LONG ITCHINGTON
Acreage: 4,869.
Population: 1911, 1,178; 1921, 1,227; 1931, 1,229.
Long Itchington is a large parish (fn. 1) and village,
adjoining Southam on the north and west. The river
Itchen follows a winding course from south to north
across the parish. The village, typical of the 'roadside'
as opposed to the 'squared' type though not perhaps
unusually noticeable for its length, (fn. 2) is on its right
(north) bank in the centre of the parish, west of the
Southam-Coventry road, at its junction with the village
street, where there is a circular pond surrounded by
well-grown poplar trees in an open green skirted by
houses. For the most part the houses are 18th- and
19th-century, built of red brick with tiled roofs, but
here and there are half-timbered cottages with red
brick infilling. A little west of the church is a rectangular late-16th-century timber-framed house with
diagonal timbering and plaster, gabled projections at
each end, and tiled roof; it has been extensively restored
and divided into two cottages.
'Tudor House' is on the west side of the main road,
with its north front to the road. The original building,
dating from the late 16th century, was a long rectangular two-story one with a stone ground floor and a
slightly projecting timber-framed upper story. In the
17th century a narrow timber-framed addition was
made, extending the whole length of the house and
finished with a series of five continuous gables. The
south front is built of sandstone ashlar and is lighted
by four two-light, square-headed windows with moulded
mullions, jambs, and heads, two on either side of a
central door. All that remains of the original doorway
is a flat head with a keystone and traces of an architrave,
the jambs being rebuilt in red brick. The upper floor
is projected on its floor joists and is lighted by seven
equally spaced three-light, square-headed windows.
The north front is symmetrical, with vertical framing,
a series of five gables with plain modern barge-boards,
a chimney-stack towards each end, and a tiled roof.
The gables project on shaped brackets and have twolight windows to the roof space in each. Directly
below each gable there are four-light windows to both
floors, except to the centre, where the window has been
replaced by a modern door. The east and west gable
ends have been practically rebuilt in red brick. The
interior has been completely modernized, but in the
addition there is a contemporary oak staircase with
turned balusters, square newels with ball finials, and
a moulded handrail.
The Warwick and Napton Canal, a branch of the
Oxford Canal system, crosses the parish from east to
west, and with the Weedon-Leamington branch of
the old L.M.S. Railway (fn. 3) has helped the development
of quarries and cement works which now occupy large
areas in the east of the parish, and whose chimneys are
prominent landmarks in the generally flat country of
eastern Warwickshire. In spite of its large extent there
is little variation in height in the parish from about
350 ft. at Long Itchington Wood in the west to about
230 ft. by the Itchen in its lower reaches. The boundaries do not seem to have changed since they were
described in 1001, (fn. 4) though the only landmarks which
have retained their names are the Itchen and Snowford
(Bridge).
A windmill and a water-mill are mentioned in 1347
and 1353 (fn. 5) and a fishery in 1305. (fn. 6) In 1775 87 yardlands, or 2,000 acres, in Long Itchington and Bascote
(a hamlet in the south-east part of the parish, formerly
a separate manor) were inclosed by Act of Parliament; (fn. 7)
154 acres had been inclosed by Edward Odingsels,
lord of the manor, and others in the early 16th
century. (fn. 8)
St. Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, was born at
Long Itchington in the early years of the 11th century. (fn. 9)
Manors
Ethelred 'The Unready' in 1001 gave
25 mansos in [LONG] ITCHINGTON
to his thegn Clofig. (fn. 10) In 1086 the manor
was in possession of Cristina, sister of Edgar Atheling,
who had received it from William the Conqueror; the
name of the immediate pre-Conquest tenant is not
recorded in Domesday Book. It was assessed at 24 hides
and contained two mills and woodland 2 furlongs in
length and one in breadth; (fn. 11) it had fluctuated widely
in value, having been worth £12 in 1066, £36 when
given to Cristina, and £20 in 1086. Cristina retired
to the nunnery of Romsey (Hants), (fn. 12) and her lands
came into possession of the Limesis. Their chief seat
was at Ulverley or Wolverley in Solihull, but it is
probable that Long Itchington, as one of the most
extensive and valuable manors in Warwickshire,
represented one of the 2 knight's fees held by Gerard
de Limesi or his son John in the later 12th century. (fn. 13)
The latter died before 1195, when Hugh Bardolf
had custody of his lands. (fn. 14) John's son Hugh dying
without issue, (fn. 15) the Limesi property was divided
between his aunts Basile, wife of Hugh de Odingsels,
and Eleanor, wife of David de Lindsey, a moiety of
Long Itchington falling to the former. The division
was formally ratified in 1213 when Hugh de Odingselsand Basile obtained livery of their half of the Limesi
estates for a payment of 500 marks over 3 years, for
which their sons Hugh and William stood surety. (fn. 16)
The elder Hugh took part in the siege of Bytham castle
(Lincs.) in 1221, and was authorized to levy scutage
on his military tenants therefor; (fn. 17) he held lands in
Itchington for a knight's fee, and for a fifth and for a
twentieth of a fee, in 1235–6. (fn. 18) His son Gerard
succeeded him four years later, (fn. 19) and in 1241–2 was
excused attendance on the king in Gascony for a
payment of £50, which he was entitled to obtain from
his tenants by scutage. (fn. 20) He died, probably in 1265,
when his son Hugh was under age, the wardship of
his heir and lands being placed with Edmund Crouchback. (fn. 21) Hugh did homage and had livery of his lands
in 1267. (fn. 22) In 1292 he purchased from John de
Pynkeny the moiety of the manor (except £12 of land
quitclaimed by John to Robert de Pynkeny in 1285 (fn. 23)
and 6 virgates which Thomas de Boltesham had for
6 years), which John had inherited through his greatgrandmother Alice, daughter of Eleanor the Lindsey
heiress. (fn. 24) John de Pynkeny was later hanged for a
felony, and in 1294 there was a dispute between Robert
de Pynkeny and Hugh de Odingsels, the latter being
in possession of the manor when it was taken into the
king's hands owing to the felony. (fn. 25) It was confirmed
to Hugh, at that time about to proceed to Gascony
in the king's service, and he died seised of it in 1305
when it included pleas of court, a windmill, and a
fishery, and was held of the king in chief. (fn. 26) His son
John was concerned in the execution of Piers Gaveston,
for which he received the king's pardon in 1313, (fn. 27) and
at his death in 1336 the assessment of the manor, which
he held jointly with his wife Emma, (fn. 28) was said to be
a third of a knight's fee. (fn. 29) Emma survived her husband
ten years; (fn. 30) their son, another John, died in Gascony
in 1352 at the age of 40, when the manor was stated
to contain a 'little park of 28 acres with deer', and
a water-as well as a windmill, and was rated as a
complete knight's fee. (fn. 31) Two years later it was committed to John's son (John III), though he was still
under age, together with the manor of Pirton (Herts.),
for 80 marks yearly; (fn. 32) he also paid 200 marks for
licence to marry at will. (fn. 33) John proved his age in
1357, (fn. 34) and in the following year he narrowly
escaped forfeiture of his lands for being concerned in
breaking into and robbing the house of William de
Shareshull at Barton Eode (Oxon.). (fn. 35) His lands and
goods were, in fact, seized into the king's hands, an
extent of Long Itchington manor showing 200 acres
of arable, of which 90 acres were sown (pointing to
a two-field economy); the windmill was worth 10s., but the
water-mill was in ruins; tenants'
rents amounted to £25. (fn. 36) 'But
after this he became of good
credit', (fn. 37) and was a commissioner
of array for Warwickshire in
1377 and 1380, (fn. 38) and justice of
the peace in 1379. (fn. 39) He died in
1380, (fn. 40) and his son John (IV)
in 1403; (fn. 41) in each case while the
heir was still a minor. Mary,
wife of John Dodyngselles IV,
possessed the manor in dower after her husband's death
and held court leet and court baron. (fn. 42) Edward son of
John IV proved his age and had livery of his lands in
1415. (fn. 43) In 1418 he was a knight and commissioner of
array, (fn. 44) and justice of the peace in 1422, 1424, and
1427. (fn. 45) In 1437 he received pardon for not appearing
before the justices (he was not on the 1433 or subsequent
commissions) regarding a debt of 40s. owed to Thomas
Burgh of Lynn. (fn. 46) The manor continued to descend
from father to son, but succeeding generations were
less distinguished, though Edward Dodyngselles, the
previous Edward's grandson, was justice of the peace
from 1502 to 1509. (fn. 47) His son Edmund died in possession of the manor in 1523, when another son Humphrey
had an annuity out of the property. (fn. 48) Edmund's
eldest son, another Edmund, settled the manor on
himself and his wife Anne in 1533; at his death in
1558 his son John, the last Odingsels owner of the
manor, was 30. (fn. 49) He 'betaking himself to extravagant
courses . . . dyed in a miserable condition . . . he became
so poor that had not one Harewood, formerly his
Tenant, taken him into his house out of pity, he had
dyed in the street'. (fn. 50) When this happened is not
recorded, but in 1566 he was vouchee and a party to
a recovery of the manor with Richard Brookes and John
Jeffreys, (fn. 51) the former having licence to alienate it the
same year. (fn. 52) After a short period with Sir John
Throckmorton (fn. 53) it came to Robert (Dudley), Earl of
Leicester, in 1571–2. (fn. 54) He gave Queen Elizabeth a
'glorious entertainment' here on her way to Kenilworth in 1575, (fn. 55) and made a settlement of the manor
and advowson of the church on Sir John Hubaud and
others in 1580. (fn. 56) He bequeathed the manor after the
death of his wife Lettice to his natural son Sir Robert
Dudley. (fn. 57) The Countess of Leicester survived till
1634, (fn. 58) and was concerned in a recovery of the manor
and manor-house with Sir Edward Blunt and others
in 1612. (fn. 59) Meanwhile Sir Robert Dudley had failed
to establish his legitimacy and gone abroad, (fn. 60) and the
manor passed to Robert Sydney, Viscount L'Isle (from
1618 Earl of Leicester), his cousin, (fn. 61) who possessed it
at his death in 1626. (fn. 62) Sir Robert Dudley's four
daughters, Lady Alice Dudley, Lady Frances Kniveton,
Lady Anne Holbourn, and Lady Katherine Leveson,
claimed possession under their grandfather's will, and
after a long Chancery suit were successful, the two
latter with Sir Richard Leveson, Lady Katherine's
husband, being vouchees in a recovery of 1656. (fn. 63)
After this the manor is found divided into quarter
parts, of which Lady Anne Holbourn took three,
having purchased Lady Alice's share for £1,000 and
taking also Lady Frances's share (she having died
without issue) as it was Lady Anne who financed the
lawsuit. (fn. 64) Lady Anne and Lady Katherine both died
without issue, the former in 1663, (fn. 65) after which her
three shares were sold by decree in Chancery to
Richard Newdigate (later 1st baronet), whose son
Sir Richard sold them about 1719 to Thomas Grey,
2nd Earl of Stamford. Henry, Lord Grey, cousin of
the latter, succeeded him and was lord in 1730 (fn. 66) and
1737. (fn. 67) Francis Page appears as lord of the manor
between 1752 and 1774; and William Grove in 1789
and his son Edward in 1795 were lords of the moiety
of the manor called Newfields Farm. (fn. 68) Between 1824
and 1861 the Earls of Aylesford were recorded as lords
of three-quarters of the manor (fn. 69) and the estate has
descended in that family. The remaining quarter had
come into possession of the Lords Leigh of Stoneleigh
by 1716, (fn. 70) and the family has continued to hold a
quarter of the manor.
Odingsels. Argent a fesse and in chief two molets gules.
In 1235–6, besides Hugh de Odingsels' three
holdings, Long Itchington contained property held of
him by Robert de Colingham, rated at half a knight's
fee, William de Say and Nicholas le Bretun (a quarter
of a fee each), also the land of Kedi rated at a twentieth
of a fee. (fn. 71) A Ralph de Colingham had held land in
Long Itchington in 1199 (fn. 72) and 1221, (fn. 73) when he called
upon David de Lindsey (a minor in ward to the king)
to warrant his right to 12 virgates, (fn. 74) but there is no
further documentary evidence of this holding, or of
those of William de Say or of Kedi. The Breton
family, however, was for a long time associated with
Long Itchington, particularly the hamlet, sometimes
described as a manor, of BASCOTE, of which the
overlordship was apparently still held by Edward
Doddyngselles at his death in 1466. (fn. 75) In 1195 Robert
Brito and Maud his wife, with Nicholas and Juliana,
paid 5 marks for the recognition of 17s. worth of land
in Sale and Bascote. (fn. 76) During the reign of John,
Nicholas Breton was confirmed in possession of 8 yardlands in Bascote and Long Itchington by David de
Lindsey, descendant of Eleanor one of the Limesi
heiresses, for a quarter of a knight's fee. (fn. 77) In 1313
Guy son of Peter le Bretun granted some of his possessions, including a mill, in Bascote, Long Itchington
and elsewhere, and the reversion of lands held in dower
by Simon de Mancetter and Mary his wife (presumably
widow of Guy's father) to Peter de Lymesy and Alice
his wife, (fn. 77a) and in the following year made a settlement
of others on himself, his wife Joan, and Maud widow of
Thomas de Grey. (fn. 78) In 1352–3 Thomas, Guy's son,
also made a settlement of his estates, including those in
Bascote and Itchington; (fn. 79) shortly before his death
(c. 1360) he made over his estates to William Breton
in trust for his son, to prevent the latter becoming the
ward of the king, who had the custody of the Odingsels
heir at the time. (fn. 80) After 1332, when Peter de Limesy
granted part of his estate in Bascote to William Gaipin
and Alice his wife, (fn. 81) the Limesy portion of Bascote
followed the descent of the manor of Arley (q.v.) till
1402, when Sir Ralph Rochford granted the manor of
Bascote to Thomas Seyvill, (fn. 82) who held it of Sir John
Dodyngselles in 1404 (fn. 83) and was in possession in 1415. (fn. 84)
His trustees conveyed it (c. 1420) to Thomas Molesley, (fn. 85)
who in 1441 placed it in trust for the benefit of the
town of Walsall, and died in 1451 (fn. 86) John Lyle, son
of William Lyle one of the original trustees, tried to
appropriate the property to his own use, but suffered
a recovery in 1514 in favour of fresh trustees, Richard
Hurst and John Forde. (fn. 87) Part of the proceeds of the
estate were devoted to the celebration of mass for the
souls of Thomas Molesley and his wife Margaret, so
that it ranked as one of the chantries suppressed in
1546, when the value was £7 10s. 9d. (fn. 88) It remained
in crown hands, though rented by Walsall for charitable
purposes, till 1586, when it was granted at the petition
of Sir James Croft, Comptroller of the Queen's Household, to new trustees, Francis Craddock and Michael
Shawe. (fn. 89) In 1730 the manor produced about £100
annually for Walsall corporation, of which £22 or £23
was applied to charity. (fn. 90) The corporation disposed of
the property in three lots by auction in 1918, the
purchasers being Mr. W. C. Spencer, of Aston,
Birmingham, Messrs. Kaye & Co. Ltd., of the Cement
Works, Long Itchington, and Mrs. Louisa Alice
Turner, of Bascote House, the manorial rights (then
14s. 6d. annual rents) going to the last named. (fn. 91)
In 1202 land in STONEYTHORPE, though not
yet considered a separate manor, was held by military
tenure; it was then settled between Thomas and
Norman Sanson that 3 hides and I virgate, for which
the former demanded a pound of cummin and the
service of a quarter-fee while the latter acknowledged
the pound of cummin only, should be rated at one
pound of cummin and a fifth of a knight's fee. (fn. 92) In
1308 Robert Sampson and Margery his wife made a
settlement of the manor of Stoneythorpe with Robert
son of Robert le Shirreue of Southam, (fn. 93) and in 1311
they sold it to William de Bereford and Margaret his
wife. (fn. 94) In another fine of the same year between these
parties the manor is called that of THORPE SAMPSON. (fn. 95) Edmund de Bereford made a settlement of
the manor in 1347; (fn. 96) at his death (1354) his second
son John succeeded. (fn. 97) The manor was not held in
chief, and in the inquisition following on John's death
in 1356 was stated to be held of the Odingsels. (fn. 98) Eve,
John's widow, was assigned dower from Stoneythorpe
and other Bereford manors in the following year. (fn. 99)
Sir Baldwin de Bereford, John's brother, to whom the
manor ultimately passed by the settlement of 1347,
conveyed it in 1388 to John Bray of Stretton-onDunsmore, Hugh Dalby and William Allesley, (fn. 1) and
the next year the two former released their rights in
the manor to Allesley. (fn. 2) The last-named granted it in
1393 to Thomas le Hore of Elmdon and Margaret
his wife; (fn. 3) Thomas was descended from Joan, Edmund
de Bereford's sister. (fn. 4) In 1403–4 William Hore,
probably Thomas's son, (fn. 5) held the manor of Stoneythorpe of Sir John de Dodyngselles, (fn. 6) and in 1407 John
Hore of Childerley (Cambs.) and Joan his wife, Sir
Baldwin St. George and Sir Philip Seintcler (descended
respectively from Agnes and Alice, Edmund de Bereford's other sisters) passed their rights in the manor to
William, John Hore of Solihull, and John Hilton. (fn. 7)
A life-tenancy in the manor had been granted by John
Hulton, John Hore, Hugh Dalby, and others to Robert
Wyllenhale and Juliana his wife in 1401. (fn. 8) The manor
continued in possession of the Hore family till the death
of John in 1506, when it was held of the Odingsels at
a quarter of a knight's fee. (fn. 9) Elizabeth, one of his
daughters, died in 1509 (before the inquisition on her
father's estate), and Amy, the other daughter, in 1517,
when the heir was her aunt Joan wife of Nicholas
Hanslap, then aged 30. (fn. 10) The Hanslaps, a Northamptonshire family, held the manor in unbroken male
line for over a hundred years; Thomas Hanslappe
was dealing with it in 1565, (fn. 11) another Thomas with
Elizabeth (Chaplin) his wife in 1592, (fn. 12) and a third
Thomas with his wife Anne and John Hanslap his son
in 1622. (fn. 13) At the death of Thomas III the manor,
held of the Earl of Leicester, was in the several occupations of himself, Richard Wagstaff of Harbury, (fn. 14) Robert
Hanslappe, and Robert Batt. (fn. 15) Further transactions
took place between John Hanslap, the third Thomas's
son, and others in 1626 and 1642, (fn. 16) and in 1655 he,
his wife Ann and others conveyed the manor to
Ambrose Holbeach of Mollington (Oxon.), a noted
lawyer of the time. (fn. 17) The son of the latter, another
Ambrose, with Sara (Harvey) his wife, sold the manor
to John Chamberlayne, citizen of London in 1671, (fn. 18)
from whom it passed to his brother Francis (1679). (fn. 19)
Francis Chamberlayne, son of the previous Francis,
was lord in 1730; (fn. 20) he died without issue (fn. 21) but the
manor remained with the family, Staynes Chamberlayne being vouchee in a recovery of 1820. (fn. 22) Stoneythorpe Hall is still the seat of this
family, in whom any remaining
manorial rights are presumably
vested. The Hall itself, which
was rebuilt in the 17th century,
has been completely modernized.
Hore. Sable three cinquefoils argent pierced gules.
Hanslap. Argent two bars gules over all a cross crosslet fitchy azure.
Chamberlayne. Gules a scutcheon argent within an orle of molets or.
About the end of the 11th
century Ralph de Limesi endowed his newly founded priory
of Hertford with a carucate of
land and two parts of his tithes
in Long Itchington; his son Alan
gave the church to the priory,
and his grandson Gerard further land known as
Grascroft. (fn. 23) The value of this property is not separately
set out in the Valor, (fn. 24) but it was extensive enough to
be reckoned as a manor and was granted in 1538 to
Anthony Denny and Joan Champernowne his future
wife. (fn. 25) Six years later, as a result of exchange of
property, it passed to George Dacres. (fn. 26) In 1556 he
and his wife Elizabeth conveyed lands and certain
tithes from the demesnes of the manor in Bascote and
Stoneythorpe to the then tenants, Thomas Bosworth (fn. 27)
and William Fyrley (fn. 28) —the latter's holding apparently
representing land formerly held by St. Mary's College,
Warwick. (fn. 29) The remainder of his manor Dacres had
leave to alienate to William Gent and William Fyrley. (fn. 30)
Gent seems to have acquired Fyrley's rights, as
in 1562 he settled the manor, held of the queen in
chief, on his second son William in tail male, with
contingent remainders to his eldest son Richard or his
four daughters. (fn. 31) He died in 1564 (fn. 32) and in the followyear his son William Gent had licence to alienate the
manor of Long Itchington called BOSWORTH'S
FARM and certain tithes. (fn. 33) A similar licence was
issued to him in 1567 to alienate to Thomas Fisher of
London, draper, and Anthony Ludford. (fn. 34) After this
no more is heard of this manor, except that a rent of
£13 6s. 8d. from the manor of Bosworth's Farm and
certain tithes, presumably the fee farm rent reserved
to the Crown, was conveyed by Henry Roper and
Joyce his wife (the eldest sister of William Gent) (fn. 35) to
Robert Harolde, with warranty against the heirs of
William Gent, in 1584, (fn. 36) and by Robert Knightley (fn. 37)
and others to Robert Beale and John Powell in 1667. (fn. 38)
It was no doubt owing to the division of the Limesi
property between the Lindseys and the Odingsels that
the advowson of Long Itchington church became
halved, one part being confirmed to Hertford Priory
by Gerard de Lindsey in 1242 (fn. 39) and the other passing
from William de Odingsels, who had it of the gift of
David de Lindsey, Gerard's brother, to Gerard de
Odingsels in 1258. (fn. 40) In 1320 the advowson with
4 acres of land was granted by John de Odyngseles to
Hugh de Meryngton of Coventry (fn. 41) who seven years
later held it in chief of the king by one thousandth part
of a knight's fee. (fn. 42) His son John obtained licence in
1328 to alienate this land and the advowson to William
de Clinton for charitable purposes, (fn. 43) and in the following year he was pardoned for acquiring further lands in
Long Itchington in fee simple from Thomas de Bocton,
tenant-in-chief, and entering without licence, being
allowed to retain these lands. (fn. 44) The portion alienated
to William de Clinton, with 8 messuages, 6 yardlands,
and 20s. of rent, was used by him to form part of the
endowment of his college of chantry priests at Maxstoke
in 1332–3, (fn. 45) later converted into an Augustinian
priory to which the church was licensed to be appropriated in 1336. (fn. 46) John (Deyville), the first prior,
granted some of the Itchington land to Richard de
Hastang and Margaret his wife in 1338, (fn. 47) and two
years later brought an assize of novel disseisin against
William Corbet and Emma his wife and Sir John de
Odingsels for dispossession of a free tenement and acre
of land in Long Itchington. The Corbets were ordered
to pay £10 damages but Sir John de Odingsels was
acquitted. (fn. 48) In 1344 William de Clinton, now Earl
of Huntingdon, received pardon for making a further
grant of 3 messuages and 4 virgates to Maxstoke
Priory without licence. (fn. 49) Geoffrey, vicar of Fillongley,
gave 5 acres in 1383. (fn. 50)
The value of the appropriated rectory in 1535 was
£16 13s. 4d. and of other Maxstoke property in Long
Itchington £7 4s. 9d.; (fn. 51) in 1538 they were granted to
Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, (fn. 52) who the same
year sold them to Robert Trappes, a London goldsmith, who passed them to his son Nicholas. At
Nicholas's death in 1544 they were reckoned as a manor
held of the king in chief; (fn. 53) he left two infant daughters
as coheiresses, of whom Mary, the younger, married
Lord Giles Paulet, third son of the Marquess of
Winchester. (fn. 54) The manor may have been resumed by
Robert Trappes, who survived till 1560, (fn. 55) but the
next documentary evidence is in 1579–80, when
William Byrde received licence to alienate it. (fn. 56) Fines
were levied between Byrde and the prospective grantees
Robert and Philip Mastall (fn. 57) and Edward Byrde (fn. 58) in
the same year. In 1615 this manor came into the
possession of James Enyon, senior and junior, (fn. 59) who
were dealing with it four years later. (fn. 60) The younger
James died in 1632; his father had settled the manor
on Hannibal and James Horsey of Hunningham (his
son-in-law and grandson) but the agreed rent was
not paid, so that the Enyons resumed possession. (fn. 61)
In 1637 James (later Sir James) Enyon, son of the
younger James mentioned above, and his wife Jane
(Newton) passed their interest in the rectory manor to
Sir William Browne, Henry Browne, and Thomas
Browne. (fn. 62) Later it was in the hands of a branch of the
Throckmorton family, Sir William Throckmorton and
Elizabeth his wife dealing with it in 1665 (fn. 63) and Elizabeth, as a widow, and Sir Clement Fisher in 1693. (fn. 64)
It seems later to have followed the descent of the manor
of Grandborough (q.v.), being connected with that
manor in fines of 1769 (fn. 65) and 1789. (fn. 66)
Thomas de Boltesham, probably the Thomas who
held a 6-year tenancy of 6 virgates in Long Itchington
in 1292, (fn. 67) died in 1305 in possession of 7 messuages and
7 virgates in villeinage, held of the king in chief by one
tenth of a knight's fee, (fn. 68) and £10 in rents. (fn. 69) His
grandson and heir, then aged 12, was the Thomas de
Bocton from whom land was obtained by John de
Merynton in 1329, (fn. 70) and it was presumably he who,
as Thomas de Boltesham, sold other land here to Sir
William de Clinton in 1333. (fn. 71)
Church
The church of the HOLY TRINITY
is on the west side of the SouthamCoventry road, in a small churchyard at
the western end of the village. It consists of a chancel,
nave, south aisle, west tower, north porch, and a vestry.
The oldest part of the building is the south aisle, dating
from early in the 13th century; the chancel, nave, and
tower were built early in the 14th century, a clearstory
was added to the nave in the 15th century and at the
same time the nave arcade was rebuilt; the porch and
vestry are modern. The church was restored in 1928.
It is built of small roughly coursed limestone rubble
with occasional squared blocks of red sandstone and
red sandstone dressings.
The chancel has a steep-pitched tiled roof, a plinth
of one splay, and a moulded string-course at the sill
level of the windows. On the east there is a large
tracery window with a pointed arch of two splays,
hood-mould, and five ogee-headed lights; the tracery
and mullions are all modern. The south side is divided
into three bays by buttresses with gabled heads, the
centre bay having a pointed doorway with a hoodmould and head-stops, the arch mouldings being continued down the jambs. Each bay has a window with
pointed arches of two splayed orders and three lights,
the centre window has uncusped lights, the others
cinquefoil. The north side is similar, but has a modern
vestry built against it which encloses the door to the
chancel; it is built of squared limestone with a steeppitched tiled roof, is lighted by pointed trefoil
windows with hood-moulds, and has an entrance with
a pointed arch on the west side.
The south aisle roof is of steep pitch with modern
copings and finials to the gables and at each end wide
modern buttresses have been added. In the east wall
there is a 14th-century window of three lights, similar
to those in the chancel, but of one splay. The south
side retains the coved string-course, with one gargoyle
of the earlier low-pitched roof below the present eaves
gutter; there is a similar cove to the nave, which also had
a low-pitched roof, both contemporary with the clearstory. There are three windows; that to the east is
similar to the one in the east wall, but of two lights, the
others are lancets having hood-moulds with head-stops.
The south door is between the lancets and has a semicircular arch of two moulded orders, the inner continued to the ground and the outer supported on
attached shafts with foliated capitals; no bases are
visible. The west end has a lancet window and above
is the line of the earlier low-pitched roof. The north
wall of the nave has been strengthened by a modern
buttress in two stages at the west end and is partly
built over the original one. To the east is a window of
three lights with a segmental-pointed arch of two
orders, the inner moulded, the outer a splay, the
mullions being carried up to the arch without heads;
it has a hood-mould with return ends. West of the
window there is a buttress which terminates at the
level of the original wall-head. Between the buttress
and the porch is a modern pointed window with two
trefoil lights. The porch is modern, with a tiled roof
and a pointed entrance of two moulded orders supported on detached shafts with floriated capitals and
moulded bases. The doorway has a richly moulded
pointed arch, hood-mould with head-stops, and the
mouldings continued down the jambs to splayed stops.
West of the porch there is a window similar to the one
to the east but with a pointed arch and two hollowsplayed orders. The clearstory has three windows on
the north and south, placed towards the centre of the
nave, each of two ogee trefoil lights of two hollow
splays, with square heads and hood-moulds with
returned ends.
Plan Of Long Itchington Church
The tower, which is not divided into stages, has a
plinth of one wide splay, diagonal buttresses on the
west in four stages, terminating at the string-course of
an embattled parapet with the bases of broken pinnacles at the angles, central gargoyles on each face, and
crowned by the base of a destroyed octagonal spire.
Both the buttresses to the east wall have had later
buttresses added to their lower stages. The west face
has a pointed tracery window of two splayed orders,
the outer a deep one, two pointed trefoil lights, and a
hood-mould with head-stops. Immediately above the
apex of the window arch is a red sandstone band of
sunk quatrefoils, which is carried round the north and
east sides but omitted from the south, and a band of
red sandstone at the sill level of the belfry windows.
The belfry windows on all four faces have pointedsegmental arches, and two trefoil lights with transoms.
The ringing-chamber has loop-lights on the north,
west, and east, the one on the east now looking into
the nave; on the north side there is a clock face.
The chancel (47 ft. 10 in. by 21 ft. 7 in.) has
plastered walls, modern open king-post roof, and stone
paving, with two steps to the altar. On the east wall
there are stone brackets, one on each side of the window,
one carved, the other a plain splay. The window has a
moulded, segmental-pointed rear-arch, and hood-mould
with head-stops. The altar table, which dates from early
in the 17th century, has four massive turned and carved
legs, carved framing, and table top with a gadroon edge;
behind it is a modern stone reredos. The south wall
has a beak-moulded string-course at sill level, and the
doorway a segmental rear-arch; the three windows
have chamfered pointed rear-arches and hood-moulds
with head-stops, and splayed reveals. Near the east
wall there is a double piscina and sedilia under one
hood formed by the string-course carried down at each
end and finished with head-stops. The piscina has
pointed moulded trefoil heads supported on a mullion
with moulded capital and base under a pointed arch
pierced with a trefoil. The three sedilia seats have
pointed cinquefoil heads, pierced spandrels, crocketed
gables with floriated finials, trefoil panels and headstops, supported on moulded shafts having floriated
capitals and moulded bases. On the north side the
string-course is continued and the windows follow
those on the south side. To the east there is an Easter
sepulchre with a trefoil pointed arch, its mouldings
continued down the jambs; crocketed gable, floriated
finials, and head-stops. Springing from the head-stops
are plain pilasters with crocketed pinnacles and floriated
finials. The doorway, now leading to the vestry, has,
for no obvious reason, been reversed; it has a moulded
pointed arch, the mouldings dying out on plain splayed
jambs, and a hood-mould with head-stops. Above the
doorway there is a monument with columns supporting an entablature with a semicircular pediment containing a square incised brass to John Bosworth, died
1674. At the top in the centre is the figure of a man
kneeling in prayer with the initials J. B., to the left a
woman and the name Ellinor, to the right a woman
with the name Isabel. Below is an inscription recording
his bequest of lands to provide 12 twopenny loaves
every Sunday for poor inhabitants, and £10 yearly for
a schoolmaster to teach the sons and daughters of the
poor. (fn. 72)
The nave (57 ft. by 22 ft. 7 in.) has a modern tiled
floor and a modern hammer-beam roof supported on
15th-century carved head corbels. The walls are
plastered, except those below the sill level of the clearstory windows above the arcade. The original arcade
was of four bays and in the 15th-century rebuilding
the west bay was blocked and the walls reduced in
thickness, leaving a springer and part of an arch in
position against the west wall. At the eastern end part
of the thicker arcade wall is visible below the corbel
of the later arcade. The present arcade has three bays
of pointed arches of two splayed orders, the inner splay
hollow, supported on octagonal pillars with moulded
capitals and bases on square pedestals with chamfered
corners, at the east end on a corbel with paterae in
a hollow moulding resting on a carved head; at the
west end on a respond of half a pillar. There are
paterae on the outer splay just above the capitals and
at the apex of the arches. The clearstory windows on
both sides of the nave have chamfered segmental reararches over wide-splayed jambs and sills. On the
north the windows and the doorway have segmentalpointed rear-arches. The tower arch is pointed, of two
splayed orders, the inner dying out on the wall, the
outer continued to the floor on the nave side, and on
the tower side both die out on the walls. Above the
arch is a loop-light to the ringing-chamber and the
band of quatrefoils continued from outside, level with
the apex of the arch. There is a wide pointed arch of
three moulded orders to the chancel, supported on
three half-round shafts with moulded capitals and bases
standing on dwarf walls 4 ft. high; on the chancel side
the outer order stops on grotesque beasts crouching on
the capitals. On the south side of the arch there is a
squint with a trefoil head. A carved and traceried oak
screen of 15th-century date, with double doors, has
been cut and made up with modern work to fit the
arch. Its mullions have been replaced with slender
turned balusters, probably in the 17th century. The
pulpit, placed on the north side of the chancel arch, is
a large modern one of stone and coloured marble;
and the font, which stands at the west end of the
nave, is also modern, with a plain octagonal basin on
a coloured marble shaft with a moulded capital and
base.
The south aisle (58 ft. 2 in. by 14 ft. 8 in.) has a
modern open pitched roof, supported on earlier carved
head corbels on the south wall and modern moulded
corbels on the arcade. The window in the east wall
has a semicircular rear-arch of one splay, hood-mould
with head-stops, and wide-splayed reveals. The
remaining windows have segmental-pointed arches over
square jambs. At the east end of the south wall there
is a piscina with a pointed trefoil head, the projecting
quatrefoil basin and hood-mould have been cut away.
In the south wall are two tomb recesses with pointed
arches of two orders, the inner a trefoil of one splay
supported on short shafts with moulded capitals
and bases, the moulded outer order continues to
the floor at the ends and the arches mitre in the
centre.
The tower (9 ft. 4 in. by 9 ft. 4 in.) has a modern
tiled floor. In the centre of the north and south walls,
about 5 ft. above the floor, there are incised crosses,
partly concealed by a matchboarded dado. The west
window has a segmental-pointed rear-arch, splayed
jambs and sill. The ringing-chamber and belfry floors
are supported on continuous projecting splayed strings
instead of the more usual corbels or offsets.
The plate consists of a silver flagon inscribed:
'Francis and Thermuthis Fauquier (fn. 73) of Stoneythorpe
1795', a silver chalice and cover 1587, and a paten
1761.
There are two bells by Hugh Watts, 1623 and 1636,
and two others by Henry Bagley, 1649 and 1670. (fn. 74)
The registers of baptisms and burials begin in 1653,
those of marriages in 1713. (fn. 75)
Advowson
The history of the advowson to
1336, when it was granted by William
de Clinton to Maxstoke Priory, (fn. 76) has
already been traced with the descent of the lands of
that priory in Long Itchington. It seems to have been
retained by Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, to
whom these lands were granted in the first instance,
for the first post-Reformation presentation (1569) was
made by his widow and her second husband, Richard
Bertie. (fn. 77) Another presentation was made by the Crown
the following year, (fn. 78) after which it descended with the
main manor (q.v.) through the Earls of Leicester, Lady
Anne Holbourne, and the Lords Leigh. Sir Roger
Newdigate made three presentations in 1743, 1759,
and 1783, (fn. 79) but early in the 19th century it was again
being dealt with by representatives of the Leigh family. (fn. 80)
The other half was held by the Newdigate family (fn. 81)
until their share was acquired by William Adcock Ellis
about 1895, when his son W. E. Ellis was presented
to the living; (fn. 82) this share was held in 1915 by the
executors of W. A. Ellis; (fn. 83) and in 1926 the patrons
were Lord Leigh, the Bishop of Coventry, and the
Rev. R. Ellis in turn. (fn. 84) Since 1935 the patronage has
been with the Bishop of Coventry solely. (fn. 85)
The value of the church in 1291 was £22, (fn. 86) and in
1535 the rectory was worth £16 13s. 4d. and the
vicarage £7 1s. 6d. in addition to 8s. for procurations
and synodals. (fn. 87) An increase of £15 in the stipend of the
minister was approved in 1657–8 by the Protector's
Council. (fn. 88)
Charities
Richard Cleaver. Upon a benefaction table in the church at Long
Itchington it is recorded that Richard
Cleaver, who died on 6 January 1745, gave by his will
to the minister, churchwardens, and overseers of the
poor of this parish £20, the interest to be distributed
(either in bread or money) on every St. Thomas's day
to the poor of the parish.
Elizabeth Cleaver, who died in 1757, gave likewise
by her will £20, the interest to be similarly distributed.
Ann George, who died in 1782, gave by her will
£20, the interest to be distributed on St. Thomas's Day
to the poor widows of this parish.
Joane Goode and John Goode. In the Returns
under Gilbert's Act (26 Geo. III), it is stated that
Joane Good and John Goode, at what period is not
mentioned, gave for bread to the poor of this parish £40.
Mary Grimes, who died on 3 January 1826, gave
£50, the interest to be distributed on Good Friday to
poor parishioners.
Alice Pratt, who died on 24 July 1832, by her will
gave £30, the interest to be paid in money on St.
Thomas's Day yearly amongst 15 poor widows of this
parish.
The annual income of the above-mentioned charities
amounts to £4 6s. 2d.
John Bosworth, by will dated 16 October 1674,
charged certain property with the annual payment of
the sum of £5 4s. to be bestowed in bread to the poor
inhabitants dwelling in the town of Long Itchington,
so as there should be twelve twopenny loaves of wheaten
bread placed on the communion table of Long Itchington every Sabbath day yearly, to be distributed after
morning service to twelve of the poor inhabitants by
the churchwardens and overseers of the poor. The rentcharge was redeemed in 1917 in consideration of a sum
of £208 Consols, producing an annual income of £5 4s.
The Long Itchington Women's Blanket and Clothing
Charity. By a Declaration of Trust dated 28 July 1888
a sum of £150 was settled upon trust, the income to
be expended by the vicar and churchwardens of Long
Itchington in the purchase of blankets and warm
clothing to be distributed annually (upon St. Thomas's
Day or as near thereto as conveniently might be)
amongst poor deserving women residing in the parish,
with a preference to those who should have given some
proof of provident habits.
The annual income of the charity amounts to
£3 15s. 4d.
Sarah Chamberlayne. In the result of proceedings
a scheme for the application of the charitable annuities
and the funds comprised in the residuary charitable
gift contained in the will of Sarah Chamberlayne, dated
13 January 1858, was settled and approved by the
Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice on
22 December 1894. By the scheme a body of trustees
was appointed to administer the income, and it was
provided that, subject to certain payments and events,
the income be applied (a) in the payment to five poor
widows or unmarried women not under the age of
50 years, or poor aged men or crippled, blind, or deaf
and dumb males or females belonging to this parish,
of the monthly sum of not exceeding £1 each; (b) in
the payment to one of the said five poor women or
other person, resident in the parish, the monthly sum
of 15s. to lodge, board, and take care of one poor child
who shall have lost both his parents, or who shall be
blind, or crippled, or infirm, whether in body or mind,
to be named by the trustees.
By a scheme of the Charity Commissioners dated
3 November 1916 it was provided that the maximum
sum payable as mentioned in (a) above be increased
from £1 to £1 1s. 8d.; and by another scheme of the
said Commissioners dated 12 April 1927 it was provided that if and so far as the trustees are unable to
apply the sum of £9 as provided in (b) above, they
may apply the same or any part thereof in such manner
as they consider most advantageous for the benefit of
any poor child or children possessing the required
qualifications.