ICCOMB
Iccecumbe, Iccacumb (viii cent.); Iacumbe (xi
cent.); Ikcoumbe (xiii cent.).
The parish of Iccomb or Icomb lies in a valley of
the Cotswolds about 2 miles south-east of Stow-onthe-Wold; the boundary is formed on the western side
by the road from Stow to Burford, and on the south by
Westcote Brook, but it runs for the most part along
the borders of various fields. The parish, which is
now entirely in Gloucestershire, contains about 1,184
acres, of which 513 were in Worce tershire until
1844. (fn. 1) This part, Church Iccomb, is divided from
the rest of the parish by a small stream which is
crossed by a footbridge near the village and flows
southwards into Westcote Brook. Both Church
Iccomb and the adjoining hamlet stand on the lower
slopes of Iccomb Hill, near the top of which are the
remains of an ancient camp. There is a round
tower in the sham Gothic taste of the early 19th
century on the hill at the point where the boundary
between Iccomb and Church Iccomb touches the
road to the village. Further down the hill this road
winds about to form a rough quadrangle, at the
south-east corner of which stands the church, while
two of its sides form the main streets of Church
Iccomb, a grey stone village set comfortably in a
valley of orchards and backed by the bare wold.
The soil is clay and stone brash, the subsoil lias.
The chief crops are wheat, barley and turnips, but
the greater part of the land is pasture. The common
lands in Church Iccomb were inclosed in 1810 under
the Act of 1809. (fn. 2)
Iccomb Place, which has been conservatively
restored by its present owner, Mr. George SimpsonHayward, stands to the south of the brook which
formed the old county boundary and was always in
Gloucestershire; it is a fine two-storied stone house of
the early 15th century, and was probably built by
Sir John Blaket, who resided here from 1400 to the
year of his death, 1430. (fn. 3) The original plan included
two courtyards, divided from each other by the hall,
the principal or entrance court being on the north
and the office court on the south. The entrance
court with the buildings surrounding it survives in
its entirety. At the west end are the withdrawing
room and solar, on the east were the buttery, larder and
cellar, while the northern range, which is pierced
by the entrance gateway, contained the private
apartments of the family, with a porter's lodge at
the eastern end opening out of the gateway. Of
the office court the eastern range, which contained
the kitchen, and a portion of the western range alone
remain, the southern range having been pulled down
within living memory. The surviving portion of the
house, including as it does the most important apartments, is externally in a fine state of preservation,
and the details are characteristic of the best work of
the period. Unfortunately the interior has suffered
severely, and much fine panelling has been removed.
The entrance gateway is a little to the east of the
centre of the north front, of which it forms the most
important feature. The wall is here broken forward
to about the projection of the eaves of the roof, and
is crowned by a well-moulded cornice and embattled
parapet. The gateway itself has an elaborately
moulded four-centred head, and is flanked by buttresses
of one offset, rising to a little above the string-course,
which here marks the level of the upper floor. In
the upper stage thus formed is a square-headed
window of four lights with good vertical tracery in
the head, both lights and tracery being uncusped.
The label is formed by the lower members of the
crowning cornice which are returned downwards on
either side to the usual level. This gatehouse-like
projection separates the façade into two unequal
lengths. Immediately to the east of it is the corbelledout chimney stack of a first-floor fireplace, surmounted
by a square stone shaft. Nearly in the centre of the
western part of the facade is a similar chimney stack.
Both floors are lighted by square-headed windows of
two and three lights. The more important have
labels; the mullions have been in some cases restored.
The walls of this and the other portions of the house
are of rubble masonry, with ashlar quoins, and have
in some instances been covered with rough-cast. The
roof of the range is terminated at either end by
gables with moulded copings and foliated gablet
finials. The interior of the gateway is ungroined
and plain; doorways in the east and west sides lead
to the porter's lodge and to the private apartments
on the west. A four-centred arch, plainly chamfered and the whole width of the gateway, opens
into the courtyard, which within its narrow compass
presents all the characteristic features of the domestic
architecture of the 15th century. On the south
side is the hall with its richly moulded entrance doorway and tall traceried windows; on the west the
withdrawing room and solar upon whose oriel have
been lavished the utmost pains of mediaeval mason
craft. The plainer elevations of the east and north
sides mark their more utilitarian purpose. The
walls here are covered with rough-cast.
Plan of Iccomb Place
The hall is entered at the south-east of the courtyard by a doorway with a two-centred head within a
square containing casement mould and label. The
spandrels are traceried and each has a blank shield.
In the opposite wall is a similar doorway. The
screens and gallery have disappeared, and their place
has been taken by a modern gallery, communicating
with the rooms on the first floor of the eastern range,
and continued externally in half-timber across the
east end of the courtyard. An entrance hall has
been formed by the insertion of a modern partition;
the remaining and larger portion of the hall is now
used as a dining room. In the north wall are two
lofty square-headed windows with casement-moulded
jambs, each of two transomed lights, with uncusped
two-centred heads and vertical tracery over. In the
south wall is one similar window. The twin doorways in the east wall leading to the kitchen and
buttery have been blocked and are no longer visible
from the hall. In the south wall is a fireplace with
a 17th-century stone chimney-piece, removed here
recently from the withdrawing room, which is reached
by a doorway at the west end of the north wall. A
corridor has been erected against the ground-stage of
the south wall to connect the remaining portions of
the east and west ranges of the former office-court.
A flat plaster ceiling conceals the trusses of the roof,
which have collars stiffened by curved braces, moulded
purlins, and arched wind-braces.
The withdrawing room occupies the whole of the
ground floor of the range at the west end of the
entrance-court. It is now divided by brick partitions into a larder and pantry. At the south-east it
is lighted by the lower part of the oriel window
which forms the principal feature of the courtyard.
To the south is a window of four lights with
depressed three-centred heads. At the south-west is
a doorway opening on to the stone stairs which lead
to the solar. The fireplace in the west wall is now
blocked up, the stone chimney-piece having been
re-erected in the hall as mentioned above. The
stack projects externally, and is surmounted by
diagonal chimney shafts of brick, probably of the
16th century. The oriel window which lights
both withdrawing room and solar is designed in a
style of the greatest elaboration. It abuts on the
north upon the south wall of the northern range, and
thus has but one return. A base-mould of bold section
is continued round the whole oriel, which is divided
into two stages by a moulded string-course, and there
are small buttresses of two offsets at the eastern
angles. In the principal face of the ground stage is a
square-headed window of two uncusped ogee lights
with pierced quatrefoil spandrels, and in the return is
a single light of similar character. Lighting the solar
are square-headed windows of a corresponding number of cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery in their
heads. These have bold labels with spirited headstops, and the whole is surmounted by a plain
parapet with a moulded coping.
The stone central newel stairs leading to the solar
are contained in a square projection on the west side
of this range. The solar itself is lighted by the
upper part of the oriel, and to the southward of it by
a labelled window, originally of three cinquefoiled
ogee lights with vertical tracery within a square head.
The tracery has been much restored, and the window
has been enlarged by the addition of two southern
lights. At the north-west is a small closet, probably
a garderobe. In the west wall is a stone fireplace
with a wave-moulded square head and jambs, and to
the north of it a modern three-light window. At
the south-west of the solar, adjoining the upper part
of the hall on the west, is a smaller room, which has
a stone fireplace with a four-centred head, and is
lighted by a plain two-light window in the west wall.
The northern range has been much altered internally, and retains few features of interest. The
large room on the west side of the gateway has been
curtailed at its eastern end by modern partitions and
by the insertion of a staircase. This room seems
originally to have communicated with the withdrawing room by a doorway in the south wall immediately
to the west of the oriel. The western range is now
entered through the small closet at the north-east,
which has been transformed into a back entrance.
The first floor, formerly occupied by a long room
extending the whole length of the range, and covered
by an elaborate open-timber roof, communicates
with the solar by a doorway at the south-west. The
roof, if it still exists, is now concealed by a plaster
ceiling.
The room on the east side of the gateway, occupying the remainder of the ground floor of this range,
probably served as a porter's lodge. A fireplace in
the north wall has been blocked and the original
stonework removed to the adjoining room in the east
range. A doorway at the south-east leads into this
range, the ground floor of which has been completely
remodelled and turned into one large room. Here
were originally the buttery, larder, and cellars, but
all partitions have been removed, a doorway leading
from the cellars to the courtyard blocked, and a new
fireplace constructed. The doorways leading to the
hall, as mentioned above have also been blocked. A
modern bay window has been inserted at the south
end of the east wall and a second modern window at
the opposite end of the same wall. On the first floor
is the room known as 'the panelled room,' which
contains painted panelling of a crude type, dating
from the latter half of the 17th century. An external doorway in the east wall with moulded architraves, now blocked, appears to have originally opened
on to a flight of steps leading to the garden. A
parallel to this curious arrangement exists at Norgrove
Court, near Feckenham, where there are similar
blocked doorways in the external wall of the first
floor. (fn. 4) There is an attic floor over this range, and
on the walls of one of the rooms known as 'Dyke's
chamber' is a 17th-century painting in a red pigment of a ship in full sail.
The buildings at the west end of the hall, the
ground floor of which is now occupied by the kitchen
and offices, contain little original detail, with the
exception of the room over the first floor adjoining
the solar mentioned above. The eastern range of
the disappeared office-court containing the original
kitchen has been completely modernized internally,
and several modern windows have been inserted
The roofs of the whole building are of Stonesfield
slate.
MANORS
Offa, King of the Mercians, in 781
gave land at ICCOMB in exchange for
Sapey [Pitchard] to Bishop Heathored, (fn. 5)
who gave it to the cathedral monastery of Worcester (fn. 6) ;
Wiles Well is mentioned as a boundary on the north. (fn. 7)
Algar son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, about 1060 and
King Harold in 1066 were later credited with making
additions to this grant. (fn. 8)
At the time of the Domesday Survey Church
Iccomb belonged to the episcopal manor of Blockley
with which it was valued, but it was apportioned to
the support of the monks. (fn. 9) In 1256 the Prior and
convent of Worcester obtained a grant of fee warren
in their demesne lands in Iccomb from Henry III. (fn. 10)
The manor continued in the possession of the
cathedral monastery until the Dissolution, when it
was granted by Henry VIII to the Dean and Chapter
of Worcester. (fn. 11) They returned it to him in 1545 in
consideration of his acquittance of their obligation to
maintain students at Oxford, (fn. 12) but received it back
again in 1547 in exchange for a grant to the king of
the manors and parsonages of Grimley and Hallow. (fn. 13)
Iccomb was sold in 1650 by the trustees for the
sale of church lands to Thomas Marsh, (fn. 14) from whom it
passed to Thomas and Stephen Robins, who were still
in possession of it in 1659. (fn. 15) It was, however, recovered after the Restoration (fn. 16) by the Dean and
Chapter of Worcester, who held it until 1859, when
it was transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, (fn. 17)
the present lords of the manor.
At the time of the Domesday Survey there were
three manors of ICCOMB in Gloucester hire, (fn. 18) two
of which were formed into the parish of Westcote
before 1444. (fn. 19) The third belonged in the reign of
Edward the Confessor to Turstan and in 1086 to
Durand de Gloucester; it was held of him by
Walter, (fn. 20) probably his nephew, whose granddaughter
Margaret de Bohun was overlord in 1166. (fn. 21) In
1331 the manor was held in moieties of the lords
of Williamscot in the parish of Cropredy (co. Oxon.)
and Southam in the parish of Bishop's Cleeve, (fn. 22)
but before 1353 the overlordship had passed to the
Earls of Kent, (fn. 23) and it was perhaps on the extinction of this earldom in 1408 that it came to the
Crown. It is last mentioned in 1608, when the
manor was held in socage of James I as of the manor
of Slaughter. (fn. 24)
In 1166 Ellis Cokerel held in Gloucestershire half
a knight's fee of the fee of Miles of Gloucester, of
which a feoffment had been made in the time of
Henry I. (fn. 25) He seems to have been succeeded by
another Ellis, who in 1213 gave 20 marks to the
king and 12 lampreys to the Bishop of Winchester
and Geoffrey Fitz Peter that he might be delivered
from prison, where he had been confined owing to 'a
certain false judgement made before the King's Justices
in Gloucestershire.' (fn. 26) The heir of this Ellis was perhaps
William de Iccomb, whose daughter Maud dealt with
a virgate of land in the parish in 1221, (fn. 27) but by 1246
the widow of Ellis Cokerel was holding the half fee
in Cotes which belonged to the same family, (fn. 28) and
she was succeeded very shortly afterwards by Fulk
Cokerel. (fn. 29) At the time of Kirkby's Quest Iccomb
was held by another Ellis, (fn. 30) who was succeeded before
1303 by Thomas de Iccomb. (fn. 31) Thomas was still
living in 1316, (fn. 32) but died before 1330. (fn. 33) His heir,
another Ellis, seems to have died very shortly afterwards, (fn. 34) leaving a widow Margaret and perhaps a son
Ellis, who died in 1331 and was succeeded by his son
and namesake, then eighteen years old. (fn. 35) This Ellis
was still living in 1336, (fn. 36) but died before 1346, in
which year Roger Blaket and Margaret his wife,
probably the sister and heir of Ellis, were seised of
the estate. (fn. 37)
Sir John Blaket, who was perhaps the grandson of
Roger and Margaret, had succeeded to the estate by
1410. (fn. 38) He married Elizabeth widow of William
Wilcote of Wilcote in the parish of North Leigh
(co. Oxon.), and was killed in the French wars in
the summer of 1430. (fn. 39) He left a son Edmund, who
died at Wilcote in 1444. (fn. 40) His heir was his sister
Anne, the wife of Ralph Baskerville, a younger son
of the lord of the adjoining manor of Combe Baskerville in Westcote. (fn. 41) Anne's daughter and heir Jane
married Simon Mylborne (fn. 42) ; they had eleven daughters
and co-heirs, one of whom, Blanche, the wife of
James Whitney, succeeded to Iccomb. (fn. 43) Her son
Robert Whitney died in 1541 seised of the manor,
which he left by his will to his wife Margaret for
life. (fn. 44) His son and heir Sir Robert Whitney died
about 1565, having settled the manor two years
before his death on his second wife Mary, the
widow of Sir Thomas Jones, for her life. (fn. 45) Sir James
Whitney, the son of Sir Robert by his first wife
Sibylla Baskerville, succeeded to the estate after Mary's
death and died seised of it in 1587, leaving as his
heir his brother Eustace, (fn. 46) who was succeeded in 1607
by his son, another Sir Robert Whitney. (fn. 47) Sir Robert
Whitney died before 1653 (fn. 48) ; his son and heir Richard
early in the following year conveyed the manor to
William Cope, the father-in-law of Thomas Whitney,
Sir Robert's younger son, possibly in order to
raise money for the Royalist cause. (fn. 49) Sir Henry
Cope made a conveyance of the manor in 1692, (fn. 50)
probably for the purpose of settling it upon Elizabeth
daughter of William Cope, then the widow of Thomas
Whitney and wife of Thomas Geeres. She and her
daughter Elizabeth, who married firstly William
Gregory and secondly Richard Hopton, (fn. 51) were dealing
with the manor in 1707, (fn. 52) and the younger Elizabeth
had succeeded before 1725. (fn. 53) The manor was
divided after the death of this Elizabeth between her
sons William Gregory and Edward Cope Hopton. (fn. 54)
The moiety belonging to Gregory descended to John
Stackhouse, who held it in 1807, (fn. 55) and subsequently
sold it to Henry Stokes, of whom it was purchased
by William Cambray, (fn. 56) while Hopton's moiety was
inherited by his son Richard Cope Hopton, who
held it in 1807, (fn. 57) and left it at his death to his cousin
the Rev. John Parsons, grandson of Deborah the
sister of Edward Cope Hopton, (fn. 58) who, as John Hopton,
was seised of it in 1819. (fn. 59) Both moieties were apparently bought before 1883 by Mr. Hambidge, (fn. 60) who
sold them before 1890 to Dr. Hayward of Stow-onthe-Wold. Mr. George Simpson Hayward is now
lord of the manor.
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN consists of a chancel measuring internally 28½ ft. by 15½ ft., a nave
38½ ft. by 19½ ft., a western tower 7½ ft. by 8¼ ft., a
south transept 16½ ft. by 12½ ft., and a south porch.
The nave and chancel are part of one design and were
set out at the end of the 12th century, the nave being
finished first and the chancel following early in the
13th century. The south transept was added immediately on the completion of the chancel, but forms no
part of the original design. In the 14th century a west
tower was built, but of this no trace remains except
the door from the nave. The transept was completely
rebuilt as a chapel for the Blaket family in the middle
of the following century, and the tower was rebuilt
in the 17th century.
Plan of Iccomb Church
In the east wall is a triplet of 13th-century lancets,
with shafted internal jambs
and elaborately moulded rear
arches. The shafts are detached and have moulded
circular capitals and bases and
an annulet at half their height.
Externally the windows have
a common label and the verge
of the gable is decorated with
dog-tooth ornament. There
are also three single lancet
windows on either side of the
chancel with rear arch ribs
supported upon carved corbels
of varying designs. The pointed
chancel arch of late 12th-century date is of two chamfered orders with square
pilasters to the responds and
square capitals. In the south
wall is a 13th-century priest's
door, and further east a double
trefoil-headed niche with a
piscina drain in the eastern
compartment. Previous to
the restoration of 1870 there
appears to have been a passage from the chancel to
the south transept through the rood staircase, but
this is now blocked up.
In the north wall of the nave are two 17th-century
square-headed two-light windows and affixed to the
jamb of the eastern one is a plain iron hour-glass stand
with a modern glass. West of these is a blocked north
door of 12th-century date with a round head and plain
chamfered capitals to its external jambs. South of the
chancel arch are the remains of a doorway which must
have opened on to the roodloft, and there are traces of
the stair, entered originally
from the south transept.
The arch opening from the
nave into the south transept
is of mid-13th-century date
and of two moulded orders.
The jambs continue the
mouldings, the rolls becoming shafts with circular bell
capitals and moulded bases.
West of the transept arch is
a small opening to a low
curved passage leading to the
south transept, and following on this is the early
13th-century south door,
which has shafted jambs and
a moulded two-centred head of two orders. The only
window in this wall of the nave is a 17th-century
insertion of two square-headed lights. The door to
the western tower is an excellent example of early
14th-century work and has a two-centred head of
two moulded orders.
Of the original south transept, built in the middle
of the 13th century, only the arch and the west
window now remain, but the numerous fragments of
this date discovered imbedded in the walls (fn. 61) at a
recent restoration showed the original design to have
been similar to that of the chancel. The character
was, however, wholly altered at the 15th-century
rebuilding. Across the north-east corner is the blocked
entrance to the rood stairs. The east window of
the transept, of mid-15th-century date, is of two
lights under a square head. To the north of it are
the remains of a blocked-up image niche and to the
south a plain piscina. (fn. 62) The two-light south window
is of the same date, and has a four-centred head;
beneath it is a niche with a moulded and cusped
four-centred head lighted at the back by a small
opening. Inserted in this is a life-size, full-length
effigy of a man in 15th-century armour, his head
resting on a helm and his feet on a hound. The slab
rests upon a plinth ornamented in front with seven
cinquefoil-headed panels. In the centre panel is a
representation of the Trinity, with the figures of a
man and his wife in the two panels on either side;
these again are flanked by angels bearing shields,
while the two outer panels contain figures of St. Agnes
and St. Michael. Two panels on the return have
figures of angels with shields, for the plinth and slab
project from the niche, for which they were evidently
not originally intended, though approximately of the
same date. A modern brass marks this as the tomb
of Sir John Blaket, lord of the Gloucestershire manor
of Iccomb, died 1431. (fn. 63) There is one window in the
west wall, a single lancet light of 13th-century date, and at the north-west
angle is the opening of the passage to
the nave. The south porch is largely
modern; there is, however, a small
opening in the west wall, the two lights
being separated by a pair of plain shafts
in which there are a number of ancient
stones reset.
Iccomb Church: Arch and Passage to Transept
The 17th-century west tower is three
stages high; the west window is of two
square-headed lights under a square
label and at the south-west angle is a
staircase to the belfry. The octagonal
font, which is of late 15th-century date,
has quatrefoil panelling on the faces of
the bowl and trefoil-headed panels on
the stem.
The tower contains a peal of tubular
bells.
The plate includes a cup of 1616
inscribed 'Icomb d.d. t.i. Rectr. 1758,'
a paten of 1713 with the same inscription, a modern plated flagon, two glass
flagons and two almsdishes, one pewter
and one brass.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) (fn. 64) baptisms 1545 to 1789, burials 1602 to 1788, marriages
1563 to 1753, with occasional gaps; (ii) a marriage
book 1754 to 1812; (iii) baptisms and burials 1788
to 1812.
ADVOWSON
There was a church at Iccomb
before 1240, at which time it was
free from the jurisdiction of the
archdeacon and dean. (fn. 65) The patronage belonged in
the 13th century to the Prior and convent of Worcester, (fn. 66) but they were not always able to exercise it;
in 1285, for instance, their nominee was not instituted because of a collation in the Roman Court on
the death of Nicholas Chilbolton there. (fn. 67) Whether
Nicholas himself had been presented by the prior and
convent does not appear, but he seems to have been
living for some time in Rome. (fn. 68) The episcopal
register of 1283 contains a note to the effect that he
had 'three churches in this diocese and a fourth in
Bath and Wells, two of which he received after the
Council, (fn. 69) and is not yet promoted to priest's orders,
but went without the leave of his diocesan to the
court of Rome: where he still remains.' (fn. 70)
The advowson continued in the possession of the
prior and convent until the Dissolution, when it was
granted by Henry VIII to the Dean and Chapter of
Worcester. (fn. 71) When the manor was sold to Thomas
Marsh by the trustees for the sale of church lands the
advowson and tithes were reserved. (fn. 72) Possibly they
were subsequently sold to the Whitneys, owners at that
time of the Gloucestershire manor of Iccomb (q.v.).
who seem to have dealt with the advowson in 1653. (fn. 73)
Iccome Church: The Blaket Tomb
The right of presentation to the living continued
to be mentioned in deeds relating to the Gloucestershire manor at least as late as 1805, (fn. 74) but it had in
reality been restored in 1660 to the Dean and Chapter
of Worcester, (fn. 75) who are the present patrons. (fn. 76)
A messuage and half a virgate of land in Iccomb
were assigned in 1260 by Gilbert of Woodford and
Emma his wife for the maintenance of a chaplain to
celebrate to the honour of the Virgin Mary in the
church for their souls and the souls of the ancestors
and heirs of Emma. (fn. 77) In 1343 the chantry chaplain
was Elias Walters, a somewhat disorderly person who
thought fit to take up arms in the interest of his
kinsman Robert Walters, a Papal nominee to the
living of Little Compton. (fn. 78) To this rectory Philip
de Alcester had already been presented by the king, (fn. 79)
but the two Walters, with other clerks from the
neighbourhood, broke into the house and maintained
themselves there for ten days. (fn. 80) They are further
said to have plotted, after Philip had been put in
possession, 'to kill him or do him such other irrevocable injury as they could'; an order was therefore given for their arrest. (fn. 81) Elias was taken in June
1347 (fn. 82) and Robert in August of the following year. (fn. 83)
They seem to have agreed to pay compensation to
Philip (fn. 84) ; but it may be doubted whether they left
him undisturbed in his rectory. His successor, John
Paty, resigned the living in December 1350, whereupon the king at last presented Robert to the coveted
post which had been his by Papal provision eight
years earlier. (fn. 85)
The chantry, which was of the clear yearly value
of £6, (fn. 86) was dissolved in the time of Edward VI, (fn. 87)
after which the rents and profits were taken by
Robert Whitney, lord of the Gloucestershire manor
of Iccomb (q.v.), and his successors Robert and
William, (fn. 88) until 1568, when an inquiry was made
into their rights. (fn. 89) Queen Elizabeth subsequently
granted leases of the chantry lands to Richard
Barnerd, (fn. 90) Richard Brian (fn. 91) and John Lee successively, (fn. 92)
but William Whitney was in possession of the estate
in 1598. (fn. 93) It is possible that he afterwards came to
an agreement with John Sotherton, who obtained a
grant in fee from the Crown in 1600, (fn. 94) but the
history of the chantry lands after this date is obscure.
In the 13th century the Prior and convent of
Worcester claimed that there was a charge of 3 marks
a year from Iccomb Church payable to the almoner
of Worcester Priory for the use of poor pilgrims. (fn. 95)
Richard de Sycham, rector of Iccomb, neglected to
make this payment, and in 1292 the almoner of the
cathedral monastery appealed to the bishop, (fn. 96) who
decided the matter in favour of the priory in accordance with a charter given by his predecessor Bishop
Walter Cantilupe. (fn. 97)
CHARITIES
The charity of William Cope,
founded by deed poll 15 January
1690. A yearly sum of £10 is,
under a scheme of the Charity Commissioners dated
21 June 1889, for the administration of the parochial
charities of Stow-on-the-Wold, co. Gloucester, paid
to the minister of Iccomb.
A yearly sum of £5 is also received from the
trustees of the same charities for apprenticing poor
boys or girls of this parish, or, failing such, the same
to be applied in prizes or rewards to children attending a public elementary school.
Shepham's Educational Charity is endowed with a
sum of £141 16s. 2d. consols, representing the proceeds of the sale of schoolhouse and buildings, and
£334 South Eastern Railway 4 per cent. stock, arising
from the redemption of an annuity of £13 6s. 8d.
The sums of stock are held by the official trustees,
producing £16 17s. 10d. yearly, which, under the
scheme above referred to, is applicable in exhibitions
for children of Stow-on-the-Wold and Iccomb attending a public elementary school.
In or about 1829 the Dean and Chapter of Worcester gave £50 towards the repair of the parish
church. The gift was invested in 1867 in £56 9s. 10d.
consols with the official trustees, producing £1 8s.
yearly.
In 1858 Richard Phillips, by his will proved at
Oxford 13 October, bequeathed £108 16s. 10d. consols,
the annual dividends, amounting to £2 14s. 4d., to
be distributed at Christmas in coals to the poor.
The stock is held by the official trustees, who also
hold a sum of £113 11s. 3d. consols, known as the
Iccomb Homes of Rest Fund, producing £2 16s. 8d.
yearly, which by a scheme of 31 May 1904 is also
applied in supplying coal to the poor, so long as the
funds available are insufficient to provide a home of
rest.
The two charities are administered together, the
coal being distributed to about forty recipients.