SUDBOROUGH
Sutburg (xi cent.); Suburg, Subbure, Suthburg,
Silburk (xiii cent.).
Sudborough lies in the district formerly a part
of Rockingham Forest, and covers an area of 1,819
acres. The land, which is of clay, with a subsoil
of clay and limestone, rises north-east and south-west
from Harper's Brook, which flows in a south-easterly
direction through the parish. The principal crops are
wheat, barley and beans. There are considerable
stretches of woodland on the higher land. In the
north-east angle of the parish is Lady Wood Head,
to the west of which is Assarts Coppice. In the northwest is Cat's Head Wood, with Cat's Head Lodge
to the south of it. Snapes Wood, lower down along
its western boundary, is a continuation of Long Lown
Wood, in Slipton. In the extreme south of the parish
is Round Lown Wood, with New Lodge at its southern
end. The village lies in the valley of Harper's Brook
along a by-road leading from the main road from
Thrapston to Market Harborough, to the main
road from Thrapston to Kettering. The church is
on the south side of the road, with the rectory house,
a pleasantly situated stone building erected in 1826
by the rector of the day, on the east. Near by is the
school built in 1841, by the Duke of Cleveland.
The manor house stands at the west end of the
village.
The population in 1921 was 207. At one time a
considerable number of women of the village were
employed in lace-making, and an extensive brewery
was carried on. Stone is procured for buildings and
roads, and about half a mile to the north of the village
there were formerly brickworks which have been
converted into a poultry farm.
There is a tradition that at a place called Moneyholes in the parish, where there are large earthworks
and ponds, once stood a monastic establishment,
but there is no evidence to support it. Another
tradition connects a corner near Lady Wood, now
ploughed up and long known as the Soldier's grave,
with the attempt of the Black Watch to return to the
Highlands in 1743. It is said to be the burial place
of one of the regiment who died during their sojourn
in Lady Wood.
In the north of the parish is Sudborough Green,
with Sudborough Green Lodge.
Westminster Abbey. Gules the crossed keys of St. Peter with the ring of St. Edward in the chief all or.
Manors
Land in SUDBOROUGH was granted
in 1066 by Edward the Confessor to the
abbey of Westminster, (fn. 1) which in 1086
held 3 hides with a mill and woodland 7 furlongs in
length and 6 in breadth. (fn. 2) By the reign of Henry I
this property had diminished
to 2½ hides. (fn. 3) In 1276 it was
stated that the abbey had return of writs in Sudborough
and Islip, (fn. 4) and in 1329–30 the
abbot claimed to hold in
frankalmoin by virtue of a
grant of King Henry III, inspected and confirmed in 1291
by his son King Edward. (fn. 5) The
abbey held the manor until
the Dissolution, when the fee
farm of £7 was granted to the
dean and chapter of Westminster by Henry VIII, (fn. 6) fresh
grants of these manors being made by Queen Mary
in 1556, (fn. 7) and by Queen Elizabeth in 1560. (fn. 8)
The first recorded tenant of the abbey in Sudborough was Bartholomew de Sudborough, who in
1225–6 levied a fine with Richard, abbot of Westminster, as to his custom and service. (fn. 9) The next
was Walter de Denford who, with Sarah his wife,
who was probably the heir of Bartholomew, levied a
fine with Henry de Drayton of common of pasture in
Sudborough in 1231–2. (fn. 10) In 1236 Isabel, wife of
Ralph de St. Sampson attorned the said Ralph and
William de St. Sampson against Walter de Denford
for a third part of the pannage of his wood of Sudborough. (fn. 11) A fine was levied of land in Sudborough
between William [? Walter] de Denford and his wife
Sarah, and Gilbert de Denford in 1240–1; (fn. 12) and in
1249 Sarah, the widow of Walter de Denford, brought
an assize of novel disseisin against Gilbert, son of
Walter, and others of a tenement in Sudborough. (fn. 13)
Either Sarah herself or possibly a daughter of her
name may be indicated in a fine levied between Walter
de la Hyde and Roger de la Hyde and Sarah his wife
of a messuage and land in Sudborough in 1259–60. (fn. 14)
Before 1284 Sarah de Denford had granted the manor
to Reginald de Waterville and Extranea his wife when
Reginald was holding the vill of the abbot. (fn. 15) From
Reginald, who survived his wife, it descended to his
three daughters, Joan, the wife of Robert de Vere,
Maud, sometimes given as Elizabeth, the wife of
Robert de Wykeham, and Margaret, the wife of Henry
de Tichmarsh. (fn. 16)
The third part which went to Robert de Vere and
Joan, his wife, passed to their son Robert, who
apparently forfeited for rebellion, (fn. 17) and his lands in
1329–30 were in the hands of Henry de Percy and
Robert de Tolthorp, (fn. 18) probably feoffees in trust for
Maud his wife, who had an interest in the manor as
dower, with reversion to Sir Nicholas de la Beche. (fn. 19)
What Sir Nicholas's interest was is uncertain, but he
and his wife Margery died without issue and it then
ceased. This third seems to have passed to the
Mallorys. In 1358 William Mallory of Sudborough
granted a rent of £20 out of his manor of Sudborough
to John Pyel, citizen and merchant of London, and
Joan his wife, (fn. 20) and in the same year Anketyn Mallory
granted a rent of 20 marks to William de Sandford.
John Pyel's holding was conveyed by him in 1363 to
Henry Pyel, rector of Warkton and others, (fn. 21) and in
1376 Henry Pyel, then archdeacon of Northampton,
and others conveyed the manor of Sudborough to
John Pyel of Irthlingborough, Simon Simeon and
others. (fn. 22) In 1385–6 Simon Simeon with John
Curteys granted to Joan, widow of John Pyel, a rent
of 50 marks out of the manors of Irthlingborough,
Cranford, Sudborough and elsewhere. (fn. 23) It is doubtful if John Pyel's estate ever comprised the manor or
a part of the manor. Anketyn, who succeeded William
Mallory, in 1360, settled a manor of Sudborough on
his daughter Ala and her husband, Thomas Green of
Isham, and their heirs. (fn. 24) Another daughter, Katherine, also brought to her husband Ralph Green,
nephew of Thomas Green, apparently a manor of
Sudborough. Sir John Dantre and Alice his wife,
daughter of Randolph Boys and heir of Robert Vere,
in 1394 attempted unsuccessfully to obtain possession
of the manor from Thomas Green. (fn. 25) John Green
succeeded his father Thomas (fn. 26) and died before 1445.
His widow Isabel is said to have occupied with Richard
Stacy, since the death of Sir William Mallory in 1445,
lands in Sudborough of which Sir William had died
seised, and left a son and heir Thomas. (fn. 27) This
Thomas Mallory dispossessed Thomas, son of John
and Isabel Green, of the manor of Sudborough, held of
the abbey of Westminster, (fn. 28) but Thomas Green
later recovered possession. The manor continued to
descend in the Green family, of which Sir Thomas
Green, kt., who witnessed a charter of Edward,
Earl of Wiltshire, in 1494, dealing with the Wykeham
manor, was probably a member. (fn. 29) In 1529–30 this
Green manor of Sudborough was in the hands of
Richard Rayne and Joan his wife, daughter and heiress
of Thomas Green, deceased, who settled it on their
son Thomas. In 1531 and again in 1534, Thomas
Rayne, son of Richard Rayne and Joan, with Dorothy
his wife, were dealing with this property, (fn. 30) these
conveyances being probably preparatory to a conveyance of this manor to the owners of the other
manor of Sudborough representing the Wykeham
third, then held with Drayton in Lowick (q.v.).
The third of Robert de Wykeham and Maud de
Waterville was conveyed by Robert, their son, and
his wife Elizabeth, in 1309–10 and 1311–12, to Robert
de Ardern. (fn. 31) The wife of Robert de Ardern was
Nichola, possibly the daugher or sister of Robert de
Wykeham. (fn. 32) Ardern had grants of free warren in
his lands at Sudborough in 1317, 1327 and 1328 and
he was holding them in 1329–30. (fn. 33) After his death
Nichola his widow married Sir Thomas de Wake or
Wade, (fn. 34) to whom this third of the manor passed. In
1345 Sir Thomas Wake and Nichola conveyed their
third to Simon de Drayton, (fn. 35) to whom it was confirmed
three years later by John de Wykeham, grandson of
Maud de Waterville, and Parnel his wife. (fn. 36) It passed
after the death of Simon de Drayton to his son John
de Drayton and his grandson Baldwin. (fn. 37) From them
it went about 1362 to Sir Henry Green, who had
married Katherine, daughter of Simon de Drayton. (fn. 38)
From this time this third part, and from the middle
of the 16th century the Vere third part, passed with
the manor of Drayton in Lowick (q.v.) until the end
of the 17th century.
When Bridges wrote it was in the hands of Lady
Torrington, relict of Thomas Newport, Lord Torrington, by purchase from the Earl of Peterborough,
and according to him Lady Torrington owned with
the manor all the parish except two or three small
freeholds. Lady Torrington died in 1735. (fn. 39)
In 1805 it was held by William Henry, Earl of
Darlington, (fn. 40) who was created Duke of Cleveland in
1833, and the Dukes of Cleveland were later in the
century lords of the manor. (fn. 41)
The third of the manor which went to Henry de
Tichmarsh and Margaret de Waterville passed to their
son John and from him to his son Henry and his wife
Joan. (fn. 42) It descended with the Tichmarsh Manor
in Tichmarsh (q.v.), and was represented by the manor
of Somercetts in Tichmarsh, Sudborough, and Lowick
of which a grant was made to John and Gilbert
Pickering in 1587–8. (fn. 43)
In 1490–1 a dispute arose about common of pasture
in Lowick Leyse pertaining to Lowick, and Brigsy
Leyes (Brigstock Leys) pertaining to Sudborough,
which was referred by the inhabitants to Edward,
Earl of Wiltshire, as chief lord over both lordships. (fn. 44)
SUDBOROUGH PARK, which was originally
held with the manor, (fn. 45) was in 1670, with a messuage,
10 acres of meadow, 530 acres of pasture and 10 acres
of wood and appurtenances in Sudborough, Lowick,
and Brigstock, in the hands of William Montagu, and
Mary his wife, who conveyed it by fine to Montagu
Lane. (fn. 46)
SUDBOROUGH GREEN was referred to in 1540
in a licence to impark Lyveden Park, the western
side of which was described as abutting upon it. (fn. 47)
In 1795 an Inclosure Act was passed for Brigstock,
Stanion, and such part of the parish of Sudborough
as is called Sudborough Green. It was stated that
the commoners in Brigstock and Sudborough intercommoned with each other in certain commons,
called Brigstock Commons; and the Great and Little
Green adjoining the same, and that the cattle upon
these commons were liable to escape into the Haye
or Walk of Farming Woods, part of the Forest of
Rockingham. An allotment of these greens was
made. (fn. 48)
Church
The church of ALL SAINTS consists
of chancel 33 ft. 4 in. by 15 ft., nave of
three bays 40 ft. 3 in. by 17 ft., north and
south aisles each 8 ft. 6 in. wide, north and south
transeptal chapels each 14 ft. by 13 ft., south porch,
and west tower 9 ft. by 9 ft. 10 in. The width across
the nave and aisles is 38 ft. 8 in., and across the
transepts 50 ft. 6 in. All these measurements are
internal. The church was entirely rebuilt in the
second half of the 13th century, probably in place of
an aisleless cruciform building, the influence of which
is apparent in the transeptal plan. The tower and
nave with its aisles seem to have been rebuilt first,
followed by the transeptal chapels and chancel,
which were completed c. 1280–90. No substantial
addition was made subsequently other than the
porch, which was built in the 15th century, when
new windows were also inserted in the aisles. The
building was repaired in 1808, and again in 1830
when a west gallery was erected. In 1851 the gallery
was taken down and the north aisle rebuilt; the
porch was rebuilt in 1870, and the chancel restored in
1871–72. At a later restoration (1891) two stones
were found under the north-east pier, which together
formed part of a pre-Conquest cross. They were
replaced in the position in which they were found
but unfortunately covered with cement so that the
carving is obliterated. (fn. 49)
The chancel is divided externally into two bays by
buttresses, each of which is finished by a small pediment set in the middle of its upper slope and ornamented on the outer face by a spherical triangle with
cusping. Over the pairs of buttresses at the eastern
angles are handsome octagon pinnacles, the tops of
which seem to have disappeared. There is a plain
doorway in the south wall. The windows retain their
original geometrical tracery, of a very elegant type,
with applied cusping; the lights have trefoiled heads,
and the mullions are moulded. The east window is
of four lights with a flat head, and has internally a
segmental rere-arch. The lateral windows on either
side from east to west are respectively of three, two,
and one light, the narrower openings having obtusely
pointed rere-arches. On the north side the single
light of the western window is lowered with a transom,
forming a low-side opening. The corresponding
window on the south has a low sill and may have been
planned in the same way, but the lower part was never
open. This window, like all the others, has a square
hood outside; in this case the hood is finished with
very curious head-stops, rudely carved with roughly
indicated hair.
On the south side of the chancel internally are two
sedilia with beautiful late 13th-century moulded
arches springing from dwarf columns. In the eastern
seat, which is a step higher than the western, is a
piscina with fluted bowl. Opposite, in the north
wall, is a tomb-recess with a drop arch, containing an
effigy of Sir Robert de Vere (d. 1249), which has
already been described. (fn. 50)
The arch between the chancel and nave is of the
same character as the arches of the nave arcades, with
rather plain half-octagon responds. The piers of the
nave are cylindrical, with bases which in some cases
have water-mouldings. The capitals are of two types
which differ slightly in design as regards the abaci
and the section of the upper mouldings. The arches
are of two orders, the inner order having a hollow
chamfer. From each pier a transverse arch is carried
across the adjoining aisle to a respond; the chamfers
of these arches are stopped by small broaches above
the capitals. Similar arches are carried across the
east wall of each transeptal chapel. The transept
windows have good geometrical tracery, which in the
north chapel has been much restored; that in the
three-light south window of the south chapel is a
remarkably beautiful example of early bar-tracery.
In this and in the east window are some fragments of
old glass; (fn. 51) and in the south wall of the south chapel
there is a piscina with octagonal bowl, large hollowchamfered arch and hood.
The windows of the aisles, as already noted, are
15th-century insertions. The north and south doorways of the nave are contemporary with the arcades,
and the north doorway has a well-preserved roll and
triple fillet moulding in its outer order. The porch
has a high gable and outer arch of two moulded orders,
the inner springing from half-round responds with
moulded capitals. The walling throughout is of rubble,
with plain parapets to chancel and aisles, and eaved
roofs to the transepts. The chancel roof is leaded.
The arch between the nave and tower is of three
orders, the innermost order being set upon halfoctagon responds with hollowed sides. The tower
itself is of the same date as the rest of the church, and
is of three stages, with plain parapet, angle pinnacles
and pyramidal roof with vane. Below the parapet is
a corbel table with large dog-tooth alternating with
heads and other ornaments widely spaced. There
are diagonal buttresses of two stages on the west side
and a renewed three-light west window on the ground
floor. The middle stage has a single trefoiled window
north and south, and on the west a circular soundhole. The two-light belfry windows have early
bar tracery. There is no tower stair.
The font is a plain octagonal bowl with octagonal
pedestal and a 17th-century cover. There is a stone
bench along the wall of the south aisle internally.
Against the east wall of the north transept is a bracket
for an image, and near this are the brasses of William
West (d. 2 Feb. 1390–1) and his wife Joan (d.
16 Dec. 1415), with a curious representation of their
children, headed by a priest vested in apparelled alb,
crossed stole, amice and maniple. This is inscribed:
Orate p aĩab[us] sup[er]d[ict]ore Willi[am] West & Joh[a]na ac pro
aĩab[us] d[omi]ni Joh[an]is West capell[an]i Willi[am] West marbler et
Alicie qñdam vx[or]is Ric[ard]i Masoñ. Necnō & octo pu'ore
lib'ore p'dcore Will'i & Iohanne. Pater nos' & Aue.
The roofs, pulpit and other fittings are modern.
The organ is in the south transept, which also forms
a vestry. The interior of the church is plastered.
There is a ring of five bells, the treble being an
addition in 1897 to a former ring of four. It is by
Taylor of Loughborough. The second and tenor are
by Thomas Norris of Stamford, 1647, the third is a
blank bell, and the fourth, inscribed 'Thomas,' bears
the stamp of the early Leicester founders, but is
probably by Thomas Newcombe II (1562–80). (fn. 52)
The plate consists of a cup of 1820, a paten of 1842,
and a flagon of 1857, all London make, and a silver
basin with the mark of William Shaw and William
Priest, of London. (fn. 53)
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1660–1708, marriages 1662–1703, burials
1660–1707; (ii) baptisms and burials 1704–1812,
marriages 1708–1753; (iii) marriages 1754–1812.
The first volume contains a list of briefs 1708–64,
and a terrier of rectory lands. There are churchwardens' accounts from 1675 to 1769, and a tithe
book 1781–1838.
Advowson
The advowson was held by the
abbey of Westminster with the
manor until the Dissolution, (fn. 54) and
was granted to Thomas, bishop of Westminster, in
1541. (fn. 55) Ten years later it was granted to Nicholas,
bishop of London, by Edward VI, (fn. 56) but was held in
1608–9 with the manor by Henry Lord Mordaunt. (fn. 57)
The presentation was made alternately by the Crown
(presumably during vacancy of the see), and the
bishop of London from 1617 to 1648, (fn. 58) and since
then by the bishops of London (fn. 59) until, after 1786,
Sudborough was transferred to the bishopric of Peterborough, in whose gift it now is. A vicarage had been
ordained early in the 13th century, a pension of one
gold piece (mark) to the perpetual vicar being reserved
on presentations to the church made c. 1214, (fn. 60) and
one of 2s. in a presentation made in 1221–2. (fn. 61)
Tithes in Sudborough were held by Robert, Earl
of Salisbury, in 1608. (fn. 62)
Charities
A piece of grass land containing
11 acres appropriated to the repairs
of the church is let by the churchwardens to the Islip Iron Co., Ltd., for £12 yearly,
which is applied towards the upkeep of the church.
Henrietta Laura, Marchioness of Bath, established a
Sunday School in 1788, and transferred a sum of
£666 13s. 4d. 3 per cent. annuities to trustees upon
trusts declared in a deed dated 20 October, 1788, for
the support of the school. The stock is now
£666 13s. 4d. Consols with the Official Trustees of
Charitable Funds, producing £16 13s. 4d. yearly in
dividends. The trustees consist of the rector and
three others.