SOUTHILL with ROWNEY
Sudgible, Sudgivele (xi cent.); Southyevell (xii–xiv cent.). Rueye, Runheye (xii, xiii cent.); Rowndehay, Rownhey (xvi cent.).
Southill with Rowney, including the hamlets of
Stanford and Broom and the extra-parochial hamlet
of Shefford Hardwick, forms a large parish lying a
mile west of the Roman Way. The land slopes
towards the River Ivel, which forms the eastern and
southern boundary of the parish. The lowest point
is near Stanford Mill, and is 108 ft. above the
ordnance datum; the highest point north of Rowney
Warren is 269 ft. above ordnance datum. The area
is 6,094¾ acres, of which 3,122 acres are arable land,
888¾ are permanent grass and 341 woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The soil is partly gravel and partly clay, the
subsoil principally clay. The chief crops are wheat,
barley, beans and turnips; an increasing area is
devoted to market-gardening, an industry which is
rapidly developing.
Southill Church from the South-east
Southill village is of considerable size; it consists
mainly of substantial thatched or tiled cottages—
many bearing the initials of that Samuel Whitbread
who purchased property here more than 100 years
ago—standing in pleasant gardens or orchards. There
are a few examples of half-timbered cottages. The
ancient church stands at the extreme north-west
corner of the village away from the main street. (fn. 2)
Southill Park, the seat of Mr. Samuel Whitbread,
covering some 800 acres, is west of the village.
The grounds are well wooded and include a fine
sheet of ornamental water. About 2 miles west of
the village is Southill station on the Bedford and
Hitchin branch of the Midland Railway.
Stanford is a scattered hamlet containing a school,
two inns and a mill. Stanfordbury Farm lies near
Shefford Hardwick, which consists of one farm, the
property of Mr. Samuel Whitbread.
Broom forms a compact little hamlet in the eastern
part of the parish, containing Broom Manor Farm,
an infant school and an assembly room. Broom Hall,
the residence of Mr. Rupert Fordham, in the north of
the hamlet, stands in a fine park. Gastlings, which
derives its name from the Gastlyn family, who lived
there in the 13th century, is in the west of the parish.
A few scattered houses to the north of the parish are
known as Ireland (the Inlonde of the 16th century (fn. 3) ).
Two Romano-British vaults were found near
Stanfordbury Farm in this parish in the early part of
the 19th century. (fn. 4)
The following place-names have been found in
documents relating to this parish:—Stratfurlong,
Trottesmere, Rowmerfurlong in the 14th century;
Cockinsteleland, Herteshyne, le Meredither, Doys
House, Bryky Close, Duf Close, Great Hell Close,
Ketilsey, Pondefeld, Graces Ground in the 16th
century.
The names of Johnson and his biographer Boswell
are connected with Southill. John Dilly, brother of
Edward and Charles Dilly, the booksellers in the
Poultry, lived here, and was visited by Boswell in
1779. Two years later Johnson accompanied his
friend on a visit to the same hospitable mansion.
'He found himself very happy at Squire Dillys, where
there is always abundance of excellent fare and hearty
welcome.' Johnson attended the parish church, and
subsequently drank tea with the vicar. From Southill
he went on to see Luton Hoo, recently built by the
Marquess of Bute. (fn. 5)
MANORS
In 1086 Hugh de Beauchamp held
2 hides 1 virgate of land which later became known as SOUTHILL MANOR. (fn. 6)
This land appears to have passed from the Beauchamps
to Warden Abbey some time in the 12th century, for
in 1198 its charter of confirmation contains mention
of land in Southill. (fn. 7) In 1330 the abbot claimed view
of frankpledge and rights of free warren in this manor, (fn. 8)
which was retained by the abbey till the Dissolution,
its value being then estimated at £32 18s. 10d. (fn. 9) The
manor remained for some time Crown property, (fn. 10) but
one of the more important estates in Southill which
emerged after the Dissolution, Fisher's Grange, which
in the previous century had been held by Sir John
Fisher and Agnes his wife, (fn. 11) by whom they had been
granted to Warden in 1506, was acquired in 1542–3
by Sir Michael Fisher. (fn. 12) It passed by the marriage
of his granddaughter and heir Agnes to Oliver Lord
St. John of Bletsoe, who died in 1582. (fn. 13) Their son
Oliver died in 1618 holding the same land in
Southill, but their grandson Oliver, created Earl of
Bolingbroke in 1624, had acquired the manor in
addition to the grange, probably by purchase, before
1641. (fn. 14) He was killed at the battle of Edgehill in
1642, fighting on the side of the Parliament, and
was succeeded by his grandson Oliver. (fn. 15) It has not
been found possible to trace how Southill Manor
passed from the Bolingbrokes to the Ongleys, but
in 1792 it was in the possession of Robert second
Lord Ongley, who still held it in 1797, (fn. 16) and
whose family had acquired considerable property in
Southill at different times. The greater part of his
lands in this parish he exchanged with Samuel Whitbread early in the 19th century for an estate in Old
Warden. (fn. 17) Lord Ongley, however, retained the
manorial rights in Southill, and they passed on his
death in 1814 to his son Robert third Lord Ongley, (fn. 18)
who conveyed them to Joseph Shuttleworth, when
the latter purchased nearly all the Ongley estates in
Bedfordshire between the years 1869 and 1873.
After his death in 1883 these rights passed to his
son Col. Frank Shuttleworth, (fn. 19) who is the present
lord of the manor of Southill.
Other tenants in Southill in 1086 besides Hugh de
Beauchamp were designated as two Frenchmen, holding of William Spech 5 hides ½ virgate. (fn. 20) The overlordship of the land belonging to one of these tenants,
which later became known as GASTLYNS or GASTLYNBURY MANOR, fell to the inheritance of
Albreda, the younger sister of Walter Espec, who
married Geoffrey de Trailly. (fn. 21) It became attached
to the honour of Trailly, comprising the possessions
of Albreda's descendants, with the exception of half a
virgate of land which belonged to the neighbouring
fee of Simon le Bel of the barony of Warden. (fn. 22) The
Trailly overlordship is last mentioned in 1428. (fn. 23) The
half virgate does not reappear in connexion with
Gastlyns after 1284–6, and was probably reabsorbed
in the neighbouring fee.
In 1229 Walter de Godarvill, the first tenant of
the manor whose name has been traced, was reinstated
by the king in his land in Southill, (fn. 24) and continued
in possession until his death in 1250, when the manor
was held by a yearly rent of 6d. and a pair of gilt
spurs. He was succeeded by his daughter Joan, the
wife of Sir Geoffrey Gastlyn, from whom the manor
derives its distinctive name. (fn. 25) She survived her
husband, and was succeeded by her son Edmund in
1286–7, (fn. 26) who alienated the manor to Hugh Doffevill
in 1301 for 100 marks, but was re-enfeoffed later by
Hugh with his wife Isabel. (fn. 27) She held the manor
in 1313, being succeeded by her son John before
1316. (fn. 28) He was living in 1337, but in 1346, his
heir Edmund being under age, the manor was entrusted to the care of his aunt, Alice Gastlyn, and
John Baret. (fn. 29) He must have died without direct heir,
for Alice was lady of Gastlyns in her own right in
1356, (fn. 30) but by 1363 the manor had been alienated
to John Creuker for his life, with reversion to Geoffrey
Gastlyn, Alice's son, which reversion the latter granted
in that year to Richard Gregory and others in trusteeship. (fn. 31) Six years later they assigned the manor to
Warden Abbey on condition that two chaplains were
provided to celebrate divine service daily for the souls
of Geoffrey and Alice Gastlyn, of their ancestors and
of all faithful departed at the altar of St. Mary in the
conventual church of Warden, (fn. 32) whose abbot paid
£100 for a licence to hold this gift in mortmain. (fn. 33)
Gastlyns Manor remained in the possession of Warden
Abbey until the Dissolution. (fn. 34) In 1544 it was in the
tenure of John Gardiner, and was granted to Francis
Pigot of Stratton, (fn. 35) whose son Thomas conveyed it to
Hugh Cartwright in 1566. (fn. 36) In 1587 William Cartwright alienated it to Nicholas Thurgood and his
heirs, (fn. 37) who remained in possession for eighty years.
The will of Thomas Thurgood, great-nephew of
Nicholas, was proved 4 January 1648, in which
Gastlyns was left to his elder son John, with contingent remainder to his younger son Nicholas. (fn. 38) In
1667 John Thurgood conveyed the manor to Sir
John Keeling. (fn. 39) The Keeling family were still represented at Southill in 1707, (fn. 40) and their property there
was probably sold about this time to Sir George Byng,
who bought largely in Southill during the second
decade of the 18th century, and was created Baron
Byng of Southill in 1721. (fn. 41) His grandson George
fourth Lord Torrington was in possession of Gastlings
Manor in 1762, (fn. 42) and sold it in 1795 to Samuel
Whitbread, (fn. 43) whose family have since resided at
Southill Park, the present representative being his
great-grandson Mr. Samuel Whitbread, J. P.
In the time of Edward III John Gastlyn claimed
the right of free warren in Gastlyns, and produced a
charter of King Henry III to his mother Joan granting
her this right and also that of a weekly market on
Tuesday. (fn. 44) The free warren in 1369, when the
manor was assigned to Warden Abbey, was worth
6s. 8d. yearly, (fn. 45) but no reference was made to the
market, which had apparently fallen into disuse.
The land which belonged to the other French
tenant of William Spech in Southill at the time of
the Domesday Survey was held in 1166 by John le
Bel and was attached to the barony of Warden. (fn. 46)
In the next century it was known as the fief of Simon
le Bel, held of the heirs of Warden, (fn. 47) and in 1284–6
was divided between the Abbot of Warden and
the Priors of Chicksands, Newnham and St. John of
Jerusalem. (fn. 48) No later mention of the overlordship
has been found in Southill; the greater part of the
land was absorbed by Warden Abbey before 1346
and became part of their manor in Southill. (fn. 49) The
principal part of the property of Chicksands Priory in
Southill evidently consisted of the Tithe Mills, which
were situated in Clifton and Southill and have been
treated under Clifton. (fn. 50) The value of the land which
they possessed in Southill itself at the Dissolution was
only worth 2s. 8d. (fn. 51) With the exception of the rectory
the land attached to Newnham Priory at that time
was valued at £1 19s. 2d. (fn. 52) In the reign of
Edward III the Prior of St. John of Jerusalem held
view of frankpledge at his manor at Langford for the
tenants on his land in Southill. (fn. 53)
There are three entries dealing with small portions
of land in the hamlet of Stanford in Domesday.
Roger held of Hugh de Beauchamp 1 hide which
Ailmar d'Ow held and could sell to whom he wished (fn. 54) ;
secondly, Alric held in chief a quarter of a virgate
which had belonged to him in the time of King
Edward, and which he could assign as he chose;
and lastly, Ordin, who was a man of King Edward,
and who also possessed a quarter of a virgate, as he
had done under Edward the Confessor, which he
could sell as he pleased. (fn. 55) The last two holdings do
not reappear, and probably became attached to the
manor of Eaton or absorbed in the barony of Bedford,
which are both traceable in Stanford by 1284–6. (fn. 56)
These overlordships continued in Stanford, the last
reference that has been found to the Eaton Barony
being in 1360, (fn. 57) to the barony of Bedford in 1499. (fn. 58)
There were two manors in the hamlet of Stanford.
Of these STANFORDBURY MANOR derived its
origin from land which was confirmed to Warden
Abbey in 1198 in a charter of Richard I. (fn. 59) Various
small grants were added to this from time to time, (fn. 60)
and in 1257 the abbey possessed nearly 4½ hides in
Stanford attached to the barony of Bedford, (fn. 61) which
in 1284–6 represented the corresponding half fee to
that held by John le Child. (fn. 62) The manor remained
with the abbey until the Dissolution. (fn. 63) In 1543 the
Crown granted Stanfordbury to Edward Gostwick
and his wife Dorothy. (fn. 64) The former died in 1558,
leaving as his son and heir William, then aged fifteen
years, (fn. 65) who had livery of the manor in 1564, (fn. 66) and
in the same year conveyed it to Oliver Lord St. John
of Bletsoe, brother and heir of John Lord St. John
referred to above, (fn. 67) who died seised of it in 1618. (fn. 68)
After this it appears to have followed the descent of
Southill Manor (q.v.), and passed to the Whitbread family, who own it at the present day, the
name being retained in Stanfordbury Farm. (fn. 69)
STANFORD MANOR
STANFORD MANOR, the second manor in this
parish, was in 1284–6 in the possession of John le
Child, who died before 1287. (fn. 70) His son, also
John, alienated it before 1316 to John de Pabenham, (fn. 71) son of Sir John de Pabenham of Pavenham
Manor (q.v.). John de Pabenham the younger died
seised of Stanford Manor in 1330. (fn. 72) His widow,
Joan, was holding in 1346, and her son James established his right during the following year as her
heir. (fn. 73) No later connexion, however, of the Pabenhams with the manor has been found, and it was
probably this land which was granted to Warden
Abbey in 1360 by William Burlee and others, (fn. 74) as it
had passed into the possession of the abbey before
1428. (fn. 75) After the Dissolution it was leased for
terms of years, but by 1574 Cuthbert Reyner had
received a permanent grant from the Crown and
sold it in that year to George Mordaunt. (fn. 76) There
was a long law-suit between George Mordaunt and
Thomas Bedell, which in 1579 resulted in the confirmation of the property to the former. (fn. 77) In 1595
he conveyed it to John Lord St. John of Bletsoe, (fn. 78)
after which date it becomes absorbed in the manor
of Stanfordbury (q.v.).
View of frankpledge and a free fishery in Stanford
water were named in connexion with Stanford Manor
in 1574 and 1579, (fn. 79) and view of frankpledge and a
court leet were included in the grant of Stanfordbury to Edward Gostwick. (fn. 80) Roger, Hugh de Beauchamp's tenant at Domesday, owned a moiety of a
mill in Stanford worth 5s. (fn. 81) Stanford Mills at the
Dissolution were worth £2 (fn. 82) and one was named
in 1579. (fn. 83) A water-mill mentioned in 1632 and
1792 (fn. 84) is probably the same as that existing at the
present day.
There is no reference to Shefford Hardwick in
Domesday, but William le Caron's half-virgate of
land evidently lay in this part of the parish of
Southill, for the Caron family were still living there
in 1298. (fn. 85) It has not been found possible to connect
any early holdings in the hamlet with SHEFFORD
HARDWICK MANOR, which belonged in 1562 to
Peter Grey, who conveyed it in that year to John
Whitbread. (fn. 86) John's son William sold it in 1589 to
Robert Barbor, whose son, another Robert, of King's
Walden, Hertfordshire, sold it in 1614 to William
Goldsmith of Campton, who died before 1639–40. (fn. 87)
The manor, called Hardwick, in 1650 belonged to
Robert Staunton, whose family twenty-two years later
still had an interest in it. (fn. 88) From the end of the
17th century the name of Pickering occurs in connexion with this manor, (fn. 89) and in 1764 a moiety of it
was owned by a member of the same family, Miss
Dorothy Elizabeth Pickering. (fn. 90) After this the
manorial rights became lost, and the hamlet at the
present day consists almost entirely of a large farm
which was purchased by Samuel Whitbread in 1813,
apparently from Joseph Ashby Partridge, and has
since remained in the possession of the Whitbread
family. (fn. 91)
Rowney apparently formed part of the original
grant of Walter Espec to Warden Abbey, (fn. 92) consisting
of those woodlands which overlapped from Old
Warden into Southill, for ROWNEY GRANGE was
named among the possessions of Warden Abbey in
1198 in the second confirmation charter of Richard I. (fn. 93)
At the Dissolution it was granted temporarily to
William Rolte, serjeant-at-arms, and in 1544 to
Francis Pigot of Stratton, (fn. 94) whose widow Margery
surrendered her life interest in the grange to Thomas
Pigot, her husband's son, (fn. 95) and he in 1566 alienated
it to Hugh Cartwright. (fn. 96) In 1587 Hugh's relative,
William, alienated Rowney Grange to Nicholas Thurgood, who in his turn conveyed it to Sir John Brett
in 1599. (fn. 97) Owen Brett succeeded his father in 1620. (fn. 98)
He fought on the king's side in the Civil War, and in
1651 he was fined £1,396 13s. 4d., of which sum two
days later he was only able to pay £100. (fn. 99) Soon after
Rowney Grange was conveyed by fine to Henry Wynn
and his son John for £200. (fn. 100) With the exception of a
later conveyance by fine in 1663, in which a quitclaim
was granted to Peter Newes and others from Brett
Norton and Sarah his wife, (fn. 101) Rowney does not reappear
as a separate estate. The name survives in Old and
New Rowney Farms, which belong to Mr. Whitbread
at the present day. (fn. 102)
A grant of free warren in the woods belonging to
Rowney Grange was made to Warden Abbey in 1252,
with a special protection against the distraint of their
sheep and a fine of £10 against any disturbing their
peace. (fn. 103) The right was claimed by the abbot under
Edward III as from time immemorial. (fn. 104)
The rabbit warren in Rowney was granted in 1519
to Michael, afterwards Sir Michael Fisher and John
his son for life in survivorship, by Augustine, Abbot of
Warden, the reversion of which was granted in 1544
to Francis Pigot for £698 6s., at the same time with
Rowney Grange. (fn. 105) There are frequent references to
this warren during the 16th century, the ownership
following that of the grange. Under Elizabeth none
of the queen's tenants of Southill had any right of
common for cattle in Rowney Grange lands. (fn. 106)
HOLME MILL GRANGE
HOLME MILL GRANGE was an estate belonging
to Warden Abbey, which after the Dissolution was
conveyed in 1594 to Richard Sutton for the use
of George Fish, queen's surveyor in the county of
Bedford. (fn. 107) George Fish died in 1603, and was succeeded by his son Sir John Fish. (fn. 108) The estate was
alienated by Sir Edward Fish, son or grandson of
Sir John, between 1635 and 1668, (fn. 109) and does not
reappear.
Holme Mills formed a separate estate from the
grange, (fn. 110) and were granted in 1607–8, being then
in the tenure of William Rolffe, to John afterwards
Sir John Brett, who died in 1620, leaving a son and
heir Owen, (fn. 111) after which they do not reappear as a
distinct estate, though the name has survived in the
district to the present day. Holme Mill was partly
destroyed by fire, and rebuilt, a few years ago. The
old water-mill is still working, with additional enginepower. (fn. 112)
There was a rabbit warren in Southill covering
100 acres, and worth £1 13s. 4d. yearly, which
after the Dissolution was in the tenure of George
Fish, and was granted in 1607 to Sir Edward
Phillips. (fn. 113)
The names of five other tenants in Southill were
recorded in the Domesday Survey. Of these Walter
the Fleming held half a hide of woodland, which his
predecessor owned in the time of King Edward, and
Alric held 1 virgate of Walter (fn. 114) ; further, Richard
Pungiant owned another half-hide of woodland,
which had belonged to Archbishop Stigand before the
Conquest. (fn. 115) It has been found impossible to trace
the later descent of these holdings. Another of the
small Domesday tenants was William le Caron, who
held half a virgate of Eudo Dapifer, (fn. 116) to whom
reference has been made under Shefford Hardwick.
Countess Judith also owned 1 hide of land in this
parish, having Hugh de Beauchamp as her tenant. (fn. 117)
This holding followed the same descent as that of
Southill Manor, which passed to Warden (q.v.), and in
1257–8 Robert Bruce, representing the honour of
Huntingdon, relinquished to Warden all claims in
Southill. (fn. 118)
The priory of St. John of Jerusalem had an estate
in Stanford in 1284–6 which they held of the barony
of Eaton, and which was tenanted by Richard
Wyscard. (fn. 119) During the reign of Edward I the
prior claimed view of frankpledge in his lands in
Stanford under a charter of Henry III, (fn. 120) and in the
time of Edward III the courts were held twice a
year in the manor of Clifton. (fn. 121) After the Dissolution in 1540 this property was granted to Sir Richard
Longe. (fn. 122) The later descent of this estate has not
been traced.
The priory of Chicksands owned part of a knight's
fee of the barony of Bedford in Stanford during the
14th and 15th centuries, but at the Dissolution their
property in the hamlet was only worth 2s. 8d. (fn. 123)
One tenant in Broom is mentioned in Domesday,
Nigel de Wast, who held 5 hides of Nigel d'Albini. (fn. 124)
It has been found impossible to trace the early
descent of this land, but in 1319 land in Broom was
named in connexion with Holme and Biggleswade,
and awarded to Thomas de Holme and Nichola his
wife as against Roger son of Richard de Milnho. (fn. 125)
Broom remained closely connected with Holme, for
at the end of the 14th century, when Richard II
transferred Richard le Scrope's gift of all his lands
there to the monastery of St. Peter at Westminster,
the grant included all manors, lands and tenements
in the hamlet of Broom formerly belonging to
Richard le Scrope. (fn. 126) After the Dissolution these
lands were granted in 1542 to the Dean and abbey
of Westminster. (fn. 127)
CHURCH
The church of ALL SAINTS consists of a chancel 34 ft. 3 in. by 15 ft. 7 in.,
nave 63 ft. 6 in. by 20 ft. 5 in., north
aisle 11 ft. 4 in., south aisle 10 ft. 7 in. wide, and a
western tower 12 ft. 1 in. by 12 ft. 9 in.
A repair, almost amounting to a rebuilding, in
1814 has taken away most of the interest of the
church. The greater part of the walls and most of
the windows are rendered in cement; the chancel,
clearstories and upper part of the tower are constructed in brick, the walling of the aisles and the
lower part of the tower is of stone and of mediaeval
date. All the walls are finished with plain brick
parapets, except those of the tower, which are embattled and quite modern.
The east and south-west windows of the chancel
are 15th-century work, and the traces of a small
blocked south door are to be seen to the east of the
latter window, but there is otherwise nothing of
interest in this part of the church.
On the north side of the chancel is a sepulchral
vault to the Byng family, built of plastered brick;
there are several memorial slabs to various members
of the family, including one to George Viscount
Torrington, Rear-Admiral of Great Britain, who died
17 January 1732. The vault also contains the tomb
of Admiral John Byng born in 1704, tried and
condemned for error of judgment, and executed
14 March 1757. In the vault is also an old
iron-bound chest with three hasps and padlocks.
Between this vault and the north aisle is a vestry, in
the north wall of which is a two-light window with
a wooden frame. The chancel arch is modern, of
two chamfered orders with a label, the inner order
springing from two moulded corbels.
In the interior the walls of the whole church are
plastered.
The nave arcades are of five bays and a half, as
on both sides a half bay butts up against the west
end, and are apparently 19th-century imitations of
14th-century work, entirely uninteresting in effect.
The arches are in two chamfered orders with labels,
and spring from piers formed of four rounds with
moulded capitals. The clearstories are alike and
contain four windows with four-centred heads consisting of two lights in plain wooden frames.
In the north wall of the north aisle, which from
the detail of its plinth seems to be of the 14th
century, are two 15th-century windows like the east
window of the chancel and a 15th-century doorway
with a pointed head and label, the jamb moulding
being two double ogee orders separated by a hollow.
In the west bay is a three-light north window with
geometrical tracery of very good style, covered with
cement, but apparently old; it must date from c. 1300.
In the west wall is a pointed doorway, and there is
a blocked opening at the west end of the south aisle.
The south door is modern, and opens to a modern
porch of plastered brickwork, and in this are four
15th-century windows, each of three cinquefoiled
lights, with tracery beneath a four-centred head.
The tower has clasping buttresses at the west
angles and square buttresses at the east angles; it is
divided by strings into three stages, in the top one
of which on each side are pairs of two-light windows,
each having a quatrefoil in the head. In the story
below are small trefoiled lights, the clock face being
set over that on the east side. The west doorway
has a pointed arch under a square head with tracery
in the spandrels, and over it is a window of three
cinquefoiled lights.
There is now no entrance from the tower into
the church, but in the tower can be seen the square
edge of an eastern arch. The font, which is modern
and stands in the centre of the nave between the
north and south doors, is octagonal with panelled sides.
At the west of the nave is a gallery in which is
the organ, and in the tower is an old chest with
moulded panels; the altar table is 18th-century
work, but all other woodwork is quite modern. In
the floor of the chancel are memorial slabs to John
Nodes, 1666, to Mary wife of Thurgood Upwood,
1687, and to Sir John Kelynge, serjeant-at-law,
1680. On the walls of the chancel and aisles and
also in the floor of the nave are several 18th and
19th-century memorial slabs.
There are six bells, of which five are by John
Briant of Hertford, 1814, and the tenor is by
Mears & Stainbank, London, 1867.
The plate consists of a flagon, chalice, paten and
credence paten, all of silver and very massive.
The registers previous to 1813 are contained in
five books: (1) all 1538 to 1710; (2) all 1710 to
1766, marriages till 1754; (3) marriages (printed)
1754 to 1799; (4) baptisms and burials 1767 to
1812; (5) marriages (printed) 1799 to 1813.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of Southill Church
was part of the original endowment
of Newnham Priory (fn. 128) by Simon de
Beauchamp, as is confirmed in the second charter
of Henry I, inspected in 1317. (fn. 129) It remained in the
possession of the priory until the Dissolution, (fn. 130) when
the Crown retained it in 1605. (fn. 131) In 1640 it,
together with the vicarage, belonged to Francis and
Richard Bickley, (fn. 132) in 1662 to Thomas Cookson, and
later in the century to Sir John Keeling, a member
of whose family, another John Keeling, presented to
the living in 1681. (fn. 133) He was probably the same John
Keeling of Southill who was one of the commissioners
of the land tax for the county of Bedford in 1707. (fn. 134)
It had been purchased by Sir George Byng before
1711, and remained in his family (fn. 135) until 1795, when
it was sold by George Byng fourth Lord Torrington
to Samuel Whitbread, who united it to Old Warden
in the same year. (fn. 136) The present owner of the
advowson is Mr. Samuel Whitbread of Southill Park.
At the Dissolution Southill Rectory, hitherto
the property of Newnham Priory, was valued at
£17, and became Crown property. (fn. 137) It was leased
in 1562–3 to Thomas Marbery, (fn. 138) and afterwards to
Richard Lydall and Edmund Bostocke in 1607. (fn. 139)
In 1624 it had passed from the Crown to private
hands and was conveyed to Humphrey Fishe and his
heirs, who still retained half of it in 1695. (fn. 140) The
other half passed into the possession of Sir John
Keeling, (fn. 141) after which it followed the same descent as
the advowson until the parish of Southill was inclosed
in 1797, when allotments were made to Mr. Whitbread and Mr. Barber as impropriators of the great
tithes and to the vicar for the small tithes. (fn. 142)
CHARITIES
Maynard's and Poor's Land Charity.
In 1557 John Maynard by his will
devised land and tenements in Broom,
the rents to be distributed to the poor and in the
mending of the highways, at the discretion of the
trustees. On the inclosure in 1797 certain allotments
were made in lieu of the open-field land comprised in
the devise and other property then belonging to the
poor. In 1906 the trust estate consisted of 14 a. 2 r.
of allotment land and 27 poles known as Cook's Lane
leading thereto, producing £35 a year, which, augmented by subscribers, was applied in the distribution
of coal to sixty recipients.
In 1842 Miss Frances Smith by her will, proved in
the P.C.C. 19 August, left £200 to be invested, and
income applied for the benefit of the poor of Southill
and Old Warden in such manner as the trustees
should think fit. The legacy was invested in
£214 15s. 3d. consols, which is held by the official
trustees, producing £5 7s. 4d. a year. The moiety
applicable in this parish was in 1906 distributed
among thirty-one recipients.