A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



In the floor of the north aisle is a large slab' with two 

 leaf-stemmed calvary crosses the heads of which are 

 obliterated, as is the inscription in Lombardic lettering 

 along two of the verges. 



Bridges mentions four shields of arms in two of the 

 windows of the north aisle, but of these only one 

 survives — azure a bend or between sis covered cups 

 (Butler). There is also a stained roundel with the 

 sacred monogram crowned and in a border of roses in 

 one of the windows of the south aisle, and fragments in 

 the side lights. 



Three chained books are preserved in a glass case: 

 (i) Erasmus' Paraphrase 155 1; (ii) a Bible of 161 3; 

 and (iii) the Book of Homilies 1676.^ 



There are five bells, cast by John Taylor of Oxford 

 and Loughborough in 1841.^ In 1 5 5 2 there were three 

 bells and a little bell, and in 1 700 four bells. 



The plate consists of a silver cup and cover paten 

 of 1569, an alms dish of 1683 given by Mrs. Frances 

 Say in 1721, and a flagon of 1 72 1 given in that year 

 by the Rev. Humphrey Say, vicar.* 



The registers before 1 8 1 2 are as follows: (i) baptisms 

 1560-1648, marriages and burials 1 560-1647; (ii) 

 burials 1678-1792; (iii) marriages 1690— 1754; (iv) 

 baptisms 1690-1773; (v) baptisms 1 773-1 812; (vi) 

 marriages 1754-1812; (vii) burials 1793-1812. 



The advowson of the church of 

 ADVOWSON Great Doddington was granted by 

 Simon de St. Liz the younger to the 

 nunnery of Delapre in the 12th centurj'.s In 1 29 1 

 the living was valued at ;^i 3 Gs.iJJ' In 1328 Edward III 

 confirmed to the Abbess of Delapre all the gifts of Earl 

 Simon including the church of Doddington.^ At the 

 Dissolution the value, including a pension received by 

 the Archdeacon of Northampton, was ^12 2s. i<J? 



The vicarage was rated at £i 1 3/. ^. Since the reign 

 of Henry VIII the patronage of Great Doddington 

 has been held by the Crown.' 



The rectory until the Dissolution belonged to 

 Delapre ; after the year 1 5 3 1 it was granted by 

 Henry VIII to Lord Harrovvden, who died in 1595 

 and left the rectory to his wife Mary for her life, with 

 remainder to his son George and his heirs or, failing 

 such, to his brother Ambrose Vaux, who in the same 

 year transferred his right to Anthony Naylhart.'" Evi- 

 dendy the rectory was sold, for in 1607 Thomas 

 Sherley conceded it to Roger Rogers and others." 

 Again within a few years the rectory changed hands; 

 in 161 1 Augustin Say died seised of it and was suc- 

 ceeded by his son Francis.'^ In 1628 Francis alienated 

 the rectory to Alexander Ekins,'' in whose family it 

 remained until 17 19, when Harvey Ekins conveyed it 

 to John Hanbury.''* In 1766 when the parish was 

 inclosed Ambrose Isted held the rectory and all the 

 tithes,'* but in 1773 he transferred it with Doddington 

 Manor to Richard Heron. '^ 



The Poor's Land. A plot of ground 

 CHARITIES of nearly 2\ acres was conveyed to the 

 vicar, churchwardens, and overseers by 

 deed of 16 February 1767 with the approbation of the 

 Inclosure Commissioners in exchange for a close which 

 had been purchased in 1692 with certain sums given 

 for the use of the poor. In 1 870 a portion of the land 

 was sold to the L. & N.W. railway and the proceeds 

 invested in ;^83 i\s. iia'. Consols with the Official 

 Trustees, producing £2 is. St/, yearly in dividends. 

 The remainder of the land, consisting of i a. 3 r. i p., 

 is let for £^ yearly. The income of the charity is 

 distributed by the vicar and three trustees appointed 

 by the Parish Council. 



EARLS BARTON 



Bartone, Barton (xi-xiii cent.); Earl's Barton (xiv- 

 XX cent.); Barton Yarles (xvi cent.). 



The parish of Earls Barton is pleasantly situated on 

 the north bank of the River Nene, near which the land 

 is low-lying and often flooded. It rises from the river 

 to a height of 336 ft. in the north. The village, often 

 called Barton-on-the-hill, is of considerable size; the 

 older part is built at the meeting-point of roads from 

 Great Doddington, Northampton, and Welling- 

 borough. It contains several 17th-century houses 

 built of ironstone, but with later modern windows, 

 and mostly thatched. Most of these retain coped end 

 gables with kneelers, and one large block in High 

 Street has a gabled front dated 1686. The village is 

 1 1 miles north of Casde Ashby and Earls Barton station. 

 On the village green below the church is a war 

 memorial. Near the village square are the Methodist, 

 Baptist, and Calvinistic Baptist chapels. There are 

 two schools, a Board School built in 1868, and a 

 National School enlarged in 1885. The newer part 

 of the village, New Barton, is built north of the old part. 



The extent of the parish is 2,307 acres. The soil 

 is red loam, subsoil ironstone and limestone; the chief 

 crops are cereals. Besides agriculture the manufacture 

 of boots and shoes gives employment for many of the 

 inhabitants. In 193 i the population numbered 2,587. 

 The name Earls Barton was derived from the Earls of 

 Huntingdon who were anciently lords of the fee. 



There ^vas formerly within this parish a hamlet of 

 Thorp; probably the south-east part of the village called 

 Dowthorp End marks its site. Ancient remains have 

 been found in this parish; these include British coins 

 of the late Celtic period" and an earthwork which has 

 been partly destroyed for the site of the church.'* 



The Church Clock Close in Earls Barton was land 

 originally set apart for repairing 'a clock dyall or watch 

 for the comfort of the township of Earls Barton'." 



In 1086 the Countess Judith held 4 hides 



MANORS in Barton valued at £4.. It had been in the 



tenure of Bondi, who held it with soc and 



sac.^° From Judith it descended to her son-in-law King 



David ;^' and so to the Hastings family, following the 



• Size 7 ft. 6 in. by 3 ft. 3 in. 



^ All three are imperfect. 



3 North, Ck. Bells of Northants. 250, 

 where the inscriptions are given : on three of 

 the bells Taylor is described as of Lough- 

 borough, on the second as of Oxford, and on 

 the tenor as of Oxford and Loughborough. 



■• Markham,CA.P/d/fo/"AorM<2rt/j. 100. 

 The foot of the paten is inscribed ' 1 570', 



5 V.C.H. Norihanls. ii, 114. 



"■ Pope Nick. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 39. 



' Chart. R. 2 Edw. IH, m. 15, no. 47. 



' Valor Eccles. (Rec. Com.), iv, 265- 

 321. » Inst. Bks. (P.R.O.). 



'" Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccxxxiv, 121. 

 " Pat. 4 Jas. I, pt. 19. 

 *^ Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cccxiii, 30. 

 '3 Feet of F. Northants. East. 4 Chas. I. 



■■• Ibid. Trin. 6 Geo. I. 



'5 Acts Priv. & Loc. 6 Geo. Ill, cap. i. 



'^ Feet of F. Northants. East. 13 

 Geo. III. 



" F.C.H. Northants. i, 155. 



" Ibid, ii, 405. 



'» Northants. N. & Q. i, 39. 



=" r.C.H. Northants. i, 351. 



" Ibid, i, 3S2. 



116 



