LUDGERSHALL with KINGSWOOD
Lotegarsar, Lotegarser (xi cent.); Lotegarsale,
Lutgarshale, Luttegareshale (xiv cent.); Lurgesall,
Lutgersall (xvi cent.); Ludgershall (xviii cent.).
This parish covers an area of 2,732 acres, of which
2,347 acres are permanent grass and 199 acres arable. (fn. 1)
The land rises from about 200 ft. above the ordnance
datum in the north to an average of 300 ft. in the
south of the parish. The soil is loam and clay, the
subsoil clay. Two brooks, rising in Muswell Hill,
across the Oxfordshire border, water the north-west
of the parish. Akeman Street passes through the
north of Ludgershall, forming part of the boundary.
The low-lying village, which is situated in the
south-east of the parish, is irregular. The cottages,
of which several are of 17th-century origin, are
scattered along either side of the so-called High
Street, which leads to a large village green. The
Wesleyan chapel built here in 1844 is now disused, a
new brick chapel having been opened in the High
Street in 1904. To the north and east of the village
are numerous outlying farms. Close to it, on the
south-west, is a station called Brill and Ludgershall, on
the Birmingham section of the Great Western railway.
The church stands at the south end of the village, at
the junction of three main roads; to the north of it is
the school, and the rectory grounds are separated by
the road from the west end of the churchyard. The
house was rebuilt in brick at the end of the 18th
century. (fn. 2) There is no manor-house, but there is
evidence that the capital messuage in Ludgershall was
habitable at the end of the 16th century. (fn. 3) South-west
of the church is a small moated (fn. 4) site with which the
traditional name of King Lud's Hall (fn. 5) was still connected at the end of the 18th century. (fn. 6)
Bury Court, from which a portion of the tithes
were payable to Bermondsey Priory (see advowson),
stood on the north-east of the church in the middle
19th century, by which date it had been divided into
small tenements. It was then in the hands of an
Oxfordshire family named Coles, (fn. 7) and stood on a
small estate owned by John Harris in 1777. (fn. 8)
The Five Bells and White Hart Inns in the High
Street are 17th-century buildings of timber and brick;
on the ground floor of the latter is a large open fireplace. On the Piddington road are several cottages
and farm-houses of the same date, the most noteworthy
of which is Home Farm, a building of half-timber
with modern brick repairs and refacings, two stories
in height with an attic. Originally T-shaped on
plan, with the tail of the T projecting from the north
side, a small wing was added at the south-west of
the southern limb of the plan in the 18th century, as
recorded by the date 1738 on a dormer window, and
modern additions have also been made to the central
wing. Some original doors remain on the first floor.
Tetchwick (Tochingewick, xi cent.; Togwick, xiii
cent.; Touchewyk, xiv cent.) is a hamlet 1¼ miles
north-east from Ludgershall, containing three farms.
On the one known as Tetchwick Farm there is an
irregular quadrangular moat. (fn. 9) The house is a late
17th-century building of stone.
Kingswood is another hamlet, covering 261 acres, (fn. 10)
and extending into the neighbouring parish of Grendon
Underwood. It lies about three-quarters of a mile
further to the north-east from Tetchwick. One of
the two farms within its borders, Mercers' Farm,
was owned for nearly two centuries before 1829 by
the Mercers' Company of London. Kingswood
Lane Farm is a two-storied 17th-century house, much
altered during the last two centuries. Kingswood,
formerly forest land, is traditionally connected with
Fair Rosamund, and in an old map of part of Bernwood Forest a lane between the woods appears as
'Rosiman's Waye.' (fn. 11) Kingswood is included as Crown
property in the royalty of Brill.
Sharp's Hill Farm, in the extreme north-east of
the parish of Ludgershall, probably derives its name
from John Sharp, who paid £1 in tithes in 1659. (fn. 12)
During the 19th century it was occupied by members
of the Holt family, whose representatives are still
living in Tetchwick. (fn. 13)
John Wycliffe was rector of Ludgershall from
1368 (fn. 14) to 1374, when he was presented to Lutterworth (Leics.). (fn. 15)
Ludgershall was inclosed by Act of Parliament in
1777, but there is no mention of Tetchwick or
Kingswood. (fn. 16)
Among place-names in Ludgershall proper there are
found Coston, the Portway, Brutine, Dylingsham (fn. 17)
(xiii cent.); Hallehulle, (fn. 18) la Wecche, (fn. 19) la Breche (a
wood which John de Moleyns was licensed in 1339
to impark with 100 acres of land adjoining) (fn. 20) (xiv
cent.); pastures called Shippbridge and Tittersall (fn. 21)
(xvi cent.); Wellfield (fn. 22) (xvii cent.); Room of the
Rush Piece, Illoem Piece (fn. 23) (xviii cent.); and Lady
Brown's Yard, (fn. 24) Gallows Lane and Bridge (fn. 25) and
Dove House Field (fn. 26) (xix cent.).
Manors
LUDGERSHALL MANOR, which
before the Conquest had been held of
Queen Edith by Eddeva, in 1086 was
held by the Bishop of Coutances. (fn. 27) The overlordship afterwards appertained to the honour of Gloucester. (fn. 28)
Ludgershall Manor had not been subinfeudated by
the Bishop of Coutances in 1086, (fn. 29) but before 1190 (fn. 30)
it was held by the de Traillys
of Yelden in Bedfordshire as
part of their barony. (fn. 31) It was
evidently included in the four
fees held by Walter de Trailly
of the honour of Gloucester
in the early 13th century. (fn. 32)
Waleran Tyes was holding
later in this century, (fn. 33) apparently as husband of Walter's
widow Sybil de Huntingfield,
who on her death in 1251
held it in dower. (fn. 34) It reverted
to Walter's grandson John de
Trailly, (fn. 35) who was succeeded
in 1272 by his son Walter. (fn. 36) He was holding (fn. 37)
Ludgershall in 1284, and shortly afterwards enfeoffed
William de Louth, afterwards Bishop of Ely, and his
heirs, subject to a payment of £40 yearly during
William's life. (fn. 38) William de Louth died seised about
1298, when his heirs were William, afterwards Sir
William, Touchet, his nephew, and Isabel wife of
Roger de Morteyn, (fn. 39) his sister, who surrendered her
right to William Touchet. (fn. 40) He recovered seisin in
1301 against John, son and heir of Walter de
Trailly, who, attaining his majority, had disseised
him on the ground that the manor had only been
leased to William de Louth. (fn. 41) After retaining it at
least seven years (fn. 42) Sir William Touchet granted
Ludgershall Manor to the elder Sir Hugh le
Despencer, (fn. 43) who before 1316 (fn. 44) had transferred it to
John de Handlo for life. (fn. 45) Walter son of John de
Trailly unsuccessfully claimed the manor against John
de Handlo in 1327–39. (fn. 46) In the meantime the
reversion forfeited by Hugh le Despencer was granted
by the Crown to John de Moleyns in 1335. (fn. 47) After
the death of John de Handlo in 1346 (fn. 48) Ludgershall Manor reverted to John
de Moleyns, (fn. 49) and it descended in his family with
their manor in Stoke Poges (fn. 50)
(q.v.) until 1537, when
George Earl of Huntingdon
and his son Sir Francis Hastings conveyed Ludgershall
with Chearsley (q.v.) to Sir
John Baldwin, lord of Danvers
in Marlow. This manor then
descended with Danvers (fn. 51)
(q.v.), and later also with
Little Marlow (q.v.) to Sir
John Borlase Warren, bart., (fn. 52)
who sold it in 1784 to Mrs. Martyn, widow of John
Martyn, formerly professor of botany at Cambridge. (fn. 53)
She was buried at Ludgershall in 1786, and was succeeded by her only son, the Rev. Claudius Martyn, (fn. 54)
who had shortly before become rector of the parish
on his mother's presentation. (fn. 55) Ludgershall Manor
descended in his family (fn. 56) to his great-granddaughter
Miss Martyn, (fn. 57) the owner in 1911. Shortly afterwards she sold all her house property in Ludgershall
to various purchasers, retaining only the village green,
which now belongs to Lady Mary Jane Skrine.
Trailly. Or a cross between four martlets gules.
De Moleyns. Sable a chief or charged with three lozenges gules.
In the mid-13th century John de Trailly held
view of frankpledge in Ludgershall, (fn. 58) but apparently
without due warrant. In 1338 this right was granted
to John de Moleyns with the assize of bread and
ale. (fn. 59) A grant of the return of writs and other
regalities was made to John de Moleyns in 1337. (fn. 60)
The manorial court was held every three weeks in
the middle 15th century, (fn. 61) and a reference to it
occurs in 1725. (fn. 62) In the mid-19th century courts
leet and baron had not been held in Ludgershall for
many years. (fn. 63) Free warren in this manor was granted
in 1318 to Hugh le Despencer, John de Handlo and
Hugh's heirs, (fn. 64) and in 1337 to John de Moleyns. (fn. 65)
A windmill is mentioned in the middle of the
15th century. (fn. 66)
A second manor of LUDGERSHALL evidently
emerged later from the Domesday royal manor of Brill
(q.v.). Overlordship rights in Ludgershall were appurtenant to Brill Manor, (fn. 67) and are still traceable in the
mid-16th century. (fn. 68)
The capital messuage of this manor in the wood of
Brill appears to have been retained by Henry II after
his grant to the brethren of the Holy Trinity, St. Inglevert (see below). In the 13th century this capital
messuage was held by the lords of the principal manor
of Ludgershall (fn. 69) (q.v.).
Three hides of land and 10 acres of wood in his
manor of Ludgershall had been granted by Henry II
to the brethren of the Holy Trinity, St. Inglevert
(Santingfeld), near Wissant in Picardy, before 1156. (fn. 70)
A hospital subordinate to that of Farley in Luton,
Bedfordshire, was apparently built on this land, three
oaks from the forest of Brill being granted by the
king in 1236 to the master for the repair of his
houses which had been burnt. (fn. 71) In 1238 Walter,
son of Romanus of Ludgershall, increased the endowment, (fn. 72) and the royal grants were inspected and confirmed in 1285. (fn. 73) During the later war with France
John de Felmersham obtained a life grant of the
St. Inglevert lands from Edward III, (fn. 74) but after an
inquiry in 1347 the master was reinstated. (fn. 75) In
1348 Richard de Cotyngham was sent to Ludgershall
Hospital for maintenance during his life. (fn. 76) The
estate of the hospital in Ludgershall, (fn. 77) called in the
16th and 17th centuries LUDGERSHALL MANOR,
was after the Dissolution granted in fee in 1547 to
Sir Thomas Palmer, (fn. 78) and after his attainder in 1554
to George Rotherham, (fn. 79) son of the George Rotherham (fn. 80) to whom in 1521 George Caron, then master of
St. Inglevert, had granted a ninety years' lease. (fn. 81) On
the death of the grantee in 1593 Ludgershall Manor
passed by settlement to his second wife Anne for
life. (fn. 82) In 1595 their son Isaac Rotherham sold the
reversion to William, afterwards Sir William, Borlase
and his wife Mary, (fn. 83) who in 1596 obtained a release
from Isaac's half-brother George Rotherham. (fn. 84) Sir
William Borlase died seised in 1629, (fn. 85) and this manor
became merged into the principal manor of Ludgershall (q.v.).
The hamlet of TETCHWICK, formerly held by
Alwin, one of King Edward's thegns, was in 1086
assessed as a manor at 2 hides, and included under
the lands of William Peverel. (fn. 86) The overlordship
was afterwards attached to the honour of Peverel, but
no reference to it has been found after the mid-13th
century. (fn. 87) .
Tetchwick had been subinfeudated to a tenant
named Payn before 1086. (fn. 88) It was given to the
Knights Hospitallers by William Peverel, son of the
Domesday holder, probably with Hogshaw Manor
(q.v.), of which manor it was held, (fn. 89) and confirmed
to them by King John in 1199. (fn. 90)
Henry of Chequers (de Scaccario) was tenant
under the Knights Hospitallers of I hide of land
in Tetchwick (fn. 91) before 1222, when he received ten
oaks from the king for rebuilding and repairs. (fn. 92)
The heirs of his son Ralph (fn. 93) held the whole of
Tetchwick in fee in 1254. (fn. 94) One of these, Ralph's
daughter Katherine, married William Hawtrey (de
Alta Ripa, Haut-rive), (fn. 95) and in 1286–7 a moiety of
a messuage and lands in Tetchwick was conveyed to
them by their son William, (fn. 96) probably the William
Hawtrey who was holding Tetchwick in 1302. (fn. 97)
His son Thomas succeeded before 1346, (fn. 98) and from his
second son Nicholas (fn. 99) Tetchwick descended through
three generations to Thomas Hawtrey, (fn. 100) who held
before 1490. (fn. 101) He died in 1522, having settled this
manor on the marriage of his son Thomas with
Sybil daughter and co-heir of Richard Hampden of
Great Kimble. (fn. 102) Thomas Hawtrey, the son, died in
1544 (fn. 103) and was succeeded by his grandson William,
son of another Thomas Hawtrey, who had predeceased
his father. (fn. 104) He transferred Tetchwick Manor in
1589 to his son William, afterwards Sir William
Hawtrey, kt., and his wife Winifred. (fn. 105) She survived
her husband, who died in 1591, leaving as co-heirs
his daughters Mary, Bridget and Anne. (fn. 106)
Hawtrey. Azure a fesse indented argent.
Jenkinson. Azure a fesse wavy argent with two stars or in the chief and a cross formy gules on the fesse.
Bridget afterwards married Sir Henry Croke, and
they sold her portion in 1615 to Robert Jenkinson, (fn. 107)
who died seised in 1618. (fn. 108) His son and heir Robert (fn. 109)
was knighted and died in 1645. (fn. 110) His son Robert,
created a baronet in 1661, (fn. 111) was succeeded in 1677
by his son Sir Robert Jenkinson, bart., (fn. 112) ancestor of
the Earls of Liverpool. (fn. 113) He sold his Tetchwick
estate about 1703 to Edward Mitchell, (fn. 114) and it passed
in succession to his sons John and Stafford, to Stafford's
son Edward and to the latter's uncle Walter Mitchell. (fn. 115)
John Hollier, who afterwards purchased this property
and owned manorial rights in Tetchwick at the end
of the 18th century, (fn. 116) sold it to Thomas Bett. (fn. 117) His
nephew John Bett succeeded in 1819, and was owner
in the mid-19th century. (fn. 118)
Sir William Hawtrey's youngest daughter and coheir Anne carried her third of Tetchwick Manor in
marriage to John Saunders, and it descended with
their moiety of Fleet Marston (q.v.) to their daughter
Elizabeth and her husband Sir Walter Pye in 1631. (fn. 119)
The share of the eldest daughter Mary, wife of Sir
Francis Wolley, who died without issue, (fn. 120) appears to
have reverted to them before 1639, when their estate
in Tetchwick is described as a moiety of the manor. (fn. 121)
They owned this moiety at Elizabeth's death in 1640, (fn. 122)
but it was evidently sold after 1647, when there were
difficulties about the restoration of Sir Walter Pye's
estates, which had been confiscated for delinquency. (fn. 123)
John Irons was owning in Tetchwick later in the
century. (fn. 124) His property appears to have been transferred before 1697 to John Deacle, (fn. 125) who owned
a farm here at his death in 1723, Thomas Holton
being lessee. (fn. 126) He was dispossessed with difficulty in
1727 by the succeeding owner, William Deacle. (fn. 127)
This property had presumably been purchased before
1777 by George Grenville, (fn. 128) and has since descended
with other land which he afterwards bought in
Ludgershall (fn. 129) with Stowe (q.v.) to Algernon, fifth
Earl Temple of Stowe, the present owner.
Two hides of land in Ludgershall, previously held
by Alvric, King Edward's chamberlain, were held in
1086 as a manor by William son of Manne. (fn. 130) It
was held of Brill Manor. (fn. 131)
This estate having reverted to the Crown, Henry I
granted it to Gerard de Cauz subject to the serjeanty
of keeping one of the king's hawks. (fn. 132) It descended
in the Cauz family and in that of the Lords Grey de
Wilton with the manors of Water Eaton and Bletchley (fn. 133)
(q.v.). View of frankpledge was appurtenant to the
manor. (fn. 134)
The hamlet of Kingswood corresponds to that part
of the forest of Bernwood which extended into
Ludgershall and Grendon Underwood and in which
the inhabitants of the former parish had agistment
rights in 1373. (fn. 135) These they claimed in 1577, when
they petitioned the Crown against the inclosure of
Kingswood by Sir John Dynham, as from time
immemorable. (fn. 136)
Some coppices in Kingswood called Carwell Hill,
Staple (or Stample Hill) and Copywell Hill were held
by Sir John Fortescue at his death in 1607. (fn. 137) These,
with others, were sold in 1613 by Peter Fyge of
Winslow and his wife Elizabeth to Richard More
and Timothy Wagstaff. (fn. 138) Richard More's estate,
afterwards the Mercers' Farm, was sold by him to
George Garth, and later, in 1639, by William
Honeywood and others to the Mercers' Company of
London. (fn. 139) They exchanged it for other property
about 1829 with Richard, first Duke of Buckingham
and Chandos. (fn. 140) It has since descended with his estate
at Stowe (q.v.) to Earl Temple of Stowe.
Timothy Wagstaff's estate is now represented by
Kingswood Lane Farm. It had been purchased
by the Borlases before 1659, (fn. 141) and has presumably
since (fn. 142) descended with the principal manor of
Ludgershall (q.v.).
Church
The church of THE ASSUMPTION
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN consists
of a chancel measuring internally 26 ft.
6 in. by 18 ft., organ chamber, nave 42 ft. by 15 ft.,
north aisle 7 ft. wide, south aisle 5 ft. 6 in. wide, south
porch, and a west tower 9 ft. by 8 ft. 6 in.
A church apparently existed here in the 13th
century, consisting of a chancel and nave. The chancel
was rebuilt early in the 14th century, while the nave was
lengthened and the aisles thrown out about fifty years
later. Early in the 15th century the tower, which
encroaches upon the west bay of the nave, was erected,
and in the following century the south porch was added.
In 1889 the organ chamber on the north side of the
chancel was built and the church restored. With the
exception of the rubble walls of the chancel and porch
the whole exterior is rough-casted; the roofs of the
nave, aisles and porch are covered with lead, but that
of the chancel is tiled.
The chancel is lighted from the east by a modern
window of three lights with tracery in a pointed
head, and from the north and south by two 15thcentury windows on each side with tracery in depressed
heads, those on the north being of two lights and those
on the south of three. Between the windows on the
north side is a modern opening to the organ chamber.
The priest's doorway on the south, which is pointed and
continuously moulded, is of the 15th century, but the
label on the outside appears to be of the 13th century,
reset. The piscina, in the usual position, is of the
14th century and has a square head, the jambs being
ornamented with four-leaved flowers. The openings
of squints from the aisles may be seen at the west ends
of the side walls. The roof is of the 15th-century
hammer-beam type. In the floor on the north side
are some mediaeval tiles. The chancel arch is low
and wide and dates from the 14th century. It is
pointed and of two orders, the inner order springing
from engaged shafts and the outer being continuous.
The 14th-century arcades which separate the nave
from the aisles are each of four bays with pointed
arches of two orders springing from octagonal columns
and responds. The capital of the second column on
each side has peculiarly bold carving representing the
busts of men wearing capes with liripipe hoods; the
capital of the third column on the north side has a
dog-tooth pattern on the abacus, while that of the
corresponding column on the south has carved heads.
The other columns have bell capitals without carving,
that of the first column on the south having been
recut in the 15th century. The roof of the nave is
of flat pitch and dates from the 16th century. At
the rafter feet are angels with shields.
The north and south aisles are each lighted from
the side by three square-headed windows with uncusped lights, dating from the 16th century. The
easternmost windows are of two lights and the middle
of three lights. The westernmost window of the
north aisle is of two lights and the corresponding
window of the south aisle is a single light. The east
window of the south aisle is also a single light of the
same period, but that of the north aisle is a 14thcentury window of three trefoiled lights with tracery
in a pointed head. In its upper lights are some fragments of contemporary coloured glass, comprising a
Majesty. At the east end of the south wall is a 15thcentury piscina with a flat head and quatrefoil bowl.
The north doorway is now blocked; both it and the
south doorway are pointed and of the 14th century.
The south porch has a parvise reached by a vice on
the west side, which is entered by a pointed doorway
in the south aisle. The parvise is lighted by a single
light on the south side. The entrance arch to the
porch is pointed. Over the east gable is a small and
much-restored 15th-century bellcote for a sanctus bell,
with a finial and pinnacles.
The tower is of two stages and is crowned by an
embattled parapet. There is a vice at the southwest, and the tower is strengthened by square buttresses at each angle, which finish at the top of the
first stage. The ground stage opens to the body of
the church by three 15th-century pointed arches,
each of three orders. The west window was apparently
the west window of the 14th-century lengthened nave.
It is pointed and has three lights under a traceried
head. The upper stage is lighted from the north
and south by pointed two-light windows with pierced
spandrels.
The font is of the late 12th century and has a
circular bowl enriched with foliage of the acanthus
type. In the tower is a plain mediaeval chest.
In the chancel is a table tomb with brasses commemorating Anne wife of Michael (Mihill) English,
Sheriff of London, who died in 1565, aged ninetyfive; Anne (English), wife of John Gyfford, and her
daughter Anne Neele. There are mural monuments
to the Spiers family.
There is a ring of five bells: the treble is without
date or inscription, but is perhaps by Richard Keene;
the second is by Messrs. Taylor, 1892, and replaces
a bell by Richard Keene, 1658; the third is by
Thomas Lester of London, 1745; the fourth by
Richard Keene, 1658; and the tenor, by Messrs.
Taylor, 1892, replaces a bell by Richard Keene, 1662.
The plate, consisting of a chalice and two patens,
was presented in 1853.
The registers begin in 1538.
Advowson
The rectory church of Ludgershall appertained to the Knights
Hospitallers before the middle 13th
century. (fn. 143) It was valued in 1291 at £6 13s. 4d.
yearly, (fn. 144) and in 1535 at £18 4s. yearly. (fn. 145) The
advowson remained with the Knights Hospitallers (fn. 146)
certainly until 1511 (fn. 147) and apparently until the Dissolution. (fn. 148) It was granted in 1554 as parcel of the
possessions of Henry late Duke of Suffolk to John
Petty and William Winlove. (fn. 149) Later it came into
the possession of Thomas Rede, who sold it in 1581
to Henry Poole. (fn. 150) He died in 1593, and his son
Henry, then a minor, (fn. 151) obtained freedom of his
inheritance in 1606. (fn. 152) In the same year he with his
wife Dorothy and Robert and Cecily Ruffyn conveyed the advowson of Ludgershall to Sir William
Borlase, (fn. 153) lord of the principal manor of Ludgershall.
It descended with this manor (fn. 154) (q.v.), from which it
was alienated on the death of the Rev. Thomas
Martyn, in 1869, (fn. 155) to Messrs. Philip Rose (afterwards
Sir Philip Rose, bart.) and H. E. Norton. (fn. 156) After
a few years they transferred it to Lady Anna GoreLangton, (fn. 157) who died in 1879. (fn. 158) The advowson of
Ludgershall has since belonged to her third son, the
Hon. Edward Grenville Gore-Langton. (fn. 159)
In 1588 William Knight, then rector of Ludgershall, leased the rectory for ninety-nine years to the
queen, who immediately transferred her interest in it
to Christopher Freeman. (fn. 160) In 1606 John Dynham
conveyed it to George Woodward and John Freston,
to hold for seventy-six years at a peppercorn rent. (fn. 161)
The remainder of the lease was afterwards purchased
by Sir John Borlase, bart., probably in the later 17th
century. (fn. 162)
The tithe on inclosures in Ludgershall is stated in
1517 to have declined from £6 8s. 4d. to 40s.
yearly. (fn. 163) An allotment, now represented by the
300 acres of glebe, was made to the rector in lieu
of tithes at the inclosure of the parish in 1777. (fn. 164) .
Two-thirds of the tithes of Ludgershall, afterwards
known as a portion of the Bury Tithes, (fn. 165) were
granted by Geoffrey de Trailly in 1190 to Bermondsey Priory. (fn. 166) This portion, estimated at £1
yearly in 1291, (fn. 167) was retained by the priory until the
Dissolution. (fn. 168) It was granted in 1553 to Thomas
Reve and George Cotton, (fn. 169) but later was included in
the grant in 1581 to Henry Poole of the advowson
(q.v.), with which it descended until the early 18th
century, when the tithes on Bury lands appear to
have been commuted. (fn. 170)
In 1548 1 acre of land, worth 2d. yearly, maintained a light in Ludgershall. (fn. 171) It was probably half of this land, called the Rood-land, which in
1553 was granted to Sir Edmund Bray, John
Thornton and John Danby. (fn. 172)
Charities
John Hart, by will proved in the
P.C.C. 15 May 1665, devised (inter
alia) a yearly charge of £3 issuing out
of the manor of Easington, Oxfordshire, for apprenticing a poor boy. In 1809 William Spiers, by deed,
charged land in this parish known as Brown Yards with
an annuity of £8. These charities are administered
under a scheme of the Charity Commissioners of
14 July 1908. The annuity of John Hart's charity
(less land tax) is applied in apprenticing as occasion
requires, and five-eighths of the income of William
Spiers' charity is applicable in providing coats for old
men and three-eights in gowns for old women.
Elizabeth Cole, by her will proved 22 January
1871, bequeathed £50, the interest to be applied
in coals for the poor, and preference to be given
to widows and persons having large families. The
legacy was invested in £53 15s. 1d. consols with the
official trustees, producing £1 6s. 8d. yearly.
The National school, founded by deed 10 April
1847, is possessed of £310 consols, given by William
Barker by deed 24 June 1847, and of £100 consols
derived under the will of the same donor proved at
London 27 October 1862, held by the official trustees, producing £10 5s. yearly; also of an annual
rent-charge of £10, charged upon a farm in the parish
by Robert Morrell, by deed dated 1 October 1847.