WYMERSLEY HUNDRED 



WOOTTON 



There is no piscina in either aisle, but below the 

 east window of the south aisle is a long and narrow 

 wall-recess, or cupboard, widening out inside, fitted 

 with a modern door,' and on the south side of the win- 

 dow a carved bracket. There is a similar bracket north 

 of the east window of the north aisle. The aisles retain 

 old timber lean-to roofs of plain character. 



The clerestory has three four-centred windows of 

 two cinquefoiled lights on each side, with moulded 

 jambs but no hood-moulds. The nave roof is of low 

 pitch and the parapet is carried along the east gable. ^ 



The tower is of three stages, with moulded plinth 

 and pairs of buttresses at its western angles. The 

 pointed west window is of two trefoiled lights with 

 quatrefoil in the head,' and the bell-chamber windows 



and 1660-5, ^""^ ^'5 son-in-law Thomas Singleton, also 

 rector, from a monument described by Bridges,^ which 

 has disappeared. 



There is a scratch dial on each side of the south door- 

 way, and another on the westernmost buttress of the 

 south aisle. 



There are five bells in the tower, the earliest of which 

 arc the fourth and second dated respectively 1620 and 

 1629; the third is by Henry Baglcy 1660, the treble 

 bv Matthew Bagley 1770, and the tenor by Taylor of 

 Oxford 1836.* 



The plate consists of a cup of i 572 with the maker's 

 mark I C in a plain shield, a paten 1828, a cup of 

 1885, and a paten of 1888.9 



The registers before 1 812 are as follows: (i) bap- 



■I3ffl Century 



■ I4Q Century 



■ ISSCkntury 

 ED Modern 



North Aisle 



m-'-zz'M-- 



fostO 



Nave 



-Mzzzizm: 

 SouTH Aisle 



iii!IHVT=/ii'' 1 



<o 



50 



Scale of Feet 



Plan of Wootton Church 



are of the same character, all with hood-moulds. Below 

 the west window is a narrow doorway with shouldered 

 arch, either wholly restored or modern. There is no 

 vice. The tower terminates in a battleraented parapet 

 with angle pinnacles, and has a pyramidal leaded roof, 

 with vane. The pointed arch to the nave is the full 

 width of the tower, and is of two chamfered orders, the 

 inner springing from corbels carved with large grotesque 

 faces; the opening contains an oak screen erected in 

 1925. Built into the north wall of the tower inside is 

 part of a 13th-century grave-slab with 'omega' orna- 

 ment.* 



The font is of Devonshire marble and dates from 

 1874;' the pulpit also is modern. 



On the splays of the lancet window in the chancel arc 

 remains of paintings.* 



In the chancel is a tablet with long Latin inscrip- 

 tion in memory of Jeremiah Stephens, rector 1626—44 



' The opening is 6 in. wide, 16 in. high, 

 and 10 in. deep, but widens out consider- 

 ably inside. 



* The merlons arc of more than average 

 size, those at the eastern angles being 

 panelled. 



> The window is wholly restored. 



* It measures 17 In. by 14 in. 

 ' It was given by the Rev. W. W. 



Woollcombe, rector. 



"■ They were discovered in 1 844. That 

 on (he west splay is said to have been a 

 representation of the Scourging; the other 

 was too indistinct for identification. 



' Hill, of blorlhanls. i, 393. 



' North, Ch. Beth of Norlhants. 451, 

 where the inscriptions are given. The 

 fourth has a cross used by James Kecne of 

 Woodstock. In 1552 there were three 

 great bells and a sanctus bell. The bells 

 were re-dedicated after restoration, on 

 I Oct. 1895. 



' Markham, Ch. Plate of Norlhants. 323. 

 The second cup and paten were given in 

 1889 by Mrs. Frost. There is also a plated 

 cup and a glass flagon mounted in silver. 



"• Bridges, writing about 1720, says 

 that the registers 'bear date 1582': op. cit. 

 i, 392. 



" See above and Cal. Inrj. p.m. vi, 612, 



tisms and burials 1707-71, marriages 1707-54; 

 (ii) marriages 175 5-1 81 2; (iii) baptisms and burials 

 1770-1812."' 



In the churchyard is a cross in memory of twenty- 

 eight men of the parish who fell in the war of 1 914-18. 

 This descended with the Wahull 

 ADVOWSON fee until 1565 when it was acquired 

 by the Tate family of Delapre Abbey" 

 in Hardingstone parish (q.v.), and they retained it 

 until 163 1, '-when Zouch Tate sold it to Samuel Fryers, 

 clerk." The latter sold it three years later to Caleb and 

 Philemon Stephens,'* members of which family pre- 

 sented until 1680." Frances Stephens married the 

 parson Thomas Singleton'* and they sold the advowson 

 in 1683 to Thomas Rowney," who gave it to Exeter 

 College Oxford,'* the present patrons. 



A distinguished incumbent was Walter de Bidun, 

 chancellor of the king of Scotland in the 12th century. 



p. 123; Cal. 



p. 391, ibid, ix, no. i \% 

 Ckte, 1374-7, p. 192. 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cclxv, 58; 

 ibid, cccliv, 149; Inst. Bks. (P.R.O.). 



" Recov. R. Mich. 7 Chas. I, rot. 102. 

 Lord Zouche sued the Crown for the ad- 

 vowson as guardian of Zouch Tate {CaL 

 S.P.Dom. i6z}-^,f>aisim). 



'♦ Feet of F. Northants. East. 10 

 Chas. I. 



" Inst. Bks. (P.R.O.), which also 

 records Henry Bosworth 1681. 



■" Bridges, loc. cit. 



" Feet of F. Northants. East. 35 

 Chas. II. ■■ Bridges, loc. cit. 



295 



