A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



sculptor,' in memory of Spencer, 2nd Marquess of 

 Northampton (d. 185 1), at the west end of the nave; 

 and (3) the recumbent marble figure, in a recess in 

 the north wall of the north aisle, of Lady Margaret 

 Leveson-Gower (d. 1858), 2nd daughter of the 2nd 

 Marquess of Northampton, the work of Baron Maro- 

 chetti. There are also memorials to Charles, ist Mar- 

 quess of Northampton (d. 1 828), and his wife (d. 

 1843);^ to Lord Alw^'ne Compton (d. 1906) who was 

 rector of Castle Ashby 1 852-78 ;3 John Segrave, 

 rector (d. 1836); and to six men of the parish, includ- 

 ing Lord Spencer Compton, killed in the war of 

 1914-18. 



No ancient glass now remains.** 



There is a ring of five bells, the first and second dated 

 1610, the third inscribed 'Sancta Agatha ora pro nobis', 

 and the fourth and tenor by R. Taylor Sc Son, Oxford, 

 1826.5 



The plate is all silver-gilt and consists of two cups 

 and patens, a flagon, a bread-holder, and an alms dish, 

 made in 171 3 by Pierre Platel, each inscribed 'Given 

 by Mary Countess of Northampton to Ashby Church'.* 



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



entries 1 564-1650; (ii) 1653-97; (iii) 1698-1720; 

 (iv) burials 1678-1744; (v) all entries 1683-1706; 

 (vi) 1721-1812; (vii) marriages 1754-1812. 



In the churchyard is a cross erected in 1883 as a 

 memorial to Charles, 3rd Marquess of Northampton 

 (d. 1877). 



The first known presentations to 

 ADFOfVSON this rectory were by David de Ashby 

 in 1240^ and Henry Muschet, as 

 guardian of the younger David, in 1249.* From this 

 time it passed with the manor. During the minority of 

 an heir in 1356, the king granted this rectory to Thomas 

 de Brantingham who later became Lord Treasurer and 

 Bishop of Exeter.' In the reign of Henry VIII John 

 Baker, the new parson, complained that the servants 

 of the executors of his predecessor had negligently 

 destroyed two great barns while sheep branding. ■" 



James Burgess, who died in 1802, left 

 CHARITY i^ioo 3°o Consols to the poor of the 

 parish. The endowment is now repre- 

 sented by a sum of ^{^loo i\°'o Consolidated Stock held 

 by the Official Trustees and the dividends amounting 

 to j^2 I o.r. are distributed by the rector and two trustees. 



COGENHOE 



Cugenho (xi cent.) ; Cogeho, Cughanhocg (xii cent.) ; 

 Coginhowe (xiii cent.) ; Cokenowe, Cuknall (xvi cent.) ; 

 Coginghoo, Cogenhow, Cooknow (xviii cent.). 



The area of the civil parish is 820 acres land and 

 water, the soil a fertile mixed kind with gravel and sand- 

 stone, the chief crops wheat and oats. The small village 

 is charmingly placed about 250 ft. above the ordnance 

 datum on ground sloping down to the east and rising 

 towards the higher country in the south. It commands 

 extensive views of the Nene, its northern boundary. 

 To the north, past the church, stands the water-mill 

 on the Nene. There were about 30 families in 1720;" 

 and in 193 1 the population of the civil parish was 461, 

 showing a slight decline from 1 9 2 1 . ' - The local brown 

 stone was used for building; a fine white sand is ob- 

 tained suitable for a superior kind of pottery; and in 

 1874 there was a prosperous Cogenhoe Iron Com- 

 pany." Shoe-making is now the chief industry. The 

 wake followed the feast of St. Peter,'* the patron saint 

 of the church. 



Writing in 1904 Mr. A. Hartshorne recorded that 

 within his recollection Cogenhoe was a very picturesque 

 village and described it as 'still noteworthy on account 

 of its numerous great ironstone barns with roofs very 

 high pitched for the thatch. Some of these have been 

 transformed into cottages, others into shoe factories, 

 and several have been pulled down. In many cases the 

 old thatch has given place to corrugated iron roofs, both 



on barn and cottage. All new buildings are now in 

 brick. ''5 Since this was written more brick houses have 

 been built in the upper part of the village, but the older 

 lower part still preserves much of its original character. 

 The Manor House, though greatly restored, is dated 

 1672, and one ot the former barns was built in the 

 same year. The Manor House Farm retains its 

 thatched roof and has a panel in one of its stone dor- 

 mer windows inscribed 'r^l 1684'. A house at the east 

 end of the village bears the initials and date 'e a 1709'. 



The rectory house stands immediately east of the 

 church and is a picturesque tw'o-story gabled building 

 with mullioned windows and tiled roofs, of late-i6th- 

 or early- 1 7th-centurydate,with subsequent alterations'* 

 and adequately restored. 



In 1086 3^ virgates in COGENHOE 

 MANORS belonged to Guy de Reinbuedcurt and 

 the remaining 3 were among the lands 

 of the Countess Judith. The former had been held by 

 Edwin in King Edward's time; Norgiot or Norgiold 

 was under-tenant of both estates in 1086." 



The overlordship ot half the fee descended from 

 Guy de Reinbuedcurt with his barony of Warden, as 

 part of the fee of Haversham. It was held of the manor 

 of Claybrook, Leicestershire in 1336,'* and was charged 

 for guard at Rockingham Castle. The other half was 

 held of Judith's successors, the holders of the honor of 

 Huntingdon, as of their manor of Yardley Hastings." 



^ It is a replica of one by Tenerani in 

 Italy. It is signed 'P. Tenerani faceva 

 i866'. 



^ Erected in 1844 by their son the 

 2nd marquess below the east window of 

 the north chapel, designed by E. Blore. 



3 Dean of Worcester 187S-85, Bishop 

 of Ely 1886—1905. He was the fourth son 

 of the 2nd marquess. 



■* Bridges, about 1720, records 'the 

 remains of figures of angels and saints with 

 some imperfect words' in the windows of 

 the north aisle: Hist, of Northants. i, 346. 



5 North, Ch. Bells of Northants. 2 1 6, 

 where the inscriptions are given. The 



treble was the gift of 'William Lord Corn- 

 ton and Lady Elizabeth his wife'. There 

 were six bells in Bridges' time : op. cit. i, 



345- 



^ Markham, C/i. Plate of Nortiartts. 13. 

 Ascribed to Paul Lamerie(ibid.) butexperts 

 now attribute it to Platel. 



^ Rot. Roh. Grosseteste (Cant, and York 

 Soc), 204. 



8 Ibid. 242. 



« Cal. Pat. 1354-8, p. 360; Did. Nat. 

 Biog. 



'» C. of Req. bdle. 3, no. 79. 



" Bridges, Hist, of Northants. i, 347. 



'^ Census. 



" Whellan, Gaz. 253. 



'•• Bridges, op. cit. 350. 



■5 MS. note. 



'^ The south or entrance front has a 

 gabled wing at each end, but the two 

 middle gables are modern : they are not 

 shown on a drawing made by Sir Henry 

 Dryden in 1838, now in the Northampton 

 Public Library. 



" y.C.H. Northants. i, 34311, 354*. 



^8 Cal. Inq. p.m. vii, 709. 



" Bk. of Fees, 494, 498, 501; and 

 manorial references; Cal. Close, 1374-7, 

 p. 189. 



236 



