GRAFTON UNDERWOOD
Grastone (xi cent.), Grafton (xii, xvii cent.),
Grafton Underwood (xviii cent.).
The parish of Grafton Underwood contains
1,825 acres. It lies for the most part between 250 ft.
and 350 ft. above the ordnance datum. The subsoil is Great Oolite, the upper soil being clay and
gravel growing wheat and oats. There is a considerable amount of woodland in the northern part of the
parish belonging originally to Rockingham Forest,
from which the name of Underwood is derived. The
chief woods are Grafton Park Wood, Old Head Wood,
Freier Wood, besides Kirtly Coppice.
The village stands on the by-road from Cranford
to Brigstock. There still remain a few 17th-century
thatched stone houses. The Duke's Arms Inn is
dated 1645, and a gabled house in the main street
1653; on a barn adjoining the latter is a panel inscribed 'R.B. 1676.' A stream runs through the
village. The nearest railway station is at Cranford
on the Kettering and Cambridge branch of the London
Midland and Scottish Railway, 2½ miles from the
village. The parish was inclosed in 1777, by a
private Act of Parliament. (fn. 1)
Manors
In the time of Edward the Confessor,
Achi held the manor of GRAFTON
or GRAFTON UNDERWOOD freely. (fn. 2)
After the Norman Conquest it was given to Robert
Albus, who was the tenant in 1086, his three hides
of land being held by a sub-tenant named Roger. (fn. 3)
Another holding of half a hide is mentioned in Domesday Book, when it was held by Agemund of Eustace
the sheriff. (fn. 4) Both holdings apparently were granted
early in the next reign to Richard de Humez, (fn. 5) who
was succeeded by his son William, constable of
Normandy. (fn. 6) The latter's lands escheated to the
Crown (fn. 7) and in 1205 Grafton was granted to Philip
of Worcester. (fn. 8) In 1217 the manor was granted to
Ralph de St. Sampson. (fn. 9) At his death about 1248,
it passed to his daughters and heirs, Brunna, the wife
of Simon Maufé, and Joan, the wife of William
de la Bruere. (fn. 10) The manor, which was held of the
king by the serjeanty of keeping a white brachet with
red ears, (fn. 11) was divided into two moieties at this
time. Brunna's moiety passed to her daughter Joan,
wife of Alan de Chartres. (fn. 12) Her son Roger and his
wife obtained licence in 1335 to grant the manor to
his son Peter, (fn. 13) but in 1341 they jointly sold it to
Simon Simeon, (fn. 14) who settled it on himself and his
wife Elizabeth Neville. (fn. 15) After his death, she married
Sir John la Warre and in 1389 it was settled on them
and their direct heirs, but both died without children
and it presumably passed in 1398 to Thomas la Warre,
his brother and heir; (fn. 16) its later history does not appear,
but it seems probable that it came into the possession
of the tenants of the other moiety of the manor (q.v.).
Joan, the other co-heir of Ralph de St. Sampson,
and William de la Bruere sold her moiety to William
de Lisle and his wife Mabel in or before 1253. (fn. 17)
William subinfeudated the manor and owing to the
subtenant William Hanred being convicted of felony,
the mesne lordship seems to have been lost, although
in 1330 John, the grandson of William de Lisle, tried
to recover the moiety of the manor. (fn. 18)
In 1266, William de Lisle granted it to Richard
Hanred and his heirs, (fn. 19) but Richard appears to have
granted it to Robert le Baud before 1284. (fn. 20) His son
William Hanred was hanged for felony in 1295 (fn. 21) and
the king entered the moiety of Grafton manor and
granted it for life, at a rent of £10 a year, to Thomas
Brown, although the Crown should only have held
it for a year and a day. (fn. 22) In 1311 Simon le Baud, possibly the successor of Robert le Baud, obtained licence
to grant in fee to Thomas Brown, a mill, land and rents
in Grafton (fn. 23) and Brown had licence to grant the same
premises to John le Bole. (fn. 24) In 1313, the rent of £10
was granted to Jakinet de Mareygny, in reward for
his good services (fn. 25) and after the death of Brown, the
moiety of the manor was also in 1317 granted for life
to Jakinet. (fn. 26) On his death about 1328, the rent of
£10 was granted for life to Owen Corder. (fn. 27) In 1316,
however, Thomas Brown had obtained leave to grant
7 messuages, a mill, 4 virgates and 8 acres of land
and certain rents to John Seymour and his wife
Maud. (fn. 28) This probably represented the moiety of
the manor. John died seised in 1340 and his widow
held the lands for her life. (fn. 29) They passed to their
son John Seymour (fn. 30) and their grandson, another
John Seymour held the manor in 1362. (fn. 31) He died seised
of rents in Grafton in 1363, which passed to his
brother and heir Thomas, (fn. 32) who was the tenant of
the manor of Grafton in 1397. (fn. 33) In that year, he
settled the manor on himself for life with remainder
to Thomas Greene, son of Sir Henry Greene, knt.
The final remainder was to Sir Henry Greene and
his wife Maud and the right heirs of Maud, which
suggests that she was the heir of Thomas Seymour.
Thomas Greene apparently died without children
and the manor passed to his brother John, who was
mentioned in the settlement of 1397. (fn. 34)
In 1450, it was held by Henry Greene of Drayton,
the son of John. (fn. 35) His daughter and heir Constance,
the wife of John Stafford, son of Humphrey, Duke of
Buckingham, made a settlement of the manor in
1469. (fn. 36) Their son Edward, Earl of Wiltshire, died
leaving no children and the Greene property passed
to the three surviving daughters and heiresses of
Sir Henry Vere, a nephew of Henry Greene. (fn. 37) The
eldest daughter Elizabeth married John, first Lord
Mordaunt, (fn. 38) and their descendants obtained, as at
Great Addington (q.v.), all three parts of the manor of
Grafton. (fn. 39) John Mordaunt, the first Earl of Peterborough, died seised of the manor of Grafton Underwood in 1644, (fn. 40) but it was apparently sold to Sir John
Robinson in the latter part of the 17th century. Sir
John died before 1708, leaving two daughters and
heiresses, Mary the wife of the Earl of Wemyss and
Anne, afterwards the wife of Lord Gowran; Anne
obtained both moieties of the manor. (fn. 41) which descended to her son John Fitz Patrick, who was created
Earl of Upper Ossory in 1751. (fn. 42) On 5 April 1748 John
Fitz Patrick sold the manor to John second Duke of
Montagu. (fn. 43) The Duke died in the following year and
the manor descended through his daughter, Mary
wife of George Brudenell, Duke of Montagu to the
present Duke of Buccleuch, who is now lord of the
manor. (fn. 44)
In 1086 woodland was
attached to the manor a
league in length and four
furlongs in breadth. (fn. 45) The
manor was within the Forest
of Rockingham, but in
1343 Simon Simeon obtained
licence to enclose his wood
there and five years later to
empark it, but he was not
allowed to make a deer-leap
in it. (fn. 46) In 1450 Henry
Greene obtained leave to
empark his woods called
Grafton Park and Grafton
Woods and certain fields
and to have free chase in
the woods. (fn. 47) The manor
was disafforested in 1639. (fn. 48)
A mill is mentioned in
1311, when it was granted
in fee with other tenements
to Thomas Brown, the
tenant for life of a moiety of the manor, (fn. 49) with which
it was granted in 1316 to John Seymour. (fn. 50)
Church
The church of ST. JAMES consists
of chancel 30 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft. 9 in.
with north chapel, clearstoried nave of
three bays 32 ft. 6 in. by 18 ft. 6 in., north and south
aisles about 9 ft. wide, south porch, and west tower
8 ft. 6 in. square surmounted by a spire; all these
measurements are internal. The north chapel and
aisle are continuous without division and there is a
small vestry north of the tower. The width across
nave and aisles is 42 ft.
The building is of rubble throughout, and the
roofs of the nave and aisles are leaded behind plain
parapets; the chancel has a high-pitched tiled roof
with overhanging eaves, and the porch is also covered
with tiles.
The earliest work in the present building is the
north arcade of the nave, which is of late 12th century
date, at which time an aisle was probably first added
to an earlier church. The arches are semi-circular
and of two square orders, springing from cylindrical
piers with moulded bases and shallow capitals with
square abaci, and from half-round responds with outer
angle shafts. The capitals are carved with bold
scroll foliage and the bases stand on square plinths.
The south arcade and the tower were built early
in the 13th century and the chancel arch is of the
same period, but there are no architectural features
in the chancel itself older than c. 1290. The round
arches of the south arcade are of two orders, the
outer square and the inner chamfered, springing from
cylindrical piers of more slender dimensions (fn. 51) than
those opposite with moulded bases and carved capitals
with circular abaci: the responds are half-octagonal.
The capitals have elementary stiff-stalk trefoils in
low relief with nail head up the middle leaves, and
nail head also occurs on the west respond. In the
east respond the foliage is more fully developed.
Plan of Grafton Underwood Church
About the middle of the 14th century alterations
were made to the chancel, and the chapel added. The
spire also dates from this period, and the south
aisle seems to have been rebuilt. (fn. 52) The aisle has a
string course at sill level and retains its west window
and south doorway, in front of which the porch was
built. New windows were inserted in both aisles in
the 15th century and the clearstory was added, or
an old one rebuilt.
The chancel has diagonal angle buttresses and an
east window of four cinquefoiled lights, with transom
and excellent tracery of mixed geometrical and
curvilinear character, the date of which may be
c. 1340. The two-light window at the east end of
the north wall and the three-light window opposite
are of the same period, the former with trefoiled lights
and quatrefoil in the head, the latter with reticulated
tracery. The plain priest's doorway is of the late
13th century and west of it is a contemporary window
of two trefoiled lights and plain circle in the head,
which seems to have been re-used in the 14th-century
alterations, its jambs being of that period. (fn. 53) In the east
wall, north and south of the altar, are elaborate
14th-century niches, that on the north (which is the
larger) having a smaller trefoiled niche over it. At
the extreme east end of the south wall, about 6 ft.
from the floor (fn. 54) is a curious squint, or small opening
of two trefoiled lights cut out of a single stone,
similar in many respects to one at Weekley, the purpose
of which cannot be definitely stated. (fn. 55) The 14thcentury triple sedilia have cinquefoiled ogee heads
beneath a rectangular traceried canopy and are on
the same level: the piscina has a fluted bowl and
trefoiled ogee head. In the north wall is a rectangular
aumbry with modern door, and further west the
wall is pierced by a broad chamfered arch opening to
the chapel, the floor of which is raised three steps.
The 13th-century chancel arch is of two chamfered
orders, the inner springing from corbels with nailhead in the upper mouldings. The lower panels of
15th-century oak screens, with carved rails, remain
below the chancel arch and between the north aisle
and chapel.
The plain 13th-century north doorway is now
blocked, and both windows in the north wall (to aisle
and chapel) are three-light 15th-century insertions.
The east window of the chapel is square-headed and
of three trefoiled lights. The south aisle has a 15thcentury east window and another in the south wall,
both of three lights, but the older west window is of
two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in the head.
The 13th-century piscina of the aisle altar remains;
it has a fluted bowl and plain pointed head. The
south doorway is of two hollow chamfered orders with
stops above the imposts and mask terminations to
the hood. The porch is of unusual depth, measuring
internally 15 ft. from north to south, by 8 ft. 6 in.
wide, and has an outer arch of two chamfered
orders, the inner springing from attached shafts with
moulded capitals and bases. The clearstory windows
are square-headed and of two trefoiled lights.
The tower is of three stages marked by strings, and
has plain parapets with big gargoyles in the middle
of each face, but no pinnacles. The lower stage has
early lancets, widely splayed inside, on the west and
south, the heads in one stone and without hoods.
In the second stage there is a tall narrow round-headed
opening on the south, (fn. 56) but the north and west sides
are blank. The bell chamber windows are of two
lights, those on the west and east being unaltered
13th-century openings with solid tympanum and
hood; the north and south windows have 14thcentury heads of two trefoiled lights and quatrefoil
above. The 13th century tower arch is of two square
orders with imposts, the inner order resting on conical
corbels. A buttress has been added at the south-west
corner of the tower, and a modern doorway in the
south wall blocked. The spire is of the 'stone-timber'
type, with broaches behind the parapet, like that of
Denford: it has plain angles and two sets of lights on
the cardinal faces, with a band below the lower lights.
The vestry seems to be a comparatively modern
addition, but in its west wall is a small early 13th
century window, probably taken from the north side
of the tower, against which it is built.
Two lead rain water heads on the north clearstory
are dated 1758.
The font has a plain 13th-century bowl with curved
sides, and a flat Jacobean oak cover with knob handle.
The panelled oak pulpit is dated 1728.
In the chancel is a marble wall monument commemorating Richard Fitzpatrick, Baron Gowran
(d. 1727), his wife Ann Robinson (d. 1744), their son
John, Earl of Upper Ossory (d. 1758) and his wife
Evelyn Leveson-Gower (d. 1763); also John, 2nd
Earl of Upper Ossory (d. 1818) and his wife Ann
Liddell (d. 1804); they are all buried 'in this vault.'
Another monument is to the Rev. William Bidwell,
rector (d. 1794). In the north chapel is a table tomb
with modern-mediæval brass to Lady Gertrude
Fitzpatrick, who died 30 September, 1841, and on the
wall a monument to Lady Anne Fitzpatrick, who died
14 December in the same year.
There are five bells, the treble, second and tenor
by John Taylor & Co., Loughborough, 1923, and the
third and fourth by Matthew and Henry Bagley,
dated 1682. (fn. 57)
The plate consists of a cup and paten without
marks but inscribed '1664,' an almsdish of 1690, a
bread-holder of 1704 and a flagon of 1836. (fn. 58)
The registers begin in 1538.
Advowson
The advowson of the church of
Grafton Underwood was given to
the alien priory of St. Fremont in
Normandy, probably by Richard or William de
Humez. (fn. 59) The temporalities of the priory were seized
by the crown during the Hundred Years War and
presentations were made by the crown from 1337 to
1413. (fn. 60) In 1389 or 1390, the prior of St. Fremont
had granted the advowson to the Carthusian priory
of Beauvale, in Nottinghamshire, although the grant
could not take practical effect as the king had leased
the rectory in 1382 to Walter Malet and again in 1399
to Robert Hastings. (fn. 61) In 1464, however, Edward IV
granted the advowson to Beauvale, but it does not
appear amongst its possessions at the Dissolution of
the monasteries. (fn. 62) It seems to have come into the
possession of the heirs of Henry Vere, (fn. 63) between whose
heirs the manor (q.v.) was divided and finally passed
to the Mordaunts. (fn. 64) It followed the descent of the
manor (fn. 65) and in 1874 Lord Lyveden was patron of the
church. (fn. 66) About 1918 he sold the advowson with the
Fermyn Woods estate, to Mr. Robert Davidson.
Charities
The church land consists of 3 a.
3 r. 37 p. at Grafton Underwood let
to Mr. W. Palmer at £6 yearly. The
income is applied by the rector and churchwardens,
agreeably to immemorial usage, to the expenses of the
church.
The Poor's Land has been appropriated time out
of mind to the use of the poor. It consists of 9 a.
1 r. 17 p. in the parish of Geddington and is let to
Henry Smith at £10 yearly. In 1905 a sale of timber
took place and the proceeds were invested in
£31 14s. 4d. Consols, producing 15s. 8d. yearly in
dividends. The income is distributed in bread and
meat by the rector and churchwardens to about
5 recipients.
By her will, proved 19 September, 1856, Elizabeth
Dopping Arnold gave £100 Consols to the rector and
churchwardens for the benefit of 6 poor families.
The income amounting to £2 10s. is distributed to
6 families in bread, meat and clothing.
The stock is with the Official Trustees of Charitable
Funds.