PILTON
Pilchetone (xi cent.), Pilkethon, Pilkintona, Pilketun
(xiii century).
The parish of Pilton contains 1,406 acres of land. (fn. 1)
The subsoil is mainly Oxford clay, with some great
oolite and cornbrash. (fn. 2) The greater part of the land
is laid down in permanent grass. In the north-west,
the land near Bearshank Wood rises to 254 ft. above
the ordnance datum, but near the River Nene, which
forms the eastern boundary, it is low-lying, about
100 ft. above the ordnance datum. (fn. 3) A bridge over
the river, which is mentioned in the reign of Edward I, (fn. 4) connects the village of Pilton with Lilford
parish. In the early 18th century the bridge was
built of stone with ten arches, the three nearest to
Pilton being repaired by the lord of the manor. (fn. 5) The
name Bearshank, now only given to the wood, may
have been used for the north-western portion of the
parish, since Robert 'Bareschanke' of Caistor in the
13th century paid separately for his land in Pilton his
quota for sheriff's aid and other dues to the Hundred
Court. (fn. 6) The wood is mentioned in 1540, (fn. 7) and in
1565 was appurtenant to Aldwinkle manor, but the
inhabitants of Pilton had common rights in it. (fn. 8) A
homestead moat lies to the north of the wood. (fn. 9)
Quarries existed in the 16th century and were used
in the building of Lyveden House. (fn. 10) They were
worked in the early 18th century, but are now disused.
The village lies near the Nene, with the church and
rectory to the east. The rectory house stands
immediately to the south-east of the church, and is the
old manor house of the Treshams. It is a picturesque
16th century building, with dormered gables and
mullioned windows, much restored and with modern
additions. Little of the ancient work is left inside
except a handsome oak staircase with turned balusters
and square newels with shaped tops, which goes the
full height of the house, and a large panelled upper
room with a segmental ceiling and good four-centered
stone fireplace.
Manors
PILTON or PILKETON may
probably be included amongst the
pre-conquest possessions of the Abbey
of Peterborough, but the first mention of it seems to
be in Domesday Book, when the Abbey held 2½ hides
of land of the King in chief. (fn. 11) The whole of this land
was subinfeudated, and the Abbey retained the
overlordship till its dissolution, the last actual mention
of the overlordship of the manor being in 1534. (fn. 12)
The sub-tenant in 1086 was Roger, (fn. 13) ancestor of
the Torpel family, who held 12 hides of the Abbey in
Northamptonshire, for the service due from 6 knights'
fees. (fn. 14) Later documents show that their manor in
Pilton was held for the service of 1½ knights' fees, (fn. 15)
with castle-guard at Rockingham. It seems possible
that these fees also included 1½ virgates of land,
which in Domesday Book were held by Roger in
Wadenhoe. (fn. 16) In the 12th century Survey of Northamptonshire, Roger Infans, his successor, held
2 small virgates under the heading of Wadenhoe, but
the entry is confused, and it seems probable that the
land was in Pilton, which with Wadenhoe and Stoke
formed one township. (fn. 17) The Torpels held Pilton till
the first half of the 13th century. (fn. 18) Robert de
Torpel, who succeeded Roger Infans, was tenant in
1130. (fn. 19) He was apparently succeeded by Roger de
Torpel, who granted land to St. Michael's of Stamford for the soul of his wife Mary, (fn. 20) and died about
1178. (fn. 21) His son Roger, a minor at his father's death,
married Ascelina, daughter of Saher de Quinci. (fn. 22) It
was probably their son Roger who in 1225 brought an
action against his aunt Maud regarding the lands of
his mother. (fn. 23) He died in that year, when the custody
of the lands of his heir, held of Peterborough, was
granted to the Abbot of Peterborough, (fn. 24) and the lands
held in chief, to Ralph Bishop of Chichester. (fn. 25) The
last Roger died in 1229, apparently a minor, before
having livery of his inheritance. (fn. 26) He had married
in his father's lifetime, and was survived by his widow
Mabel. (fn. 27) The wardship and marriage of their son
Roger was granted in 1229 to L. Dean of St. Martin'sle-Grand, later Archbishop of Dublin. (fn. 28) The lastnamed Roger probably died a minor and unmarried,
as Ascelina de Torpel, the wife of Ralph de Camoys, (fn. 29)
obtained seisin of his lands between 1242 and 1251. (fn. 30)
As the Torpel fees were still apparently held in wardship, at the earlier date, Ascelina must have been the
sister of the last Roger de Torpel. Her husband is
said to have been that Ralph de Camoys who died in
1259, but none of the Torpel fees is mentioned in the
inquisition taken after his death, (fn. 31) and it seems impossible that Ascelina could have been the mother of
his son and heir Ralph, who was over 40 years old at
his father's death. (fn. 32) It seems clear that she was the
wife of the younger Ralph, who died seised of the 6 fees
of the Torpel inheritance in 1277. (fn. 33) His son and heir
John was then over 25 and of a suitable age to be
Ascelina's son. (fn. 34) John was also the heir of Mabel de
Torpel, probably the widow of the last Roger de Torpel,
who died the same year seised of a Kentish manor. (fn. 35)
She also held certain assarts in Pilton, presumably as
part of her dower. (fn. 36)
Camoys. Argent a chief gules with three bezants therein.
Tresham. Party saltirewise sable and or with six trefoils or.
In 1280, John de Camoys released part of the
Torpel fees to the King and Queen, but retained
Pilton. (fn. 37) It passed after his death in 1298 to his
son Ralph (fn. 38) and grandson
Thomas. (fn. 39) The latter was
granted one fee in Pilton by
his father, including all the
demesne lands, (fn. 40) and after his
father's death in 1336 he
obtained the other half fee. (fn. 41)
Thomas de Camoys and
Robert de Thorpe were holding a fee here in 1346. (fn. 42) In
1369, however, Camoys, whose
only son died in his father's
lifetime, (fn. 43) released all his right
in the manor of Pilton to Sir
Robert Thorpe. (fn. 44) The latter was succeeded by Sir
William Thorpe, (fn. 45) who died in 1391, and directed in his
will that the option of buying certain lands in Pilton
should be first offered to John Mulsho. (fn. 46) Presumably
John Mulsho obtained the whole manor, since in 1428
the 1½ knights' fees formerly held by Sir Thomas
Camoys and Robert de Thorpe had passed to Thomas
Mulsho, (fn. 47) probably Sir Thomas Mulsho of Newton,
one of whose daughters and co-heirs, Alice, married
Henry, second son of Sir William Tresham, (fn. 48) father
of Sir Thomas, who founded
the Rushton branch of the
family. Richard Tresham, said
to be her grandson, (fn. 49) died
seised of Pilton manor in
1533. (fn. 50) It passed in direct
descent to John (d. 1539), (fn. 51)
Maurice, (fn. 52) and Sir Thomas
Tresham. (fn. 53) The last named
was succeeded in 1636 by
his son Thomas, whose son
Maurice is mentioned in a
settlement of 1628. (fn. 54) It
would seem possible that he
was the Maurice Tresham who held the manor in
1639, (fn. 55) but a Maurice Tresham was apparently the
lord of the manor in 1666 and 1671. (fn. 56) It passed
to George Tresham, who died before May, 1684, (fn. 57)
and to his son Edward Tresham, who only survived
him till 1692. (fn. 58) His heir seems to have been
Clemencia Tresham, (fn. 59) but in 1714 his mother and
others, probably trustees, sold the manor to Sir
Thomas Powys, (fn. 60) whose descendant, Lord Lilford, is
now lord of the manor. (fn. 61)
The small holding, which the 11th and 12th century
tenants of the Abbey of Peterborough held in Wadenhoe or in Pilton, (fn. 62) may perhaps be identified with
the land held by a family taking their name from the
place. The Piltons were tenants of the Torpels, (fn. 63)
and their successors, and held ¼ of a knight's fee of
the manor of Pilton, (fn. 64) but they paid sheriff's aid and
other dues themselves, (fn. 65) so that it is probable that
their holding was originally separate from the main
holding in Pilton. William de Pilton (Pilkinton),
who was also known as William de Liveden, (fn. 66) was
succeeded by his son Robert de Pilton or Robert the
knight (le knith or chnit) of Pilton, who lived in the
last quarter of the 13th century. (fn. 67) Robert had three
sons: Geoffrey, his successor; John, apparently a
clerk, and Thomas, and a daughter Cicely. (fn. 68) Geoffrey
was succeeded by Thomas. (fn. 69) It seems possible that
their quarter fee was bought by Sir Robert de
Thorpe, (fn. 70) who evidently held land there by military
service as a sub-tenant of Sir Thomas Camoys, (fn. 71) before
the latter sold the manor (q.v.) to him.
In 1318, Ralph de Camoys obtained a grant of free
warren in his demesne lands in Pilton, (fn. 72) but in 1329,
when summoned as to his claim for free warren, the
warren was taken into the king's hands, in spite of the
charter, because Ralph had enfeoffed his son Thomas
with all the demesne lands of Pilton. (fn. 73) In 1620 Sir
Thomas Tresham obtained a new grant of free
warren in the manor of Pilton. (fn. 74)
A free fishery at Pilton is mentioned in an extent of
1277. (fn. 75)
Church
The church of ST. MARY and
ALL SAINTS (fn. 76) consists of chancel,
24 ft. by 14 ft.; clearstoried nave of
three bays, 35 ft. 9 in. by 17 ft. 6 in.; north and south
aisles, south porch, and west tower, 6 ft. 6 in. square,
surmounted by a broach spire. The width of the
north aisle is 10 ft., and that of the south 13 ft. 6 in.,
the total width across nave and aisles being 45 ft. 8 in.
All these measurements are internal. There is also a
modern vestry covering the north aisle doorway.
The chancel was rebuilt in 1864, and an extensive
restoration of the church in 1874–5 involved a large
amount of rebuilding, but the reconstruction appears
to have followed the lines of a 12th and 13th century
church, considerable portions of which remain. The
chancel is faced with dressed stone and has a slated
eaved roof, but the rest of the building is of rubble,
plastered internally, with plain parapets and lowpitched leaded roofs. The tower and spire were
restored in 1896.
The chancel is of three bays with windows in the
13th century style, but the arch to the nave is old, of
two chamfered orders, the inner springing from halfround responds with restored 13th century capitals
and bases. The nave arcades are of two chamfered
orders, the outer stopped by a half dog-tooth, on
octagonal piers and responds with moulded capitals
and bases. The nail-head ornament occurs in the
capital of the eastern pier on the south side.
The south doorway (c. 1170–80) has a round arch
of two orders. The outer order has a row of cheverons
on the wall-plane, and another on the soffit-plane,
forming a series of hollow lozenges: the capitals of
the jamb-shafts have water-leaf ornaments, and there
is a row of dog-tooth in the hood. The south
porch is mainly of the 13th century. It has lateral
benches and a chamfered arch, with nail-head on
the chamfer and in the hood. On either side of the
opening, below the springing of the arch, are two
shields, set one above the other. The upper shield in
each case bears a saltire, while the lower shield,
which is larger, bears three trefoils, the arms of the
Treshams who were lords of the manor from the
15th century.
Much of the outer walls of nave and aisles is old,
as well as of the window-tracery, but all has been
patched with new masonry. In the east wall of the
south aisle is a very good three-light window with
cusped circles in the head, and the neighbouring twolight window in the south wall is of similar character.
The east window of the north aisle is composed of
three very slender lights with intersecting tracery,
and there is a three-light 15th-century window at the
east end of the north wall. A two-light square
headed window of the late 16th or early 17th century,
has been built into the north wall of the vestry.
The tower is tall and slender, of three stages, with
moulded plinth and diagonal buttresses. The west
doorway, with rather solid 13th century mouldings
on jamb-shafts with moulded capitals and bases,
has been much restored. The bell-chamber has twolight openings with forked mullions and excellent
mouldings, c. 1280–1300. There is no vice. The
spire is contemporary, with two rows of spire-lights,
above a corbel table of heads and other devices.
These portions of ancient work indicate the rebuilding of a 12th century church towards the end
of the 13th century. The clearstory and parapet of
the nave were added in the later part of the 14th
century; the windows of the clearstory, two on each
side, appear to be old, with tracery of quasi-flamboyant character.
The font is octagonal, with a band of carved foliage
on the underside of the bowl, on an octagonal pedestal
with moulded base and griffes at the angles. The
piscina in the south aisle is modern, but is probably
imitated from an earlier one. An old scratch dial is
built into the east jamb of the western window in
the south wall.
The pulpit and other fittings are modern. There
are brass tablets to the 4th Baron Lilford (d. 1896),
and his first wife Emma Elizabeth Brandling (d. 1884).
There are four bells in the tower, the same number
as in 1552. The treble is by Thomas Newcombe, of
Leicester (1506–20), with the recurrent letter S
alternating with a cross; the second and third are
by Tobie Norris, of Stamford, 1610, and the tenor
has the inscription 'Nomen Magdalene Campana
geret melodie,' with the marks of John Danyell, of
London (1450–61). (fn. 77)
The plate consists of a silver cup, paten, and flagon
of 1864, given by the Rev. Richard Hodson, rector. (fn. 78)
The registers before 1812 are contained in two
volumes; (i) baptisms and burials 1569–1812,
marriages 1569–1754, (ii) marriages 1754–1812.
Advowson
The advowson of the church was
presumably always appurtenant to
the manor, the first recorded presentation being in 1221 by Roger de Torpel. (fn. 79) The
presentations have been made uninterruptedly by the
lords of the manor or their trustees, (fn. 80) with the possible
exceptions of Thomas Beofitz in 1472 and 1475, (fn. 81)
and James Digby in 1670. (fn. 82) Lord Lilford is the
present patron of the living. The benefices of Pilton
and Wadenhoe being united in 1925, the presentation
is now made alternately by Lord Lilford and the
trustees of Capt. Hunt.
Charities
The charity of Thomas Thurlby
founded by will dated 24 September
1515, and the Inclosure Rent Charge
recited in a deed poll dated 30 March 1756, are
regulated by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners
of 10 July 1900. The property originally consisted
of a close of 2 acres called Chambers Close, and
about 15 acres of land and a rent charge of £2 out of
land in Pilton. The land has been sold and the
rent charge redeemed and the endowment now consists of £601 5s. 2d. Consols producing £15 0s. 4d.
yearly in dividends. The income is applied by the
Churchwardens as to two-thirds in church expenses
and as to one-third in the distribution of coal. By
his will dated 30th January 1711, Richard Ragsdale
gave a sum of 10s. yearly to the poor. This sum is
charged upon Lord Lilford's estate, and is applied
by the churchwardens in the distribution of clothing.
By his will proved in the Prerogative Court of
Canterbury 4 May 1863, John Baseley Selby gave a
sum of money, now represented by £48 7s. 3d.
Consols producing £1 4s. yearly in dividends. The
income is distributed by the rector and churchwardens
to the poor in coal.
The sums of Consols are with the Official Trustees
of Charitable Funds.