A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



1686 being on its west face. The only belfry- 

 window which appears to be in its original condition 

 is that on the east, with two cinquefoiled lights and a 

 quatrefoil over. The west wall has been faced 

 with ashlar in the seventeenth-century repairs ; and 

 the west window is of the same date, of two uncusped 

 lights under a square head. The tower arch is of a 

 type not uncommon in the district, its peculiarity 

 being that it has in the jambs between the two orders 

 a round moulding which stops awkwardly at the 

 capital, and has no corresponding member in the arch. 

 The chancel has an arched plastered ceiling dated 

 1764. The only roof of interest is that of the north 

 aisle which is of the fifteenth century, and has 

 moulded timbers with carved bosses at the intersec- 

 tions ; that on the eastern principal having the device 

 of an eagle and hind. The stone corbels carrying 

 this roof are also of interest, one showing a winged 

 dragon, and another a cat playing a harp. 



Plan of Sutton Church 



There are a certain number of sixteenth-century 

 benches in the nave and some seventeenth-century 

 panelling in the pews of the north aisle. Across the 

 chancel arch is a fifteenth-century screen with a 

 modern cornice, said to have come from another 

 church in the county. In the chancel is a very fine 

 mediaeval chest with ornamental lock plates, and the 

 pulpit dated 1628 is a good specimen. The 

 monuments in the north aisle or Burgoyne chapel 

 are fine of their kind, especially the large monu- 

 ment at the north-east to John Burgoyne, 1604, 

 with a life-sized effigy under a canopy flanked by 

 columns carrying a pediment with heraldry. There 

 is also a monument against the east wall to Sir John 

 Burgoyne, 1 709, and in the floor is a slab with a brass 

 cross, of which the base only appears to be ancient, 

 and an inscription to Thomas Burgoyne, 1 5 1 6, and 

 his wife Elizabeth. Further west is the matrix of 

 another brass, and over the north door is hung a 

 Union Jack saved from the wreck of the ' Captain ' 

 lost in the Bay of Biscay, 1870. 



The font at the west end of the north aisle is 



octagonal, with a quatrefoil stem, and approximately 



of the same date as the aisle. 



There are four bells, the treble and third by C. 



& G. Mears, 1856, and the second and tenor by 



Christopher Graie, 1655. 



The plate consists of a communion cup with cover 



paten of 1569, two plated dishes, and modern cruets. 



There are also two pewter dishes and a pewter flagon, 



the maker being H. Little, of London. 



The registers are complete from 1538, the first 



book, the parchment copy of 1598, being continued 



to 1669. The second runs from 1665 to 1780, the 



third is the marriage register, 1 75 5-1 8 1 2, and the 



fourth the register of births and deaths, 1777-1812. 

 The first mention that has been 



ADf^OlVSON found of the church of Sutton is in 

 1 3 1 1, when the right of presentation 



was settled on Alice widow of William le Latimer, 



granddaughter and co- 

 heir of Christina Ledet." 

 It continued to follow 

 the same descent as Sut- 

 ton manor, its value in 

 I 381 being 100/.," and 

 like that manor became 

 parcel of the duchy of 

 Lancaster in 1398. It 

 was the subject of oc- 

 casional grants, Walter 

 Walshe received the 

 right of presentation in 

 1532 to the church of 

 Sutton, then worth 

 ^^20 10/. 6J."' In 1544 

 a perpetual grant of the 

 rectory and advowson 

 was made to Thomas 

 Burgoyne,"whose family 

 retained it until, between 

 theyearsi73i and 1 771, 

 it was purchased from 

 Sir Roger Burgoyne 

 by St. John's College, 

 exercised the right of 



d« (&le ^ 16^ • 



M^oont t?^ later or 

 " cent, tiij modem 



so 

 ■feet 



30 



40 



=1 



Oxford," 



who 



have 



presentation.' 



The Charity Estate now consists of 

 CHJRITIES 20a. in Marston Moretaine, allotted on 

 the inclosure in that parish in lieu of 

 lands in the open fields purchased in 1 71 5, with ^^loo 

 given by John Burgoyne (^^60 for poor and ^^40 for 

 the repair of church and bridge), and with ^^50 left 

 by Dame Constance Burgoyne, 1711, for a charity 

 school. The land is let for jfzo a year. By an 

 order of the Charity Commissioners under the Local 

 Government Act, 1 894, the charity was apportioned 

 as to T^ths as an Ecclesiastical charity, of which the 

 rector and churchwardens were appointed trustees, and 

 as to yfths as non-ecclesiastical, of which the parish 

 council appoint four of their body as trustees. The 

 net income, after payment of tithe and land tax, is 

 applied as follows : £2 for church repairs, £z for 

 repair of bridge, ^^5 for education, and the balance 

 is distributed among the poor. 



In 1836 Montague Burgoyne by his will, proved 



*' Add. Chart. 1995+. 

 *' Chan. Inq. p.m. 9 Edw. Ill, No. Jij 

 Z9 Edw. Ill, No. 4 j 4. Ric. II, No. 35. 



'" D. of Lane. Misc. Bks, 22, fol. 

 1311/; yalor Eccl. (Rcc Com.), iv. 

 197. 



250 



" D. of Lane. Misc. Bks. 2a fol. loj d. 

 " Add. MSS. 9408. 

 »" Inst. Bks. P.R.O. 



