A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



has NISI DOMiNus 1624 and that at the south-west 

 corner nisi dominus 1635. 



The diiFerence in the figures raises the question of 

 the date and authorship of the entrance screen that 

 joins the two wings at their southern end. This has 

 always been attributed to Inigo Jones on the authority 

 of Colin Campbell in his Fitruvius Britannicus. But 

 the rather inexpert detail of the work hardly points to the 

 accomplished Inigo as its designer, and taking into 

 account the beginning and growth of the Italian 

 manner in England, the date of 1635 would seem 

 more reasonable than 1624 were it not that it bears 

 the arms of the first earl, who died in 1630. The 

 screen carries on the idea of the lettered parapet, for 

 over the front entrance there is: 



DOMINUS CUSTODIAT INTROITUM TUUM, 



and on the courtyard side: 



DOMINUS CUSTODIAT EXITUM TUUM. 



The same kind of ornament was revived in much later 

 times as part of some improvements, for on the north 

 front, with a return on the east and west, is the legend 



BEATI OMNES QUI TIMENT DEUM QUI AMBULANT IN VIIS 

 EJUS LAUDATE NOMEN DOMINI AMEN I 827, 



and of much the same date, on two bay-windows occurs 



SALUS EST IN DOMINO. 



During the 17th century the original recess on the 

 west front must have been filled in and the handsome 

 staircase contrived within it. The loggia on the east 

 front was converted into rooms in 1 69 1 , as already men- 

 tioned, and near it was introduced another large stair- 

 case. Many of the rooms were finely panelled, and 

 some of them were adorned with carving. The decora- 

 tion of Lady Margaret's bower was carried out by the 

 son of the first earl, who succeeded in 1630 and was 

 slain at the battle of Hopton Heath in 1643. This is 

 estabhshed by the presence of his arms impaling those 

 of his wife, who was a daughter of Sir Francis Beau- 

 mont of Cole-Orton, and the work may be part of that 

 to which the date of 1635 applies. The decoration 

 consists largely of a painted wood dado divided into 

 large arched panels, over each of which is affixed a 

 small landscape picture inscribed with a sign of the 

 Zodiac. But in this decoration Inigo Jones could have 

 had no part; it is probably due to a local craftsman, 

 except for the pictures, which look as though they came 

 from a Dutch or Flemish brush of no great skill. 



In the early years of the 1 8th century the recess on 

 the north front was filled in, and further work was 

 done in 1748, as indicated by certain spout-heads bear- 

 ing that date. Then in 177 1-2 a new roof was given 

 to the great hall and its parapet was rebuilt and dated 

 1 77 1, as already mentioned. Early in the 19th century 

 the eighth earl and first marquess did much work in 

 the house, Britton remarking that 'it has been wholly 

 renovated, and adapted to the comforts of refined 

 society, by the present noble proprietor'. The refine- 



ment of the age was inimical to the ancient decorations 

 and they suffered accordingly. The third marquess did 

 further work in the great hall, restoring its Elizabethan 

 character, and brought the two chimney-pieces from 

 Canonbury, putting one in the Hall and one in King 

 William's Room. He also laid out the gardens in their 

 present form and built the entrance lodges. Before his 

 time the original noble lay-out of the gardens and their 

 surroundings had been sadly changed (about the year 

 1764) by 'Capability' Brown, whose aim was to sweep 

 away the formahty of the old lay-outs in favour of 

 something more natural and sylvan. He completely 

 ruined the old scheme at a great cost, which was met 

 by a sale of land, one of the deeds being endorsed with 

 a satirical note by the owner: 'I take the manor of 

 Fen Stanton to belong to Lawrence Brown Taste, Esq., 

 who gave Lord Northampton Taste in exchange for it.' 

 In 1086 one Hugh held of the Countess 

 MANOR Judith 2 hides less one virgate in ASHBT, 

 including woodland, and a mill rendering 

 6/. %d. yearly. Attached to this holding was i virgate 

 of socland in Grendon.' At the time of the 12th- 

 century Survey William Fitz-Clarembald had i\ hides 

 in Ashby and Chadstone,^ and in 1235 I fee in Ashby 

 was part of the honor of Huntingdon with which the 

 overlordship remained.^ The family of Ashby was 

 already well estabhshed here,"* and by 1 242 I fee in 

 Ashby and Grendon was held of Henry de Hastings 

 by Sir David de Ashby,' who had presented Simon de 

 Ashby to the church in the previous year.* His tenure 

 gave the mmeoi JSHBTDAFID to the manor, which 

 descended to David, son of William de Ashby by .'Amabel 

 daughter of Roger de St. Martin. William had died 

 before 1 243' and in 1 249 Henry Muschett still had the 

 wardship of his land and heir.* David son of William 

 appears to have been slain at Evesham in 1265' and in 

 the following year the king made a grant to Isabel his 

 widow, and her children, from David's lands in Ashby, 

 Grendon, and Chadstone, extended at ^89 i is. ()J. a 

 year, which had been given to Imbert Guy.'" David 

 had apparently mortgaged this holding to Moses the 

 Jew of London" whose son Elias in 1 267 confirmed to 

 Alan la Zouche a yearly fee of /j 24 and a debt of j{^ioo 

 in which David de Ashby had been bound. '^ This 

 resulted in an inquisition two years later between 

 Isabel daughter of Stephen, son and heir of David de 

 Ashby, and Alan la Zouche, concerning David's estate 

 at the time of the war and the battle of Evesham.'^ That 

 the property was confirmed to .Alan is clear from the 

 facts that in 1 276 his widow Ellen had view of frank- 

 pledge in Ashby'* and in 1284 her son Oliver held of 

 John de Hastings the fee in Ashby and Grendon.'* 

 Before 1306 Oliver la Zouche had enfeoffed Walter 

 de Langton, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield,'^ trea- 

 surer and chief minister of Edward I, who in that year 

 received hcence to crenellate the house he was then 

 building at Ashby David," which caused the manor to 

 be known as Casde Ashby. He also had a grant of free 

 warren in his demesne lands there.'* During Langton's 

 imprisonment under Edward II, William Trenchefoill 



' y.C.H. Northants. i, 353*. 



2 Ibid. 367*. 



3 Bk. of Fees, 501. 



♦ Cf. Farrer, Honors and Knights' Fees, 



i'. 334- 



5 Cal. Close, 1237-42, p. 369; Bk. of 

 Fees, 938. 



* Rot. Rob. Grosseteste (Cant, and York 

 Soc), 204. 



' Farrer, ii, 189. 



* Rat. Rob. Grosseteste (Cant, and York 

 Soc), 242. ' Farrer, ii, 335. 



'" Cal. Pat. 1258-66, p. 529. 

 " Pkc. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 

 524a. 

 ■2 Cal. Pat. 1266-72, p. 177. 

 " Ibid. p. 472. 

 ■•• Hund. Rolls (Rcc. Com.), ii, 8. 



^s Feud. Aids, iv, 6. His possession 

 appears to have been confirmed by a fine 

 from Hugh and Agnes de Ashby : Feet of 

 F. Northants. 18 Edw. I, no. 269. 



>^ Plac. de Quo fVarr. (Rec. Com.), 

 542fl. 



" Cal. Pat. 1 30 1-7, p. 462. 



'8 Cal. Chart, iii, 77. 



23- 



