UPTON SCUDAMORE
THE parish of Upton Scudamore divides the urban
districts of Westbury and Warminster. The parochial status of the districts of Norridge and Thoulstone, which lie to the west of the village of Upton,
was doubtful. Each contained a free chapel to which
tithes belonged in the Middle Ages. Thoulstone
chapel apparently belonged to Warminster in 1341, (fn. 1)
and the permission of Warminster was needed to
annex it to Upton c. 1437. (fn. 2) Norridge was apparently
claimed as part of Warminster in the 16th and
early 17th centuries. (fn. 3) The agriculture of the manor
of Norridge was closely connected both with Warminster and Corsley, (fn. 4) and the tithes of about 170 a.
in it belonged to the impropriate rectories of those
places. (fn. 5) When both Norridge and Thoulstone were
reckoned part of Upton, the parish was almost 5
miles long and in most places not more than a mile
wide; its area was 2,461 a. (fn. 6) In 1884 Hisomley Farm,
a small detached part of Upton, was transferred to
Westbury, and Upton Cottage and Smallbrook
Mill, also detached pieces, to Warminster. At the
same time small pieces of Warminster and Corsley,
locally in Upton, were added to the parish. (fn. 7) In
1934 the western end of the parish was transferred
to the newly formed parish of Chapmanslade. This
reduced the area of Upton to 2,359 a. (fn. 8)
In the east of the parish the chalk downs of
Salisbury Plain rise to a height of 650 ft., but here
a broad valley of greensand runs into them east
of the road from Westbury to Warminster, which
roughly bisects the parish from north to south. The
part west of the road occupies the flat top of a
greensand ridge some 400 ft. above sea-level which
forms the watershed between the valleys of the
Bristol Avon to the north and the Wylye to the
south. At the northern boundary of the parish is a
deep combe in which are the springs of the Biss, a
tributary of the Avon. The village of Upton stands
about ¼ mile west of the main road; its position is
distinctive, for it is on a low mound rising from
the greensand ridge, so that it commands extensive
views of the surrounding countryside in all directions save the east. The site was attractive to prehistoric man, for early Iron Age material has been
found south of the church, while the church itself
appears to be on or near the site of a Roman
building. (fn. 9) In the 14th century the village was of a
good average size and prosperity, assessed at 108s.
in 1334 and with 85 poll tax-payers in 1377. (fn. 10) There
were apparently 191 adults in the parish in 1676. (fn. 11)
In 1801 the population of the whole parish was 409;
ten years later it was only 314, and if the figures
are accurate this considerable decline can only be
accounted for by the inclosure of the parish. It
had grown again to 392 by 1831, and did not begin
to decline significantly until the decade 1871–81. By
1901 it was 236, and has not since then been much
above 200. (fn. 12) The inhabitants have always been
chiefly concerned with agriculture, although there
was probably some domestic cloth-working done
until the decline of the industry in the early 19th
century.
In the early 18th century the village of Upton
was almost on the main road from Bath and Frome
to Salisbury. This road entered the parish at Dead
Maids as at present, but continued directly east
from Thoulstone to near Upton by a route now
marked only by a green lane. At its eastern end a
turnpike gate stood in 1773, and still in 1838. (fn. 13)
Just before it reached the village, the road turned
south to join the present road from Upton to
Warminster at the parish boundary. (fn. 14) The northern
part of this stretch also remains as a green lane,
but the southern part is lost.
At the inclosure of the parish in 1807 the village
of Upton consisted chiefly of about ten farmhouses,
the Angel Inn, the rectory, and a few cottages. The
ancient site of the manor house is near the church
in a field called Court Furlong; in the early 18th
century 'plain marks of a considerable fabric'
could be seen there. (fn. 15) It has usually been assumed
that the site was marked by a rectangular enclosure
in the north-west corner of the field, but recent
excavation has failed to confirm this, and it now
seems more likely that the house stood on the site
of the cow yard west of the church. (fn. 16) In 1471 a
tenement called 'le Garyet' stood on the site. (fn. 17) The
later site of the manor farm is marked by the house
now called Temple Farm after the Temple family
of Bishopstrow, which leased and later owned the
demesnes from the mid-17th century. The brick
house probably dates from that time. It is of two
stories and attics, the symmetrical front having 3
gables with stone copings and finials, and a central
porch of two stories with round-arched doorway.
At the attic story stone-mullioned windows remain,
but below they have been replaced by sash windows.
This was probably done in the early 19th century,
when the front of the house was hung with shaped
tiles and a kitchen wing was added at the back,
perhaps replacing part of the earlier house. Inside
is an original fireplace with four-centred arch and
some contemporary oak panelling. Behind the
house the large thatched barn, and granary on
staddle-stones, are probably of the same date as
the house.
Manor Farm, although it is so called, represents
the homestead site of the considerable freehold
which in the Middle Ages was held of the lords of
Upton by the Park family. (fn. 18) In 1482 a new tenant
was ordered to rebuild a kitchen and repair the
rest of the house. (fn. 19) The stone house incorporates
a single-storied open hall of two bays probably
of the 15th century. The timbers of its roof, some
smoke-blackened, are largely original, and include
an arch-braced collar-beam truss and curved
wind-braces supporting the purlins. It was probably when the Seaman family became tenants of
the farm in the early 17th century that the house
was extended by the addition of gabled side wings
and a stone entrance arch and porch at the west
end of the hall. It was perhaps at this time also
that the hall was divided into two floors and a
chimney inserted near its centre; one of the upper
rooms has a plaster barrel ceiling of the period.
East of the entrance doorway a two-light window
with cusped lights and a carved head in late 15thcentury style has been reset.
The houses now called Millard's Farm and Keyford were both farmhouses in 1807; both are
timber-framed buildings and Keyford has a
thatched roof. Several other farmhouses date from
the 18th century, after the manorial lands had been
sold as several freehold farms. A good example
is the house just south of the Angel Inn, which
formerly belonged to the Heytesbury Hospital
farm. It is of brick with stone quoins and stone
mullioned windows and is dated 1723. In 1807 the
Angel Inn stood opposite its present site, where a
row of cottages now stands. Nearby is the former
Baptist chapel, built in 1850 and used since 1920
as a dwelling-house. The large 19th-century
rectory stands at the southern entrance to the village, and on the opposite corner is the former
school, used as a dwelling-house since it was closed
in 1925.
In 1807 there were few cottages in the village,
and this is still true to some extent, although
several council houses have been built since the
Second World War. At inclosure, however, the
outer parts of the parish were more populous than
they are now. At Fulmoor Common just north of
Norridge Wood stood five cottages, which have
all since disappeared. In the north-west part of
the parish at least seven houses formerly at Row
and near Chapmanslade have gone, and six or
seven more were in Biss Bottom, north of the village. Most of these must have been built on waste
land, probably from the 16th century onward. At
Norridge, however, still lay a hamlet which
existed in the Middle Ages. In 1377 there were
16 poll-tax payers there, (fn. 20) and 7 or 8 cottages still
remained in 1807. Some of these were burnt in the
late 19th century, and others remained, derelict,
until a few years ago. The hamlet was reduced to
the farmhouse and two cottages until a few more
houses were built after the Second World War.
In 1333 the manor house of Norridge consisted of
a hall with various chambers, a chapel, a kitchen,
and a dovehouse. (fn. 21) It may have stood on what
appears to have been a moated site just west of
the present farmhouse. In 1572 the house consisted
of nine rooms: hall, parlour, buttery, two kitchens,
and four rooms over. The hall had then just been
lofted over. (fn. 22) The present farmhouse is partly of
stone rubble and partly timber-framed; it appears
externally to be of the 17th century, but has been
much altered. Nearby the owner of the farm,
Mr. J. Meinl, has built a house with a colonnaded
portico, designed by R. Vallis of Frome c. 1960. (fn. 23)
Thoulstone had 22 poll-tax payers in 1377. In
1428 it had fewer than ten households, (fn. 24) and in
the later 16th century there were about seven
houses there. (fn. 25) By 1807 there were only three
farms; one, the Breach Farm, which lay south of
the sharp bend in the road, has since disappeared.
Of the other two, that south of the road is a large
brick building of the late 18th century, while the
one on the other side displays the Gothic taste of a
few years later.
The works of the Trowbridge Water Company
were established at Biss Bottom in 1873, despite
some objection from the parish. (fn. 26) They are invisible from the village, but the water tower raised
near the main road in 1906 is a prominent landmark.
It was given in memory of John Baron, a former
rector, to provide a supply for the village. (fn. 27)
MANORS.
In 1086 the largest of the three holdings mentioned in Upton was held of Alfred of
Marlborough's fief. (fn. 28) By 1100 Alfred's castle of
Ewyas in Herefordshire had passed, with other of
his lands, to Harold, son of Ralph, first Earl of
Hereford. (fn. 29) Upton formed part of these lands, and
was held of the honor of Ewyas until the 14th
century. (fn. 30) The lordship of the honor descended to
Harold's grandson Robert (II) de Ewyas, whose
daughter and heir Sibyl married Robert de Tregoze.
Her grandson John left two daughters and coheirs,
and the barony was divided. The fee at Upton fell
to Sibyl who married William de Grandison. (fn. 31) Their
son John de Grandison, Bishop of Exeter, conveyed
the overlordship of certain fees in Wiltshire, including Upton, to his nephew Sir John de Montagu, whose son John succeeded to the earldom of
Salisbury in 1397. (fn. 32) From that time the overlordship descended with the earldom to Margaret,
Countess of Salisbury; (fn. 33) on her attainder and
execution in 1541 it passed to the Crown, and
when the manor was regranted to Walter Hungerford in 1552, it was to be held directly of the
king. (fn. 34)
A certain Ralph was tenant of this holding under
Alfred of Marlborough in 1086, (fn. 35) but nothing is
known of him. He may, however, have been ancestor of the Scudamore family. It has been said that
a Walter Scudamore was lord of Upton in the reign
of Stephen, (fn. 36) and in the mid-12th century Robert
de Ewyas, lord of the honor, granted the whole
vill of Upton Scudamore to Godfrey Scudamore;
the use of the suffix in the grant implies that the
family had some previous interest there. (fn. 37) By it
Godfrey was bound to do the service of one knight
at the castle guard of Ewyas Harold. In 1166 he
held five fees of the honor of Ewyas in Wiltshire. (fn. 38)
He was probably dead by 1190, (fn. 39) and was succeeded
by a Peter Scudamore who held the five fees in the
early 13th century. (fn. 40) He forfeited all his possessions
in 1216, but regained them in the following year. (fn. 41)
By 1222 he had been succeeded by Godfrey
Scudamore, (fn. 42) who held the property until at least
1262. (fn. 43) By 1267 his son Peter Scudamore had
succeeded him. (fn. 44) He died c. 1293, (fn. 45) leaving a
daughter Alice, wife of Adam Bavant. (fn. 46) Shortly
before his death, however, he had granted Upton
to his nephew Walter, (fn. 47) who died in 1318 and was
succeeded by his son, another Peter. (fn. 48) In 1338
Roger Bavant, grandson of Alice, brought an
action against Peter Scudamore to recover the
manor. (fn. 49) The suit seems to have lasted for many
years, and was not finally ended until 1358, when
John, son of Roger Bavant, released his claim to
Sir Walter Scudamore, son of Peter. (fn. 50)
Peter was still living in 1339, but his son Walter
had succeeded by 1347, and was alive in 1360. (fn. 51)
He had a son Peter, who settled the manor on himself and his wife in 1368, (fn. 52) and died c. 1382. (fn. 53) His
widow, Joan, remarried Sir Robert Corbet, who
still held Upton in 1412. (fn. 54) Peter's heir was his only
daughter Katharine, who married Sir John Reynes
and had a son Thomas. (fn. 55) Thomas died in 1417,
holding Upton by permission of his father, (fn. 56) and
leaving a son John who died without issue in 1421.
Sir John's other son Ralph was apparently childless,
and the heir to the property was William Street of
Meldreth (Cambs.), son of Sir John's daughter
Cecily. (fn. 57) After the younger John's death, Sir John
obtained a grant of Ralph's right, (fn. 58) and re-settled
the property on himself and his second wife Alice. (fn. 59)
In 1426 they conveyed the manor to feoffees, (fn. 60)
to whom William Street released his right in 1428. (fn. 61)
Sir John was then dead. (fn. 62) His feoffees were perhaps
charged with the payment of his debts, for in 1435
the manor of Upton was taken in execution and
delivered to two of his creditors. (fn. 63) By then the
feoffees had already sold the reversion of it
after Alice's death to Sir Walter Hungerford. (fn. 64)
Sir Walter, later styled Lord Hungerford, died
in 1449. Upton passed to his son Robert and thence
to his grandson, another Robert, who was attainted
in 1461 for his part on the Lancastrian side, and
executed in 1464. (fn. 65) The manor remained in the
king's hands until 1474, when it was granted to
Richard, Duke of Gloucester. (fn. 66) When Richard
obtained the throne in 1483 he granted it to John,
Duke of Norfolk, who was killed at Bosworth. (fn. 67) By
this time the heir to the Hungerford property was
Mary, Lady Botreaux, grand-daughter of Robert,
Lord Hungerford and Moleyns, being the only
daughter of his elder son Sir Thomas Hungerford.
Upton was among the properties which Margaret,
Lady Botreaux, widow of Robert, 2nd Lord
Hungerford (d. 1459), had directed by her will to
remain in the male line of the family. On the
restoration of the house of Lancaster, therefore,
it came to Sir Walter Hungerford, younger brother
of Sir Thomas. (fn. 68) He died in 1516 and was succeeded
successively by his son Edward and grandson
Walter, later Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury; the
latter was attainted and executed in 1540, and his
property was again forfeited to the king. (fn. 69)
In 1544 Upton was among many manors granted
to Queen Catherine Parr. (fn. 70) In 1552, however, it
was restored to Sir Walter Hungerford, (fn. 71) who died
in 1596 leaving as his heir male his half-brother
Edward. (fn. 72) He too died without issue, but had
adopted as heir his great-nephew Edward Hungerford, heir to the Down Ampney Hungerfords, and
son of one of the female coheirs of Sir Walter
(d. 1596). (fn. 73) Sir Edward died in 1648 and his
estates passed to his half-brother Anthony Hungerford of Blackboughton (Oxon.). On his death in
1657 he was succeeded by his son Sir Edward
Hungerford, 'the spendthrift', (fn. 74) who sold Upton in
1684 to Sir Stephen Fox. (fn. 75)
Sir Stephen Fox sold the manor in lots in 1689, (fn. 76)
and the manorial rights seem to have lapsed. The
demesne farm had been let to the Temple family
of Bishopstrow since 1662 and was sold to Peter
Temple in 1689. (fn. 77) It descended in the same way as
the manor of Bishopstrow until the present
century. (fn. 78)
A HISTORY OF WILTSHIRE
Before the Conquest Tous held 2½ hides in Upton,
which by 1086 had passed to Ernulf of Hesdin. (fn. 79)
The overlordship of this land passed in the same
way as Ernulf's estate at Great Chalfield to the
Earls of Salisbury, (fn. 80) and it was held of the earl in
1242–3, when it was described as a knight's fee
in NORRIDGE. (fn. 81) A moiety of the manor of Norridge was said to be held of the Earl of Salisbury in
1333, the remainder being held of the lords of
Upton. (fn. 82) The land held under the earls descended
with the title, (fn. 83) but the tenure has not been found
mentioned later than the early 15th century. (fn. 84) The
tenure under the lords of Upton was still marked
by the payment of a chief rent in the 17th century. (fn. 85)
Rainbold was tenant under Ernulf of Hesdin in
1086. (fn. 86) In the early 13th century the 2½ hides of
his holding were in dispute between Ralph FitzWilliam and Thomas de Cormeilles; Ralph
asserted that Roger, his grandfather, held the land
in 1189, while Thomas claimed to hold in right
of his wife Alice, according to a division made
between her and her sisters. (fn. 87) Ralph seems to have
lost, for in 1229 he relinquished his right to Godfrey
Scudamore and William Bastard and Alice his
wife. (fn. 88) Nothing more is known of a direct Scudamore interest in the estate. William Bastard held it
in 1242–3; (fn. 89) his wife Alice was probably the same
who had been wife of Thomas de Cormeilles. It
was perhaps from the issue of her two marriages
that the two families, who in the early 14th century
contested the ownership of the manor, descended.
It was said in 1289 that John de Cormeilles held a
knight's fee in the hundred of Warminster, (fn. 90) and
in the same year he held land in Norridge of the
Prioress of Studley (Oxon.). (fn. 91) In 1313, when this
or another John presented to the chapel of Norridge,
which was appurtenant to the manor, the presentation was disputed by Walter Gascelyn and Annice
his wife. (fn. 92) In 1315 John le Warrener and Joan his
wife and John de Bassingbourne and Christine his
wife released their right in the manor to Walter
Gascelyn. It is not clear who they were, for John
de Cormeilles put in his claim then, (fn. 93) and was still
maintaining it in 1318. (fn. 94)
Walter Gascelyn seems, however, to have made
his claim good, and died holding Norridge in
1333. (fn. 95) His son William died in 1346 leaving as
heir his sister Julia, wife of Geoffrey de Stawell. (fn. 96)
After Geoffrey's death in 1362, his son Matthew
succeeded to Norridge, (fn. 97) and sold it in 1368 to
John Lye, subject to a life interest which Sir Peter
Scudamore held, apparently by lease. (fn. 98) Nicholas
Lye died possessed of the manor c. 1420, leaving a
life estate to his widow Elizabeth. (fn. 99) She still held it
in 1440, when Nicholas's son John settled the
reversion on his marriage with Joan Newburgh. (fn. 1)
This or another John held the manor under
Edward IV, (fn. 2) and was dead by 1482 leaving a son
John, (fn. 3) probably Sir John Lye, who died c. 1523,
leaving several daughters and coheirs. (fn. 4) Norridge
was evidently assigned to Anne, wife of Sir James
Worsley of Appuldurcombe in Godshill (I.o.W.). (fn. 5)
Norridge remained in the Worsley family for
several generations, descending in the same way
as Appuldurcombe (fn. 6) to Sir Robert Worsley, who
in 1690 married the daughter of Thomas, 1st
Viscount Weymouth. (fn. 7) Two years later Sir Robert
sold the manor to his father-in-law, and it descended
from that time with the Longleat estate. (fn. 8) The
manor house is mentioned above. (fn. 9)
LESSER ESTATES.
Among the freehold estates
held of the lords of Upton Scudamore in the Middle
Ages the chief was held by a family called Park
(de Parco). Simon Park held ⅓ knight's fee of
Godfrey Scudamore in 1242–3. (fn. 10) Walter Park was
active by about 1270, (fn. 11) and was engaged in lawsuits in Upton later in the century. (fn. 12) He was still
alive in 1307. (fn. 13) The next probable holder was
Walter, son of William Park, who occurs in 1332
and 1334. (fn. 14) He was dead by 1347, when his son
John was at variance with his overlord, Walter
Scudamore, over the payment of a relief. It was
found that John held his lands of Scudamore by a
rent of 40s. (fn. 15) He was soon succeeded by a Nicholas
Park, to whose brother and heir Walter the estate
had passed by 1352. (fn. 16) From that time it was held
by a succession of men called Walter Park. (fn. 17) One
died in the early 15th century, leaving a widow
Alice, who remarried John Osebarn, and a son
Walter. (fn. 18) The younger Walter was dead by 1447,
and Alice Park, a free tenant in 1450, was probably
his widow. (fn. 19)
By 1471 the property had fallen into the hands of
the lords of Upton, perhaps by escheat; (fn. 20) the
demesne lands with the house called 'Parkescourte'
were held as a customary holding of the manor of
Upton in the late 15th century. (fn. 21) They remained
a separate farm, which in 1542 had been let to
Christopher Eyre, local bailiff of the Hungerford
family. (fn. 22) Three virgates were apparently added to
the farm then; in 1582, when it was in hand, it
consisted in all of over 200 a. (fn. 23) In 1606, when it
was let to William Seaman, it was called Acres
Farm. (fn. 24) It must have been the same property as that
which was bought by the Seaman family when the
manor was broken up in 1689. (fn. 25) It descended to
Lionel Seaman, Archdeacon of Wells, who died
in 1760. (fn. 26) By his wife Jane, daughter of Edward
Willes, Bishop of Bath and Wells, he had an only
son Lionel, who died unmarried in 1783, (fn. 27) and two
daughters, who held the land jointly for many
years. Mary Seaman never married; her sister Jane
married the Revd. William Somerville of Dinder
(Som.) and survived her sister, dying in 1830. (fn. 28) The
farm then passed to Francis Willes, their cousin,
son of the elder Jane Seaman's brother William. (fn. 29)
His daughter Margaret Sophia married W. A.
Mackinnon of Acryse Park, Kent, who still held
the farm at his death in 1903. (fn. 30)
In 1205 the king confirmed to the Abbot of
Waverley (Surr.) a virgate of land in Norridge, and
certain land in Corsley given by Walter Giffard. (fn. 31)
Seven years later Thomas de Cormeilles, who
claimed the manor of Norridge, acknowledged
that he owed rent to the abbot for these lands. (fn. 32)
No more is known of them, but in 1536 the rent was
still paid, for it was granted with other Waverley
property to Sir William FitzWilliam. (fn. 33)
In 1496 William Champion of Croscombe (Som.)
was licensed to grant a small estate in Norridge
and Thoulstone to the Guild of St. Anne in Croscombe church. (fn. 34) It consisted of three closes and a
few acres of field land, and was held by the guild
until the dissolution of chantries. (fn. 35) In 1548 it was
granted to Sir John Thynne, (fn. 36) and descended with
the Longleat estate. (fn. 37)
The property which formed the endowment of
the Scudamore and Park chantries in Upton church
was appropriated in the 15th century to the use of
the Hungerford chantry, later hospital, at Heytesbury. (fn. 38) It consisted in 1833 of a farm of 96 a., and
was retained by the hospital until the present
century. (fn. 39)
Giles Powell was a free tenant of the manor in
1525. (fn. 40) In 1582 Roger, son of Christopher Powell,
held a virgate of land called Palmer's freely of the
lord of the manor by a rent of 7s. (fn. 41) He still held it in
1609; (fn. 42) in 1638 Christopher Hill died seised of
it, and was succeeded by his son Stephen. (fn. 43) In
the late 18th century this land was held by William
Bayly, who paid the rent to Lord Bath. (fn. 44) It descended in the same way as Middleton in Norton
Bavant to J. B. O. Bayly, (fn. 45) who in 1838 held a farm
of some 77 a., the house of which lay south of the
road from the village to the Warminster road. (fn. 46)
Several farms which probably became freeholds
only at the break-up of the manor in the late 17th
century may be briefly mentioned. In 1582 Robert
Green held three virgates in right of his wife Alice,
daughter of Richard Escott. (fn. 47) In 1737 Philip
Ballard of Bratton devised lands called Green's,
which probably once formed part of the property,
in trust for his son Jonathan, who died c. 1741. (fn. 48)
By 1773 they were held by William Tree, whose
name survives in Tree's Farm; after his death c.
1801 the farm passed to John Pearce. (fn. 49) His family
held it until 1849, when it was sold to the trustees
of the Stockton Almshouse, as Green's Farm of
67 a. (fn. 50) Early in the 20th century it was held by
W. H. Laverton. (fn. 51) Another holding formerly
Green's was held in 1773 by Lord William Seymour,
third son of Edward, 8th Duke of Somerset (d. 1757),
At Lord William's death in 1800 it passed to his
widow Hester, and after her death in 1812 to Edward Seymour, their son. By 1821 it was held by
Peter Awdry of Seend, whose first wife had been
their daughter. (fn. 52) Awdry's son Ambrose held the
farm in 1838. (fn. 53) This holding was farmed from the
house adjoining Tree's Farm to the east. Another
farm was apparently originally two virgates held in
1582 and 1609 by Christopher Carpenter. (fn. 54) In the
early 18th century it consisted of about 60 a. and
was held by the Keyford family, (fn. 55) which had
probably bought it at the sale of the manorial lands.
In 1773 it was still held by that family, but by
1780 it had passed to the Seamans, (fn. 56) and subsequently descended in the same way as Manor
Farm. (fn. 57)
In 1582 William Escott held a virgate in Upton
which included closes called Pilton's and Lokyer's.
He still held it in 1609, but it subsequently passed
to a family called Daniell, (fn. 58) which probably bought
the freehold in 1689. In the early 18th century
Elizabeth, daughter of Christopher Daniell, married
William Barton, (fn. 59) and took the estate to him. The
same lands were settled on their son William in
1731. (fn. 60) Daniel Barton held them in 1773, and was
succeeded by William Clerk Barton (d. c. 1794)
and then by William Kington Barton (d. 1801).
For some years they were held by his widow's
second husband, William Waldron, but in 1819
they were settled on Barton's only daughter,
Louisa Margaret, when she married Stephen
Flower Knight of Semington. In 1844 Knight sold
the farm to James Chapman, and parts of it were
later added to the Longleat and Temple estates. (fn. 61)
In 1807 the farmhouse of this holding stood just
south of Millard's Farm, (fn. 62) but has now disappeared.
In 1437–8 John Ewyn and John Colston paid a
rent of 2 lb. of wax to the lords of Upton. (fn. 63) In 1472
Richard Ewyn of Bower Chalke, son of John, sold
lands in Thoulstone, Upton, and Chalcot, once
of William his grandfather, to Thomas South. (fn. 64)
In 1487–8 the lord of the manor released a rent of
12s. 6d. charged on these lands, then described as
in Thoulstone, to Robert South. (fn. 65) They probably
later passed to the lords, for in 1582 Agnes Sainsbury held a copyhold of some 75 a. in Thoulstone
which included lands called 'Ewens'. (fn. 66) In 1609
William May held this farm and also another
virgate in Thoulstone called Taylors. (fn. 67) In 1630
Laurence Kington was admitted as tenant of these
lands. (fn. 68) It was probably a descendant of his who
bought the freehold at the sale of the manorial lands.
The farm, on the north side of the road at Thoulstone, evidently descended in the Kington family,
who acquired the rectory of Norridge in 1736.
From that time it passed in the same way as the
rectory. (fn. 69)
In 1572 the manor of Norridge included several
small holdings at Thoulstone. (fn. 70) These too must
have later been held by the Kington family as leaseor copyholders; in the mid-18th century, after the
manor had passed to the Thynne family, John
Barter held lands late Kington's at a rack rent.
Other lands, some formerly part of Norridge
Farm, were later added to them, and the holding
was called Thoulstone Farm; (fn. 71) the house was that
which stands on the south side of the road there.
Clear Wood belonged to Peter Scudamore c.
1290. (fn. 72) It was not sold with the part of Norridge
Wood belonging to the manor, for in 1569 Sir
Walter Hungerford obtained a declaration from
some old inhabitants that Clear Wood, which
contained four coppices, was distinct from Norridge
Wood. (fn. 73) By 1682, however, it had been added to
the Thynne estate; it then contained 63 a. (fn. 74)
ECONOMIC HISTORY.
There was land for 6
ploughs on the main holding at Upton in 1086;
land for two of these was in the demesne, and 9
villeins and 22 bordars held the remainder. (fn. 75) Apart
from this little is known of agriculture in the village
before the 15th century. In 1351 the lord of the
capital manor let pasture for 240 sheep on Odyngdon, later called Upton Cow Down; they were to be
folded on his arable land. (fn. 76) In 1377 an agreement
for the maintenance of five ploughs shows that
the demesne arable was still farmed. (fn. 77) By 1438
Odyngdon, for which a rent of 106s. 8d. had
formerly been paid, was in hand again and used
for the pasture of the lord's sheep. (fn. 78) Between then
and 1454, and probably for some years before and
after that period, Upton was one of the group of
Hungerford manors in Wiltshire and Somerset
which were carefully organized for the production
of wool. (fn. 79) The number of sheep sheared on this
manor was generally over 500, and in 1451 reached
721. All the pastures and downs of the manor were
used for their feed; the rest of the demesne was let
in small parcels except for a few acres of meadow
which were mown to provide hay for the sheep in
winter. The sheep were folded on parts of the
arable land, which could then be let at a higher rate
than the rest. The costs of this kind of farming
must have been small; the only payments recorded
were the wage of the shepherd and of men at shearing time, the cost of necessaries such as hurdles
and tar, and the wages of men to mow the meadows
and carry the hay to the downs. Leases of parcels
of demesne arable and meadow land could bring
in as much as £18 a year. Rents of assize brought
in rather more than this, and sales of timber and
underwood often brought £6 or £8. (fn. 80)
This intensive sheep farming was not resumed
when the Hungerford family recovered the manor
in 1485, (fn. 81) for the demesne was immediately let as
a whole to John Hill at a rent of £12. He also held
the demesne of the estate which had formerly
belonged to the Park family, which he had occupied
for some years. (fn. 82) The Hill family still held the
demesne farm, then called Odyngdon Farm, c.
1530, (fn. 83) and half of it in 1582. The other half was
then held by Christopher Cabell, and the whole
was called Kinton's Farm. It included a pasture
called Perry's Breach and 192½ a. of arable land.
Park's Farm held by Christopher Eyre included
24 a. of inclosed meadow and pasture and 124 a.
of arable land, but was held with three virgates
which added another 91 a. to its area. In 1582 the
customary holdings of the manor in Upton
amounted, apart from cottages and small closes, to
16½ virgates; these were divided between 11 copyholders in holdings varying between 4 virgates and
½ virgate. (fn. 84) By 1609 the two halves of the demesne
farm had been re-united, and the number of larger
copyholders had been reduced to 10 by the anexation of a single virgate to a larger holding. (fn. 85) Such
concentration of holdings must have given rise to
the several farms into which the manorial lands were
divided when they were broken up in 1689. (fn. 86) Thus
the farm held by the Keyford family in the 18th
century was identical with the two virgates held by
Christopher Carpenter in 1582, (fn. 87) and the three
virgates held by Robert Green then were still
distinguished as Green's Farm in the 19th century. (fn. 88)
The demesne farm of the manor was sold to the
Temples of Bishopstrow in 1689, (fn. 89) and let by them
at rack rents from at least 1717. After inclosure it
amounted to over 450 a., and was let at £340 in
1824. (fn. 90)
Little is known about the layout of the fields of
Upton before the 16th century. A number of furlong names are recorded, and there was an East
Field in 1341. (fn. 91) In 1582 the arable lands of holdings
in Upton lay in East, South, and West Fields, and
in the Garston, which lay north of the village
between the Warminster road and the lane to Biss
Bottom. (fn. 92) The total extent of the arable at that
time was probably not greatly different from that
at the inclosure of the parish in 1805, (fn. 93) when it
covered the open hollow between Upton Cow
Down and the Warminster boundary and extended
westward to surround the crofts of the village
and join the lands of the holdings in Norridge and
Thoulstone. In 1582 the South and East Fields of
Upton followed a two-year course, (fn. 94) and the
division of the rectory glebe into two parts in 1608
probably indicates that this was still the course for
the whole of the arable land. A century later the
same glebe was classified into East Field, West
Field, and 'other fields', (fn. 95) and at the inclosure
more than half a dozen fields and furlongs were
named on the award. This no doubt reflects a more
elaborate course, but nothing is known of it.
The demesne arable land lay in many pieces in
the 15th century, (fn. 96) but improvement by the exchange and consolidation of strips had begun in
1582, when at least 30 a. in the Garston, and perhaps all the farm lands, had already been divided off.
Much had also been done on Park's Farm, for the
124 a. belonging to it was divided into only 20
pieces, some as large as 20 a. This was a strong
contrast to the three virgates held with Park's,
where 84 a. were divided into over 90 pieces, (fn. 97) or
the rectory glebe, where in 1608 22½ a. lay in 33
pieces. The glebe still lay in many pieces in 1705. (fn. 98)
In 1582 the inclosure of common field land in
Upton had not begun, for the only closes mentioned
were crofts adjoining the village houses and inclosures of land, probably formerly waste, at
Chalcot. (fn. 99) It had indeed made little progress by
the time of the inclosure of the parish in 1805.
Inclosed land not subject to common rights lay
mainly round the village and west of it toward
Norridge Farm, and few inclosures had been made
in other parts of the fields. Those which were still
subject to common were included in the allotments
made by the award. (fn. 1)
The dearth of streams in Upton must have always
made meadow land scarce and no commonable
meadows seem to have existed; what little meadow
there was lay in small inclosures about the village
or near the Biss. (fn. 2) The commons on the other hand
were in 1582 extensive and important. Beside the
unsown field, which was used for cattle from the
breach and sheep from Martinmas, the downs
provided much pasture. Odyngdon, or Upton Cow
Down, provided 200 a. of summer pasture for
cattle and was several to the farmer of the demesne
for his sheep for the rest of the year. The tenants
had 60 a. of sheep pasture in Tenantry Down for
the whole year, and another 100 a. in Ridgeway
Down for the winter, partly shared with the farm
flock. The farmer of Park's could keep 273
sheep in Whiteway Down and Durtley Hanging
all the year, and had winter common for
them in High Hook in Warminster; in addition
he had spring pasture in Warminster Hill Field
every second year. The stints of the Upton customary tenants amounted to 970 sheep. For cattle and
horses, the tenants of Upton had common at the
rate of 5 beasts to a virgate in all the extensive
commons belonging to Norridge, including Norridge Wood, Clear Wood, Norridge Down, and
Fulmoor Common. (fn. 3)
For a century before inclosure Upton had been
divided into several freehold farms of considerable
size. The extent to which this had modified the
course of the fields, their division into strips or the
common rights over them is not known, although
we have seen that there had not been extensive
inclosure. In 1805 all the commonable land of the
parish was allotted; in Upton village there were
about eights farms, varying from about 50 to 450 a.
in size. Although inclosure must have resulted in
an increase in permanent grass, the parish remained
predominantly arable. In 1838 there were 1,368 a.
under the plough compared with 1,024 a. of pasture
which included 530 a. of downland. (fn. 4) In 1905 out
of a rather smaller area there were 1,050 a. of
arable land and 1,148 a. of pasture. (fn. 5)
In 1333 the demesnes of the manor of Norridge
consisted of 103 a. of arable land and small quantities of meadow, pasture and wood, and free and
customary tenants paid just over £4 in rents. (fn. 6) The
demesnes were still farmed in 1389, when 57 qr.
of wheat, 63 qr. of barley and 5 qr. of oats were
winnowed. (fn. 7) By 1468 the house and demesnes were
let at farm. (fn. 8) In 1572 William Cabell, the lessee,
held a farm which comprised some 27 a. of meadow,
50 a. of pasture, 15 a. of wood, and 140 a. of arable
land. Most of the arable lay in the North and South
Fields of Norridge, but some lay in Thoulstone
Field. The farmer had common on Norridge Down
for 260 sheep all the year, and in Norridge Wood
and Clear Wood for his oxen and horses, besides
certain rights in the fields of Upton and Warminster.
Besides this large farm, Cabell held two smaller
ones, a house near Norridge Farm called the
Crosshold, and over 50 a. and a rowless tenement
in Upton called Barn Close and about 40 a. The
rest of the manor consisted of two holdings at
Norridge, of 60 a. and 25 a., and four small holdings
at Thoulstone. (fn. 9) Norridge Down, which lay south
of Clear Wood, ceased to be used as a common
pasture in 1698, another indication of the dominance
of the farm in the economy of Norridge. William
Seaman, the lessee, broke it up and sowed it with
oats, and in 1739 it was producing good corn crops. (fn. 10)
By 1750 part of the farm which lay in Thoulstone
had been subtracted from Norridge Farm, which
was then held at a rack rent of £130. Later in the
century part of Clear Wood had been grubbed up
and added to it. (fn. 11)
At inclosure much of the western part of the
parish, stretching from Norridge Farm to Chapmanslade, consisted of old inclosures, many of
which had existed in the 16th century. Commonable arable land lay north of the Bath road surrounding Hedge Croft Wood. It was divided into
Thoulstone Field, Cold Castle Field, and Norridge
Hill. On the parish boundary north of Norridge
Wood lay Norridge Common. By that time the
Longleat estate in the parish consisted of only two
farms, at Norridge and Thoulstone. (fn. 12)
In 1267 Peter Scudamore obtained a grant of a
weekly market and a yearly fair at Upton, (fn. 13) but
nothing is known of either being held.
Mills belonged to two of the holdings at Upton
in 1086. (fn. 14) That of the capital manor may have been
Smallbrook Mill which, although it lay beyond
Warminster, was in Upton Scudamore parish until
the 19th century. (fn. 15) It paid a chief rent to the manor
of Upton in the 14th century, and was no doubt
once Scudamore property. Its history is dealt with
below. (fn. 16) A mill at 'Biss sub Clyve', no doubt Biss
Bottom, existed in the late 13th century, (fn. 17) but no
more is known of it.
CHURCH.
Norman work still remaining shows
that there was a church at Upton Scudamore in the
12th century. The advowson of the rectory was
annexed to the manor until the mid-14th century. (fn. 18)
In 1352 Walter Scudamore granted it to a canon
and two vicars of Wells Cathedral, in return for
a payment of 40 marks and the inclusion of his
family in the prayers offered there. In 1357 Sir
Peter de Grandison, Scudamore's overlord, licensed
the grantees to assign the advowson to the Dean
and Chapter of Wells. (fn. 19) William de Cudeworth, a
vicar choral of Wells, was instituted as rector in
1361, (fn. 20) and the church seems to have been destined
for the support of the college of vicars choral then
recently organized there. (fn. 21) Canons of Wells were
still presenting to the church in 1395, (fn. 22) but between then and 1428 the advowson was evidently
regained in some way by the lords of the manor,
for Walter, Lord Hungerford, presented at the
later date. (fn. 23) Successive lords continued to present
until the break-up of the manor in 1689. In 1701
Sir Stephen Fox gave the advowson to his nephew,
Richard Barry, who had been rector since 1691. (fn. 24)
After the death of his son Richard, rector from
1749 until his death in 1766, it was sold, subject to
the life interest of his son Richard, who succeeded
him as rector and died in 1779, to the John Michel
Foundation in Queen's College, Oxford. (fn. 25) The
college still retained the living in 1962.
There was a vicar at Upton Scudamore in the
mid-13th century (fn. 26) and until the sale of the advowson to the Dean and Chapter of Wells many
of the rectors seem to have presented vicars to
serve for them. (fn. 27) When it was held by the chapter
the church may have been appropriated. Early in
Elizabeth I's reign the Hungerfords were treating
the rectory as though it were impropriate and
making leases of it to laymen. (fn. 28) In 1582, however,
Thomas Hickman, the rector, evidently took his
patron to law and must have been successful in
regaining all the profits of the rectory. (fn. 29) The
church was valued at £8 in 1291, (fn. 30) and at £16 6s. 11d.
clear in 1535. (fn. 31) In 1582 it was reckoned to be worth
£40 a year, (fn. 32) and in 1634 £100. (fn. 33) About 1770 the
glebe and tithes were let at £200 a year. (fn. 34) In 1835
the average income was £456, (fn. 35) which by 1864 had
increased to £520. (fn. 36) When the tithes were commuted
in 1838, the rector owned those of all but about
419 a. of the parish. Of the remainder 23 a. had
been exempted from tithes under the Warminster
Inclosure Award; the tithes of 77 a. belonged to the
Dean and Chapter of Salisbury as part of Warminster rectory, of 92 a. to the Prebendary of Luxfield in Wells Cathedral, and of 227 a. to the former
free chapel of Norridge. For his tithes the rector
was allotted a rent-charge of £490, of which £10
represented the tithes of the glebe when it was let.
The Chapter of Salisbury received £50 and the
Prebendary of Luxfield £35. (fn. 37) When the advowson
was conveyed to the Dean and Chapter of Wells 2 a.
of land were included; (fn. 38) this probably represents
an augmentation of the glebe belonging to the
living. In 1608 the glebe was reckoned at 23½ a. and
in 1705 at 28 a. (fn. 39) After the inclosure of the parish
it amounted to 23¾. (fn. 40)
In 1311 John, parson of Upton Scudamore, was
pardoned for breaking out of prison in Dorset
because he had done good service in Scotland. (fn. 41)
Adam of Usk, chronicler and canon lawyer, held
the living from 1387 to 1393, but probably never
resided, for he was at Oxford at that time. (fn. 42) Thomas
Hickman, rector from 1579, was soon at variance
with his parishioners. Several of them were
brought before the Privy Council for bringing a
malicious action against him at Quarter Sessions;
they had evidently complained of his Puritanism,
but the Council approved of 'his finding fault with
sundry Papistical abuses by them used in the said
parish, worthy of reformation'. (fn. 43) In spite of this
the parishioners continued to complain to the
bishop of Hickman's practices, such as making
them receive the sacrament standing and wear their
hats in church, and not himself wearing the square
cap and surplice. It was rumoured, too, that he had
the benefice by simony, and by 1585 he had been
excommunicated. (fn. 44)
The 17th and 18th centuries were notable for
long incumbencies; between 1628 and 1850 only
seven rectors held the living. William Seaman,
1628–80, was head of a family which held a farm
in the parish on lease (fn. 45) and there is little doubt
that he resided. The Barrys, of whom father, son,
and grandson served the cure successively between
1691 and 1779, also seem to have lived in the village, although the second of them held benefices
in Dorset and Gloucestershire in plurality. (fn. 46)
Thomas Owen, 1779–1812, was a man of some
learning who translated classical works on agriculture into English. (fn. 47) Upton was his only benefice
and he resided on it. In 1783 he held morning and
afternoon services on Sundays with a sermon at
the former, and administered the sacrament four
times a year to about 40 people. (fn. 48) Henry Barry,
1812–50, is the only known absentee rector, for
he himself served the living of Draycot Cerne and
employed a curate at Upton. (fn. 49) John Baron, 1850–85,
published works on theological and antiquarian
subjects, but is chiefly remembered for his part in
the production of Scudamore organs, which is
described below. (fn. 50) He held morning and afternoon
services on Sundays, both with sermons; communion services were held at the major festivals and
monthly, and about 25 people attended. One
assistant curate was employed. (fn. 51) A Sunday School
had about 18 pupils in 1851. (fn. 52)
In 1331 Peter Scudamore was licensed to give
lands in mortmain to found a chantry in Upton
church. (fn. 53) When he granted his Warminster property to his son three years later, he reserved an
estate of over 40 a. there to endow it. The gift
was not, however, made until 1349, when Walter,
Peter's son, conveyed the land in Warminster to a
priest to celebrate daily in Upton church for the
souls of the Scudamore family. (fn. 54) When the manor
passed to the Hungerford family, licence was obtained in 1442 to use the endowment of this chantry
for the Hungerford chantry at Heytesbury. (fn. 55) The
later history of the property is described above. (fn. 56)
An inquisition in 1359 found that it would be
no damage to anyone to allow Walter Park to grant
60 a. in Upton to found a chantry in the church
there. (fn. 57) Nothing more is known of this chantry; it
is probable that the lands given for its support
were, like those of the Scudamore chantry, appropriated for the Heytesbury chantry in the 15th
century. (fn. 58)
In the mid-16th century there were 2 a. of land
in the fields of Upton which had been given by an
unknown donor for the maintenance of a lamp in
the church. (fn. 59) It was probably the same 2 a. the
profits of which it was said in 1582 had been employed on the repair of the church time out of
mind. (fn. 60) In 1783 it was said that there were 4 a.
which had been left before the Reformation for
that purpose. (fn. 61) At the inclosure of the parish an
allotment of 2½ a. was made to the churchwardens.
In 1903 the rent of the allotments for which it was
used amounted to about £7 a year and was used
for church expenses. (fn. 62) In 1885 Sophia Mary Baron
gave two cottages at Biss Bottom to the churchwardens. They were sold for £100 in 1890 and the
income from that sum has since then been used
for church expenses. (fn. 63)
The church of ST MARY THE VIRGIN stands
south of the village, and consists of nave, chancel,
north aisle, and porch, and a square western tower.
The dedication is mentioned in 1331. (fn. 64) The oldest
remaining work is the Norman surround of the
north doorway, (fn. 65) which is of the late 12th century;
a 15th-century arch has been inserted in it. In the
north wall of the nave is a small pointed lancet of
which the head is not original; this may once have
been Norman, while at the west end of the same
wall 'long and short' quoins have been preserved.
The circular Norman font is decorated with bands
of saw-tooth and lozenge ornament. (fn. 66) These are
the surviving remains of a church which probably
consisted only of a nave and chancel. In the late
13th or early 14th century a small aisle or chapel of
two bays was added north of the nave; in its east
wall is an original window of three graded and
cusped lancets. The chancel was probably rebuilt
in the 15th century. The chancel arch of this time
remains, and a square-headed east window of the
period existed until 1855. The tower was rebuilt
in 1750, and retains a round-headed window of
that date at the belfry stage. According to Hoare,
the remainder of the church was also rebuilt at
this time. (fn. 67)
By the mid-19th century the church had become
'an offensive charnel house', with 'all sorts of
deformities and material obstructions to worship'.
Under the direction of G. E. Street it was extensively remodelled in the 13th-century style. The
chancel was entirely rebuilt, and so was the south
wall of the nave, which incorporates a built-in
arcade to allow for the future addition of a south
aisle. A gallery at the west end of the nave was
removed, plaster ceilings in the nave and aisle were
replaced by the present roofs, and a north porch was
added. The west door and lower window of the
tower were renewed, the pinnacles taken off, and
an external frame was built on the tower to hold
the bell, which had previously been almost inaudible
at the rectory. The churchyard was extended on
three sides, and a stone wall replaced the dead
hedge and rotten palings which had surrounded
it. (fn. 68)
In the north aisle are two effigies of knights,
probably members of the Scudamore family (fn. 69) ;
one is probably of the late 13th century and the
other about 100 years later. (fn. 70) The church also
contains several monuments dating from the late
17th century onwards. There were three bells in
1553 and the same number in 1750, when two were
sold to pay for the work then done on the church.
The remaining one, dated 1614, was recast in 1882,
and two new bells were then added. (fn. 71) In 1553 a
chalice of 11½ oz. was left for the parish, and 15 oz.
of silver taken for the king. The plate consisted in
1963 of chalices of 1652 and 1878, a paten of 1733,
and a flagon of 1883. (fn. 72)
Upton Scudamore church was the scene of an
experiment in organ building which had some
influence on mid-Victorian builders. At the restoration of the church in 1855–9 John Baron found
himself unable to afford an organ, and so devised
a design for a small organ with only one manual and
no pedals, based on medieval models. He employed
Nelson Hall, an organ-builder living in the village,
to make the instrument, and G. E. Street, the
architect for the restoration, designed the case.
The idea was taken up by other churches both on
account of its cheapness and the small space
needed. Hall soon moved to Warminster, and
supplied churches in several parts of the country
before his early death in 1862. Many more Scudamore organs, as Baron called them, were built by
Henry Willis, the celebrated London builder. (fn. 73)
There was a chapel at Norridge in the reign of
Edward I. (fn. 74) Peter Bolymer was Rector of Norridge
in 1306, (fn. 75) and in 1311 was described as parson of
the chapel. (fn. 76) Institutions to this chapel are recorded
between 1313 and 1521, the patrons being the lords
of the manor of Norridge. (fn. 77) It was perhaps the
chapel in the manor house there, mentioned in
1333. (fn. 78) In 1428 it was not taxed because of the
small number of inhabitants. (fn. 79) In 1531 it was let
to Richard Hill, apparently a layman, although the
incumbent, William Hill, was a clerk described as
well-learned, and holding only one other small
benefice. The income of 52s. 6d. clear came from
25½ a. of land and the tithes of certain furlongs in
the manor of Norridge. The chapel was covered
with tiles and contained one bell. (fn. 80) It was dissolved
as a free chapel, and the property was let to John
Stockman for 21 years in 1555. (fn. 81) The reversion of
the lease was granted to Richard Middlecott of
Bishopstrow, clothier, in 1562. (fn. 82) The property was
sold by John Middlecott to John Sainsbury in
1572. (fn. 83) From that time the descent is obscure
until in 1655 William Whitaker bought ¼ share of
the parsonage from a number of interested parties, (fn. 84)
and left it at his death ten years later to his daughter
Anne, wife of Anthony Kington. (fn. 85) In 1662 Elnathan
Holwey acquired a half share from John Holwey
and Richard Clase, (fn. 86) and in 1697 Edward Buckler
bought the other quarter, again from several
parties. (fn. 87)
In the early 18th century Norridge parsonage
was held in 3 parts; half belonged to the Holwey
family, a quarter to Edward Buckler of Bristol,
and a quarter to Lawrence Kington. In 1734
Buckler bought the Holwey share, and two years
later sold all his interest to Anthony Kington, son
of Lawrence, who thus obtained the whole. (fn. 88)
Anthony Kington's daughter, Elizabeth, married
John Gallimore Hulbert who held the parsonage
until c. 1799. It then passed to another Anthony
Kington, perhaps brother of Elizabeth, who died
c. 1805. (fn. 89) His death again left several parties interested, whose shares passed c. 1820, probably by
sale, to S. F. Phelps, a Warminster attorney. (fn. 90) In
1838 the impropriator was John Norris Clark of
Trowbridge. He owned the great and small tithes
of 227 a.; he also owned the freehold of 97 a. of
these lands, and the tithes on them were extinguished by the award. Most of the rest of the land
titheable to Norridge formed part of Norridge
Farm. The parsonage glebe amounted to 23½ a.,
which was apparently free of tithe. (fn. 91)
Although the chapel must have been near
Norridge Farm, its exact site is unknown. It was
completely gone by 1783, (fn. 92) and probably long
before then. The only vestige remaining is a stone
panel with a carving of the crucifixion which is
built into the wall of a cottage; it is thought to be
of the 13th or 14th century.
There was a chapel at Thoulstone in the reign
of Edward I. (fn. 93) In 1320 there was a dispute
between Roger Bavant and Peter Scudamore over
the advowson, (fn. 94) which was annexed to the manor
of Upton Scudamore. (fn. 95) In 1341 it was described as
a free chantry worth 5 marks. (fn. 96) In 1428 it was not
taxed because there were fewer than 10 inhabitants. (fn. 97) It was apparently annexed to the church of
Upton about 1440 at the instance of Walter, Lord
Hungerford. (fn. 98) The chapel may have stood in
Chapel Close, which adjoins Thoulstone Farm on
the south. This close was later part of the glebe of
Upton church. (fn. 99)
NONCONFORMITY.
There were two sectaries
in Upton Scudamore in 1662, (fn. 1) but in 1669 and
1676 there were said to be none. (fn. 2) A man who
objected to infant baptism lived in the village in
1683, (fn. 3) and a century later there was one Presbyterian family. (fn. 4) A building was licensed for Baptist
worship in 1798, (fn. 5) but no permanent congregation
grew up. (fn. 6) In 1841 another building was licensed (fn. 7) ;
this was probably also for Baptists, for in 1850
there were enough in the village for the Warminster
congregation to build a chapel there. It provided
100 sittings, and a congregation of 60 attended in
1851, when afternoon and evening services were
held on Sundays and the minister from Warminster
preached on Thursday evenings. (fn. 8) The chapel fell
out of use in 1907 and was sold in 1920, the proceeds going toward paying off the debt on the
Warminster chapel. (fn. 9) It still stood in 1963, and was
used as a dwelling house.
SCHOOLS.
There was a school in Upton Scudamore in 1818, but it was said to be of little use. (fn. 10)
Six fee-paying children attended a school in 1833 (fn. 11)
and five years later between 20 and 30 children
were being taught by a mistress in her own cottage. (fn. 12)
Grants towards building a new school were made
by the state and the National Society in 1839. (fn. 13)
By c. 1858 some 40 or 50 children were being
taught by a mistress, trained at Salisbury Diocesan
Training College. The older boys at this date went
to school in Warminster. (fn. 14) In 1864 there was besides
the day school an evening school two nights a week
in winter; it was successful in teaching boys to read,
write, and cipher, 'but not much in Christianizing
or civilizing them'. (fn. 15) In 1871 there were the National
School for about 28 children and a private school
for 18 children. (fn. 16) The National School had an
average attendance of 43 in 1903–4. (fn. 17) In 1917 it had
dropped to 34, and in 1925 the school was closed. (fn. 18)
It still stood in 1963, and was used as a dwelling
house.
CHARITIES.
John Neat, by his will proved in
1844 left £150, the income from which was to be
paid on Christmas Eve to 5 old men and 5 old
women, regular attenders at Upton church. (fn. 19) Mary
Ann Wheeler gave £200 in 1878 and a further
£50 in 1908 to provide small sums of money, or
food and clothing, for 6 poor men or women, who
also had to be regular churchgoers. (fn. 20) The income
from both these charities amounted in 1962 to just
over £12 and was given away to between 6 and
10 people. (fn. 21)