BLUNHAM with MOGGERHANGER and CHALTON
Blounham (xiii, xiv cent.); Mokehangre (xiii cent.);
Cerlentone (xi cent.); Cherleton (xiii, xiv cent.).
The parish of Blunham with Moggerhanger and
Chalton has an area of 3,020½ acres, of which 1,752¾
acres are arable land, 791¼ acres are permanent grass
and 40 acres woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The land lies
low in the neighbourhood of the Ouse, which waters
the north and west of the parish, and of the Ivel
in the east, and is liable to floods. The slope is
from south-west, where it attains 182 ft. above
ordnance datum, to north-west, where it is in parts
only 60 ft. above ordnance datum. The soil and
sub-soil are principally gravel; the chief crops are
garden produce (especially in Moggerhanger) with
small quantities of wheat, oats and barley.
Blunham Church from the North-west
Blunham village lies in a well-wooded hollow in
the east of the parish. The church stands in a large
walled churchyard in the south-east of the village,
the road here widening out to form a square, at the
sides of which some old thatched houses are grouped.
The old manor-house, a 17th-century building now
used as a butcher's shop, is opposite the church. It
was once the residence of Charles Earl of Kent, who
died here in 1625. (fn. 2) Behind the fire-engine house
is to be seen the ancient lock-up, a small wooden
structure about 6 ft. square, and the village pound,
built of brick, still exists. By the River Ivel stand
the old mill and mill-house now used as a private
residence. Blunham House, the principal house in
the parish, standing in a well-timbered park, is the
property of Mr. Charles Salusbury Payne and is
situated in the south-west of the village.
South Mills, where the foundations of the old mill
are still to be seen, lies directly south of Blunham,
and consists of a farm and a few houses. A large
chemical manure and bone factory has recently been
established here. Between Blunham and Moggerhanger, which is in the extreme south of the parish,
is the outlying district of Chalton, consisting of a
farm and a few houses. Moggerhanger contains the
modern church of St. John, standing in the north-east of the village, which is higher than the rest of the
parish. Moggerhanger House lies in a thickly-wooded
park, and was purchased three
years ago by Mrs. Lane from
Colonel Mercer, formerly lord
of the manor, who still retains
a little land in the parish. St.
John's is the residence of Mrs.
Thornton, the widow of Col.
Thornton, whose family has
been connected with Moggerhanger for over a century.
Near Barford Bridge in the
west of the parish there is a
mineral spring (fn. 3) which in 1849
was called Poplar Well. (fn. 4)
In 1802 one of Lysons' correspondents at Blunham wrote
that he had been informed that
on the site of a farm-house
belonging to Lady Lucas there
was formerly a religious house,
and that in moving some
ground near his own house two
years previously he had disturbed a number of human skulls
and bones, most of them placed
within 2 ft. of the surface.
This ground he considered
might have been the cemetery
of the monks. (fn. 5)
The Bedford and Cambridge
branch of the London and North Western Railway
has a station in the parish near South Mills.
Blunham was inclosed by Act of Parliament in
1796. (fn. 6) The following place-names have been found
in the 14th century:—Bercheresmede, Breche,
Clyfmede, Collholm, Estmedyth, Exholme, le Hatche,
Hatchefurlong, Hogfurlong, Levyngeshege, Lodyngfurlong, Lovebene, Thatcheholm, Westmedelley,
Wexfurlong, Whecostyathor, Wofurlong. (fn. 7)
MANORS
In 1086 the land which afterwards
became the manor of BLUNHAM was
held by Baldwin, Abbot of Bury St.
Edmunds, who owned 4 hides 1 virgate of the king in
chief in Blunham, (fn. 8) and a further half-hide of the
Countess Judith. (fn. 9) The overlordship remained in
the hands of the Abbots of
St. Edmunds until the Dissolution, when it lapsed. (fn. 10)
No tenant is mentioned as
holding of the abbot in 1086,
but, together with Sidegate in
Suffolk, Blunham was subsequently granted by the
Conqueror to Ralph, who
held it of the abbot by the service of steward. The manor
next passed to Maurice de
Windsor, whose tenure was
confirmed by charter of King
Stephen. Ralph de Hastings,
nephew of Maurice, succeeded
his uncle and held Blunham in the reign of Henry II.
Before 1182 he was succeeded by his nephew William
Hastings, who, dying in that year, was followed by
his son Henry, a minor. Henry de Hastings accompanied Richard I on crusade in 1191–2, receiving
remission of his scutage in that year. He died in
1195–6 when William his brother paid 100 marks'
relief for his lands and offices. (fn. 11) William de Hastings
still held Blunham in 1205, (fn. 12) and in 1240 his grandson Sir Henry de Hastings, one of the barons who
later joined Simon de Montfort against Henry III,
held 5 hides there of the Abbot of St. Edmunds. (fn. 13)
In 1247 Hugh Peche and Ida his wife, sister of
Henry de Hastings and widow of Stephen de Segrave,
held the manor for her life. John de Hastings, the
son of Sir Henry de Hastings, succeeded his father in
1268. (fn. 14) He became Lord
Abergavenny in 1273 in right
of his mother Joan de Cantelow, the sister and co-heir
of George Lord Abergavenny.
In 1297 a licence was granted
him, when 'going beyond
seas with the king on his
service,' to demise the manor
of Blunham to Agnes de
Valencia, kinswoman to
Edward I, for her life. (fn. 15) She
still held the manor in 1309
when she received a grant of
free warren of Blunham. (fn. 16) John de Hastings died in
1313 seised of the manor. He was succeeded by his
son, another John, who in 1316 was lord of Blunham. (fn. 17)
He died in 1325, and, as his son and heir Laurence
was then only six years of age, (fn. 18) his wardship was
granted to Roger Mortimer Earl of March. (fn. 19) In
1339 Laurence de Hastings was created Earl of
Pembroke; he died in 1348, and during the
minority of his son John the custody of Blunham
Manor was granted to John Malyn and his son
John. (fn. 20) John de Hastings died in 1375, (fn. 21) when the
manor was assigned by the king to Anne widow of
the late John de Hastings during the minority of
her son John. On the death of the latter in 1389
Blunham passed to his cousin and next heir (of
the whole blood), Reginald de Grey of Ruthyn. (fn. 22)
From this time the descent of the manor is identical with that of Wrest in Silsoe (fn. 23) (q.v.) until
the death of the last Earl Cowper in 1905, since
which date it has remained in the hands of his
trustees.
Bury St. Edmunds Abbey. Azure three crowns or with two arrows in saltire or in each.
Hastings. Or à sleeve gules.
Grey of Ruthyn. Barry argent and azure with three roundels gules in the chief.
Cowper, Earl Cowper. Argent three martlets gules and a chief gules with three rings or therein.
Owing to the frequent change in the owners of
Blunham Manor it is possible to form some idea of
its value during the 14th century. Thus in 1323–4
it was estimated at £14 16s. 8d., in 1331 at
£24 9s. 7½d., while in 1354–5 John Malyn paid
£20 2s. 1d. a year for two years for the custody of
the manor and afterwards 40 marks a year. (fn. 24)
In the time of Edward I John de Hastings claimed
view of frankpledge in Blunham. (fn. 25) In 1392 courts
were held twice yearly at Easter and Michaelmas (fn. 26) ;
view of frankpledge was claimed by Henry Earl of
Kent in 1601, in 1628 and in 1651. (fn. 27) A grant was
made in 1314 to John de Hastings and his heirs to
hold a market every Wednesday at Blunham Manor
and a fair there every year on July 24, 25, 26, the
vigil, the day and the morrow of St. James the
Apostle. (fn. 28) There is no evidence that these have been
held since the 14th century.
There are traces of a second manor called BLUNHAM MANOR, which originated in land held by
the Braybrooke family of the Earl of Pembroke. (fn. 29) In
the 13th century John de Braybrooke claimed certain
rents in Blunham, (fn. 30) and his descendant Gerard de
Braybrooke, who died in 1359, possessed land there
which was then worth £7. (fn. 31) His son and heir,
another Gerard, with Reginald Kentwode, Dean of
St. Paul's, his cousin and afterwards his executor,
obtained a grant of lands in Blunham in 1425. (fn. 32)
After Gerard's death in 1427 these lands were
granted by Reginald Kentwode to Sir William Beauchamp and his wife Elizabeth, the daughter of Sir Gerard
Braybrooke. (fn. 33) In 1437 they are referred to as a
manor, and in 1430 and 1446 mention is made of
the court at Blunham of Sir William de Beauchamp
and Elizabeth his wife. (fn. 34) Sir William became Lord
St. Amand in 1448–9 in right of his wife, and died
in 1457, when his son and heir Richard was only
three years of age. (fn. 35) Richard Lord St. Amand was
attainted by Richard III in 1483 for conspiring in
favour of Henry Earl of Richmond, and these lands
were granted in 1484 to Lord Stanley and his son. (fn. 36)
The attainder was reversed by Henry VII in 1485.
Elizabeth 'Seyntmounde,' then relict of Sir Roger
Tocotes, held Blunham Manor
of the Earl of Kent at
her death in 1491. (fn. 37) She
was succeeded by her son
Richard Beauchamp, who died
in 1508, when the title of
St. Amand went into abeyance. (fn. 38) During some years
the manor appears to have
been in the possession of
Richard Sacheverell, Henry
Longe and other trustees, who
had been enfeoffed by the
last Lord St. Amand. (fn. 39) It
passed through various hands
to St. John's College, Cambridge, who, after a long dispute with George Lord
Cobham, (fn. 40) agreed in 1534 to pay tithe to him for
the use and possession of the manor. (fn. 41) From this
time no further trace of it has been found.
Braybrooke. Argent seven voided lozenges gules.
Beauchamp, Lord St. Amand. Gules a fesse between six martlets or with a border argent.
St. John's College, Cambridge. France quartered with England in a border gobony argent and azure.
There is no mention of MOGGERHANGER
MANOR in Domesday, and it was apparently
included in the 10 hides belonging to Adeliza wife
of Hugh de Grentmeisnil in Chalton. (fn. 42) The overlordship of Adeliza de Grentmeisnil in this manor
passed later by marriage to Saer de Quincy Earl
of Winchester. (fn. 43) Margaret, his granddaughter and
co-heir of Roger Earl of Winchester, carried it in
marriage to William Ferrers Earl of Derby, from
whom it passed to his younger son William Ferrers
Lord de Groby. (fn. 44) The last mention of the overlordship is found in 1488, when it was held by Thomas
Marquess of Dorset, Lord de Groby. (fn. 45)
The first tenant of this manor of whom mention
has been found is Roger de Trumpington, who died
seised in 1289 and was succeeded by his son Giles. (fn. 46)
Roger de Trumpington, his
kinsman, died seised of the
manor in 1326, (fn. 47) and his
widow Maud, who was still
alive in 1346, held it for her
life. (fn. 48) She was followed by
her son Roger de Trumpington, who died in 1369. (fn. 49)
His son Sir Roger died ten
years later, leaving a son and
heir Roger, but his widow
Blanche received the issues
of the manor until her death
in 1383. (fn. 50) Roger died in
1415, (fn. 51) and was succeeded
by his widow Margaret. (fn. 52) A relief of £5 was
wrongfully exacted from her, for which she obtained
compensation in 1418. (fn. 53) Margaret Trumpington died
in 1453, (fn. 54) and four years later her son Sir Walter
granted the manor to Maud Enderby in trust for her
life, a marriage having been arranged between his
daughter Eleanor and Maud's son Richard. (fn. 55) Richard
Enderby succeeded in 1474, (fn. 56) and after his death in
1487 (fn. 57) his son John alienated Moggerhanger to
William Gascoigne. In 1507 Sir Edmund Lucy and
his wife Eleanor (widow of Richard Enderby) recovered it for their lives with remainder to William
and his heirs. (fn. 58) The manor passed from the Gascoignes to the Aleyns, John Aleyn being in possession
in 1549. (fn. 59) When John Aleyn, who succeeded his
father (presumably son to the former John), died in
1629 his son Henry was a minor, and the manor had
been settled on his wife Katherine. (fn. 60) Henry Aleyn
suffered a recovery of the manor in 1647, (fn. 61) and within
a few years it had been alienated to Thomas
Bromsall, (fn. 62) and later passed to the Astell and Thornton
families. Robert Thornton succeeded his uncle
Richard Astell (whose sister
Elizabeth married Owen
Thomas Bromsall of Thornhill) in 1777. (fn. 63) He sold the
manor to his brother Godfrey
before 1796. (fn. 64) Godfrey died
in 1805, and was succeeded
by his son Stephen, who died
in 1850, The next heir in
the direct descent, Colonel
Godfrey Thornton, died in
1857, and was succeeded by
his brother, Colonel William
Thornton, who died in 1864
without issue. (fn. 65) During the last century Moggerhanger Manor passed to the Dawkins family of
Over Norton, and about 1888 to Mr. Richard
Mercer, (fn. 66) whose son Colonel
Algernon Mercer sold it three
years ago to Mr. Fane, the
present owner being Mrs.
Fane.
Trumpington. Azure crusily and two trumpets or.
Aleyn. Sable a cross potent or.
The right of free warren
was acquired by the lord of
this manor in 1315 (fn. 67) ; view
of frankpledge was also
claimed from the 13th to the
17th century. (fn. 68)
Thornton. Argent a cheveron gules between three hawthorn bushes vert with three crosses formy fitchy argent on the cheveron.
Another manor in this
parish, known as SOUTH
MILLS MANOR or
HOLWELLS MANOR, was
held of the honour of
Leicester. (fn. 69) It is in Chalton
and Moggerhanger, and included, as its name implies,
the mill which formed part of Adeliza de Grentmeisnil's 10-hide manor at Domesday, of which mill
the foundations of the house are still to be traced. (fn. 70)
The earliest tenant of whom mention has been found
is William Lovel, who held half a fee here in the beginning of the 13th century. (fn. 71) He was succeeded
by a family called de Harcourt. (fn. 72) In 1270 Henry
de Harcourt and Celia his wife conveyed land and
part share in the mill to Richard de Harcourt, (fn. 73) who
is returned as holding a quarter of a fee here in
1284–6. (fn. 74) In 1315 his son William de Harcourt (fn. 75)
was summoned for trespass and assault. (fn. 76) He owned
the manor in 1319, (fn. 77) between which date and 1346
an alienation appears to have taken place. It was
then held by Robert de Holwell, John Malyns,
Nicholas Crowe and John de la Hay. (fn. 78) In 1428
three names are given: Thomas Malyns, Gerard
Crowe and Joan Hende (fn. 79) ; but the Holwell family
appear to have had the principal interest in the
manor, as Richard Holwell is found conveying it to
John Fitz in 1432–3. (fn. 80) By 1469 South Mill Manor
had become the property of George Gascoigne and
Elizabeth his wife, who then alienated it to John
Maningham. (fn. 81) He retained it till 1484, when he
transferred it to John Mordaunt and John Vynter. (fn. 82)
It next appears as the property of John Aleyn, who
in 1549 alienated it to Humphrey Brown and others. (fn. 83)
Its history during the next century has not been
ascertainable, but it reappears in 1679 as the property of Thomas Cheyne, who then conveyed it to
Thomas Bromsall. (fn. 84) According to Lysons, it passed
from the Bromsall family to the lords of Moggerhanger Manor (fn. 85) (q.v.), whose descent it shares until the
latter manor was alienated to Richard Mercer, when
South Mills was retained by the Dawkins family, (fn. 86)
whose representative, Mr. F. Dawkins, is now lord
of the manor.
In the 17th century (fn. 87) there appears a further
manor, CHALTON MANOR, which follows the
same descent as South Mills.
The Prior of St. Neots owned land in Blunham,
originally granted by the Earl of Leicester in 1119. (fn. 88)
In 1291 the St. Neots lands in Blunham were worth
£5 12s. 11d., (fn. 89) and at the Dissolution £13 15s. 11d. (fn. 90)
These lands are the subject of various grants made by
the Crown and private owners in the 17th century. (fn. 91)
CHURCH
The church of ST. EDMUND consists of a chancel 38½ ft. by 19½ ft.,
north and south chapels, a nave 42 ft.
by 22 ft. 2 in., a north aisle about 15 ft. wide
and south aisle 13½ ft. wide, both overlapping
the west tower, which measures 15 ft. 3 in. by
15 ft. The earliest part of the church is the
lower part of the tower, probably c. 1100, when the
church consisted of a chancel narrower and shorter
than at present, a nave and west tower; there was
evidently also a north chapel, of which a wall still
existing is pierced by the present arch leading from
the north chapel into the aisle, but whether this
chapel was attached to the chancel or nave cannot be
determined. In the late 13th century the chancel
was rebuilt and enlarged, and in the 15th century
the present north and south chapels were erected. In
the 16th century the tower was restored and partly
rebuilt. The chancel has a modern east window of
three trefoiled lights and tracery under a pointed
head, and over it on the outside can be seen the line
of the 14th-century roof. The clearstory with three
three-light windows a side is late 15th-century work,
and the low-pitched roof is of the same date, with
carved bosses at the intersections; the most noticeable
are a chained bear and a griffin and a kneeling priest
in cassock and amice, perhaps the rector of the time.
On the north side is a pointed arch, leading into the
chapel, of two wave-moulded orders, further east is a
blocked early 14th-century window, and below it
a richly-carved canopied recessed tomb, c. 1350, having
a cinquefoiled ogee arch and a crocketed label with a
large foliate finial; the tomb slab is of Purbeck marble
set on a base panelled with quatrefoils inclosing
shields. On the south of the chancel near the east
end is the tomb with heraldry and alabaster effigy of
Susan, wife of Charles Earl of Kent, a daughter of
Sir Michael Longueville, who died in 1620; there
are smaller effigies of her two sons, and all are under
a semicircular canopy. In this wall are two early
14th-century windows of two trefoiled lights and
flowing tracery; under the first are three stepped
sedilia of late 13th-century date with moulded heads
and octagonal shafts, and under the second a modern
doorway. A late 13th-century string runs along
the north and south walls of the chancel at sill
level. Between the chancel and south chapel, now
the vestry, a doorway formerly existed, but its
head and the wall above it in this bay have
been cut back and filled with a late 15th-century
stone screen. The chancel arch is wide and tall, in
two moulded orders, interrupted by 15th-century
capitals and terminating in moulded bases; the line
of the former chancel roof can be seen above it, and
to the north is the rood staircase. The north chapel
has a late 15th-century north window of four cinquefoiled lights with tracery under a four-centred head,
and at the north-east are two lockers; in the east
wall is a plain niche, and there is a moulded ogee-headed piscina on the south. The north-east angle
is rebuilt. The south chapel has a 15th-century east
window of five cinquefoiled lights with tracery under
a four-centred head. There is a cinquefoiled piscina
with small carved spandrels, and to the east is a
locker, both much restored. The nave has north
and south arcades of three bays, with moulded jambs
and arches similar to the arch on the north side of
the chancel, but of higher and more slender form.
The clearstory has three two-light windows a side,
probably later than the arcades, and the roof is
entirely modern. In the north aisle the west window
is of 15th-century date, and consists of four cinquefoiled lights with perpendicular tracery under a pointed
arch; the north doorway is of the end of the century,
and has a four-centred moulded head and label.
Further east are two windows, late 15th century, like
that in the north chapel, and the arch communicating
with the chapel is similar to the nave arcades, but has
an additional order on each side, and on the north
jamb is an image corbel; above it is a small trefoilheaded niche. There was a loft across the west end
of the chapel, reached from the rood stair. The
south doorway is in two hollow-chamfered orders, the
outer forming a square head and the inner a pointed
arch with carved spandrels; to the east is a blocked
four-centred doorway which led into the parvise staircase. The south porch is later than the doorway, and
has a steep-pitched roof; it reaches to the boundary
of the churchyard, and there are, therefore, archways
on either side for the convenience of processions. To
the east of the porch is a window like that in the west
wall of the north aisle, and at the south-west and west
are windows like the south window of the chapel. The
early 12th-century work in the tower consists of a
blocked round-headed window on the north side, the
east jamb of a similar window on the south, and the
arch into the nave, which is semicircular, of a single
order with alternate voussoirs of oolite and ironstone;
the jambs and arch have a large angle-roll, that on the
jambs being brought out to a square under the abacus,
and so producing a sort of cushion capital. All but
the lower parts of the north and south walls and a
greater height of the east wall was rebuilt in 1583,
according to two lozenge-shaped panels on the west
buttresses, and is entirely faced with ironstone, a little
of the earlier walling remaining on the north side.
Across the tower arch is a pretty Jacobean oak screen,
with flat balusters in the upper half; at the west of
them are some seats of late Gothic type, but probably
as late as the 17th century. The octagonal pulpit is
c. 1620, with two tiers of arched panels, and curved
braces beneath, and the altar table is also old. The
font, at the west end of the north aisle, has an
octagonal bowl, possibly 15th-century work, on a
modern base. There is a brass in the floor of the
nave with effigies of Richard Maulaye, mercer, who
died in 1506, and his wife Alice. There are many
inscriptions to the Bromsall family during the latter
part of the 17th century and the 18th century;
one in the nave is to Thomas Bromsall, 1682, and
his wife Margaret, daughter of George Orlebar. There
are also several of the same period to the Longueville
family. In the north aisle is also a 13th-century coffinlid with a cross in relief. Fragments of a reredos of
English alabaster of 15th-century date are preserved
in the chancel. They were found during some alterations in 1849 under the east window, and represent
Our Lord's pity, the road to Calvary, Our Lady and
Child, and a fragment.
Plan of Blunham Church
There are five bells, the first and third by Newcombe
of Leicester, 1602, the second presented in 1752
by Sir Henry Graye and Mary his wife; the fourth,
1609, is an alphabet bell by Hugh Watts; the fifth,
1740, by Thomas Russell of Wootton.
The plate consists of a large silver-gilt chalice
presented by Dr. Donne, Dean of St. Paul's, date
mark 1626, and another presented in 1813 with date
mark 1812; a large foot paten presented by Dr. Archer
1682 with the previous year's date mark, and a
modern paten and glass flagon mounted in silver.
There are seven books of registers previous to
1813:—(i) all 1571 to 1621; (ii) 1622 to 1653;
(iii) 1653 to 1673; (iv) 1674 to 1705; (v) 1705
to 1740; (vi) printed marriages 1754 to
1812; (vii) baptisms and burials 1758 to 1812,
and there is a copy of those between 1678 and
1705.
ADVOWSON
Blunham Church belonged to
John de Hastings, first Lord Abergavenny, (fn. 92) and at an inquisition held
in 1313 after his death the advowson was valued
at £20 yearly. (fn. 93) Its descent corresponds with that
of the principal manor (fn. 94) (q.v.) until the death of
Earl Cowper in 1905, when it passed to his widow,
Katrina Cecilia Countess Cowper, who is the present
owner. (fn. 95)
Moggerhanger Church was built by Mrs. Dawkins
as a memorial to her husband, the Rev. Edward
Henry Dawkins of Moggerhanger House, who died
in 1859. (fn. 96) The advowson remained in the Dawkins
family until 1888, (fn. 97) when it passed with Moggerhanger Manor to Mr. Richard Mercer, (fn. 98) whose son
Col. Algernon Mercer, after an interval, (fn. 99) sold it to
Mrs. V. Fane, the present owner. (fn. 100)
There was a fraternity at Blunham founded by
John Reynolds, Simon Cole, John Webbe, William
Webbe and John Lutton. Two wardens nominated
a priest to pray for the souls of the founders and of
all Christian people at the altar of the Holy Trinity
in Blunham parish church. After the Dissolution
the king granted the chantry priest a pension of £4
from the dissolved abbey of Warden. (fn. 101) Blunham at
this time was 7 miles in circumference, and most of
the parishioners (who numbered 340 'houselyng'
people) a mile or more from the parish church,
whilst there were only the incumbents and the
chantry priest to serve its spiritual needs. (fn. 102) The
revenue of the fraternity was £6 13s. 6½d. clear, and
the plate included six silver spoons. (fn. 103)
CHARITIES
The Church Acre, the origin of
which is unknown, is let at £1 5s.
a year, which is applied by the
churchwardens for church purposes.