OVERTON
Ouretun, Dom. Bk.; Ouerton, 1176.
Overton occupies the southern end of the peninsula
between the Lune and Morecambe Bay, and is itself
divided into two parts by an arm of the river. The
western and smaller part is called Sunderland,
formerly one of the landing-places of the port of
Lancaster; the eastern part is Overton proper, with
Bazil Point jutting into the Lune at the south and
Colloway on the higher land, 100 ft. above sea level,
at the north. From the village of Overton, lying
near the centre of the main part, roads spread out in
various directions—north to Heaton, south to the
church and river-side, where there is a ferry to
Glasson; south-west to Sunderland, across the sands,
impassable when the tide is in; and north-west to
Middleton. The area is 1,837 acres (fn. 1) including 43 of
salt marsh. The population in 1901 was 346.
The village of Overton has an old-world air and
consists largely of stone-built whitewashed cottages
of 18th-century date, but some of the houses are
older. That known as the North Farm has a doorway with a shaped head which bears the initials and
date R. H. E. H. / T. H. / 1674. The house itself is of two stories
with low mullioned windows, but most of the
mullions have been cut away.
On the west shore of Sunderland is a stone with a
copper plate inscribed to the memory of 'Poor
Sambo, a faithful negro, who attending his master
from the West Indies died on his arrival at Sunderland.' Verses added give the date as about 1720.
Of Sunderland itself it is stated that after the opening
of Glasson Dock in 1787 the trade and people
deserted it and the sailors called it 'Cape Famine.'
Later, however, it became a popular sea-bathing place. (fn. 2)
The rush-bearing used to take place on Holy
Thursday. (fn. 3)
The township has a parish council.
Manor
In 1066 Earl Tostig held OVERTON,
assessed as four plough-lands, as a member
of his Halton lordship. (fn. 4) Later it formed
part of the demesne of the honour of Lancaster, (fn. 5) the
manor descending with the duchy to the Crown.
Charles I in 1630 sold it to Charles Harbord and
others, (fn. 6) who in turn sold in 1636 to trustees for
the tenants, among whom, therefore, it became
divided. (fn. 7)
Among the older free tenants were the greaves or
reeves, who held half a plough-land in virtue of their
office. (fn. 8) Another oxgang of land was held in
thegnage. (fn. 9)
The services due from the tenants were similar to
those in Skerton. (fn. 9a)
For the year ending Michaelmas 1440 John Westfield, the greave of Overton, rendered a net sum of
£18 17s. 7½d. to the king's receiver, partly in
money and partly in wheat at 6s. 8d. the quarter.
Of this Robert Green paid 2s. for 2 oxgangs of land
held by serjeanty, and John son of John Rycons
paid 8s. 1½d. for an oxgang of free land held in
socage; Richard Berwick paid 2d. for 3 acres of free
land, which was perhaps the land later held by the
Lawrence family. The bond tenants paid 40s. in
lieu of services in ploughing, &c., 16½d. for cowmale,
£4 for twelve messuages and 10 oxgangs of land,
each of 12 acres, 16s. for 2 oxgangs of 8 acres
each, 29s. for 1 oxgang of 18 acres, and 32s. for
another oxgang of 22 acres. The demesne tenants
paid £9 4s. 2d. Inhabitants having no tenement
paid 7½d. 'bone silver' in lieu of reaping the corn.
There were a number of fisheries, some held by the
community, others, as Kile (or Keel), Irneston and
Sunderland 'at the foot of the water of Lune,' in
the hands of Agnes Lawrence and others. The
greave himself, in right of Alice his wife, daughter of
Robert Groby, held a third part of the lands attached
to the serjeanty, paying nothing; but he accounted
for 26s. 8d. for the other two-thirds formerly held
by Edmund Lawrence. The perquisites of courts
amounted to 2s. 2d. (fn. 10)
A new rental was made in 1562; the total
amount was £19 4s. 1d. (fn. 11)
Later the Cansfield family held land (fn. 12) ; their
inheritance became divided between Southworth
and Charnock. (fn. 13) A dispute as to a fishing called
Thoresholme is mentioned in 1561. (fn. 14) Cockersand
Abbey had land in Overton. (fn. 15)
The court of the manor is said to have enjoyed
the privilege of proving wills under the seal of the
manor in virtue of an immemorial right, but the
custom ceased in the 18th century. (fn. 16)
Richard Hinde, (fn. 17) Richard Jackson (fn. 18) and Richard
Westfield (fn. 19) had their estates sequestered for 'delinquency' under the Commonwealth.
Church
The chapel (fn. 20) or church, of which the
invocation is unknown, stands on an
eminence about a quarter of a mile to
the south-east of the village overlooking the Lune
estuary, and consists of a transeptal chancel 23 ft. by
12 ft., nave 35 ft. by 15 ft., and north transept
32 ft. by 16 ft., all these measurements being internal.
There is also a small bell-turret over the west gable.
The church dates from the 12th century, and from
discoveries made during the restoration of 1902 seems
to have terminated originally at the east in a semicircular apse, (fn. 21) the total length of the building being
45 ft. The east end, however, was rebuilt in 1771,
to which date the present chancel belongs, and the
long north transept was added in 1830. The building
is very plain in character, and, with the exception of
the south doorway, has little architectural interest.
At the same time that the chancel was built the
original 12th-century windows, which, from the
testimony of people living in 1820, were 'small,
round-headed and without mullions,' (fn. 22) were removed
and the present square-headed ones substituted (fn. 23) ; but
traces of the old openings have been found in both
the north and south walls. The church, which was
then filled with high pews arranged anyhow, and
was described as 'desolate and uncomfortable,' (fn. 24) was
restored in 1902, when the old pews were removed,
the chancel rearranged and new seating erected.
The west wall is thicker than those on the north
and south, which are built up against it, and may be
of rather earlier date. The evidence of the masonry,
however, is inconclusive, though the walling differs in
character from that in the north and south walls.
It is built of roughly coursed and roughly dressed
gritstone, with angle quoins, and has a chamfered plinth
above which is a single course of dressed stone, while
the north and south walls are constructed of sandstone
rubble and boulders. The gritstone, however, on
the south side extends to and includes the south
doorway, which seems to point to the west wall being
of 12th-century date. (fn. 25) The walling of the chancel
and transept is of coursed stones with angle quoins,
and the roofs are covered with stone slates and have
overhanging eaves.
The south doorway is a good example of Norman
work, with semicircular arch, and, being very much
exposed, has weathered badly. The arch is of three
orders and a hood mould, springing from plain
chamfered imposts and square moulded jambs without
shafts. The inner order shows traces of sculpture
and cheveron ornament on the face and soffit, and the
middle order has also the cheveron pattern, while the
outer one is carved with beak heads now very much
worn. The hood mould has a small cheveron on the
soffit, and above the arch is a small stone very badly
weathered, on which is carved what appears to be a
figure with hands on hips, possibly the representation
of the patron saint. The chancel has a round-headed
east window and a square-headed two-light window
north and south, but all the fittings are modern, and
the chancel arrangement is continued 7 ft. into the
nave. The walls of the chancel and transept are
plastered, but those of the nave are bare, exposing the
old rubble masonry; on the west wall are traces of
colour and on the south wall a fragment of a blackletter inscription. The transept is separated from
the nave by a semicircular plaster arch, and is divided
at about half its length by a modern screen, its
northern end being occupied by a wide gallery. The
nave roof is probably of 18th-century date, divided
into five bays by four plain principals, and at the
west end of the nave is an 18th-century gallery 11 ft.
wide, with grained panelled front lit by a two-light
square-headed window inserted in the west gable
below the bell-turret.
Plan of Overton Church
All the fittings are modern with the exception of
the canopied oak pulpit, which is of 18th-century
date and hexagonal in plan. It is recessed in the
south wall and stands on a new base. In the vestry
at the north end of the transept is the 18th-century
oak communion table with moulded top and square
legs.
On the south side of the churchyard is a cross
shaft 3 ft. 9 in. high, to which height it appears to
have been cut down in the 18th century to serve as
a sundial. Two fragments of the cross are preserved
in the church.
There is one bell.
The plate consists of a silver chalice of 1708–9
inscribed 'The gift of Francis (sic) West relique of
William West Esq. of Middleton to Overton
Chappell'; a silver paten of 1873–4 inscribed 'The
gift of George Blucher Heneage Marton of Capernwray to Overton Church, Feb. 1880'; and a
pewter flagon 'The gift of Francis West of Middleton
Relict of William West Esq. to Overton Chapel.'
There are also a modern pewter paten and the foot
of a large pewter breadholder with the maker's mark
'I. H.'
The registers begin in April 1722 and the churchwardens' accounts in 1771.
Lancaster Priory had the demesne tithes (fn. 26) and
built a grange there, (fn. 27) and on the ordination of the
vicarage in 1430 the vicar of Lancaster became
responsible for the chapel services. From a statement
of expenses in 1440 it appears that he was bound to
send a chaplain each Sunday and principal feast to
celebrate there, and the distance being 4 miles he was
obliged to keep a horse for this chaplain's use. (fn. 28)
Thus it was in the immediate charge of the vicar.
Its fate after the Reformation is unknown; it was
probably served by a lay reader and visited by
the vicar or curate from time to time. It is not
named in the list of 1610 and in 1650, the allowance
from Royalists' sequestrations having been reduced, the
minister had left for want of maintenance. (fn. 29) The
place was so surrounded by the flowing sea twice in
twenty-four hours that the people could not attend
their parish church. (fn. 30) About 1670 an allowance of
£10 out of the tithes was given by Hugh Cooper,
and from that time a resident curate seems to have
been appointed. (fn. 31) Further endowments have been
obtained, and the benefice is in the gift of the vicar
of Lancaster. The following have been curates and
vicars:—
|
| oc. 1670 | Thomas Lawson (fn. 32) |
| 1684 | John Hull, B. A. (fn. 33) (Jesus Coll., Camb.) |
| oc. 1732 | William Jackson (fn. 34) |
| oc. 1740 | Miles Gaythorne (fn. 35) |
| John Gibson (fn. 36) |
| 1789 | Samuel Bateman, M.A. (fn. 37) (St. John's Coll., Camb.) |
| 1827 | Henry Sharpe Pocklington, M.A. (fn. 38) (Christ's Coll., Camb.) |
| oc. 1833 | John Dodson, M.A. (fn. 39) (Trin. Coll., Camb.) |
| 1838 | John Ralph George Manby, M.A. (fn. 40) (Brasenose Coll., Oxf.) |
| 1880 | Henry Edward Jones |
| 1885 | Walter James Locke, M.A. (fn. 41) (T.C.D.) |
| 1895 | Robert Leighton Atkinson, M.A. (Oxf.) |
| 1896 | Thomas Wright Greenall, M.A. (fn. 42) (Queens' Coll., Camb.) |
| 1908 | Arnold Hutchinson, B.A. (Oxf.) |
A Primitive Methodist chapel was built in 1902.