HUXLOE HUNDRED 



ISLIP 



continued to the ground, and the inner on attached 

 shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The oak 

 screen, with rood and attendant figures, is modcrn.''- 



The arches of the nave arcades are of two orders, 

 like the chancel arch, but have an ogee curve at the 

 top, and spring from piers of unusual type, in plan 

 an oblong set north and south, down the angles of 

 which the outer hollow chamfered order is carried, 

 and with attached shafts east and west : the responds 

 are of similar character. The tower arch is also of 

 the same tvpe. All the shafts have moulded capitals 

 and high moulded bases, and the uniformity in design 

 and detail make the interior of the church one of 

 much dignity and beauty. The north and south 

 doorways occupy the second bay from the west, each 

 of the other bays having a recessed three-light window 

 similar to those in the chancel, with wall benches 

 below the sills. There is a piscina at the east end 

 of the north aisle,*'* in the jamb of the respond, the 

 bowl of which is partly cut away, and to the east of 

 the south doorway a groined niche for a stoup, the 

 supporting half-octagonal shaft of which still re- 

 mains. 



The clearstory windows, four on each side, are 

 four-centred and of two cinqucfoiled lights, and 

 there are similar windows in the side walls of the 

 porch. Over the outer moulded doorway of the porch 

 is a niche containing a modern figure of St. Nicholas. 



The tower is of four stages, marked by strings, 

 and has wide clasping buttresses and battlemented 

 parapets with crocketed angle pinnacles and gar- 

 goyles. The moulded west doorway is set within 

 a rectangular frame with quatrefoiled circles in the 

 spandrels, and above it is a three-light window. On 

 the north and south the two lower stages are blank, 

 but in the third stage on each side is a small rectangular 

 opening containing a quatrefoiled circle. The bell- 

 chamber windows are of two trefoiled lights, with 

 quatrefoil in the head and ogee hoodmoulds. 

 Below the parapet is a band of quatrcfoils set 

 lozengewise. There is a vice in the north-west 

 angle. The spire is crocketed and has two tiers of 

 lights, the lower on the cardinal and the others on 

 the diagonal faces. 



The font appears to be of 13th century date, and 

 consists of a plain octagonal bowl on eight short 

 attached shafts without bases or capitals. 



The chancel contains wall monuments to Mary, 



wife of Sir John Washington, kt., of Thrapston, and 

 daughter of Philip Curtis, who died in January, 

 1624-5, and to Katharine, wife of Philip Curtis {d. 

 1626). In the floor is a modern brass commemorating 

 John NicoU (./. 1467) and Annys his wife, placed here 

 in 19IQ by their descendants in the United States of 

 America.''^ 



There are some fragments of old glass in one of the 

 windows.^' The modern glass in the east window is 

 of great excellence. 



The pulpit and all the fittings are modern. The 

 organ is in a loft at the west end below the tower. 



There are six bells, the first and third by Henry 

 Bagley of Chacomb 1678, and the others by J. 

 Taylor & Co., of Loughborough, 1892.*' 



The plate consists of a cup of 1570, a paten of 

 c. 1682, a silver gilt cup and paten 1883, a cup and 

 paten of I917, and a bread box of I925. There is 

 also a pewter flagon.^* 



The registers before 1812 are as follows : (i) bap- 

 tisms and burials 1695-1754, marriages 1695-1753; 

 (ii) baptisms and burials 1755-1809 ; (iii) baptisms and 

 burials 1810-1812 ; (iv) marriages 1755-1812. 



The graveyard was extended eastward as far as the 

 main street in I927, and a lych gate, erected in 1903 to 

 the north east of the church, was moved to form an 

 entrance from the road. The War Memorial en the 

 north side of the church was designed by Mr. Temple 

 Moore. 



The advowson was held by the 

 ADVOWSON Islip family. In 1202 Joscelin de 

 Islip was holding lands in the parish^' 

 and some twenty-five years later Gervase son of 

 Richard de Islip held lands, apparently a manor, 

 here.'* This Gervase, it would seem, presented to the 

 church in 1227-8 and 1230.'" He married Eustachia 

 and had three sons, Adam, Hugh and Joscelin.'"' In 



1248 Eustachia, then the wife of de Pavilly, 



claimed the advowson against her son Adam, and it 

 was seized by the king by default of Adam.*' In 

 1253 Thomas de Pavilly agreed to presentation being 

 made by the King if the next presentation were made 

 by himself.'- In the mcanwliile in 1264 Baldwin de 

 Vere claimed the advowson by grant of Adam, son 

 of Gervase Islip, to his father Robert de Vere.*' 

 Thomas de Pavilly said that his mother Eustachia had 

 enfeoffed him of the advowson, which she had 

 obtained from her son Adam de Islip. Baldwin evi- 



*• The icrcen, stalls and reredos were 

 erected in 19U by Dclancy NicuH and 

 Benjamin NicoU, of New \'ork, to com- 

 memorate their ancestor. Matthias NicoU, 

 who, as secretary of the Duke of York's 

 expedition to America in 1664 and after 

 the capture of New Amsterdam, became 

 mayor of New York in 1671, Speaker of 

 the first Colonial Assembly, writer of the 

 Duke's Laws. He died 22 December 

 i6'?7, and was buried at Manhasset, Long 

 Island, U.S. .A. [from inscription on 

 icrcenj. In 1570 the churchwardens were 

 presented for not having taken down the 

 rood loft. Scrjeantson MS. 



*'' There is reference to the altar of the 

 Blessed Mary in this church of Islip in an 

 undated charter. Drayton Chart, no. 58. 



" Bridges records ' the portrait of a 

 woman in brass ' in the chancel, but the 

 inscription at her feet had gone. A copy 

 had been kept, which he gives (//.jr. 

 Noribanli. ii, 141). Thi* it reproduced 



on the new brass. The new brass with 

 figures of John and Annys [not Amys] 

 .NicoU has this inscription around verge : 

 * An ancient stone bearing elhgies and 

 inscription as here depicted lay near this 

 spot and to commemorate their ancestors 

 the descendants of John and Annys NicoU 

 in the United States of America have 

 caused this memorial to be placed a.d. 

 .MCMX.' The old inscription, i+f)?, is 

 reproduced, and the two figures. 



" Bridges (op. cit. ii, 240) notes heraldic 

 glass in one of the south windows of the 

 chancel, a figure of a man praying in one 

 of the north aisle windows, and ' some 

 imperfect portraits ' in other windows. 



'^ There were five bells before 1892, 

 when a tenor was added and the second, 

 third and fifth were recast. The old 

 second and third were by Bagley 1678, 

 and thefifthbyHughVVattsII of Leicester 

 1621. The inscriptions are given in 

 .North, Cb. Billi oj Norlbant%. 313. 



217 



>» Markham, CA. PlatcoJ Northants. 166. 

 The modern cups are of mediaeval design, 

 the later one given in 1919. 



*•' Feet of F. Northants. case 171, 

 file 10, no. 154. 



'^ Drayton charters 50; Joscelin de Islip 

 and Peter his brother were witnesses to 

 this deed. Close R. 12 Hen. Ill, no. loi/ ; 

 Cal. Close, 1227-31, p. oS. 



" lioi. Huz- de ll'elln (Cant, and York 

 Soc), ii, 133, ii;i, 23O. 



"> Drayton Chart. 83. 



*' AssiicR. East. 32 Hen. III. 6a. 



'■ Cal. Pal. 1247-58, pp. 185, 203. 



*■' The charter is among the Drayton 

 Charters (no. 83) whereby Adam, son of 

 Gervase de Islip, granted a rod of land 

 and the advowson of the Church of the 

 Blessed Nicholas of Islip to Robert de 

 \'ere, knt., to hold of Adam and his 

 heirs. Hugh son of Gervase and 

 Josccline his brother were witneiset. 



