BARTON HARTSHORN
Bertone (xi cent.); Barton Hertishorne (xv cent.);
Beggers Barton, Little Barton (xvi cent.).
This parish covers 891 acres, of which 165 are
arable and 694 permanent grass. (fn. 1) The soil is clay.
The south of the parish is watered by two streams,
and the land here is lowest—about 300 ft., rising
in the north beyond the Great Central railway to
nearly 400 ft. above the ordnance datum. The church
of St. James, a few farms and other buildings stand
near the centre of the parish, on its chief road, and
a smaller road branching off to the south leads to the
manor-house, which till the latter half of the 19th
century was a farm, but is now occupied by Lieut.-Col.
C.W. Trotter. It is built of stone, and the date 1635,
which with two letters, perhaps T.L. for Thomas
Lisle, is inscribed on a stone in the west gable,
probably gives the date of the original building and
the name of the builder. The house has, however, been
much altered and modernized, through it still retains
some of its mullioned windows, an original fireplace,
staircase, and 17th-century panelling. In the grounds
is a much-altered cottage which seems to have formed
part of a 16th-century house, possibly an earlier manorhouse. Some of the windows have their original
mullions. The King's End Farm, near the church,
is a 17th-century stone house, and belonging to it is
a stone barn of the same date with a thatched roof.
In the middle of the 16th century the tenants
accused the lord of the manor of wrongfully inclosing
some 30 acres of ground near the church, called
Porter's Lees, which should have been common for
half the year and through which, at all times, there
was a common highway to drive cattle and for
carriage to and from the village or town of Barton
Hartshorn, and a passage to and from the church.
As a result of this wrongful inclosure, the tenants
were forced to use 'a fowle and myrie lane' next
adjoining the said land, to their great 'dyscomodytie
and anoyance.' The lord of the manor, whom the
complainants variously stated to be 'a gentleman of
a covetous and envyous mynde,' of an 'obstinate
and presumptuous mynde' and of 'a dyvellishe and
myschevous mynde,' was also accused of having
wounded one of the complainants in an affray which
had occurred on the lees, but he stated that he had
been at some distance off, standing near his house
and, having a bow and arrows under his girdle merely
to shoot at coneys near the house, he had shot an
arrow in defence of his son when he saw him attacked. (fn. 2)
An Act for inclosing the lands of the parish was
passed in 1812. (fn. 3)
Manors
Wilaf, a thegn of Earl Lewin, held
the manor of BARTON before the
Conquest, but it passed before 1086 to
the Bishop of Bayeux, of whom it was held at that
date by Ernulf de Hesding. (fn. 4) After the forfeiture of
Odo's possessions, this overlordship appears to have
come into the possession of the Earls of Pembroke,
being held by William de Valence in 1284–6, (fn. 5) and
in the 14th century by his heirs, the Talbots, Earls of
Shrewsbury. (fn. 6) Barton was held under these overlords
by the family of Dyve of North Witham, Lincolnshire. John Dyve is mentioned in 1254–5, (fn. 7) and
again in 1284–6, when he was found to pay for his
holding here 12s. per annum to Rochester Castle for
ward. (fn. 8) In 1328 Geoffrey Dyve as mesne lord was
successfully sued by his under-tenant for quittance of
services demanded of him by the Talbots. (fn. 9) Thomas
Dyve held in 1365. (fn. 10) In 1585 a special inquiry was
made as to the tenure of the manor, and it was then
found that it was held in chief, there being no mesne
lord between the queen and the lord of the manor. (fn. 11)
The early lords of Barton took their name from
the place. It seems probable that the half hide in
'Burton' held by the daughter and heir of Walter
de Burton in 1185 for serjeanty of di-penser
(dispensarie) (fn. 12) refers to land here. Ivo de Barton
was certainly lord here before 1198, at which time,
and later, his son John confirmed various grants made
to Biddlesden Monastery by the father. (fn. 13) Henry
son of Ivo de Barton succeeded his brother and held
land here in the early years of the reign of
Henry III. (fn. 14) John de Barton was lord in 1254–5, (fn. 15)
and another Henry in 1284–6. (fn. 16) Roberga, widow
of Henry, held in 1302–3, (fn. 17) but had been succeeded
by Henry de Barton, probably her son, before 1316. (fn. 18)
He was still holding in 1327–8, (fn. 19) but Thomas de
Barton was lord in 1346. (fn. 20) In 1421 John de Barton,
jun., Margaret, sister of Henry de Barton, and others,
probably trustees, granted BARTON HARTSHORN
MANOR, first so called, to Henry de Barton and
Alice his wife. (fn. 21) It was held
in 1498 by John Porter and
Joan his wife, (fn. 22) who was the
heir of the Barton family. (fn. 23)
John and Joan settled the
manor in that year on Thomas
Porter and Agnes his wife,
with remainder, in default of
issue, to George brother of
Thomas, and Joan their
sister. (fn. 24)
Porter. Gules three bells or.
The manor continued in
possession of this family. John
Porter was lord about the
middle of the 16th century, and had a son of the
same name. (fn. 25) In 1577 Edward Porter died seised of
the manor, leaving a son Richard, (fn. 26) who attained his
majority in 1590. (fn. 27) At his death, which occurred in
1629, he was succeeded by his son Edward. (fn. 28) At
about this date, according to Willis, the manor was
sold to Thomas Lisle, (fn. 29) whose heir, Fermor Lisle,
held it at his death in 1742, when he left it to
trustees to the use of his sister and heir Elizabeth,
wife of the Rev. Thomas Bowles, and her heirs. (fn. 30)
Elizabeth's son, the Rev. William Thomas Bowles,
died in 1786, leaving the manor to his wife Bridget
for life with the remainder to all his sons as tenants
in common. (fn. 31) Two of the sons, the Rev. William
Lisle Bowles and Charles Bowles, were lords of the
manor in 1812, (fn. 32) and the family still held about
1840. (fn. 33) By 1862 the manor was in possession of the
Rev. J. Athawes, (fn. 34) whose family retained possession as
late as 1899. Soon after this date it was acquired by
Major, now Lieut.-Colonel, Charles William Trotter,
who is the present lord of the manor.
A second manor of BARTON had its origin in
lands here granted to the priory of Chetwode in 1246
by Ralph de Norwich (fn. 35) and Sibyl de Caversfield. (fn. 36)
The latter held her lands by grant of John de Barton. (fn. 37)
They passed with the priory's lands to Nutley Abbey,
and were granted in 1540 as the 'Manor of Barton
Hartshorn' to William Risley. (fn. 38) Thenceforward they
descended with the priory manor of Chetwode (q.v.).
No mention of it, as a manor, occurs after 1840, (fn. 39)
but the owners of the priory estate in Chetwode have
continued to hold land in this parish.
By 1254–5 the abbey of Oseney was seised of land
in Barton (fn. 40) which was afterwards known as the
manor of BARTON HARTSHORN alias BEGGARS
BARTON, and held it until the Dissolution. (fn. 41) In
1541 it was granted in fee to John Wellesbourne, (fn. 42)
who died in 1548. (fn. 43) His son John conveyed the
manor in 1569–70 to Edmund Packson or Paxton, (fn. 44)
who died seised in 1596. (fn. 45) His son William succeeded
him, (fn. 46) and died in 1628, leaving a son Thomas. (fn. 47)
After this date it passed, according to Willis, to the
Butterfield family, a member of which had married
the heiress of the Paxtons. (fn. 48) About 1716 Eleanor
Butterfield married George Southam, to whom she
brought this estate, which he held in 1735. (fn. 49) There
is no further trace of it after this date, but Sheahan,
in 1862, refers to an ancient stone house in the
parish then occupied as a farm by Mr. Henry
Paxton. (fn. 50)
Church
The church of ST. JAMES consists
of a continuous chancel and nave 63 ft.
6 in. by 14ft., north and south transepts,
north and south porches, a western bellcote for two
bells surmounted by a cross, (fn. 51) and north vestry. The
walls are of stone rubble and the roofs are tiled.
The chancel was rebuilt in the 19th century, and
the transepts were added in 1841 by the patron,
Mr. W. H. Bracebridge, the only ancient part of the
church now left being the nave, which is probably of
13th-century date. The two square-headed windows
in the south wall, each of two lights, are of the 14th
century, and between them is a pointed south doorway of 13th-century date reset. In the north wall
are two 16th-century square-headed windows, the
eastern of two lights and the western a single light;
the north doorway, between the two windows, has a
reset segmental head, and chamfered jambs which
may be of original 14th-century date. The blocked
west doorway is of late 15th or early 16th-century
date; above it is a 13th-century lancet, with rebated
jambs. The north porch is modern, but the south
porch may be of the 17th century.
The font is modern. The communion table is of
the 17th century and has turned legs. There are
some 15th-century tiles in the vestry.
The two bells are possibly of the 14th century,
and are inscribed respectively 'Jacobus est nomen ejus'
and 'Jhesu pie flos Marie'.
The plate includes a cup of 1570 and modern
paten and flagon. The registers begin in 1582.
Advowson
The church of Barton is thought
to have formed part of the endowment of Chetwode Priory about
1245, (fn. 52) and was confirmed to that house by Bishops
of Lincoln in 1268 and 1303. (fn. 53) Presentantion was
made to the vicarage from 1276 onwards, (fn. 54) the
church being served by canons of the priory. (fn. 55) The
'church of the Blessed Mary at Barton' is mentioned
in the deed of the priory's surrender in 1460 (fn. 56)
before it was annexed to Nutley Abbey. In 1540
the advowson of the vicarage and the rectory of
Barton were granted, with the possessions of the late
priory of Chetwode, to William Risley, (fn. 57) and the
property has since passed with the priory estate in
Chetwode (q.v.), the advowson being at present held
by Major G. F. Green. After the Dissolution the
living was presented to as a curacy only in 1525 and
1542. (fn. 58) Since the latter date the same incumbents
have served both Chetwode and Barton; the living
is now a vicarage with Chetwode annexed to it.
Charities
The poor's allotment, containing
2 a. 2 r. 35 p., was allotted for the
benefit of the poor by an award
made under the Inclosure Act. The land is let in
allotments, producing about £4 5s. yearly, which is
distributed in coal.