IRCHESTER
Irencestre, Hirecestre (xi cent.); Yrencestre (xii
cent.); Ircestre (xiii cent.); Iringchester (xiv cent.);
Erncestre, Archester (xvi cent.); Erchester (xvii cent.).
The parish of Irchester lies in the south-east of
Higham Hundred on the borders of Bedfordshire,
where it is bounded by Podington. The navigable
River Nene forms its northern boundary. It covers an
area of 2,788 acres, divided between arable land, the
chief crops being cereals, and permanent grass, with
some 40 acres of woods and plantations. The upper
soil is fertile and of a mixed character, the subsoil
mainly Oolite, with a streak of Cornbrash at Knuston,
but along the banks of the Nene at and south of Chester
Upper Lias. The parish stands at a height of 200 ft.,
rising on the Bedfordshire border to 300 ft. Knuston
was inclosed in 1769, Irchester proper in 1773. (fn. 1) In
1931 the population numbered 2,503 persons.
The highroad from Wellingborough to London
enters Irchester on the north-west and leads southwards
into Wollaston. Two branches of the L.M.S. railway
intersect the parish, the Wymington Loop Line on
which is Irchester station half a mile east of the village,
and the Northampton and Peterborough branch running to Wellingborough station on the north-west
boundary of Chester. In this direction lies the hamlet
of Little Chester. Traces of Roman occupation have
been found close to the River Nene about half a mile
from the village, and at Chester House, (fn. 2) a 16th-century
mansion, once the seat of the Ekins family. (fn. 3) A few
prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon remains have also been
discovered. (fn. 4)
The old rectory house stands on the south side of
the church and, though modernized, incorporates some
portions of a 14th-century building: in its north gable
is a blocked pointed window with ogee hood-mould.
The rectorial tithe barn still stands to the south of the
church, but is newly roofed with thatch. It is about
70 ft. long by 22 ft. 6 in. wide inside with buttressed
stone walls, but is otherwise without architectural
features.
The Methodists have two chapels, one, opened at
Easter 1870, replacing an earlier building, and the
other erected in 1877.
About a mile north-east of the village is the hamlet
of Knuston where there are now few buildings besides
Knuston Hall, a large square mansion on rising ground
in the centre of a well-wooded park.
Ditchford Bridge, crossing the Nene near the boundary of the parish, is medieval, probably dating from the
14th century. It has six semicircular arches over the
stream with sharp cutwaters; on the parapet facing upstream are carved the crossed keys of Peterborough, and
on the opposite side is a St. Catherine's wheel.
Manors
The overlordship of 1 hide and 3 virgates of socland
in IRCHESTER which belonged to William Peverel's
manor of Higham Ferrers in 1086 (fn. 5)
descended with Higham Ferrers (q.v.),
and in 1769 the king was lord of the
manor of Irchester in right of the Duchy of Lancaster. (fn. 6)
Pabenham. Barry azure and argent a bend gules with three molets argent thereon.
'A Frenchman' was sub-tenant here of William
Peverel at the Survey. Goscelin of Irchester held land
of the manor of Higham Ferrers from 1164 to 1179, (fn. 7)
but by 1181 this had descended to Richard of Irchester,
tenant until 1200 (fn. 8) and probably later. (fn. 9) Peter son of
Peter of Irchester held land here in 1231, (fn. 10) and in 1242
a later Richard of Irchester was the Earl Ferrers's
tenant for one-eighth of a knight's fee in the parish. (fn. 11)
Richard his son, on whom he made a settlement in
1249, (fn. 12) settled the manor in trust for his brother William on William de Clifford, (fn. 13) rector of Irchester from
1268 and in later years Bishop of Emly. (fn. 14) In 1275
Amy, wife of William de Polebrook, with her husband
sued William de Clifford for the manor as heir of her
brother William of Irchester. Richard, however, was
still alive and in accordance with the Dictum of Kenilworth was allowed to redeem his inheritance, which he
settled afresh on William de Clifford and his brother
Richard. (fn. 15) A later suit brought by William and Amy
against Richard of Irchester himself was equally unsuccessful, (fn. 16) and in 1284 William de Clifford held a quarter
of a knight's fee in Irchester, (fn. 17) which he and his brother
Richard transferred to Thomas de Morton five years
later, (fn. 18) possibly in trust for Margery, wife of Sir Nicholas de Crioll, who was tenant in 1298 and 1316. (fn. 19) She
was a widow in 1313 when Richard son and heir of
Sir John de Clifford surrendered to her and her co-heirs
Elizabeth, wife of Sir John Pabenham the elder, and
Margery Hereward, daughter and heir of Margaret,
late the wife of Sir Robert Hereward, all his right to
lands in Irchester and neighbouring parishes. (fn. 20) Possibly
she or Margery Hereward afterwards married Sir William Lovel
whom, with his wife Margery,
Elizabeth de Pabenham sued in
1342 for a moiety of the manor
of Irchester as her inheritance. (fn. 21)
This she recovered and settled
upon her son Thomas, on whose
death in 1345 the manor was
taken into the king's hands during
the minority of his heir, Elizabeth's petition for its restoration
to herself being rejected. (fn. 22) Her
grandson Laurence de Pabenham was seised of her inheritance in Irchester at his death in 1399. (fn. 23) His son
John, then aged 9, survived his father only eight years.
One moiety of the Pabenham manor in Irchester came
to his step-sister Katharine, wife of Sir Thomas Aylsbury (fn. 24) who died in 1418. (fn. 25) From Katherine, who was
still seised in 1428, (fn. 26) this descended to Laurence, her son
by her second husband Sir John Cheyne of Fen Ditton, (fn. 27)
and from Laurence to his brother John. (fn. 28) This younger
Sir John Cheyne was succeeded in 1489 by his son
Thomas (fn. 29) whose estates passed at his death in 1514 to
his only child Elizabeth whom he had betrothed to
Thomas son and heir of Sir Nicholas Vaux. (fn. 30) The son
of this marriage, William second Lord Vaux of Harrowden, his mother's heir at her death in 1556, (fn. 31) sold
Irchester in or before 1593 to Sir Thomas Cecil, (fn. 32) and
he in 1596 sold the manor to John Wiseman, (fn. 33) who
within two years transferred his rights here to Thomas
Bletsoe, (fn. 34) a freeholder of the Duchy of Lancaster in this
parish in 1611. (fn. 35) A grant of his great-grandmother's
inheritance, which included the manor of Irchester,
was made to Edward, grandson and heir of the second
William Lord Vaux of Harrowden by James I in 1613. (fn. 36)
The other moiety of the Pabenham manor in Irchester came on John de Pabenham's death to his
younger sister Eleanor, wife of John Tyringham. (fn. 37) She
was dead in 1420, (fn. 38) and in 1428 it was held by Alice
Chamber, (fn. 39) probably daughter of Eleanor. Sir Robert
Fitz Simond, whose mother, Mary Chamber, (fn. 40) was presumably Alice's daughter, died seised of this moiety in
1473 when his heir was his daughter Joan wife of
Robert Tymperley and subsequently wife of Henry
Wentworth, by whom she had a son Nicholas. (fn. 41)
Two and a half virgates in Irchester which Siward
had held freely belonged in 1086 to the Count of Mortain, and in the reign of Henry I to the fee of Wahill. (fn. 42)
A mesne lordship over this, or part of this fee belonged to
the family of Grey of Ruthyn in the 14th and 15th centuries and lasted until 1495 when lands in Irchester were
held of George Earl of Kent, Lord Grey of Ruthyn. (fn. 43)
Robert, the Count of Mortain's tenant here, had
been succeeded in the following century by Nicholas
le Sauvage. (fn. 44) In the 13th and 14th centuries members
of this family held land in Irchester, (fn. 45) part of which had
passed to Thomas de Pabenham before 1346. (fn. 46) It may
be identical with land held of the Earl of Kent by
George Ingleton at his death in 1495. (fn. 47) This descended
through his son Robert to his grand-daughter Joan who,
as the widow of George Tyrrell, settled it on her son
George in 1550. In 1558 this George Tyrrell owned
a manor (so called) in Irchester which he sold seven
years later to Richard Bletsoe who held it of the Duchy
of Lancaster in 1591 (fn. 48) and 1610. (fn. 49) In 1591 Richard
also owned a manor in Irchester called KNOLES
which he had acquired from William Pierce and his
wife Eleanor and John Bowes in 1589, (fn. 50) but which is
otherwise unrecorded.
Knuston
Cnuteston (xi cent.); Knoston (xii cent.); Cnoston
(xiii cent.); Knuston (xviii cent.).
One hide and 3 virgates in Knuston which Uluiet
held freely in King Edward's time belonged in 1086
to the fee of Gunfrid de Cioches. (fn. 51) The overlordship
descended with the fee of Chokes, Robert the advocate
of Betun accounting in 1235 for one knight's fee in
Knuston and Billing of the fee of Chokes. (fn. 52) This part
of Knuston still belonged to the honor of Chokes in
1252 (fn. 53) and 1274, (fn. 54) and in 1330 was found to be exempt
from the jurisdiction of the Earl of Lancaster in
Higham Hundred. (fn. 55) In 1346 and 1428, however, this
fee was said to be held of the honor of Clare. (fn. 56)
The tenant of the Chokes fee in Knuston in 1086
was Winemar, (fn. 57) and the mesne lordship descended as
Preston Deanery (q.v.), but two-thirds of a fee were
held here in 1242 by Walter de Knoston. (fn. 58) In 1232
land in this hamlet passed from Margery, widow of
Nicholas de Normanvill, to John de Hulcote (fn. 59) who was
sub-tenant of Gilbert de Preston in Holcot, Knuston,
and Haddon in 1274, (fn. 60) in which year the service of
Ralph de Normanville for a fee in Knuston was assigned
to Alice, widow of Gilbert de Preston, in dower. (fn. 61)
The first mention of Knuston as a manor is in 1325
when Ralph de Normanvill settled it on his son Ralph
and his wife Sarra, (fn. 62) and Ralph was seised in 1329. (fn. 63)
John de Normanvill in 1392 and 1394 settled Knuston
in trust on his brother John Wolf. (fn. 64) By 1428 the halffee, 'formerly of Hugh Croft', (fn. 65) was held in equal portions by the Lady Elizabeth Kingsman, John Bedell,
Henry Alcote, John Sweetbone, senior, John Sweetbone, junior, William Archbold, (fn. 66) and Simon Southend. (fn. 67) A settlement of the manor of Knuston on William
Sweetbone and his wife Joan was made in 1498, (fn. 68) but
it came afterwards into the possession of Sir Robert
Brudenell who died seised in 1531. His younger son
Anthony, to whom he had left Knuston, (fn. 69) parted with
his interest here in the following year, (fn. 70) and in 1542
Thomas Brudenell, Sir Robert's elder son, sold the
manor in two moieties. (fn. 71) Thomas Page, junior, who
acquired one moiety, was succeeded by John Page who
owned the other also in 1591. (fn. 72) No more is heard of
the manor, but a considerable estate in Knuston, comprising the North Hall with 4 virgates of land, the
Borough Farm, and certain closes, was acquired by
William Payne and descended at his death in 1624 to
his niece Sybil, wife of Sir Christopher Yelverton, (fn. 73) and
presumably passed with Podington (Beds.) to the family
of Orlebar. (fn. 74)
One hide and 1½ virgates in Knuston which belonged
to William Peverel's manor at the Survey descended
with Higham Ferrers (q.v.), (fn. 75) the last mention of its
overlordship occurring in 1531 when Knuston was held
of the king by knight service as of his Castle of Higham
Ferrers, (fn. 76) after which it was probably absorbed into the
manor of Irchester.
When the open fields and commons of Knuston were
inclosed in 1769, allotments were made in the first
place to the King as lord of the manor of Irchester,
and the patron and vicar of the parish church, and
afterwards to eleven other landowners, some of whom
seem from their names, such as Bletsoe and Mason, to
have belonged to families long resident in the neighbourhood. (fn. 77) The present owner of the hamlet and of
Knuston Hall is Charles Arthur Kersey Green, esq.
Chester-On-The-Water
Cestre, Parva Cestre (xiii cent.); Chestrebethewatre,
Litdechestre by the Watre (xiv cent.).
The first mention of the overlordship of LITTLE
CHESTER occurs in 1236 when it was appurtenant
to the manor of Higham Ferrers. (fn. 78) From that year until
1428 it was held of the lords of Higham Ferrers, (fn. 79) after
which their overlordship appears to have lapsed. A
mesne lordship here belonged to Brian de Lisle in
1232, (fn. 80) and to Walter de Lisle from that year until
1253. (fn. 81) At the close of the century and until 1327 this
was held by William de Echingham, (fn. 82) who had married
the eventual co-heir of Brian de Lisle. (fn. 83)
The early tenants of Little Chester belonged to the
family of de Nowers. Emery de Nowers held of the
de Lisle mesne lords in 1232 and 1253. (fn. 84) William de
Nowers held 1/20 of a fee of Edmund the king's brother (fn. 85)
in 1284. (fn. 86) From his son Emery Little Chester decended in 1308 to his son John, (fn. 87) who was seised until
his death in 1327. He was succeeded by his son of the
same name, (fn. 88) who with his wife Maud sold the contingent reversion of the manor to the king in 1369. (fn. 89)
They died without issue, and John of Gaunt who had
entered on the estate was sued in 1398 by John Stokes,
nephew and heir of one of the trustees of John de
Nowers. Though judgement was given in favour of
the duke, (fn. 90) the fortieth part of a knight's fee in Little
Chester which had formerly belonged to Maud de
Nowers was held by Thomas
Stokes in 1428. (fn. 91) Thomas Stokes
granted it to Thomas Singilton
and his wife Agnes in 1429. (fn. 92) In
1466 it was owned by Henry
Petit and his wife Agnes; in 1494
by William Hampden and his
wife Audrey, in both years being
the inheritance of the wife. (fn. 93)
William Coope had bought it in
1494 and, with his wife Joan,
sold it in 1511 to Thomas and
William Wigston and others; (fn. 94)
and the next year licence was granted to William
Wigston of Leicester, junior, and Thomas Wigston,
clerk, to found a perpetual chantry of two chaplains in
the collegiate church of Newark, Leicester. (fn. 95) The
manor of Little Chester was amongst the temporalities
of the Newark college in 1535 and remained in the
Crown until in 1616 James I sold it to John Godbould
and Thomas Ekins. (fn. 96) Thomas held alone in 1633, (fn. 97) and
in 1705 the manor was sold by Susan Ekins, widow,
and a later Thomas Ekins to John Ekins, (fn. 98) possibly the
deputy steward of Higham Ferrers Manor of that name
twenty years before. (fn. 99) In the early part of the 18th
century Captain Thomas Ekins was lord of the manor of
Little Chester, (fn. 100) and it passed from Timothy Stonehouse Vigor and his wife Charlotte Oliver to Francis
Dickins (see advowson) in 1798. (fn. 101)
Nowers. Argent two bars gules with three crescents gules in the chief.
A mill on the land of William Peverel in 1086 was
then claimed by the king. (fn. 102) In 1282 Edmund the king's
brother bought of Henry le Scot of Abbots Leigh (fn. 103) the
'Dickford Mulnes', possibly the two water-mills in Irchester of which he died seised in 1298. (fn. 104) There was
one mill on the Vaux manor in 1595. (fn. 105) Knuston had
two mills at the Survey, (fn. 106) Little Chester three in 1309. (fn. 107)
Dovecotes are mentioned amongst the appurtenances of
all three manors from the 14th to the 17th century. (fn. 108)
The fishing of the River Nene which belonged, at least
in part, to Little Chester in 1327 and 1566, (fn. 109) in the
reign of Charles I was found to be within the manor
of Irchester and to extend from Ditchford Mills to
Wellingborough Bridge. (fn. 110)
Free warren in his demesne lands of Knuston and
Irchester was granted to William de Ferrers in 1248,
in his demesne lands of Irchester to William Lovel in
1346. (fn. 111) View of frankpledge, courts leet and baron,
and other feudal dues belonged to the manor of Irchester, (fn. 112) and in the 14th century Emery de Nowers
paid his overlord Thomas of Lancaster 2s. a year for
view of frankpledge in his own manor of Little Chester. (fn. 113)
About the same time a custom called Couvill-thressing
was exacted by the earl from his tenants of Irchester
and Knuston. (fn. 113)
Plan of Irchester Church
Church
The church of ST. KATHARINE
consists of chancel, 43 ft. 4 in. by 19 ft.
6 in., with north chapel about half its
length, clerestoried nave of four bays, 63 ft. 6 in. by
19 ft. 8 in., north aisle, 16 ft. wide, south aisle, 11 ft.
wide, south porch, and west tower, 12 ft. 6 in. square,
with lofty spire, all these measurements being internal.
The north chapel and north aisle are continuous, without division, and the width across nave and aisles is
52 ft.
The building is of rubble throughout and the walls
are plastered internally. It was extensively restored in
1889 under the direction of J. L. Pearson, R.A., when
the present high-pitched leaded roof of the chancel was
erected (fn. 114) and the other roofs renewed.
The lower part of the wall between the chancel and
the north chapel appears to be in part of the 12th century, and the western responds of the nave arcades are
also late in that century, together with the plinths of
the two westernmost piers of the north arcade. The
12th-century church was thus not much smaller than
the present building, with an aisled nave and somewhat
shorter chancel. The two half-round western responds
have square abaci with heads or foliage at the angles,
and the plinths in part retain their foot ornaments and
the lower member of the base moulding. The 12thcentury church was rebuilt and the chancel lengthened
in the course of the 13th century, when the north chapel
was added, and in the 14th century the north aisle
appears to have been rebuilt and united with the chapel,
which was widened for that purpose. The present
width of both aisles is, however, contemporary with the
nave arcades, part of the plinth of the original late13th-century north-aisle wall remaining on either side
of the doorway, but the doorway itself is of early-13thcentury character and was probably removed from the
wall of the earlier and narrower aisle to its present position. The west wall of the north aisle retains a portion
of that of its predecessor, and there are traces at its
south end of a blocked opening, including part of a
jambshaft and the spring of an arch, which may imply
that the 12th-century nave had an engaged western
tower. The building was completed in its present form
at the close of the 14th century, when the tower and
spire, the clerestory, and the porch were erected. In
the 15th century new windows were inserted in the
chancel and the roofs altered: the parapets of the aisles
are of that period.
The chancel is substantially of the 13th century, with
moulded plinth, string at sill level, and coupled angle
buttresses of two stages. The four-centred east window
is set within 13th-century jambs, probably belonging
to a triplet of lancets, and is of five trefoiled lights with
vertical tracery. The three windows in the south wall
are of the same type, the easternmost of two lights, the
others of three, but the mullions and tracery are
modern. (fn. 115) At the east end of the south wall is a double
aumbry, with its eastern opening splayed, and west of
it a beautiful trefoil-headed piscina and a single arched
sedile with its seat on the same level as the piscina:
there was probably another seat, if not two, but this
was blocked in the 14th century, when larger windows
were first inserted in the wall. There is also on this
side a 13th-century priest's doorway with voussoirs
alternately of ironstone and freestone, shafted jambs,
and inner trefoiled arch with foliated cusps. In the east
wall, north of the altar, is a rebated aumbry, and the
north wall is pierced at its west end by a fine late-13thcentury arch of two orders, opening into the adjoining
chapel, with additional shafting on the side next the
chancel. East of this was a two-story vestry entered
from the chancel by a doorway with rounded trefoiled
head and moulded jambs, now blocked: the upper
story of the vestry appears to have been approached by
a doorway in the east wall of the chapel. Between the
blocked doorway and the north-east angle of the chancel
is a curious 13th-century niche beneath a straight-sided
pediment enclosing a quatrefoil, with the remains of
a bowl or ledge at floor-level. The present floor of the
chancel, however, has been raised some 2 ft., and is
now level with that of the nave, which probably followed the natural ascent of the ground from east to
west. At the back of the niche is a hole in the wall,
which suggests that it may have been used for baking
altar-breads and was provided with a flue. (fn. 116) The
chancel screen, erected in 1932, embodies some
traceried portions of a 15th-century screen, long preserved in the north chapel.
The arcades of the nave, with arches of two hollow
chamfered orders on octagonal piers with moulded
capitals and bases, were built in the 13th century, but
as already noted, the western responds and other traces
of earlier arcades remain. The capital of the north-east
respond has a band of nail-head ornament, but the
arcade is not early in the century and the bases are
without hollow mouldings. The arch between the nave
and chancel, with three hollow chamfered orders on
shafted responds, is of the same date: a settlement on
the south side has caused the jamb to lean outward.
The eastern half of the adjoining arch of the south
arcade appears to have been rebuilt in the 15th century,
the junction of the new with the old work being very
noticeable. On each side of the chancel arch is a doorway from which stairs led to a rather low rood-loft, and
above the arch are the remains of a 15th-century
painted Doom. (fn. 117)
The north chapel, now occupied by the organ, covers
the chancel for about 18 ft. Evidence of its having been
widened exist at the east end, where the coupled 13thcentury angle buttresses were removed and rebuilt in
their present position (fn. 118) probably as part of the 14thcentury alterations in the north aisle, to which period
the square-headed windows belong. They are similar
to those of the aisle, of three plain trefoiled lights, with
wave-moulded jambs, except that at the east end which
is of four lights and placed high in the wall so as to
clear the vestry roof. In the north wall of the chapel
is a fine late-13th-century tomb recess, with richly
moulded arch springing from short shafts.
The early-13th-century north doorway is of two
moulded orders, the outer on shafts with moulded capitals and bases, in the former of which the nail-head
occurs. Over it and on the face of the diagonal northwest buttress are the arms of Lovel, some member of
which family in all probability rebuilt the aisle.
The south aisle with its doorway is of the late 13th
century and retains its original angle buttresses and a
two-light window with forked mullion in the west wall.
The other windows are early-15th-century insertions,
two square-headed and of three trefoiled lights in the
south wall east of the porch, and a pointed window of
four lights at the east end. Between the two south
windows is a massive buttress probably added when the
new roof and parapets were erected. The doorway is
of two moulded orders, the outer on shafts with
moulded capitals and bases. In the usual position in
the south wall is a trefoil-headed piscina, and in the
west wall, north of the window, two rectangular aumbries, one above the other. The line of the original
lean-to roof of the aisle is preserved at the west end
below the later low-pitched gable.
The porch appears to have been heightened in the
15th century and finished with a battlemented parapet:
it has transomed windows of two trefoiled lights in the
side walls.
The roof of the nave is of six bays and there are four
square-headed clerestory windows on each side, with
a fifth at the east end on the south, added in 1500 (fn. 119) in
order to light the rood-loft.
The tall and slender tower with broach spire is of
the late type found at Brampton Ash, Stanion, and
other places in the north of the county, and was built
from the ground probably c. 1380–1400. The tower
is of four stages with moulded plinth and coupled buttresses to the height of the bell-chamber stage set back
from the angles. It is faced throughout with alternate
courses of ironstone and freestone, and has conspicuous
put-log holes in the two lower stages. The west doorway has good plain continuous mouldings and the window above it is of two cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in the head. The double bell-chamber windows
are of the same type: below them the north side is
blank, but in the middle stage facing south is a small
square-headed ogee loop. The vice is in the south-west
angle. The spire rises from a corbel table of heads
and flowers connected by tendrils, and has very low
broaches: (fn. 120) the angles are ribbed and there are three sets
of openings on the cardinal faces, the two lower of two
trefoiled lights and quatrefoil above. The height of the
tower above the floor of the nave (fn. 121) is 62 ft. 6 in., and
of the spire 92 ft. 6 in. (fn. 122) The tower arch is of three
chamfered orders, the two outer continuous, the inner
springing from half-octagonal responds with moulded
capitals.
The 13th-century font has a roughly-carved octagonal bowl on four detached octagonal shafts. (fn. 123) The
oak stem pulpit is of early-17th-century date, (fn. 124) with six
carved panels on its seven sides. In the wall of the
north aisle is a blocked doorway which apparently
communicated with the gallery of the screen between
the aisle and chapel.
The eastern bay of the south aisle which is screened
by plain woodwork of early Tudor character, with
linen-pattern lower panels, is now again used as a
chapel, and contains the 17th-century communion
table formerly in the chancel. A fair amount of 15thcentury seating remains in the church. Of later furniture there is an interesting balustered receptacle for
bread, with hinged door and lock, at the west end of the
south aisle, made for the safe-keeping of the dole founded
by Thomas Jenison (d. 1681), whose monument, with
a long inscription, is on the north side of the chancel.
Bridges records a brass memorial to John Glynton
'merchant of the staple of Calais' (d. 1506) and Isabel
his wife, but little of this now remains. (fn. 125)
The royal arms of Charles II (1667), long relegated
to the clock chamber, have been recently placed near
the south doorway.
There is a ring of eight bells, three smaller ones by
Taylor of Loughborough having been added in 1930
to a former ring of five. The old treble (now fourth) is
by W. Taylor of Oxford, 1846, and the old second
(now fifth) is dated 1729. The old third and fourth
are alphabet bells with the shield of Richard Brasyer
of Norwich, and the tenor is by Edward Arnold of
Leicester, 1792. (fn. 126) There is also a priest's bell by Taylor
of Loughborough, 1882.
The plate consists of a silver cup and cover paten of
1813, a plated flagon presented by Joseph Monk, vicar,
in 1881, a plated alms dish, a pewter flagon, two old
pewter alms dishes, and two modern ones of Sheffield
make. (fn. 127)
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all
entries 1622–81, with gaps 1665–70 and 1676–9;
(ii) baptisms 1673–1740, marriages 1676–1740,
burials 1675–1740; (iii) baptisms 1741–1807, marriages 1741–53, burials 1741–1806; (iv) marriages
1754–72; (v) marriages 1773–1812; (vi) baptisms and
burials 1807–12. The second volume is remarkable for
the extra matter inserted by Thomas Allen, vicar 1706–
20, whose liberal ideas of the scope of parish registers
led him to record local events in its pages. (fn. 128)
Advowson
The church of St. Katharine of IrChester was given by the elder William
Peverel to the Priory of Lenton. (fn. 129) In
1227 the prior's right to the advowson was challenged
by Emery de Nowers, lord of the manor of Little
Chester (q.v.) who afterwards withdrew his claim. (fn. 130) In
1268, however, the patronage was successfully claimed
by Margaret de Ferrers, Countess of Derby, as part of
her dower, (fn. 131) and the church remained in the gift of the
overlords of the manor (fn. 132) until 1330 when Henry Earl
of Lancaster made it part of the endowment of his hospital at Leicester (fn. 133) to which it was accordingly appropriated. (fn. 134) When the hospital was refounded as the
College of Newark in 1360 (see Higham Ferrers advowson) the church of Irchester remained in its possession. It was amongst the spiritualities of this house in
1535 (fn. 135) and came to the Crown on its dissolution in
November 1547. (fn. 136) In 1607 James I granted the advowson to Robert, Earl of Salisbury, (fn. 137) from whom it passed
to Thomas Jenison, patron until his death in 1647. (fn. 138)
Ralph his son and heir died twelve years later and was
succeeded by his son Thomas Jenison (fn. 139) who owned the
advowson in 1662 (fn. 140) and presented in 1675. (fn. 141) He died
suddenly without issue in 1681, (fn. 142) and his sisters, Elizabeth, wife since January 1641 of Samuel Collins of the
Middle Temple, (fn. 143) and Mary wife of Nathaniel Agutter
with their husbands and Elizabeth's son, Samuel Collins, junior, and his wife, made a settlement in which
the rectory of Irchester was included. (fn. 144) Afterwards the
Agutters alleged that they had been defrauded of
Mary's share by the younger Samuel, and in 1686 they
unsuccessfully sued his son of the same name with his
widowed mother and sisters. The third Samuel Collins (fn. 145) presented to the living in 1688 and 1705. (fn. 146) Samuel
Collins, junior, and John Collins, presumably his sons,
joined him in a settlement of the church in 1711, and
the younger Samuel and John held it with Elizabeth
Collins, spinster, six years later. John Collins and his
wife in 1727 sold to Rupert Clarke. (fn. 147)
Valentine Knightley presented to the living in 1745
and 1748, and Ambrose Dickins between 1751 and
1777; (fn. 148) and from 1794 to 1848 Francis Dickins was
patron. In 1770 the vicarage of Irchester was joined
to that of Wollaston and so remained until 1881. (fn. 149)
During the second half of the last century the advowson
changed hands several times, being held for the most
part by three of its vicars, the Rev. R. Wood, the Rev.
J. Monk, and the Rev. H. Slater. (fn. 150) It subsequently belonged to Mrs. Thomas of Reepham, Lincolnshire, (fn. 150) and
is now held by the Misses Thomas and Mrs. Semple.
Rectory
The rectory of Irchester followed the
descent of the advowson until 1605, when
James I granted it in socage to Peter
Bradshaw, (fn. 151) trustee, as appears from a later document,
for the Earl of Salisbury (fn. 152) in whose possession it was
again united to the advowson in 1607. [See above.]
The two may have been acquired together by Thomas
Jenison, owner of the parsonage impropriate in 1610,
when he was engaged in a dispute touching rights of
way. (fn. 153) In 1773 Ambrose Dickins, then patron and lay
rector, received compensation in lands for the glebelands and tithes of the rectory. (fn. 154)
Chapel
A chapel of ease in Knuston dedicated
to St. Leonard had fallen into decay before
1567, when it was granted to Robert
Holmes and Thomas Boughton with land belonging to
it. (fn. 155) Twenty-four years later only the site remained and
was said to be held by Henry Freeman, lessee of the
rectory, as 'concealed land'. (fn. 156)
There were gilds of St. Katharine and St. John in
the church of Irchester with lands which were included
in the grant of 1567.
Charities
The Feoffee Estate has been held in trust from the
time of King Henry VIII and is regulated by a scheme
of the Charity Commissioners dated
10 May 1912. The trustees are 8
in number, 5 being appointed by the
parish council and 3 are co-opted. The property
originally consisted of 36 acres of land at Irchester,
1 acre in Knuston Great Meadow, a house and blacksmith's shop and 12 cottages in Irchester. The house
and shop and cottages and about 1½ acres of land have
been sold and the proceeds, together with accumulations of income, invested with the Official Trustees.
The gross income amounts to about £112, and the net
income is applied in aid of the Local Nursing Fund.
Thomas Jenison by his will dated in 1681 gave an
annuity of £5 4s. charged upon his right to tithe hay
and grain of the village of Knuston to be paid to the
churchwardens and distributed in bread to the poor
weekly. This charge is paid by the owner of the Knuston
estate and is applied in the weekly distribution of bread.
Samuel Sharwood Charity was founded by indenture
dated 17 June 1858. The income of £7 8s. 2d. yearly
is distributed in sums of 5s. amongst the deserving poor
by two trustees appointed by the parish council.