WISHAW
Acreage: 1,204.
Population: 1911, 177; 1921, 172; 1931, 169.
Wishaw, including the hamlet of Moxhull, is a small
parish occupying an elevated situation. There is no
village, and the church stands amidst beautiful rural
surroundings, no house being near it except a rectory
built in 1930. A map of the parish drawn about 1850 (fn. 1)
shows the open-field system of cultivation still in
practice. Wishaw Upper and Lower Greens were
inclosed under an Act of 1847, (fn. 2) and the award, dated
1851, is in the possession of the Ministry of Agriculture. A parish hall was erected in 1923 as a memorial
to eight men from the parish who fell in the Great War.
There was a Quaker meeting at Wishaw in the 17th
century, but no meeting-house seems to have been
built and the society was subsequently established at
Wigginshill in Sutton Coldfield (fn. 3) . In 1710 Lady Hackett
endowed a school for six poor children in Wishaw. (fn. 4)
MANORS
In the time of Edward the Confessor
Ordric held the manor of Wishaw freely,
and in 1086 he still remained in possession
as sub-tenant of William Fitz-Corbucion. (fn. 5) By 1166
the fief of William Fitz-Corbucion had become subordinated to the Earls of Warwick, (fn. 6) and in the years
1184 to 1204 Waleran, Earl of Warwick, held lands
here. (fn. 7) Some lands here passed to the Knights Templar,
probably by gift of one of the Corbucions. (fn. 8) The lands
belonging to the Templars in 1275 consisted of 4½
virgates in Wishaw and 1½ virgates and 3 cottages in
Moxhull. (fn. 9) Their overlordship is mentioned in 1287, (fn. 10)
and the manor was held of their successors the Knights
Hospitallers in 1326. (fn. 11) In 1422 the manor was said
to be held in part of the Hospitallers, the Earl of Warwick, and Baldwin de Frevylle, (fn. 12) but in 1480 and 1497
the Earl is named as overlord. (fn. 13) In 1558 this manor was
returned as held of Thomas Lisle as of his manor in
Wishaw (i.e. Moxhull). (fn. 14)
About 1227 the Templars granted lands in this
parish to Margery de Lisle, (fn. 15) a member of a family
which subsequently held Moxhull Manor in this parish
for several centuries. Walter de
Bereford and his son Walter
dealt with lands here in 1257, (fn. 16)
and in 1287 the younger Walter's
son Osbert de Bereford settled
lands here and elsewhere on his
brother William. (fn. 17) Sir William
de Bereford held the manor at
his death in 1326. (fn. 18) His son
Edmund succeeded, and on 24
August in the following year
Henry de Bereford, parson of
the church of Cofton, released
to him all his own rights in the manor. (fn. 19) A charter
of free warren, to Edmund and his heirs, was granted
in 1335. (fn. 20) In 1348 Edmund made a settlement of
the manor, (fn. 21) and in 1354 he died seised of the manor. (fn. 22)
His illegitimate son John followed, but died in
Gascony in 1356, and was succeeded by his brother
Sir Baldwin. (fn. 23) On 22 November 1380 the charter
of free warren was renewed to him and his heirs. (fn. 24)
In 1401 the manor was confirmed to him and
his wife Elizabeth in tail male by John le Hore,
husband of his granddaughter Joan, (fn. 25) and by several
others. (fn. 26) On his death the manor was assigned to his
widow for life; (fn. 27) she died in 1422 and was succeeded
by her daughter Maud, wife of John Barough, with
remainder to John le Hore. (fn. 28) In 1480 Thomas Hore,
grandson of John, died, leaving as heir his son Gilbert,
aged eight weeks. (fn. 29) Gilbert died without issue in 1497,
and his cousin Edith, wife of Thomas Fulthrop of
Barnard Castle, co. Durham, succeeded. (fn. 30) In 1516 John
Lisle granted to Thomas Fulthrop all his property in
the manor, (fn. 31) but the latter died without issue and Edith
subsequently married Rowland Pudsey, (fn. 32) whose son
William succeeded. (fn. 33) Another Robert died seised of
the manor in 1558, and his son George succeeded
him. (fn. 34) The manor was held by the Pudseys (fn. 35) until
1667, when it was conveyed by George and Henry
Pudsey to William Skeffington and John Thornhaugh, (fn. 36)
probably in connexion with the marriage of Henry
Pudsey and Jane daughter of Francis Thornhaugh. (fn. 37)
They left two daughters and co-heirs, Elizabeth who
married Henry, Lord Folliott, and Anne who married
Sir William Jesson. (fn. 38) The manor was then held in
moieties, (fn. 39) but between 1697 and 1704 both moieties
seem to have been conveyed to John Soley, (fn. 40) husband
of Lord Folliott's sister Anne; (fn. 41) but after her husband's
death, in 1716, Lady Folliott held a court of the manor
in 1734 (fn. 42) and probably retained the rights until her
own death in 1742. Anne Soley's daughter Rebecca
Lugg made over her property in Worcestershire to her
kinsman Col. John Folliott of Sligo. (fn. 43) Probably the
gift included the Wishaw estates, as in 1763 General
Folliott held 391 acres here, (fn. 44) and from about 1824 till
1843 the manorial rights were in dispute between the
families of Ffolliott and Hackett of Moxhull, the Noels
(representatives of the Hacketts) eventually buying out
their rivals. (fn. 45)
Bereford. Argent crusilly fitchy three fleurs de lis sable.
Pudsey. Vert a cheveron between three molets or.
Lisle. Argent three eagles gules.
The manor of MOXHULL seems to have been
originally a member of Curdworth. (fn. 46) It was held under
the Earls of Warwick as half a knight's fee by members
of the family of Arderne in 1315 and 1400. (fn. 47) This
mesne lordship is last recorded in 1537, when lands
here were held by John Lisle of John Ardern as of his
manor of Park Hall. (fn. 48) The family of Lisle occurs as
early as 1227, when Margery de Lisle was dealing
with land in Moxhull. (fn. 49) In 1272 Helewis, widow of
Nicholas de Lisle, brought an assize of novel disseisin
against Anketill de Lisle concerning tenements here
and in Wishaw. (fn. 50) Nicholas was son of William, and
Dugdale suggests that William was son of Henry, and
Henry son of Herbert. (fn. 51) Anketill was succeeded by
Nicholas, who is last mentioned in 1282, (fn. 52) and he in
turn was succeeded by a second Henry, who seems to
have been holding the manor in 1326. (fn. 53) John succeeded Henry, and was succeeded by another John; (fn. 54)
then came William, and Henry, (fn. 55) who held the manor
in 1480. (fn. 56) His son John died in 1537, (fn. 57) Nicholas son
of John succeeded, and died in 1540; (fn. 58) his son Thomas
died in 1567 (fn. 59) and his son John in 1594, when Francis
son of the last succeeded at the age of
eighteen. (fn. 60) He died in the following
year without issue and his brother
John inherited the manor, (fn. 61) being
succeeded by his son, also named John,
who still held it in 1640. (fn. 62) On his
death his daughter Mary, wife of
Andrew Hackett, succeeded. (fn. 63) Four
other Andrew Hacketts, each son of
his predecessor in the possession of the
manor, followed, dying in 1733, 1774,
1808, and 1815. (fn. 64) The last left no
issue, and his property passed to his
widow Letitia Penelope, who later
married the Hon. Berkeley Octavius
Noel. (fn. 65) The latter purchased the
reputed manor of Wishaw in 1843. (fn. 66)
His widow died on 18 January 1860, and was
succeeded by her only child, B. P. G. C. Noel, esq., (fn. 67)
who sold the estates to Thomas Ryland. (fn. 68) The latter's
grandson Thomas Howard Ryland sold them in 1929
to James Parsons, (fn. 69) and 3 years later they were
purchased by the present owner and lord of the manor,
Archibald D. James, esq., of Moxhull Hall. (fn. 70)
CHURCH
The parish church of ST. CHAD consists of a chancel with a modern south
vestry, nave, north and south aisles, and
a west tower.
The building is of 13th-century origin; the nave had
a mid- to late-13th-century north aisle on the present
lines, but the arcade and aisle were remodelled in the
15th century, perhaps because of the weight of the
clearstory which was added in that century. The south
aisle was added early in the 14th century (c. 1330) and
is good typical work of its period. The chancel is of
earlier 14th-century work than the aisle (c. 1310–20).
It is curious that it had no buttresses. The west tower
is of c. 1650 and there is no visible evidence that it
replaced an earlier tower. Modern heavy raking
buttresses have been built against the side walls of the
chancel, probably part of the general restoration of
1886–7.
The chancel (about 28½ ft. by 15½ ft.) has a much
restored 14th-century east window of three trefoiled
ogee-headed lights and net tracery in a two-centred
head with an external hood-mould. The ceiling cuts
across the head of the pointed rear-arch. Near the west
end of the north wall is a small trefoiled ogee-headed
light of c. 1320 with a segmental-pointed rear-arch.
The south wall has two similar lights; one, near the
east end, is unglazed and now looks into the vestry; the
other is close to the west end and its west splay is
pierced by a plain canted squint from the north-east
angle of the south aisle. The ledge of the eastern
window is only 2 ft. 2 in. above the sanctuary floor.
The priests' doorway between the windows is now the
vestry entrance and has a wood frame on that side;
only the west splay is ancient. In the north wall is a
locker; another with a locked door occupies the site of
a piscina.
The walls are of red sandstone ashlar with chamfered plinths that are buried below ground in the east
and north walls. Both side-walls have two large
modern raking buttresses against them. The gable-head of the east wall is also modern. The roof, of
trussed rafter type with old rough purlins, has modern
deal boarding on the soffits of the rafters and collar-beams.
Plan of Wishaw Church.
The 14th-century chancel arch is of two chamfered
orders and is acutely pointed; the springing level is only
4 ft. 8 in. above the floor, which is of the same level in
nave and chancel.
The nave (about 32 ft. by 18½ ft.) has north and
south arcades of three 10½-ft. bays. The north arcade
is of 13th-century origin, but was remodelled in the
15th century. The western of the two pillars is circular,
1 ft. 10½ in. in diameter, with a moulded capital too
large for the thickness of the arches above, which rest
rather south of its middle. The other pillar is octagonal,
1 ft. 8½ in. wide. The responds are semi-octagonal.
The round capital differs a little from the others in
contour. The two-centred heads are of two orders
with small chamfers, the outer order having broach-stops above the capitals; the arches are very obtusely
pointed and are probably of 13th-century voussoirs
reused. The south arcade has 1 ft. 6 in. octagonal
pillars with small early-14th-century moulded bell-capitals. The arches are of two chamfered orders, the
inner chamfer larger than in the north arcade, and are
more acutely pointed. All of red sandstone. Above is
a clearstory with three windows a side, each of two
trefoiled round-headed lights under a square head with
an internal lintel, probably of the late 15th century.
The walls are of large red sandstone ashlar. The plain
parapets, of yellow stone, are also old. The low-pitched gabled roof has two modern tie-beams and
modern deal-boarded soffit.
The north aisle (about 8 ft. wide) has a 15th-century east window of three cinquefoiled lights and
vertical tracery over the side lights below a two-centred
main head. The wall inside diminishes in thickness from
the arcade-wall up to the south splay, but below the
window-ledge it is thicker and probably earlier; outside
it is of old red sandstone rubble and the plinth has a
projecting chamfered course. Midway in the north
wall is a late-15th-century window of two trefoiled
four-centred lights under a four-centred main head and
farther west a coeval doorway, now blocked, with a
two-centred head of only two stones. The north wall
is of 15th-century ashlar above the plinth. The west
window is like the northern, and the wall inside south
of the window diminishes like the eastern. Below the
window it is thicker and of the original rubblework.
The lean-to roof has two old principal cross-beams and
purlins, all roughly chamfered. The soffit between the
trusses has deal boarding.
The 14th-century south aisle (11¼ ft. wide) has an
east window of three trefoiled ogee-headed lights and
net tracery in a two-centred head with an external
hood-mould. The wall below the window is thicker
inside than above and has a projecting chamfered top
shelf cut away in the middle for a former altar. A
window in the middle of the south wall is of two trefoiled ogee-headed lights under a square head. Another
near the east end was probably similar, but was walled
up for a monument of 1709. Farther west was a
pointed doorway, now blocked and seen in outline
only. The west window is of two plain square-headed
lights; the heads inside show rough hacking where they
were formerly foiled, but the exterior is of 17th- or
18th-century renovation. Above it outside is reset the
masonry of a small trefoiled light in a three-quarter
circular frame, possibly part of a 17th-century bull's-eye
window from the tower. The walls are of yellow and
red sandstone, largely restored; that below the west
window is very weather-worn. The roof resembles the
north aisle roof.
The west tower (about 13 ft. square) is of mid-17th-century date. It is of two stages divided by a moulded
string-course, and the walls are of deep red sandstone.
At the parapet is a similar string-course and it is embattled. The side-walls have buttresses against the
aisle walls. The two-centred archway to the nave
pierces a wall much thicker (5 ft. 10 in.) than the other
tower walls (3 ft. 4 in.), probably incorporating the
old west nave wall. The reveals are square, and in the
middle of later red stone is an inner order moulded
with a half-round between two hollows and having
moulded imposts following the same contour. The
west doorway has moulded jambs and square head with
a keystone. Above it is a pointed window with moulded
jambs and head and fitted with a wooden frame of three
lights.
In the side walls were moulded bull's-eye windows
now blocked with 19th-century brickwork; they are
recessed inside and have taller segmental-headed rear
arches. The second stage has a similar blocked bull'seye window in the west wall above the string-course.
The bell-chamber has moulded windows of two pointed
lights. The doorway and all the windows have the
same moulding. The second story and the bell-chamber
are lined with red brickwork. The roof is pyramidal.
All the fittings and furniture including the font are
modern, except some dado wall lining of fielded panels
from 18th-century pews.
In the south aisle is a monument of 1673 to John
Lisle, another of 1676 to Mrs. Mary Lisle, and others
of later date to members of the Hacket and Ryland
families of Moxhull Hall.
A memorial in the tower is to Thomas Bayles,
Schoolmaster, 1744, who gave £10 towards new seating
and £5 towards a weathercock for the steeple.
Ancient oak steps lead up to the bell-chamber. There
are two bells of 1650 by John Martin. The original oak
pits provided for three.
ADVOWSON
A priest is mentioned in this parish
in Domesday Book, (fn. 71) and in 1291 the
living was valued at £3 6s. 8d.
annually. (fn. 72) In 1306 the advowson belonged to William
de Castello, (fn. 73) and in 1312 his heir George specifically
excluded it from a grant to Sir William de Bereford; (fn. 74)
but the latter received it from George's son William in
1324. (fn. 75) In 1361 the presentation was in the hands of
Baldwin de Whiteway, Dean of Tamworth, and
Thomas de Morehall for one turn; (fn. 76) and in 1414 a
presentation was made by the Warden of the Royal
College of Windsor: (fn. 77) otherwise the descent of the
advowson followed that of the manor from 1324 until
the 17th century. (fn. 78) One moiety was retained by the
Jessons and by the beginning of the 19th century had
passed to William Jesson Pearson and Henry Gratian
Lynch, (fn. 79) grandson of William Jesson (fn. 80) and in 1854 it
was still held jointly by J. Ffolliott, esq., and the
representatives of the Jesson family. (fn. 81) In 1859 the
patrons were John Ffolliott and Mrs. H. Bracebridge, (fn. 82)
and in 1915 presentations were made alternatively by
Miss Ffolliott and William Stanford. (fn. 83) From about
1925 to 1940 the Rev. E. W. Stanford was sole patron, (fn. 84)
and in 1941 the advowson was conveyed to the Bishop
of Birmingham. (fn. 85)