BROOKE
Broc (xii, xiii cent.); Brock (xiv cent.).
The parish of Brooke lies to the south of Oakham
near the Leicestershire border, and was formerly
within the bounds of the forest of Rutland. It contains 1,439 acres, the subsoil of which consists of
Middle and Lower Lias formation. The river Gwash
flows through the northern part of the parish and for
about half a mile forms the boundary between Brooke
and Braunston, its north-west neighbour. The highest
land, some 500 ft. above Ordnance datum, is near the
centre of the parish, and the village lies on the northerly slope overlooking the Gwash, about 2¼ miles from
Oakham station. Most of the houses are of stone,
with thatch, stone or slate roofs. They stand at the
place where the road or path from the south divides,
one branch going west and then north to Oakham, and
another east and north-east, past the church, towards
Egleton. The priory of Brooke stood on the south
bank of the river about half a mile to the north-west
of the village. The site was bought by Andrew Noel
in 1549, (fn. 1) and a portion is now occupied by a picturesque
red brick house (fn. 2) known as the Priory, which incorporates some remains of the monastery. Near to
this house are the ruined gateway and porter's
lodge (fn. 3) of the late 16th-century mansion known as
Brooke House, which was the home of the Noel
family in the 17th century. The second Viscount
Campden lived here, and after his death in 1642 his
widow remained here until her death in 1680, aged
100 years. (fn. 4) The lodge is a small octagonal building (fn. 5) of
two stories, faced with ashlar, with stone-slated roof
and projecting chimney, with the gateway on its
south side. Access to the upper room was by an
external balustraded stair, but the steps and the floor (fn. 6)
are gone. At some later time, probably in the
18th century, the lodge was converted into a dovecote,
the interior being lined with nesting-places in brick.
The gateway has a semicircular keystoned arch on
moulded imposts below an entablature supported by
Tuscan columns, but of the entablature only the
architrave remains. The doorways of the lodge have
four-centred heads and the square-headed windows
are of two lights. On the west front, below the upper
window, are the arms of Noel. (fn. 7)
It is uncertain whether the terraces remaining near
the site of the priory were the work of the canons
or of the Parliamentary forces. (fn. 8) Farther to the
west are earth mounds and a rampart close to
the Gwash which appear to be the remains of an
early settlement. (fn. 9)
Noel, Earl of Gainsborough. Or fretty gules and a quarter ermine.
Manor
The manor of BROOKE is not mentioned in Domesday Book (1086), but was
one of the five berewicks attached to
Oakham Manor. (fn. 10) It was presumably in the hands
of Queen Edith, who held Oakham in the reign of
Edward the Confessor, and its early history followed
that of Oakham (q.v.). (fn. 11) As is shown under Oakham,
Hugh de Ferrers (Ferrieres) gave Brooke to the priory
(later the abbey) of Kenilworth probably before 1153,
and his grant was confirmed by his brother William
and his nephew Walchelin. (fn. 12) The small priory of
St. Mary was founded at Brooke for Austin Canons, as
a cell of the abbey of Kenilworth, (fn. 13) apparently during
the third quarter of the 12th century, and the manor
of Brooke was assigned to it.
The priory of Brooke continued
to hold the manor until its
surrender in 1535. (fn. 14) The prior,
anxious to obtain a good pension for himself, maintained
that the priory at Brooke was
independent of Kenilworth, (fn. 15)
while the abbot claimed it as
a cell of his abbey to which
the manor of Brooke would
revert on the dissolution of
the priory. (fn. 16) To placate Cromwell, the abbot leased the
manor to a friend of Cromwell, (fn. 17) apparently Sir William Fielding. (fn. 18) After
the surrender of the priory, (fn. 19) Henry VIII in 1536
granted the site of the priory and the manor in fee
to Anthony Cope. (fn. 20) The rival claims of Fielding
and Cope were brought for arbitration before Sir
Anthony Fitzherbert, who assigned Brooke to Anthony
Cope. (fn. 21) In 1549 he sold it to Andrew Noel, (fn. 22) who
held the manor in chief by knight service. (fn. 23) Noel
died seised in 1563, when it passed, under a settlement
of 1559, to his executors for thirteen years, for the
performance of the terms of his will, and then to
Andrew, a younger son, in tail male with further
remainders. (fn. 24) Sir Andrew Noel died seised of the
manor in 1607, when he was succeeded by his son
Edward. (fn. 25) The latter married Juliana, the elder
daughter of Baptist Hicks, first Viscount Campden, (fn. 26)
and obtained a fresh Crown grant of the manor and
site of the priory in 1610, a confusion probably having
arisen regarding the lease and grant after the surrender
of the priory. (fn. 27) Noel succeeded his father-in-law in
1629 as Viscount Campden, (fn. 28) and his grandson
Edward, fourth Viscount Campden, was created Earl
of Gainsborough in 1682. The manor has continued
in the possession of the Earls of Gainsborough, (fn. 29) and
the trustees of the present Earl are now lords of the
manor and own the entire parish of Brooke.
The lords of the manor appear to have held view of
frankpledge during the reign of Henry III, without
paying any dues to the sheriff. In 1278 complaint
was made that Richard, Earl of Cornwall, and later
Edmund his son, as lords of Oakham Soke, unjustly
took 10s. a year from the township. (fn. 30) The Noels
continued to hold view of frankpledge after their purchase of the manor (q.v.). (fn. 31)
In 1459 Henry VI granted to the abbey of Kenilworth various privileges in their lands in Rutland,
including the privilege for the abbot's bailiff to act
for the steward, marshal and coroner of the king's
household within the township of Brooke and elsewhere. (fn. 32)
Brooke mill is situated on the river Gwash, east of
the site of St. Mary's Priory. It is mentioned by
name in 1389. (fn. 33) In 1605 the water-mill and a windmill were attached to the manor. (fn. 34)
Church
The church of ST. PETER consists of
chancel 30 ft. by 14 ft. 6 in., with north
aisle or chapel its full length, nave of
three bays 40 ft. by 15 ft., north aisle 13 ft. wide, south
porch, and west tower 8 ft. square, all these measurements being internal. The width across nave and
aisle is 29 ft. The chapel or chancel aisle is separated
from that of the nave by an arch, but as it now exists
is of the same build, and both are under one continuous
gabled roof. The chapel is of equal size to the chancel,
and as originally built may have been set apart for the
canons of the priory. The chancel and nave are under
separate roofs, with intervening gable, the roof of the
chancel being slightly the higher. There is no clearstory. All the roofs are eaved and covered with
Colleyweston slates. Internally the walls are plastered
and the floors flagged. There was a restoration in
1880.
The original building was probably erected in the
first half of the 12th century and would consist of a
small square-ended chancel and an aisleless nave
covering the area of the present one. About 1190–
1200, a north aisle was thrown out and the existing
arcade of three semicircular arches inserted. The
arches are of a single chamfered order with hoodmoulds, and spring from cylindrical piers and halfround responds, with circular moulded bases (fn. 35) and
carved capitals with square abaci. The capitals have
heavy volutes at the angles, the spaces between which
on the piers have stiff-leaf ornament, and on the west
respond a plain indented pattern. The capital of the
east respond is badly mutilated and the abacus has a
hollow chamfer and bevelled angles. The south
doorway is apparently contemporary with the arcades
and has a pointed arch of two orders, the inner with a
round edge-moulding, continued down the jambs
below a restored impost which is supported at the
ends by shafts with moulded bases. The outer order,
which consists of a double cheveron forming a lozenge
pattern on both wall and soffit plane, sits on the walls
beyond the shafts, and the label is an enriched cable
moulding.
The tower was added in the 13th century, and is of
three receding stages, without buttresses or vice. It
is built of rubble, with a lancet window on the west
side of the lower stage and another in the middle stage
facing south. The bell-chamber windows (fn. 36) consist
of two plain lancet lights divided by a mullion, set
within a pointed inclosing arch springing from
moulded imposts on slender jamb-shafts with foliated
capitals and moulded bases. The spandrels are
blank. A corbel table of notch-heads supports the
later battlemented parapet. The arch to the nave
is a pointed one of three chamfered orders, springing
from hollow impost mouldings which, in the outer
order, form the upper member
of the plain bell capitals of
angle shafts.
The further development of
the plan before the end of the
16th century is uncertain, as the
extensive reconstruction then
carried out obliterated nearly
all the old work, a late 14thcentury square-headed window
of four lights alone remaining
in the south wall of the nave.
It is, however, reasonable to
assume that the nave aisle was
originally of less width than
now and that the chancel aisle,
or chapel, whenever added, was
from the first its present size.
No record remains of the architectural character of the east
end of the church before the
rebuilding of the chancel and its aisle in their present
form in 1579. The whole of the nave aisle was rebuilt
at the same time or immediately after. The porch
also is an addition or rebuilding of this period: it has
a round arch and coped gable.
All this work, with the exception of the porch, is
faced with ashlar, and the windows are of one type—
square-headed, with plain rounded lights, returned
labels and moulded jambs. The ashlar facing and
chamfered plinth are extended along the lower part
of the south wall of the nave for about 12 ft. west of its
junction with the chancel, and two three-light windows
in the same wall, one on each side of the porch, were
inserted at this time. The east wall of the chapel is
flush with that of the chancel, with a buttress of three
stages at the junction, the east end of the church thus
consisting of two approximately equal gables. The
chancel has a four-light east window and two windows
of three lights on the south side. The chapel has also
a four-light east window, but its north wall is blank.
The dividing arcade is of two semicircular ashlar
arches of Renaissance character on a square pier and
responds with bevelled angles, moulded capitals and
chamfered bases: there is a short length of wall at
each end. The chancel arch and the arch between the
chapel and nave aisle are of similar design. The nave
aisle is lighted by two three-light windows in the
north wall, and one of two lights at the west end;
there is also a four-centred north doorway, now
blocked. The chancel has a modern curved rafter
roof, and there are modern flat-pitched boarded
ceilings to the nave and aisles.
There is a stone bench against the west wall of the
nave aisle, extended along the north wall as far as the
doorway. The font is of late 12th-century date, and
consists of a rectangular bowl with arcaded sides in
high relief, the round arches resting on circular shafts
with moulded bases and volute capitals. (fn. 37) The
pyramidal oak cover is of late 16th or early 17th
century date.
Plan of Brooke Church
The late Elizabethan oak fittings (fn. 38) are of more than
usual interest. There is a good oak screen in the
eastern arch of the chancel arcade, with two tiers of
solid panels and turned balusters at the top, and at
the west end of the chancel two high-backed square
pews, one on each side, with fluted panelling, door
with good hinges, and open balustraded or pierced
tops, the west sides of which form a chancel screen.
Attached to these pews are two short seats facing east,
with fluted back panelling, and under one of the windows in the south wall a pew with good strapwork
panelling. In the nave and aisle (fn. 39) are eleven square
oak pews with long fluted wall panels, doors, and turned
knobs, and below the tower arch a screen with two tiers
of solid panelling and balustraded top.
The polished oak pulpit and turned altar rails are
perhaps a century later in date: the pulpit has a
canopy with dentilled cornice and ball pendants. In
the chapel is a dug-out oak chest.
Against the north wall of the chapel is a canopied
Renaissance marble monument, with recumbent
effigy, to Charles Noel, second son of Sir Andrew Noel,
who died in 1619, aged 28. The figure is in plate
armour and above the cornice is a large circular
strapwork panel with the arms and crest of Noel. On
the wall behind the figure is a Latin inscription, and
on the pedestal a rhyming English inscription on two
panels. (fn. 40) The colours on the monument are still
good.
On the same wall is a memorial to three men of the
parish who died in the Great War, 1914–18. There
are floor slabs in the chapel to Endymion Cannynge (fn. 41)
(d. 1683), and to Henry Rawlins (d. 1742), 'who was
buried by his fifth wife.' (fn. 42)
There are four bells, the first by Edward Arnold of
St. Neots, 1780; the second by Tobie Norris of Stamford, 1610; the third dated 1648, and the tenor by
R. Taylor of St. Neots, 1811. (fn. 43)
The plate consists of a cup and cover paten of
1629–30, both inscribed 'Brooke church.' (fn. 44) There are
also a pewter plate and flagon.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms
1576–1630, (fn. 45) marriages 1582–1630, burials 1574–1630;
(ii) all entries 1632–1683; (iii) baptisms 1685–1786,
marriages 1687–1779, burials 1685–1766; (iv) baptisms
1786–1812, burials 1787–1812.
Advowson
No dependent chapel at Brooke
is mentioned in Domesday Book,
where, however, the church and
priest of Oakham are recorded. (fn. 46) In 1086 the church
of Oakham belonged to Albert, a Lotharingian
clerk, (fn. 47) but Westminster Abbey claimed the church
by grant of Edward the Confessor, (fn. 48) and later obtained
the advowson. (fn. 49) From the architectural evidence
there was a chapel at Brooke in the first half of the
12th century, when it was dependent on Oakham
(q.v.) and was served by a chaplain. During the
13th century and later the patronage was with the
prior and convent of Kenilworth, the church being
usually served by a canon of either Kenilworth or
Brooke, (fn. 50) but it was probably held under a lease from
the Abbey of Westminster and certainly remained dependent on the church of Oakham. The chapel had
a separate endowment, and in 1509 the rectory
of Brooke was leased by Westminster Abbey to the
prior of Brooke for an annual rent of 106s. 8d. (fn. 51) In
1542, after the dissolution both of the Abbey of Westminster, which had held the patronage of Oakham, and
the Priory of Brooke, the church of Oakham and its
chapelries were granted to the Dean and Chapter
of Westminster, together with certain tithes in
Brooke. (fn. 52) The custom of leasing the rectory of Brooke
to the lords of Brooke was continued. Sir Andrew
Noel appears as lessee in 1605, (fn. 53) Edward Lord Noel
in 1619, (fn. 54) and in 1640 Baptist Noel, Viscount Campden, obtained a new lease at the yearly rent of £6
and 6 'fatt muttons,' or 10s. for each sheep. (fn. 55) In
1652 the commissioners under the Act for abolishing
Deans and Chapters granted the rectory and tithes
to John Grainge. The rectory then consisted of a
parsonage house, half a virgate of land, and other
houses, etc. (fn. 56) The chapel was served by a curate
of the vicar of Oakham, who, however, found it
difficult to maintain his church and chapels. Consequently, in 1658, the inhabitants of Oakham petitioned for a grant of the rents from the different
impropriations to increase the income of the vicarage
Out of this they proposed to increase the endowmen
of Brooke chapel, valued at £20 a year, by £21
Egleton was to be joined with Brooke. An Order in
Council confirmed this scheme, (fn. 57) but probably in
never took effect, and after the Restoration the Dear
and Chapter of Westminster recovered the patronage. (fn. 58)
Brooke chapel remained dependent on Oakham
till 1884, when it was transferred to the newly formed
vicarage of Braunston with Brooke, and the patronage
was assigned to the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln.
The condition of the parish at the end of the
16th century was very bad, judging from the archdeacon's visitations. The chancel was 'very ruinous
in 1577 by default of Sir James Harington, and was
rebuilt in 1579. Other parts of the church were also
in decay. 'The curate will be overcome with drink
marvellously,' he did no catechising, and had 'some
times a drunken evening prayer.' In 1584 there was
no service at Brooke for 16 weeks. The curate was
inhibited in 1587, but in 1590 he was again serving
Braunston and Brooke. (fn. 59)
Charities
Poor's Land, founded by indentures
of lease and release dated 29 and 30
March 1682, consists of 2 cottages
at Morcott, farmyard and land containing 15 acres
26 poles at Morcott, and land containing 15 acres
1 rood 10 poles situated at South Luffenham, which
are let at a net rental of £50 per annum. The income
is applied for the benefit of the Sunday School and
for coal for poor families resident in the parish
and the balance given to poor people at Christmas
and Easter.
James Grocock's Charity, comprised in an indenture
of feoffment dated 20 October 1721, whereby in
consideration of £15 a dwelling-house was conveyed
to the minister, churchwardens and overseers, the
rents to be distributed in bread to the poor. Of this
sum £10 was bequeathed by James Grocock. The
dwelling-house and property have been sold and the
endowment of the charity now consists of a sum of
£260 9s. 4d. 2½ per cent. Consolidated Stock held by
the official trustees, producing an annual income of
£6 10s.
The above-mentioned charities are administered
by a body of trustees in accordance with a scheme
of the Charity Commissioners dated 23 November
1926, and the income is applied towards the general
benefit of the poor.
Poor's Money or Kemp's Charity.—There is a sum
of £5 supposed to have been left by will of Thomas
Kemp, dated 1749, for bread to the poor of the
parish. (fn. 60) The endowment of this charity is included
in that of Grocock's Charity.