OMBERSLEY
Ambresl', Ombresleya, Ambreslege (viii cent.);
Ambreslege (xi cent.); Aumbresleg, Humbresl'
(xiii cent.); Ombresleye (xiv cent.).
Ombersley is a large parish containing 7,129 acres,
of which 86 acres are covered by water. It is bordered
on the west by the River Severn, on the south by the
Salwarpe and on the east by Hadley Brook. The
high road from Stourport to Worcester passes through
the parish from north to south and in the village of
Ombersley it crosses at right angles the high road
from Droitwich to Tenbury, which is carried over
the Severn by Holt Fleet Bridge. This bridge consists of one iron arch with stone piers. The country
round is very beautiful and is much frequented by
visitors. The bridge was built under an Act of
5 May 1826. (fn. 1)
The village of Ombersley stands in the middle of
the parish at the junction of the two above-mentioned high roads. The remains of the old church
of St. Andrew, which was superseded in 1825 (fn. 2) by a
new structure built near the site of the old one, are
still to be seen on the west side of the Worcester and
Stourport road. Near it is a cross. Two stone
coffins were found on the site of the old church
in 1834. (fn. 3) The vicarage is on the opposite side
of the road. Nearly opposite the church is the
King's Head Inn, a fine half-timber building of two
stories, the earliest part of which appears to date from
the 15th century. King Charles is said to have
stopped here after the battle of Worcester, (fn. 4) and upon
the plaster ceiling of the ground-floor room at the
northern end of the building the royal arms, which
still exist, were placed in memory of the event.
Elsewhere, upon the same ceiling, is a small figure of
a mermaid with comb and mirror and a design of
roses and thistles. To the north of the church in a
beautifully wooded park stands Ombersley Court,
a building of the time of William and Mary,
re-fronted with stone in the early 19th century.
Upon the north side of the Holt Fleet road, a little
to the west of the main street, is the house known as
the Dower House, a good two-storied half-timber
building of the early 17th century. It is of the
normal central entrance-hall type with a fine fireplace
at its western end; the jambs are of stone, but the
four-centred arch is of brick. The entrance is to the
south of the fireplace, a small lobby being formed by
the stack. In the ground-floor room to the west of
the hall is a fine stone fireplace, and the enriched
ceiling is divided into compartments by the plastered
beams supporting the joists of the floor above. The
room over this has also a fine fireplace of stone.
Much of the original woodwork still remains. The
original staircase has been replaced by modern stairs,
which occupy the greater part of the entrance hall.
At the corner of the main street and the Holt Fleet
road is a late 15th-century half-timber house of two
stories with a fine spirally-fluted chimney shaft of
brick. A little distance to the north of the crossroads, upon the east side of the main street, is a half-timber house with a thatched roof, probably of a
somewhat later date. The village abounds in half-timber work of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods,
most of which has been kept in excellent repair. At
Hadley, about a mile to the eastwards, there are
also many good specimens of similar work. There is
here an old-fashioned inn called 'The Bowling
Green,' with a fine bowling green attached.
Ombersley: The Dower House
Suddington, Chatley Green and Hawford are districts to the south, Hadley is in the east, Uphampton,
Oldfield, Northampton, Sytchampton, Dunhampton,
Cornhampton, Brookhampton, Acton, Owlhill and
Lineholt are to the north, and Boreley and Holtfleet
are to the west. At Hawford there is a square
timber-framed dovecot on a stone base, with a roof
of four gables and a square open lantern. The lower
part is used as a coach-house, the pigeon-holes being
on two sides in the upper part. There are also
timber-framed dovecotes at Chapel Farm and at
Pipstile Farm, Uphampton, and at Northampton,
but the two latter are ruined. At Sytchhampton are
several half-timber cottages and farm-houses. Acton
Hall is an irregular half-timber and brick house.
There is a square timber-framed dovecote. The
nesting-holes, now brick and slate, were formerly
wooden rails with small baskets. An inn on the
main road near Acton is partly of half-timber and
partly of brick, with false timbers painted on the
brickwork.
The land rises from the valley of the Severn in the
west to a height of 300 ft. above the ordnance datum
at Lineholt Common on the north. The southern part
of the parish is at about 100 ft. above ordnance datum.
Ombersley: The Village Street
This parish gave its name to an ancient forest
which had originally formed part of the great forest
of Wyre. (fn. 5) Nash gives the boundaries of the forest of
Ombersley. (fn. 6) This forest not being ancient demesne
of the Crown was disafforested by the charter of
Henry III of 1217, (fn. 7) but the actual disafforestation
did not take place until 1229. (fn. 8) Though the parish
is well wooded at the present day, there are no
large tracts of woodland. An Inclosure Act for
Ombersley was passed in 1814, and the award is
dated 11 October 1827. (fn. 9) In 1905 Ombersley contained 3,291 acres of arable land, 3,082 acres of
permanent grass and 223 acres of woodland. (fn. 10) The
subsoil is Keuper Sandstone, the soil various, chiefly
a rich loam, producing crops of wheat, peas, beans
and barley, fruit and potatoes. Agriculture is now
the principal industry, but some women and girls
were in the middle of the 19th century engaged
in glove-making and slopwork for Worcester tradesmen. (fn. 11)
The Queen Dowager and the Duchess of Kent
visited Ombersley in September 1843. (fn. 12)
Doctor Johnson visited Lord Sandys at Ombersley in
1774. He observes that the house was large and the hall
a very noble room, and 'we were treated with great
civility.' Piozzi relates that he heard Dr. Johnson
protest that he never had quite so much as he wished
of wall fruit except once in his life 'when we were
all together at Ombersley.' (fn. 13)
Edward III in 1354 granted to the Abbot of
Evesham a market on Mondays and a fair for four
days at the feast of St. Barnabas (11 June) at
Ombersley. (fn. 14) This grant was confirmed in 1467 by
Edward IV. (fn. 15) The market has long been discontinued. It apparently was not held at the time
of the Dissolution, as no mention of it is made in the
valuation of the manor taken at that time. A pleasure
fair was held until recently on 29 May, but has now
been discontinued.
There was a prison at Ombersley in 1203. (fn. 16) It
was one of the duties of the oxmen (bovarii) on the
manor of Ombersley to guard any thieves who might
be taken on the manor. (fn. 17)
It was presented in 1612–13 that the tenants of
the manor were bound to repair all the bridges standing in any highway in the manor. Two of these,
called Hawford's Bridge and Wade Bridge, 'are now
ruyned and not passable without great danger.' (fn. 18)
At Hadley Heath Common there is the site of a
camp with entrenchments. (fn. 19) Near this camp were
several mounds, which were levelled in 1815, when
'red earth' ware was discovered. (fn. 20) A prehistoric
ringed palstave, now in the Worcester Museum, was
dug up on Lineholt Common. (fn. 21)
The following place-names occur in the boundaries
of Ombersley in 706: Lincumbe, Geofandene,
Blacamore, Merbroc, Uffanheale. (fn. 22) Other placenames are Owood (fn. 23) (xvi cent.); Fowles, (fn. 24) Jerves,
Redenhurst, Cutnull, (fn. 25) Vicars Park, (fn. 26) Suddington
Orchard, Swirdland, Lilhalle, Linchford, Tapenhill,
Knights Grove, Birchen Vallett in Linholt, (fn. 27) Wynnald (fn. 28) (xvii cent.).
MANORS
Twelve cassata of land at OMBERSLEY were granted to Abbot Ecgwine
and the abbey of Evesham in 706 by
Ethelward, subregulus of the Hwiccas, with the consent of King Coenred. (fn. 29) This grant was confirmed
by Ccolred and Ethelbald, Kings of Mercia, and by
King Offa. (fn. 30) The fate of Ombersley is not known
during the troubled times in the middle of the 10th
century, when Evesham Abbey so often changed
hands, but in 976, when the monks were expelled
for the second time by Alfhere, ealdorman of
Mercia, Ombersley was given to Alfward, Alfhere's
brother. (fn. 31) Subsequently the lands of Evesham
Abbey were given to Earl Godwin in exchange for
Towcester, (fn. 32) and evidently Ombersley thus passed
into the hands of the earl, and the various grantees
of the abbey after this time were unable to recover
it. (fn. 33) It remained in Godwin's hands until redeemed
by Abbot Brihtmar after long suit. (fn. 34)
The estate which the abbey of Evesham had at
Ombersley in 1086 had been reckoned at 15 hides in
the time of Edward the Confessor. Three of these
hides were free of geld, but in ancient times, so it
was said, the whole manor was assessed at only
3 hides. (fn. 35)
Free warren at Ombersley was granted in 1251 to
the Abbot of Evesham, (fn. 36) and in 1275–6 it was
presented at the assizes that he had made a new
warren without licence. (fn. 37) Various improvements
were made in the manor of Ombersley during the
13th and 14th centuries. Abbot Ralph (1214–29) made
a fish stew at Lineholt and two other stews under the
court. (fn. 38) His successor, Abbot Thomas of Marlborough,
assarted 2 carucates of land at Chattesley, having
obtained the permission of Walter de Beauchamp,
who had common at Chattesley. (fn. 39) John de Brokhampton (1282–1316) erected a room with a vault
at Ombersley Manor, (fn. 40) and Abbot John Ombersley
(1367–79) added a hall and two rooms, one in the
west and one in the north, a stable outside the lower
door and a small grange in the outer court. He also
obtained licence from the king in 1376 to inclose
300 acres of land and water in the manor called the
wood of Lineholt and to make a park there. (fn. 41) Abbot
Roger Zatton (1379–1418) restored the fish-pond
called Trylpole and mills at Ombersley, and rebuilt
the dovccot, kitchen and chapel. (fn. 42) Abbot William de
Bois died at Ombersley in 1367. (fn. 43) At the time of the
surrender of Evesham Abbey the manor of Ombersley was bringing in the considerable revenue of
£121 7s. 9¾d. to its owners. (fn. 44)
In 1546–7 the manor-house was leased for twenty-one years to Philip Brace of Doverdale, on the surrender of a lease for ninety-two years granted by the
abbot in 1538. In the same year the manor was
leased for the same period to Robert Constable. (fn. 45)
A thirty-one years' lease of the manor, after the
expiration of Robert Constable's lease, was granted,
probably by Queen Mary in 1554, to Sir John
Bourne. (fn. 46) Queen Elizabeth leased it for twenty-one
years in 1560 to William Garrard and others, but
in 1562 they surrendered it to the Crown, (fn. 47) and
in 1574–5 it was granted to John Hamond and
John Hill for thirty-one years after the expiration of
Sir John Bourne's lease. (fn. 48) In 1594 a lease for thirty-one years from Michaelmas 1619 was granted to
Sir Samuel Sandys. (fn. 49) Sir
Samuel had evidently obtained
Hamond's lease, for in 1608
he was in possession of the
manor, and his lease had still
above forty years to run, and
he expressed himself willing
to renew it if the king
wished. (fn. 50)
Sandys of Ombersley, Lord Sandys. Or a fesse dancetty between three crosslets fitchy gules.
In 1610 Ombersley Manor
formed part of the large estate
granted by James I to his son
Henry, Prince of Wales. (fn. 51)
Prince Henry died in 1612,
and in 1614 the manor was
granted to Sir Samuel Sandys at a fee-farm rent of
£26 19s. 3d. (fn. 52) Sir Samuel was the eldest son of
Edwin Sandys, Bishop of Worcester, and afterwards
Archbishop of York. (fn. 53) The manor was confirmed to
Edwin son and heir of Sir Samuel by Letters Patent
in April 1614, (fn. 54) in the lifetime of his father, who
did not die until August 1623. (fn. 55) Edwin died in
September 1623, and was succeeded by his son
Samuel, (fn. 56) who died in 1685, when the manor passed
to his eldest son Samuel. (fn. 57) Edwin, son of the latter,
married Alice daughter of Sir James Rushout in
1694, when a settlement of the manor was made. (fn. 58)
He died in 1699, before his father, and on the
death of the latter in 1701 the manor of Ombersley
passed to Samuel son of Edwin. (fn. 59) He was chancellor of the exchequer and one of the Lords of the
Treasury in 1742–3, and was created Lord Sandys
in December 1743. (fn. 60) He died in 1770, and was
succeeded by his son Edwin. (fn. 61) He was M.P. for
Droitwich 1747–54 and for Westminster 1762–70 (fn. 62)
and Lord of the Admiralty in 1757. He died without
issue at Ombersley Court in 1797, when the title
became extinct. His estates passed to his niece, Mary
daughter of Martin Sandys, fourth son of the first
Lord Sandys. (fn. 63) Mary married Arthur Hill, second
Marquess of Downshire, and shortly after the death
of her husband, in June 1802, she was created
Baroness Sandys of Ombersley, with remainder to her
second, third, fourth and fifth sons respectively, with
a final remainder to her eldest son, the Marquess of
Downshire. (fn. 64) She died in 1836, and the manor
of Ombersley descended with the title of Lord
Sandys to her second son, Arthur Moyses William
Hill. He was succeeded in 1860 by his next younger
brother, Arthur Marcus Cecil Hill, who took the
surname Sandys in 1861. (fn. 65) He died two years later,
and the manor passed to his son Augustus Frederick
Arthur Sandys, on whose death without issue in 1904
the estate passed to his brother Michael Edwin
Marcus Lord Sandys, the present owner. (fn. 66)
The fee-farm rent payable by the owners of the
manor from the site and demesne lands was granted
in 1637–8 to James Duke of Lennox, (fn. 67) and in 1664
to Catherine queen consort of Charles II. (fn. 68) In 1670
the fee-farm rents belonging to the Crown were vested
in trustees, (fn. 69) who sold the reversion after the death
of Queen Catherine of the rent due from Ombersley
Manor to Charles Lord St. John, Ralph Bucknall
and others in July 1672. (fn. 70) Benjamin Bathurst and
Elizabeth his wife made a conveyance of this rent in
1747 (fn. 71) ; in 1753 it belonged to James Brydges
Marquess of Carnarvon. (fn. 72) It passed from him on
his death in 1789 to his only daughter Anna Eliza,
who married Richard Marquess of Buckingham. (fn. 73)
Their son Richard Earl Temple was in possession of
the fee-farm rent in 1818. (fn. 74)
A fishery and two weirs, one where the spring
called Ombreswelle falls into the Severn and the other
at the ford called Leverford, were included in Ethelward's grant of the manor in 706. (fn. 75) In 1086 there
were a fishery and a half at Ombersley yielding 2,000
eels and two mills worth 8s. (fn. 76) Abbot Thomas of
Marlborough in 1230–1 recovered into his own hands
the mill of 'Haddeley' in Ombersley. (fn. 77) In 1291 two
mills belonged to the abbot's manor of Ombersley. (fn. 78)
Abbot Zatton (1379–1418) rebuilt the mills at
Trylpole. (fn. 79) A mill called Pig Mill is mentioned in
grants of the manor in 1574–5 and 1593–4. (fn. 80) In
1613 the mills called Squint Mill, Tirle Mill, and
Pig Mill were granted to William Whitmore and
others at a fee-farm rent of 7s. 4d., (fn. 81) but they must
have sold them afterwards to Edwin Sandys, for the
three mills were included among his possessions at the
time of his death. (fn. 82)
Watered as it is on all sides by rivers or brooks,
Ombersley still has many mills. Winnall Mill, a
corn-mill, is on the tributary of the Severn in the
north-western corner of the parish, near Hampstall
Ferry. Hadley Mill is at Hadley on Hadley Brook
on the eastern border. New Mill on the Salwarpe
is also on the eastern border. Turn Mill, probably
the same as Trylpole Mill and Tirle Mill, is a cornmill on a tributary of the Severn.
A part of a weir at Ombersley which Thomas
Gugun had given him was granted by Absalon de
Bevere to Marjory his daughter by an undated
charter of the 13th century. (fn. 83) In 1348 William the
fisherman of Ombersley gave to William ate Tolle of
Salwarpe, clerk, all his land and tenements with a
rent and fishery at Ombersley. (fn. 84) Richard de Hansforde, son and heir of Richard de Hansforde, in
1357–8 granted to Sir William Rome of Ombersley,
chaplain, a portion of his weir in Ombersley, for which
he paid a yearly rent to the Abbot of Evesham. (fn. 85)
An interesting survey of the mansion-house of
Ombersley was taken in 1584. (fn. 86) There was a hall
built of timber and covered with tile, a house at the
south end of the hall, a room on the east of the hall
adjoining the outer court, an old chapel built of stone
with a timber roof covered with tiles, and a vaulted
room beneath, rooms on the south and east of the
chapel, and a room on the north of the hall. All
this part of the manor was considered fit to remain
standing, though the repairs would be costly, but a
house on the east of the court with a passage built
upon posts leading from it to the hall was in a state of
ruin past repair. (fn. 87) The present mansion, Ombersley
Court, was built by the first Lord Sandys. (fn. 88)
The lord of the manor had free warren in the
manor, in Oldfield, in the Haye by Trehampton,
in the Winyards, in Birchin Lane, in Lineholt, and
in the Heath by Woodham field. (fn. 89) In 1752 an Act
was passed to extinguish the right of the lord of the
manor of Ombersley of keeping a warren on Linall
Common, the Birchin Valley and the Lyth, and for
securing to him the rent then paid for the warren,
and for annexing Birchin Valley to several ancient
copyholds in the manor. (fn. 90)
Rents called Honysilver and Hundred silver were
due by his tenants to the lord of the manor of
Ombersley. (fn. 91) The latter rent was a composition paid
by the tenants at Ombersley for exemption from suit
at the Abbot of Evesham's distant hundred of Blackenhurst, to which Ombersley belonged until the middle
of the 18th century. (fn. 92)
Habington gives a mythical origin of the family and
manor of ACTON, (fn. 93) but the earliest authentic reference is to Philip de Acton,
who appears to have been a
landowner in Worcestershire
in 1175–6. (fn. 94) Ellis de Acton
is given as a juror in 1219,
and an Ellis de Acton assigned
rent which he held in Ombersley to the support of a
chaplain in a certain chapel
there. In 1274–5 Iseult
widow of Ellis de Acton son
of Ellis mentioned above sued
John de Acton, son of the
younger Ellis, (fn. 95) for a third of
this rent, which she claimed
as dower. It appeared that Ellis the son had never
held the rent, but had merely acted as collector for
his father, so that Iseult's claim was void. (fn. 96) In 1342
John de Acton and Isabel his wife settled the manor
of Acton upon themselves with reversion to their son
Walter and his heirs male, with contingent remainders
in tail-male to their sons Edmund, William and
Simon. (fn. 97) Richard de Acton and Isabel his wife, to
whom there was a monument in the old church of
Ombersley, (fn. 98) may have owned the manor of Acton.
In 1513 an award was made by the Abbot of Evesham in termination of a dispute which had arisen
between Francis Acton and the two daughters of
Walter Acton as to the manor of Acton. The
abbot awarded the manor, which had descended to
Walter from William Acton, probably his father, (fn. 99)
to the co-heirs, Isabel wife of Thomas Broughton of
Belbroughton, and Joyce Acton. (fn. 100) Joyce afterwards
married Thomas Barneby, and they were dealing
with the manor in 1547–8, (fn. 101) and in 1554–5 they
and Richard Barneby their son conveyed half the
manor to Ellis Evans and others (fn. 102) for some settlement. Thomas Barneby was dead before 1578,
and his widow Joyce conveyed the moiety of the
manor to Thomas Pury. (fn. 103) Pury may have been a
trustee for her son Charles, to whom she gave part of
the manor. (fn. 104) Charles gave this estate to his eldest
brother Richard, (fn. 105) evidently before 1581, for Richard
was then dealing with the manor. (fn. 106) It passed from
him to his son William, (fn. 107) who conveyed it in 1602
to Abel Gower and John Sheldon. (fn. 108) They were
probably trustees for some settlement, for Sir William
Barneby was dealing with the manor in 1624, (fn. 109) and
his son John sold it in 1649 to Richard Bourne the
elder. (fn. 110)
Acton of Acton. Or three bars wavy gules.
Part of the other moiety of the manor appears to have
been alienated by Thomas Broughton, Isabel Acton's
first husband, to Richard Bourne the elder. (fn. 111) Walter
Blount, the second husband of Isabel, died in 1561,
and she died in the following year. (fn. 112) On their tomb
in Astley Church are two sons and five daughters, (fn. 113)
who apparently all died young except the youngest
daughter Margery, who is the only child of Walter
Blount mentioned in the Worcester Visitation of
1569. She is there given as wife of Roger Stamford, (fn. 114)
but she also must have died without issue, for the
estate retained in this family passed to Robert Blount,
who was presumably Walter's brother. (fn. 115) Robert sold
part of the manor to Thomas Clent about 1572, and
part of it to James Nash. (fn. 116)
Richard Bourne seems to have acquired the whole
manor before 1663, when he conveyed it to Robert
Wylde and others. (fn. 117) Richard's son Richard, who
married Anne daughter of Robert Wylde, died at
about this time, (fn. 118) and on the death of his father in
1669 (fn. 119) the estate passed to John son of the younger
Richard. (fn. 120) John conveyed the manor of Acton in
1678 to Robert Wylde and Arthur Charlett, (fn. 121) possibly
on the occasion of his marriage with Elizabeth daughter
of Arthur Charlett. (fn. 122) Elizabeth Bourne, widow, and
Richard Bourne, who conveyed the manor in 1721 to
Allen Cliffe and other trustees, (fn. 123) were probably the
widow and son of John Bourne. Richard Bourne of
Acton was Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1730. (fn. 124) It
was probably this Richard who died in 1754 and was
buried in Ombersley Church. (fn. 125) Francis Bourne of
Acton, whose relationship to Richard is not known,
changed his name to Page about 1741 in accordance
with the will of his grand-uncle Sir Francis Page. (fn. 126)
He held the manor in 1782 (fn. 127) and died unmarried
in 1803. (fn. 128) In 1868 Acton Hall belonged to T.
Amphlett, (fn. 129) and it is now the property of Mr.
Thomas Edward Amphlett.
Richard son of Maurice de Ombersley held half a
knight's fee of the Abbot of Evesham in 1166. (fn. 130) In
1281–2 Simon de Ombersley gave John de Grafton
two-thirds of a messuage and 2 carucates of land which
Simon held, and the reversion of a third of the
tenement which Peter de Lench and Margaret his
wife held of Simon's inheritance. John agreed to let
Simon and his wife Margaret hold the two parts of
the tenement for their lives with reversion to John. (fn. 131)
In 1349–50 Sir John, lord of Grafton, granted to
John Searle, rector of Grafton, and others certain of his
manors and lands including the manor of Ombersley, (fn. 132)
and in 1350 Thomas de Beauchamp Earl of Warwick
granted land and rent in Evesham and Ombersley
held for life by Roger de Grafton to the Abbot and
convent of Evesham to find chantries and alms and
other pious works in their abbey as he should ordain. (fn. 133)
This estate, which is called the 'manor of Oversudington' within the manor of Ombersley, had come into
the earl's hands by surrender. (fn. 134)
CHURCH
The church of ST. ANDREW consists of a chancel 30 ft. by 20 ft. with
vestries north and south of it, nave 69 ft.
by 21 ft., north and south aisles 15 ft. wide and a
western tower 12 ft. square. These measurements
are all internal. The building was erected by
Rickman in 1825 for the Marchioness of Downshire,
near the site of the former church, which was pulled
down with the exception of the eastern portion of
the chancel, which now serves as a mortuary chapel
to the family of Lord Sandys.
Plan of Ombersley Old Church (based on Prattinton's plan)
The new building is of the most florid 14th-century style and is ashlar faced. The nave has a
clearstory of four two-light windows on each side,
and the arcades of four bays are divided by a gallery
which runs round the north, west and south sides of
the church. The east window of the chancel is of
four lights, and in each side wall are four three-light windows, the buttresses between them having
crocketed pinnacles. The roofs of the nave and
chancel are stone vaulted, but those of the aisles
are flat. The tower is three stages high with an
embattled parapet and angle pinnacles. Above this
rises an octagonal spire strengthened by flying buttresses at the angles.
The stone and marble font is a recent gift replacing
the mean font dating from 1828 which now stands
in the mortuary chapel. The pulpit and quire seats
are also modern, but the box pews date from 1828.
The remaining portion of the former church
includes about two-thirds of the chancel and measures
29 ft. by 21½ ft. inside. It is of late 13th-century
date with the exception of the east wall, which was
probably rebuilt in the 18th century. The east
window, which was square, is now filled in. In
each side wall are two trefoiled lancets with detached
shafts having moulded capitals and bases to the internal
jambs, supporting rear arches, moulded in each case
with a filleted bowtel. Their labels are returned as
a string-course on each wall, while at the level of
their sills is a second string-course, which leaps the
heads of the sedilia and piscina in the south wall and
forms their labels. On the north side the sill-string
rises as though over a square-headed tomb recess, but
the wall is filled in flush. The piscina has a trefoiled
head and the basin is in the form of a moulded bell
capital. The three sedilia are also trefoiled. The
east and west jambs have detached shafts with moulded
bases and capitals. The capitals between the seats
rest on diminishing corbels, which are in turn supported on carved human heads. The head appears to
have been dropped in a later alteration or rebuilding.
The inclosing west wall with its doorway is modern,
and the ceiling is plastered. Outside the walls are
almost entirely hidden by ivy. They are finished
with a modern embattled parapet and are supported
on either side by three buttresses, with two on the
east wall.
A 17th-century oak altar table still stands against
the east wall. It has carved baluster legs and around
the top rail is the text 'Whosoever shall eat this
bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily
shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord.'
There are several monuments and gravestones to
members of the Sandys family, all of 17th or 18th-century date.
According to Dr. Prattinton the nave of the old
church was three bays long with north and south
aisles and arcades resting on piers of quatrefoil plan.
The main roof was arched and panelled in oak.
The tower apparently stood at the west end of the
nave, opening to it by a lofty arch with a respond of
clustered shafts on the north. It appears, however,
to have been subsequently rebuilt at the west end of
the south aisle. The nave also possessed north and
south porches.
In the churchyard is a tall cross raised on a platform of four steps; the 15th-century square base is
moulded and its faces are panelled with quatrefoils.
The shaft is octagonal, chamfered out to the square
above and below, and supports a red sandstone
head, surmounted by a hollow-sided pyramid. The
cornice and the pyramid are 18th-century work and
the lower part of the head probably 17th-century.
A dial is set on the south face.
The Sandys Mausoleum, Ombersley Old Church
The six bells were brought from the old church,
but the second, fourth and the tenor were recast by
John Rudhall before the rehanging in 1828. The
treble is by Henry Bagley and has fifteen bronze
Charles I coins in the shoulder and mouth of the
bell; the third and fifth are dated 1628, the former
with Matthew Bagley's name as the founder.
The communion plate consists of a silver Elizabethan
cup and cover paten of 1571, a silver-gilt cup of
1630, a stand paten dated 1704 with the hall mark
of 1697 and two flagons dated 1685, and having the
hall mark of 1682.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1574 to 1674, burials 1574 to 1675 and marriages 1574 to 1676 (the entries from 1649 to 1660
being entered from 'hearsay' by Edward Pilkington,
'the routed vicar'); (ii) baptisms and burials 1676
to 1752 and marriages 1677 to 1752; (iii) baptisms
and burials 1753 to 1812; (iv) marriages 1754 to
1789; (v) marriages 1789 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
It would seem that originally the
advowson of the church of Ombersley
belonged to the Bishops of Worcester, for in 1207, in the settlement of the dispute
between the bishop and the Abbot of Evesham as to
the churches of the Vale of Evesham, the bishop
agreed to give the church of Ombersley to the
abbot. (fn. 135) Ranulph, Abbot of Evesham (1214–29),
converted to the use of the poor and the convent an
ancient pension of 60s. from the church which his
predecessors had been accustomed to bestow upon
their kinsmen and clerks. (fn. 136) In 1248 Pope Innocent IV
granted an indulgence to Theodisius, canon of
Beauvais, the pope's grand-nephew, to serve by fit
vicars his church of Ombersley and any other benefices
which he might hold or in future obtain, and to receive
all the benefits and profits of such benefices; it also
exempted him from being compelled to take orders or
make residence on these benefices. (fn. 137) In December 1269
the church of Ombersley was consecrated by the
bishop in honour of St. Andrew. (fn. 138) It was committed
by the bishop in 1283 to William de Cherinton, as
the bishop's sequestrator, until he should be certain
of the death of the rector, (fn. 139) but Theodisius was still
rector, and trouble arose between him and William in
1285. (fn. 140) The bishop declared in the following year
that neither by authority of the pope, nor of the
Archbishop of Canterbury, nor of the bishop himself,
was William instituted to the church of Ombersley,
nor by authority of the bishop had he any title to it, (fn. 141)
and Theodisius was restored to his possession. (fn. 142)
Cherinton became Abbot of Evesham in 1317 and
immediately endeavoured to get the church of
Ombersley appropriated to the abbey. (fn. 143) The
abbot pleaded the poverty of his house owing to
excessive taxation and calls on its hospitality due to its
situation near the public way, (fn. 144) but it was not until
1326 that licence was finally given for him to appropriate the church. (fn. 145) For this privilege he had to pay
30s. a year to the Bishops of Worcester. (fn. 146) The
vicarage was ordained in 1327 and a portion of the
tithes assigned to the vicar. (fn. 147) William de Cherinton
bequeathed the churches of Ombersley and Badby
(Northants) in 1344 to his prior and convent to dispose
of as might seem best to them. In accordance with
the will of the abbot it was ordained in full chapter at
Christmas 1344, that at Ascensiontide and at the
feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, £24 from these churches
should be distributed between the prior and monks. (fn. 148)
The advowson remained with the Abbot and convent
of Evesham until the Dissolution, (fn. 149) when it passed to
the Crown. It was granted in 1558 to Richard
Bishop of Worcester, who presented in that year. (fn. 150)
The rectory and church were included in Robert
Constable's and Sir John Bourne's leases of the
manor, (fn. 151) and the advowson was probably also included, for Sir John's successor as lessee, John Talbot,
evidently held it, as the presentation was made in
1587 by the grantees of his executors. (fn. 152) The rectory
and advowson were granted in 1609 at a fee-farm
rent of £32 18s. 4d. to Francis Philipps and Richard
Moore, (fn. 153) but they sold it a month later to Thomas
Coventry, Thomas Sandys and others. (fn. 154) They were
probably trustees for Sir Samuel Sandys, to whom the
advowson and rectory passed at about this time. (fn. 155)
The subsequent descent of the advowson and rectory
is the same as that of the manor. (fn. 156)
The fee-farm rent of £32 18s. 4d. from the rectory
of Ombersley was granted in 1613–14 to Queen
Anne, consort of James I, for life, (fn. 157) and in 1627 to
Queen Henrietta Maria. (fn. 158) In 1675–6 it was sold
by the Crown to Sir Walter Wrottesley, Richard
Congrave and John Gifford. (fn. 159)
There is a Congregational church in the town,
opened in 1823.
CHARITIES
In 1768 John Amphlett by his
will gave £30 in trust for the poor.
This was augmented in 1773 by a
legacy of £100 under the will of Thomas Amphlett.
These legacies were secured on Southall Farm, part
of the Westwood Estate, in respect of which an
annuity of £5 17s. is paid, and applied in the distribution of tickets on tradesmen of the value of 10s. 6d.
each.
A further sum of 10s. is applied with these charities as interest on a further sum of £20 on deposit
in the Post Office Savings Bank. This is understood
to be a legacy under the will of another John
Amphlett.
The Church Estate, the origin of which is not
precisely known, consists of a house and shop, twelve
cottages, 1 a. 2 r. let in allotments, and a building
known as the Parish Institute, bringing in a total
gross income of £88 a year, which is applied to
church expenses.
Lloyd's Charity School, founded by Richard
Lloyd by deed, 1723, is regulated by a scheme
made under the Endowed School Acts of 7 July 1874,
whereby the charities of Thomas Clent and others,
recorded on the church table as having been given
for the benefit of the poor, were directed to be
applied for the advancement of education.
In addition to the schools and land, a sum of
£3,499 6s. 5d. consols, producing £87 9s. 8d. yearly,
is held by the official trustees as part of the endowment. (fn. 160)