FLYFORD FLAVELL
Flœverth (x cent.); Flavel (xii cent.); Flefrith
(xiv cent.); Flavell, Flendirt (xv cent.); Fliford
Flavel, Flyward (xvi cent.); Fleford Flavell (xvii
cent.).
This parish is situated midway between Worcester
and Alcester. The scattered village lies on the road
connecting these places, and on another road branching
southward from it to Bishampton. The church is
on the Worcester road, in the west of the village,
near the highest point of the parish, where the land
is 200 ft. above the ordnance datum. The south of
the parish is at a height of about 100 ft. The school
lies to the east of the church, and the rectory is at
the southern end of the village.
Whitsun Brook, flowing east to west, forms the
southern and the Piddle Brook the north-western
boundary of the parish. Everywhere there are extensive and beautiful views.
Prattinton, visiting the village in 1823, writes of
the badness of the roads, the turnpike road from
Alcester to Worcester being impassable for a fourwheeled carriage.
The parish has an area of 692 acres, of which 181
are arable land and 407 permanent grass. There are
no woods. (fn. 1) The land, which is on the Lower Lias,
abounds with fossil remains. The chief crops grown
are wheat, oats, beans and fruit.
An Inclosure Act was passed in 1813. (fn. 2)
Among ancient place-names have been found
Lampmere (fn. 3) (xvi cent.); Withybed Field, Saltmear
Field, Lickram Hill Field, the Hades, Allcot Side (fn. 4)
(xix cent.).
MANOR
Five manses here were included in the
lands said to have been restored by King
Edgar in 972 to the abbey of Pershore. (fn. 5)
FLYFORD FLAVELL is not separately entered in
the Domesday Survey, being then included in the
estate of 5 hides held at North Piddle under the
abbey of Westminster by Urse as successor to Toli, (fn. 6)
and having evidently been given with Pershore by
Edward the Confessor to the abbey of Westminster.
The overlordship of the abbey was recognized until
the 16th century. (fn. 7)
Urse's interest passed with his other estates to the
Beauchamps, (fn. 8) their overlordship being last mentioned
in 1420–1. (fn. 9)
Urse's under-tenant in 1086 or shortly after was
Robert Parler, (fn. 10) the ancestor of Isnard or Inard Parler,
a tenant under the Beauchamps in the reign of
Stephen. (fn. 11) It is not known that Isnard held Flyford
Flavell, but it is probable that he did so, as half a
knight's fee at Flyford Flavell afterwards became
annexed to his principal manor, Hampton Lovett. (fn. 12)
This estate passed with Hampton Lovett to Brian de
Brompton, who gave both to Henry Lovett and his
wife Joan to hold in tail with reversion to the heirs
of the donor. (fn. 13) The issue of Henry Lovett and Joan
failed on the death of their grandson John without
issue, and the half-fee reverted with Hampton Lovett
to Elizabeth wife of Edmund Cornwall and her
sister Margaret, as great-granddaughters and heirs of
Brian de Brompton. (fn. 14) This half-fee fell to the share
of Elizabeth Cornwall, being held of her manor of
Overhall in Hampton Lovett, (fn. 15) and she, with her
husband, Sir Edmund, in 1353–4 gave it to their
son Peter. (fn. 16) At this date and in 1366 the undertenants of the manor were Simon de Oldbury and
Thomas de Quenton. (fn. 17) It was probably included
in land at Flyford sold with the manor of Overhall in
1544 by George Cornwall to John Pakington, (fn. 18) but
its further descent has not been traced.
Another half-fee at Flyford Flavell, also held under
the Beauchamps, to which was annexed the advowson of the church, was apparently held in early times
by the Hackets. Philip Hacket presented to the
church in 1269 (fn. 19) and 1278, (fn. 20) and John Hacket was
said to be holding Flavell jointly with John Lovett
in 1315, (fn. 21) and paid a subsidy at Flavell in 1327. (fn. 22)
The advowson of the church and possibly also the
manor had passed before this to the Nauntons, who
succeeded the Hackets also at Broughton Hackett.
Avice de Naunton presented to the church in
1290, (fn. 23) and though Alexander de Besford and Margaret his wife presented in 1300 (fn. 24) and 1302, (fn. 25) the
advowson was claimed in 1330 by Avice's grandson
Thomas de Naunton. (fn. 26) Thomas, however, failed to
make good his claim against Alexander de Besford,
who stated that Avice had given the advowson and
apparently also the manor to her son Robert, and
that Robert had given it to Alexander and his wife
Margaret. (fn. 27) The manor then descended with Besford (fn. 28) (q.v.) until the death of Alexander de Besford
at the beginning of the 15th century, when it was
apparently divided between his co-heirs, for John
Dicleston and his wife Margaret presented to the
church in 1405 and 1407, (fn. 29) and their daughter
Margery, with her second husband Nicholas Giffard,
presented in 1447, (fn. 30) while William Clopton, who
had married Joan, Alexander's other co-heir, (fn. 31) died
seised of the manor and advowson in 1420–1, (fn. 32) his
widow Joan conveying them in 1422 to the Bishop
of Worcester and others, (fn. 33) who were probably acting
as trustees, for Joan was still holding the manor in
1431. (fn. 34) The principal manor of Flyford with the
advowson of the church appears to have remained
with Joan's descendants, while a second estate known
during the 16th and 17th centuries as a manor, and
held of the principal manor, (fn. 35) perhaps represents the
share of Margaret Dicleston, though it had passed
before the beginning of the 16th century to the
Russells, (fn. 36) and passed with their manor of Strensham
(q.v.) until 1592, when it is mentioned for the last
time.
Dicleston. Argent a pile sable.
Clopton. Argent two bars gules fretty or.
Agnes, the daughter and co-heir of Sir William
Clopton and Joan de Besford, married Roger Harewell
of Wootton and Shottery (co. Warw.). (fn. 37) The presentation to the church was made in 1457 by their
son William Harewell of Shottery, (fn. 38) as it was in
1488 and 1494. (fn. 39) William Harewell died in 1500, (fn. 40)
but his son John does not seem to have held this
manor, which apparently passed to another branch of
the Harewell family. Thomas Harewell who presented in 1502 may have been of the Besford branch
of the family, and appears to have held the manor in
right of his wife Elizabeth, who joined with him in
1520–1 in selling it to John Fulwood. (fn. 41) Before
1534 the manor had apparently passed to Ralph
Sheldon of Beoley, who then presented. (fn. 42)
From Ralph Sheldon, who died in 1546, the manor
seems to have passed with the advowson to his younger
son, Baldwin Sheldon of Broadway, (fn. 43) the presentation
being made in 1549 by his eldest son, William
Sheldon of Weston and Beoley, by reason of the
minority of this Baldwin. (fn. 44) Ralph Sheldon of Broadway, the son of Baldwin, presented in 1560, (fn. 45) and
with his wife Mary settled the manor in 1579 on their
son Thomas, with remainder to the heirs of Ralph. (fn. 46)
This Thomas Sheldon died in 1593, leaving two
daughters, Elizabeth and Mary. (fn. 47) Elizabeth, widow
of Thomas, seems to have married Charles Kettleby,
and her daughter Elizabeth married John Keighley.
In 1618 they, with their husbands, conveyed the
manor to William Sambache, (fn. 48) who married the
younger daughter Mary. The manor subsequently
reverted to the elder branch of the Sheldon family
settled at Beoley, apparently before 1640, in which
year the advowson was held by Edward Sheldon of
Beoley. (fn. 49) It followed the descent of Beoley until
1779–80, when it belonged to William Sheldon of
Bcoley and his son Ralph. (fn. 50) According to Prattinton
the manor had been bought before 1812 by
Mr. Humphrey Lyttelton, and in 1812 belonged to
Mr. Sandys Lyttelton. (fn. 51) In 1823 Prattinton wrote
that Flyford Flavell was divided into small farms,
'the largest belonging to Mr. Hawker of . . . in
the county of Gloucester.' Mr. Lyttelton, then lord
of the manor, had only about 3 acres. (fn. 52) In 1830
the manor was held by Richard Frances and Eliza
Sandys his wife. (fn. 53) From them it had passed before
1849 to Mr. William Laslett of Abberton, (fn. 54) and it
followed the descent of Abberton (q.v.) until 1905,
when it was sold by Mrs. Baker Carr to Mr. Thomas
Richard Bayliss, (fn. 55) the present owner of the manor.
CHURCH
The church of ST. PETER consists
of chancel, nave, north vestry, south
porch and west tower. With the exception of the 15th-century tower it was almost
entirely rebuilt in 1883 at the expense of Mr. William
Laslett of Abberton Hall, some of the old doors and
windows being, however, reset.
The chancel has an east window of three modern
lancets. In the south wall are three modern windows,
and at the west end is the lower part of a 'low-side
window' reset. The chancel arch is modern, as are all
the nave windows with the exception of two on the
north, the first of two ogee lights under a square head
of late 14th-century date, and the second, at the west
end, a single light with an ancient trefoiled head. The
north doorway has a plain round 12th-century head
reset. In the south wall are two windows and a south
door, all modern. The 15th-century tower opens from
the nave by a pointed and double chamfered arch.
The west window is of three lights with modern tracery
and an external label returned on itself at the spring.
The tower is three stages high and finished with an
embattled parapet; it is covered with a low pyramidal
tiled roof supporting a wrought-iron weather vane.
The bell-chamber is lighted by a square-headed window of two trefoiled lights in each face. The timber
south porch is modern. The moulded octagonal font
is of 15th-century date. Under the tower is a fine
collection of late mediaeval slip tiles formerly in the
chancel; most of them are formed into six designs of
sixteen tiles each; some of these are floral and others
bear four coats of arms, two shields being Berkeley,
one powdered with crosslets, three boars' heads, and a
design of a bleeding heart pierced with three daggers
between the initials I T or F. At the west end of
the nave are two Jacobean pews.
There are two bells, the first cast at Worcester
about 1480, inscribed '+ Sce Johēs Baptista, ora pro
nobis'; the second has merely the date 1715 with
trade mark of Richard Sanders of Bromsgrove.
The plate includes a small chased Elizabethan cup
and cover paten without marks and a plate of pewter
and silver amalgam.
The registers before 1812 are: (i) mixed entries
1676 to 1739, marriages to 1744 and baptisms 1801
to 1812; (ii) marriages 1759 to 1812.
In the churchyard are several late 17th-century headstones, and to the south of the church the base and
part of the shaft of a churchyard cross.
ADVOWSON
The advowson apparently followed
the descent of the Hackets' manor
from early times. On the death of
Alexander de Besford it seems to have been at first
divided between his co-heirs, for Joan widow of Sir
William Clopton conveyed it with her share of the
manor (q.v.), but presentations were made in 1405
and 1447 by her sister Margaret and niece Margery.
It would appear that the advowson afterwards returned
to the Cloptons, passing with the manor to the
Sheldons. It followed the descent of the manor, though
presentations were frequently made by trustees (fn. 56) for
the Sheldons, who were Roman Catholics, until about
the middle of the 18th century, when it passed to
the Abberton branch of the family, Thomas Sheldon
presenting in 1782 (fn. 57) and conveying the rectory in
1798. (fn. 58) The advowson was sold with Abberton
Manor in 1829 by Samuel Sheldon alias Lesingham
to William Laslett, (fn. 59) and has since again followed the
descent of the manor.
A parcel of land called Lampmere, held by Peter
Wagstaffe with 5 butts of land, and 4 'laund' of
land held by Thomas Wagstaffe, were granted to
John and William Mershe among lands given for
superstitious uses in 1573–4. (fn. 60)
CHARITIES
The church lands consist of about
2 acres of the annual rental value of
£2, which is applied towards church
expenses.