EVENLODE
Eowlangelade (x cent.); Eowinlode, Eowinglade,
Evnelade (xi cent.); Evenlode (xiii cent.); Ewnelode (xiv cent.); Emlode (xv cent.).
Evenlode is one of the detached parishes of
Worcestershire which touch the western border of
Oxfordshire and are separated by Gloucestershire from
the main part of their own county.
'Meethincketh,' wrote Habington, 'I see our
Shyre as mounted on a Pegasus flyinge over the
neighbouring counties, and coming to the confines of
Oxfordshire … he caryethe the authority of our
county about and over Coteswould … as at Evenlode (fn. 1) … which altho' seperated with parishes not
attending our county yet is wholy ours. It joynethe
on Morten Henmarsh heath on the stone which
touches four sheeres,' (fn. 2) and marks the northern limit
of the parish. The boundary thence runs along field
edges and the green path by Stuphill Covert till it
reaches the Chastleton road, whence it turns south
along the fields by Horn Farm and Evenlode Grounds
to the little river which winds gently about the
western border of the parish—
'The tender Evenlode, that makes
Her meadows hush to hear the sound
Of waters mingling in the brakes
And binds my heart to English ground.' (fn. 3)
The village of Evenlode stands on the hillslope
looking across to Crowthorn Wood, close to the left
bank of the stream from which it is locally said to
derive its name. (fn. 4) The road here forms a rough
triangle inclosing a wide space now largely given up
to orchards; this is crossed by several footpaths connecting the southern part of the village with the
main street, which climbs in a north-easterly direction
up the slope from the river. On the right-hand side
is a stately row of poplars known locally as the
Eleven Apostles, the representative of Judas Iscariot
being a twisted tree of later growth which stands
back from the straight rank formed by the others.
The village for the most part is built like its neighbours of the warm grey Cotswold stone; but a black
and white house in the lower street and an outlying
half-timbered farm show a Worcestershire influence.
At the bottom of the hill is the church of St. Edward
with the rectory, a pleasant stone house of the 18th
century, much modernized and added to during the
19th century, to which a verandah, now covered
with creepers, has been added. Close to the church
is the old manor-house now the property of Mr.
R.E.B. Yelf. The house is of L-shaped plan and
has two stories and an attic. The west wing containing the kitchen dates from the 17th century and
appears to be the earliest part of the building. The
main limb of the plan, containing a central hall and
stairway with a room on either side, is of the early
18th century. The contemporary stairs, which are
of oak, and rise from the hall to the attics, are of the
open well type with moulded handrails and turned
balusters. At the stairway to the cellar in the earlier
part of the house is some re-used 17th-century
panelling. The garden at the back of the house
stretches almost down to the Worcester branch of
the Great Western railway, which runs along the
river bank close to the village; the nearest station is,
however, at Adlestrop, 2 miles away.
Evenlode Farm, at the north end of the village, is
an L-shaped house of about 1600. The west front
with its central entrance has been modernized, but
the house still retains its original fittings and stone
mullioned windows on the east and north; the southern
part of the house was probably added later in the
same century. In one of the windows is some leaded
glass with a glazier's name and the date 1727 inscribed
upon it. At the south end are two oval blocked
lights. The Home Farm on the west side of the road
to the north of the church is a house of similar date
and type, two stories in height with an attic. The
original stone mullioned windows and oak stairs still
remain. The latter has a moulded handrail and flat
balusters in the form of twisted columns.
Evenlode House is a stone building of about the
middle of the 16th century with mullioned windows
and stone shingle roofs. In the centre of the main
block is the hall, with a room on the north, and the
main entrance, modern stairs, and another room on
the south; the kitchen is contained in a wing projecting towards the east. The west front appears to
have been altered early in the 17th century, when
timber bays were added; these have been repaired
and the front and north walls covered with rough-cast.
The original stairs were probably contained in the
gabled projection on the north-east. On this side of
the house is a stone barn probably of the 16th century
with original rough roof timbers. Fletcher's Farm
is a good example of a small 16th-century house
which has retained its original character practically
unaltered, with stone mullioned windows, oak floors,
stairs and beams. The entrance, a little to the east
of the south front, admits to a passage which has the
principal rooms on the west, the kitchen on the east
and the staircase at the back on the west. A wing on
the north, completing the plan, has an external stone
stair. Another farm to the east of this, a rectangular
two-story house, is probably of the early 17th century,
and has a central hall with the parlour on the west
and the kitchen on the east. Some of the rooms
have been cut up by modern partitions, but much of
its original character is retained. There is a row of
seven slate-roofed cottages rebuilt by Evenlode parish
in 1834, on the east side of the green, an open space
connected with the southern end of the village by a
footpath. The pasturage here together with that on
the wide strips of turf by the roadsides, amounting to
5 acres, is let every year and the rent applied in
providing fuel for the poor. (fn. 5) There is much excellent pasture land in the parish; of 1,619 acres no
fewer than 1,108½ are under permanent grass. (fn. 6) The
arable land amounts to 322 acres, the chief crops
being cereals and beans, and there are only 20½ acres
of woodland, (fn. 7) for, though the village of Evenlode is well
shaded and the hedgerows are thickly set with trees,
there are no woods except Brookend and Evenlode
Mane within the boundaries of the parish. The
common lands were inclosed under a Private Act of
Parliament in 1765, (fn. 8) in which provision was made of
the above charitable application of the rents for roadside
pasturage. (fn. 9) The subsoil is chiefly Lower Lias, but the
bed of Middle Lias at Chastleton (co. Oxon.) extends
slightly into the eastern corner of Evenlode parish
near Harcomb Wood.
The following place-names occur in local records:
Heortwelle and Mules Hlaewe (fn. 10) (viii cent.); Sealtstrete, Gildbeorh, Grenanstige, (fn. 11) Lafercan beorh, and
Brocenan beorh (fn. 12) (x cent.); Typedale Foss (fn. 13) and
Heth Ynd (fn. 14) (xv cent.); Salley meade, Broades Leyes,
Mill Holme Close, and Langett or Northfeild Slade (fn. 15)
(xvii cent.).
MANOR
The early history of EVENLODE,
like that of Daylesford, depends almost
entirely on the charters produced in
support of their respective claims by the monks of
Worcester and Evesham at the close of the 11th
century. According to the house of Worcester the
land had been granted for three lives by King Offa
to his thegn Ridda in 772 with reversion to the
monastery at Bredon, (fn. 16) but Evesham stated that the
gift had been made in 784 to Earl Esne (Esme) with
reversion in default of heirs male to their own
church. (fn. 17) The Worcester account is probably nearer
the truth, for in 969 St. Oswald was in possession of
land at Evenlode, which he granted to Ealhstan, (fn. 18)
and a charter of Bishop Lyfing (1038–44) concerning the same property is also mentioned in the
chartulary. (fn. 19) Possibly it was by a grant from this
bishop that Wulfgeat of Donnington came into possession of this land, which he left in his will to his
wife. (fn. 20) It passed shortly afterwards to Eamer, from
whom it was bought between 1044 and 1053 by
Manning, Abbot of Evesham, and his monks. (fn. 21) They
continued to hold it of the Bishop of Worcester until
it was taken from them by Odo of Bayeux, (fn. 22) and it
was perhaps under them that it was held by Hereward, who is mentioned in 1086 as the former
tenant. (fn. 23)
At this date Evenlode was one of the members of
the great episcopal manor of Blockley, (fn. 24) and the
overlordship long remained in the hands of the bishop.
The holding at Evenlode, assessed at 5 hides, was,
however, granted by Bishop John of Pageham
(1151–8) to Hugh Poer, who married his niece. (fn. 25)
After this enfeoffment the overlordship is rarely mentioned, though the tenant of Evenlode was still supposed to pay suit of court at Blockley. (fn. 26) This was
commuted during the life of Bishop Giffard for the
payment of 40s. in 1288, (fn. 27) and during the 14th
century it is possible that the episcopal rights fell
somewhat into disuse. They were revived in 1455
by John Carpenter, at whose request an inquiry was
made 'touching the persons of whom the manor of
Evenlode was held.' (fn. 28) Probably he considered that
the wardship of Thomas Petyt ought to have belonged
to him, but this was in the possession of the Prior
and convent of Worcester, who had succeeded the
Poers in the mesne lordship, and the bishop contented himself with confirming their grant to John
Gloucester. (fn. 29) There seems to be no mention of the
overlordship after this date.
The interest of the Poers followed throughout the
descent of the mesne lordship of Bredicot (fn. 30) (q.v.), the
manor of Evenlode being held of the lord of Battenhall as late as 1641. (fn. 31)
The tenancy of Evenlode belonged for over a
century to a branch of the Deyvile family, who were
also known by the name of the manor. Before 1182
Hugh Poer had enfeoffed Matthew of Evenlode (fn. 32) , who
was succeeded by Nicholas of Evenlode, possibly his
son. (fn. 33) The estate passed about 1288 to Richard of
Evenlode, also called Richard Deyvile, (fn. 34) who was
still living in 1309, in which year he settled the
manor on himself and his wife Eugenie for life with
reversion to their son William. (fn. 35) This William took
part against the Despensers in the troubles of the
reign of Edward II, and in 1327, 'at the request of
Roger Mortimer,' he received as his reward a pardon
of 'the fine which he was compelled to make by
procurement of Hugh le Despenser and others of his
confederacy for a certain trespass maliciously charged
upon him by the said Hugh.' (fn. 36)
William Deyvile died about 1348 seised of the
manor of Evenlode, which he left to his eldest son
Piers. (fn. 37) Piers was still living in 1398, (fn. 38) but probably
died shortly afterwards; he seems to have left a
widow, Amice, who subsequently married William
Lisle. (fn. 39) In 1415 John Petyt and Philippa his wife,
the heir of Piers Deyvile, settled certain lands in
Evenlode on William Lisle and Amice with reversion
to Philippa and her heirs, (fn. 40) and a little later a life
grant of the manor seems to have been made to
Amice and her husband, for William Lisle was
described as lord of Evenlode in 1416. (fn. 41) He seems
to have died about 1421, (fn. 42) and by 1425 Amice had
probably married a third husband, Richard Eton, (fn. 43)
who, held the manor until 1431, (fn. 44) in which year it
reverted to John Petyt and Philippa. (fn. 45) In 1441
they settled it on themselves and the heirs of the
body of Philippa, with contingent remainder to her
right heirs. (fn. 46) John Petyt survived his wife and died
about 1455, leaving as his heir his grandson Thomas
Petyt, a minor, whose wardship was granted by the
Prior and convent of Worcester to John Gloucester. (fn. 47)
Thomas Petyt died young, and in 1473 the manor
was held by William Petyt, probably his brother,
who conveyed it for one year to William Rollesley
with reversion to himself and his wife Eleanor and
their heirs. (fn. 48) William Petyt supported the Yorkist
cause during the Wars of the Roses, and was in some
favour with Edward IV. (fn. 49) He was not mentioned
in any of the Acts of Attainder passed by Parliament
during the reign of Henry VII, but for some reason
he lost his property at Evenlode about this time.
After an unsuccessful attempt to recover it against
Lawrence Albrighton and William Leicester, (fn. 50) he,
named as William Petyt of Knowle, co. Warw.,
conveyed his interest to Robert
Tate, (fn. 51) and between 1501 and
1509 John Tate and Richard
Petyt were concerned in more
than one cattle-driving expedition to the estate of which
they had been dispossessed. (fn. 52)
Compton of Compton Wyniates. Sable a leopard or between three helms argent.
Before 1528, however,
Evenlode had passed to Sir
William Compton of Compton
Wyniates (co. Warw.), who
died seised of it in that year,
leaving as his heir his son
Peter. (fn. 53) In 1539 Peter was
succeeded by his infant son
Henry, (fn. 54) afterwards created Lord Compton, who
made a settlement of the manor on himself and his
wife Frances in 1568. (fn. 55) He took part as a peer in
the trial of Mary Queen of Scots in 1587, and was
subsequently one of the four chief attendants at her
funeral. (fn. 56) He died in November 1589, and was
succeeded by his son William, (fn. 57) who sold the manor
of Evenlode in 1601 to John Croker, (fn. 58) from whom
it was bought in 1605 by Edward Freeman. (fn. 59)
In 1618, on the marriage of his son Coningsby
with Beatrice the daughter of Thomas Cludd, Edward
Freeman made a settlement of the manor to his own
use with remainder to the young couple and their
heirs in tail-male. (fn. 60) Coningsby Freeman succeeded
his father in 1631 (fn. 61) and died in 1639 (fn. 62) ; his wife
survived him, and was seised of the manor for her
life. (fn. 63) She obtained a grant of the wardship of her
son Edward Freeman, which John Riley afterwards
tried to get annulled on the ground that she had
concealed some of the lands. (fn. 64) Edward Freeman
seems to have died before 1675, in which year his
sister and co-heir Joyce the wife of Thomas Owen
was dealing with part of the manor, (fn. 65) probably for
the purpose of a settlement. By 1682 the whole
estate had come into the hands of Ursula Poer,
another of Edward's sister, and Robert Lawrence,
who was perhaps the son of the third sister Eleanor. (fn. 66)
Robert Lawrence was still living in 1702, when he
was co-vouchee in a recovery with Thomas Karver
and his wife Beatrice Katherine. (fn. 67) The manor subsequently passed to Mrs. Ellen Biggs, (fn. 68) and from
her to her kinswoman Ellen the wife of Thomas
Fothergill. (fn. 69) In 1786 it was
bought from Thomas Fothergill by Mr. John Jones of
Chastleton (co. Oxon.), (fn. 70) who
bequeathed it in 1827 to his
cousin Mr. John Henry Whitmore-Jones, the grandfather
of the present owner. (fn. 71) In
1900 Miss Mary Elizabeth
Whitmore-Jones, who had
succeeded to the estates in
accordance with a settlement
of 1872, (fn. 72) surrendered them
to her nephew Mr. Thomas
Whitmore Harris, who then assumed the name
Whitmore-Jones and is now the lord of the
manor. (fn. 73)
Whitmore. Vert fretty or.
A holding containing 2½ virgates of land and
14 acres of meadow was granted in 1431 by John
Petyt and his wife Philippa to William Haynes and
the heirs of his body for a yearly rent of 13s. 4d.
with remainder in default to John and Philippa and
their heirs. (fn. 74) It is possible that this was the same
holding as that of which Richard Haynes died seised
in 1633 (fn. 75) ; it was occupied after his death by his
widow Frances (fn. 76) and his son Richard, who died in
1650, (fn. 77) but its subsequent history is obscure.
There was a water-mill at Evenlode in the 11th
century, which had perished by the time of the
Domesday Survey, (fn. 78) and after this date there is no
mention of any mill in the parish until 1568, when
another water-mill had been built, possibly on the
site of the old one. (fn. 79) This building has also
perished, and there is now no mill in Evenlode,
but its site has been commemorated in the name
'Mill Holme Close' borne by one of the fields on
the river bank near the Manor Farm.
CHURCH
The church of ST. EDWARD consists of a chancel 23½ ft. by 14¼ ft., a
nave 39 ft. by 17 ft., a short south aisle
24 ft. by 12¼ ft., a western tower about 11½ ft.
square, and a modern porch and north organ
chamber. These measurements are all internal. Late
in the 12th century the church consisted of a nave
with a narrower chancel, but towards the end of the
14th century the church was largely rebuilt, the
south aisle added and windows inserted, the western
tower being erected a few years later about the year
1400. The various 19th-century restorations account
for the organ chamber, south porch and much of the
window tracery. It is probable that work was
done between the two earlier dates, as the lancet
window in the nave and the dog-tooth ornament
built into the chancel wall imply alterations in the
13th century.
Plan of Evenlode Church
The modern east window of the chancel is of
three lights and of early 14th-century detail. The
north wall is of three bays, the two western being
filled with a modern arcade, of 14th-century detail,
opening to the organ chamber. In the south wall
are two two-light windows with original jambs and
modern tracery of 14th-century type. Between them
is a modern priest's door, and in the external wall is a
fragment of 13th-century dog-tooth ornament. The
chancel arch is of late 12th-century date, but has
evidently been rebuilt at some later period, perhaps
in the 14th century when the chancel itself may have
been reconstructed.. The arch is now pointed, but
the mutilated condition of the two crowning voussoirs
shows that it was originally of greater span. The
outer of the two orders is decorated with a boldly
executed cheveron ornament. The responds have
square pilasters, and at their western angles are
engaged shafts with moulded bases mitred around the
pilasters, which both have scalloped capitals of slightly
varied design on the north and south. In the eastern
face of the north respond is a small square rough
niche. Externally the chancel has been considerably
repaired and restored.
The north wall of the nave has two windows of
two lights each, of which the jambs are old, the
tracery and rear arch being modern, in 14th-century
style. Below the western window are the chamfered
jambs of the blocked-up north door, and further west
again is a lancet window of 13th-century detail, the
jambs of which are old but the head modern. In
the eastern respond of the south arcade is a square
door to the rood-loft opening into the south aisle.
The 14th-century arcade is of two bays with pointed
arches of two chamfered orders, dying into a plain
chamfered pier of lozenge form. The third bay of
the nave beyond the aisle contains a
crude two-light window of 15th-century date.
The south aisle is lighted by two
14th-century windows in the south
wall, each of two lights with flowing
tracery and a quatrefoil over. In
the sill of the first is a projecting
circular piscina drain and beneath it
a sedile constructed of slabs of stone,
which is probably as old as the aisle.
West of these windows is the contemporary south door with a two-centred head and an external label,
above which is a small niche with a
cusped head. Externally the aisle
has diagonal buttresses.
The late 14th-century western
tower has a tower arch of two chamfered orders, and is three stages
high with an embattled parapet and
diagonal buttresses reaching to the
second stage. In the south-west angle is a newel
staircase to the belfry. Above the small west door is
a two-light window with a quatrefoil in the head
and the belfry lights are of similar detail. There is
also a two-light window on the south side of the
second stage with a small trefoil-headed light above
it. The south porch is entirely modern.
The roofs and seating are all modern, but the
pulpit is an interesting example of 15th-century
work, with tracery cut from the solid in low relief
and trefoil panelling with trefoils and quatrefoils over.
The 15th-century octagonal font has quatrefoil panels
on its faces, and beneath these, on the chamfered undercutting, are floral bosses, alternating with shields, one of
which is charged with two ragged staves set upright.
There are five bells, all recast and rehung in 1897.
A clock was placed in the tower in commemoration
of the coronation of King George V, 1911.
The plate includes a large cup of 17th-century
shape, the hall mark illegible, a cover paten, an almsdish or paten made in 1690 with a monogram T.A.,
and a small plain dish with marks illegible.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1604 to 1721, burials 1561 to 1721, marriages
1562 to 1721 with a gap 1631 to 1666; (ii) baptisms 1722 to 1789, burials 1722 to 1792, marriages
1722 to 1754; (iii) baptisms 1788 to 1812, burials
1792 to 1812; (iv) a marriage book 1754 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The church of Evenlode is first
mentioned in 1270, when Bishop
Giffard committed the custody of it
to William de Saltmarsh (fn. 80) ; it was valued in 1291
at £4 yearly. (fn. 81) In 1301 the advowson belonged to
Richard Deyvile, (fn. 82) and it continued to follow the
descent of the manor until 1601. (fn. 83) In 1541 it was
in the possession of Sir Philip Hoby, (fn. 84) who had
married Elizabeth widow of Sir William Compton. (fn. 85)
William Lord Compton sold it in 1601 to John
Croker, (fn. 86) from whom it was bought in the following
year by Margaret Farre, widow. (fn. 87) She sold it to
John Smyth in 1637, (fn. 88) but after this date the history
of its descent becomes obscure. King Charles presented in 1661, (fn. 89) and the advowson afterwards passed
to Henry Hurst, who sold it in 1665 to Richard
Cocks. Cocks conveyed it to Charles Nevill for
£110 in 1680, and subsequently mortgaged it to
Thomas Greenwood of Chastleton, who presented in
1696. (fn. 90) Charles Nevill, (fn. 91) the rector of the parish,
settled it in 1716 on his second son Ralph Nevill,
the trustee for the settlement being Philip Woodman, (fn. 92) who presented in 1717. (fn. 93) Ralph Nevill presented in 1727 (fn. 94) and subsequently sold his right to
George Pye, the patron in 1735. (fn. 95) In 1744 the
patronage was conveyed by Pye to Mrs. Mary
Hughes, who exercised the right in 1767 (fn. 96) ; she
granted it to her daughter Miss Mary Hughes, who
presented until 1817. (fn. 97) She had, however, conveyed
the advowson in 1786 to Richard and Mary Davis in
trust for Mary Davis and William Horton: they sold
it in 1801 to Mr. George Perrott, who released it in
1809 to Mr. Joseph Pitt. (fn. 98) Mr. Pitt presented in
1825 (fn. 99) and Mr. Perrott in 1829. (fn. 100) Mr. Pitt released it in 1825 to Mrs. Ann James, patron until
1857, (fn. 101) when she sold it to Mr. John Hambrough,
who presented in the following year. (fn. 102) In 1867 it was
the property of Mr. Meaburn Staniland, (fn. 103) from whom
it was bought in 1869 by the Rev. T. E. Buckworth, (fn. 104)
after whose death it passed in 1878 to the Rev. Charles
Peach. (fn. 105) The Rev. Henry James Kelsall, who has been
rector of the parish since 1895, is now the patron. (fn. 106)
Evenlode Church: South Aisle
The Congregational chapel at Evenlode was opened
in October 1865. (fn. 107) It is a mission chapel worked
from Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.
CHARITIES
In 1751 M— Greenwood, as
stated in the Parliamentary Returns
of 1786, by will left £50 for the
poor. An annual sum of £2 is paid in respect of
this charity out of Campden Close in this parish.
It appears from the same Returns that Thomas
Barker by will, 1700, left 10s. yearly for the poor,
issuing out of land known as Caswells in Longborough,
county of Gloucester.
Poor's Allotment.
—Upon the inclosure of the
parish in 1765 an allotment of 5 a. 0 r. 16 p. was
awarded for the use of the poor in lieu of certain
rights of cutting fuel on the common. The allotment produces £7 10s. a year; a sum of about £6
is also received yearly for the right of pasturing on
the roadsides and village green.
The charities are administered together. In
1908–9 about 22 tons of coal were distributed among
twenty-six recipients.