STRETTON-ON-FOSSE
Acreage: 2,082.
Population: 1911, 286; 1921, 265; 1931, 282.
This small parish in the extreme south of the county
derives its name from the Roman Fosse Way, which
passes through it from south-west to north-east. The
village lies just to the west of the Fosse Way; and a mile
to the south-east of the church, in a bend of the Paddle
Brook (fn. 1) which forms the southern boundary of the
parish, is the site of the chapel of St. Giles at Ditchford
Frary, a decayed medieval parish which was united to
Stretton in 1642. (fn. 2) A road running westwards from
Shipston-on-Stour to Evesham crosses the Fosse Way
at Portobello Farm. The parish is also traversed from
south to north by a branch of the Great Western Railway from Moreton-in-the-Marsh to Shipston-on-Stour
(used only for goods traffic), which originated in a
tramway between Moreton and Stratford constructed
about 1825.
Under an Act of 1771 (fn. 3) some 1,550 acres, including
45 yardlands in the common fields, were inclosed.
At the Rectory south-east of the church, built into a
porch, are some trefoiled heads of lights of a 15th-century window from the former church. The Rectory is
a late-16th-century building but has been much altered
and enlarged. The west part has mullioned windows
with labels, and a reconstructed staircase inside has some
refixed pierced and shaped flat balusters; one is a foot
wide. The east part has an inscription with initials
h and m h 1690. In the grounds is part of the octagonal
shaft of a medieval tall cross.
The small village, ¼ mile west of the Fosse Way, is of
the common local type congregated about several loop
roads. Most of the houses stand south and south-west
of the church and are of local stone, ashlar or rubble.
Several have thatched roofs, others have stone tiles. A
fair proportion are probably of the 17th century or
earlier and at least six retain one or more of the original
mullioned windows with labels. A large house south of
the church is mainly of the 18th century but has a wing
of this type. Another L-shaped house at the junction
of cross-roads on the west side of the village also has
an arched doorway. The Manor House south of it, a
modern building on a new site, is of the same design:
the old manor house is said to have been farther west.
Another house at this crossing, with altered windows,
&c., has an inscribed tablet with the initials r & i.p.
and date 1698.
Manors
STRETTON was held in two parts in
1086; the larger, 6 hides, which had been
held by Chenward and Brictric, was held
in chief of the king by Gilbert son of Turold, and of
him by Walter. (fn. 4) The other part, 2 hides, had also been
held by Brictric and was then
held by Walter of Osbern son of
Richard. (fn. 5) In some way, Gilbert's
estate came to Ralph de Toeny,
who was holding half a knight's
fee here in 1235. (fn. 6) The overlordship continued in his family (fn. 7)
until the death of Roger de
Toeny in 1308, when it passed
by the marriage of his sister
Alice to Guy de Beauchamp,
Earl of Warwick, subsequently
descending with the Warwick estates and so coming to
the Crown.
Toeny. Argent a sleeve gules.
In 1242 the half-fee was held of Ralph de Toeny by
'the heir of William le Breton'. (fn. 8) This may have been
Alan le Breton who in 1233 proved his right to the
advowson of the church of Stretton, which had belonged to his uncle Ralph le Breton. (fn. 9) In 1297 Master
William Pikerel died, having previously enfeoffed his
nephew Walter in a messuage and 5 virgates of land in
Stretton-on-Fosse. (fn. 10) Walter Pikerel and Agnes his wife
in 1316 granted the advowson and the reversion of
3 carucates here to John de Leycestre, clerk, (fn. 11) who
seems to have been succeeded by Walter de Leycestre,
clerk, about 1340. (fn. 12) By 1344, however, the estate had
come into the hands of Sir Roger Hillary, who had a
grant of free warren in his demesne lands, (fn. 13) which he
held of the Earl of Warwick as ¼ knight's fee. (fn. 14) His
son Sir Roger died in 1400, seised of what is now
definitely called the manor of Stretton-on-Fosse, in
which his widow Margaret had a life interest with
remainder to Sir John Rochford, (fn. 15) son of Saer de
Rochford and Joan, the elder of Sir Roger's two sisters
and co-heirs. (fn. 16) The other sister, Elizabeth, married
William de la Plaunch and had a daughter Elizabeth, who married, as her third husband, Sir John de
Clinton and died without issue in 1423. (fn. 17) Her interest
in the manor was conveyed to Joan, eldest of the three
daughters of Sir John Rochford, and Sir Robert Roos,
her husband. (fn. 18) Their elder daughter Margaret married
first Thomas Pinchbeck and secondly John Wittlebury. (fn. 19) Their son Robert Wittlebury died in 1507,
leaving his Stretton estate to his wife Anne (sister of
William Catesby) for life, after which it should be sold
for the executing of his will. (fn. 20) The following year
Anne, with Robert's co-executors, confirmed her husband's undertaking to sell the manor and advowson to
Elizabeth (Empson), widow of Anne's nephew George
Catesby. (fn. 21) Apparently, however, the sale was not completed, as in 1511 Anne and her second husband, Sir
Richard Clement, were dealing with the manor. (fn. 22) She
died in 1528, and Sir Richard in 1538, (fn. 23) when the
manor seems to have been divided between Anne,
daughter of Sir Richard's brother John and wife of
Hugh Pakenham, (fn. 24) and her sister Margaret. (fn. 25) Anne's
son Robert Pakenham in 1550 sold ¼ of the manor and
a moiety of the advowson to Robert Gybbs, (fn. 26) whose
son Richard died seised thereof in 1580, leaving a son
Robert then aged 5. (fn. 27) This estate continued in the
family until it was acquired by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who bought 293 acres from John Gibbs in
1862, and 84 acres from the representatives of William
Gibbs in 1872. (fn. 28)
The share of Margaret Clement, called ¼ of the
manor (fn. 29) and advowson, seems to have been sold to
Robert Barley and by him in 1552 to Thomas Fowler,
who sold it in 1570 to William Sheldon of Beoley. (fn. 30)
This was still in the hands of the Sheldons in 1730. (fn. 31)
The estate in Stretton held in 1086 by Osbern son
of Richard is said to have been granted by his grandson
Osbert to Hugh Hubaud, and by him to Walter
Cumin, to hold by service of providing a foot soldier
for 8 days against the Welsh at Richard's Castle when
required. (fn. 32) Walter's son Walter gave 3 hides here to
the Abbey of Bordesley, (fn. 33) who acquired other property
in the parish, (fn. 34) so that in 1275 the monks had 4 hides
here. (fn. 35) In 1291 their estate was valued at £8 13s. 4d.; (fn. 36)
and in 1535 the abbey's manor or grange of Strettonon-Fosse was worth £7 7s. 8d., from which a payment
of 10s. was due to John Hubaud, lord of Ipsley, and
his heirs. (fn. 37) In 1538 the Abbot of Bordesley surrendered
this manor, among the other possessions of his house, to
Henry VIII. (fn. 38) The king granted it to Thomas Badger
and others in June 1545, (fn. 39) at the same time licensing
them to alienate it to William Freeman of Barcheston. (fn. 40)
He died in 1556 seised of the site of the manor, his heir
being his grandson John Freeman, aged 13. (fn. 41) John had
livery of the site of the manor on coming of age in
1565, (fn. 42) and next year had licence to alienate it. (fn. 43)
Most of the land seems to have been sold to Richard
Bate of Little Wolford, presumably son of the Richard
who was tenant and bailiff of the estate under the
abbey; (fn. 44) but the manorial rights apparently descended
to Margaret, heir of John Freeman, who married
William Hughes of Quinton, (fn. 45) as their son John
Hughes was lord of the manor between 1762 and 1786,
when he died, leaving his estate to be sold by his
cousin John Ashcombe of Evesham, (fn. 46) and it is probable that the manorial rights, if any really existed,
lapsed.
DITCHFORD FRARY was held in 1086 by Robert
de Stafford, and of him by Brion; it was assessed at
2 hides, and had formerly been held by Leuric. (fn. 47) The
overlordship descended in the Stafford family, (fn. 48) being
last mentioned in 1509, when the
manor was held of Edward, Duke
of Buckingham, as of his manor of
Great Wolford. (fn. 49) Brion, apparently the ancestor of the family
of Standon, (fn. 50) had been succeeded
by 1166 by Robert son of Ralph,
who held of Robert de Stafford
7 fees, of which 2/3 fee was held by
Roger de Dicheford. (fn. 51) In 1185
Adam de Standon was impleading
Roger for ½ knight's fee in Ditchford. (fn. 52) Adam died between 1194
and 1199, and his son Robert was
dead by 1208, leaving an heir under age. (fn. 53) This heir
was presumably Vivian de Standon, against whom
Hervey de Stafford brought a suit in 1230. (fn. 54) Hervey
claimed that Vivian should render service of a knight's
fee for his 2 hides in Ditchford, but in 1232 the service
was fixed at half a fee. (fn. 55) Vivian still held the mesne
lordship in 1242, (fn. 56) and on his death in 1250 (fn. 57) was
succeeded by his son Robert. (fn. 58) A later Vivian was said
to be mesne lord in 1372, (fn. 59) and in 1386, (fn. 60) and even as
late as 1460 the fee was theoretically held of 'the heirs
of Vivian de Staundon'; (fn. 61) but probably these statements are misleading references based on old feodaries
and the mesne lordship lapsed on the death of Vivian
de Standon in 1324, (fn. 62) when he left two daughters,
who carried the estates to the families of Boydell and
Shotesbroke. (fn. 63)
Standon. Quarterly argent and gules fretty or a bend azure.
As already stated, the tenant of the fee in 1166 was
Roger de Dicheford, and he or a namesake held it
in 1185. (fn. 64) In 1238 Fraric de Dicheford, from whom
the vill derived its distinguishing suffix, was holding
the manor from Vivian de Standon by knight service
and a render of 4s. yearly. (fn. 65) The manor descended to
John de Dicheford, who presented to the church in
1295 and 1305; (fn. 66) after whose death it was divided
between his four daughters: Joan wife of John de
Brayles, Margery wife of William de Burle, Ellen wife
of Henry Wattes, and Agnes wife of Richard Sloley. (fn. 67)
John and Joan in 1331 acquired the shares of Ellen and
Margery, including the reversions of lands held in
dower by Elizabeth widow of John de Dicheford and
by Maud widow of Roger de Dicheford. (fn. 68) John de
Brayles left a daughter Agnes, who was mother of John
father of William father of Thomas father of Thomas
Shuckburgh. The latter Thomas in 1492 started litigation over the manor with Thomas Agar, or Agard,
which was still being carried on by their respective
grandsons Thomas Shuckburgh and Stephen Agard in
1534. (fn. 69) Thomas Agar's claim was in right of his wife
Margaret daughter of Geoffrey St. Germain (attainted
1485), (fn. 70) whose mother Joan was daughter of Eleanor
Allesley. (fn. 71) This Eleanor, wife of Geoffrey de Allesley,
was daughter and coheir of Henry Sutton and Margaret his wife, (fn. 72) who had acquired certain rights in the
manor from Thomas Blythe. The latter is said to have
inherited this estate on the death of Maud, alleged to
have been daughter of John and sister of Thomas de
Dicheford, (fn. 73) but it seems more probable that Maud
was daughter of Agnes, the fourth daughter of John de
Dicheford. Thomas Agard died in 1509, having
settled the manor of Ditchford Frary on his son George
on his marriage with Elizabeth daughter of Richard
Middlemore. (fn. 74) George died in 1522 seised of the
manor, which passed to his son Stephen, then aged 9, (fn. 75)
who between 1543 (fn. 76) and 1547 (fn. 77) sold the manor and
advowson to William Willington. Meanwhile, in
1538, Thomas Shuckburgh had also sold the manor
and advowson to William Willington, (fn. 78) who thus
united the rival manors. From William Willington,
who died seised of the manor of Ditchford Frary alias
Agars Ditchford in 1557, it
passed to Basil Feilding, who
had married Godith, one of his
seven daughters. (fn. 79) Basil died
early in 1585, (fn. 80) and his grandson Basil Feilding in 1624 sold
the manor to Edward Sheldon, (fn. 81)
in whose family it descended
until 1786, when it was sold
by Edward Sheldon to MajorGeneral Henry Watson Powell. (fn. 82)
It is said to have been bought
from Poyntz Steward Ward in
1826 by Sir George Philips, (fn. 83) whose son Sir George
Richard Philips held the estate in 1850, (fn. 84) but the
manorial rights seem to have lapsed.
Sheldon. Sable a fesse between three sheldrakes argent.
In 1358 John de Burmyngton and Elizabeth his wife
granted ¼ of ¾ of the manor of Ditchford Frary (apparently held in her right) to William de Peyto and his
son John. (fn. 85) In 1372 the Stafford fee of Ditchford was
held by William de Peyto, (fn. 86) and in 1386 Sir John de
Peito presented to the church of Ditchford; but by
1391 Henry Sutton was presenting. (fn. 87) Elizabeth was
probably the widow (and most likely second wife) of
John de Dicheford and had in fact conveyed only her
life interest.
Church
The parish church of ST. PETER,
rebuilt (fn. 88) and enlarged in 1841, consists of
a chancel with a south vestry, nave (50 ft.
long), and a west porch and bell-turret. No ancient
architectural features remain.
The small chancel has a traceried east window of four
lights; the nave, divided by buttresses into four bays, has
a two-light window in each bay in the north and south
walls. The entrance is at the west end from a porch
that is flanked by a small north chamber and a south
staircase to a gallery. Over the porch is an octagonal
bell-turret lighted by windows in gables, the whole
crowned by a small stone spire. The walls are of ashlar,
the roofs covered with slates.
On the west wall of the small north-west chamber is
a plain black oval tablet to Edward Gibbs 1699 and
Elizabeth his widow 1713. All the fittings and furniture are modern.
The registers begin in 1538.
Advowsons
The church of Stretton-on-Fosse
was originally a chapel of Blockley in
Worcestershire, (fn. 89) and although in
1351 the inhabitants petitioned Bishop Thoresby for
the right to bury their dead, on the ground that the
mother church of Blockley was distant and difficult of
access in the winter, (fn. 90) they seem not to have been successful, as in 1441 they were still carrying their dead to
Blockley. (fn. 91) In 1291 it was called a chapel and was
valued at £2 6s. 8d. (fn. 92)
About the end of the 12th century Ralph le Breton
presented to the church of Stretton; one Robert le
Chivaler (fn. 93) challenged his right and presented another
clerk, but a compromise was effected. In 1233, however, Alan le Breton, nephew of Ralph, claimed and
recovered the advowson against Simon de Elmedune and Julian his wife, granddaughter of Robert. (fn. 94)
Again in 1302 rival clerks were presented, one by
Walter Pikerel and the other by some unnamed
claimant. (fn. 95) Pikerel seems to have established his right,
and the advowson then descended with the main
manor (fn. 96) until the death of Sir Richard Clement. His
first wife, Anne Wittlebury, had died 10 years before
him, but he seems to have left a widow, who as Anne
Grey, widow, late wife of Sir Richard Clement, presented in 1549. (fn. 97) She died in 1558 (fn. 98) and the advowson
passed with that portion of the manor which came to
the Sheldons. As they were Roman Catholics the actual
presentations were made by their nominees, one of
these for some years after 1570 being Richard Hyckes,
the manager of Sheldon's tapestry works at Barcheston. (fn. 99)
By 1744 the advowson was in the hands of Henry
Hawes (fn. 100) of Princes Risborough (Bucks.), whose son the
Rev. Wright Hawes (fn. 101) left two daughters: Elizabeth, the
elder, married the Rev. William Longford, rector of
Stretton; Mary, the younger, married the Rev. George
Huddlestone Purefoy Jervoise. (fn. 102) They made a joint
presentation in 1770, (fn. 103) and as late as 1831 the advowson
was still said to be divided between the two coheirs of
Wright Hawes. (fn. 104) But after the death of Mrs. Longford
her share seems to have come to her sister's son George
Purefoy Jervoise, who died childless in 1847 and left
his estates to his niece Sarah Anne, who married
Thomas Fitzgerald. Mrs. Fitzgerald was patron in
1850 (fn. 105) and remained so until her death in 1899, when
she was succeeded by her grandson. He changed his
name in 1899 from Fitzgerald to Purefoy and, as
Admiral Richard Purefoy, was patron in 1937. (fn. 106)
The church of St. Giles of Ditchford was a chapel
of the church of Wolford, and in 1439 an agreement
was made between the Warden and Fellows of Merton
College, Oxford, to which Wolford church was appropriated, and Geoffrey Allesley and Eleanor his wife,
patrons of the chapel, by which the incumbent of the
chapel should in future receive all tithes and oblations,
paying 2s. yearly on 19 July to the College. (fn. 107) The
advowson descended with the manor until 1642, at
which time the church was ruinous and there was only
one house in the parish, so the rectory was united with
that of Stretton-on-Fosse. (fn. 108)
Charities
Richard Badger's Charity. This
parish receives 1/42nd of the income of
this charity, amounting to £17 16s. 9d.
annually, representing the church share, and a like
amount representing the poor's share. The church
share is applied by the rector and churchwardens towards keeping the parish church in proper repair and
maintaining divine service, and the poor's share is
applied for the deserving poor of the parish.
Poor's Land. By deed dated 16 October, James I it
was recited that certain trustees stood seised of one
messuage and half a yardland at Stretton, in trust for
the tenants and inhabitants of Stretton to such good
and charitable uses as the said tenants and inhabitants
should think convenient. The endowment now
consists of land at Stretton-on-Fosse containing 14
acres and is let at an annual rent. By a Scheme of the
Charity Commissioners dated 31 July 1868 the rector
and churchwardens for the time being were appointed
trustees, and the scheme directs the income to be applied
for the benefit of the most deserving poor and necessitous inhabitants of the parish, by providing them with
clothes, bedding, fuel, medical, and other aid in sickness, food, or other articles in kind, &c.