A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



14th-century niches, that on the north (which is the 

 larger) having a smaller trefoiled niche over it. At 

 the extreme east end of the south wall, about 6 ft. 

 from the floor^'' is a curious squint, or small opening 

 of two trefoiled lights cut out of a single stone, 

 similar in many respects to one at Weekley, the purpose 

 of which cannot be definitely stated.^* The 14th- 

 century triple sedilia have cinquefoiled ogee heads 

 beneath a rectangular traceried canopy and are on 

 the same level : the piscina has a fluted bowl and 

 trefoiled ogee head. In the north wall is a rectangular 

 aumbry with modern door, and further west the 

 wall is pierced by a broad chamfered arch opening to 

 the chapel, the floor of which is raised three steps. 

 The 13th-century chancel arch is of two chamfered 

 orders, the inner springing from corbels with nail- 

 head in the upper mouldings. The lower panels of 

 15th-century oak screens, with carved rails, remain 

 below the chancel arch and between the north aisle 

 and chapel. 



The plain 13th-century north doorway is now 

 blocked, and both windows in the north wall (to aisle 

 and chapel) are three-light 15th-century insertions. 

 The east window of the chapel is square-headed and 

 of three trefoUed lights. The south aisle has a 15th- 

 century east window and another in the south wall, 

 both of three lights, but the older west window is of 

 two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in the head. 

 The 13th-century piscina of the aisle altar remains ; 

 it has a fluted bowl and plain pointed head. The 

 south doorway is of two hollow chamfered orders with 

 stops above the imposts and mas'; terminations to 

 the hood. The porch is of unusual depth, measuring 

 internally 15 ft. from north to south, by 8 ft. 6 in. 

 wide, and has an outer arch of two chamfered 

 orders, the inner springing from attached shafts with 

 moulded capitals and bases. The clearstory windows 

 are square-headed and of two trefoiled lights. 



The tower is of three stages marked by strings, and 

 has plain parapets with big gargoyles in the middle 

 of each face, but no pinnacles. The lower stage has 

 early lancets, widely splayed inside, on the west and 

 south, the heads in one stone and without hoods. 

 In the second stage there is a tall narrow round-headed 

 opening on the south,^* but the north and west sides 

 are blank. The bell chamber windows are of two 

 lights, those on the west and east being unaltered 

 13th-century openings with solid tympanum and 

 hood ; the north and south windows have 14th- 

 century heads of two trefoiled lights and quatrefoil 

 above. The 13th century tower arch is of two square 

 orders with imposts, the inner order resting on conical 

 corbels. A buttress has been added at the south-west 

 corner of the tower, and a modern doorway in the 



south wall blocked. The spire is of the ' stone-timber ' 

 type, with broaches behind the parapet, like that of 

 Denford : it has plain angles and two sets of lights on 

 the cardinal faces, w^ith a band below the lower lights. 



The vestry seems to be a comparatively modern 

 addition, but in its west wall is a small early 13th 

 century window, probably taken from the north side 

 of the tower, against which it is built. 



Two lead rain water heads on the north clearstory 

 are dated 1758. 



The font has a plain 13th-century bowl with curved 

 sides, and a flat Jacobean oak cover with knob handle. 



The panelled oak pulpit is dated 1728. 



In the chancel is a marble wall monument com- 

 memorating Richard Fitzpatrick, Baron Gowran 

 (d. 1727), his wife Ann Robinson (d. 1744), their son 

 John, Earl of Upper Ossory (d. 1758) and his wife 

 Evelyn Leveson-Gower (d. 1763) ; also John, 2nd 

 Earl of Upper Ossory (d. 1818) and his wife Ann 

 Liddell (d. 1804) ; they are all buried 'in this vault.' 

 Another monument is to the Rev. William Bidwell, 

 rector (d. 1794). In the north chapel is a table tomb 

 with modern-media'val brass to Lady Gertrude 

 Fitzpatrick, who died 30 September, 1841, and on the 

 waU a monument to Lady Anne Fitzpatrick, who died 

 14 December in the same year. 



There are five bells, the treble, second and tenor 

 by John Taylor & Co., Loughborough, 1923, and the 

 third and fourth by Matthew and Henry Bagley, 

 dated 1682." 



The plate consists of a cup and paten without 

 marks but inscribed ' 1664,' an almsdish of 1690, a 

 bread-holder of 1704 and a flagon of 1836.^* 



The registers begin in 1538. 



The advowson of the church of 

 ADVOWSON Grafton Underwood was given to 

 the alien priory of St. Fremont in 

 Normandy, probably by Richard or William de 

 Huniez.^" The temporalities of the priory were seized 

 by the crown during the Hundred Years War and 

 presentations were made by the crown from 1337 to 

 1413.'''' In 1389 or 1390, the prior of St. Fremont 

 had granted the advowson to the Carthusian priory 

 of Beauvale, in Nottinghamshire, although the grant 

 could not take practical effect as the king had leased 

 the rectory in 1382 to Walter Malet and again in 1399 

 to Robert Hastings.®' In 1464, however, Edward IV 

 granted the advowson to Beauvale, but it does not 

 appear amongst its possessions at the Dissolution of 

 the monasteries.''^ It seems to have come into the 

 possession of the heirs of Henry Vere,*' between whose 

 heirs the manor (q.v.) was divided and finally passed 

 to the Mordaunts." It followed the descent of the 

 manor*'''' and in 1874 Lord Lyveden was patron of the 



** The height of the sill from the ground 

 outiide ii 8 ft. 



** The opening bclongi to a category 

 lomctimcs ttylcd 'high lide windowi.' 

 It iplayi intcrn.illy to ii in. and com- 

 mandi the louth niche and the altar. 

 The itonc in which it is cut measures 

 20 in by iz in : the lights are 4 in. wide 

 by 14I in. high. Inside, the opening is 

 rectangular and goes right back to the 

 east end of the chancel. The sill is very 

 •loping. All. Arch. Soc. Rep. xxix, 415. 



** The head is new. 



" There were formerly four bells, all 

 by M, and II. Bagley, 1682 j in 1923 a 



treble was added, and two of the old bells 

 recast. The bells were rehung in 1924, 

 a pit being left for another treble. The 

 inscriptions on the old belli are given in 

 North, Ch. nelts of Nortbanls. 279, but 

 not in their right order. 



" M.irkham, Cb. Plate 0/ Noribanti. 

 135. The almsdish was given in 1854 

 by Robert Vernon Smith, afterwards 

 Lord Lyveden, and his wife ; the bread- 

 holder was app.ircntly a domestic salver. 



" Rot. Rob. Groiiileiti (Cant, and York 

 Soc.) 213. 



•" Cat. Pal. 1334-8, p. 521 ; 1348-50, 

 PP' 374. 470. 5'»i '358-6'i P- 16 1 ; 



206 



1391-96, pp. 204, 212; i40'-5^ P- 270; 

 1413-16, p. 18. 



"' Ibid. 1461-67, p. 155. 



'^^ Dugdale, Mon. Angl. vi, 14. 



'* I'ret of F. Northants, Ilil. 3 .ind 4 

 Ph. .ind Mary ; Div. Cos. Mil. 4 Elii. ; 

 Northants. Trin. lo Elir. ; I'ai. R. 

 3 and 4 Ph. and Mary, pt. 6. 



" I'cct of !•'. Norlhanls. Ilil. 6 Jas. I ; 

 Trin. 8 Chas. 1 ; Div. Cos. Mil. i and 

 2 Jas. II; Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. ii) 

 cccix, 200; Instit. Bks. (I'.R.O.) 1621, 

 1641, 1649. 



"Ibid. 1667, 1742, 1794; Recov. R. 

 Ilil. 7 Anne,ro. 125. 



