STEVINGTON
Stiventone, Stivetone (xi cent.); Stethintun (xiii
cent.); Styventon, Stevyngton (xiii–xv cent.); Steynton (xvi, xvii cent.).
Stevington is a parish 4¾ miles north-west of Bedford, having an area of 1,820 acres, of which 642¼
are arable land, 951½ pasture and grass and 16¾
woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The slope of the ground is
irregular, mainly from south-west to north-east; the
greatest height attained is 303 ft. above the ordnance
datum in the west, the lowest 126 ft. in the east.
The soil is clay, the subsoil limestone and marl. The
principal crops are wheat, beans, barley, oats and
clover.
The village of Stevington, which is situated in
the west of the parish, straggles on either side of
the roads from Carlton and Stagsden, which here
meet at right angles, at a point called the Cross.
Lysons, writing of Stevington at the beginning of
the 19th century, says, 'In the centre of the village
is an ancient cross, consisting of a tall shaft with a
capital, placed on an ascent of steps.' (fn. 2) The iron upright of this ancient cross was removed to the weathervane on the church tower, a modern capital has been
imposed and the flight of steps restored. (fn. 3) The base
of the cross is of four steps, the bottom one being
circular, the upper ones square. The top step has a
trefoiled panel on each face and supports the shaft,
the neck and base of which are square, although the
intervening angles have been chamfered off. A capital
of sculptured foliage crowns the shaft and carries a
square crocketed and gabled pinnacle, terminating in
a carved finial. At the east end of the village, still
known as Park End, there was formerly a park, long
since turned into pasture, and now the property of
the Duke of Bedford. The parish church of St. Mary
is in the north of the village; from the rock on which
it is built issues a spring of water called the Holy Well,
of which the waters have never been known to freeze
in winter nor dry in times of drought. (fn. 4) There is a
Baptist meeting-house, established here in 1655, the
present building dating from 1720, and a Primitive
Methodist chapel, erected in 1863.
There is a windmill in Stevington and two small
woods, Long Tag in the south and Woodcroft in the
north, the latter being mentioned by name in an
extent of Stevington Manor dated 1349. (fn. 5)
The population of Stevington is mainly agricultural,
women are engaged in lace-making, and the manufacture of mats, established many years ago, still
flourishes.
It would appear that Stevington at an early date
was specially capable of agricultural development.
From the entry in the Domesday Book it is shown
that there was land there for twenty-four ploughs, (fn. 6)
whilst Pavenham and Odell. the former of slightly less
hidage, but the latter of greater, could provide only
three and four ploughs respectively. (fn. 7)
The Black Death greatly impoverished the parish,
as is evinced by an inquisition of the manor in 1349,
by which we learn that the fulling-mill was worth
less because it stood empty on account of the deadly
pestilence, the dovecote was in ruins and the garden
was worth nothing (fn. 8) ; but in the same year the value
of the manor was assessed at £49 7s. 7d., which
does not show a very marked diminution in value (fn. 9)
from that given about a hundred years earlier.
Mr. Fisher, writing in the Gentleman's Magazine
of 1812, mentions a range of low stone buildings,
with traces of a gate-house or porter's lodge, and an
unroofed chapel standing near Stevington Church,
which he surmises to have been occupied by some
religious fraternity, of which he has discovered no
trace. Harvey identifies this as a building long
known as the manor-house and now pulled down.
When advertised for sale in 1873 (see history of
Stevington Manor ut infra) it was advertised as a
'farm-residence of considerable antiquity, said to have
been the Hospital to Harrold Priory.' (fn. 10)
Stevington parish received an Inclosure Award by
Act of Parliament in 1805. (fn. 11)
It is stated in the middle of the 16th century that
there was a certain yearly 'Drinking' in Steventon,
provided from the farm of 7 acres of land in Steventon
in the tenure of Thomas Derling. (fn. 12) It was worth 4s. 8d.,
and was charged with 4d. a year rent to Lord Vaux
as to his manor of Carlton. (fn. 13) With other religious
property this land was seized by the Crown, and in
1558 was granted to Thomas Reve and Henry Cotton. (fn. 14)
Harvey, writing in the Hundred of Willey (1872–8),
says 'Drinking-Bush Hill is the name of a hill
towards the western boundary of the parish. The
parishioners, "beating the bounds" on arriving at this
place, used to dig a hole, jump in it, and then drink
to satiety. It is not known when this annual custom
was discontinued nor whether it had any connexion
with the church ale; the situation of this hill, near
the confines of Carlton, where Lord Vaux had a
manor, seems to show that it had.' (fn. 15) Mr. Fisher,
writing in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1812, also
mentions and illustrates certain grotesque carvings,
ornamental finishings to the upright ends of the
benches in the nave, which seem likely, from their
character, to have reference to the church ale. (fn. 16)
MANOR
At the Survey of 1086 STEVINGTON MANOR, assessed at 3 hides, belonged to Count Eustace of Boulogne, (fn. 17)
and is subsequently found attached to the honour of
Boulogne. In the 13th century the Count of
Guînes held it as part of this honour, (fn. 18) to which
the vill of Stevington was declared to be attached
in 1278–9. (fn. 19) After the 13th century Stevington
Manor is merely declared to be held in chief. (fn. 20)
During the Confessor's reign the tenant of Stevington was a thegn, Adelold by name, whose successor in 1086 was Ernulf of Ardres, (fn. 21) from whose
family the manor passed to the Counts of Guînes. (fn. 22)
The Count of Guînes appears to have been holding
in Stevington some time prior to 1153, (fn. 23) for his
grant of Stevington Church to Harrold Priory is
confirmed by 'Eustace the King's son,' who died in
that year. (fn. 24) In 1205 Baldwin Count of Guînes,
possibly grandson of the benefactor of Harrold Priory, (fn. 25)
recovered possession of his lands in Stevington of
which he had been deprived by the king's orders. (fn. 26)
Henry de Trubleville received in 1221 the custody
of this manor, (fn. 27) which is next found in the
possession of Robert de Guînes, whom Dugdale
states to be a brother of Baldwin. (fn. 28) He confirmed
the advowson of Stevington Church to Harrold
Priory in 1236–7, (fn. 29) and is named by the Testa as
the representative of the Boulogne honour in this
parish. (fn. 30) By 1252–3 Stevington had passed from
Robert de Guînes to the de Quincy family, for in
that year Robert de Quincy acknowledged the right
of his elder brother Roger Earl of Winchester and
his heirs male to the manor; in the event of Roger's
dying without heirs it was to revert to the right
heirs of Robert. (fn. 31) Roger de Quincy accordingly
held Stevington until his death without male heirs in
1264, when Stevington Manor passed to Hadwisa
wife of Baldwin Wake, one of the daughters and
co-heirs of Robert de Quincy. (fn. 32) Baldwin Wake
died in 1281–2, leaving a son John, and in 1284
Hadwisa Wake rendered feudal service for Stevington. (fn. 33) John Wake did homage for his lands in 1290,
and was summoned to Parliament as Lord Wake of
Liddell by writs dated from 1295 to 1299. (fn. 34) He
died in 1300, his heir being
his son Thomas, aged two, (fn. 35)
who held by feudal service in
Stevington in 1346. (fn. 36) Thomas
Wake was made governor of
Hertford Castle and of the
Channel Islands by Edward
III, and died without issue in
1349. (fn. 37) His heir was his sister
Margaret wife of Edmund
Plantagenet Earl of Kent,
who died a few months after
her brother; but his widow
Blanche daughter of Henry
Plantagenet Earl of Lancaster continued to hold
Stevington Manor in dower till her death in
1380–1, (fn. 38) Joan daughter and heir of Margaret
then inheriting. Joan, who is known to history as
the Fair Maid of Kent, married, first, Thomas de
Holand, created Earl of Kent, by whom she had
two sons, and, secondly, Edward the Black Prince,
by whom she became the mother of Richard II. (fn. 39)
She died in 1385, and the inquisition held as to her
property states that though Thomas de Holand
Earl of Kent was her eldest son and heir, she had
granted Stevington Manor for her lifetime to her
younger son John de Holand, (fn. 40) and Thomas de
Holand, after his mother's death, gave up all claim
in the manor to his brother, (fn. 41) John de Holand, who
was created Earl of Huntingdon and Duke of Exeter,
and was executed in 1400 for taking part in a conspiracy against Henry IV to restore Richard II (fn. 42) ;
in the same year his widow Elizabeth daughter of
John of Gaunt and sister of Henry IV petitioned for and obtained the restoration of Stevington Manor as part of her dower. (fn. 43) At her death in
1425 the manor passed to her
son John Holand Earl of
Huntingdon, (fn. 44) who in 1443
was advanced to the title of
Duke of Exeter forfeited by
his father, and who died in
1447, leaving a son Henry,
then aged seventeen and upwards. (fn. 45) Henry Earl of
Huntingdon and Duke of
Exeter fought on the side of
the Lancastrians and was
attainted in 1461, when all
his honours were forfeited.
His wife Anne, who was sister
of Edward IV, received a life grant of Stevington
Manor from her brother, with reversion to her
daughter Anne, who predeceased her mother,
however, leaving no heirs. Anne Duchess of Exeter
died in 1475–6, when Stevington reverted to the
Crown. (fn. 46)
Wake. Or two bars gules with three roundels gules in the chief.
Holand. England with the difference of a border argent.
The manor remained Crown property until 1485,
when Richard III granted it to Thomas Lord
Stanley, created Earl of Derby in the same year. (fn. 47)
His grandson Thomas Earl
of Derby received a confirmation of the grant from Henry
VII in 1488–9. (fn. 48) He died
in 1521, leaving a son Edward
Stanley, (fn. 49) who in 1533–4
granted Stevington Manor as
security for a debt of £5,000
to the Crown. (fn. 50) Ferdinand
Earl of Derby, grandson of
the above-named Edward
Stanley, left Stevington to his
son William in 1594. (fn. 51) In
1599–1600 he made a settlement of the manor on the
occasion of the marriage of his mother Alice, daughter
of Sir John Spencer of Althorpe and widow of Ferdinand Earl of Derby, to Sir Thomas Egerton, Baron, Ellesmere, who was Lord Chancellor of England from 1596
to 1616–17. (fn. 52) Two years after its acquisition Thomas
Egerton, together with his wife, alienated Stevington
Manor to James Dean, (fn. 53) who in 1607 conveyed it
by fine to Thomas Langhorne and other trustees. (fn. 54)
In 1623 Sir Samuel Tryon and his wife Elizabeth
alienated the manor to George Tuke, (fn. 55) who in 1636
conveyed it to William Alston. (fn. 56) It thus became
attached to Odell (q.v.), with which parish its history
is henceforward identical. In July 1873 two portions of this estate, described as 'the Manor Farm,
246 a. 24 p., and fishing in half the river,' and
'Burley Farm, situated at Pickshill,' were advertised
for sale, and became the property of the Duke of
Bedford. (fn. 57) This farm became later the property of
Mr. F. C. Higgins of Turvey, who recently sold it
to Mr. Cauvin of Bedford. With these exceptions,
the manor of Stevington has remained in the Alston
family, and is at present the property of Mr. Rowland
Crewe Alston of Odell Castle.
Stanley. Argent a bend azure with three harts' heads caboshed or thereon.
In 1280 Baldwin Wake received a charter of free
warren in Stevington Manor, (fn. 58) in which he also
exercised view of frankpledge. (fn. 59) In 1281 he further
received a licence to 'crenellate a chamber in his
marsh of Steventon,' (fn. 60) and a Close Roll of the
following year states that, 'Whereas the king gave to
Baldwin Wake, before his death, 10 oaks in the
forest of Salcey for construction of his hall at
Stivinton, and Baldwin before his death received
only 6 oaks, as the king learns; the king wishing to
show favour to Hawisia who was wife of Baldwin
for the remaining trees orders Roger to deliver to
her the remaining 4 trees if Baldwin received 6
only.' (fn. 61) No further mention has been found of
this house, and it seems uncertain that it ever reached
completion. Lysons says that no traces existed of it
when he wrote, but Harvey considers that the site
may be determined as the large earthworks near the
Ouse, beside the footpath which leads to Pavenham, (fn. 62)
and which is locally known as the Seeds, possibly
'Sedes.' Stevington Manor also included in the
13th century an ancient park 140 acres in extent,
and the right of free fishery in the Ouse. (fn. 63)
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN consists of chancel 26 ft. by
15 ft. 4 in., with ruined north and
south chapels, nave 35 ft. 6 in. by 15 ft. 4 in.,
with north aisle 15 ft. wide and south aisle 12 ft. 8 in.
wide, with a south porch and west tower 12 ft. 4 in.
by 12 ft. 9 in., overlapped by the aisles. The
lower part of the tower is Saxon work, and there was
doubtless a contemporary aisleless nave and chancel;
but about 1320 a general rebuilding was begun
from the east, the chancel with its flanking chapels
being first undertaken; the north arcade and aisle
of the nave seem to be the next work, and are
of better detail than the south arcade. The aisles
were carried to the west face of the tower, which
itself was left untouched, and in the 15th century
the south chapel was rebuilt or remodelled and a
new upper stage put to the tower. The nave clearstory is also of this date, but its windows have been
renewed in modern times, together with a good deal
of the other worked detail of the church.
The chancel has a modern east window of five
lights, but the base of a shaft which belonged to an
early 14th-century window still remains in the wall
a little to the south of it. In the side walls are
arches, now blocked, to the ruined chapels, and at
the south-east is a blocked 14th-century window with
shafted jambs, having a trefoiled piscina recess in its
east jamb and a squint from the south chapel at the
west; its sill is also carried down to serve as a seat.
The 14th-century chancel arch has shafted responds
with small rolls between the shafts.
The nave has arcades of three bays, the north
arcade being of the same detail as the chancel arch,
and the east arch of the tower belongs to the same
work. The south arcade is of slightly later
character, with arches of two wave-moulded orders.
The nave roof is 15th-century work of four bays, with
angels holding shields carved with Passion emblems,
&c.
At the east end of the north aisle is the blocked
arch formerly opening to the north chapel, and
close to it on the north side is a recess of the
same date, with a cambered wood lintel, moulded
and retaining traces of colouring. In the north
wall the two eastern windows are modern, with
three lights and tracery under a segmental head;
under one of them is a small 14th-century opening,
with a pointed trefoiled head. The north doorway
is in detail like the north arcade; further west, and
in the west wall, are 14th-century windows, of
two trefoiled lights with net
tracery. The blocked eastern
arch of the south aisle is of the
same date as the south arcade of
the nave, and has capitals resting
on corbels. In the south wall are
two modern windows like those
in the opposite aisle, and at the
south-east is a rood stair, a
15th-century addition. The south
doorway opens into a contemporary porch with a pointed
outer arch.
Further westward is a modern
window with net tracery like
that in the north aisle, and at
the west end is a smaller modern
window of two lights with net
tracery. The font, which is for
the most part modern, has a bowl,
quatrefoil on plan, resting on four
detached shafts ranged round one
that is octagonal, and these have
13th-century capitals and bases;
to the east of the doorway is a
stoup, the head of which appears
to have once formed part of an
11th-century window.
The tower is built of rubble with roughly shaped
long and short quoins in the early work, which remains
to about one-third of its height; on the south side is
a tall, narrow arch with a semicircular head and
square jambs with long and short work and a plain
string at the springing; above it is a double-splayed
window containing its original midwall wooden
window board, pierced with a round-headed opening
wider at the sill than the head. In the north wall
is a similar window, but less perfect and without its
board. The tower has a plain parapet and a twolight 15th-century window on each side of the
belfry stage; in the west wall of the ground stage
is a 14th-century two-light window with net
tracery.
Beneath the east window of the ruined north
chapel lies an altar slab 6 ft. 9 in. long, and there are
several 13th-century grave slabs in the chapel. At
the west end of the south aisle is a 14th-century headstone from a churchyard grave, with crosses on both
sides of its circular head.
Parts of a 15th-century oak screen stand in both
aisles of the nave, and retain a painted diaper of
flowers and couchant deer, and in the nave are several
bench ends with 15th-century finials of unusual
detail, having the figures of men drinking, reading
and lying down, while others are carved with animals.
Under the tower arch is a tall late 15th-century oak
screen with a 17th-century arched head inserted. In
the south aisle is a fine brass, somewhat 'restored,'
of a knight, his head on his helm; under is the inscription 'Orate pro aĩa Thome Salle (fn. 64) armig'i Đ obiit
XXI die mens Aplis anno dĈ M°CCCCXXII,'
and above it are two shields bearing salamanders
in saltire.
There were four bells cast by John Hodson in
1654, but the first, second and third have been
recast and a fifth added. The fourth has the
inscription 'John Hodson made mee 1654, John
Latton, Henery Negus churchwardens,' and the
headstones of these churchwardens are now in the
tower, the first having died in 1681, the other in
1678.
Plan of Stevington Church
The church plate consists of a cup and paten cover
with date mark 1569 and maker's mark—a horse's or
ass's head, and a silver-plated flagon.
The registers before 1812 are in five books:
(i) contains baptisms 1653 to 1701, marriages
1657 to 1695, burials 1690 to 1702; (ii) all entries
1702 to 1731; (iii) baptisms and burials 1732 to
1779, marriages 1732 to 1761; (iv) baptisms and
burials 1779 to 1812; (v) marriages 1811 and
1812.
ADVOWSON
The first mention that has been
found of Stevington Church is a
grant, some time before 1153, of the
advowson to Harrold Priory by Baldwin Count of
Guînes. (fn. 65) The church remained in the possession of
the priory till the Dissolution, when, valued at
£12 13s. 4d., it became Crown property. (fn. 66) Thomas
Adams obtained a lease of the rectory and church in
1574–5, (fn. 67) and two years later it was granted by the
Crown to Sir Lewis Dyve of Bromham. (fn. 68) The Dyves
retained both rectory and advowson until 1672, (fn. 69) in
which year Francis Dyve and Theophila his wife
conveyed them by fine to Thomas Raymond and
other trustees. (fn. 70) This appears to have been preliminary to alienation, for in 1695 they reappear as
the property of Henry Fleetwood, who between that
date and 1700 made a series of conveyances of Stevington rectory and advowson to Peter Floyer. (fn. 71) The
latter continued to present until 1738, (fn. 72) in which
year he sold the rectory and advowson to Sarah
Dowager Duchess of Marlborough, (fn. 73) who by her
will, proved in 1744, left them in trust for her
grandson John Spencer. (fn. 74) Between this date and
1776 the advowson was alienated to Francis Duke of
Bedford, who presented to the vicarage in that year, (fn. 75)
and it has since remained in his family, the present
patron being Herbrand Arthur Russell eleventh Duke
of Bedford. (fn. 76) Earl Spencer still owned the great
tithes at the time of the Inclosure Award to Stevington
in 1805, (fn. 77) but they were purchased in 1838 by the
Dukes of Bedford. The Tithe Farm passed later to
Mr. F. G. Higgins of Turvey, who recently sold it to
Mr. Ibbot of Oakley, who is lay rector of Stevington. (fn. 78)
CHARITIES
The almshouses, built in 1654
with funds arising under the will of
William Barringer and rebuilt in
1839, consist of five cottages, now occupied by five
inmates who receive 2s. a week, derived from the rent
of 25 a. 1 r. 8 p. situated in Pavenham. The charity
was regulated by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 1863, which has given place to a new
scheme dated 24 January 1911.