ARDLEY
The parish lies on either side of the OxfordBrackley road, roughly mid-way between the markettowns of Bicester and Brackley (Northants). In the
early 18th century it was described as of 'not many
more than a 1,000 acres', (fn. 1) but the improved surveying of the 19th century showed it to cover 1,493
acres, and in 1948 it was increased to 2,178 acres by
the addition of Fewcot hamlet and that part of Stoke
Lyne parish which lay west of the Oxford road. (fn. 2)
The old northern boundary used to skirt Ardley
village until it joined a stream flowing eastwards,
which still forms the western part of the northern
boundary. (fn. 3) Part of the eastern boundary is also a
natural one, the Gagle Brook or the Saxon Sexig
Broc, and on the west it is the ancient pre-Roman
dyke, Ashbank or Aves Ditch. (fn. 4) A late 10th-century
charter granted by Ethelred II shows that the Saxon
boundaries corresponded closely with those of the
19th century. (fn. 5)
The present parish is about a mile broad and two
miles long. It is a flat tableland, lying between the
300- and 400-foot contour lines, and forming a part
of the Great Oolite belt which crosses the country.
The Lower Oolite is exposed in the railway cuttings. (fn. 6)
The soil is stonebrash and field-names indicate that
much of the land was once rough pasture: the part
near Aves Ditch was known as the 'great moor' in
1685 (fn. 7) and in the 19th century as the Great Heath. (fn. 8)
Here also were Church Furze and Heath Ground,
while Pearson's Heath lay in the south, west of the
Brackley road, and Margrett's Heath and Little
Heath lay in the south-east corner. (fn. 9) But by the early
19th century this land had been reclaimed and was
growing good corn crops. (fn. 10) The soil is well watered,
for apart from the boundary streams, a third stream
rises in the centre of the parish and flows southwards.
Ardley Wood (40 a.) and Ballard's Copse (called
Chilgrove in the 17th century, Child Grove in 1797, (fn. 11)
and probably to be identified with the 'lytle Ciltene'
of a 10th-century charter) (fn. 12) are the remains of more
extensive woodland. Ardley Wood was partly cut
down in the early 19th century to facilitate quarrying, (fn. 13) but as late as 1881 the parish still had nearly
60 acres of wood. (fn. 14)
From early times the parish was traversed by an
important highway—the road from Oxford into
Northamptonshire; it is the via regia of an early
13th-century record (fn. 15) and the Oxford Way of 1679. (fn. 16)
It was made a turnpike in 1757. (fn. 17) Today it is crossed
by branch roads to Fritwell and Bucknell, which
follow the line of older roads: the Bucknell road was
already hedged in 1797. (fn. 18) The course of the present
branch road to Upper Heyford, however, has been
straightened since Davis's survey of 1797. The old
road was probably the 10th-century 'green way to
Heyford'. (fn. 19)
The former G.W.R. main line from Birmingham
to London crosses the parish and Ardley station was
opened in 1910. (fn. 20)
In the south-west of the parish 86 acres were taken
over by Upper Heyford R.A.F. station after 1925. (fn. 21)
Ardley village lies at the extreme northern edge of
the ancient parish, near a good spring and crossroads. (fn. 22) There is no evidence for any Roman settlement here, although Roman remains have been
found in the parish at Ballard's Copse, (fn. 23) and at
least in the early Middle Ages there was evidence
for still earlier settlement. The tumulus, called
Cwichelmes Hlæw in a 10th-century charter, is
thought to have stood near the present Ashgrove
Farm. (fn. 24) The Saxons called the settlement Eardulfes
lea or 'Eardwulf's wood or clearing', and the remains
of the wood still lie just west of the village. (fn. 25) The
village seems never to have been very large or rich
and in 1662 and 1665 only eleven and nine houses,
most of which were humble dwellings, were listed
for the hearth tax. (fn. 26) Twenty houses were recorded
in 1768 and 35 in 1821. (fn. 27) The 19th-century village
was reputed to be a mile long; its thatched two-story
cottages built of rubble with brick dressings or only
of rubble were scattered along the main road, while
the church and more houses lay on a branch road
to the west. (fn. 28)
Blomfield thought that the triangular field on the
north side of the churchyard, called the Park, marked
the site of the medieval manor-house (fn. 29) —the curia of
Ralph son of Robert mentioned in the early 13th
century. (fn. 30) But it is more probable that it was in the
precincts of the 12th-century castle. Of the latter
there remains in Ardley Wood just west of the village
an almost circular moat with a diameter of 100 yards.
In 1823 the antiquary Skelton recorded the existence
of subterranean passages on the site. (fn. 31) There is no
record of any resident lord of the manor after the
Reformation, and no manor-house is marked on
Plot's map of 1676. (fn. 32)
Some 17th-century houses remain: there is the
Old Rectory, now Ardley House, and Ralph Ford's
house to the west of the church, both taxed on four
hearths in 1665, and the Manor Farm, taxed on six
hearths. (fn. 33) In 1679 the Rectory was described as a
house of four bays with a barn and stables attached.
In a later terrier the house was said to have six bays (fn. 34)
with a kitchen and malt-house of five bays in addition
to the barn and stables. It was enlarged in 1860 and
entirely remodelled in 1874 by the architect E. G.
Bruton at a cost of £1,200. (fn. 35) It was then refronted,
although one of the original windows was retained.
The Fox and Hounds Inn, standing at the crossroads at the northern end of the village, was
probably built or rebuilt at the end of the 18th
century as a result of the turnpike traffic. By 1852
a second inn, the 'Horse and Jockey', had opened
and in 1861 a school was built. (fn. 36)
Of the outlying farm-houses, Ashgrove is marked
on Davis's map of 1797, and Neville's Farm, Hall's
Barn and Scotland Barn were all built by 1839. (fn. 37)
Ardley Fields Farm dates from the end of the 19th
century. (fn. 38)
The only well-known person connected with
Ardley was Master John London, rector (1521–4)
and later Warden of New College. He acquired
notoriety as 'the most terrible of all the monastic
spoilers'. (fn. 39)
Manor.
In the late 10th century 5 hides in Ardley
were held by three brothers. Two of them were slain
in resisting the arrest of one of their men as a thief,
and the third fled to sanctuary. Their estate fell to
the king, Ethelred II, who in 995 granted it in
perpetuity to Æthelwig, the reeve (praepositus) of
Buckingham. (fn. 40) In 1243 ARDLEY manor consisted
of 1 knight's fee held of the honor of Pontefract:
½ fee in Ardley parish and ½ fee lying in Somerton
parish. (fn. 41) The latter was described in 1279 as a part
of the vill of Somerton called Northbrook. (fn. 42) This
Northbroc iuxta Somerthonam (fn. 43) should not be confused with Northbrook in Kirtlington which was
held of the honor of Stafford. (fn. 44) In the assessment of
1220, Northbrook was included in the 12 carucates
of Somerton, (fn. 45) and a fine of 1244 shows that some
part of it belonged to the barony of Arsic and became
part of the De Grey manor of Somerton. (fn. 46)
Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester, held Ardley
at the time of the Domesday survey, (fn. 47) and the overlordship of the fee descended with the Earldom of
Chester until the death of Earl Ranulf de Blundeville in 1232. (fn. 48) Earl Ranulf's vast possessions were
then partitioned between his coheirs and their
descendants, and the overlordship of Ardley fell to
the share of Hugh d'Aubigny, Earl of Arundel, the
son and heir of Mabel, Earl Ranulf's second sister. (fn. 49)
Of the manors which Hugh received the chief was
Coventry, which became the caput of a new honor; (fn. 50)
hence in 1236 Ardley was said to be held 'de feudo
Hugonis de Auben' de Coventre'. (fn. 51) Hugh died in
1243, and his lands were divided between his four
sisters and coheiresses. (fn. 52) Ardley passed to Hugh's
fourth sister Cecile and her husband Roger de Montalt, Steward of Chester. (fn. 53) Roger died in 1260, and
his son Robert held the overlordship of the manor at
his death in 1275. (fn. 54) Robert was succeeded by his
sons Roger (d. 1296) and Robert, who in 1327, two
years before his death, settled all his estates on himself and his wife for life, with reversion to Queen
Isabel, and successively to her son John of Eltham
and his heirs, and to the king, if he, Robert, left no
male issue. In 1331 his widow surrendered her life
interest to Queen Isabel, and in 1335 Robert de
Morley, Robert de Montalt's heir, granted her the
rents and services due from Ardley manor. (fn. 55) John
of Eltham died without heirs in 1336, so that after
Isabel's death in 1358 Edward III was the overlord.
As early as 1285, however, the mesne tenants, the
De Plescy family, were thought to hold Ardley in
chief. (fn. 56)
In 1086 Ardley was held of the Earl of Chester by
Robert d'Oilly, (fn. 57) and the mesne lordship of the
manor followed the same descent as the overlordship
of Bucknell, passing from the D'Oillys in 1232 to the
De Plescy family and in the 15th century to the
dukes of Suffolk. The tenant of Ardley under Robert
(I) d'Oilly was Drew d'Aundeley, who also held
Hardwick and Shirburn of Robert's own honor. (fn. 58)
About 1100 Drew became a monk of Abingdon, and
gave the abbey some of his land at South Weston.
He was succeeded by his son-in-law, Roger son of
Ralph, a nephew of Nigel d'Oilly, his lord. (fn. 59) Roger
was followed by Ralph son of Roger, probably his
son, who witnessed Robert (II) d'Oilly's charter to
Oseney Abbey about 1130. (fn. 60) . In 1156 Ralph was
pardoned the payment of Danegeld in Oxfordshire, (fn. 61)
and in 1166 he was the tenant of one of Henry (I)
d'Oilly's three fees of the honor of Stafford. (fn. 62) His
wife was named Adelize (fn. 63) and their son Robert had
succeeded his father by 1201. (fn. 64) He temporarily
forfeited his lands in 1215 when he joined the
baronial party opposed to King John. (fn. 65) The date of
his death is uncertain, but his son Ralph son of
Robert presented to Ardley church before 1218 and
in 1221, (fn. 66) and Ralph's brother Guy had succeeded
him at Ardley by 1235 when he granted 9 virgates in
the manor to Oseney Abbey. (fn. 67)
Guy also held ½ knight's fee of the Earl of Winchester at Shipton-on-Cherwell, besides estates in
Warwickshire. (fn. 68) He was escheator for Oxfordshire
from 1246 to 1253, (fn. 69) and sheriff of the county in
1248. (fn. 70) In 1243 Guy held ½ fee in Ardley, while his
other ½ fee in Northbrook appears to have been held
of him by Stephen Simeon and Thomas de la Haye. (fn. 71)
Guy was still in possession of Ardley in 1255 (fn. 72) , but
had been succeeded by his son John by 1268. (fn. 73) If
John son of Guy is 'Johannes, heres de Arde de
Ardul', (fn. 74) then he was one of the twelve jurors whose
returns for Ploughley hundred are embodied in the
Hundred Rolls. John son of Guy took part in the
Welsh and Scottish wars of Edward I (fn. 75) and was
succeeded by 1309 by his son Robert. (fn. 76) Fitzguy, in
the form 'Fitzwyth', now became established as the
family surname. Robert Fitzwyth died in 1316, and
his son Guy, who inherited Ardley, died later the
same year, leaving a widow Joan, and an infant
daughter Elizabeth. (fn. 77) Ardley may have been held
in dower by Joan, who presented to the church in
1318. (fn. 78) By 1326 the manor of Shotteswell (Warws.)
was held by John Fitzwyth, possibly a cousin of
Guy, who was succeeded there by his son Robert, (fn. 79)
who also held Ardley in 1346 (fn. 80) and in 1352 conveyed
part of his Warwickshire estates to his nephew
Robert and his wife Agnes. (fn. 81) It was this younger
Robert who died seized of Ardley in 1362. (fn. 82) The
manner of his death was revealed in 1369 when his
widow, his second wife Joan, and her second
husband claimed her dower in the Fitzwyth manors.
He had died as the result of an attack by an armed
band led by Roger de Careswell which had carried
off Joan to St. Thomas's Hospital, Southwark.
Later, she successfully refuted the allegations of
Joan, Robert's daughter by his first wife, and her
husband John de Beauchamp, that she had willingly
lived in adultery with Roger de Careswell, and her
claims to dower were upheld. (fn. 83) In 1370, however,
she granted her dower in Ardley manor and elsewhere to John de Beauchamp in return for £20 a
year in rents. (fn. 84) In 1375 John had his wife's Oxfordshire manors including Ardley settled upon himself
and his wife and their heirs in fee tail. (fn. 85)
John, who was the son of Richard de Beauchamp
of Holt (Worcs.), fought in the French wars, was
appointed Steward of the King's household in 1387
and was created Lord de Beauchamp, Baron of
Kidderminster. In 1388 when the Lords Appellant
seized power he was attainted and finally beheaded. (fn. 86)
Ardley was taken into the king's hand, (fn. 87) but in
1389 Philip de la Vache, during the minority of the
heir, successfully claimed the wardship of the manor
as overlord on the grounds that it was held in tail,
not in fee simple. (fn. 88) Joan de Beauchamp had died
a few months before her husband's execution, (fn. 89) and
in 1390 Philip de la Vache placed Ardley in the
hands of trustees for the duration of the minority of
her son John. (fn. 90) In 1398, his father's attainder and
forfeiture having been reversed, John obtained his
titles and estates, but in 1400 the atainder was
reaffirmed and he lost the peerage. He died in 1420,
leaving a widow Alice and a daughter Margaret,
widow of John Pauncefoot. (fn. 91) Alice received Ardley
for life, but was dead by 1428, when Margaret and
her second husband John Wysham were in possession. (fn. 92) Margaret had three daughters: Alice, who
married John Guise; Joan, who married John Croft;
and Elizabeth, who married firstly Thomas Croft,
a ranger of Woodstock (d. 1488), and secondly
Nicholas Crowemer. (fn. 93) Margaret and her third
husband Sir Walter Skull were dead by 1472, and
the manor was divided between the three coheiresses. (fn. 94) After the death of Elizabeth without
issue, the third of Ardley which she and Nicholas
Crowemer had held (fn. 95) was divided between her
surviving sisters, for whereas in 1499 John and
Joan Croft held a third of the manor, in 1501 they
held a half, (fn. 96) and in the same year John Guise died
holding the other half. (fn. 97) In 1513 John Croft conveyed his portion to William Billing of Deddington, (fn. 98)
and four years later William acquired the other half
from John Guise's son John. (fn. 99) In 1533 William
died in possession of the whole manor. (fn. 100)
In a letter to Thomas Cromwell written in 1538
Sir Thomas Pope, the future founder of Trinity
College, Oxford, referred to his having bought land
in Ardley of the value of £8 a year from 'one Billyng'
—presumably William Billing's son John. Though
Billing challenged the legality of the sale, (fn. 101) Pope
appears to have kept him to his bargain. In 1540
Sir Thomas received a grant of the lands in Ardley
which had belonged to Oseney Abbey and Studley
Priory before the Dissolution, and five years later
he was granted certain rents previously reserved in
his grant. (fn. 102) By 1555 he appears to have obtained the
manor, (fn. 103) and it formed part of his considerable
possessions at his death in 1559. (fn. 104) Sir Thomas was
succeeded by his brother, John Pope of Wroxton,
who died in 1584. (fn. 105) In accordance with a settlement
made by Sir Thomas, Ardley next passed to his
nephew, Edmund Hochens, and on the latter's death
in 1602 it reverted to William, son of John Pope, (fn. 106)
then Sheriff of Oxfordshire and later created Earl
of Downe (1628). On his death in 1631 his title and
lands, including Ardley, passed to his grandson
Thomas Pope. (fn. 107) In June 1646 his estates between
Oxford and Banbury, presumably including Ardley,
were reported to be 'consumed by the King's
garrisons', and in 1650 they were sequestered.
Ardley, together with the earl's other estates in
Oxfordshire, was let by the Oxford County Committee to Edward Twiford. (fn. 108)
Thomas died without male issue in 1660 (fn. 109) and
was succeeded by his uncle Thomas who conveyed
Ardley manor to Philip Holman in the same year. (fn. 110)
Philip was succeeded by George Holman, and in
1698 his widow Anastasia conveyed the manor to
George Townsend, who was still lord of the manor
in 1718. (fn. 111) In 1753 Ardley was purchased by Charles,
Duke of Marlborough, whose descendants held the
manor until 1894, when the Ardley estates of the 9th
duke were sold by auction. (fn. 112) The manorial rights
were offered for sale, but were withdrawn, a bid of
£100 being rejected. By 1903, however, C. W. Perryman, who had purchased the advowson, had acquired
the manorial rights. (fn. 113)
Lesser Estates
In 1235 Guy son of Robert
granted 9 virgates in Ardley to Oseney Abbey, for
a yearly payment of 1s. or a pair of gilt spurs for all
services. (fn. 114) This estate, which was administered as
part of the bailiwick of Weston-on-the-Green, was
held by Oseney until the Dissolution. (fn. 115) It still
consisted of 9 virgates in the early 16th century, (fn. 116)
when the lord of Ardley manor was receiving 1s. a
year from the abbey. (fn. 117) Studley Priory had acquired
3 virgates in Ardley by 1279 (fn. 118) and had 5s. rents
there at the Dissolution. (fn. 119) In the 1230's Ralph son
of Robert granted Bicester Priory about 11 acres of
land, (fn. 120) and at some time the priory must have
received more land in Ardley, for it is later known to
have held more than 3 virgates. In 1267 it exchanged 2
virgates and 5 acres of this property with William and
Joan Paute for property in Grimsbury (Northants). (fn. 121)
Although in 1279 the priory still held one virgate
in Ardley in free alms of the lord of the manor, (fn. 122)
no more is known of this land, and Bicester had no
property in Ardley at the Dissolution. (fn. 123)
Economic History.
At the time of the
Domesday survey there was said to be sufficient land
for 11 ploughs, although 10 were at work, of which
4 were in demesne and 6 belonged to 8 villeins
(villani) and 15 bordars. (fn. 124) In view of the comparatively small area of the later parish, these figures
are surprisingly high, more especially as there is
13th-century evidence for the clearance of new land.
For when Ralph son of Robert granted Bicester
Priory in the early 1230's pasture for 200 sheep
on the common land, whether it belonged to the
demesne or to the villeins, he made an exception of
Stockmead and a new assart near his manor-house.
These were to be fenced in from Easter to Michaelmas. (fn. 125)
Ralph's charter and a grant of land to Oseney
made by Guy son of Robert in 1235 add further
details about agrarian arrangements. The 9 virgates
which Guy gave to the abbey were held by villein
virgaters, who were also granted with their land and
families; (fn. 126) there were two fields, North and South
Fields, since the 11 acres given to Bicester by Ralph
were divided equally between these two fields;
there were already small inclosures. Bicester, for
example, was given an inclosed (fossatum) piece of
ground called 'Southleye' near the manor woods,
where a sheepfold was to be made.
The account in the Hundred Rolls of 1279 shows
that the lord's demesne had been much reduced. He
had 4 virgates in demesne and nine villein virgaters
paying a rent of 5s. each and working at will. More
than half the recorded land was now held freely;
Oseney held its 9 virgates for 12d.; the Prioress of
Studley held 3 virgates which were occupied by a
free tenant; the Prior of Bicester held a virgate; (fn. 127)
and the rector another. (fn. 128) The only lay free tenant
was an unidentified Ralph of Chesterton, who held
4 virgates. (fn. 129) Only 31 virgates are accounted for
in this survey compared with the 42 recorded in the
17th century. (fn. 130) The 1279 survey is incomplete,
however, since Oseney's tenants, for instance, are
not recorded.
Fourteenth-century tax assessments (fn. 131) show that
Ardley was among the poorer communities in
Ploughley hundred. It seems certain that the village
was comparatively small then and had dwindled in
size by the 15th century, when it was returned as
having fewer than ten households. (fn. 132) Early 16thcentury subsidy lists also point to a small and poor
population, 10 persons being assessed at a low figure
in 1523 and 7 in 1524 compared with 39 at the large
neighbouring village of Somerton. (fn. 133) Decreasing
population was accompanied it seems by a growth
in the size of farms: Oseney's 9 virgates were farmed
in the 16th century to 3 tenants instead of nine.
One held as much as 4 virgates. (fn. 134) Inclosure too was
on the increase. Meadow closes had probably long
existed, but in the early 16th century and perhaps
before there had been inclosure of the arable. Thomas
Prior was accused of inclosing 30 acres worth 10s.
and converting it into pasture in 1505, thus depriving six men of occupation. (fn. 135) The movement was
checked, for 17th-century terriers of the rectory
show that the glebe at any rate was still in strips in
the open fields. (fn. 136) The population may have increased
by 1676, when the Compton Census recorded
51 adults.
The terriers give other indications of conservative
farming practice. There were still only two fields,
now called East and West Fields; (fn. 137) meadowland
was assigned by lot; much of the land was given up
to grazing sheep and cattle. The usual number of
sheep to the yardland was 30, (fn. 138) but the rector was
allowed commons for 6 beasts and 80 sheep for his
two yardlands. (fn. 139) General inclosure must have taken
place after 1685 and before 1770 when the whole
parish, except for 100 acres, was said to be inclosed. (fn. 140)
Davis's map of 1797 shows the inclosed fields with the
arable lying mostly to the south of the village and east
of the Brackley road. Four of the farms were already
fairly large, as they continued to be. In 1839 there
were three of between 50 and 100 acres and three
of over 250 acres. Of these, a freehold farm, which
had once belonged to the Youngs, and two others,
now belonged to the Duke of Marlborough. (fn. 141) He
had put in good heart the exceptionally large Ashgrove farm (522 a.) and in 1870 its tenant Mrs.
Millington won a Royal Agricultural Society cup
for the best-cultivated farm in the Midlands. At this
time the land of the parish was fairly equally divided
between arable (608 a.) and grass (683 a.), and the
main crops grown were wheat, barley, oats, and
turnips. (fn. 142)
In 1956 there were nine farms, 762½ acres were
grassland, 1,083½ arable, and 10 rough grazing. (fn. 143)
In the 18th century all the inhabitants of Ardley
parish were said to be farmers or day labourers, (fn. 144)
but with the sudden growth of population in the
early 19th century, when numbers rose from 109 in
1801 to 191 in 1821, (fn. 145) a few turned to trade or
crafts. In the mid-19th century there were two
journeymen masons, (fn. 146) a lacemaker, a dressmaker,
a carpenter, a shoemaker, a brewer, a baker, a
blacksmith, and two innkeepers. (fn. 147) The population
declined in the second half of the century and by
1901 there were only the Rectory, two farm-houses
and about 30 houses and cottages for the parish's
130 inhabitants. By 1951, owing to the inclusion of
Fewcot in the parish, the number of the inhabitants
had increased to 318 and of houses to 87. (fn. 148) A
wheelwright's works was opened in the 20th century, (fn. 149) and since the Second World War many of
the villagers have found employment at the Bicester
Ordnance Depot.
Church.
There was a church in Ardley by 1074,
when a grant of its tithes was made (see below). The
first recorded presentation occurs in the early 13th
century, (fn. 150) and since then the advowson has, with a
few exceptions, followed the descent of the manor.
An exception occurred in 1318 when Hugh de
Plescy, who perhaps had custody of the manor
during the minority of Elizabeth Fitzwyth, tried
to present to the church. Joan, the widow of Guy
Fitzwyth (d. 1316), contested this claim and the
king's court upheld her right. (fn. 151) Other exceptions
occurred when the king presented in 1363 after the
death of Robert Fitzwyth, and again in 1389 and
1390 because of the attainder of John de Beauchamp.
In 1396 Philip de la Vache presented as guardian
of John de Beauchamp; in 1435 an unidentified
John Blount did so; and in 1441 Walker Skull, the
third husband of John de Beauchamp's daughter
Margaret. After 1472, when the manor was divided
among coheiresses, the advowson was apparently
also divided, for the husbands of two of them,
Thomas Croft and John Guise, presented in 1484
and in 1497 respectively. In 1510 the bishop collated
by lapse and by 1521 William Billing, then lord of
the united manor, held the whole advowson.
For some time after 1540, when the manor and
advowson were acquired by Sir Thomas Pope, the
advowson seems to have been usually leased
separately. (fn. 152) From at least 1559 to 1584 the patron
was Edward Love of Aynho (Northants), who had
also been patron of Stoke Lyne. (fn. 153) He twice sold his
right of presentation. (fn. 154) In the early 17th century
Nicholas Blount (1622) and Ralph Drope, mercer of
Banbury (1629), were patrons. (fn. 155) In 1645 the king
presented because Thomas Pope, Earl of Downe,
had not taken legal possession of his lands. (fn. 156) The
advowson passed with the manor to Philip Holman
in 1661, and in 1682 and 1683 George Holman
presented to Ardley church. (fn. 157) In 1894, when the
Duke of Marlborough's estates in the parish were
sold by auction, the advowson was sold for £470 to
C. W. Perryman of Farnborough (Hants), (fn. 158) who
later bought the manorial rights.
In 1921 the living of Fewcot and in 1933 that of
Stoke Lyne were united to Ardley. (fn. 159) Colonel the
Hon. E. H. Wyndham, lord of the manor of
Caversfield and patron of Stoke Lyne, presents for
two turns, and the executors of Mrs. Perryman for
one turn.
In the Middle Ages Ardley was one of the poorest
parishes in the deanery. In 1254 it was valued at
£2, in 1291 at £4 6s. 8d., and in 1535 at £5 12s. 8d. (fn. 160)
Its value was thus generally slightly above the minimum level of 5 marks considered necessary for the
maintenance of a parish priest. In addition to the
glebe, the rector held a virgate of land from the lord
of the manor for 6d. a year. (fn. 161)
Robert d'Oilly in the late 11th century granted
two-thirds of his demesne tithes at Ardley to the
church of St. George in Oxford castle, (fn. 162) which in
1149 was given, with all its possessions, to Oseney
Abbey. (fn. 163) A late 13th-century rector, Roger de
Schulton (c. 1260–1300), objected to this deduction
from his income, and the case was taken to the Court
of Arches. There, Oseney's proxy declared that the
abbey had been continuously and peacefully in
possession of two-thirds of the tithes of the ancient
demesne, which lay around the park and grove of the
lord John Fitzwyth. (fn. 164) The court's decision has not
been found, but by 1291 the Rector of Ardley was
paying a pension of 10s. to Oseney; (fn. 165) this continued
into the 15th century, but had stopped in the next
century. (fn. 166)
The earliest post-Reformation valuation to be
found is that of 1751, when the church was worth
£80. (fn. 167) In 1839 the tithes were commuted for £285. (fn. 168)
There were then 60 acres of glebe which had been
allotted instead of the 2 yardlands formerly held in
the open fields. (fn. 169) They lay in three arable fields
along the road to Bucknell, and were rented for
about £30. (fn. 170) They have since been mostly sold. (fn. 171)
The rector also had the right to a third of the tithes
on a field in Somerton, which were commuted with
the tithes of Somerton for 30s. (fn. 172)
None of the medieval rectors was remarkable,
and few were university graduates. (fn. 173) An early
exception was Master Helias, a physician, presented
in 1221 before he was even an acolyte by Ralph, son
of Robert. (fn. 174) His successors were rather on the level
of vicars, and most of the exchanges of Ardley were
for nearby vicarages: for the vicarage of Fritwell,
for example, or that of Dinton (Bucks.), but in 1419
it was for a chantry. (fn. 175)
All but one of the 16th-century rectors were
graduates. Among the early ones was Master John
London (1521–4), probably Ardley's most famous
rector. (fn. 176) He was succeeded by Edward Heydon
(1524–37), a student who received his degree three
years after becoming rector. (fn. 177) The living brought
him little immediate profit, as in 1526 out of his
income of £8 he paid a curate over £5 and spent,
among other things, £1 13s. in repairs. (fn. 178) A few years
before there had been complaints that the walls of
the church were dilapidated and the churchyard not
enclosed. (fn. 179)
There was a tendency for post-Reformation
rectors to be absentees: Richard Love (1615–18), a
Fellow of Magdalen College, was also Vicar of Stoke
Lyne, and in 1615 was chaplain to Sir Ralph Winwood, the Secretary of State; (fn. 180) John Hull (1622–9)
was another resident Fellow of Magdalen; (fn. 181) Thomas
Drope (1629–45) was Vicar of Cumnor (Berks.),
where he lived and was buried. (fn. 182) But Lionel Piggott
(1645–82), presented by the king in 1645 (fn. 183) and
evidently a royalist, resided in his parish. He may
have been dispossessed during the Commonwealth,
for there were two nonconformist ministers in
Ardley in the 1650's. (fn. 184) He was living there, however,
after the Restoration, (fn. 185) when it was recorded that
in return for his common pasture rights he had to
provide a 'drinking' for the parishioners at Easter.
It cost 20s. and took place in the parsonage. (fn. 186)
Eighteenth-century rectors, such as John Percival
(1707–53), were likewise often resident. A relative
of the lord of the manor, (fn. 187) he resided 'constantly'
and in 1738 reported that none was absent from
church, that there were two services on Sundays,
and usually fifteen or sixteen communicants at the
four yearly sacraments. (fn. 188) His successor, however,
Benjamin Holloway (1753–78), the first rector
presented by the Duke of Marlborough, was also
Rector of Bladon with Woodstock, (fn. 189) and in his time
Ardley was served by curates, who usually lived in
the Rectory and received a stipend of £30. One of
these was the rector's son, who was allowed 'more
than is generally given to curates'. (fn. 190) It was said that
churchgoing had decreased by the early 19th century,
but the influence of John Lowe, rector for more than
half the century (1815–73) and described in 1864 by
Bishop Wilberforce as 'hearty and good as ever',
led to a revival. (fn. 191) He instituted monthly communion
services and in one year preached about 95 sermons
to congregations of 50 to 60 in the mornings and
70 to 80 in the afternoons. Nothing special impeded
his ministry, Lowe once reported, except 'unbelief
and hardness of heart. These are my great hindrances, and, in a few cases, the love of drinking.' (fn. 192)
Another difficulty, however, was the growing hamlet
of Fewcot which, although in Stoke Lyne parish, lay
much nearer to Ardley church than to Stoke church.
In 1846 Lowe offered to take it into his parish if he
were paid £10 from the vicarage of Stoke, but the
patron refused the offer. (fn. 193) Lowe later complained
of the influence on his parishioners of Fewcot's
increasing Methodist population. (fn. 194) At about this
time Ardley was unusual in having a woman churchwarden, Mrs. Millington of Ashgrove Farm. (fn. 195)
Although the Old Rectory was converted into a
large modern house at the end of the 19th century, (fn. 196)
it was sold in 1923, as after Fewcot had been united
to Ardley the rector went to live in Fewcot. (fn. 197)
The present church, dedicated to ST. MARY (fn. 198)
and largely rebuilt at the end of the 18th century, is
a stone building consisting of chancel, nave, and
western tower. The saddle-backed tower has two
stages and dates from the 14th century, though the
tower arch appears to be earlier.
The present chancel arch and piscina are part of
a 13th-century church, but the chancel windows are
14th century. The south wall has a double piscina
and a low side window, now walled up, which was
formerly covered by a shutter. The elaborate 14thcentury recess on the north wall may have been a
benefactor's tomb and was later used as an Easter
sepulchre; it has a shield on each cusp, one bearing
two bends, perhaps for Oseney Abbey, which had
part of the tithes. (fn. 199)
In the early 18th century Rawlinson found the
church 'but ordinary'. (fn. 200) A number of minor repairs
were later carried out, (fn. 201) but by 1791 the building was
in urgent need of restoration. (fn. 202) In 1792 the original
nave with its two aisles and porch were pulled down
and the present plain nave with five windows was
erected under the direction of the 3rd Duchess of
Marlborough. (fn. 203) In 1834 a western gallery was built
for the inhabitants of Fewcot. (fn. 204) In 1865 a further
restoration was carried out, largely at the expense of
Miss Anne Hind, (fn. 205) which was said to remedy the
'vile architectural taste' of the duchess. (fn. 206) A sum of
£600 was spent. A new roof was put on the chancel;
a new altar, seats, and a heating system were installed; the floor was relaid and the step between the
nave and chancel removed. (fn. 207) The organ, once in an
Oxford college chapel, was installed in 1874, and in
1888 the roof of the nave and the tower were repaired at a cost of £73. (fn. 208)
The circular font is probably 13th century. (fn. 209)
Memorial inscriptions to the following are in the
church: Nicholas Marshall (d. 1729) and family;
John Percival, rector (d. 1753), and family; Richard
Young (d. 1778) and family. (fn. 210) There are marble
tablets to Lady Elizabeth Spencer (d. 1812), 2nd
daughter of George, Duke of Marlborough; to
Thomas Hind, rector (d. 1815), (fn. 211) and to the Revd.
Robert Downes (d. 1816). Rawlinson noted a
monumental inscription in the chancel to John
Norman (d. 1674), Rector of Ickford (Bucks.), but
this cannot now be traced. (fn. 212)
The church was poorly furnished in 1552 with
one chalice and only one cope, two bells and a
'sakering' bell. (fn. 213) In 1955 the plate included an early18th-century pewter plate; (fn. 214) the tower had a 17thcentury and an 18th-century bell. (fn. 215)
The registers date from 1758, but there are incomplete transcripts from 1681. (fn. 216) Churchwardens'
accounts (1757–1892), from which Blomfield made
abstracts, have disappeared. (fn. 217)
Nonconformity
A few Roman Catholics
were recorded in the 18th century: in 1738 a carpenter, in 1759 a woman servant, and in 1771 two
'of low condition'. (fn. 218)
Protestant dissent appeared in the 1820's, and
in 1829 a private house was licensed as a place of
worship. (fn. 219) Later in the century there were a few
Methodists, who sometimes attended church but
occasionally went to chapel at Fritwell. (fn. 220)
Schools.
In 1808 a few children were looked
after and instructed by a 'poor woman'. (fn. 221) In 1815
21 children attended a school where they were taught
the principles of religion at their parents' expense; (fn. 222)
there was an attendance of 16 infants and 6 older
girls in 1833. (fn. 223) By 1854 there was a day school supported by the Rector of Ardley and the Vicar of
Stoke Lyne, and by the weekly pence of 30 pupils. (fn. 224)
In 1861 a school with accommodation for 60
children was built at the expense of the Duke of
Marlborough; it was enlarged shortly afterwards
with the aid of a donation from Miss Anne Hind. (fn. 225)
Although affiliated to the National Society in 1862,
it gave religious instruction when required to
children who were not members of the Church of
England. (fn. 226) The attendance was 65 in 1871, and 29
in 1906. (fn. 227) The school was closed in 1914, when the
children were transferred to Middleton Stoney
school. (fn. 228)
Charities.
None known.