WYMERSLEY HUNDRED 



MILTON 

 MALZOR 



MILTON MALZOR 



Midleton (xi cent.); Middleton Malsores (xiv 

 cent.); Milton alias Middleton Malsor (xviii cent.). 



The parish of Milton Malzor covers an area of 

 1,479 acres. The subsoil is of clay and sand, while the 

 soil varies in different parts of the parish. Towards 

 the south-east and south-west it is of a light red sandy 

 nature, at the extremity of the south it is strong, deep, 

 and rich, the north side is loamy. The parish is well 

 timbered with elm and ash, and a part of it is devoted 

 to pasture. The chief crops produced are wheat and 

 barley. The Northampton Canal, connecting the River 

 Nene with the Grand Junction Canal, borders the 

 north-west part of the parish. 



Many 17th- and early- 18th- 

 century stone cottages with high- 

 pitched thatched roofs and coped 

 gable ends remain in the village, 

 though in most cases the windows 

 have been modernized. One of 

 these houses, in the middle of the 

 village, bears a tablet inscribed 

 '1638, S.M., i.M.'; another near 

 the north end has '1654, a. p., 

 T.p.', and a third is dated 1 701. 



Of the two manor-houses that 

 of the manor of Pevercl, known 

 simply as The Manor,' is a 

 gabled building with mullioned 

 windows, probably of early-i6th- 

 century date, with a two-story 

 bay window on its west side, but 

 the east front was rebuilt in the 

 1 8th century. To the north- 

 west of the house is a rectang- 

 ular stone dovecote with tiled 

 roof, one of the gables of which 

 has been rebuilt in brick. The other manor-house 

 (Mantell's) is on the west side of the village and is 

 now known as Milton Manor. Its south front, facing 

 the road, was rebuilt in the 1 8th century and is a simple 

 stuccoed composition of two stories, with cornice, sash 

 windows, and pedimented doorway.^ The older part 

 of the house contains a good 17th-century oak staircase.' 

 'Milton House', which stands a 

 little to the west of the Manor, 

 was enlarged in 1777 by the 

 addition of a south wing faced 

 with Duston stone.* The house 

 known as 'Mortimers', on the 

 south side of the village, is a 

 long, plain two-story building of 

 18th-century date. 



In 1086 William 

 MANORS held of Geoffrey 

 Alselin 3I hides in 

 MILTON. To the manor pertained 2 hides less a vir- 

 gate in Collingtree which were let to two socmen, and J 

 hide in Rothcrsthorpe.' At the time of the Northamp- 



tonshire Survey (12th cent.) these 5J hides in Milton 

 and Collingtree were held by Robert de Causho and 

 Geoffrey.* The lands of Geoffrey Alselin descended 

 to Ralph Hauselyn who died without male heirs, leav- 

 ing his property to Thomas Bardolf, husband of his 

 grand-daughter Rose.' William son of Doun son of 

 Thomas Bardolf held the overlordship of i knight's fee 

 in Milton and Collingtree of the honor of Peverel, about 

 1236.' He survived until late in 1275,' being suc- 

 ceeded by his son William, who held the overlordship 

 in 1284,'° which passed on his death in 1290" to his son 

 Hugh, who died in 1304,'^ and from him to his son 

 Thomas. He died in 1330," leaving i knight's fee in 



"lillp 



BARDOLr. Azure three 

 cirfj/oih or. 



MiLTON Malzor : The Manor 



Milton to his wife Agnes who held it until her death 

 on 12 December 1357.'* Her son John, who was 30 

 years old at the time of her death, died before October 

 1 361 when his son William was a ward of the king." 

 William died before 1389-90 seised of | of a knight's 

 fee in Milton and Collingtree, which was probably for- 

 feited with his other property when his son Thomas was 

 convicted of treason.'* 



The family of Malesourcs 

 from which Milton took its dis- 

 tinctive name was settled there 

 from an early date, the first 

 recorded member being William 

 Malesoures who sued Richard 

 son of Reynold in 1208 for a 

 virgate of land in Collingtree, 

 first in the court of Doun Bar- 

 dolf and later in the king's 

 court." John Malesourcs held 

 a knight's fee in Milton and 

 Collingtree of William Bardolf in 1235 and 1242.'' 

 The fee descended to William Malesoures who held it 



Malesoures. Party 



azure and gules three 

 cretcentt argent. 



' It stands on the south side of the 

 village, on the north side of the road called 

 Pluck's Lane. 



' There are good gate piers (urmounted 

 by balls. Over the doorway is a classic bust 

 within the broken pediment. 



» B. E. Evans, The Story of Milton Mai- 

 ■or, 44. 



* Norihantt. N. and Q. N.s. v, 121, 

 where a drawing by George Clarke is repro- 

 duced. » y.C.II. Northantt. i, 345. 



' Ibid. 375. 



' Cat. Pat. 1408-13, p. 9J. 



» Bk. of Feel, i, 605. 



' Cal. Inq. p.m. ii, 190. 



'» t'eud. Aidi, iv, 5. 



" Cal. Inq. />.m,u,yyz. 



" Ibid, iv, 236. " Ibid, vii, 243. 



■< Ibid. X, 389. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. 39 Edw. Ill (ijt 

 nos.), 19. 



" Cat. Pat. 1408-I], pp. 95-6. 



" Cur. Reg. R. v, 224, 237. 



" Bi. 0/ Feel, i, 500 j ii, 942. 



271 



