BIGGLESWADE HUNDRED 



EDWORTH 



The Testa de Nev'tll states that Richard son of 

 William held one-fifth fee of William Cantilupe," 

 and Milicent his daughter, who married Eudo la 

 Zouche of Harringworth, held two hides of land here 

 in chief in 1284." Like Henlow Zouche's (q.v.) it 

 descended through the Zouches of Harringworth," 

 though its identity as a manor 

 seems early to have been lost, 

 and no independent mention 

 of the property has been found 

 subsequent to 1473," but the 

 fact that the manor of Henlow 

 Zouches is described in 1614 

 as in Henlow, Edworth, and 

 Hinxworth," makes it pro- 

 bable that this La Zouche 

 property had become merged 

 in the one manor. 



Walter de Langton, bishop 

 of Coventry and Lichfield, re- '''"'""• 

 ceived a charter of free warren 



in his manor of Edworth," which privilege was still 

 claimed in the eighteenth century." To the manor 

 also belonged view of frankpledge twice yearly, a court 

 leet, and a court baron.'" 



The church of ST. GEORGE consists 

 CHURCH of a chancel 17 ft. by 14 ft. 6 in., nave 

 42 ft. by 1 7 ft., with north aisle 2 1 ft. 

 by 8 ft., and south aisle 1 9 ft. 6 in. by 6 ft. 3 in., 

 north and south porches, and west tower 9 ft. by 

 8 ft. 6 in." 



The plan of the nave is probably that of a thir- 

 teenth-century church, or possibly earlier, but there 

 are no details in position from which a definite date 

 can be deduced. The oldest piece of masonry is a pillar 

 piscina at the east end of the north aisle, of the end 

 of the twelfth century. 



About 1320 the present aisles were added, taking 

 up almost exactly the eastern half of the nave, and 

 the chancel was rebuilt about the same time. The 

 tower belongs to the middle of the fourteenth cen- 

 tury, and in the latter part of the fifteenth north 

 and south porches were built at the west ends of the 

 aisles. In modern times the chancel has been short- 

 ened, and the present east wall built. It contains a 

 three-light window of fifteenth-century style, and 

 there are north and south windows in the chancel, 

 each of three cinquefoiled lights, of late fifteenth-cen- 

 tury date. The fourteenth-century south doorway is 

 still in position, though now close to the eastern angle 

 of the shortened chancel ; it has a moulded label, the 

 eastern termination of which is a foliate finial, which 

 appears to have belonged to adjoining sedilia, now de- 

 stroyed. A small trefoiled piscina has been inserted 

 between the door and the south-east angle. 



The chancel arch has half-octagonal responds with 

 moulded capitals, and a pointed arch of two orders with 

 double hollow chamfers and large stops at the spring- 

 ing. Part of the screen which formerly stood in this 

 arch is now in an outhouse at the rectory. 



The nave arcades are of two bays, and of similar 



design with small differences in detail. Both have 

 piers of four engaged rounded shafts with rolls at the 

 angles and moulded capitals and bases following the 

 plan of the piers. The arches are of two moulded 

 orders with labels, those of the north arcade having a. 

 wave mould, while those of the south arcade have a 

 plain chamfer on the under side. 



The north aisle has a contemporary east window 

 of two trefoiled lights with stone image brackets on 

 either side carved with human heads, and the north 

 window is of three cinquefoiled lights in a four-centred 

 head of fifteenth-century date. In the north wall 

 near the east end is an arched recess, its sill being 

 about 3 ft. from the floor, and in the south wall is 

 inserted the late twelfth-century pillar piscina already 

 noted, which has a square stem with foliate capital 

 and incised ornament on the abacus. 



The south aisle has an east window of two trefoiled 

 lights with leaf tracery f. 1330, and at the south-east 

 a small trefoiled light of original date, with a large 

 fifteenth-century window to the west of it. At the 

 south-east is a small piscina with a trefoiled ogee 

 head. 



Both doorways of the nave are of plain fourteenth- 

 century work with continuous mouldings, the south 

 doorway being more carefully treated than the other. 

 On its eastern jamb is an incised sun-dial, showing that 

 before the fifteenth century there was no porch in 

 this position. 



The porches are very similar to each other, with 

 moulded outer arches under square heads with 

 traceried spandrels. Both have had two-light windows 

 on the west, that in the north porch being now 

 built up. In the north porch west of the inner door- 

 way is a recess with a holy-water stone. 



The clearstory has three windows a side, each of 

 two cinquefoiled lights under a square head, much of 

 the stonework being modern. 



The evidence of the raising of the wall when the 

 clearstory was added can be seen on the external 

 western angles of the nave, the upper parts of which, 

 having been originally treated as buttresses to the 

 tower, are not bonded to the nave walls. 



At the north-east corner of the nave is a fifteenth- 

 century rood-stair, and at the south-east is the lower 

 part of a panelled stone pedestal, also of fifteenth-cen- 

 tury date, the masonry in the respond of the chancel 

 arch and south arcade showing that there has been 

 here some structure, either a large niche, or perhaps 

 a stone pulpit. 



The tower has two-light belfry windows with 

 cinquefoiled lights, and on the ground stage a single 

 trefoiled west window. The tower arch has half- 

 octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases, 

 and an arch of two chamfered orders. 



At the west end of the nave is an octagonal fifteenth- 

 century font, the sides of the bowl having cusped 

 panelled sides, all varying ; the stem bears four shields, 

 one with emblems of the passion, and another with a 

 cross ; the other two are plain. 



In the north aisle is part of a very interesting 



43 Testa de Nevill (Rec. Com.), 243*. 



« Feud. Aids, i, 3. 



45 Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 

 3, 48 i Feud. Aids, i, 3, 23 ; Chan. 

 Inq. p.m. 27 Edw. I, No. 50 ; 5 Ric. 

 II, No. 62 i 19 Ric. II, No. 52. 



"6 Col. of Fat. 1467-77, p. 327. _ Ja- 

 quetta duchess of Bedford was appointed 



2 



guardian to John son of William de la 

 Zouche, amongst whose possessions are 

 mentioned lands and rents in Edworth. 



^1 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), cccxliii, 

 No. 177. 



"8 Chart. R. 35 Edw. I, m. 18, No. 

 48. 



■"^ Recov. R. Hil. 10 Anne, rot. 167 ; 



225 



Mich. II Geo. Ill, rot. 187; Mich. 34 

 Geo. Ill, rot. 23. 



«» Ibid. ; Court R. ptfo. 153, No. 8. 



51 In spite of recent repairs the sloping 

 nature of the site has tried the structure 

 severely, and the whole building bears 

 evidences of eastward settlements which 

 need immediate attention. 



29 



