A HISTORY OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 



times the south and east walls of the chancel have 

 been either rebuilt or modernized and the stone 

 bell-cot on the west gable of the nave has been 

 added. 



The east window of the chancel is modern, of three 

 lights and early 14th-century detail. In the north 

 wall of the chancel are two windows. The first, of 

 two lights and early 14th-century date, is curiously 

 crude in worlmanship. The lights are trefoiled and 

 have a roi^gh cusped circle over them, while the 

 whole head of the window including the label, a very 

 flat roll, is worked out of one thin stone or flag. 

 The second window, probably of the same date as the 

 first, is a plain uncusped chamfered lancet set low in 

 the wall without an external rebate, the lower part of 

 which has been fitted with a shutter, the hinges 

 remaining. The only window on the south of the 

 chancel is a single-light modern window of 14th-cen- 

 tury detail. The chancel arch is two-centred and of 

 two chamfered orders with half-octagonal responds 

 and moulded capitals and bases, and is set to the south 

 of the axis of the nave. 



The north wall of the nave contains two windows 

 east of the north porch of the same date and detail as 

 the two-light window on the north of the chancel, 

 but their heads are not worked in single stones. The 

 north door is either quite modern or completely 

 restored, and is of two continuous moulded orders with 

 a label of 14th-century detail. West of the door is a 

 small plain lancet of doubtful date. In the south wall 

 are two two-light windows in corresponding positions 

 to those on the north, but of late 14th-century date, 

 with square heads and cinqucfoiled lights with curious 

 cusped flowing tracery. Below the sill of the eastern- 

 most of these windows is a small piscina with an 

 uncusped two-centred head moulded with a filleted 

 bowtell and hollows. The south door is of the same 

 detail as the north and of 14th-century date. To 

 the west is a window of two uncusped lights under a 

 square head of simple and late detail. The west 

 window of the nave is of early 14th-century date and 

 has three cinquefoiled lights with quatrefoils over. 

 The font has a large round tub-shaped bowl probably 

 of 12th-century date. 



The porches are both of the 1 4th century, 

 though considerably restored, and have outer arch- 

 ways continuously moulded in two orders with a 

 hollow between. 



The seating of the church is modern, but a pulpit 

 and reading desk have been worked up out of lyth- 

 century carved panels. On the walls of the nave are 

 the remains of a series of interesting 14th-century 

 paintings. On the west wall are traces of figure 

 subjects, now quite defaced. On the north wall, 

 beginning from the west, is a figure of Christ, some 

 4 ft. high, remarkably well drawn in a dull red line. 

 Above and to the right of this is part of a judge- 

 ment scene with souls in torment. Near the north 

 door is a life-size figure much defaced and partly 

 obscured by a wall tablet. Between the two eastern- 

 most of the windows on this side is a large figure of 

 St. George, with the remains of a scroll bearing his 

 name below, represented in mail, with shield, sword, 



and lance. The splays of these two windows are also 

 decorated with paintings. In the east splay of the 

 easternmost window is a drawing of St. Francis 

 preaching to the birds, while the remains of various 

 male and female figures are visible in the other splays. 

 On the south wall is a cowled figure holding a book 

 (about three-quarters life-size) and a smaller painting 

 of two angels laying a saint, perhaps St. Katherine, in a 

 tomb. In the chancel floor are set some very fine late 

 13th-century tiles, with subjects from the mediaeval 

 romances : a king on his throne, a man giving a 

 book to a woman, a knight charging, a knight 

 cleaving the helm of his adversary, and a lady holding 

 a squirrel. 



There are a few fragments of old glass in the win- 

 dows, the quartered arms of France and England being 

 in the north-east window of the nave. 



The modern stone gable bell-cot contains two bells 

 re-cast from older ones by James Warner and Sons in 

 1875. 



The church plate consists of a covered cup of 1570 

 of the usual Elizabethan pattern, a salver hall-marked 

 for 1827, and a pewter flagon. 



The first book of the registers contains baptisms 

 from 1675 to 1735, burials from 1658 to 1712, and 

 marriages from 1657 to 1702. The second book 

 contains baptisms from 1726 to 1782, burials from 

 1726 to 1780, and marriages from 1727 to 1775, 

 with further notes of banns to 1783. A third book 

 has baptisms between 1783 and 1812 and burials 

 between 1784 and 1811, while a fourth book contains 

 marriages from 1786 to 1812. 



The church of All Saints 91 in 

 Little Kimble was given to the 

 abbey of St. Albans by Humphrey 

 de Kimble early in the 1 3th century. 93 His charter 

 was confirmed by Alice de Bolebec, 94 who died before 

 1254." No vicarage seems ever to have been 

 ordained, and in the valuation of churches made in 

 1535 Henry Champyn appears as rector of Little 

 Kimble. 96 Henry VIII granted the advowson of the 

 rectory to John Cokk and Sir Michael Dormer, 97 the 

 latter of whom already held the lands in the parish 

 that had belonged to St. Albans. 98 Afterwards the 

 advowson appears to have been recovered by the lord 

 of the manor. Lipscomb 99 mentions a presentation 

 by Edward Serjeant in 1620, but the advowson is 

 not mentioned in the numerous sales of the manor in 

 the 1 7th century. The Crokes, however, presented 

 twice to the rectory, Richard in 1 66 1 and Martha 

 Croke (widow) in i66^. m In 1689 Elizabeth 

 Chapman presented ln and the advowson was held by 

 the family of Chapman for many years. 101 William 

 Chapman in 1788 los and Samuel Chapman in 1810 

 held the living on their own presentation. 104 The 

 rectory of Little Kimble is now consolidated with 

 the vicarage of Great Kimble and the right of presen- 

 tation has since the consolidation been held by the 

 Earl of Buckinghamshire. 



In 1327 Walter de Shobinton and his wife Lucy 

 alienated a messuage, mill, and pond, together with 

 land and rent in Little Kimble and Aston Ivinghoe, to 

 a chaplain to celebrate divine service in the church 



w Cal. Pat. 1327-30, p. 189. 



Lansd. MS. 375. 



M Ibid. 



Hund. R. (Rec. Com.), i, 31. 



46 Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iv, 249. 



ijt (l), 1035 



W L, and f. Hen. 



(97). 



88 Ibid, xiv, 379 (12). 



m Hist. of Buck, ii, 353. 



w> P.R.O. Intt. Bks. 1661, 1665 



306 



101 Ibid. 1689. 



10" Ibid. 1723, 1725, 1737, 174.1, 



'744- 



los Ibid. 1788. 

 l" Ibid. 1 8 10. 



