MARTIN HUSSINGTREE
Hosintre et Merton (xiii cent.); Merton and
Hosintre (xiv cent.); Mertonhosentre, Marten Hostnard, Marty' Hosentred (xvi cent.); Martin Husyngtree, Marten Husentree (xvii cent.).
This parish lies on the right bank of the Martin
Brook, to the south of Droitwich, and the Droitwich
Canal cuts through it on the west. The Martin
Brook and the Salwarpe, which unite at the southwestern angle of the parish, form the western
boundary. The road from Worcester to Droitwich
runs north through the centre of the parish. In the
west, in the Salwarpe valley, the land is low; to the
east and south it rises to 200 ft.
The village is a mile north-east of Fernhill Heath
station on the Worcester and Birmingham section of
the Great Western railway. At its southern end on
the Worcester road is St. Michael (fn. 1) and All Angels'
Church, situated on an eminence, with the rectory to
the north-west. Martin Court Farm, which adjoins
the church to the west, was formerly the manor-house,
and is the property of the Rev. A. W. Hill. It is a
red brick house of two stories and an attic, and date
probably from the 18th century. In the kitchen is a
post called the Gospel post. Between the main road
and the church are some old half-timber cottages.
A short distance north of the church, on the
Worcester road, are the pound and the Green, and
a little further north an old quarry. Brownheath
Common is a small piece of rough pasture land on
the eastern boundary.
The parish has an area of 922 acres, of which 215
are arable land and 574 permanent grass. (fn. 2) The soil
is mixed, the subsoil Keuper Marl, the chief crops
being wheat and beans.
MANORS
By a charter of 972 ascribed to King
Edgar five manses at Hussingtree and
five manses at Martin were restored to
the abbey of Pershore, having been formerly granted
to that abbey by King Coenwulf at the request of
the ealdorman Beornoth. (fn. 3) In the Domesday Survey
Hussingtree only is entered, 6 hides there being included in the manor of Pershore which Edward the
Confessor had taken from Pershore Abbey and given
to Westminster Abbey. (fn. 4) Martin and Hussingtree
were two separate manors, though they were taxed
together in a subsidy of about 1280, when the name
was written Hussingtree and Martin, (fn. 5) the order being
reversed in 1327. (fn. 6)
The overlordship of the Abbot of Westminster, of
whose manor of Binholme both Martin and Hussingtree were held, (fn. 7) passed at the Dissolution to the Dean
and Chapter of Westminster. (fn. 8) 'Certain concealed
lands in Martin Hussingtree which cannot be discovered' appear among the possessions of the dean
and chapter in a terrier of 1690. (fn. 9)
Habington wrote of MARTIN: 'Of the Lordes
of Merton, althoughe some wyll saye the Mertons
have byn hearetofore Lorde; of Merton, yet fynd I
no evydence theareof.' (fn. 10) But the tradition is supported by a reference in an early undated grant to
'all the land belonging to Hwsintre abutting on
the land of William de Mertun.' (fn. 11) This William may
have been under-tenant of
the abbey in their 'meane
mannor' of Martin, and the
Perrys, who succeeded the
Mertons, were possibly, as
Habington suggests, descendants of the latter, having
merely ceased to describe
themselves by the name of
this locality. (fn. 12) The advowson
of the church (which was
situated in this manor) being
held with it, the presentations
are of assistance in tracing its descent. Thomas de
Perry (Pyrie) presented to the church in 1269, (fn. 13)
and in 1271 he, with Agatha his wife, made an
exchange with Nicholas, rector of Martin, of certain
lands next the church, for lands in Hussingtree
belonging to Martin Church. (fn. 14) He paid 8s. to the
subsidy about 1280 in 'Hosintre et Merton,' (fn. 15) and is
called lord of Martin in 1282. (fn. 16) He presented to the
church in 1290. (fn. 17) Nicholas de Perry settled the
manor and advowson in 1323 on himself and Agnes
his wife, with remainder to his children Walter,
Elizabeth, Joan, Agnes, Isabella and Margaret. (fn. 18) In
1327 he paid 8s. to the subsidy. (fn. 19) He died about
1338. (fn. 20) Walter de Perry, who may have been son
or grandson of Nicholas, presented to the church
between 1384 and 1387. (fn. 21) In 1388–9 his heir was
distrained for relief for lands in Hussingtree. (fn. 22)
This heir may have been Walter's son Nicholas, (fn. 23) or
his grandson William de Perry, who died seised of a
messuage and 2 carucates of land in Martin for
which his son William in 1398–9 paid relief and did
fealty. (fn. 24) It was probably he who died seised of
Martin Mill in Salwarpe in 1402–3. (fn. 25) He seems to
have been succeeded by his son John de Perry, (fn. 26) who
in 1429–30 was distrained for relief and homage
for his holding in Martin. (fn. 27) John died childless,
and the manor evidently passed to his cousin
Edmund Smith, grandson of Alice wife of John
Smith, John de Perry's aunt, (fn. 28) for Edmund presented
to the church between 1466 and 1493. (fn. 29) Elizabeth
Smith of Martin, widow, who owed fines for suit at
the court of Binholme between 1501 and 1507, (fn. 30)
was probably Edmund's widow. Edmund's son John
had two children, Thomas
and Joan. Thomas died childless, and Joan married William
Wheeler, (fn. 31) who presented to
the church in her right in
1541. (fn. 32) John, the son of
William and Joan Wheeler,
settled the manor and advowson in 1558 on himself for
life, with remainder to Humphrey his brother. (fn. 33) John
died childless, and Humphrey
must have been holding the
manor in 1611 when he presented to the church. (fn. 34) His
son George inherited the manor, (fn. 35) and was followed
by a son John, a goldsmith of London, who in 1619
sold it and the advowson to John Haselocke. (fn. 36)
John Haselocke died in 1641, leaving as his heirs
two sisters, Margaret wife of William Browne, and
Elizabeth wife of—Dickenson, having bequeathed
Martin Hussingtree to his wife Isabel for life. (fn. 37)
Isabel married Guy Hall, and in 1652 the representatives of Margaret Browne and Elizabeth Dickenson, (fn. 38)
viz., Margaret's grandson William Browne and Elizabeth's daughters, Jane widow of Aaron Streator and
Katherine wife of John Cooper, and her grandson
George North sold the reversion of the manor to
Guy. (fn. 39) He died in the following year, (fn. 40) having
bequeathed Martin Hussingtree to Isabel, (fn. 41) who
shortly afterwards married Dr. Nathaniel Tomkyns,
prebendary of Worcester. (fn. 42) She died without issue in
1660, and the manor passed to her great-niece Eleanor
daughter of Edward Folliott. Eleanor died in infancy
soon after, and was succeeded by her uncle Guthlac
Folliott. (fn. 43) In 1684 Guthlac and Elizabeth his wife,
with their daughters Elizabeth wife of Robert Burrington and Frances Folliott made a settlement of the
manor. (fn. 44) It is not clear by what title it passed into
the hands of Samuel Swift, who appears as holding it in
1720 (fn. 45) and 1723. (fn. 46) The advowson was held in 1725
by Henry Wood, (fn. 47) but the manor may not have been
held by him, as they were not held together in 1746,
when Pynson Wilmot, clerk, was lord, having acquired
the manor by descent from his uncle Simon Wood. (fn. 48)
The manor then followed the descent of Sagebury in
Dodderhill (fn. 49) to the Rev. T. H. Hill, who was holding
it in 1868. (fn. 50) It now belongs to his grandson the
Rev. Arthur Walter Hill. (fn. 51)
Perry. Argent a bend sable with three pears or thereon.
Wheeler. Or a cheveron between three leopards heads sable.
It seems probable that the land which the abbey of
Westminster held at HUSSINGTREE in 1086 was
later held of them by the Leighs, who granted a
portion of their property to the abbey of Pershore.
They were succeeded here as at Eckington by the
Cliffords. By the 15th century lands which probably
included both the estate retained by the Leighs and
that which they had given to Pershore, since they
were held partly of Pershore Abbey and partly of
Westminster, had come into the hands of the
Rudings. (fn. 52)
In an undated deed William de Leigh, steward or
bailiff of Pershore, confirmed the grant made to
Pershore Abbey by Matthew de Leigh, his uncle, of
a virgate of his land in Hussingtree held of the church
of Pershore, with tithes from all his assarts in
Hussingtree. (fn. 53) In another Robert de Leigh granted
to John D'Abitot land in Hussingtree. (fn. 54) The
D'Abitots, who succeeded the Leighs in Hussingtree,
were patrons of Hindlip, and Hussingtree may have
passed with the advowson of Hindlip to the Earls of
Warwick, for Guy Earl of Warwick held rents in
Hussingtree in 1315 as part of his manor of
Salwarpe. (fn. 55) Thomas Robins alias Thomas de
Salwarpe, who presented to the church of Hindlip in
1349 and 1354, (fn. 56) held land in Hussingtree which
was probably this estate. In 1357 the Abbot of
Pershore leased to him for sixty years a messuage and
land which Thomas Gunvyle formerly held. (fn. 57) He
and his brother William obtained licence in 1347
to grant lands in Martin and Hussingtree to their
chantry at Salwarpe. (fn. 58) This grant, as in the case of
the advowson of Hindlip, was probably never made, (fn. 59)
the estate passing to Richard de Hussingtree, patron
of Hindlip in 1378. (fn. 60) Thomas Hussingtree was
probably lord of Hussingtree
in 1419 and 1443. (fn. 61) The
lady of Hussingtree' who,
according to Habington, (fn. 62)
succeeded him, may have
been identical with Alice
widow of Richard Ruding,
who presented to Hindlip in
1469. (fn. 63) Habington wrote of
the Rudings as gentlemen 'in
tymes past of greate accompt,
whose armes are flouryshed
on the coches and caroches of
the Countesses of Derby,
Huntingdon and Bridgwater,
and other Ladyes, althoughe
the heyre male of the name langwishethe, I feare, in
extreme poverty.' (fn. 64) The branch of this family who
succeeded the Hussingtrees in Hussingtree does not
seem to be the one whose pedigree is given in the
Visitation of 1569. Edmund Ruding of Hussingtree
presented to Hindlip in 1501. (fn. 65) He was probably
the Edmund Ruding who with his wife Alice was
commemorated in the north window of Martin
Church. (fn. 66) In 1537–8 John Ruding of Hussingtree
was a suitor at the court of Allesborough, probably
on account of his tenure of this estate. (fn. 67) George
Ruding, who succeeded, is said to have died about
1564–5 seised of a capital messuage and land in
Martin Hussingtree (fn. 68) which passed to his son Gilbert.
Gilbert was succeeded about 1567 by his sister Anne
wife of Richard Squirry (Squerry) of Hanbury. (fn. 69)
Ruding of Hussing tree. Argent a bend between two lions sable with a flying wyvern argent on the bend.
The lands retained by the Leighs and held by
them of the Abbot of Westminster passed from them,
probably in the same way as Eckington, to the
Cliffords. The heir of Lord Clifford was holding
Hussingtree of the abbey of Westminster towards the
end of the 14th century. (fn. 70) It was probably this
estate which was later held by the Rudings, who
entered their pedigree at the Visitation of 1569, (fn. 71)
but of whom, however, there are few other records
surviving. The pedigree gives Edward Ruding of
Martin Hussingtree, succeeded by his son John and
grandson Richard, who was possibly the Richard
Ruding to whom Thomas Jarveys conveyed a messuage and half a virgate of land in Martin Hussingtree
in 1541. (fn. 72) Richard Ruding was followed by a son
John. John Ruding had two sons, Edmund and
Edward. (fn. 73) 'Thys familye ended in … Edmund
Rudinge who sold Hosyntre to Sir Edmund
Wheler,' (fn. 74) according to Habington, who writes of
'theyse poore gentillmen the Rudinges: so far from
cotes armor as they have scarce cotes to clothe them.' (fn. 75)
Sir Edmund Wheeler was uncle of the John Wheeler
of Martin who sold that manor, and owner of
Ruding or Ryding Court in Buckinghamshire. (fn. 76)
He occurs as Sir Edmund Wheeler of Martin
Hussingtree in 1619, (fn. 77) and was probably succeeded
by his son William. (fn. 78)
After this no further trace of this property occurs
save for a note in Prattinton's Collection that Lord
Sandys sold the manor of Hussingtree to Mr. Spooner
of Leigh, but the date of the transaction is not given. (fn. 79)
Two mills with appurtenances in Salwarpe belonged
to the manor of Martin in 1322. (fn. 80) William de
Perry was holding Martin Mill in Salwarpe in
1402–3. (fn. 81) There is now a mill called New Mill
on the Salwarpe at the north-western angle of the
parish.
CHURCH
The church of ST. MICHAEL AND
ALL ANGELS consists of a continuous
chancel and nave measuring internally
about 52 ft. 5 in. by 16 ft. 2 in., south aisle 26 ft.
7 in. by 9 ft. 8 in., north porch and western bellturret of timber.
The west wall, which is 3 ft. 2 in. in thickness,
with the subsequently widened west window, is probably of the 12th century, but the remainder of the
building appears to have been rebuilt, perhaps in the
early 13th century, the date of the easternmost
window in the north wall. A chamfered plinth
runs round the west, south and east walls, and is
returned round the north wall for a short distance,
stopping under the east jamb of the second window
on this side, This window and the doorway and
window to the west of it are of the early 15th
century and suggest that it became necessary at that
time again to rebuild this portion of the wall and to
add the diagonal buttress of two offsets at the northwest angle of the nave. A stone reset at the apex of
the eastern gable, sculptured with a human face, bears
the date 1625, recording doubtless a general repair
of the fabric, when in all probability the east and
west windows assumed their present form. The stone
itself, which is semicircular in shape, the head projecting corbel-wise at the apex, may be of 12th-century date, but its original position and use are
difficult to determine. In 1868 and again in 1883
the church was generally restored and the south aisle
added. The wall throughout are faced externally
with sandstone ashlar and plastered internally.
The 17th-century east window is of three plain
lights within a two-centred head, the mullions being
set at about the middle of the wall. At the northeast is the lancet above referred to, while to the west
of it is a square-headed window of two trefoiled ogee
lights, the rear arch of which is formed by a modern
wood lintel. To the east of the north doorway,
which has a plain four-centred head, is a squareheaded window of three trefoiled ogee lights, similar
in type to that just described, and, like it and the
doorway, of the early 15th century. At the east end
of the south wall is a peculiar window of two squareheaded and trefoiled lights, set near the outside face of
the wall, and surmounted, by way of tracery, by a
row of four quatrefoiled square piercings. The
design is almost unique, but the work may probably
be assigned to the late 14th century. At the west
end of the same wall is a square-headed window of
three lights, similar in type to the early 15th-century
windows in the opposite wall, but either a restoration
or entirely modern. The intervening portion of the
wall is occupied by a wooden arcade opening into the
modern aisle. The head of the window in the west
wall appears to have been originally circular and to
have been cut to its present shape when the opening
was widened. The aisle is lighted by window of
the same character as the original 15th-century
window of the nave. The roof is modern and is
ceiled in seven cants. The font and fittings are also
modern.
Martin Hussingtree Church From the North-West
At the north-east of the chancel is a tablet with a
Latin inscription commemorating Thomas Tomkyns,
who died in 1675, at the age of thirty-seven. He
was a fellow of All Souls' College, Oxford, chancellor
of Exeter Cathedral and rector of Lambeth, and is
described as 'Ecclesiae Anglicanae contra schismaticos
assertor eximius.' He died at Exeter and his body
was brought here for burial. On the same wall is
a tablet to the Rev. William Chapeau, rector of
Shipton Oliffe and Shipton Sollars (Gloucs.), who
died in 1776. The tablet was erected by his wife
Jane, daughter of Sheldon Stephens, rector of
Martin and Hindlip, and also commemorates her
brothers. Further west, near the pulplt, is a mural
tablet to the above Jane, who afterwards married
John West of Worcester and died 15 January
1793. At the south-east is a tablet commemorating
the above Sheldon Stephens, who died in 1779, and
his wife Mary, who died in 1781. On the same
wall is a tablet to Edward Wheeler, who died
18 August 1754.
On the south wall of the nave is a marble monument with arms to William Williams of Perry, Hartlebury, who died in 1775, Mary his wife, 1811, and
their sons and daughters. On the north wall is a
monument to Thomas Wood, rector, who died in
1746, and his wife, who died in 1745. Near the
west end of the wall is a framed board containing a
table of charitable gifts, dated above 1709, and
'Roger Jones, churchwarden,' written underneath.
The bell-turret contains
two bells: the treble, by
Joseph Smith of Edgbaston,
is inscribed, 'Richard Walling. Churchwarden 1725,'
and the tenor is inscribed,
'God save King James 1617.
T.W.'
The communion plate
consists of a cup and paten
of 1735.
The registers before 1812
are as follows: (i) baptisms
1539 to 1708, burials 1540
to 1708, marriages 1538 to
1708; (ii) baptisms 1725
to 1812, burials 1725 to
1812, marriages 1725; to
1754; (iii) marriages 1756
to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The advowson descended
with the manor of Martin
as late as 1723, but afterwards seems to have been
held separately, the presentation being made by Henry
Wood in 1725, by Sheldon Stephens in 1746, by David
Williams in 1779, and by Mary Williams, widow,
in 1785, 1788 and 1790. (fn. 82) In 1808 the Rev. D.
Williams was patron, (fn. 83) but the advowson passed before
1817 to the Dean and Chapter of Worcester, (fn. 84) the
present patrons.
By an undated deed Aldred, rector of Martin, (fn. 85)
granted the vicarage of the chapel of St. Nicholas of
Martin to John, chaplain of Droitwich. Martin was
a chapel of St. Eadburga, Pershore, to which church it
paid a pound of pepper annually, (fn. 86) and in whose
cemetery it had sepulture until 1400 when the
parishioners obtained the right to have a churchyard
of their own. (fn. 87)
CHARITIES
In 1640 John Haselocke, as stated
on the church table, by his will
charged his estate in this parish with
20s. a year for some poor men or women or to place
out any poor child.
The church table also recorded that there were
4 a. of land given for the use of the poor by a donor
unknown. For many years an annual sum of 16s.
has been received from the occupiers of the land in
question and distributed among poor widows.
It was also stated on the same table that Thomas
Tombs by his will dated in 1718 bequeathed £10 for
the poor. This legacy appears to have been lost sight of.
In 1859 Thomas Williams, by his will proved in
the P.C.C. 19 February, bequeathed £50 to be laid
out in clothes and blankets for the poor. The legacy
is represented by a sum of £48 on deposit with the
Post Office Savings Bank, the interest being applied in
bonuses to members of the coal club.