ORTON WATERVILLE
Cherry Orton (xv cent.).
The parish of Orton Waterville contains over
1,399 acres of land, (fn. 1) and is separated from Northamptonshire by the river Nene. The altitude varies from
19 to 77 ft. above Ordnance datum. The village lies
about half a mile from the river, about 50 ft. above
Ordnance datum, with the church on rising ground
behind. The railway station is on the London
Midland and Scottish Railway. In 1861 Roman
tesserae and other remains were dug up and indicate
the presence of a Roman villa. (fn. 2) The subsoil is
Oxford Clay and Cornbrash. Various explanations
of the name Cherry Orton have been given, but it is
interesting to find in a will dated 1504 that Cherry
Week was an established and recognised yearly event
in the parish. (fn. 3) The parish was inclosed in 1805. (fn. 4)
Manors
The manor of ORTON WATERVILLE or CHERRY ORTON may,
perhaps, be traced back to the 5 hides of
land at Orton mentioned in one of the spurious
charters of King Edgar, belonging to Peterborough
Abbey. (fn. 5) It was held by the king's thegn Alfheah,
who presumably gave it to the abbey. (fn. 6) In the reign
of Edward the Confessor, five hides of land in Orton
formed a berewick of the Abbey manor of Alwalton,
but, after the Norman Conquest, the holding at
Orton was alienated and granted to a military subtenant, Ansered (fn. 7) or Ansgered, who was the first
of the branch of the Waterville family which settled
at Orton and at Longthorpe in Northamptonshire and
were hereditary marshals of the Abbot's Hall at
Peterborough. (fn. 8) Another holding, assessed at 3½
hides, was held by Godwin in the time of Edward the
Confessor. (fn. 9) The king had soke over the land, and
William the Conqueror gave it to the Abbey of Peterborough, which had granted it also to Ansered before
1086, and the two holdings presumably were formed
into one manor. (fn. 10) He was probably succeeded by
William son of Ansered, whose name appears amongst
those for whose arrears of payments the sheriff
accounted in 1131–2. (fn. 11) William had probably already
been succeeded by Geoffrey de Waterville, whose
name appears in the list of new items for the same
year. (fn. 12) A second Geoffrey appears in 1160–2. (fn. 13) In
1189 Robert de Waterville held a knight's fee in Orton, (fn. 14)
but in 1208 he alienated a quarter of his holding to
Henry Engaine, and his successors held the manor as
three-quarters of a knight's fee. (fn. 15) He seems to have
been succeeded by his son Guy about 1227, (fn. 16) while
another Robert had succeeded before 1252. (fn. 17) In
1275 Guy de Waterville did homage during his
father's lifetime for land in Orton to Abbot
Richard de London, (fn. 18) but he had succeeded to the
manor by 1279. (fn. 19) In 1295 Robert de Waterville held
it, (fn. 20) but by 1303 apparently the service had been
reduced to half a knight's fee. (fn. 21) Before 1347 he, or
his successor of the same name, granted the manor to
William de Thorpe, (fn. 22) who paid an aid to Edward III
in 1347. (fn. 23) The grantee was probably the father
of Sir Robert de Thorpe, who was the king's Chancellor in 1371 and died in
1372, and of Sir William
Thorpe, sen., (fn. 24) although it is
possible that the latter was
himself the grantee. Sir
William was seised of the
manor in 1383, when he
granted it to Sir John de la
Warre, kt., and other feoffees, (fn. 25)
and he seems to have died
before 1395. (fn. 26) The manor
passed to Sir William Thorpe,
jun., probably his son and
certainly the nephew of the
Lord Chancellor. (fn. 27) The descent of his lands after his death (fn. 28) is very obscure,
but the manor was probably sold by his feoffees.
John de Herlyngton seems to have been the tenant
in 1398. (fn. 29) He died in 1408, (fn. 30) and his widow Joan, who
held the manor for life, granted her right in it and the
advowson of the church in 1409 to trustees, (fn. 31) who
appear to have been holding it in 1419. (fn. 32) In 1428,
Sir Henry Brownflete and John Drayton each
answered for half a fee in Orton Waterville, but which
held the Peterborough manor does not appear. (fn. 33) Before
1469, it was in the possession of John Tiptoft, Earl
of Worcester, (fn. 34) whose father John, Lord Tiptoft
and Powys, had bought the manor of Orton Waterville (q.v.) belonging to the Lovetot Barony about
1418. The earl mortgaged the manor of Cherry
Orton, now also probably including the manor just
mentioned, to John Hurlegh, clerk, and other feoffees,
apparently as security for a loan of £100. Hurlegh
provided in his will, on his executors receiving this
sum, for the earl to have full seisin of the manor. (fn. 35)
The earl was beheaded in 1470 during the short
restoration of King Henry VI to the throne. (fn. 36) His
young son and heir, Edward, was restored on the
return of King Edward IV, (fn. 37) but the manor of Orton
Waterville soon afterwards came into the hands of
Laurence Bothe, Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge (1450–80), Bishop of Durham (1456), Lord
Chancellor (1457–59) and Archbishop of York in
1476. (fn. 38) By his will he left all the residue of his property
to certain feoffees for charitable purposes, (fn. 39) and after
his death in 1480 these feoffees conveyed the manor
to the Warden and Scholars of Pembroke College, (fn. 40) to
whom it still belongs.
Waterville. Argent crusilly and a fesse dancetty gules.
Bothe. Argent three boars' beads erect and razed in a border engrailed.
Pembroke College, Cambridge. Valence, Burelly argent and azure an orle of martlets gules dimidiating St. Pol, gules three pales vair and a chief or with a label azure.
The 7½ virgates of land in Orton alienated in 1208
by Robert de Waterville to Henry Engaine were held
by the latter directly of the Abbot of Peterborough (fn. 41)
for the service due from a quarter of a knight's fee. (fn. 42)
Before 1253, the holding passed to John de Folksworth; (fn. 43) in 1275 Sir John de Folksworth did homage
to Abbot Richard de London (fn. 44) and in 1280 was one
of the foresters of the Northamptonshire forests. (fn. 45)
He was succeeded by Henry, probably his son, who
died in 1291, (fn. 46) when his brother John de Folksworth
did homage for his holding in Orton. (fn. 47) Thomas de
Folksworth succeeded between 1338 and 1353, (fn. 48) but
there is no further record apparently of the family
until 1433, when John Folksworth did homage for
lands in Orton Waterville held as a quarter of a
knight's fee. (fn. 49) Later it seems to have passed into the
possession of Pembroke College, Cambridge, since a
holding called 'Foxworths' appears in the terriers
of Orton Waterville in the 16th century. (fn. 50)
A manor in Overton which afterwards became part
of Orton Waterville was granted in the reign of William
the Conqueror to a knight named William Olifard to
hold as half a knight's fee, (fn. 51) but it does not seem possible definitely to identify it with any one of the
Domesday holdings in Overton. It was stated in
1279 that William held it for a long time and then
forfeited it to the king for a felony. (fn. 52) In 1116, Hugh
Olifard of Orton witnessed a transaction in the
Abbot's court at Peterborough. (fn. 53) He appears on the
Pipe Roll in 1131, (fn. 54) another William Olifard in 1163, (fn. 55)
and Walter Olifard a few years later, (fn. 56) but there is no
evidence that any of them held the manor. It would
seem possible that it was not the original William
Olifard who forfeited the
manor, but a later tenant of
the same name, since it was
certainly in the hands of King
John, from whom Nigel de
Lovetot, then holder of the
Lovetot barony, (fn. 57) and lord of
the greater part of Overton,
redeemed the manor from
the king, (fn. 58) which suggests
that it had been held of the
barony before the forfeiture.
Nigel died in 1219, (fn. 59) and his
lands were divided amongst
his three sisters and heirs or
their descendants. (fn. 60) The pourparty of Roesia, the
eldest sister, passed to her grandson Roger de Lovetot,
who had also bought the share of the third sister
Alice from her granddaughter Roesia, wife of John
de Littlebury. (fn. 61) The second sister's pourparty was
granted to certain free men, who were in seisin in
1279. (fn. 62)
Lovetot. Or a lion parted fessewise gules and sable.
Roger de Lovetot alienated part of his manor of
Overton to Guy de Waterville, (fn. 63) the tenant of the
Peterborough manor of Overton (q.v.), and he also had
granted £10 rent in Orton Waterville to his daughter
Petronilla and her husband Henry de Longueville. (fn. 64)
Thus by 1275, Roger's son and heir Thomas de
Lovetot was the overlord of the greater part of
half a knight's fee in Orton Waterville (formerly
Overton), held in chief of the king. (fn. 65) John de
Lovetot died seised of rent in Orton Waterville
about 1348, (fn. 66) and was succeeded by his son Edward, (fn. 67)
who settled the rent on himself, his wife Joan and his
heirs. (fn. 68) He died in 1369, when his son John was a
minor. (fn. 69) The latter seems to have died, since on the
death of Edward's widow Joan, (fn. 70) about 1404, their
heir was Margaret, the wife of Sir John Cheyne. (fn. 71) She
held the overlordship in 1437. (fn. 72)
The manor of Overton, which was granted to
Guy de Waterville, was held of Thomas de Lovetot
in 1279 for a rent of 10 marks and suit of court to the
county and hundred, besides scutage from half a
knight's fee. (fn. 73) Sir Robert Waterville was holding in
1303 and 1316, (fn. 74) and granted it to William de Thorpe; (fn. 75)
and presumably from this time it was held with the
manor belonging to the Lovetot Barony (q.v.), since
they were both apparently included in the grant of
the manor of Orton Waterville in 1481 to Pembroke
College.
It should be noticed that in the elaborate extent
of the manors made in 1279, no villeins appear,
but only numerous free-tenants holding their lands,
as was usual in Huntingdonshire at the time, by an
elaborate system of subinfeudation. (fn. 76) In 1304, Robert
de Waterville was granted the right of free warren
in his demesne lands in Orton Waterville. (fn. 77)
In the reign of Edward the Confessor, Leuric had
3 hides and 1 virgate of land in the king's soke, but
the king granted both Leuric and his land by charter
to the Bishop of Dorchester with sake and soke, and
after the removal of the see it was held by the
BISHOPS OF LINCOLN. The bishop held it in
1086, when an under-tenant named John had been
enfeoffed. (fn. 78) In 1279 the bishop's fee was held by
various free sub-tenants, of whom William de Charewell or Yarwell held 4½ virgates of land by military
service. (fn. 79) A tenement called Yarwells can be traced
in the terriers of the manor of Orton Waterville (fn. 80)
and a Robert Yarwell was seised of a tenement and
windmill there in 1624. (fn. 81) In 1318, 2 messuages and
2 virgates of land, held of the bishop's fee, were
released by Sayer de Waterville to Sir Robert de
Waterville, the lord of both manors in Orton Waterville. (fn. 82) In 1275, the Bishops of Lincoln had for the
last 30 years withdrawn their tenants from suit to
the sheriff's tourn, (fn. 83) and in 1278 the bishop claimed
to hold a view of frankpledge for his tenants in Orton
Waterville. (fn. 84)
In 1278 the Prior of Huntingdon held a virgate of
land in frankalmoin by the gift of Ralph de Amundeville, the husband of Avice, the second sister of Nigel
de Lovetot. (fn. 85)
Church
The church of ST. MARY consists
of a chancel (29½ ft. by 20 ft.), nave
(46½ ft. by 15 ft.), north aisle (10¼ ft.
wide), south aisle (10 ft. wide), west tower (8 ft. by
8 ft.), and south porch. The walls are of rubble with
stone dressings, and the roofs are covered with lead
and slates.
The church is not mentioned in the Domesday
Survey (1086), but it would appear that a stone church
with a north aisle existed here in the 12th century.
This church, with the possible exception of the chancel
(concerning which there is no evidence) appears to
have been rebuilt towards the end of the 13th century,
commencing with the north arcade, c. 1300, which
was rebuilt upon the earlier 12th-century bases, and
following on with the south arcade and the west
tower some ten years later. The chancel arch was
rebuilt c. 1300–1310, and this probably gives us the
date when the chancel assumed its present size, and
probably the lower parts of the walls of this date
remain. The two aisles and the side walls of the
porch were rebuilt c. 1330. The clearstory was
added in the 15th century. The belfry seems to have
been added to the west tower (or rebuilt) c. 1500.
The chancel was evidently rebuilt in the 17th century,
probably upon the old foundations and using much of
the old materials. The nave roof was rebuilt in 1753.
Some repairs were done to the church and tower in
1840–1843. (fn. 86) The chancel roof was much restored in
1919, the roof of the south aisle in 1920, and of the
north aisle in 1924.
The chancel, rebuilt in the 17th century, has a
square-headed four-light east window. The north wall
has two square-headed two-light windows. The south
wall has two similar windows; a 14th-century
blocked single-light low-side window with tracery
in a two-centred head; (fn. 87) and a doorway with a twocentred head and continuous chamfered jambs. In
the south-west angle is a recess with a segmental
pointed arch, possibly for a seat. The chancel
arch, c. 1300–1310, is two-centred, of two moulded
orders, the lower order carried on a group of three
attached shafts with moulded capitals. The roof
is very flat and has some 17th-century moulded
beams, jack-legs and purlins, but has been much
restored.
The late 13th-century nave has an arcade of four
bays on each side, having two-centred arches of two
chamfered orders, that on the north c. 1270, and that
on the south about ten years later. The north arcade
has octagonal columns with moulded capitals (their
neckings cut off) and 12th-century circular bases on
square plinths. The south arcade has octagonal
columns with moulded capitals and bases; the capital
of the middle column is carved with stiff-leaf foliage.
The responds have semi-octagonal attached columns
similar to the arcades. The 15th-century clearstory
has three square-headed two-light windows on each
side, but the eastern window on the south has been
widened to the east and has two wooden mullions and
a wooden lintel. The flat oak roof is dated 1753 on
the western beam; the marks of a steeper roof may be
seen on the east wall of the tower. The gable above
the chancel arch has been lowered and much modernised, perhaps in the 17th century.
The north aisle, c. 1330–40, has a three-light east
window with reticulated tracery in a two-centred
head. The north wall has three similar two-light
windows; a 15th-century square-headed single-light
window; and a doorway with two-centred head and
continuous chamfered jambs. The inner sill of the
westernmost window has an incised circle enclosing a
sexfoil worked upon it. The west wall has a mid
14th-century two-light window with a quatrefoiled
spandrel in a two-centred head. In the south wall,
eastward of the arcade, is a piscina with two-centred
head and an octofoiled basin. In the north-east and
south-east corners are simple semi-octagonal brackets.
The walls have well-moulded plinths and plain parapets, and the buttresses have gabled tops. The
simple lean-to roof has cambered beams, and has been
much restored.
The south aisle, c. 1330–40, (fn. 88) has an east window
and two windows in the south wall, similar to those
in the north aisle. The east wall has a 15th-century
semi-octagonal bracket supported on a carved demiman; and two other plain brackets. The south wall
also has a late 16th-century single-light window with
a triangular head; a doorway with two-centred head
and continuous moulded jambs; and a piscina with
ogee head and sexfoiled basin. The walls have
plinths, parapets and buttresses similar to those of the
north aisle, and the roof is similar.
The west tower, c. 1270–80, has no tower arch, but
an original doorway to the nave having a two-centred
head and continuous chamfered jambs. The north
and south walls have each a small square-headed loop,
and similar loops in the next stage. The belfry
windows, c. 1500, are transomed two-lights with
simple tracery in four-centred heads. The tower has
no buttresses, and the lower parts of the walls are
thick; they begin to batter on their outer faces before
reaching the first string-course, and the second stage
is distinctly narrower at the top than at the bottom.
The added belfry is finished with an embattled parapet
with shallow traceried panels and with small crocketed
pinnacles at the angles.
The south porch has a south wall of c. 1270, with a
two-centred archway of two hollow-chamfered orders,
on responds formed of three grouped attached shafts
with capitals carved with stiff-leaf foliage, and moulded
bases. The side walls, which are of c. 1330–40, have
no windows.
The font, c. 1300, has a plain octagonal bowl on a
central and four smaller octagonal shafts, the latter
with plain capitals and moulded bases, all on a circular
plinth.
There are four bells, inscribed: (1) Thomas Norris
made me 1670; (2) Sic fiat inter christianvs concordia Richd. Chambers C.W. - I: Eayre fecit 1754;
(3) Protege prece pia quos convoco Sancta Maria
1606 T. N.; (4) Jos: Eayre St. Neots fecit Samuel
Sharman Churchwarden 1755. The third bell is by
Tobias Norris (I), who, apparently, has reproduced the
inscription of an older bell. There were already four
bells in 1709. (fn. 89)
The 17th-century Communion table, now in the
north aisle, has turned legs and moulded brackets to
the front rail. The richly carved Elizabethan oak
pulpit is said to have come from Great St. Mary's
Church, Cambridge. (fn. 90) It is hexagonal, with panelled
sides and ogee coving, but without the stem; part of
the sounding-board is now fixed above the north door.
Above the south doorway is a carved Royal Arms of
the Stuart period, perhaps that which is stated to have
surmounted the sounding-board in the middle of the
last century. (fn. 91)
A priest's desk and seat in the chancel incorporate
late 16th-century ends with carved poppy heads,
a panelled front and carved brackets. There are
two chairs, c. 1700, with shaped backs and cabriole
front legs in the chancel; and a 17th-century cupboard
in the north aisle.
On the floor of the north aisle is a brass inscription:
'Hic jacet Joh[an]es de Herlyngton qui obijt xii° die
Januarij Ao d[omi]ni Mill[essi]mo c c c c.o viij°,' with the indent
of a shield below.
There are the following monuments: in the chancel, to the Rev. John Mills, Rector, d. 1892; Royston
Cecil Gamage de Plessis le Blond, d. 1915; Valerie
Helena (Tatman) wife of Norman Harry Sewell, d. 1927;
and floor slab to the Rev. F. Tennant, Rector, d. 1836,
and Catherine his wife, d. 1821; in the nave, floor
slab to Thomas Marshall, . . . .; in the north aisle,
to Richard Chambers, d. 1770, and Mary his wife,
d. 1772; Mary Jane wife of Thomas Amies of Peterborough, d. 1864, and three infants; and the inscriptions 'E.M. 1692' and 'M. Chambers, 1772,'
cut on the stone of the Herlyngton brass.
The registers are as follows: (i) baptisms, marriages and burials, 8 December 1538 to 10 April 1748;
(ii) the same, 15 April 1747 (fn. 92) to 19 December 1812;
marriages end 11 December 1752; (iii) marriages,
9 December 1754 to 13 September 1812.
The church plate (fn. 93) consists of a rather squareshaped silver cup hall-marked for 1683–4; a silver
plate similarly hall-marked; a small silver bowl of late
17th-century date, but the hall-mark unintelligible;
a modern plated flagon. (fn. 94)
Advowson
Only one church at Orton is mentioned in Domesday Book, and this
was undoubtedly the church of
Orton Longueville. (fn. 95) A church at Orton Waterville
existed in the 12th century, (fn. 96) and had probably been
founded by one of the early de Waterville tenants of
Peterborough Abbey. The first recorded presentation
of a rector was made in 1248 by Sir Robert de Waterville, who had successfully opposed a claim to the
advowson made by the lords of the Lovetot fee in
Orton Waterville. (fn. 97) In 1273, Roger de Lovetot
again attempted to gain possession of it, (fn. 98) but it
remained in the hands of the Peterborough tenants.
Another Sir Robert de Waterville apparently sold
the advowson with the manor (q.v.) to Sir William
Thorpe, who presented in 1344. (fn. 99) In 1398, (fn. 100) John de
Herlyngton presented to the rectory and Roger Hunte,
a feoffee of John's widow, presented in 1419. (fn. 101) In
1467, the advowson had passed to John, Earl of
Worcester, the lord of the manor of Orton Waterville, (fn. 102)
and was acquired by Archbishop Laurence Bothe,
by whose executors it was given in 1481 to Pembroke
College, Cambridge. (fn. 103) The church was taxed at
£10 in 1291 and at 16 marks in 1428, when a pension
of 20s. a year was paid to the Prior of Huntingdon.
Its value in 1535 was £13 4s. 8d. (fn. 104)
Although no vicarage was ordained by the Bishop
of Lincoln, vicars were presented from 1325 to 1418
by the rectors of Orton Waterville and were canonically
instituted. (fn. 105) The vicarage farm is mentioned in
1508. (fn. 106)
A chantry at the altar of St. Mary in the church of
Orton Waterville seems to have been founded by
Sir Robert de Waterville, who presented a priest in
1330. (fn. 107) The only record of a licence obtained by him
for the alienation in mortmain of land in Orton Waterville and in Ashley (Northants) was, however, for the
foundation of a chantry with 2 priests in the chapel
of Ashley in 1315, where he or his successor of the
same name was lord of the manor and probably patron
in 1316. (fn. 108) Possibly he changed his original intention
and endowed the chantry at Orton Waterville instead.
The advowson passed from him to Sir William
Thorpe, (fn. 109) senior, and then to his feoffees, who obtained
licence in 1395 to endow two chaplains of the chantries with 45 acres of land. (fn. 110) The institution of two
chaplains may have begun with this further endowment, but separate presentations to the two moieties
only began between 1420 and 1447, (fn. 111) although both
advowsons were in the same hands. In 1409, Joan,
widow of John de Herlington, included the advowson
of the two chantries in the settlement of his estates. (fn. 112)
In 1447 and in 1450 William Tresham and others
presented, (fn. 113) and in 1459 feoffees of Ralph, Lord
Cromwell, made the presentation. (fn. 114) The advowsons
then passed to Pembroke College, which held them
till the dissolution of the chantries. (fn. 115) In 1538, the
chantries were valued at £10 6s. 8d. a year, (fn. 116) but at
their dissolution in 1549, the value was returned at
£12 os. 4d. (fn. 117) Some of the chantry lands in Orton
Waterville were granted in 1549 to Richard Vere and
Bartholomew Gybbes. (fn. 118) One rood of land, which had
been given for maintaining a light in the church
of Orton Waterville, was granted in 1549 to John
Dodington and William Warde. (fn. 119)
Charities
Francis Wright, by will proved
2 January 1857, bequeathed £200
to the rector for the benefit of the
poor of the parish. The endowment now consists
of £218 11s. 8d. Consols with the Official Trustees.
Jackson Wyman, by will proved 1 October 1859,
gave £200 to the rector to be distributed among the
poor of the parish. This sum is now represented by
£209 8s. 6d. Consols with the Official Trustees.
The income of the above-named charities is
distributed by the rector among the poor of the
parish.
By an award of the Inclosure Commissioners dated
18 August 1810, the following allotments in Bush
Field, Orton Waterville, were set out:
Town Close.—To the churchwardens and overseers land containing about 19 acres.
Church Land.—To the trustees of the Church
Land a piece of land containing 8 a. 3 r.
Constable's Land.—To the constable of Cherry
Orton a piece of land containing 1 a. o r. 16 p.
There are no deeds or writings concerning the lands or
property in lieu of which the allotments were awarded.
The lands are now let and about one-half of the
rent is distributed to the poor of the parish in coal;
a yearly sum carried to the churchwardens' account
and the residue carried to the School Account. The
charities are administered by the rector and churchwardens of Orton Waterville.