HOLCOT
Holecote (xi cent.).
Holcot is a small parish covering an area of about
904 acres, 279 acres being arable land, 555½ permanent grass and 42 woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The soil,
which, like the subsoil, is strong clay, is chiefly
suitable for grazing. The crops are wheat, barley,
beans and peas.
In the north-east of the parish the land, which
lies 386 ft. above the ordnance datum, is covered by
the plantation called Holcot Wood. The ground
falls away to the south-east, the village lying 250 ft.
high in a small valley.
Holcot itself barely deserves the title of a village,
consisting as it does of the church, with the rectory
across the road, a building of some pretensions, dating
apparently from the first half of the 19th century,
two cottages, Holcot Mill and a few scattered farms.
Of these, the Church Farm lies to the north of the
church, and is reached by a road leading on to Rooktree Farm. Holcot Farm is half a mile south of the
village, and beyond this again is Brook Farm. In
the north-east of the parish is Holcotwood Farm, and
from here the land falls sharply away across Holcot
Moors to the house called Holcot Moor, inhabited
by Mrs. Chernock Smith.
The parish is watered by a small stream, which
forms its western boundary. Where it passes the
rectory grounds there is a small waterfall. Further
up the stream is Holcot Mill, a modern building,
with its mill-pond. As stone-ground flour has fallen
into disfavour, this and many other mills in the
neighbourhood are chiefly utilized in grinding barleymeal for feeding pigs, and even this occupation shows
signs of failing, the larger farmers now grinding their
own barley-meal by means of gas and steam plant.
The site of the old manor-house built by Richard
Chernock, who died in 1615, (fn. 2) is still to be traced
to the north-east of the church, now only used for
burials. The house itself was pulled down at the beginning of the 19th century. A magnificent avenue of
limes still marks the position of the entrance drive.
The site of the garden can be plainly identified to the
north-east of the church. The former terraces are
still visible where the ground slopes down towards a
pond, drained within recent years, which formed an
ornamental feature of the now vanished garden. The
modern buildings on a portion of the site are known
as Church Farm.
A reference in 969 to the boundary of Holcot (fn. 3) is
evidence of the existence of the village at that date.
MANOR
At the survey of 1086 HOLCOT
MANOR, assessed at 4 hides, belonged
to William Spec, whose predecessor in
the time of the Confessor was Alward Belrap. (fn. 4) The
overlordship of this manor is found later attached
to the barony of Beauchamp of Eaton, and is so
described in 1284 (fn. 5) and again in 1428. (fn. 6)
Ralph Passelewe (Passaquam) held the manor of
Holcot at the time of the Domesday Survey, (fn. 7) and in
the 13th century Gilbert Passelewe, his descendant,
held by knight's service here. (fn. 8) The early history of
the lords of this manor follows the same descent as
that of Biddenham (q.v.), passing from the Passelewes
to the Fermbauds. (fn. 9) In 1330 Nicholas Fermbaud
claimed free warren in his demesne lands of Holcot. (fn. 10)
His death took place shortly after, for in 1332 his
widow Amabilia and his two sons Thomas and John
were concerned in an action for trespass. (fn. 11) Katherine
daughter of John Fermbaud and her husband John
Woodville acquired rights of free warren in 1366. (fn. 12)
Thomas Fermbaud or Woodville (fn. 13) held in Holcot in
1428. (fn. 14) His successor, Richard Woodville, who was
made a Knight of the Garter in 1449, was the ancestor
of Margaret Helwell, who married Thomas Sherard (fn. 15)
and had two sons Richard and George. (fn. 16) In 1541
George Sherard alienated Holcot Manor to his
brother Richard, (fn. 17) who in the same year sold it to
Robert Charnok or Chernock. (fn. 18)
He died in possession of the manor in 1549 and
was succeeded by his son
Richard, (fn. 19) whose son John
Chernock and his wife Elizabeth held it in 1617. (fn. 20) His
son Sir Robert Chernock, kt.,
held it in 1627 (fn. 21) until about
1648, when his son Sir St.
John, created a baronet in
1661, was owner. (fn. 22) Sir St.
John's son Villiers succeeded
to the baronetcy in 1680–1
and died in 1694, leaving as
heir his second son Pynsent,
who died in 1734, at which
date his son Sir Boteler
succeeded. (fn. 23) On his death unmarried the baronetcy
passed to his brother Villiers, who died without heirs
in 1779, when the title became extinct. (fn. 24) Sir
Boteler's estates in Bedfordshire went to his nephew
Edward Hervey, son of his sister Helen. Edward
left no male heirs, so a portion of his estates passed to
Mrs. Elizabeth Chauncey, only surviving daughter of
Sir Pynsent Chernock, father of Sir Boteler, who
divided it amongst her great-nieces Barbara cousin of
Edward Hervey (fn. 25) and his four daughters. (fn. 26) Barbara,
who died in 1813, (fn. 27) left her share to William
Montague, to whom she was betrothed, and his
heirs. (fn. 28) He was probably a kinsman of George
Henry Montague, who held a moiety of the manor
of Holcot in 1826 (fn. 29) and whose heir, Mr. Bennett of
Oxford, still holds this share at the present day. (fn. 30)
The rest of the estate is divided amongst the descendants of Edward Hervey's daughter Charlotte Orlebar
Smith, the widow of her great-grandson LieutenantColonel Charles Villiers Downes owning some part
of it, and Mrs. Boteler Chernock Smith, present lady
of the manor, widow of Charlotte's grandson Boteler,
owning the rest.
Chernock, baronet. Argent a bend sable with three crosslets argent thereon.
Holcot, like Biddenham (q.v.), was attached to
the honour of Gloucester, (fn. 31) whose paramountcy is
found continuously mentioned down to the 15th
century (fn. 32) ; the last reference to it is in 1459–61. (fn. 33)
The Abbot of Woburn held 6 virgates of land in
Holcot in the reign of Henry III (fn. 34) and in 1302–3
Nicholas Fermbaud held a fourth part of a knight's
fee of the abbot. (fn. 35) In 1337 he had £3 8s. 4d. in
land, meadows, rents and mills, (fn. 36) and a fourth part
of a knight's fee in 1346 (fn. 37) and 1428. (fn. 38) At the
Dissolution the rent of Holcot, as possession of the
monastery of Woburn, was £3 13s. 4d. (fn. 39)
One mill is mentioned as belonging to Holcot at
Domesday. (fn. 40) In 1600 three mills and one water-mill
were attached to Holcot and Bedlow, and free fishery
was conveyed with the manors. (fn. 41) In 1614 Robert
Greene and others had free fishery in Holcot. (fn. 42)
A mill also was parcel of the manors in 1648, (fn. 43)
and in 1826 there were two water-mills in Holcot
and Bedlow. (fn. 44)
CHURCH
The church of ST. NICHOLAS
consists of a chancel 18 ft. 6 in. by
16 ft. 3 in., a nave 28 ft. 9 in. by
16 ft. 3 in., and a west tower 9 ft. by 8 ft. The
church is now only used for burial services. It is a
very interesting and complete specimen of a late
16th-century building, Gothic in general form, but
with a certain amount of Renaissance feeling. The
roofs are steep-pitched, that of the nave being of lead,
with a parapet, while that of the chancel is of tiles,
with eaves. The east window is modern, of three
pointed lights, with a transom under a square head.
On both sides of the chancel is a rectangular window
of two lights, also divided by a transom, and beneath
that on the south side is a round-headed doorway,
the door being decorated with scrolled ironwork.
There is no break in the walls between nave and
chancel, a plain arch springing from moulded corbels
serving to mark the division. The north and south
walls of the nave are divided externally into two
bays by buttresses in two stages; in the east bays
are rectangular windows of three lights, and in the
other bays similar windows of two lights, all divided
by transoms; in the west bay of the north side
there is also a blocked doorway with a four-centred
head, now covered by a buttress. In the opposite
bay on the south side is a doorway with a flat head,
the upper half of the jambs being moulded, and over
it a rebuilt porch, with a shield over the head of
the doorway. The outer door is studded with nails
and has old hinges and furniture.
The tower arch is in two chamfered orders springing from moulded capitals. The tower is small and
is divided by strings into three stages, with diagonal
buttresses at the west angles; the walls terminate in
a plain parapet with modern crocketed pinnacles at
the angles; on the north side is a circular stair
turret. On the west side in the lowest stage is a
window like the side windows of the chancel; the
lower half, however, is blocked up. The belfry windows are rectangular and consist of two lights each.
The walls of the church internally are colourwashed, and there is a semicircular plaster ceiling.
There is a small plain font under the west gallery,
which is of the 17th century, supported by Doric
columns. The nave is panelled in oak of the same
date, and there are also two benches with carved oak
backs. The communion table and rails are also of
the 17th century, the latter with spiral oak balusters.
A painting of the Last Supper is used as a reredos,
and behind it is a brass mural tablet to Richard
Chernock, 1616. On the north wall of the chancel
is a fine Corinthian monument to the same Richard
Chernock, divided into three stages; in the top one
are the kneeling figures of Richard with his two
wives, six sons and eight daughters; in the middle
stage figures of his father Robert and his two
wives, and at the bottom are figures of the ten
children of Robert, six by one wife and four by the
other. On the top in the centre is a shield of
Chernock quartering Argent a cross engrailed gules,
with a helm crested with a lapwing. To the left is
a shield with the above impaling Ermine a chief
indented gules with three crowns or therein,
quartering Argent three cinquefoils gules, for Frances
Ackworth, his mother. Below are more shields, one
of which appears to be that of Pettit impaling
Chernock; but all the heraldry has been repainted
and errors have as usual been made in the process.
To the right the centre coat impaling the arms of
Mary Puttenham his wife, Argent crusilly fitchy and
a stork sable, quartered with Checky or and azure.
Holcot Church from the West
On the walls are several 18th and 19th-century
memorial tablets, and in the nave floor is a brass
tablet to Mary Nicholls, 1619.
There are four bells, the treble inscribed 'Chandler
made me 1653.' The second and third bear three
lines of inscription, with the arms and name of
Richard Chernock and 'Johannes Dir [sic for Dier]
me fecit A.D. 1593,' 'Be all Honor, Glorie, Duty to
God.' The tenor is by Richard Chandler, 1723.
The church plate consists of a flagon, date letter
1739, maker's mark J S, 'The Gift of Mrs. Adrian
Chernock, the Daughter of Sir
Villiers Chernock Bart. of
Holcut'; a communion cup
and foot-paten cover, date letter
1641, and a large flat paten
with the Chernock arms, 1685.
The registers previous to
1813 are in two books: (1)
all 1658 to 1812, the marriages
only going to 1754; (2)
marriages 1755 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of Holcot
Church appears to have descended always
with the manor (q.v.), first
mention of it being found in
1361. (fn. 45) The patron at the
present day is Mrs. Chernock
Smith. In 1291 the church
was valued at £8, (fn. 46) and in 1535
at £7 15s. (fn. 47)
The rent of 3 acres of land,
value 1s., in the tenure of
Robert Charnocke was given
yearly for the maintenance of
a light. (fn. 48)
CHARITIES
In 1809
Mrs. Elizabeth
Hervey, by her
will proved in the P.C.C.
21 February, bequeathed £600
to be laid out in consols, and
the dividends to be laid out
yearly in bread and clothing to
be equally divided between the
Holcot and Salford poor. The
legacy is now represented by
£888 17s. 6d. consols with the
official trustees, who also hold
£43 16s. 8d. like stock arising
from a legacy in 1854 by will
of Mrs. Charlotte Smith, and
£108 18s. 1d. like stock,
representing a legacy in 1867 by will of Rev. Edward
Orlebar Smith, making together £1,041 12s. 3d.
consols. The dividends, amounting to £26 0s. 8d.
a year, are applicable, in pursuance of a scheme of
the Charity Commissioners of 13 April 1883, as
varied by an order of 2 November 1897, for the
benefit of deserving and necessitous persons resident
in the two interested parishes frequenting the church
or churches thereof or any registered place of meeting for religious worship therein.
In 1908 clothing to the value of £6 4s. was distributed, and the balance in the distribution of coal.