WYMERSLEY HUNDRED 



1570, and a bread-holder of 1789. There is also a 

 plated flagon given in 1869.' 



The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) bap- 

 tisms and marriages i 574-1617, burials 1 573-1617; 

 (ii) all entries 1654-1721; (iii) baptisms and burials 

 1722-81, marriages 1744-55; C'^) baptisms 1782- 

 1812, burials 1783-1812; (v) marriages 1754-1812. 

 A volume containing entries between 1617 and 1654 

 appears to be missing. There is a gap in marriages 

 1721-44. 



The advowson of Piddington was 

 JDrOff'SON given to the Hospital of St. John 

 in Northampton by Philip son of 

 William de Piddington in 1 204,- and was retained until 

 some time in the late 1 5th or early 1 6th century. The 

 right ot presentation was presumably granted for one 

 turn to William Stretton in 1402 and to William Rush- 

 den of Northampton in 1455.' On the latter occasion 

 the presentee was William Rote, the master of the 

 hospital, who received a papal dispensation to hold the 

 benefice with his mastership. In the 13th century 

 the rectory was valued at 1 8 marks. Before i 5 3 5 it had 

 been appropriated to the use of the hospital, charged 

 with the payment of a pension of 6/. 8</. to the Bishop 

 of Lincoln, and the vicarage had become united to the 

 church of Horton (q.v.) under the same incumbent.* 



Judith Willoughby by will dated 26 

 CHJRITIES October 1704 gave an annuity of ^^i 5 

 payable out of land in Horton and 

 Piddington for apprenticing poor boys, sons of the in- 

 habitants of Piddington. The charity is now regulated 

 by a Scheme of the Charity Commissioners dated 6 

 March 1885 and administered by the rector of Wootton, 

 the vicars of Horton and Hardingstonc, the church- 

 wardens of Piddington, and 4 trustees appointed by the 

 parish councils of Hackleton and Piddington. The 



PRESTON 

 DEANERY 



annuity is regularly received and applied in apprentic- 

 ing in accordance with the provisions contained in the 

 Scheme. 



Thomas Lynes by indenture dated 9 March 1858 

 conveyed several cottages with gardens and outbuild- 

 ings, the rents to be applied towards the upkeep of the 

 parish church. The cottages are now let and the rents 

 after payment of repairs, &c., are applied by the church- 

 wardens towards church expenses. 



Poor's .Allotments. On the Inclosureof Salcey Forest 

 dated about 1828 an allotment of 4 acres was set out 

 and awarded to the minister, churchwardens, and over- 

 seers for the use of the poor of this parish in lieu of 

 their right to take sear and broken wood from the com- 

 mon. The land is let at a yearly rent of ^6 10/. which 

 is applied by the vicar and 4 trustees appointed by the 

 parish councils of Piddington and Hackleton in doles 

 to the poor and widows. 



On the Inclosure of Piddington under an Act 22 

 Geo. Ill an allotment of 13 a. I r. 28 p. was awarded 

 to trustees to cut the furze and thorns growing thereon 

 and distribute the same among the poor inhabitants. 

 The charity is now regulated by a Scheme of the 

 Charity Commissioners dated 24 August 1923 which 

 provides for a body of 5 trustees to administer the 

 charity and to apply the rent of the land, amounting 

 to ;^i 7 (approximately) yearly, in the purchase of fuel 

 for distribution to the poor. 



Victoria Memorial Fund. This fund was raised in 

 1 897 as a memorial of the sixtieth year of the reign of 

 Queen Victoria for the benefit of the aged poor of 

 Piddington, Hackleton, Horton, and Preston Deanery. 

 The charity is now regulated by a Scheme of the 

 Charity Commissioners under the provisions of which 

 the income amounting toabout£l 2/. annually is applied 

 by 4 trustees to the poor of the said parishes in kind. 



PRESTON DEANERY 



Preston, Prestone (xi cent.) ; Preston iuxta Northamp- 

 ton (xiv cent.) ; Preston by Pedyngton (xvi cent.) ; Pres- 

 ton Deanery (xviii cent.). 



The parish of Preston Deanery, so called from having 

 given its name to the deanery of Preston, lies 3! miles 

 south-east from Northampton on the road to Newport 

 Pagnell. It contains 1,475 acres on a soil of marl and 

 clay with subsoil of stone. The chief crops are wheat 

 and barley and some land is pasture. The average 

 height is 300 ft. with higher land towards the north. 

 A winding stream flows from the south-west and ulti- 

 mately through the centre of the parish where there is 

 a weir. Preston Hall stood immediately to the north- 

 west of the church, and was a large stuccoed stone build- 

 ing erected originally in 1 7 16 by Sir Richard Newman. 

 It was altered and extended several times, but after a 

 fire in 1872 was rebuilt.' The greater part of the house 

 was pulled down in 1933 and the remainder re- 

 fashioned. There are small woods near Preston Lodges 

 in the north-east and Rookery farm in the south-east. 

 When Bridges wrote the lordship was inclosed, con- 



taining ten houses dispersed in the grounds and a wood 

 called Preston park adjoined Salcey forest in the south. 

 In 1935 the parish was absorbed into the newly 

 formed civil parish of Hackleton.* 



In 1086 Winemar held in PRESTON 

 MANOR 3 virgates and 3 acres of meadow of the 

 Countess Judith, of the soc of Yardley Hast- 

 ings,^ and I hide of the Bishop of Coutances, held under 

 King Edward by Wlwara the widow.' In the 12th- 

 century survey this appears as i hide I virgate of King 

 David's fee and a i hide of the fee of Olney, held by 

 Walter fitz Winemar.' King David's fee passed to the 

 Hastings family as part of the honor of Huntingdon.'" 

 The fee of Olney became attached to the honor of 

 Chester" and after the death of Hugh d'.Aubigny, 

 Earl of .'Vrundel, in 1 243, it was apparently assigned to 

 the pourparty of Cecily his fourth sister who married 

 Roger de Mohaut.'^ Their son Robert died seised of it 

 in 1 27 5, '•'after which date it appears to have been con- 

 fused with the Hastings' fee in Preston,'* part of which 

 had come to Henry de Hastings from the Chester 



' Markham, CA. Plate of Northants. 

 239. 



* Feet of F. Northants. case 171, file 

 II, no. 178. A William de Piddington 

 was master of (he hospital in 1334 

 (y.C.H. Aorlianis. ii, 158). 



' Bridges, i, 378. 



* Ibid. 



S Norlianll. N. &f Q. U.S. V, 193, 

 where the building is described and a 

 drawing by G. Clarke (c. 1836) reproduced. 



' County of Northampton Review 

 Order, 1935. 



' y.C.H. Norlhanlt. i, 310A. 



» Ibid. 354A. 



» Ibid. 375A. 



'0 Farrcr, Honors and Knighti* Fees, ii, 

 296-301, 321-3. 

 " Ibid. 225-6. 

 " Ibid. 



" Ibid. 10; Cat. In(j. p.m. ii, 12S, p. 84. 

 *♦ Farrer, ii, 226 ; CjI. In^. p.m. \\ ^11, 



P- 235- 



•79 



