CROWLE
Croh Lea, Crohleye (ix cent.); Crohlea, Croelai
(xi cent.); Croulega (xii cent.); Crauley, Croley
(xiii cent.) ; Croull (xiv cent.) ; Croll (xv cent.);
Crowley, Crolle, Crowel (xvi cent.).
The parish of Crowle is bounded on the south and
west by Crowle Brook, a tributary of Bow Brook,
which runs from north to south through the centre
of the parish. Its area is 1,735 acres, (fn. 1) of which
481 are arable, 895 are permanent grass, and
104 acres are woodland. (fn. 2) The land rises from the
Bow Brook in the east to a height of over 200 ft.
above the ordnance datum near the western boundary.
The subsoil is Lower Lias, and the chief crops are
wheat and beans.
The inclosure award for Crowle is dated 9 August
1808 (fn. 3) under an authorizing Act of 1806. (fn. 4)
Habington, in his Survey, says of the village of
Crowle that it 'lyethe between the vale of Evesham
and the woodland, deep in the one and warme by the
other.' (fn. 5) The church is at the south end of the village,
which extends for about a quarter of a mile northwards along the road from Broughton Hackett. This
road then joins that leading westwards to Worcester
and eastwards in the direction of Himbleton. Here
are the green and the Chequers Inn, a modernized
building of little interest. There is some half-timber
work in the main street of the village, which possesses
no remarkable features.
Crowle Court, the manor-house of the Priors of
Worcester, was destroyed about 1864. It was surrounded by a moat, still remaining, and is supposed
to have been built in the 13th century and rebuilt on
the old foundations shortly before Prior Moore's time.
It included a chapel and tithe-barn. A portion of
the house remained in 1868 and was then used as a
cider-house. (fn. 6)
Habington mentions a coffin found in Crowle
'made of a Burford stone beeinge the best of England
and covered with the same lyinge Southe and Northe
whearein weare the bones or rather dust of a man
uppon a sheete of leade and sheetes of leade by his
sydes with an earthen pychar at hys heade, hys stature
not extraordinary for the coffin was little more then
syx foote in lengthe, but hee excelled in authority
who was not onely interred in leade but allso in a
stony coffyn brought from Burford in Oxfordshyre.
This greate personage was by all lykelihoode a Dane.' (fn. 7)
Place-names which occur in connexion with this
parish in the 17th century are Impey, Bredicott
Piece, (fn. 8) Mill Meadow, Lott Meadow, Crimnell
Withies Close. (fn. 9)
MANORS
Five mansae at CROWLE were given
to Eadberht, Bishop of Worcester(822–46), by Beortulf, King of Mercia. (fn. 10)
The boundaries of these five mansae extended from
Crohwella to Maidenbridge; from there all round
Snoddeslea to Hymelbrook; from Hymelbrook to
Honeybourn and thence to Godinges boundary at
Bredicot; thence to the drain (sice) at Crowle Wood
and from that drain to Oddingley Wood; along the
old inclosure place (aldan geard stelles) to Huddington boundary and thence east to Crohwell. (fn. 11) Bishop
Eadberht bestowed this estate upon the priory of
Worcester. (fn. 12)
As has already been remarked, the reference to
the boundary of Goding's land shows that these
boundaries cannot be contemporary with Beortulf of
Mercia. The language of the charter is very inflated—too inflated to be easily assigned to this early date—and the terms of the grant are not easily reconciled
with the reference to Crowle made in a grant of
undoubted authenticity issued a few years earlier.
In 836 King Wiglaf of Mercia granted certain
liberties to the monastery of Hanbury. Gifts of land
were made by the Bishop of Worcester to the king
and to two ealdormen who obviously would suffer
from the grant of immunities to Hanbury. In particular Mucel the ealdorman, otherwise described as
Mucel the son of Esne (Mucel Esninz), received 10
hides at Crowle. (fn. 13) This fact is of great interest, for
this Mucel may fairly be identified with the father
of Ealdorman Æthelred, surnamed Mucel, whose
daughter married King Alfred. We thus obtain a
hint as to the local position of the Gaini over whom
the second Mucel was ealdorman, a standing crux in
old English topography. It is only reasonable to
assume that the second Mucel succeeded to the same
ealdormanry as his father, and that Hanbury lay
within the latter's government. Later evidence (fn. 14)
connects the family with the Severn valley. It is
natural to conclude that the territory of the Gaini
included part of the later Worcestershire. (fn. 15)
During the rule of the Danes Crowle was divided
into two parts, of which Simund, a Dane by birth,
and a thegn of Earl Leofric, held one, (fn. 16) the other
being apportioned to the support of the monks of
Worcester. Simund, coveting the monks' portion,
harried it, was impleaded for doing so, and finally at
the entreaty of Earl Leofric obtained it for his life
from Prior Ethelwine, agreeing to serve the monastery
in expenditions by land and sea and to pay annually
some pecuniary acknowledgement or a horse to the
prior. (fn. 17) This service seems to have been transferred
to the Bishop of Worcester, for in the Domesday
Survey it is stated that Simund had rendered for the
manor service and geld to the bishop, and could not
transfer his services. (fn. 18) It seems not improbable that
the priory, by this grant to Simund, lost the manor,
for it is said to have been given to them by Bishop
Wulfstan. (fn. 19)
In 1086 the monks of Worcester held 5 hides at
Crowle as a berewick of their manor of Phepson. (fn. 20)
Attached to this manor was a salt-pan at Droitwich
worth 3s., and woodland half a league long and 1
furlong wide, lying in the king's forest. (fn. 21) Though
the monks of Worcester seem at this time to have
been overlords of the manor and still were in the
time of Henry I, (fn. 22) it afterwards became separated from
Phepson, and was annexed in the reign of Henry II
to the bishop's manor of Northwick, (fn. 23) the monks once
more losing their rights of overlordship. Successive
bishops continued to be overlords until the middle of
the 14th century, the overlordship being mentioned
for the last time in 1336. (fn. 24)
Under the priory of Worcester the manor was held
in 1086 by Roger de Lacy. (fn. 25) Roger was banished in
1091–2 and succeeded at Crowle by his brother
Hugh. (fn. 26) In the Domesday Book of the bishopric
(temp. Henry II) Hugh de Lacy, probably grandnephew of Roger and Hugh above named, was
tenant immediately under the bishop, (fn. 27) but since that
time the Lacys' interest in the manor has not been
traced.
Under the Lacys Crowle was held in 1086 by
one Odo. (fn. 28) His interest had passed before 1182 to
Hugh Tirel, who then held the manor under Hugh
Lacy. (fn. 29) In 1194 Eudes Tirel paid 5 marks for having
judgement in the king's court against Roger Tirel for
a knight's fee in Crowle. (fn. 30) Richard Tirel held the
estate early in the 13th century, apparently immediately of the Bishop of Worcester, (fn. 31) and in 1213
Richard son of Roger Tirel gave a palfrey for having
a 'precipe' against Richard Tirel for a knight's fee in
Crowle. (fn. 32) At about this time the manor must have
passed to Stephen Devreux, whether by descent or by
a grant from the Crown is not known, for in 1214
Stephen obtained licence to assart 40 acres in his wood
of Crowle. (fn. 33) This grant was perhaps made to Stephen
in recognition of his services with the king in Poitou. (fn. 34)
In 1214 he was acquitted of scutage for one fee
which he held of the Bishop of Worcester in chief. (fn. 35)
In 1228 Stephen's lands were taken into the king's
hands until it could be found who rightfully held the
custody of them. (fn. 36)
In 1240–1 William Devreux acknowledged that
2 carucates of land in Crowle were the right of Joan
Devreux and her heirs. (fn. 37) From this it seems possible
that Joan was an heiress of the Tirels and the widow
of Stephen Devreux. In 1299 John Siward held
the manor in right of Joan Devreux his mother, (fn. 38)
and in 1304–5 it was settled on John and his wife
Joan. (fn. 39) Joan widow of John Siward held the manor
as dower in 1324–5, and it was in that year settled
on John son of Richard Siward and his wife Olive
and their heirs with contingent remainder to the
heirs of Olive. (fn. 40) It was probably this Olive who as
the wife of Peter Nevill conveyed the reversion of the
manor of Crowle Siward (fn. 41) after the death of Joan wife
of John Siward to Thomas de Evesham and John
de Bransford in 1335. (fn. 42) In the same year Thomas
and John obtained licence to grant this reversion to
the Prior and convent of Worcester, (fn. 43) the licence of
the bishop, as overlord, being obtained in the following year. (fn. 44) For this the prior and convent granted
to the bishop a pension of a mark yearly from the
manor of Tibberton, (fn. 45) and inserted his name in their
Martyrology, and promised to keep his anniversary
with mass and chant in their quire. (fn. 46)
The manor remained in the possession of the prior
and convent (fn. 47) until 1536, when it was granted to
William Moore, Prior of Worcester, on his resignation of the office. (fn. 48) In the valuation of the priory
lands taken in 1535 the clear value of this manor
was given as £16 8s. 5d. (fn. 49) After the dissolution of
the priory in 1540 this manor was granted in 1542
to the Dean and Chapter of Worcester. (fn. 50) This
grant was confirmed in 1609, (fn. 51) and the manor remained in the possession of the dean and chapter
until 1650, when it was sold by the Parliamentary
commissioners to Major Richard Salwey. (fn. 52) He and
his wife Anne conveyed the manor in 1655 to
Richard Sturt and John Woolfe, (fn. 53) and in 1657 and
1658 Richard Gilman and his wife Hester conveyed
it to John Okey. (fn. 54) At the Restoration the lands of
the dean and chapter were restored to them, and
this manor was confirmed to them in 1692. (fn. 55) It
remained in their possession until 1859, when it was
taken over by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, (fn. 56) who
are now lords of the manor.
The manor of FROXMERE COURT or CROWLE HACKETT.
—At the date of the Domesday Survey
a second holding in Crowle, which in the time of
King Edward had belonged to Chetelbert, was held
by Urse under Osbern Fitz Richard. (fn. 57) This was
doubtless the manor of Crowle, held, as mentioned
above, by Simund the Dane, who is probably to be
identified with Simon, who had preceded Osbern
Fitz Richard at Shelsley. (fn. 58) It was assessed at 5 hides,
and attached to it were a burgess and two salt-pans,
probably at Droitwich.
Osbern Fitz Richard's interest in the manor followed the same descent as the manor of Wychbold in
Dodderhill to the families of Say, Mortimer, Talbot
and Lucy, by whom it was held as part of the honour
of Richard's Castle, and is last mentioned in 1428. (fn. 59)
It is possible that before this date the sub-tenancy of
the manor lapsed, and it was held by the overlords
in demesne. (fn. 60) In 1593 the manor was said to be
held of the Dean and Chapter of Worcester. (fn. 61)
In 1086 Urse was tenant of the manor under
Osbern Fitz Richard. (fn. 62) His interest passed to his
descendants the Beauchamps, (fn. 63) but their rights of
overlordship seem to have lapsed after 1309.
The Poers seem to have been intermediary
tenants early in the 13th century between the
Beauchamps and the Hackets, who held the manor
in demesne, but their overlordship is mentioned only
in the Testa de Nevill. (fn. 64)
William Hacket was a tenant under William de
Beauchamp in 1166, (fn. 65) but it is not known whether
his holding then included Crowle. Early in the 13th
century Walter Hacket held the manor of Crowle, (fn. 66)
and in 1233 he was pardoned for the death of Adam
de la Kersonera. (fn. 67) Walter sold part of the wood of
Crowle in 1237 to the monks of Worcester Priory, (fn. 68)
and in 1240–1 his widow Margery gave woodland at
Crowle to the brethren of the hospital of St. Wulfstan
in Worcester. (fn. 69) William son of Walter Hacket with
the consent of his wife Alice gave to the Prior and
convent of Worcester all his wood in Crowle called
Northwood, lying between Oddingley Wood and
Huddington Wood. (fn. 70) In 1300 Walter Hacket obtained a grant of free warren in his demesne lands of
Crowle. (fn. 71)
This is the last mention of the Hacket family in
connexion with the manor, which may perhaps have
lapsed to the overlords soon after this time, for John
Talbot was said to be holding it in 1346, (fn. 72) and no
mention is made of any sub-tenant. His daughter
Elizabeth wife of Sir Warin Archdekne held a fee at
Crowle at the time of her death in 1407–8, (fn. 73) and
again no sub-tenant is mentioned, and her son-in-law
Sir Walter Lucy held it in 1428. (fn. 74) In 1431, however, an eighth of a knight's fee at Crowle Hackett
was held by John Froxmere of Droitwich, (fn. 75) and it
was evidently from him or his descendants that the
manor took the name Froxmere Court, by which it
was subsequently known.
From this time until 1575 documents relating
to this manor are wanting, but it probably passed
from John Froxmere, who died without issue, to his
brother Thomas, (fn. 76) who left daughters as his co-heirs.
This manor passed to the eldest daughter Anne wife
of Edward Cockett of Ampton. (fn. 77) Her eldest son
Anthony died in her lifetime, and on her death a
disagreement arose between her grandson and heir,
Arthur son of Anthony, and his uncle, her younger
son Thomas, as to the division of her estate, and the
dispute was not settled until 1580. (fn. 78) Each seems to
have claimed half the manor of Crowle, for in 1575
Arthur sold half to William Banaster, (fn. 79) and in October
1579 Thomas Cockett sold his moiety to Arthur, (fn. 80)
of whom it was purchased in November of the same
year by William Penrice alias Glover of Crowle. (fn. 81)
Banaster's moiety was purchased in 1584 by Richard
Gardener, (fn. 82) who sold it in 1587 to William Penrice. (fn. 83)
The Penrices had been settled some time at Crowle,
William Penrice, grandfather of the purchaser of Froxmere Court, having held a
messuage called Tenburyes in
the manor of Froxmere by
demise of Anne Cockett. (fn. 84)
William Penrice died in 1593,
leaving a son Thomas. (fn. 85)
Thomas and his son and heirapparent John conveyed the
manor of Froxmere Court to
John Green and John Blanchand in 1630, (fn. 86) and in 1655,
after the death of Thomas
Penrice, his son John conveyed it to Thomas Bridges
and Hugh Phillips. (fn. 87) Both these conveyances were
evidently made for settlements, for in 1662 John
Penrice and his wife Susan sold the manor to John
Holmden. (fn. 88) It passed in the Holmden family (fn. 89) until
the death of John Holmden about the middle of the
18th century. He left two daughters, Elizabeth and
Lydia, both unmarried in 1777. (fn. 90) This manor fell
to the share of Elizabeth, (fn. 91) who appears to have
married Rawson Parke, for in 1802 he and his wife
Elizabeth conveyed the manor of Froxmere Court to
John Exley. (fn. 92) In 1813 they made a further conveyance of the manor to William Welles. (fn. 93) Froxmere
Court afterwards passed to Colonel Clowes, who died
there about 1868, when the estate passed under his
will to his niece, who married Captain Castle, (fn. 94) the
father of Captain Norton C. Castle, the present owner
of the manor. (fn. 95)
Penrice. Party in-dented gules and argent.
The hospital of St. Wulfstan in Worcester obtained
land at Crowle from various donors. Walter Hacket
of Crowle gave a virgate and a half of land, Stephen
son of Hugh de Crowle gave a virgate of land in
Crowle, and another virgate there, being one of two
which his father pledged to the hospital. Hugh (fn. 96)
son of Nicholas de Crowle gave 3 virgates in Crowle,
and Emma de Hales gave all the land which she
purchased of Henry son of Herce in Crowle. Hamo
the Hunter gave a rent of 4s. and Baldwin Hacket a
rent of 2s. in Crowle. The date of none of these
gifts is known, but they were all confirmed to the
hospital by the king in 1232. (fn. 97) These possessions,
and a further gift of woodland in Crowle made by
Margery widow of Walter Hacket in 1240–1, (fn. 98)
subsequently became a manor held by successive
masters of the hospital until the Dissolution. (fn. 99) In
1406–7 it was held, for the service of one knight, of
Margaret widow of Thomas Earl of Warwick. (fn. 100) In
1535 the property of the hospital at Crowle was
valued at 119s. (fn. 101)
The manor was confiscated by the Crown on the
dissolution of the hospital in 1540, (fn. 102) and granted in
June of that year to Richard Morrison, a gentleman
of the privy chamber. (fn. 103) The grant was renewed in
1541, (fn. 104) but was surrendered in 1544, when another
was made to him with the rents reserved in the
previous grants. (fn. 105) Morrison sold the manor in the
same year to John Combers, (fn. 106) who died in 1550, (fn. 107)
being succeeded by his son John, to whom livery was
made in 1553. (fn. 108) On his death in 1588 the manor
passed to his son Edward, (fn. 109) who died in 1597, leaving
as his co-heirs three daughters, Joyce wife of John
Garner (afterwards of Francis Cornewall), Anne
and Elizabeth. (fn. 110) The manor had, however, been
entailed in 1590 upon the heirs male of Edward
and his brothers, (fn. 111) and though in May 1601 two
parts of the manor were delivered to Joyce and
Anne, (fn. 112) their sister Elizabeth having died in 1598, (fn. 113)
the manor passed under the entail to Thomas brother
of Edward Combes. He died seised of it in 1609,
and was succeeded by his son William. (fn. 114) William
sold the site of the manor and capital messuage of
Crowle with closes called Commanders. Furlong,
Fryer Jennings, Nineland and the Wincey to
Thomas Penrice of Crowle, (fn. 115) and this estate subsequently descended with the manor of Froxmere
Court. (fn. 116) William Combes and Katherine his wife
and Thomas Combes conveyed the manor in 1620
to Sir Thomas Bigg, bart., and John Savage, (fn. 117) but this
conveyance was perhaps made only for a settlement,
for William Combes presented to the church, whose
advowson was appurtenant to this manor in 1621. (fn. 118)
He must have sold the manor at about this time to
William Keyt, for he presented to the church in
1622. (fn. 119) The manor then descended in the Keyt
family in the same way as the manor of Church
Lench until 1727. (fn. 120) It was sold in that year by
William Keyt, bart., to Thomas Gem. (fn. 121) The further
descent of the estate is not known: its site is perhaps
marked by the present Commandry Farm at Crowle.
There was a mill worth 2s. in the manor of
Crowle held under the monks of Worcester in
1086. (fn. 122) In 1220–1 Peter de Wick built a mill at
Crowle, and with his pond swamped the land of
Hugh de Crowle. (fn. 123) There are now no mills in
Crowle.
CHURCH
The church of ST. JOHN BAPTIST
(formerly dedicated to St. Peter) consists of a chancel, north and south
transepts, nave, west tower, and a north porch. The
porch, a magnificent example of late 14th-century
timber work, alone survives of the fabric of the original
building, which was entirely rebuilt between the
years 1881 and 1885. A remarkable marble lectern
of the late 12th century, locally said to have come
from Pershore Abbey at the time of the Dissolution,
and a fine 15th-century font have also been preserved,
while parts of the old windows have been reset in the
modern walls.
Portions of the mullions and tracery of the three-light east window of the chancel appear to be original
and to date from about 1300. The external label
and sill-string, with their leaf stops, are also partly
original. The north-east window is of two coupled
cinquefoiled lights. The head and mullion are
original and probably contemporary with the east
window. The south-east window, also of two lights,
is entirely modern. Modern segmental arches open
into the two transepts.
In the east wall of the north transept is reset a
15th-century piscina head with plain spandrels contained within a square. Portions of the three-light
north window are original 15th-century work, and
the jamb and mullion of the two-light west window
are of similar date. The windows of the south transept are the most perfect of the re-used work and
preserve their original rear arches. All have two-centred heads, and appear to be of late 14th-century
date. The south window is of three lights, with
tracery of an early vertical character. The east and
west windows are each of two lights, with an elongated
quatrefoil in the head.
Of the two windows in the north wall of the nave
the eastern is entirely modern, while the western
window has remains of early 14th-century work in
the tracery. In the south wall all three windows are
modern. The original early 15th-century tower arch
has been reset, and is of two chamfered orders. The
responds are hollow-chamfered, and their plain bell
capitals fit them very ill. The modern tower is of
three stages, and is crowned by an embattled parapet,
both belfry and ringing stage being lighted by two-light traceried windows. On the east wall, above
the apex of the nave roof, is an elaborate niche with
a trefoiled head, crocketed and finialled, and small
pinnacled flanking buttresses, all apparently reset
work of the 15th century. Parts of the three-light
west window of the ground stage appear to be of
the same date, but the tracery is entirely modern.
The north porch, which measures internally 8 ft. by
7 ft., is a fine specimen of late 14th-century carpentry.
At about half their height the corner posts are cut
back to receive curved pieces, which form two-centred
arches at the entrance and against the north wall of
the nave. These pieces brace the cambered collars
resting on the corner posts. Out of the lower part
of the side plates are formed the trefoiled ogee heads
and pierced and foliated spandrels of the eight open
lights which occupy the upper half of each side wall.
The lower half is filled by four square panels, which
with the mullions of the open lights have been
renewed. Framed on to the collar above the entrance
arch, and forming a sort of key, is a large block of
wood carved with an Annunciation. The bargeboards are enriched with semicircular foliations, culminating in an ogee at the apex of the gable. The
ceiling is divided into four main compartments by
richly moulded ribs with carved bosses at their intersections. Each main compartment is further subdivided into six by subordinate hollow-chamfered ribs.
The porch has been very carefully restored and
re-erected on a stone basement.
The most remarkable survival from the original
church is the marble lectern. The desk is formed
of a large block of blue-grey marble, sunk to receive
the book. The front and sides are sculptured with
a conventional vine, springing on each face from the
mouth of an inverted lion's head. In the centre of
the front is a bearded figure, with the knees bent
forward, holding with both arms to the vine. The
desk is supported by a central and four angle-shafts,
all of the same diameter, with foliated capitals of
Romanesque character. The shafts are modern and
the moulded bases have leaf-spurs at the angles and
rest on a common plinth. The 15th-century font
has an octagonal bowl supported by a stem of the same
form. The sides of both have traceried panelling, the
cardinal faces of the stem being the most elaborated.
In the west window of the north transept are some
fragments of 15th-century glass. The only perfect
piece is a shield—Gules a saltire argent within a
border sable charged with stars. The other fragments
include two crowned female heads.
There is a ring of eight bells. The first three
were cast by Barwell of Birmingham, who rehung the
whole peal in the year 1887. The remaining bells
are inscribed as follows: the fourth 'lesvs be our
good speed 1667'; fifth.'All prayse and glory be to
God for ever 1667'; sixth 'Soli deo gloria pax
hominibvs 1667'; seventh 'Iohn Manley Henry
Prescott churchwardens 1667'; eighth 'Francis
Reynolds vicar of Crowle William Wagstaffe assistant
1667 Iames Reynolds.' All these bells are stamped
with a heart-shaped shield, with a bell in the middle
and the founder's initials I.M.
The plate consists of a silver chalice and cover
paten of 1571 and a silver flagon of 1783 presented
to the church in 1883 by William Lee, Archdeacon
of Worcester.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i)
mixed entries 1539 to 1640, with fragmentary entries
to 1661 (fn. 124) ; (ii) mixed entries 1663 to 1751; (iii)
baptisms and burials 1752 to 1812, marriages 1752
to 1754; (iv) marriages 1754 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The church of Crowle was evidently originally appurtenant to the
manor known as Crowle Siward, for
the advowson was granted to the hospital of St.
Wulfstan in Worcester by Stephen Devreux, a grant
confirmed in 1232 by the king, (fn. 125) and it subsequently
followed the same descent as the manor in Crowle
held by the hospital of St. Wulfstan until 1727, (fn. 126)
when it was sold by Sir William Keyt to Thomas
Gem. It apparently passed from him to George Gem,
who presented to the church in 1749. (fn. 127) Edward
Pearce presented in 1770 (fn. 128) and Richard Harrison in
1798 and 1803. (fn. 129) Edmund Pearce was patron in
1817, (fn. 130) and the Rev. Richard Harrison presented in
1822. (fn. 131) The advowson passed in 1845–6 from him
to Edwin Crane, (fn. 132) who sold it in 1854 to A. H.
Green, (fn. 133) and he in 1861 to W. H. Woolrych. (fn. 134) His
representatives made the presentation in 1889, (fn. 135) but
in 1892 they sold the advowson to the Rev. James
Stephenson, (fn. 136) from whom it passed in 1896 to the
Rev. John Bamber, (fn. 137) who is now the owner.
The date of the appropriation of the church of
Crowle to the hospital of St. Wulfstan is not known,
but it had taken place before 1289. (fn. 138) The rectory
followed the same descent as the advowson (fn. 139) until
1727 or later. In 1802 and 1813 it belonged to
Rawson Parke and Elizabeth his wife, owners of the
manor of Froxmere Court. (fn. 140)
By an undated charter Baldwin de Akeny and
Joan his wife gave to the church of St. Mary,
Worcester, and to the prior and convent there, a
yearly rent of 2s. from their manor of Crowle, for
keeping a light before the tomb of St. Wulfstan. (fn. 141)
CHARITIES
The charities subsisting in this
parish (with the exception of Caleb
Baylis's charity) are regulated by a
scheme of the Charity Commissioners 14 August
1863, comprising the following charities:
1. The parish lands, which are recorded on a stone
upon the north wall of the church, now consist of
19 a. called Towthan Land, allotted under the
Inclosure Act in exchange for the lands so recorded.
They are let at £27 10s. a year, and the official
trustees hold a sum of £166 5s. 8d. consols in trust
for this charity.
2. Mrs. Elizabeth Attwood, recorded on the church
table, will 1720, trust fund, £22 15s. 5d. consols.
3. The Rev. Richard Harrison, will proved in the
P.C.C. 5 February 1835, trust fund, £61 5s. 5d.
consols.
4. Robert Smith, will proved at Worcester
7 February 1862, trust fund, £110 7s. consols.
The several sums of stock are held by the official
trustees, producing £9 0s. 10d. in annual dividends.
The scheme directs that the income of the parish
lands shall be applied in equal shares for the maintenance of the fabric of the church, the repair of highways and support of provident clubs. In 1910 the
sum of £8 6s. 6d. was applied for each of those
purposes, and gifts were made to twenty-one widows
and spinsters and to ten men.
The charity of Caleb Baylis, founded by will proved
at Worcester 11 March 1889, consists of £101 15s. 7d.
consols with the official trustees, the annual dividends,
amounting to £2 10s. 8d., being applicable in the
distribution of bread on St. Thomas's Day.