ORLINGBURY HUNDRED 



WALGRAVE 



has a transom at about a third of its height, below which 

 the openings are subdivided by mullions, making a low- 

 side window of four pointed lights; the sill inside is flat 

 and forms a seat.' The sill of the easternmost window, 

 which has cinquefoiled lights, forms also a plain seat, 

 but no piscina remains. In the north wall is a pointed 

 aumbry. A moulded string runs round the chancel at 

 sill level inside and out, and the priest's doorway, below 

 the middle window, is ogee-headed with continuous 

 moulded jambs. All these features are original, but the 

 embattled parapet is said to have been added in 1633 

 by Bishop Williams,- who held the rectory together 

 with the see of Lincoln. The loft)- chancel arch is of 

 two hollow<hamfered orders dying into the wall. 

 Some carved bosses from the former chancel roof have 

 been preserved, one with the rebus of .Arthur Wingham, 

 rector (d. 1650). 



The arches of the nave arcades are of two chamfered 

 orders springing from pillars of four half-rounds and 

 hollows, with moulded capitals and bases; there are 

 three clerestory windows on each side. The aisle win- 

 dows are all pointed and of two cinquefoil lights with 

 quatrefoil in the head, except the easternmost in the 

 north aisle which has three lights. At the east end of 

 this aisle, in the usual position, is a trefoil-headed 

 piscina, the bowl of which has been mutilated. The 

 north doorway and the outer arch of its porch are wave- 

 moulded, and the south porch has an outer arch of two 

 hollow-chamfered orders and wall arcades consisting of 

 two pointed arches, supported in the middle by carved 

 heads. Both porches are leaded. 



The tower is of three stages, marked by strings, 

 with coupled buttresses to the top of the second stage. 

 It has a moulded plinth, restored west window of two 

 lights, and a narrow pointed doorway on the north side 

 towards the village. The bell-chamber windows are of 

 two trefoiled lights with quatrefoil in the head, and the 

 spire has ribbed angles and two sets of lights on each 

 of the cardinal faces. The tower arch is of three hollow- 

 chamfered orders dying into the wall, and beneath it is 

 a low oak-panelled screen, with carved rail and middle 

 opening. There is no vice. 



In the chancel are mural tablets to Montague Lane 

 (d. 1670) and Samuel Harris (d. 1707), and in the 

 floor a brass plate to Arthur Wingham, D.D., rector 

 (d. 1650), a slab marking the place of burial of John 

 Lane (d. 1557) and Elizabeth his wife,-" and in the 

 middle a larger slab with the matrices of the brass of 

 a priest with canopy and marginal inscription. 



The font is ancient and consists of a circular bowl 

 with moulded top on a modern pillared stem. The 

 pulpit and other fittings are modern. 



In a glazed case in the chancel are kept a chained 

 Bible of 161 1 and a 'Book of Homilies', 1676: the case 

 is made up in part from old bench-ends ot yew, one of 

 which is carved with a representation of David with 

 the lion and the bear. 



There are five bells, the first by Taylor & Co., of 



' The window was opened out in 1 867. 

 The jambs and thick middle mutlion were 

 rebated for two shutters. The height of 

 the sill above the ground outsidei8 3ft.9 in. 

 jliioc. Arch. Soc. Report!, ixix. 



' The initials I. L. (lohn Lincoln), 

 together with the dale, occur on the 

 parapet on the north side. Bridges says 

 Williams 'embattled the chancel and raised 

 the buttresses against it'; but it would 

 seem more likely that he only restored or 

 rebuilt the buttresses. 



' The marginal inscription is now much 

 worn, but is given by Bridges as 'Here lye 

 the bodyes of John Lane Esquyer purchaser 

 of Walgrave and Elizabeth his wif which 

 John decessed the iij day of September 

 A^ Dni MV*'Lviii and the saidc Elizabeth 

 decessed the . . , day of . . . whose 

 solys . . .' For correct date see p. 218. 



* The tenor bell is a recasting of one 

 given by John Smith in 1494. Russell 

 cast four bells and recast the tenor in 1723. 

 The inscriptions are given by North, 



Loughborough, 1867, the second, third, and tenor by 

 Thomas Russell, of Wootton, 1723, and the fourth 

 dated 1766. There is also a medieval sanctus bell in- 

 scribed 'Sit nomen Domini Benedictum', but it is 

 unhung.* 



The plate consists of a silver cup, cover paten, flagon, 

 and bread-holder of 1 67 1 , given in 1 674 by Sir William 

 Langham.5 



The registers before 181 2 are as follows: (i) all 

 entries i 571-1655; (ii) all entries, imperfect, 1659-81, 

 baptisms 1681-1743, marriages 1695-1707; (iii) bap- 

 tisms 1743-64, marriages 1721-53, burials 1678— 

 1764; (iv) marriages 1755-1811; (v) baptisms 1762- 

 1801, burials 1765-1801; (vi) baptisms and burials 

 1802-12; (vii) marriages 1811-13. 



To the west of the south porch is the socket and 

 stump of a churchyard cross. 



The church was returned in the 

 ADVOIVSON Taxation of 1291 as then worth 

 [,\ 3 6/. %d. yearly .6 The Valor Eccle- 

 siasticus of 1535 gave the value of issues from tithes, 

 mansion, and glebe yearly as £22 14/. 10/ At the 

 inclosure of the common lands in 1776 an allotment 

 was made to the rector in respect of three yard lands 

 called the glebe land, with commons thereto belonging. 



The advowson was at an early date held with the 

 manor (q.v.), and by Geoffrey Malesoures was granted 

 to St. Augustine's, Daventry.' It was not long, how- 

 ever, before it had passed from that monastery to the 

 bishops of Lincoln,' by whom it was held until in 1852 

 it was transferred to the Bishop of Peterborough. 



On 18 May 1328 Master Ralph de Waldegrave re- 

 ceived licence for the alienation in mortmain of 2 mes- 

 suages, a mill, land, and rent in Walgrave, Holcot, 

 and Northampton to provide a chaplain to celebrate 

 daily in the parish church of Walgrave for the souls of 

 the king, Sec, and of members of the de Waldegrave 

 family.' Later, in 1 361, the same Master Ralph had 

 licence to give certain tenements in Wold and North- 

 ampton in mortmain.'" That these tenements were 

 either granted in substitution for those previously men- 

 tioned, or to supplement them, is indicated by the fact 

 that the provision of a priest in Walgrave church was 

 made a condition in a grant, made before I 501, by one 

 John Smyth to Thomas Spencer and his wife Margaret, 

 of the manor and advowson of Wold." 



Town land. Certain lands in the 

 CHARITIES open fields understood to have been 

 purchased with £240 given by John 

 Williams, Bishop of Lincoln, were conveyed to trustees 

 by deeds dated 7 February 1642 for the benefit of the 

 poor. The property consists of 38 acres of land, the 

 yearly rent of which is distributed by the trustees (three 

 in number) in groceries. 



Poor's allotment consists of 8 a. 2 r. of land set out 

 on the inclosure for the use of the poor. The charity 

 is administered by the rector and four other trustees 

 who distribute the income in groceries, meat, and coal. 



Ck. Belli of Sorlkantl. 416. 



' .Markham, Ck. PUle of Kortkantt. 

 294. 



» Tax. Eccl. (Rec. Com.), 39. 



■ Dugdale, Mon. .ingl. v, i8i. 



' Bridges, ///;/. of Aortkjnis. ii, 129. 

 Presentation was made by the monastery 

 in 1217, but in 1295 by the bishop. 



' Cal. PjI. 1327-30, p. 271. 

 "> Ahtrev. Rol. Orig. (Rec. Com), ii, 

 269. 

 " Chan. In<]. p.m. (Ser. 2), iv, 56. 



221 



