LETCOMBE BASSETT
Ledecumbe (xi cent.); Up Ledecombe Basset,
Ledecoumbe, Upletecomb (xiv cent.); Upledecombebasset (xv cent.).
The parish of Letcombe Bassett lies on the north
side of the Berkshire Downs at the head of a deep
combe, through which runs the brook or 'lete' from
which it takes its name, and it extends also for a
considerable distance on the southern slope. It contains 1,631 acres, of which 996 are arable, 368 permanent grass and 16 woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The
chief crops are wheat, barley and oats. The highest
point in the parish, on the top of the downs just
above the village, is 752 ft. above the ordnance
datum, while the lowest, beside the brook, has an
altitude of 367 ft. Neither high road nor railway
runs through the parish, and the nearest station,
Wantage Road, on the Great Western main line, is
5 miles distant. The population is principally agricultural.
Two round barrows on the downs to the south of
the village were opened in 1880 by Canon Greenwell, and there is a third on Nutwood Down, not far
from the parish boundary. (fn. 2) Near them are some
signs of primitive terrace cultivation. (fn. 3) The Ridgeway, often confused with the Icknield Way, runs
along the top of the downs above the village. (fn. 4)
Dean Swift retired to the rectory here in June
1714, and stayed three months with his friend
Mr. Geree, the rector, during which time he wrote
'Free Thoughts on the Present State of Affairs.' (fn. 5)
There is a Methodist chapel in the village.
An Act for inclosing the common fields was passed
in 1772, and the award is dated 25 February 1774. (fn. 6)
A second Act was passed in 1801, the award being
dated 5 October 1804. (fn. 7)
Manor
The manor of LETCOMBE BASSETT
had been held by Wigot of Wallingford
in the time of King Edward the Confessor, and, like his other lands, passed to Robert
Doyley, who was holding it at the time of the
Domesday Survey. (fn. 8) The overlordship formed part of
the honour of Wallingford. (fn. 9)
This manor, like many others belonging to Robert
Doyley, seems to have passed to the Bassets, (fn. 10) Richard
Basset being in possession about 1158. (fn. 11) It probably
formed part of the six fees held of the honour
of Wallingford in 1201 by Richard's son Thurstan, (fn. 12)
who died about 1222, (fn. 13) leaving as his heirs six
daughters. Of these Isabel married Robert Mauduit,
and left a son William, who held the manor in 1231
under a grant from his grandfather. The other five
daughters were Joan the wife of Robert de Burnebu,
Alice the wife of John le Brun, Egeline the wife of
Richard Burdun, Lawrencia the wife of Ralph de
Wedon, and Maud the wife of Bartholomew de
Rakinton. The first four of these sisters claimed
certain shares of the land here, stating that at the
time of the alleged grant to their nephew their father
Thurstan was suffering from a stroke of paralysis and
was unfit to dispose of his property. (fn. 14) Maud's name
does not occur in this suit, though she seems to be
identical with Maud de Hesserugh who was living
in 1236 (fn. 15) ; probably, therefore, she had already
released her right to William Mauduit, who obtained
a quitclaim from Joan and Robert de Burnebu in
1233, (fn. 16) and presumably another from Lawrencia de
Wedon, as she was not one of the coparceners in
1258, (fn. 17) and the holding of the Peverels, who eventually succeeded to Mauduit's share, was afterwards
described as one and a third knight's fee, (fn. 18) four-sixths
of the two fees which formed the original Basset
estate. (fn. 19) William Mauduit granted his share to his
only daughter Isabel on her marriage with William
Beauchamp of Elmley in Worcestershire, (fn. 20) and
William and Isabel gave it with the exception of
the advowson of the church in 1249 for a term of
years to Isabel de Mortimer. (fn. 21) In 1252 they granted
two parts of the manor to Alice de Scothot for life. (fn. 22)
Mauduit. Argent two bars gules.
Beauchamp. Gules a fesse between six crosslets or.
As Isabel's death the manor passed to her son
William Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, who granted
it for life to William Comyn. (fn. 23) The earl died in
1298, leaving as his heir his son Guy. (fn. 24) Guy gave
this manor for life to Gilbert Popham, (fn. 25) and granted
it early in 1307 to Walter de Langton, Bishop of
Coventry and Lichfield, (fn. 26) who obtained a grant of
free warren over his demesne lands here on the same
day. (fn. 27) The bishop had been treasurer before his
consecration, and was the principal adviser of King
Edward I during the latter part of that monarch's
reign. As soon as Edward II came to the throne
Langton was thrown into prison and his lands confiscated. (fn. 28) It was not until January 1312 that he
was released and John de Beche, who had had
custody of this manor, was ordered to restore it. (fn. 29)
Langton, who was in that year reappointed treasurer, (fn. 30)
was holding it in 1316, (fn. 31) but seems to have granted
it shortly afterwards to Giles de Wattisham (fn. 32) for life;
he died in November 1321, when his heir was his
nephew Edmund, son of Robert Peverel, then fifteen
years of age. (fn. 33)
Edmund Peverel lived at Castle Ashby in Northamptonshire, and died in 1331, leaving as his heir
his son John, (fn. 34) who died in 1349. (fn. 35) John's widow
Isabel, with her second husband Robert de Bradeston,
claimed a third of this manor as her dower in 1350
from Margaret the sister and heir of John, who had
married Sir William dela Pole. (fn. 36)
William de la Pole died in 1366 (fn. 37) and the manor
passed to his son Sir John de la Pole, who had married
in 1362 Joan daughter and heiress of John Lord
Cobham. (fn. 38) Joan died about 1388, and her daughter
Joan inherited this manor as well as the barony of
Cobham. (fn. 39) Joan's first husband, Sir Robert Hemenhall, died in 1391, and she married Sir Reynold Braybrook, who joined her in a settlement of the manor
in 1403. (fn. 40) By him she had
an only child Joan, who afterwards married Sir Thomas
Brooke. (fn. 41) In 1428 Sir Thomas
and Joan gave their consent
to a settlement of the manor
on Sir John Harpeden, the
last husband of the elder
Joan, for life. (fn. 42)
Brooke. Gules a cheveron argent with a lion sable thereon having a golden crown.
Sir Thomas Brooke died in
1439, when he was succeeded
by his son Edward Lord Cobham, who died in 1464,
leaving as his heir his son
John. (fn. 43) John Lord Cobham
died 9 March 1512 and his
son and heir Thomas mortgaged this manor 22 May
1520 to Robert Dormer, (fn. 44) who sold it 30 April 1524
to William Fettiplace. (fn. 45) William Fettiplace died about
1529, leaving this manor and other lands by his will
to John Pantre, the Provost, and the scholars of Queen's
Hall, Oxford, on condition that they paid certain
rents from it to the chantry and almshouses which he
had founded at Childrey. (fn. 46)
Thomas Brooke Lord Cobham, who had sold the
manor, died 19 July 1529, (fn. 47) and his son George Lord
Cobham unsuccessfully laid claim to it in 1530, (fn. 48)
but in 1532 he released all his interest to the
college for £20. (fn. 49) The Provost and Fellows of
Queen's College, Oxford, are the present holders of
the manor.
The other co-heirs of Thurstan Basset who were
parties to an agreement concerning the advowson of Letcombe in 1258 were Richard
Longespée and William le
Brun. (fn. 50) This William, who
seems to have been the son of
John and Alice le Brun, released his right to land here
in 1247 to William Asselin, (fn. 51)
and in 1301 another William
Asselin, steward of Peter de
Leicester, baron of the Exchequer, (fn. 52) obtained from Guy
Beauchamp a quitclaim of his
right in certain lands here,
which he granted in the following year to the priory of Bicester. (fn. 53) He further
obtained licence in 1332 to grant to the priory a
sixth part of the manor of 'Upletcombe' with certain
lands there which were held of Giles de Wattisham,
then the holder of Langton's share, and William le
Brun of Norton. (fn. 54) The Prior of Bicester leased his
demesne lands here to tenants at a rent which
gradually decreased from £6 13s. 4d. in 1396 to £4
in 1452. (fn. 55) The latter sum was still paid at the time
of the Dissolution (fn. 56) and in May 1557, when 'Mystrys
Russell' was the intending purchaser of the manor, (fn. 57)
which was, however, sold later in the same year to
Thomas Gratwick and Anselm Lamb. (fn. 58) Anthony
More and his wife Alice and Henry Smith and his
wife Elizabeth, who dealt with a manor of Letcombe
Bassett in right of Alice and Elizabeth in 1553 (fn. 59) may
have been tenants of this estate, which had passed by
1586 to Richard More; he sold it in that year to
Adam Blandy, (fn. 60) whose family long held the farm still
known as Blandy's.
Queen's College, Oxford. Argent three eagles gules with a molet or on the breast of the first eagle.
Richard Longespé, mentioned in 1258 as a
coparcener of the advowson, (fn. 61) was the son of Egeline
wife of Richard Burdun, (fn. 62) who granted him all her
lands in Letcombe Bassett after her husband's death. (fn. 63)
Richard was succeeded by Sir Nicholas Burdun, (fn. 64) who
died in 1273, leaving as his heir his son Robert. (fn. 65)
Robert died about 1280, (fn. 66) leaving a son Nicholas,
a minor, (fn. 67) whose wardship was granted to Queen
Eleanor. (fn. 68) She was holding part of the advowson
on this account in 1283, (fn. 69) but the estate may have
passed before this time, as the advowson did later, to
Henry de Anwick, for a messuage and land with a third
of a mill at Letcombe and Kingston were settled in
1278–9 on Henry de Anwick, who was to hold the
property of Richard Benham and his wife Constance. (fn. 70)
The estate passed before 1316 to John de Anwick,
who was holding the third part of a knight's fee in
Letcombe Bassett in that year (fn. 71) and in 1332. (fn. 72) In
1428 it belonged to Alice wife of Philip Brenham or
Benham, (fn. 73) who granted it in 1452 to Simon Brenham
and his heirs, (fn. 74) but no further reference to it has been
found.
Sir Edmund de Childrey died on 14 April 1372
seised of 4 virgates of land here held of the heir of
William de la Pole, (fn. 75) and this holding was increased
by Sir Thomas de Childrey to 6 virgates of land (fn. 76) ;
it passed with the manor of Frethornes in the parish
of Childrey (q.v.) until 1703, when it was in the
possession of Robert Knight. (fn. 77) Part of this estate
followed the descent of the manor of Mautravers in
the parish of Childrey (q.v.) from 1577 to 1634. (fn. 78)
Another portion seems to have been alienated much
earlier, perhaps by the Childreys, for in 1625 Nicholas
Aldworth of Frilford died seised of a 'manor' of
Letcombe Bassett which he had purchased in 1624
from Robert and Richard Shepreve. It was said to
be held of Frethornes. (fn. 79) His heir was his son Richard,
who bought Anwicks Manor in Letcombe Regis in
1627–8, and the estate at Letcombe Bassett descended with Anwicks (q.v.) until 1716, (fn. 80) when it is
mentioned for the last time.
The priory of Poughley in the parish of Chaddleworth held certain lands here of the gift of William
Quartremains, confirmed to them by Thurstan Basset. (fn. 81)
After the Dissolution these lands were granted in 1526
to Wolsey for his new college at Oxford, (fn. 82) and after
the cardinal's attainder were given in 1531 to the
Abbot and convent of Westminster. (fn. 83) They were
transferred in 1559–60 to the dean and chapter, (fn. 84)
who attached them to their manor of Letcombe Regis.
There were two mills here, worth £3 at the time
of the Domesday Survey, (fn. 85) both of which are mentioned about the middle of the 12th century. (fn. 86) Two
thirds of a mill were granted by William and Isabel
Beauchamp to Henry de Halescombe and one third
was settled in 1278–9 on Henry de Anwick. (fn. 87) Both
mills seem to have been still in existence in 1402,
when they were appurtenances of the manor that
had belonged to William Mauduit. (fn. 88) There is now
only one mill in the parish; it stands on Letcombe
Brook, rather more than a quarter of a mile north of
the village.
Church
The church of ST. MICHAEL (fn. 89)
consists of chancel 25 ft. by 11 ft. 6 in.,
with south vestry, nave 39 ft. 6 in. by
17 ft. 6 in., south aisle 29 ft. 6 in. by 7 ft., north
porch, and west tower 8 ft. by 7 ft., all these measurements being internal.
The chancel is of 12th-century dale and probably
also the walls of the nave, but all the nave windows
are of a later period, and the masonry being stuccoed
makes it difficult to determine whether the original
walls were rebuilt or whether the windows are insertions. The chancel may have been lengthened
c. 1280–90, to which period its east and south
windows belong, but its plan and the absence of all
buttresses rather suggest that the whole is 12th-century
work with later windows inserted. Towards the
end of the 13th century the building underwent
great changes, the north doorway and the tower
being both of that period. The westernmost window
on the south side of the chancel may be rather earlier,
and that on the south side of the nave east of the
aisle is of the late 14th century. The remaining old
window, on the north side of the nave, is a 15thcentury insertion, the other two being modern.
That near the pulpit dates from 1909. The south
aisle was added in 1862, when the church underwent a restoration, and the porch and vestry are also
modern. The west side of the tower has been
rebuilt in brick, perhaps in the first half of the 18th
century, and the whole of the tower was repaired
in 1884.
Plan of Letcombe Bassett Church
With the exception of the brickwork in the tower
and the south and east sides of its upper stages, which
are of coursed rubble masonry with large quoins, the
whole of the walling of the church is stuccoed externally and plastered inside. The roof of the nave is
covered with lead overhanging at the eaves, and those
of the chancel and aisle are tiled.
The chancel has a pointed east window of two
plain lights with a quatrefoil within a circle in the
head. On the north side is a small 12th-century
round-headed window high up in the wall with square
external rebate and head in one stone without label,
and there is a similar window opposite on the south
side now opening to the vestry. Further west on
the north side is an original round-headed doorway,
now built up, with tympanum and arch of a single
order with roll moulding on the edge, springing from
quirked and chamfered imposts and angle shafts with
cushion capitals and moulded bases. On the flat
surface of the capitals are carved the emblems of the
four Evangelists, the angel and the eagle on the east
and the lion and the ox on the west of the opening,
the width of which is only 23 in. The square inner
jambs support a lintel with chamfered edge below
the tympanum, the surface of which is scored across
with horizontal, perpendicular and diagonal lines and
may originally have had a thin coat of plaster. The
neckings of the shafts below the capitals have on
the east side an interlaced and on the west a cable
moulding, and the figures above are boldly carved.
The doorway was described in 1849 as 'blocked up
for a fireplace,' (fn. 90) but the wall inside now shows no
signs of this or of the original opening. In the south
wall of the chancel are two windows, one near each
end, that to the west being the older and consisting
of two plain coupled lancets without containing arch
or hood mould, and the other of two
trefoiled lights with circle above, below
a pointed arch and label. The modern
doorway to the vestry cuts into the
sloping sill of the 12th-century window,
and the roof consists of coupled spars
with a single tie-beam. There are no
remains of ancient ritual arrangements.
The semicircular chancel arch is of a
single square order springing from
chamfered and carved imposts. The
arch and jambs are quite plain, but it
is possible that the opening may have
been altered at some time in the 18th
century, when probably the indented
plaster ornament round the arch was
added and the whole of the wall surface
plastered. (fn. 91) The imposts, however, are
remarkable for the rich nature of the
ornament with which they are covered and are
returned some little distance along the west wall,
north and south, though not taken through the full
thickness of the wall. On the south side is a beautiful
scroll pattern with a band of cable moulding below,
while on the north is a scroll facing west and on the
inner face an antique or leaf pattern, both with cable
below. On either side of the arch at the east end
of the nave is a niche, probably of 15th-century date,
that on the north side having a trefoiled head, above
which is the upper doorway to the rood-loft, all other
trace of which is gone. A thickening in the wall
outside at the junction of the chancel and nave
indicates the position of the rood-stairs, but the
lower doorway has disappeared.
The 15th-century window in the nave is squareheaded and of two cinquefoiled lights; that to the
west of the porch is modern. The pointed north
doorway has continuous moulded head and jambs,
but no label. Near to the eastern jamb inside is a
pointed stoup. The south side of the nave is open
for the greater part of its length by a modern arcade
of two pointed arches to the aisle, but is lighted at
its east end by a square-headed window of three
trefoiled ogee lights with inverted trefoils in the
head, probably dating from c. 1380–90. The roof
of the nave is apparently of 15th-century date, when
it replaced an older one of higher pitch. It consists
of four bays with moulded tie-beams and chamfered
intermediate rafters and purlins. The principals are
carried down the walls and rest on stone corbels carved
with a saltire within a square frame. The ridge of
the roof is below that of the chancel.
The tower is of three stages with diagonal buttresses on the west side and terminates in a straight
parapet. The two lower stages are unmarked externally, the walls being unbroken up to the string
below the belfry. The west side is faced its entire
height with 2½-in. bricks and the buttresses and
dressings are of red sandstone contemporary with the
brickwork. The west window is of two trefoiled
lights without containing arch or hood mould and
may be a late 13th-century window reset or a late
copy of an old opening. The belfry windows are
plain square-headed openings, one on each side, and
the parapet is moulded. The tower arch is of three
chamfered orders without hood mould, towards the
nave, and two facing west, dying into the wall at the
springing. There is no vice.
The font consists of a plain circular stone bowl and
stem on an octagonal to square base, and may be of
13th-century date. The pulpit and fittings are all
modern. There are no ancient monuments, but in
the chancel floor are inscribed stones to two former
rectors, the Rev. W. Durham (d. 1686) and the
Rev. H. Hill (d. 1707).
There is a ring of three bells, two dated 1576
and inscribed, 'Hail Mari ful of Gras. W.R.' and
'Glori to God on hi in earth pes,' and the third
cast by Oliver Cor of Aldbourne in 1726.
The plate is all modern and consists of a chalice,
paten and flagon of 1862 by Keith; there is also a
plated paten.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: the
first volume is in two parts, the first containing
entries from 1564 to 1642 and some at the end on
inserted leaves for the years 1639, 1656, 1662,
1663, 1664, 1674, 1679 and 1681 (fn. 92) ; the second
part contains baptisms and burials from 1683 to
1776 and marriages from 1685 to 1738 (fn. 93) ; (ii)
baptisms and burials from 1776 to 1812, marriages
from 1755 to 1767 (fn. 94) ; (iii) marriages from 1770 to
1812.
The churchyard is surrounded by lime trees and
lies chiefly on the north side, where are four good
tombs of late 17th and 18th-century date, two of
which (one dated 1690) have rounded tops. Of the
others, one is dated 1732, and the other is 18thcentury work with 'Gothic' panelling on the sides.
Advowson
Part of the advowson of Letcombe
Bassett was given by William Mauduit to his daughter Isabel on her
marriage. (fn. 95) In 1258 Alice de Scothot, who had
acquired two parts of the manor in 1252, (fn. 96) sued Giles
Bishop of Salisbury for not admitting a parson presented by her to the church here. (fn. 97) In 1258 Richard
Longespée and William le Brun agreed with William
and Isabel Beauchamp and Alice de Scothot that
William, Isabel and Alice should present for one
turn, then Richard and William for one turn, and
afterwards William, Isabel and Alice, and the heirs
of Isabel should present twice in succession and the
other co-heirs once, and so on for ever. (fn. 98) In 1297
William Asselin and Henry de Anwick gave their
shares of the advowson to William Beauchamp Earl
of Warwick, (fn. 99) who thus became possessed of the
whole. In 1313 John de Anwick unsuccessfully
claimed the advowson against Walter de Langton, (fn. 100)
and it followed the descent of the Beauchamps'lands
here until 1356, when William de la Pole and Margaret his wife sold it to Thomas Palet and others. (fn. 101)
From them it seems to have passed to Sir Thomas de
Childrey, who died seised of it in 1407. It then
passed with the advowson of Childrey to Corpus Christi
College, (fn. 102) with the exception of one-third sold in
1561 by George Cope to James Yate and John
Smith. (fn. 103) This portion then followed the descent
of the manor of Mautravers in Childrey until 1634, (fn. 104)
when it was the property of John Ashcombe. It
afterwards passed to Corpus Christi College, Oxford,
the owners of the larger portion, who presented in
1636, (fn. 105) and are the present patrons.
In 1291 the church was valued at £6 13s. 4d. (fn. 106)
and in 1340 the ninths were valued at 10 marks. (fn. 107)
Charities
The fuel allotment, acquired under
the inclosure award of 1774, consists
of 8 acres let at £3 a year.
In 1884 Percy Smith, by his will proved at
Oxford 8 January, bequeathed £500, the income to
be distributed among the poor. The legacy is
represented by £500 15s. 1d. consols, producing
£12 10s. 4d. yearly.
In 1885 Harriet Firth, by her will proved at
Oxford 23 June, bequeathed £250 for the same
purpose, represented by £248 16s. consols, producing
£6 4s. 4d. yearly.
These charities are administered together by the
churchwardens, the income being applied in the
distribution of coal among all the cottagers, in
quantities of from 10 to 12 cwt. to each recipient. The sums of stock are held by the official
trustees.
Under the award above mentioned an allotment
of 1 a. 2 r. was made for the repair of the roads, &c.
The allotment is now the property of the Wantage
Urban District Council and let at £1 a year, which
is applied in aid of the district rate.
Parish Lands.—By the inclosure award of 1804
an allotment of 2 r. 4 p. was made to the churchwardens and overseers, and by the same award 1 r. 3 p.
were allotted to the hayward. These allotments are
situated in the township of Challow and are let at
£2 a year, which is retained by the churchwardens
for their own use.