66 ON THE MANOR HOUSE; OF SOUTH WINFIELD. 



Three years after he had been assured in the possession of this 

 manor, the king also appointed him to the offices of Constable of 

 the King's Castle of Nottingham, and Steward and Keeper of the 

 Forest of Sherwood. He died on January 4th, 1455, and was 

 buried in the chancel of Tatteshall church, Lincolnshire, which 

 he had rebuilt and changed from a parish church into a college, 

 served by seven chaplains, six secular clerks, and six choristers. 

 The mutilated brass to his memory still remains in the chancel. 

 He also built a spacious castle at Tatteshall, but on a different 

 plan to this manor-house, for it seems to have been chiefly con- 

 structed with the idea of being a strong fortress. 



Some time between the years 1440-45, the Lord Treasurer 

 began the building of this large manor-house ; probably nearer to 

 the latter than the former dates, for we know that it was not 

 completed, especially the state apartments of the inner court, at 

 the time of his death. 



It may also be mentioned that there can be little or no doubt 

 that Ralph Lord Cromwell was also the rebuilder of the tower 

 and body of the church of South Winfield, whose rectory was 

 appropriated at an early date to the Abbey of Darley, The 

 tower exactly corresponds in style to the time when he was lord of 

 the manor. The body of the church was demolished in 1803, 

 but some MS. notes taken in 1770, tells us that in each of the 

 east windows of the south and north aisles were the arms of 

 Cromwell quartering Tatteshall. 



During his lifetime, Lord Cromwell sold the reversion of this 

 manor after his death to John Talbot, second Earl of Shrewsbury. 

 The accounts of the Earl's agent for his manors of Winfield and 

 Crich, within two years after his taking possession, viz., 1457-8, 

 show that the manor-house was not then habitable, at all events 

 not as a whole. They include payments for the expenses of seven 

 men residing in the manor six weeks " for its safe custody," by 

 command of the Earl of Shrewsbury, as well as numerous sums 

 extending over a considerable portion of the year for the plaster- 

 ing, roofing, and mortaring of the house. In 1458-9, we find 

 that the Earl was in residence here with a numerous retinue, so 



