CHURCHILL
Cercehalle (xi cent.); Chirhulle (xii cent.).
The parish of Churchill, containing 954 acres, of
which 721 acres are arable land, 160¾ permanent
grass, and 8 acres woodland, (fn. 1) is on the Staffordshire
border, about 3½ miles north-east of Kidderminster.
It is generally known as Churchill near Kidderminster or Churchill in Halfshire to distinguish
it from Churchill near Worcester in the hundred
of Oswaldslow. In 1306 it was referred to as
'Churchill in the forest of Kinver,' (fn. 2) and some years
later was amerced with neighbouring townships for
non-attendance at the court of the regarder of that
forest. (fn. 3) It was still described as in Kinver Forest in
1604. (fn. 4)
An Act for inclosing Churchill Common was passed
in 1773. (fn. 5)
Churchill is watered by 'a quick and clear stream,' (fn. 6)
which rises in the Clent Hills and forms the eastern
boundary of the parish, occasionally artificially
widened into pools; about 2 miles from Churchill it
flows into the River Stour. The land slopes upwards
from the valley of this stream, and at its lowest level
towards the west and north is 211 ft. above the
ordnance datum, while near the northern boundary
of the parish it attains a height of 400 ft.
The village of Churchill stands on the right bank
of this stream, and consists of one rather straggling
street continued southward as a branch road joining
the main road from Kidderminster to Halesowen
near Blakedown. At the north of the village three
roads diverge, going respectively to Cookley, Kinver,
and Stakenbridge.
The nearest station to Churchill is at Blakedown.
The hamlets of Blakedown, Stakenbridge, and
Harborough in the civil parish of Hagley were in
1888 transferred to Churchill for ecclesiastical purposes
by Order in Council. In Blakedown is a chapel of
ease to the parish church.
The subsoil consists of Bunter Pebble Beds; the
surface is very dry and is mostly sand. The parish
is mainly agricultural, wheat, barley and green crops
being raised, but there are spade and shovel works on
a small scale in the village. It is said that during
the 18th century Churchill so abounded in damsons
and plums that all the neighbouring markets were
supplied from it. (fn. 7)
MANOR
At the time of the Domesday Survey
the manor of CHURCHILL was held
by Walter of William Fitz Ansculf, the
lord of Dudley; it had formerly belonged to
Wigar, (fn. 8) who had also held the adjacent manor of
Cradley. (fn. 9)
The overlordship followed the descent of the
barony of Dudley until the partition of John de
Somery's lands in 1323, (fn. 10) when it was assigned to
his younger sister Joan de Botetourt, but from that
time it appears to have lapsed. The manor was held
of these overlords for the service of a fourth of a
knight's fee. (fn. 11)
About the middle of the 12th century Agnes de
Somery bequeathed half a hide of land at Churchill
'and the rest of that vill' towards the foundation of
the monastery of St. James at Dudley, desiring to be
buried there. (fn. 12) She was probably related to John de
Somery, who had married Hawise, the sister of
Gervase Paynel. Her gift was confirmed before
1161 by Gervase as lord of the fee, (fn. 13) and afterwards
by Pope Lucius III in 1182. (fn. 14)
At the Dissolution the possessions of Dudley Priory
in Churchill included assize rents amounting to 17s., (fn. 15)
which were granted in 1541 to Sir John Dudley,
afterwards Duke of Northumberland, (fn. 16) and after his
attainder to Thomas Reve and George Cotton. (fn. 17)
The latter are said to have sold the rent to Humphrey
Dickens, (fn. 18) but this seems improbable, as the estate of
Dudley Priory in the manor passed to the Lytteltons,
being forfeited by John Lyttelton in 1601 (fn. 19) and
restored to his widow Muriel two years later. (fn. 20)
Thomas son of John purchased the manor in 1605–6,
when the fee-farm rent would have lapsed. A rent
of 6s. 8d. appears to have been reserved by the Crown
on one of these grants, for in 1635–6 6s. 8d. yearly
from the vill of Churchill was granted to William
Scriven and Philip Eden and their heirs. (fn. 21)
Shortly after the grant of Gervase Paynel, the Prior
of Wenlock, to which Dudley was a cell, gave the
manor to Robert de Hurcott (Hurchote), probably of
the adjoining parish of Kidderminster, for a rent of
half a mark yearly to the monks of Dudley. (fn. 22) Robert
seems to have been succeeded by Adam de Hurcott,
who conveyed Churchill to his son Robert. (fn. 23) It
was probably this Robert de Hurcott who in 1234–5
dealt with the adjoining vill of Hurcott. (fn. 24) A few
years later he granted 'the land of Churchill' with
the advowson of the church to Hugh Drugel in free
marriage with his sister Margery. (fn. 25)
John Drugel or Drobul, who was possibly the son
of Hugh and Margery, presented to the church in
1298 and again in the following year, when he was
described as being of the manor of Suckley. (fn. 26) Probably
therefore he did not reside at Churchill, and he seems
to have leased the land to one John de Melford. (fn. 27)
John Drugel afterwards conveyed the rent of 60s. 8d.,
payable by John de Melford, with the advowson, to
the family of Bastenhall of Suckley. (fn. 28) Giles de
Bastenhall presented to the church in 1340 (fn. 29) and
had been succeeded in 1350 by Joan widow of John
de Bastenhall. In that year Joan conveyed the
advowson and the rent of 60s. 8d. to Edmund de
Dunclent and his wife Joan, apparently for three
lives. (fn. 30) It was probably this Edmund de Dunclent
who presented to the church in 1361 (fn. 31) and who was
succeeded by his son John, lord of Churchill in
1368. (fn. 32) Churchill was settled in 1397 on John de
Dunclent and his wife Joan, with reversion to John
Wythall and his wife Alice and their heirs, and
remainder to Elizabeth the daughter of John de
Dun lent. (fn. 33) John Bilington was lord of Churchill
and presented to the church in 1422, (fn. 34) but before
1429 the manor had passed to Thomas Dickens of
Bobbington, co. Stafford, (fn. 35) but whether by sale or
otherwise does not appear. Thomas Dickens seems
to have been succeeded in Churchill by his second
son Thomas, who occurs as lord of the manor in
1471. (fn. 36) Thomas had died leaving a son Richard
before 1483, when his widow
Elizabeth held the manor. (fn. 37)
In the following year she
granted an annual rent of 20s.
from lands in Churchill held
by Thomas Willot to her son
Richard. (fn. 38)
Dickens of Bobbington. Ermine a cross paty sable.
From this time until 1561
the history of the manor is a
blank, but it probably reverted
to the elder branch of the
Dickens family, as Hugh (fn. 39)
Dickens held it in 1561, and
granted it in that year to a
younger son Thomas Dickens and his wife Philippa
in tail-male. (fn. 40) Richard Dickens, who succeeded,
and held the manor in 1601, may have been son of
Thomas and Philippa. (fn. 41) He had been succeeded
before 1605–6 by John Dickens, who conveyed the
manor in that year to Thomas Lyttelton. (fn. 42)
From that date it has descended with the manor
of Hagley (fn. 43) (q.v.), and now belongs to Viscount
Cobham.
At the end of the 18th century a court was still
occasionally held for the Crown at the Bell Inn.
There was no court leet, and the court baron of the
Lytteltons was then falling into disuse, 'there being
no copyholders within the manor.' (fn. 44)
A mill held by the lord of the manor by payment
of 20s. yearly to the lord of Hagley is mentioned in
the 13th century. (fn. 45) A blade-mill and mill pool at
Churchill are mentioned at the end of the 16th
century. (fn. 46)
There is now a mill at Churchill about a quarter
of a mile to the south of the village.
CHURCH
The church of ST. JAMES is a
modern building, and consists of a
chancel with a north vestry, above
which is the tower, and a nave with a wooden south
porch. The material of the building is red sandstone, and the design is in the style of the early
14th century. In the nave is a modern octagonal
font.
In the church was formerly an ancient parish chest
rudely hollowed out of a single block of oak. (fn. 47)
There are two bells. The treble bears the name
of John Cox, churchwarden, and the date 1722; the
second is by John Martin of Worcester, and bears
his stamp.
The church plate consists of a three-legged salver
hall marked for 1808, a cup with a cover of the
usual Elizabethan type on which the hall marks are
obliterated, a modern glass flagon with a silver top
and handle and a modern chalice, gilt inside, with
the Birmingham hall marks for 1861.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all
entries 1540 to 1712; (ii) all entries 1715 to 1813.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of Churchill apparently followed the descent of the
manor (fn. 48) until 1561. It seems to
have been retained by Hugh Dickens when he granted
the manor to his younger son Thomas, as Hugh presented to the church in 1571. (fn. 49) It passed from him to
his grandson William, son of his eldest son Humphrey. (fn. 50)
William Dickens presented in 1584, (fn. 51) and the
advowson probably passed at about the same time as
the manor to Thomas Lyttelton, as he presented in
1618. (fn. 52) From that time the advowson has descended
with the manor, (fn. 53) Viscount Cobham being the present
patron.
Richard Penne, (fn. 54) by his will dated 1470, desired
to be buried in the churchyard of St. James the
Apostle of Churchill and left 12d. to the high altar,
two torches and 4 acres of land and a tenement in
Kidderminster. (fn. 55)
CHARITIES
The charities of Richard Penne
and Roger Bennett (1602) are comprised in a scheme of the County
Court of Worcestershire holden 24 September 1856,
supplemented by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners 29 May 1894. The trust property consists of
school with site, 1 a. 2 r. 2 p. near St. George's Church,
Kidderminster, let at £6 10s. a year, £2,712 10s. 9d.
consols, and £267 14s. 9d. Local Loans 3 per cent.
stock, producing together £75 16s. 8d. in annual
dividends.
The sums of stock are held by the official trustees,
and arise from sales in 1872, 1874 and 1876 of
lands, houses and cottages, and of the Britannia Inn
in 1881, and from accumulations of income.
By an order of the Charity Commissioners
5 December 1905 the portion applicable for educational purposes is to be designated 'The Penne and
Bennett Educational Foundation,' the remainder
being applicable for church purposes.