WYMERSLEY HUNDRED 



and are similar to those opposite, and if the new work 



is a copy of the old, the original north arcade must have 

 been contemporary with that on the south. There has, 

 however, been so much renewal that the development 

 of the plan is obscure. In the late I4ih century the 

 tower was given a new beU-charaber stage, which 

 necessitated the erecting of buttresses, and the chancel 

 and aisles were probably rebuilt. 



The modern chancel is of tvvo bays with diagonal 

 angle buttresses and a pointed east window of three 

 trefoiled lights with decorated tracery. All the other 

 windows in both chancel and aisles are of similar 

 character but of two lights. The arch to the nave 

 was rebuilt at the same time and is of two chamfered 

 orders. No ancient ritual arrangements have been 

 retained. 



The nave arcades consist of three pointed arches, of 

 two chamfered orders on the nave side and a single 

 order towards the aisles. The north arcade, as already 

 stated, is entirely modern except for the moulded bases 

 of the pillars and responds. The south arcade is of more 

 than usual interest, presenting considerable variety 

 of detail. The arches spring at each end from half- 

 octagonal responds with carved capitals (renewed or 

 modern) of conventional foliage, and moulded bases. 

 The easternmost pillar is circular, with moulded base 

 and carved capital, the abacus of which is square with 

 the angles cut off; on three sides the capital displays 

 the incurved volute, or water-leaf, but on the north 

 side, towards the nave, it is carved with a flat-band 

 interlacing pattern. The westernmost pillar is of a well- 

 developed 1 3th-ccntury character, composed of clus- 

 tered shafts on a square plan, those at the angles being 

 keel-shaped, and the capital has a square abacus similar 

 to that of the first pillar, though the general character 

 of the pillar is some years later. The capital hasa human 

 head at each angle and on three sides is carved with 

 stiff-leaf and slightly more natural foliage. On the east 

 side is represented a serpent in coil and a small cat- 

 like animal, apparently meant to be hiding behind the 

 foliage;' the carving is vigorous and naturalistic. In 

 the modern north arcade both pillars are circular and the 

 responds half-rounds.^ 



No ancient features remain internally in either aisle; 

 the lower parts of the jambs of the pointed south door- 

 way alone are original. 



There are scratch dials on the faces of the two but- 

 tresses of the south aisle east of the porch. 



The tower is of three stages, the later bell-chamber 

 stage having pointed windows of two trefoiled lights 

 with transoms, and a sexfoil opening in the head. The 

 older work below is of very plain character with few 

 architectural features, the north side being blank in 

 both stages. On the south side the lower part of the 

 wall thickens out in a series of set-offs, in which is a 

 small round-headed doorway. ' Above, at the top of 



BR.'^FIELD-ON- 

 THE-GREEN 



the second stage, is a small round-headed chamfered 

 window with hood and head-stops, and on the east 

 side, above the nave roof, a small plain pointed open- 

 ing. On the west the second stage is blank, but on the 

 ground floor the wall is pierced by two square-headed 

 windows, one on each side of a middle buttress, which 

 appear to be insertions of a late date.* The massive 

 diagonal buttresses are taken to the height of the second 

 stage, but that against the west wall is less in height. 

 The tower terminates in a battlemented parapet with 

 angle pinnacles. There is no vice. The arch to the 

 nave is modern. It is filled by an oak screen erected 

 in 1892, the ground floor of the tower forming a 

 vestry. 



The font is modern, with a circular bowl elaborately 

 carved in 'late Norman' style. The pulpit is also 

 modern or an 18th-century pulpit remodelled, with 

 plain oak panels. 



The organ is at the east end of the south aisle. There 

 are no monuments. At the west end of the nave is a 

 'shrine' in memory of twelve men of the parish who fell 

 in the war of 1914-19. 



There is a ring of five bells. The fourth and fifth 

 are dated 1676, the first and third are by Henry Bag- 

 ley II of Ecton, 1699, and the second by Thomas 

 Russell of Wootton, Bedfordshire, 1732.' 



The plate consists of a silver cup and paten made in 

 Birmingham 1852, and a plated cup, flagon, and alms 

 dish given in 1838. There is also a pewter flagon.* 



The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all 

 entries 1653-73; (ii) 1677-1764; (iii) baptisms and 

 burials 1765-1812; (iv) marriages 1754-1812.^ 



Simon de Senlis I who died before 

 ADFOWSON 1 1 13 gave to his foundation of St. 

 .'\ndrew's Priory, Northampton, with 

 the consent of Maud his wife, the church of Brafield 

 and I virgate here.* The advowson remained in the 

 hands of the priory until its surrender in 1538.' 



The priory held the church appropriated and a 

 pcrpetualvicarage was ordained about 1325." In 1291 

 the church was valued at £10," and in 1535 the rectory 

 was farmed at ;^i i and the vicarage was worth 

 £(3 \y. 4</.'^ The advowson descended with that of 

 Little Houghton (q.v.) to which it became annexed.'^ 

 Before 1225 the vicar Warner, with the prior's subse- 

 quent confirmation, gave some free tenement of the 

 church land to his daughter Alice in marriage.'* 



In 1538 the RECTORK was leased to Sir William 

 Parr of Horton.'s and in 1 550 to Ralph Sherman, yeo- 

 man of the Ewery.'* It apparently remained in the 

 hands of the Crown but came, with the rectory of 

 Little Houghton, into the possession of Stanley and 

 Payne who in 1594 sold both to Lord Zouche, and Lord 

 Zouche sold Brafield rectory to William Ward." It 

 then descended in his family. In 1671 William Ward 

 of Brafield conveyed it to Edmund Neale, presumably 



' There seems no reason to assign any 

 symbolic meaning to the carvings. 



* The capitals of the pillars are carved 

 with foliage of early-i 3th-ccntury type, 

 that of the east respond with Hat-band 

 interlacing, while the capital of the west 

 respond is scalloped; all this work is 

 modern, but may be a copy of the old. 



^ It is quite plain, the head of eight 

 voussoirs without hood-mould. 



* Perhaps in the 17th century. One of 

 them has a stone head with moulding at 

 top and wrought stone jambs; the other 

 has a wooden Untel and the jambs are un- 



wrought. They may be reconstructions of 

 older windows. 



5 North, Ci. Belli of NorihanU. 201, 

 where the inscriptions are given. From 

 the evidence of the stops the fourth and 

 fifth belts appear to have been cast by 

 Henry Baglcy I of Chacombe. In 1551 

 there were three great bells and one lanc- 

 tus bell. 



"• Markham, Ch. Plate of Nor 1 haul i. 43. 



^ Bridges, writing about 1720, stated 

 that the register 'bore date IS^V- ''"'■ 

 of Northantl. i, 339. 



• Uugdale, Man. v, 185; Cott. MS. 



Vesp. E. xvii, fols. 63, 289; Cu/. Chan. R. 

 iv, 118-19. 



' Cal. Pat. 1345-8, p. 420; 1348-50, 

 p. 210. 



'» Cott. MS. Vesp. E. xvii, fol. 64. 



" Tax. Eccl. (Rec. Com.), 38. 



" yalor F.ccl. (Rec. Com.), iv, 314, 330. 



■> The Crown presented in 1632: Inst. 

 Bks. (I'.R.O.). 



'* t^UMini, Bracton'i S'ote-Bk. 1033. 



" L. and P. Hen. I'll I, xiii (1), 404, 

 p. 589; xviii (1), p. 547; IX (1), p. 678. 



'<■ Cal. S.P. Dom. 1547-80, p. 31. 



" Eich. Uep. East. 1 1 Cbas. I, no. II. 



229 



