LITTLE GIDDING
Gedding Engayne, Gidding Warner, Little Gidding
(xiii cent.).
The parish of Little Gidding is bounded on the
north-east by the Bullock Road and Sawtry, on the
south-east by Steeple Gidding, on the north-west by
Great Gidding, and on the south-west by the Alconbury Brook, which separates it from Thurning. The
parish contains 724 acres, and the land, which rises
from 112 ft. above the Ordnance datum at the brook
to about 200 ft. at the village, is about half arable and
half grass. The soil is heavy clay. The nearest
railway station is at Holme, about 8 miles to the
north-east.
The village is celebrated as being the residence, in
the 16th century, of Nicholas Ferrar and his family. (fn. 1)
The ancient manor house where they lived stood
between the present manor farm and the church.
King Charles I is said to have visited the Ferrars
there on three occasions, viz. on 13 May 1633, on
15 March 1642, and on 2 May 1646, on his way to join
the Scotch army. In the following November the
Parliamentary soldiers sacked the house and the
church, and the family fled; they returned, however,
in July 1647, and remained until a few years after the
Restoration, when they finally left the house, although
their names continue to be recorded in the parish
registers until 1748. The house probably began to
fall to ruin when they left it; part of it is said to have
been taken down early in the eighteenth century, and
the remainder in 1798.
An early homestead moat between the church and
the road doubtless marks the site of the Engaines'
manor house.
Manor
The manor of LITTLE GIDDING is
not mentioned by name in the Domesday
Survey, but at that time it presumably
formed part of the manor of Gidding held by William
Engaine, (fn. 2) and it was probably granted by his grandson, Viel, to the latter's younger son, Warner Engaine,
to hold directly of the king. (fn. 3) Warner Engaine held
it as half a knight's fee in 1166. (fn. 4) In 1285 it was
stated that he had given a toft and three acres of land
in Gidding to the Knights Templars for 12d., while
Maud Engaine (perhaps his widow) had given them
the church. (fn. 5) At this early date the manor is generally
called 'Gidding Warner'; later it became known as
'Gidding Engaine' and 'Little Gidding.'
Warner Engaine had at least three sons, Richard,
William, and Henry. Richard, who is always carefully
described as 'Richard son of Warner Engaine,'
probably married Sara de Vere, daughter of the Earl
of Oxford. This lady is often given as the wife of
Richard son of Viel Engaine, but it is clear that the
latter's wife was the daughter of William de Chesney.
Richard was holding half a knight's fee in Huntingdonshire in 1186 (fn. 6) and 1190, (fn. 7) but in 1201 the assessment of his property seems to have been reduced to a
quarter of a fee. (fn. 8) He evidently died before 1208, in
which year his brother William Engaine granted half
a virgate of land in Gidding to William son of Richard
and Maud his wife. (fn. 9) William held a quarter of a fee
in 1210–12; (fn. 10) in 1219 his holding is described as
half a fee, (fn. 11) but this was probably a mistake, for afterwards it was still held as a quarter of a fee. He died
in 1228, when the guardianship of his land and heir,
and the marriage of the heir, were granted by the king
to William de Raleigh, clerk. (fn. 12) The heir was his son
Ralph, who, in 1236, granted the manor as two hides
of land to Warner Engaine, probably his cousin, and
from this time Ralph and his heirs held the manor
from Warner and his heirs for the rent of a silver
mark and foreign service. This agreement was made
between them in the presence of the king, from whom
Ralph held the manor and from whom Warner was
to hold it in future. (fn. 13) A Warner Engaine of Lincolnshire died in 1250, when his brother Thomas answered
for his debts; (fn. 14) but it is not clear how Warner's
mesne lordship of Little Gidding went. Ralph was
succeeded, before 1276, by his son William, (fn. 15) who had
two wives, the first Cecily, and the second Amice.
Cecily was, apparently, daughter and co-heir of
Simon de Copmanford, and in her right William
obtained, by agreement with Silvio de l'Enveyse and
Isabel his wife, the other co-heir, half the manor of
Copmanford with half the advowson of the church. (fn. 16)
William Engaine was alive in 1298, (fn. 17) but in 1307
Little Gidding was owned by his son Ralph, parson
of Copmanford, who, in that year, settled it, together
with the reversion of the third part held by William's
widow, Amice, upon his brother William, with
remainder to William son of William and Agnes and
contingent remainder to Warner, son of William
Engaine the elder. (fn. 18) William the son of William and
Agnes must have died young, and this couple were
apparently succeeded by a daughter who married
Richard de Eye, but was dead by 1361, when her
husband was holding her moiety of the advowson of
Copmanford by 'the courtesy.' (fn. 19) This unnamed
daughter was succeeded by her daughter Amy or
Amice, who had three husbands, firstly Adam de
Morewyk, secondly Gilbert de Haysand, and thirdly
Robert de Stokes. In 1361 she settled the manor of
Little Gidding on herself and Gilbert, with the
remainder to her children, and with a contingent
remainder to Gilbert's brother William. (fn. 20) William de
Morewyk, son of Adam and Amice, in 1377, sold the
reversion of the manor of Little Gidding and half the
manor of Copmanford to Nicholas de Stukeley the
elder. (fn. 21) Amice, however, with her third husband,
Sir Robert de Stokes, was holding the property for
life, and they still held it in 1388 (fn. 22) and 1390. (fn. 23)
Nicholas de Stukeley died about 1379, (fn. 24) when
Little Gidding seems to have passed to his son John,
who, with his wife, Agnes, settled it in 1388 and 1390. (fn. 25)
In 1408, the manor, then valued at 10 marks, was
owned by John Stukeley, (fn. 26) perhaps the son of John
and Agnes, and it seems to have passed, presumably
by sale, soon afterwards to Sir John Knyvet, who, in
1423, sold it to John Gedney, of London. (fn. 27) In 1428
it was held, as a quarter of a knight's fee, by William
Walker. (fn. 28)
We hear no more of the manor until 1510, when
Christopher Drewell died seised of the manor of
Little Gidding with tenements in the same and in
Steeple Gidding and in Little Stukeley said to be
held of Thomas Cheney and the Abbot of Ramsey. (fn. 29)
Steeple Gidding and Little Stukeley were held of the
abbot, but it does not appear that Thomas Cheney
ever held the manor of Little Gidding. Christopher
was the son of Robert, son of Stephen Drewell, (fn. 30) but
there is no evidence that either his father or grandfather held any land in Little Gidding. He left a life
interest in his estates to his wife, Margaret, with
reversion to his heirs. (fn. 31) Christopher's son and heir,
John, died a month after his father, and was succeeded
by his brother Robert, then aged 19. (fn. 32) Robert,
who married Elizabeth (or Katharine), daughter of
Humphrey Stafford, of Blatherwick, made his will in
1558, and died in 1561, seised of the manor. (fn. 33) His
son and heir, Humphrey, settled the manor, in 1596,
on his son Humphrey Drewell junior (afterwards
Sir Humphrey), but reserved to himself and his wife,
Etheldreda, a yearly rent of £100. (fn. 34) The father and
son, soon afterwards, sold the manor to Sir Gervase
Clifton for £5,500. (fn. 35) It was arranged that Sir Gervase
should retain £1,000 of the purchase price and pay
the rent of £100 to Humphrey Drewell senior and
his wife. Sir Gervase Clifton, in 1612, settled the
manor on Esme, Lord Aubigny, upon the latter's
marriage with Sir Gervase's daughter Katharine. (fn. 36)
Apparently some dispute arose as to the £1,000, for
in 1619, after Sir Gervase's death, Esmé, then Earl
of March, brought a suit in Chancery against Sir
Humphrey, in the course of which Sir Humphrey
declared that, although his father and mother were
both dead, Sir Gervase had not paid him a penny of
the £1,000, but he had, at an earlier date, given
several obligations in respect of Sir Humphrey's debts,
amounting to £200. He said, moreover, that he had
been informed of the proposed sale of the manor to
Esme, and that Sir Gervase had promised that, on
the completion of purchase, he would pay the £1,000
into the hands of a trustee to ensure the payment of
the rent of £100; and he said, further, that Esmé
had, afterwards, brought a suit against Sir Gervase to
discover the encumbrances on the manor. (fn. 37)
In 1620 the Earl of March sold the manor to Thomas
Sheppard, (fn. 38) who, in 1625, sold it to Nicholas Ferrar
and Arthur Woodnoth, (fn. 39) as trustees for the former's
mother, Mary Ferrar.
Mrs. Ferrar not only repaired the house and
church, but in 1633 she restored some alienated
glebe to the rector.
On her death, in 1634, Mrs. Ferrar left the manor,
by will, to her son Nicholas, who was the originator
and guiding spirit of that little band of religious
devotees who settled in Little Gidding and by their
zealous enthusiasm and piety, their sincerity and
learning, and their industry made the house a place
of note and attracted to it
visitors of all ranks and of all
shades of opinion. (fn. 40) Nicholas
died, unmarried, in 1637,
when the manor passed to his
elder brother, John. John had
three children: Nicholas, who
followed in his uncle's footsteps, but died, unmarried, at
the age of 21; John; and
Virginia, who lived with her
brother John and died, unmarried, in 1688, and was
buried at Little Gidding. On
John's death, in 1657, his
heir was his son, John, who married Amy Brooke
and had six sons—Brooke, John, Thomas, Nicholas,
Basil and Edward—and two daughters. On his death,
in 1720, he was succeeded by John, who married
firstly Mary Squire, and secondly Elizabeth Goddard,
but died childless in 1737, and was succeeded in the
manor by his brother Thomas, who was rector of
Little Gidding from 1691 to 1706, when he became
rector of Sawtry St. Andrew, which he held, as also
the rectory of Hamerton, until his death.
Ferrar. Or a bend cotised sable with three borseshoes or thereon.
Annesley. Paly argent and azure a bend gules.
Hopkinson. Azure a cbeveron argent between three stars or within a border or with three lozenges gules on tbe cbeveron.
Thomas married Martha Goddard, and died in
1739, when his heir was his only surviving son,
Thomas, who died in 1748, leaving the manor, by
will, to his sister Judith, wife of William Horne, for
life, and then to his cousin Nicholas Ferrar, son of his
uncle Basil. Judith died in 1749, when Nicholas
succeeded. In 1753, Nicholas with his daughter,
Champante Alice, and her husband, Gaspard Larne,
conveyed the manor to his brother Henry Ferrar. (fn. 41)
In 1767, Henry Ferrar sold the manor to Arthur
Annesley, but subject to the dower of his wife Mary. (fn. 42)
Arthur Annesley died in 1773, when he was succeeded
by his son, Arthur, who lived until 1844, but apparently settled the manor on his son, a third Arthur
Annesley, who, as Arthur Annesley the younger, was
dealing with it in 1807. (fn. 43) In 1844 he succeeded a
distant relative as 10th Viscount Valentia, and in 1848
he sold the manor to William Hopkinson, of Stamford,
who died in 1865. The manor then passed to his
nephew, the Rev. William Hopkinson, of Sutton
Grange, Northants, who sold it in October 1910 to
Mr. Frank Fisher, of Watford, Herts. It was put up
for auction in August 1918, and purchased by Mr.
George H. Whattoff, but the manorial rights seem to
have been lost.
Humphrey Drewell, junior, sold land and a windmill
in Little Gidding to Oliver Cromwell and Thomas
Haselrigge, junior, in 1592, (fn. 44) but this could only have
been a lease because the mill passed with the manor
in 1596, 1620 and 1625. (fn. 45) There is no windmill in
Little Gidding now.
Plan of Little Gidding Church
Church
The church of ST. JOHN THE
EVANGELIST consists of a chancel
(22¾ ft. by 12 ft.), nave (32¾ ft. by 13¼ ft.)
and a modern vestry on the south (13½ ft. by 9½ ft.).
The walls are of red brick with some stone dressings,
and the west wall is entirely faced with stone; the
roofs are covered with stone-slates, and that of the
vestry with slates.
The church is not mentioned in Domesday Book
(1086), but there was certainly a much earlier church
than the present. It seems to have had a chancel, (fn. 46)
nave, north transept (fn. 47) (or perhaps an aisle) and a west
tower. (fn. 48) It was in a neglected state and used as a
barn in 1625, in which year it was repaired and
restored to its proper use, new floored and wainscotted
throughout, and provided with a new brass font, a
brass eagle lectern, and a gallery at the west end for
the organ. The church was greatly damaged by
Cromwellian soldiers in 1646, when they destroyed
the organ and threw the eagle lectern into the wood.
In 1714 the nave was entirely rebuilt and the north
transept and west tower were pulled down; the
chancel was apparently rebuilt at the same time, but
in a cheaper style. (fn. 49) In 1853 the church was thoroughly
restored, reseated like a college chapel, the windows
reglazed, and the vestry added. The east wall and
south-east corner were repaired in 1921.
The brick chancel, c. 1714, has stone foundations
on part of the south side and at the north-east corner.
It has a modern semicircular-headed east window all
of plain brickwork. (fn. 50) In the south wall is a modern
doorway to the vestry. The chancel arch, which is
apparently of brick and semicircular, is encased in
oak panelling. The roof is modern. The modern
vestry, 1853, has a plain square-headed window in
the east wall and a fireplace in the south wall.
The nave (1714) has two square-headed windows
with plain stone architraves in each of the side walls;
and in the west wall is a square-headed doorway with
Renaissance architraves and an entablature and
moulded cornice—the frieze inscribed 'This is
none other but the House of God and the gate of
heaven.' The west front has plain pilasters at the
angles, each surmounted by low pedestals on which
is the date 1714, finished with small obelisks. The
gable above is occupied by a Renaissance bell-cote
with rusticated pilasters at the sides and finished with
a steep pyramidal pinnacle with a ball on the top.
There is one bell, without inscription. There was
no bell in 1840. (fn. 51)
The font, c. 1625, is of brass, and has a small basin
on an elegant baluster stem; it has lost its base and
is now fixed to a brass ornament consisting of a
leopard's head between two wingless griffins, which,
in its turn, is fixed to the stone steps of the font. It
has a brass cover in the form of a crown of crosses,
fleur-de-lis and trefoils. Round the bottom of the
stem are the words 'Dei Dei Dei.' It is said that
c. 1625 Mrs. Ferrar provided the church with a new
font with legs, laver and cover, all of brass. (fn. 52)
The brass eagle lectern, also the gift of Mrs. Ferrar,
c. 1625, has an eagle desk on a moulded stem and base
and with three lions as feet. This lectern was thrown
into the wood in 1646, (fn. 53) but was recovered and
restored to the church soon afterwards, for it was
certainly in the church in 1708, (fn. 54) 1748 (fn. 55) and 1846. (fn. 56)
A brass hour-glass stand on an iron bracket, probably of c. 1625, is fixed to the north respond of the
chancel arch. A large bronze candelabrum is inscribed
to the memory of the Rev. Samuel Edmund Hopkinson, d. 1841.
Fixed to the west door is a small modern brass
plate, inscribed 'The House of Prayer.'
The altar has turned legs and moulded rails, and is
probably of 1714.
The walls of the chancel are lined with a high dado,
c. 1714, of oak panelling with turned balusters supporting segmental arched ribs in front; at the east end is
a reredos of four panels, rearranged in 1853, upon
which are fixed the brass tablets inscribed with the
Lord's Prayer, Creed and Ten Commandments, of
1625.
The north and south and west walls of the nave are
lined with oak panelling, in front of which is an arcade
of balusters supporting arched ribs with pendants in
the middle, and with cornice above. Those on the
south are probably of 1714, but those on the north
are modern; they have all been raised above their
original level and now rest on modern oak stalls.
On the west wall is an embroidered panel of the
royal arms of Charles I, and another piece of tapestry,
both the work of the Ferrar household; and in a glass
case below the south-west window is an example of
their bookbinding.
There are six brass plates fixed to the responds
of the chancel arch, and commemorating (i) Mary,
daughter of Soloman and Judith Mapletoft and granddaughter of John and Susanna Collet, d. 1656; (ii)
John Ferrar, d. 1657; (iii) Susanna (Ferrar), wife of
John Collet, d. 1657; (iv) Ann (Brook), wife of John
Ferrar, d. 1702; (v) Eleanor (Long), relict of James
Goddard, d. 1717; and (vi) John Ferrar, d. 1719.
There is a modern brass tablet to the Rev. John
William Aytoun, rector, d. 1918. There are modern
memorial windows: in the vestry, to W. H. [William
Hopkinson] 1855; in the nave, to John Williams,
Bishop of Lincoln, 1621–1641; Nicholas Ferrar,
d. 1637; King Charles I; William Hopkinson, d.
1865.
In the churchyard, to the west of the church, are
the table-tomb of Nicholas Ferrar; three stones with
indents of inscription plates; a slab to John Collet,
d. 1650; and a partially obliterated inscription to
Susannah daughter of John and Susanna Collet and
wife first to Joshua Mapletoft and afterwards to James
Chedley, d. 1657.
There is only one ancient register, viz.: baptisms
7 February 1657 to 12 May 1782, marriages 23 October
1662 to 7 February 1748/9, burials December 1637 to
2 January 1781. The earlier part is said to be copied
from an older book, now lost, but there is no evidence
of this.
The church plate (fn. 57) consists of a silver chalice
engraved with the arms of Hopkinson, Azure, on a
chevron Argent, between three estoiles Or, as many
lozenges Gules; crest, a demi-lion rampant; and
motto 'Pro Rege meo prosperis et adversis'; and
inscribed ' D.O.M. Hanece lagenam cum patinâ in
usum fidelium D.D. Gulielmus Hopkinson Dominus
manerii de Gidding Parvâ Div: Joan: Fest: A.S.
MDCCCLIII,' hall-marked for 1853–4; a cover
paten for the same, inscribed '1853,' hall-marked as
the chalice; a plain silver 17th-century standing
paten, said to have belonged to Nicholas Ferrar, no
hall-mark; a silver standing paten hall-marked for
1629–30; a silver alms-dish inscribed 'For the
Church of Little Gidding of the guift of Susan Beckwith,' hall-marked for 1634–5; a silver flagon inscribed
'What Sr Edwyn Sandys bequeathed To The Remembrance of freindship His freinde hath consecrated To
The Honnour of Gods seruice, 1629,' and on the handle
'For the Church of Little Giddinge in Huntingtonshyer,' hall-marked for 1629–30; a 17th-century
crucifix, given by Lady Grosvenor in 1915, and
inscribed 'From S. M. G., Whitsuntide 1915,' 'In
remembrance of Nicholas Ferrar and his household,
that with them we may be partakers of Thy Heavenly
Kingdom.'
Advowson
Maud Engaine, probably widow of
Warner Engaine, gave the church to
the Knights Templars' Preceptory of
Temple Bruer, (fn. 58) before 1185. The Templars retained
the advowson until their suppression in 1312. In
1313 the Bishop of Lincoln presented, but by 1335 the
advowson had passed to the Hospitallers of St. John
of Jerusalem, who retained it until the Dissolution. (fn. 59)
It then passed to the Crown, with which it still remains.
Since 1875, when the benefice was joined to Great
Gidding, the Lord Chancellor has presented alternately
with the patron of that benefice, and since 1925 the
patronage has also been shared with the patron of
Steeple Gidding.
For charities see Great Gidding.