BARCHESTON
Acreage: 1,555.
Population: 1911, 118; 1921, 119; 1931, 101.
The parish lies to the east of the River Stour, on the
right bank of which, above the mill-pond, stand the
church, the rectory, and the manor-house, which is a
stone building of 16th-century origin retaining some
mullioned windows and moulded string-courses, but
mostly modernized. There is no village here, the chief
centre of population being the hamlet of Willington,
½ mile south between the river and a road running
north from Burmington to meet the road from Shipstonon-Stour to Brailes a little north-east of the church.
Most of the parish lies between 250 ft. and 300 ft., but
on the east the ground rises steeply to nearly 500 ft. on
the slopes of Brailes Hill.
In 1509, shortly after he had bought the manor,
William Willington inclosed 310 acres of the demesne
arable, converting the whole into pasture with the
exception of 64 acres, for the cultivation of which he
employed one plough. He also destroyed four messuages, with 10 virgates of arable—the virgate here being
22 acres—and a cottage. As a result these 220 acres
were also put out of cultivation and 24 persons were
rendered homeless and reduced to lamentable misery,
lacking food and work. (fn. 1) Annotation 742 Annotation 743
It was in the manor-house that Ralph Sheldon in
about 1560 established the famous tapestry works
which, under the control of Richard Hyckes (died
1621, aged about 97) and his son Francis (died 1630),
produced so many remarkable and beautiful tapestries. (fn. 2) Annotation 656
Manors
In the reign of Edward the Confessor
BARCHESTON was held by Wiching,
but after the Conquest it was divided, 2½
hides with a mill being held under William fitz Corbucion by Johais, (fn. 3) and 1 hide less ½ virgate being held
of the king in chief by Alvric. (fn. 4) The overlordship is
subsequently found in the hands of the Earl of Warwick. (fn. 5) A mesne lordship was held in 1232 by William
de Cantilupe, who in that year impleaded William son
of William Corbicun to acquit him of service which
Thomas [Earl] of Warwick demanded for lands in
Barcheston and Studley. (fn. 6) This passed with other Cantilupe estates to the family of Hastings, and in 1313 and
1316 a half-fee in Barcheston and Weston was held by
John de Hastings. (fn. 7) After the death of Sir John de
Hastings, Lord Bergavenny, this half-fee was assigned
in 1325 to his widow Julian and her second husband
Thomas le Blount. (fn. 8) It descended to Sir John's grandson John, Earl of Pembroke, who died in 1375, (fn. 9) and
then to his cousin Sir William Beauchamp, Lord Bergavenny, who was holding it with Sir Edward Benstede
in 1400. (fn. 10) Sir William's widow Joan held the fee for
life, and at her death in 1435 it reverted to Edward
Neville and his wife Elizabeth, granddaughter of Sir
William Beauchamp. (fn. 11)
Simon de Bercheston, who seems to have been a
member of the family of which the younger branch
took the name of Whitacre, was lord of Barcheston in
about 1193, (fn. 12) to whom, according to Dugdale, (fn. 13) succeeded Richard in 1204–5, and after him Simon, who
occurs in 1208 (fn. 14) and 1235, (fn. 15) in which year he definitely
held the manor. (fn. 16) Next came Henry, who was dead by
1259, when his widow Joan is mentioned, (fn. 17) and Alexander. (fn. 18) Henry and Thomas de Bercheston presented
to the church in 1282 and 1297 respectively, (fn. 19) and
Richard de Bercheston was lord of the manor in 1316 (fn. 20)
and was the chief taxpayer in Barcheston in 1332. (fn. 21)
His eldest son (fn. 22) Alexander attests as 'lord of Barcheston'
in 1360 (fn. 23) and held the fee in Barcheston and Weston of
the Earl of Pembroke in 1375, (fn. 24) and in that year he and
his wife Alice sold the manor to Sir Henry de Arderne. (fn. 25)
When Sir Henry's son Ralph died in 1420 the custody
of his infant son Robert was committed to Lady Joan
Beauchamp of Bergavenny. (fn. 26) She was holding the
manor at her death in 1455, but had leased it to Guy de
Mancetter. (fn. 27) By 1439, when he presented to the
church, (fn. 28) the manor had evidently come into the hands
of Robert Arderne, but he must shortly after this have
sold it to John Durant, (fn. 29) on whose death in 1446 the
manor was seized (fn. 30) for a debt which he owed to the
king as one of the collectors of a subsidy. (fn. 31) In this
family it remained until 1507 when Henry Durant sold
it to William Willington, a wealthy merchant of the
staple, (fn. 32) who died seised thereof in 1555, when his
estates were divided between the representatives of his
seven daughters. (fn. 33) Barcheston manor came to Ralph
Sheldon, son of his daughter Mary (d. 1553) by
William Sheldon of Beoley (d. 1570), and in this
family it descended until early in the 19th century. (fn. 34)
By 1850 it had been acquired by John Staunton, (fn. 35) and
in 1900 one of the chief landowners in the parish was
Miss Staunton of Tidmington, (fn. 36) but the manor was
apparently extinct. Annotation 663
Sheldon. Sable a fesse between three sheldrakes argent.
Staunton. Argent two cheverons sable within a border engrailed sable.
In the Domesday Survey WILLINGTON (fn. 37) is
entered as two estates. The one, rated at 1 hide 1½
virgates, was the only holding of Gilbert de Gand
entered under Warwickshire (fn. 38) and was held of him by
Fulbric; it had formerly been held by Alward, and
there was a mill belonging to it. (fn. 39) The other was part
of the estates of Robert de Stafford, of whom it was
held by Iwein or Luuein; it was rated at 1½ hides and
had been held by Dodo and Leuric. (fn. 40)
It seems probable that Gilbert's land may be identified with the part of Willington which was a member of
the king's manor of Great (or Long) Compton (q.v.).
William de Mandeville, Earl of Essex, in 1170 when
granting Aynho (Northants.) to Roger fitz Richard in
exchange for Compton also confirmed to him 'the land
of Willington (Wlauynton) which my father Geoffrey
gave to William de Mortain, to hold by the service
which the said William was bound to render to my
father'. (fn. 41) In 1281 Long Compton had been granted
for life to Hugh de Plessy, (fn. 42) and in 1287 Robert de
Hamme (fn. 43) died seised of a messuage and a carucate of
land in Willington, held of the said Hugh, and left a
son John. (fn. 44) This John died in 1319 holding 1/7 knight's
fee of the king in Willington, apparently 60 acres under
cultivation, and also certain rents from the Prioress of
Sewardsley (Northants.). (fn. 45) His heir was his brother
Robert, (fn. 46) who in 1324 granted the manor of Willington, held in chief, to Thomas de Hamme and Maud
his wife; (fn. 47) after which time no more is known of it.
The Stafford overlordship can be traced down to the
15th century, a half-fee being held of the Earl of Stafford
in 1387 and 1403. (fn. 48) The tenancy of the half-fee is
obscure. At the beginning of the 13th century Simon
Cusin held land in Willington which after his death was
divided in 1224 between his six daughters and their
husbands: Margery wife of Richard de Shupeston,
Asceline wife of William de Bolescote, Eleanor wife of
Thomas de Tidelementon, Isabel wife of Jordan de
Breyles, Cecily wife of Walter de Wolauiton, and
Amice wife of Richard de Wlfrid' (sic). (fn. 49) Of these
Jordan is presumably the Jordan de Wullauinton who
with Isabel his wife demised land in Willington to
Hugh de Burminton in 1235, (fn. 50) and Richard de Shupeston may perhaps be the Richard de Barton who in 1242
held a fraction, apparently 1/10, of a fee of Robert de
Stafford here. (fn. 51) Adam Holeway attested a deed in
1360 as lord of Willington, (fn. 52) and Robert Holeway is
said to have held the half-fee of the Earl of Stafford at
the end of the 14th century. (fn. 53)
The manor of Willington was held between 1767
and 1771 by Thomas Snow, from 1775 to 1785 by
Ann Snow, and in 1804 by the Rev. Thomas Lambert
Snow, (fn. 54) whose eldest daughter Mary Anne brought it
in marriage to John Staunton, (fn. 55) lord of the manor of
Barcheston.
Church
The parish church of ST. MARTIN
consists of a chancel, nave, short north
aisle with the tower west of it, and a still
shorter south aisle-chapel with the porch west of it.
Although small the church is one of the more interesting in this district. Owing to the unconventional treatment of some of the alterations and enlargements, the
development of the medieval plan is somewhat complicated.
The nave and chancel date from c. 1190–1200, but
there was probably an earlier nave on the site. A north
aisle was added about 1220, with the arcade of three
bays. In the east wall of the aisle is a blocked narrow
round-headed doorway which was partly destroyed for
the arcade, indicating that there was originally some sort
of a transept or chapel. If the chancel arch was central
with the original nave the latter must have been widened
about 2½ ft., thus causing the arcade to encroach on the
earlier doorway. This widening, however, may have
occurred later when the north-west tower was built,
the arcade being then reconstructed and the aisle
widened to its present limit.
The north-east and south-west angles of the present
tower are treated in an exceptionally peculiar manner.
The reason seems to be that, in the 15th century, probably owing to weakness, the north and west walls had
to be rebuilt, and the opportunity was taken to enlarge
the floor area at the same time. To avoid disturbance
to the nave and aisle the east and south walls were retained with their original north-east and south-west
square angles, and the diagonal buttresses which the
15th-century builders thought necessary for the new
walls were placed east and north respectively of the old
square angles. The north-west diagonal buttress was
built against the angle of the new walls in the normal
manner. The upper part of the tower was entirely
rebuilt to the new size and the first-and second-floor
chambers were used as priests' chambers. Weakness
again developed in the walls and in the 16th century
another large buttress was built against the middle of
the west side, blocking earlier windows. The whole
tower still has a considerable lean to the west, and there
are cracks in the north and south walls, but there seems
to have been no recent movement.
Plan of Barcheston Church.
The south chapel was an early-16th-century addition, perhaps by William Willington (died 1555),
whose tomb occupies the most important position in
the chapel. There is an unfinished appearance about
the west end of it and doubtless it was originally intended to rebuild the south porch west of it. The
blocked upper doorway in the west wall of the chapel
indicates the intention to provide an upper story to the
porch, probably as a watcher's chamber.
The porch probably dates from the 14th century.
There was little room for the chapel and part of the
porch had to be destroyed for its west wall, which also
encroaches on the east jamb of the ancient south
doorway.
There seems to have been constant trouble either
from decay or bad foundations or both, and the east and
south walls of the chancel may have been more or less
rebuilt in the 15th century with the re-use of older
material, and its north wall was refaced (or rebuilt?) in
the 18th century. There are other repairs to windows,
&c., done in more recent restorations: all the roofs are
modern.
The chancel (about 26 ft. by 14 ft.) has an east
window of three trefoiled ogee-headed lights and trefoiled piercings in a depressed four-centred head of the
15th century with an external hood-mould and a
segmental-pointed rear-arch. The jambs and arch are
of two chamfered orders in cream-tinted stone. The
obtuse internal splays are of rubble with small dressings
of the 13th century. In the middle of the north wall is
a solitary 13th-century lancet of one chamfered order,
with very obtuse splays of rough ashlar. The south side
has two 15th-century square-headed windows, each of
two trefoiled ogee-headed lights and trefoiled piercings,
with external labels and restored segmental-pointed
rear-arches. The jambs of the eastern are of one
chamfered order, the western of two, with a later rebate
cut inside. Between them is a priests' doorway of
c. 1190–1200 of a deep yellow stone; the jambs are of
two orders with edge-rolls between hollows having plain
capitals and bases. The slightly pointed arch has similar
mouldings divided by a three-quarter hollow and it has
a plain hood-mould. The rear-arch, of square section,
is semicircular.
Below the eastern window is a moulded bracketpiscina, probably 15th-century, without a niche. In
the north wall is a half-round niche with a reset 15thcentury trefoiled head and modern jambs. It seems to
have had a triangular hood-mould.
The east wall is of coursed ashlar in small yellow
stones and has a low chamfered plinth. The south wall
is faced with fine-jointed ashlar, perhaps of the 15th
century, and has a similar chamfered plinth that steps
down to a lower level a yard from the angle. At the
west end in the angle with the south chapel is the only
chancel-buttress, and its position suggests that it is the
altered original south-east angle of the nave. The north
wall is faced with somewhat similar but lighter tinted
and more modern ashlar, probably an 18th-century
refacing. The chamfered plinth of the east wall only
just turns the angle, the remainder having only rough
footings. The 15th-century moulded string-course,
which meets the hood-mould of the east window at its
springing level, is continued as the eaves-courses to the
side walls. The wall-faces inside are of roughly coursed
rubble, once plastered. The roof is of trussed rafter
type with a panelled ceiling.
The lofty two-centred chancel arch is of two chamfered orders with medium and small voussoirs and has
differing hood-moulds on both faces, with foliage stops;
the western is of the same contour as the labels of the
15th-century south windows. The outer order is continued from the single-chamfered responds; the inner
is carried on semi-octagonal corbel-capitals. The north
capital, of c. 1200, is carved with a series of trumpetshaped flowers, the disk-tops or mouths being treated
with cinquefoil sinkings. The south capital is of 13thcentury moulded form with nail-head ornament, but is
either modern or entirely re-tooled.
The nave (about 44 ft. by 18 ft.) has an early-13thcentury north arcade of three 9-ft. bays from the east
wall. The pointed arches are of two chamfered orders
with medium and large voussoirs and are carried on
rather slender round pillars; the eastern pillar has a
fluted capital almost like the scallop ornament of the
12th century and a moulded abacus of the normal 13thcentury contour; its moulded base is octagonal in plan,
but set with the angles instead of the faces to the
cardinal points. The second pillar has an ordinary
13th-century moulded capital and base. At the responds
the inner orders are carried on half-round moulded
capitals which are supported by corbels with pointed
lower ends, the western carved with a human hand
turned up as if supporting the point in its palm. The
eastern capital has nail-head ornament. The whole
arcade is tilted slightly to the west, following the leanover of the tower. An inscription on the eastern pillar
thomas horton, rector 1631 evidently refers to
repairs, possibly a partial rebuilding, to save the arcade.
The eastern half of the east arch, the part that would
naturally suffer most by the movement, has had to be
again rebuilt in modern times. The 21-ft. stretch of wall
west of the arcade is the south side of the tower.
The early-16th-century arcade in the east half of the
south side is of two 8½-ft. bays. The pillar and responds
are of two chamfered orders continued without break
in the two-centred arches and having slightly projecting
plinths. The wall, only 1 ft. 9 in. thick, is continued
up into the clearstory so that there is a set-back outside,
from the thicker west half, in line vertically with the
west respond and west wall of the chapel: in it are two
contemporary windows each of two cinquefoiled elliptical-headed lights under a square head.
Immediately west of the arcade is the south doorway,
of c. 1190–1200, apparently in situ and similar to, but
more elaborate than, the chancel doorway. The
pointed head is of three orders moulded with rolls and
hollows and divided by three-quarter hollows and
having a hood-mould. The jambs have a detached
nook-shaft with a plain capital to carry the middle
order and edge-rolls and hollows to the inner and outer
orders. The outermost order of the west jamb has a
capital carved with a human face spouting foliage from
its mouth. This order in the east jamb is buried by the
west wall of the chapel. The other two capitals of the
east jamb and the innermost of the west jamb are
carved with a primitive form of foliage. Most of the
material is a cream-yellow stone, but the stone forming
the capital of the middle and outer orders of the west
jamb is of a dark chocolate colour and may be a later
piece of workmanship.
West of the doorway is a late-14th-century window
of two trefoiled lights and tracery in a square head with
a label. The window in the west wall is a tall and narrow
opening of the 14th century, of two trefoiled ogeeheaded lights and a quatrefoil in a two-centred head.
The lower part of the thick south wall west of the
doorway is of original, fairly wide-jointed, yellow ashlar
with diagonal tooling: the upper part and the west wall
are of later and smaller ashlar work with some re-used
original stones. The plinths have a projecting chamfered top course, and at the south-west angle is an old
diagonal buttress.
The plain parapet, of early-16th-century origin, has
been restored. It sets back over the thinner wall above
the chapel-arcade and has five pinnacles with crocketed
finials. Below the pinnacle in the east half is a spout
carved with an open-mouthed human head between
uplifted arms. The spout in the west half also has the
human arms but the head has disappeared. The east
and west gables have restored copings and crosses.
The roof is modern, in five bays with arched trusses,
but some of the stone corbels are ancient, probably
15th-century: two on the north side are carved with
human masks, another on the south side has a ram's
head. The roof is covered with stone tiles.
The north aisle (about 27½ ft. by 12 ft.) has a thick
unpierced east wall, which is probably of the c. 1190–1200 period and indicates some structure of earlier
date than the north arcade. The 11-ft. length of it
outside from the chancel wall up to a rather shallow
buttress, that is 4 ft. from the north-east angle of the
aisle, is about 3 ft. 9 in. thick. The buttress has a
chamfered plinth but the wall, which is of early squared
ashlar, has only rough footings. At a level with the top
of the buttress and a foot or two below the level of the
chancel eaves-course it sets back a few inches with a
course of weather-tabling to a thinner wall above, which
with the 4-ft. length of wall north of the buttress, is of
later ashlar. Inside, at the south end of the wall, is a
little more than half-width of an early tall roundheaded narrow archway, now blocked. The south
jamb of it was apparently destroyed for the arcade.
The north jamb shows further alteration as though
another and lower doorway was cut into it subsequently.
It is not visible outside.
The north wall is of rubble work to about 1½ yards
in height and above that is of coursed ashlar: there is
no plinth. In it are two windows, each of two squareheaded lights in a main square head and having a
transom. The internal splays of rubble and ashlar are
probably of the 13th or 14th century, but the outer
stonework, mostly grey, is of the 17th century, perhaps
1631. The western has moulded jambs and mullion;
in the eastern they are chamfered.
The roof is continued down without break from the
nave-roof.
The south chapel (about 20½ ft. by 13½ ft.) has a
restored east window of three trefoiled ogee-headed
lights and tracery in a three-centred head with a hoodmould. In the south wall are two windows, each of two
trefoiled ogee-headed lights and tracery under a square
head with an external label. The jambs and internal
splays are of the early 16th century, the remainder
restored. At the south end of the west wall is the higher
blocked square-headed doorway already mentioned.
The east and south walls are of coursed yellow ashlar
and have plinths of two chamfered courses, and plain
parapets with restored pinnacles. The middle of the
south wall has a decided camber inwards on plan. At
the south-east angle is a diagonal buttress and at the
west angle a right-angle buttress. The west wall,
inside the porch, is of rubble and obtrudes partly on the
east jamb of the nave doorway. The roof, of two bays,
is a modern low-pitched lean-to; it has two or three old
stone corbels, one of them apparently a re-used 13thcentury carved capital.
The south porch dates probably from the late 14th
century, but may have had some minor alterations, such
as the alteration of its gabled south wall and roof into a
lean-to against the chapel. The two-centred head of
the entrance is of two hollow-chamfered orders dying
on the west jamb of one order: the east jamb was
destroyed, with part of the arch, when the chapel was
built. In the west wall is a small rectangular window.
The walls are of coursed yellow ashlar without a plinth.
On the east wall (west wall of chapel) are three stone
corbels which may have supported an upper floor or
the gabled roof before it was altered.
The north-west tower (about 13 ft. east to west by
12 ft.) is of three stages marked by string-courses. The
walls are of coursed yellow ashlar and have a moulded
plinth on the north and west sides with a chamfered
lower course, and embattled parapets with returned
copings to the merlons. At the south-east angle, projecting into the nave and flush with the east wall is a
small low buttress of three stages with tabling to the
lower stages and moulding at the top, which is about
level with the apices of the nave-arcade. Its purpose is
not obvious, as it is much too small to have been any
support to the massive tower. There is also another low
shallow buttress at the old north-east angle of the tower
with its side against the north wall of the aisle. This, and
the other two outer angles have also taller diagonal buttresses of four stages: they bond into the north and west
walls and are of the same masonry. The top tablings
have mouldings on three faces, the uppermost with
battlementing. The buttresses to the north-east and
south-west are treated in a peculiar manner.
The north-east square angle is rebated on the north
face and the diagonal buttress set about 2 ft. west of it.
Just below the level of the top offset the space between
the buttress and the older square angle is bridged with
foiled arched corbelling. The 15th-century moulded
plinth stops midway in the south-east side of the buttress
instead of meeting the main wall. The south-west buttress is similarly treated, but here the moulded plinth
meets the main wall. The original south-west square
angle has only a chamfered plinth. In the middle of the
west face is a later heavy buttress, added to counteract
the westward thrust of the tower. Its plinth is a copy
of the 15th-century plinth, but the offsets are plainer
and it blocked all three west windows, one above the
other, below the bell-chamber.
On the east face the lower string-course is stepped up
twice from the north level to clear the nave-parapet,
and a short sloping chase below it from the north-east
angle is evidence of a former pent-roof, rising above the
main aisle-roof, for the blocked doorway (mentioned
below) to the lower priests'-chamber.
In the east wall of the lowest story is a 15th-century
4-ft. doorway from the north aisle, with chamfered
jambs and a four-centred head. It contains an ancient
oak door fitted with modern ribs and hung with plain
strap-hinges. The original entrance to this chamber was
presumably in one of the earlier destroyed walls. In
the west wall is a rectangular light that was blocked by
the later buttress, but more recently its south splay has
been cut back to allow of a 3-in. light south of the
buttress. This chamber has several putlog holes in the
east and west walls, 4 to 5 ft. above the floor level, for
internal scaffolding. Access to the trapdoor in the floor
above was formerly by an ancient ladder with solid oak
balks for steps. This is now preserved at the east end of
the aisle, having been replaced by a modern ladder.
This upper story was the lower of two 15th-century
priests'-chambers and was lighted by a rectangular west
window now blocked by the buttress. At the north end
of the east wall was a doorway with a pointed head and
segmental rear-arch, now blocked to form a recess. This
was doubtless the original entrance to the chamber from
a ladder or stair in the north aisle. Part of its outline can
be seen in the aisle, mostly hidden by a roof-truss. In
the north-east angle is a plain square-headed stone fireplace and in the south wall near the east end is a lockerrecess. From this chamber a vice is constructed in the
north-west angle rising to the upper stories and entered
by doorways with shouldered lintels. The upper
priests'-chamber has a window in each wall, of a single
trefoiled ogee-headed light below a segmental main
head. It is of two roll-moulded orders the inner having
small capitals at the springing level. The west window
is blocked by the buttress and the south window
altered to a doorway on to the nave gutter. The internal
splays have stone benches for lookout purposes. There
is a similar fire-place in the north-east angle, and in the
south-west angle, one in each wall, are two recesses for
lockers or other purposes.
The bell-chamber is lighted in each wall by a window
of two trefoiled ogee-headed lights and a quatrefoil in a
four-centred main head with an external hood-mould.
It also has a transom, below which the lights have trefoiled ogee heads. It is of two roll-moulded orders, like
the window below, with capitals to the jambs of the
inner order at the transom and the head. The courses
of the jambs break joint with the wall masonry and in
both these and the lower windows the roll-moulds are
13th-century material re-used with the 15th-century
heads.
The chancel has a modern altar of stone. In the
south chapel is a communion table of the 17th century
with plain turned legs and incised line ornament on the
upper rails.
The font is octagonal and of early-14th-century date.
The bowl has a moulded top edge and the sides are
panelled saltire-wise with quatrefoils and half-quatrefoils. The hollowed under-side is enriched at the angles
with human-head carvings, including a king and two
bishops, and between them are large ball-flowers. The
stem also has trefoiled panels and the moulded base is
carved with ball-flower ornament.
In the chancel are two plain 15th- or early-16thcentury benches, but the other furniture is modern.
In the south chapel is a large alabaster tomb with
effigies of William Willington, died 1 May 1555, and
his wife Anne. (fn. 56) The man is dressed in armour of the
period and has ruffs at the neck and wrists and a chain
about his shoulders: his hands are in prayer. His head
rests on his helm, which has a maiden's-head crest, and
his feet rest against a lion; his gauntlets lie by his side
and he wears a sword and anelace. The woman wears
a close Tudor cap, tight corsage and full skirt, ruffs at
neck and wrists, close pleated sleeves, and has a chain
about her neck with a pendant cross, and a girdle with
a suspended sachet-case. Over all is a long mantle held
together with points or tabs. The base has a moulded
plinth, and top edge with the inscription: 'Here lyeth
the bodyes of William Willington of Barson Esquyer
and Anne his wyeffe which Willam dyed the fyrste
daye of Maye in the yere of our Lorde God Mo ccccco lv
unto whose soules and Bodyes God graunte a joyfull
resurrection. Amen.' The east and west ends are
carved with shields of the Willington arms, a saltire
vair, in a circular riband inscribed 'In God be all my
truste'. The long sides are divided each into three bays
by twisted pilasters: the middle bays have shields, in
circular ribands, charged with the arms of Willington
impaling Middlemore of Edgbaston. The other four
bays have standing figures of daughters in much the
same costume as their mother; two in each bay except
the north-western, which has one and also three in
grave-clothes each bearing a child. Each living daughter
has a shield on her left with a charge impaling Willington, and some hold pairs of gloves or bouquets.
There are other memorials in this chapel: a grave
slab set upright against the west wall has a 13-in. brass
effigy of a priest in cope and gown of c. 1530 with the
inscription: 'Orate pro a[nim]a Hugonis Humfrey bachelarii
cujus anime propicietur deus Amen.' Another large
slab against the wall is incised with the figure of a
late-16th-century priest in a surplice and cassock and
on it a later inscription to the Reverend Thomas Taylor
1716. The original marginal inscription is nowillegible. (fn. 57)
In the floor by the east wall partly covered by the
communion table is a brass inscription to 'Flamochus
Colburn', died December 1664, aged 52, and a shield
of arms. On the west wall (fn. 58) is a wooden monument,
carved and painted to imitate stone or marble, to
William Brent, 9 June 1675. The inscription is on a
framed tablet with a shield of arms. On the south wall
is a grey stone tablet put up in 1939 to commemorate
Richard Hyckes, died 2 November 1621 and buried
here, and Francis his son, died 1630 and buried at
Sutton-under-Brailes, master weavers of Barcheston
who had charge of the Sheldon tapestry looms.
There are three bells, (1) by Matthew Bagley, 1775;
(2) dated 1720, by Richard Sanders; and the tenor by
Bartholomew Atton, 1596. (fn. 59)
The communion plate includes an Elizabethan
chalice. (fn. 60)
The registers begin in 1559.
In the churchyard is the base of a cross on two
octagonal steps. The base, which has the socket for
the shaft, was octagonal stopped out to square, but one
side of it has been recut to serve some other purpose.
There are also many old head-stones, several with
18th-century carvings. At the south entrance to the
churchyard is a modern lych-gate.
Advowson
The advowson of the church descended with the manor (see above)
until 1496, when William Durant
conveyed it, with 1 acre of land, to John and Richard
Boteler and John Harwell. (fn. 61) They were possibly acting
for Sir Robert Throckmorton, who presented in 1503,
as did his son Sir George in 1530 and the latter's son
Sir Robert in about 1571. (fn. 62) By 1606 the advowson
had become reunited with the manor in the hands of
Ralph Sheldon, (fn. 63) with whose family it remained until
at least 1763. (fn. 64) Mr. Henry Watkins Dashwood is
given as patron in 1777, (fn. 65) as is the Rev. Thomas Lambert Snow in 1822 (fn. 66) and 1831. (fn. 67) By 1850 the patronage was in the hands of the incumbent, the Rev.
George Domvile Wheeler, (fn. 68) who still held it in 1889. (fn. 69)
A. V. Renton was patron in 1900, (fn. 70) not long after
which date the advowson was conveyed to the Bishop
of Coventry, the present patron.
Charity
Richard Badger by will proved 7 December 1907 bequeathed £21,000, the income
to be applied in various proportions in
parishes in the counties of Worcester, Warwick, and
Gloucester. The share of the charity applicable for
this parish consists of one forty-second part of the income, amounting to £17 16s. 9d., to be applied by the
vicar and churchwardens towards keeping the parish
church in proper repair and maintaining divine service,
and a similar amount to be applied for the benefit of
poor residents.