1549, at the dissolution of tlic chantries, 

 John Cotton, M.A., the incumbent, was stated to be 

 well-learned and a preacher, who taught the children 

 of the parish.^ Tlie chantry lands seem to have been 

 confiscated, but in 1597 Richard Walter obtained 

 licence to found a free school at Finedon.^' 



The Friends' Meeting House was founded in 1690, 

 and there are also Wesleyan and Wesleyan Reformed 

 chapels in the parish. 



The Church Land. — By an award 

 CHARITIES pursuant to the Parish Indosure 

 Act of 1805, land containing nearly 

 35 acres was awarded to the vicar and churchwardens 

 for the parish church. The land was sold in 1916 

 and the proceeds invested in ^^2,894 is. id. Consols 

 producing (ji js. yearly in dividends. 



The Parish Clerk's Charity is regulated by a 

 scheme of 27 June, 1916. The property originally 

 consisted of nearly an acre of land known as the 

 Clerk's Close. This was sold in 1916 and the proceeds 

 were invested in £"]! os. lid. Consols producing 

 £1 l6s. in dividends. The income is payable to the 

 parish clerk, or if there is no clerk, to the verger or 

 person performing the clerk's duties. 



The parochial charities are administered by the 

 vicar and churchwardens and 5 other trustees in con- 

 formity with the provisions of a scheme of the Charity 

 Commissioners dated 25 Oct., 1878. They comprise : 



The charity of Thomas Harvey, given in 13 Eliza- 

 beth. 



The charity of Mary Mulso, founded in 1677. 



Joan Mulso, who died in 1636, by her will gave 40/. 

 a year to the poor. This charge is paid out of land 

 in Finedon belonging to the Ebbw \'ale Iron Co. 



Deborah Hampton by her will in 1725 gave 16 acres 

 of land with a messuage and premises for the main- 

 tenance of a poor maiden. 



Mrs. Catherine Whitelock by her will left X'°° 

 for the poor to be paid after the decease of her sister, 

 which happened in 1813. This gift was augmented 

 by a sum of ^^20 given by Mrs. Frances Dolben and 

 the two sums were invested in 3 per cent. Annuities. 

 The property now consists of £l^S ¥■ ^'- Consols. 



Mrs. Elizabeth Whitworth by her will dated 

 28 May, 1810, gave a sum of ^^l is. yearly to be paid 

 out of her land in Finedon to be laid out in the pur- 

 chase of two gowns to be given to the two most 

 aged, infirm and necessitous virgins and if no virgins, 

 to two widows. 



Juliana Dolben. Will dated I June, 1863. The 

 property consists of £()(>6 ip. \d. Consols. 



GRAFTON 

 UNDERWOOD 



The gifts of Thomas Harvey and Mary Mulso 

 were invested in about 29 acres of arable land with 

 3 cottages in Church Street. This land, together 

 with the land belonging to Deborah Hampton's 

 Charity, was sold in 1916 and tlie proceeds invested 

 in j^3,6io 14J. lod. Consols. The 3 cottages were sold 

 in 1924 for ;^I30. Of this ;^I07 11;. was spent in 

 repairs to the cottage occupied by the Hampton 

 pensioner and the residue invested in £'i'i Is. %d. 

 Consols. By an order of the Charity Commissioners 

 dated 20 March, 1925, ;{^400 Consols was placed 

 to an investment account to replace the cash 

 expended. 



The income amounts to ^£104 i is. yearly. In 1924 

 ^20 ()s. was paid to the Hampton pensioner, ^^64 lis, 

 was distributed in cash to 165 recipients, and dona- 

 tions of ;^I0 were made to the Northampton Hospital 

 and the Finedon Nursing Association. 



Juliana Dolben, before-mentioned, by her will gave 

 £10 Consols to the vicar and churchwardens upon 

 trust that the income should be applied in giving a 

 dinner and tea and 6d. each to 12 poor inhabitants. 



The charity of Ellen Frances Julia Mackworth 

 Dolben, founded by her will proved in Peterborough 

 Registry, 20 September, 191 2, is regulated by a 

 scheme of the Charity Commissioners dated 21 April, 

 1914. The charity is administered by the vicar 

 and the endowment consists of 50 shares of £l 

 each in the Finedon Gas Co. The interest, which 

 amounted to ^^24 7/. lod. in 1924, is applied in 

 supplying milk, eggs and medical comforts to the 

 sick poor. There were 46 beneficiaries in 1924. 



The Wesleyan Chapel and Trust Property is com- 

 prised in indentures of 20 November 1822, 10 and 11 

 April, 1838, and 28 February, 1849, and the property 

 is vested in a body of trustees appointed by order 

 of the Charity Commissioners dated 8 October, 

 1889. 



The Independent Chapel and Trust Property, 

 whereof trustees were appointed by order of the 

 Charity Commissioners, dated 23 August, 1895, is 

 comprised in indenture of 22 November, 1752, will 

 of George Wallis dated 11 June, 1755, will of John 

 Carver dated 29 April, 1796, and indenture of 11 June, 

 1 85 1. The property consists of the chapel and 

 2 cottages and a yard in High Street and I r. 27 p. of 

 land in Orchard Road, producing £2^ 18/. id. yearly. 

 The income is applied towards the repairs of the 

 chapel. 



The several sums of stock are with the Official 

 Trustees of Charitable Funds. 



GRAFTON UNDERWOOD 



Grastone (xi cent.), Grafton (xii, xvii cent.), 

 Grafton Underwood (xviii cent.). 



The parish of Grafton Underwood contains 

 1,825 seres. It lies for the most part between 250 ft. 

 and 350 ft. above the ordnance datum. The sub- 

 soil is Great Oolite, the upper soil being clay and 

 gravel growing wheat and oats. There is a consider- 

 able amount of woodland in the northern part of the 

 parish belonging originally to Rockingham Forest, 



•• Chantry Ctrtif. 35, no. 15 ; I'alor Eccl. (Rec. Com.) iv, Jii. 

 *^ Col. S.P. Dom. 1595-97, P- 35J- 



from which the name of Underwood is derived. The 

 chief woods are Grafton Park Wood, Old Head Wood, 

 Freier Wood, besides Kirtly Coppice. 



The village stands on the by-road from Cranford 

 to Brigstock. There still remain a few 17th-century 

 thatched stone houses. The Duke's Arms Inn is 

 dated 1645, and a gabled house in the main street 

 1653 ; on a barn adjoining the latter is a panel in- 

 scribed ' R.B. 1676.' A stream runs through the 

 village. The nearest railway station is at Cranford 

 on the Kettering and Cambridge branch of the London 

 Midland and Scottish Railway, 2i miles from the 



203 



