MATHON
Matma, Matme (xi cent.); Mathum, Mathene,
Mathermayn (xiii cent.); Mathonaching (xvi cent.).
The Worcestershire part of Mathon, now known
as West Malvern, forms a parish on the west side of
the Malvern Hills. Mathon was formerly partly in
Worcestershire and partly in Herefordshire and most
of the original parish is now the parish of Mathon
Rural in Herefordshire. By a Local Government
Board Order of 1894 the parish was divided into two
parts, Mathon Urban and Mathon Rural, the former
comprising the part in Malvern Link urban district.
By Local Government Board Order of 8 May 1897,
confirmed by the Provisional Orders Confirmation
(No. 10) Act, 1897, (fn. 1) Mathon Rural was transferred
to Herefordshire. By the Malvern Link Extension
Act of 1896, (fn. 2) which came into operation 31 March
1897, part of Cradley was transferred to Mathon
Urban, and the whole was renamed the civil parish
of West Malvern. (fn. 3) West Malvern is still in the
registration county of Hereford. (fn. 4) It was constituted
an ecclesiastical parish out of Mathon and Leigh in
1844. (fn. 5)
The present parish of Mathon has an area of 3,038
acres, most of which is devoted to agriculture. (fn. 6) West
Malvern contains 631 acres. There are many apple
and pear orchards for cider and perry, and large crops
of grain and hops are also grown. The parish has
given its name to a well-known kind of hop of fine
quality known as 'Mathon Whites.' The cider and
perry of the Mathon district have long been famous
and are mentioned by Camden. (fn. 7) The soil is loam
and the subsoil chiefly Old Red Sandstone, but part
of West Malvern lies on the Ludlow Beds. In the
north-west the land is comparatively low-lying, but
it rises to the east and south. The western part of
the parish consists chiefly of farms. Here is Moorend
Cross, whose name occurs in the 13th century. (fn. 8)
This district is drained by Cradley Brook, which
is joined at Mathon by another brook from the
Malvern Hills, and flows north to Cradley. The
parish is well wooded.
The village of Mathon is on the high road to
Cradley. The parish church stands in a secluded
valley near the road. Near it is Church Farm, which
has the remains of a moat. There is a pound by the
roadside. Mathon Court, lately the seat of Mr. William
Croxton Vale, is near the village; to the south of it
is South End, probably 'la Suthide' of the 12th and
13th centuries, which belonged to the fee of Hanley
and was given by Robert son of Robert de Hanley
and Eva his mother to the abbey of Pershore. (fn. 9) There
is a disused Wesleyan chapel here. Still further south
are Smith's Green and Ham Green; near the latter
are the remains of a moat. North-east of Mathon,
on the Cradley boundary, is Netherley Hall, now a
farm-house.
About 1½ miles east of Mathon village, in a beautiful
situation on the slope of the hills, lies West Malvern.
Here are situated the Royal Well, the property of
the Royal Well Mineral Water Company, and the
Royal Malvern Well Hall, which was closed in 1885.
Near the church of St. James is St. Edward's Orphanage for Boys founded in 1876. It stands in the
same grounds as the Clergy House of Rest, the latter
established in 1874. A chapel for the two was built
in 1880. Further south at the Dingle is a Congregational chapel built in 1860; there is also a
Wesleyan chapel built in 1866. South of West
Malvern is Mathon Park, in which is Mathon Lodge,
the seat of Mr. Theodore Kensington. Near by is a
chapel on the side of the Worcestershire Beacon. To
the north of West Malvern is Cowleigh Park, one of
the most beautiful parts of Malvern. The population of West Malvern parish in 1901 was 1,406. (fn. 10)
In the 14th century the inhabitants of Colwall
and Mathon paid 8 qrs. of oats yearly to the lord of
Malvern Chase for having common in the Chase. (fn. 11)
The following place-names occur: Remner's Stocking, Esselond, le Fether, Hopesbroc (fn. 12) (xiii cent.);
Shepynground, (fn. 13) le Hamend, Redefild, Le Gnabe
Furlong (fn. 14) (xvi cent.); the Dead Water Closes, the
Dog Pitt Meadow, the Aytes (fn. 15) (xvii cent.); the Dean
and the Hold, Mundine (fn. 16) (xviii cent.).
MANORS
Ethelred II in the year 1014 gave to
a certain ealdorman Leofwine 'a district
containing 4 mansae in the place which
is called Mathon.' (fn. 17) By the time of the Domesday
Survey the manor of MATHON, consisting of 5
hides, of which 3 paid geld and one was in Herefordshire, had passed to the abbey of Pershore. (fn. 18)
Henry III in 1251 granted to the abbot free warren
in his manor of Mathon. (fn. 19) In 1291 the abbot was
returned as holder of a carucate of land here worth
2 marks a year, (fn. 20) and at the dissolution of the
abbey the manor of Mathon was of the clear yearly
value of £26 13s. 4½d. (fn. 21) It was granted in 1542 to
the Dean and Chapter of'
Westminster, (fn. 22) by whose successors it was held till 1869, (fn. 23)
when the manorial rights were
vested in the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners, the present
holders.
The Dean and Chapter of
Westminster have Court Rolls
and deeds for Mathon and
various leases of the manor
after the Dissolution. (fn. 24)
Dean And Chapter of Westminister. The arms of St. Edward with a chief or and therein a pale of FRANCE and ENGLAND between two rases gules.
Half a hide of land in the
manor of Mathon which lay
in Herefordshire was held in
1086 of Roger de Lacy by a
tenant Odo; it had previously
been held by Mereuin, a thane of Earl Odo. (fn. 25) This
may possibly have been the manor of COWLEIGH (fn. 26)
(Couley, xiv cent.). Henry de Cowleigh witnessed
a deed in 1287, (fn. 27) and in 1351 William de Cowleigh gave to the vicar of Great Malvern lands in
Cowleigh and Cradley. (fn. 28) It first appears as a manor
in 1385, when two parts of the manor of Cowleigh
next Malvern in Herefordshire and a third of the
manor of Cowleigh next Malvern in Worcestershire
were settled on Richard Ruyhale and Elizabeth his
wife and their heirs. (fn. 29) Habington says that this
manor belonged to the Corbetts of Impney, (fn. 30) and
though no deeds have been found connecting the
Corbetts with this estate, it belonged in the 16th
century to the heirs of this branch of the family.
It probably passed with the heiress of the Cowleigh
family to her husband, a Corbett, (fn. 31) and followed the
descent of Impney to the Harewells, for Edmund
Harewell died seised of half the manor in 1532. (fn. 32)
He was succeeded by his son Thomas, whose grandson
Sir Edmund Harewell (fn. 33) in 1604 sold the site of
Cowleigh Manor to Rowland Berkeley. (fn. 34) Of his
son (fn. 35) William Berkeley the manor was bought in
1624 by Sir Walter Devereux of Leigh, (fn. 36) who had
licence to make a park in Leigh, Cowleigh and other
places in 1625. (fn. 37) Cowleigh was sold by the Devereux
family about 1646, (fn. 38) probably to the Lechmeres,
Edmund Lechmere being lord of the manor in
1674, (fn. 39) and it afterwards descended with Holdfast in
Ripple in the Lechmere family. (fn. 40) The site of the
manor was retained by the Devereux family after
they parted with the manor. It was in the hands of
Price Devereux in 1723, (fn. 41) but was acquired before
1811 by the Lechmeres, (fn. 42) of whom the manor was
purchased by Frederick sixth Lord Beauchamp. (fn. 43)
His son the present Lord Beauchamp is now the
owner.
Three virgates of land in the manor of Mathon
were held by Urse in 1086, (fn. 44) while Walter Poer
(Ponther) held a virgate of waste land. (fn. 45) At the
same time Adelelm, tenant of Drew Fitz Ponz, held
half a hide in Herefordshire previously held by
Alward, a thane of Earl Odo. (fn. 46) The further descents
of the estates held by Urse and Drew have not been
traced, but Walter Pocr's land is probably to be
identified with an estate at FARLEY (Ferlegh, Farle,
xiii cent.; Farnely, xiv cent.; Farelowe, Fareley, xvixviii cent.), afterwards held by the Poer family. It
probably followed the same descent as Battenhall in
St. Peter, Worcester, for in 1274 William Poer was
presented at the assizes for making a warren in
Farley and other places, (fn. 47) and in 1287 the Earl of
Gloucester impleaded him for inclosing a park there
and making a deer leap, to the detriment of Malvern
Chase. (fn. 48) It was then shown that William father of
William Poer had made the park, and the father of
the Earl of Gloucester had given him deer to place
in it, but at the time of the plea they had almost all
been destroyed by wolves. (fn. 49) In 1305–6 John de
Morton and his wife Elizabeth (probably a member
of the Poer family) conveyed to Richard le Mercer,
his wife Margaret and their son John 2 virgates of
land in Farley. (fn. 50) Robert Bracy was dealing with
rent in Farley in 1316. (fn. 51) There is no mention of a
manor here till 1507, when Thomas Lygon of
Madresfield died seised of the manor of Farley, which
he held of the manor of Hanley Castle. (fn. 52) . From
this date the manor descended with Brace's Leigh
(see Leigh) till 1652, when it was sold by Henry
Bromley and Edward Penell to Thomas Dangerfield,
Susan Fawke, Anne Fawke and George Wood. (fn. 53)
Thomas Dangerfield 'of the Park' died in 1705,
succeeded by a son Thomas, who died in 1735. He
left a son Thomas and a daughter Anne, who married
Edward Holder. Thomas died in 1742, (fn. 54) and in
1780 Edward and Anne Holder conveyed the manor
of Farley to Samuel Wharton, clerk, and Robert
Dangerfield, possibly a son of Thomas. (fn. 55) In 1884
Benjamin Bright was lord of the manor of Farley. (fn. 56)
He died leaving an only daughter Phoebe, who
married Mr. Cave, the present owner. (fn. 57)
The park of Farley contained 150 acres in 1633. (fn. 58)
There was a mill on the abbot's demesne in
1086. (fn. 59) It is probably to be identified with Mathon
Mill mentioned in the 16th century, when there was
also a second mill here. (fn. 60) In 1650 'the milne river,'
'the milne close,' 'the milne meadow' and 'the mill
croft' are mentioned. (fn. 61) There was a water-mill and
tan-house in Mathon in the tenure of Henry Wood
in 1686, (fn. 62) and in 1735 a mill-house and the millcroft were leased to Allan Cliffe. (fn. 63)
There was also a mill attached to Cowleigh Manor
in the 17th century, (fn. 64) but it seems to have disappeared
before the end of that century.
Plan of Mathon Church
CHURCHES
The church of ST. JOHN BAPTIST (fn. 65) consists of chancel 22 ft. 6 in.
by 19 ft. with organ chamber on the
north side, nave 66 ft. 8 in. by 19 ft., west tower
10 ft. 6 in. by 11 ft., and south porch 12 ft. by 11 ft.,
all these measurements being internal.
There is no structural division between the nave
and chancel, the north and south walls of the building
being unbroken throughout their full length, though
the chancel roof is slightly lower than that of the
nave. The chancel and nave are of 12th-century
date, but all the windows with the exception of those
at the east end and one on the north side of the nave
are modern copies or restorations of 14th-century
openings. The tower was added in the 15th century,
and the existing roof of the nave was probably erected
about the same time. The porch may be a little later
than the tower, perhaps c. 1500. The organ chamber
is modern. The church was partially restored between
1849 and 1868 and again in 1897.
The church throughout is built of rubble masonry,
formerly stuccoed, and the roofs, which overhang at
the caves, are covered with modern red tiles. The
plaster remains at the east end below the string-course
and on the north side of the chancel, but the antiquity
sometimes claimed for it is doubtful. When the external
plaster was removed from the north and south walls
some herring-bone masonry was discovered. This
occurs between the second and third windows of the
nave just below the eaves on the south side and also
to the west of the porch and along the greater part
of the north wall at the same height. A vertical
joint in the north wall about 10 ft. from the west
end may possibly indicate a lengthening of the nave
when the tower was added, but most likely only a
rebuilding of this portion of the wall when the new
roof was erected.
The east end has two round-headed windows high
up in the wall resting on a flat string-course, the top
edge of which is slightly chamfered. This and another
string across the gable are almost the only external
architectural features of the 12th-century structure, the
walls being without plinth or buttress. The sills of
the two east windows are more than 8 ft. above the
ground, and the openings, which are 12 in. wide and
4 ft. 10 in. apart, are slightly chamfered all round
externally. Above, in the lower part of the gable
below the upper string, is an original circular window,
but the upper part of the gable has been rebuilt. On
the south side the chancel is lighted by a window of
two trefoiled lights with quatrefoil in the head, and
there is a similar window on the north side rather more
to the west. Both these windows are modern, but
are apparently restorations or copies of 14th-century
work. The rear arch of that on the north side is
shouldered, and the sill is formed of a mediaeval
grave slab, with incised cross, part of which is cut
away to fit the jamb. In the usual position in the
south wall, below the window, is a 12th-century
round-headed piscina recess, with plain sunk bowl;
opposite in the north wall is another recess of similar
type, but probably an aumbry. (fn. 66) The priest's doorway is original, with a semicircular head. The door
is new. Internally the walls are plastered, and the
modern boarded roof is separated from that of the
nave by a modern framed principal of ornamental
design partly filled in with lath and plaster forming a
kind of chancel arch.
The nave is lighted on the south side by four modern
two-light windows, one of which is to the west of
the porch, all apparently copies of 14th-century
originals, and there are two windows on the north
side. The easternmost of these, which is a squareheaded opening of two trefoiled lights, was originally
further to the east, but was removed to its present
position when the organ chamber was erected. It
is apparently of 15th-century date. The head of a
mediaeval sepulchral slab is built into the sill inside.
The other window, which is placed about the middle
of the wall, is an original 12th-century opening
lengthened at the bottom and the head roughly cut
to a pointed shape. The jamb stones remain below
the head, but the lower part has been simply cut
through the rubble. The north and south doorways
are about 20 ft. from the west wall and that on the
north side is built up. It has a square lintel, the
edge of which is ornamented with a cable moulding,
and the upper jamb stones set in about 1½ in. on
either side, forming a kind of trefoiled or shouldered
arch. Internally it has a plain semicircular head.
The south doorway is of the same type, but the head
forms a plain tympanum flush with the walls inclosed
by a semicircular arch. The lower edge of the
tympanum has a plaited moulding, and the upper
part of the opening, which is wider than that on the
north side, is again contracted. The door is new,
but the ironwork is ancient.
The nave roof consists of seven bays and is a good
piece of 15th-century oakwork, having plain collared
principals with curved pieces on the under side.
The six western bays have purlin braces, the upper
plain and the lower cusped, while the easternmost
bay has trussed rafters only. Two original tie-beams
remain in the middle of the third and sixth bays,
and the whole of the roof timbers are continued some
little distance down the walls, where they stop against
a plaster moulding. The roof has been restored and
is plastered between the rafters.
The tower is of four stages with a vice in the
north-west corner, but only the upper or belfry stage
is marked externally by a string, below which the
walls are unbroken to the moulded plinth. The
walling is of coursed grey rubble, different in colour
from that of the nave, and there are diagonal buttresses
of four stages on the west side going up the full
height of the tower. On the east side there are
square buttresses facing north and south, forming in
their lower stages the termination of the nave walls
and setting back below the belfry string, where they
give place to diagonal buttresses, awkwardly corbelled
out, similar to those on the west. The buttresses
all terminate abruptly at the top of the belfry stage,
the embattled parapet and angle pinnacles, which are
set back from the face of the tower, being apparently
of later date. The belfry windows are of two cinquefoiled lights with tracery in the heads. The west
doorway has a four-centred moulded arch without
hood mould, and the window above is of two cinquefoiled lights with perpendicular tracery much restored
There is a plain pointed light on the north and south
sides to the ringing chamber, but the lower stages are
blank. The buttresses have each a sunk tracery panel
in the second stage. The tower arch is of a single
hollow-chamfered order dying out into the wall on
the west side, but continuous towards the nave.
The porch is timber-framed with tile filling on a low
stone base and has a double two-light window on each
side, but the tracery which once existed in the openings
has disappeared. (fn. 67) The porch was restored in 1897
and trefoil cusping inserted. The four-centred outer
doorway, however, retains its original carving in the
spandrels and the timber work generally is ancient.
The font is modern and of stone, but the oak pulpit
is a good example of Jacobean work on a modern base.
It has four carved sides and an open back, each side
having two tiers of panels, the upper of the usual
round-headed type and the lower lozenge shaped.
The seating of the nave is modern, but three old
oak seats, apparently of 17th-century date, remain at
the west end. The walls are wainscoted to a height
of 3 ft. 9 in. with woodwork from the old pews.
In the vestry is an oak chest with two locks and good
fleur de lis ironwork, on the lid of which is cut the
date 1698 and the names of Io. How and H. Dangerfield. Against the wall on the north side of the
chancel is an early 17th-century tomb of rather
coarse Renaissance design with kneeling figures of
John Walweyn and his wife and daughter. The
daughter is by the side of her mother, who kneels at
a prayer desk facing her husband. Below, along the
ledge of the base of the monument, is the inscription,
'HIC IACET IANA VXOR IOHIS WALWEYN GENR FILIA
PARIDIS SLOVEGHTER ARMIGERI QUAE OBIJT 2O oct: AO
DNI 1617.' Below this are three panels with the
arms of Walweyn, Slaughter, and Walweyn impaling
Slaughter. The arms of Walweyn with crest and
mantling occur again at the top of the monument.
There are also mural monuments and two flat
armorial slabs in the chancel to members of the
Cliffe (fn. 68) and Dangerfield families. In the nave are
tablets to members of the Barrett, Dangerfield and
Vale families. A tablet within the built-up north
doorway records the name of Canon Loraine Estridge,
vicar (d. 1903), 'mainly through (whose) energy
and ability this church was restored to its present
state of beauty, A.D. 1897.'
There is a ring of six bells cast by Abraham
Rudhall of Gloucester in 1760, (fn. 69) and also a sanctus
bell by John Martin dated 1675.
The plate consists of a chalice, paten and flagon
of 1849–50, given by Miss Vale in 1852, and patens
(1848–9 and 1850–1) given in 1851 by the Rev.
Archibald Douglas, vicar. There is also a pewter
bread-holder inscribed, 'Be ready to give, glad to
distribute, For with such sacrifices God is well
pleased. 1 Tim. 6, 17. Heb. 13, 16,' a pewter flagon,
and a brass repoussé almsdish of Flemish make.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i)
baptisms 1631 to 1808, burials 1631 to 1807,
marriages 1631 to 1753; (ii) baptisms and burials
1808 to 1812; (iii) marriages 1754 to 1812.
The churchyard is entered through a modern lychgate at the south-east corner. To the south of the
porch is the base of a churchyard cross and further
east a fine yew tree.
The church of ST. JAMES, West Malvern, was
originally built in 1841 and rebuilt in 1871 under
the direction of G. E. Street. It is of stone in
13th-century style and consists of chancel with aisles,
nave, aisles, south porch and tower with gabled roof
at the east end of the south chancel aisle containing
two bells. The living is a vicarage in the gift of the
Dean and Chapter of Westminster.
The church of ST. PETER, built in 1876, stands
near Cowleigh Park, and gives its name to an ecclesiastical parish formed in 1876. (fn. 70) The building is of
stone in 13th-century style and consists of chancel,
nave, aisles, north porch and eastern bell-turret.
The living is a vicarage in the gift of Earl Beauchamp,
who gave the site for the new vicarage-house built in
1894.
ADVOWSON
There was a priest in Mathon at
the time of the Domesday Survey. (fn. 71)
The church is mentioned about
1193 (fn. 72) ; the Abbot and convent of Pershore presented to it in 1285 (fn. 73) and it continued in their gift
till the Dissolution. In 1512 the church was appropriated to the abbey, (fn. 74) the vicarage at the Dissolution
being valued at £8 a year. (fn. 75) The rectory and advowson
of the vicarage were granted, with the manor, in
1542 to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, (fn. 76) and
are still held by their successors.
About 1193 an arrangement was made between
the patrons, the Abbot and convent of Pershore, and
Peter, rector of the church, by which the abbot
and convent received two parts of the great tithes
and the rector the remainder with all the small
tithes and the tithes of Farley. (fn. 77) This agreement
was confirmed by Henry Bishop of Worcester (fn. 78) and
by Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury. (fn. 79)
In 1548 the sum of 6s. 2d. was produced from a
toft and a parcel of land which had been given for
the maintenance of lights in the parish of Mathon. (fn. 80)
CHARITIES
William Burford, who died in
1795, as appeared from the church
table, gave by will the yearly interest
of £48 to be equally divided amongst six of the
poorest widows on St. Thomas's Day.
William Woodyatt, who died in 1823, by his will
bequeathed £20, the yearly interest to be applied
for the benefit of poor impotent persons.
In 1873 James Cruse, by his will proved at
Worcester 23 May, bequeathed £200, the income to
be applied for charitable purposes connected with
the parish or inhabitants.
The same testator bequeathed a further sum of
£100, the interest to be applied for educational purposes connected with the Church of England.
The legacies, less duty, are represented respectively
by £193 0s. 7d. consols and £96 10s. 4d. consols,
with the official trustees, producing together £7 4s. 4d.