ORLINGBURY HUNDRED 



PYTCHLEY 



borough, and died in 1 564 parson of Pytchley, his heirs 

 being the three daughters of his brother Giles. Giles, 

 who was M. P. for Peterborough in 1553-4 and 1557- 

 8, was buried at Pytchley. He was returned as seised 

 of a manor in Pytchley called ISHyfMS' held of Robert 

 Isham, clerk, as of his manor of Staffords, which latter 

 manor also passed next into the hands of their brother 

 Gregory's son Euseby Isham of Braunston. Euseby 

 early in 1580 was dealing by fine with a third of the 

 manors of Geynes and Ishams in Pytchley;^ and in 

 1587 by recovery with the manors of Pytchley and 

 Bassets;^ and in 1606 he was, in conjunction with his 

 son and heir John, dealing with the manors of Pytchley 

 and Braunston* as Sir Euseby Isham, having been 

 knighted by King James on 11 May 1603. He built 

 the famous old house at Pytchley whose mullioned 

 windows and pinnacled gables were the background of 

 many a hunt picture, and inclosed 140 acres at Pytch- 

 ley.' He died at Pytchley on 11 June 1626, being 

 survived less than six months by his son John, on whom 

 he, with his wife Ann, had settled his manors of Staf- 

 fords and Engaynes in tail male on 8 May 1603.* John 

 Isham, who had already in 1623 levied a fine of the 

 manor of Pytchley with Thomas Isham,' his brother, 

 the executor of his will, had married in 1604 Anne 

 daughter of Sir William Fitzwilliam of Milton, who 

 survived her husband at his death on 1 1 December 

 1626.' The heir of John was his daughter Ann, aged 

 21, the wife of William Lane of Glendon, but the 

 manor being settled in tail male passed to her uncle 

 Thomas Isham, who in 1632 sold to Francis Downes, 

 Roger Downes, of Wortley, Lancashire, and Francis 

 Downes his two manors of Pytchley.' On 2 1 August 

 1639 Francis Downes settled his recently purchased 

 manors on his wife .Mice and his son Francis, and died 

 on 31 July 1640, his son Francis being then aged 13.'° 

 Roger Downes suffered a recovery of the manor in 

 1672, with two water-mills, i-c," but in 1690 the 

 manor of Pytchley, with one 

 water-mill, one windmill. Sec, 

 was being dealt with by William 

 Washbourne,'^ to whom it had 

 probably passed from the Downes. 

 William Washbournedied in 1702 

 and was buried at Pytchley,'^ 

 where he was succeeded by his son 

 William, who was dealing with 

 the manor, one water-mill, &c., 

 in I7i2'''and 1720." .Amanorof 

 Pytchley, presumably this manor, 

 was next held by the Knightleys 

 with Fawsley (q.v.) in 1764'* 

 and 1802," by Lucy Knightley, 

 esq., and Charles Knightley respectively. Before 18 19 

 it had again changed hands, and in that year was held 

 by George Wharton Marriott and Selina Anne his 

 wife, who conveyed it to John Swarbrock Gregory. '* 



Washbourne. jirgent 

 afeiuhetiveen six mart- 

 lets gules ivith three 

 cinqjoils argent on the 

 Jesse. 



This was possibly a preliminary of its transfer to George 

 Payne (of Sulby), who was dealing with it in 1825." 

 The old hall built by Euseby Isham was pulled down 

 in 1829 by George Payne, who afterwards sold the 

 manor and estate to Mr. Jones Loyd.^° Mr. Loyd was 

 succeeded in the manor by his son Samuel, who was 

 created Baron Overstone in 1 854 and died in 1883, 

 when his property descended to his only surviving 

 daughter Harriet and her husband Robert James Loyd 

 Lindsay, created Lord Wantage of Lockinge in 1885. 



Another 3 virgates in Pytchley which Edwin had 

 held freely in the time of King Edward was entered 

 in the Domesday Survey as held by Fulcher (Male- 

 soures) of the Count of Mortain.^' This appears in the 

 Northampton Survey as J hide in Pytchley held by 

 William FitzGcry of the fee of Mortain.^^ This may 

 possibly be the propert)' from which William Trussel 

 early in the reign of Henry III confirmed a grant of 

 2 marks rent in Pytchley to the chaplains celebrating 

 in the chapel of the Blessed Mary at Marston for the 

 souls of Richard Trussel his father and Maud his wife 

 made by Lady Isabel Trussel his mother,^' and may be 

 represented by the 4 virgates in Pytchley which Wil- 

 liam Trussel was holding in 1 284, but of whom he held 

 them no mention was made.^ 



A 'manor' in Pytchley was referred to as held by John 

 Clysby and his wife Eleanor in 1385, when houses and 

 closes there were broken into by evil-doers.^' 



The church of ALL SAINTS consists 

 CHURCH of chancel, 39 ft. by 19 ft. 4 in.; clere- 

 storied nave, 53 ft. by 20 ft.; north and 

 south aisles, south porch, and west tower, 1 2 ft. by 

 1 1 ft. 6 in., all these measurements being internal. The 

 width of the south aisle is 1 2 ft., but the north aisle is 

 20 ft. wide and has a recess or shallow transept in the 

 north wall, 13 ft. by 7 ft. 6 in. deep, now used as a 

 vestry. 



No part of the existing fabric is older than the latter 

 half of the 12th century. To this period the two 

 western arches and western pier of the north aisle be- 

 long, indicating a Norman church with at least one 

 aisle, the extent of which can only be conjectured. In 

 the 1 3th century the church was almost entirely rebuilt, 

 the nave being extended eastward, a south aisle added, 

 and a new chancel erected. The south nave arcade 

 dates from c. 1230-40, but the eastern portion of the 

 north arcade is some fifty years later {c. 1 280), the work 

 having apparently been completed on the north side 

 only after the chancel was finished. In the 14th century 

 the chancel was rebuilt on its present lines, and new 

 windows inserted in the south aisle; the north aisle may 

 have been widened about the same time. The tower 

 dates from about 1200, but was heightened about 

 1427;^* the porch is of the 15th century. 



The restoration of 1843 included the rebuilding of 

 the chancel arch and the east wall of the north aisle; 

 the chancel was restored in 1861, and the north aisle 



* This so-callcd nunor seems to have 

 had a very brief existence. 



' Feet of F. Northants. East. 22 Elii. 

 ' Recov. R. Mich. 29 Eliz. ro. 137. 



* Feet of F. Northants. Mich. 3 Jas. I. 

 > Pat. R. 17 Jas. pt. 9. Inclosures at 



Pytchley had already led to disorders in 

 1607. A'. (Sf Q. Ncrihants. 1884-5, p. 74. 



* Chan. !nq. p.m. (Scr. 2), ccccxxxv, 1 1 7. 

 ' Feet of F. Northants. Trin. 21 Jas. I. 



* Chan. Inq. p.m. (Scr. 2), ccccxxxv, 

 117. 



* Ibid, ccccxciv, 16; Feet of F. North- 



ants. Hil. 7 Chas. I; ibid. East. 8 Chas. I. 

 Francis Downes of Pytchley was before 

 the High Commission Court in 1634.: 

 Cat. S.P. Dom. 1634-5, p. 206. 



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

 16. 



" Recov. R. Mich. 24 Chas. II, ro. 53. 



" Ibid. East. 2 Wm. and Mary, ro. no. 



" Bridges, Hist, of Acrthanis. ii, 125. 

 (Church inscription.) 



'* Recov. R. East. ■■ Anne, ro. 174. 



" Ibid. Hil. 7 Geo. I, ro. 163. 



"• Ibid. Hil. 4 Geo. Ill, ro. 157. 



" Ibid. Trin. 42 Geo. Ill, ro. 146. 



" Feet of F. Northants. Mich. 59 te 60 

 Ceo. III. 



'« Recov. R. Trin. 6 Geo. IV, ro. 149. 



" H. O. Ncthercote, The Pytchley Hunt, 

 4, &c. 



" r.C.H. Korthants. i, 327. 



" Ibid. 383. 



» Harl. Chart. 57 A. 53. 



" Feud. /liJs, iv, I. 



'5 Cal. Pat. 1385-9, pp. 90, 226. 



" The Rev. A. Brown's MS. Notes. 



211 



