HARDWICK
Hardwick is a small and compact parish of 1,438 a.
situated about 5 miles west of Cambridge and having
as its northern boundary the main road from that
city to St. Neots (Hunts.). To the east and west it
shares regular and almost parallel boundaries with
Comberton and Caldecote respectively. The symmetry of the parish is interrupted by the irregular
boundary with Toft to the south. Together the
two parishes form a tidy rectangle and they probably
formed one unit until the 11th century. (fn. 1) The
boundary was not decided finally until Toft was
inclosed in 1815, when a strip of land known as
Intercommon furlong was divided between the two
parishes. (fn. 2) The tongue of woodland known as
Hardwick wood projects between Toft and Caldecote. The parish lies across a ridge which rises in
the north to more than 200 ft. above sea-level and
falls to less than 125 ft. in the south. Drainage is to
the north, east, and south, and the valleys of the
streams give a rolling landscape. The underlying
strata are gault and boulder clay, and from the
unyielding qualities of the heavy soil Layer derived
the origin of the name Hardwick. (fn. 3) Agriculture has
been the principal occupation of the inhabitants,
though the infertility of the land may be the origin
of the epithet 'Hungry Hardwick'. (fn. 4)
By 1836, at the time of inclosure, the village lay
almost at the geographical centre of the parish,
about ½ mile south of the main road, encircled by the
three open fields, Wood field, Brook field, and
Comberton field. Most of the houses were sited
round a central green, which was bisected at
inclosure by a new road linking the village with the
main road and continuing south to Toft. (fn. 5) Until
then there had been no made road to the village. (fn. 6)
The Port way, which traverses the parish from west
to east, (fn. 7) may at one time have been more important
than the way north, though it has come to be no
more than a bridleway.
Poor communications hampered development. In
1836 the curate, describing Hardwick as 'a very
poor place and the people very ignorant', attributed
its condition to the fact that the village was almost
inaccessible in wet weather. (fn. 8) Inclosure resulted in a
considerable improvement in communications and
in the general economic condition of the parish.
The population doubled between 1831 and 1841.
The increase was attributed to 'the parish having
been inclosed and several new cottages built'. (fn. 9) Being
still completely dependent upon farming, Hardwick
declined in size during the agricultural depression
of the late 19th century, which was particularly
severe on the clay lands. By 1901 the parish was
scarcely more populous than it had been 70 years
earlier. (fn. 10)
Apart from a few outlying farm-houses, established after inclosure, the settlement pattern remained
the same until the 1930s. The new houses then built
in Hardwick were significantly situated not in the
old village, but in the north-west corner of the parish
along the main road, west of Hardwick Turn. They
also extended south around the 19th-century
building known as Hardwick Hall, afterwards
demolished. The new settlement included a wooden
village hall. (fn. 11) In 1939 the parish council urged
that a piped water supply be provided for the
village because of the fire hazard. (fn. 12) Their anxiety
may have been due to the fact that many of these
new dwellings had been constructed of wood.
After the Second World War more dwellings were
built to the east of Hardwick Turn, (fn. 13) completing
an almost continuous line of buildings along the
main road.
There are few buildings in Hardwick dating
from before the 19th century. Indeed there were
only 10 dwelling-houses in the parish in 1831. (fn. 14)
The Chequers, once a public house, is a timberframed and plastered house dating from the 16th
or early 17th century. Old Victoria Farmhouse,
similarly timber-framed and plastered, is also of
16th- or early-17th-century origin. (fn. 15)
Only 7 peasants and 4 servi were recorded at
Hardwick in 1086. (fn. 16) In the 13th century there were
c. 43 tenants. (fn. 17) In 1327 32 persons were assessed
to the fifteenth. (fn. 18) The population subsequently fell
so that in 1377 only 81 people paid the poll tax. (fn. 19) In
1563 there were only 14 families. (fn. 20) According to
Layer there were c. 30 families in the early 17th
century, (fn. 21) but only between 19 and 26 houses were
assessed for the hearth tax under Charles II. (fn. 22)
Vancouver found 33 families there c. 1793, (fn. 23) and
there was a population of 158 in 1801. Thereafter it
fell to 90 in 1831, but more than doubled to 202 by
1841. After reaching a peak of 248 in 1871 it fell
again to 112 in 1901. There was a slight recovery
after the First World War, but a great increase
occurred between 1931 and 1951, when, as a result
of the development which had taken place, the
population stood at 471. In 1961 it was 460. (fn. 24)
Manor and Other Estates.
According to
Ely tradition Hardwick was one of the estates given
by Ealdorman Beorhtnoth to the priory in 991 as a
burial offering in the event of his death in the
forthcoming campaign against the invading Danes. (fn. 25)
Ely's rights there were later confirmed by Edward
the Confessor. (fn. 26) In 1066 the abbot of Ely held 3
hides, 1 virgate, and 22 acres in Hardwick. (fn. 27) Five
sokemen of his held a further 1½ hide and 6 a. which
in 1086 were included in Erchenger's fee and located
in Toft. (fn. 28) Upon the creation of the see of Ely in 1109
HARDWICK was among the manors converted
to the use of the bishop. It remained part of the
episcopal estate until Bishop Heton exchanged it
under compulsion with Elizabeth I in 1600. (fn. 29)
In 1610 James I granted the manor to George
Salter and John Williams of London who appointed
William Knight, rector of Little Gransden, as their
agent. (fn. 30) Salter and Williams conveyed the manor
to Knight in 1612. (fn. 31) Knight's son William sold it to
Owen St. Pierre of London in 1627. (fn. 32) Three years
later St. Pierre sold it to Nicholas Angier, (fn. 33) who in
1642 sold it to Edmund Mapletoft, rector of Hardwick, and John Tolly. Two years later Mapletoft
resigned his share to Tolly. (fn. 34) In 1652 Tolly granted
the manor to George Cony and John Tolly the
younger. (fn. 35) Cony in his turn passed the whole manor
to Dr. Franke and Mr. Sterne to be held for the use
of Matthew Wren, bishop of Ely, then under
confinement as a prominent supporter of Archbishop Laud. (fn. 36) After the Restoration Wren initiated
the building of a new chapel at Pembroke College,
Cambridge, and gave the manor of Hardwick as
part of its endowment. Since then the manor has
been held jointly by the master of Pembroke and
two trustees of the chapel. (fn. 37) A medieval moated
site at the south end of the village has been suggested
as the site of the manor, (fn. 38) although there is no
supporting documentary evidence. In 1356 there
was said to be an empty space on which no house
was built. (fn. 39) The manorial demesne of 232 a. in 1251
officially remained of that size until the late 15th
century. It was farmed, however, to the customary
tenants (fn. 40) and by the 17th century little more than
5 a. of land called Wood close and 12 a. of wood
remained. Upon inclosure the lords of the manor
received 27 a. which they still owned in 1939. (fn. 41)
Between 1166 and 1212 the bishop of Ely enfeoffed the nuns of Swaffham Bulbeck with ½ knight's
fee in Hardwick and Comberton. (fn. 42) There is no
record of that estate in extents of 1222 and 1251. (fn. 43)
In 1279 the prioress held a messuage and 60 a. of
the bishop in Hardwick which together with a
number of lesser tenements answered for ½ knight's
fee. (fn. 44) In 1379 Thomas Harding of Manningtree
(Essex) and others were authorized to alienate 50 a.
of land and 4s. rent in Hardwick and Toft in
mortmain to the priory of Swaffham. (fn. 45) In 1536–7
the income from the priory lands in Hardwick and
Toft, then occupied by John Hinde, was 43s. (fn. 46) In
1553 100 a. of the estate were sold to Sir Robert
Chester. (fn. 47) In 1614–15 Roger Smith, son of Dr.
John Smith, held over 50 a. of the same estate. (fn. 48) In
1628 he held of the manor of Hardwick a close
called Jenkin's and c. 30 a. (fn. 49) which Samuel Vicars
held in 1663. In 1669 Charles Mainwaring succeeded
to the estate. It remained in the Mainwaring family
until 1740 when Peter Whittet obtained it. (fn. 50) The
Whittet estate appears to have been broken up at
about the time of inclosure. William Whittet
continued to own Jenkin's close but other lands were
obtained by the Revd. Edward Serocold Pearce
(later Pearce-Serocold). (fn. 51)
In 1212 Henry de Essex held ¼ fee of the bishop
of Ely in Hardwick. (fn. 52) It may well have been the
¼ fee in Hardwick on which the bishop declined to
pay scutage in 1171–2. (fn. 53) Henry de Essex held one
carucate in 1222 in Hardwick for ¼ knight's fee, (fn. 54)
and by 1251 had been succeeded by his son Alexander. (fn. 55) In 1279 Hugh of Eastcote held the 80 a.
of that fee in Hardwick. (fn. 56) In 1316 Thomas of
Elsworth died seised of the estate. (fn. 57) A George of
Elsworth, son of John, was a landholder in Hardwick
in 1374. (fn. 58) No record of the further descent of the
estate has been found, but it may possibly be the
same as the 80 a. which William son of John Adams
held in 1628. (fn. 59)
In 1609 Thomas Dove, bishop of Peterborough,
held 180 a. of free land, formerly owned by John
Pecke, (fn. 60) and 60 a. of copyhold in Hardwick, (fn. 61)
including Ward's close which had earlier belonged
to Barnwell Priory. (fn. 62) In 1642 the estate was in the
possession of William Gilbert. (fn. 63) Ambrose Benning,
owner in 1680, was followed by the Haworth family
between 1684 and 1694. The estate passed through
various hands until 1770 when Lancelot Brown
('Capability' Brown) took possession of it. (fn. 64) In 1810
the earl of Hardwicke purchased it from the Revd.
John Brown. (fn. 65) Upon inclosure he was allotted
236 a. in Hardwick, where William Watson was his
principal tenant. (fn. 66) The estate became known as
Victoria farm. In 1882 it was mortgaged under the
Hardwicke Estates Act of 1881. (fn. 67) One of the
mortgagees subsequently foreclosed and conveyed
it to the Revd. John Hodson. The farm was again
sold by mortgagees in 1912. (fn. 68)
In 1836 the largest estate in Hardwick was
owned by the Revd. Edward Serocold Pearce
(later Pearce-Serocold) of Cherry Hinton, who had
amassed a holding of 637 a., almost half the parish, (fn. 69)
most of which he had purchased in 1834 from the
Royston estate. It was known as Red Brick or Wallis's
farm. (fn. 70) In 1815 William Royston had purchased
copyhold land of the manor of Hardwick from
Maldin Wallis. (fn. 71) Of that amalgam of estates, more
than 100 a. had been held in 1628 by William Adams,
son of John Adams, whose family retained them
until 1748. Mary Edwards who held them until
1750 was succeeded by the Ogrum family, owners
in 1756. Another 70 a. had been held by Richard
Pemberton in 1628, subsequently passing to the
Adams family which was still in possession in 1750.
At least three 17th-century holdings made up the
Royston estate. (fn. 72) In addition Pearce had obtained
land from the Whittet family and a Mr. Smith. (fn. 73)
In 1842 Pearce-Serocold conveyed a capital messuage
and lands to James Michael Foster who died before
1853. (fn. 74)
Part of the parish belonged in the Middle Ages
to Toft manor. (fn. 75)
Economic History.
Although the name
Hardwick has been taken to signify a sheep farm, (fn. 76)
there is no other evidence that this branch of
agriculture has ever been predominant in the
economy of the parish. The difficulty of draining
the heavy clay soil makes the land unsuitable for
extensive sheep-farming. In the 1790s about onethird of the flock of 600 perished of sheep-rot. (fn. 77)
Arable farming seems to have long been the most
important occupation of the parish. In the 17th
century Hardwick was especially noted for the
quality of its oats. It was the principal crop of
Hardwick in 1801 (fn. 78) and much of it was grown in
1968.
In 1086 Hardwick was assessed as 3 hides, 1
virgate, and 22 a. The demesne consisted of 1½ hide
and 12 a. worked by 2 ploughs. The 7 villani
had 4 teams, and there were 4 servi and meadow
sufficient for 4 plough-teams. A free tenant held
10 a. valued at 1s. (fn. 79) There were 20 pigs on the
demesne, but no sheep. (fn. 80) In 1222 (fn. 81) and 1251 (fn. 82)
detailed extents were made of the bishop of Ely's
manors. The former, however, omits the account of
the demesne. The extent of 1251, taken at its face
value, depicts Hardwick as a classic example of the
13th-century manor. There were 232 a. of arable
demesne which, following the disappearance of the
servi, employed only one demesne plough-team,
supplemented by the customary works of the
tenants. In addition there were 10 a. of meadow
and 4½ a. of pasture in the Hay, later Hay Common,
close to the village centre. Neither the two- nor
three-field system, however, can be shown to have
been established; at least seven fields or doles were
mentioned. The wood called Bradeleh, probably
the later Hardwick wood, contained 21½ a. The
demesne stock that could be kept comprised 4 cows,
a bull, 26 sheep, and a ram, but no pigs unless they
were fed in the courtyard. (fn. 83) About 106 a. were held
by free tenants, besides the fee held by the prioress
of Swaffham (fn. 84) and the 80 a. held by Alexander the
son of Henry de Essex. The largest peasant free
tenement was 20 a. held by Henry le Eyr for 2s.
rent and certain labour services including boonwork. Fourteen villeins held full yardlands of 20 a.
and eleven had half yardlands. Their numerous
dues and obligations were meticulously set down but
were not of an exceptional nature. Their principal
obligation was to do three week-works throughout
the year, with the customary exceptions of certain
festivals and holidays. Each yardlander had the
right to some wood for fencing upon rendering
2 hens. (fn. 85) That was probably the origin of the right
successfully maintained by the copyholders of
Hardwick against Francis Hinde in 1587 to cut one
'ringe' of underwood each year from Hardwick
wood upon payment of 8d., a practice which continued until inclosure. (fn. 86) There were also three
cottars each with a croft and 1 a., and a few mis-
cellaneous unfree tenants, one of whom was responsible for guarding the lord's wood. A few holders
of parcels of other fees also owed the bishop
various services. (fn. 87)
The regularity and symmetry of the picture given
in 1251 may be misleading. Certainly, changes
soon occurred in practice, although in theory the
arrangements of 1251 continued in force until the
late 15th century. (fn. 88) The manor was farmed for £28
in 1251, the main potential source of revenue being
the commutation of over 3,200 week-works. (fn. 89)
Although it was not expressly stated, the tenants
may themselves have been farming the manorial
demesne then as in 1299. (fn. 90) By the time of Bishop
Fordham (1388–1425) rationalization of rents had
resulted in each full villein tenement paying 17s. a
year, which covered 'witepound', assized rent, food
renders, commutation of works, and its share in the
farming of the 232 a. of demesne at 6½d. an acre. (fn. 91)
The payment for the demesne suggests that the
arrangement had a long history. In 1316 each acre
of Thomas of Elsworth's estate in Hardwick was
valued at 1s., (fn. 92) and the sum of £17 as the combined
rent of the 20 theoretical full virgates of Hardwick
appears as early as 1337. (fn. 93) It is unlikely that the
bishop began to farm out his demesne for a sum so
much below current values.
The acceptance by the bishop of a more or less
fixed rent income means that the account rolls do
not entirely reflect the true economic situation
of the vill. They suggest, however, a long-term
decline in prosperity. The highest figure that
survives for the bishop's revenue is a farm rent of
11s. 6½d. a week, making £30 a year, in 1316–17. (fn. 94)
By 1337–8 it had fallen to £23 and thenceforward
until the time of Bishop Fordham the only variations
are due to the fluctuating profits from the court,
the sale of wood, and the occasional heriot. Difficulties over the collection of the rent may be
reflected in the general rise in arrears during the
14th century. Fordham was obliged to reduce the
rent of a full land to 15s. on account of the poverty
of the inhabitants, and by 1463 it had been further
reduced to 13s. 4d. (fn. 95) Not until Edward IV's reign
did the accountants fully accept the changes or
relinquish the possibility of the return to a higher
figure. (fn. 96) Thereafter rents remained fixed and the
manorial revenue was little affected by the economic
life of the village.
Three fields had been established by the early
17th century, Hatchmore field, Stockenden field,
and Puttocksrow field. Closes of pasture were then
frequently mentioned. (fn. 97) As elsewhere holdings
were increasing in size and declining in numbers.
The 25 villeins who held more than 10 a. of the
manor in 1251 had been reduced to 13 copyholders
by 1628. The principal tenant in 1615 was Thomas
Dove, bishop of Peterborough, who had at least
240 a., and William Adams also held over 100 a.
The holdings styled yardlands were no longer the
simple 20 a. units of the 13th century but included
a proportion of the old demesne customarily
attached to them. The engrossing of estates continued and by the inclosure in 1836 about eight
landowners dominated the parish. Chief among them
were the Revd. Edward Serocold Pearce and the
earl of Hardwicke. (fn. 98)
In the 1780s and 90s a succession of wet years
damaged the farming on the heavy clay lands at
Hardwick. The 70 a. of inclosed grassland afforded
'in general a very coarse and indifferent herbage'. (fn. 99)
Hardwick was cited as an example of the deficiences
of an uninclosed parish compared with the neighbouring inclosed parish of Childerley. The average
produce per acre for wheat at Hardwick was twothirds of that obtained at Childerley, for barley
and oats a half, and for peas and beans less than a
half. (fn. 100) In 1801 the open fields were sown, in the
traditional way, with 125 a. of wheat, 115 a. of
barley, 160 a. of oats, and 63 a. of peas and beans,
but also with 30 a. of clover. (fn. 101) The early 19th century
saw a serious decline at Hardwick. By 1831 the
population had fallen to 90. Twenty-seven of the
twenty-nine adult males in the parish were engaged
in farming. (fn. 102) The inclosure produced a short revival
but the dependence upon agriculture remained,
resulting in further decline in the late 19th century.
During the 20th century soft-fruit-growing has
been introduced on a large scale to add variety to
the produce of the parish. Extensive orchards were
planted on Hardwick farm in the south-east part of
the parish, owned by the firm of Chivers Ltd. (fn. 103)
During the Second World War Messrs. Pye's
opened a small factory on the main road to attract
women to war work. The building was afterwards
used as a village hall. (fn. 104)
The settlement that grew up along the main road
had little connexion with agriculture, but was
probably caused by the proximity of Cambridge. In
its turn the road has brought some trade to the
parish, with the opening of garages and cafés.
There was no mill in Hardwick in 1251, although
the jurors asserted that if there were one the bishop's
tenants would owe suit to it. (fn. 105) The deficiency had
been corrected by 1299 when two years' farm of
the mill produced £1 10s. (fn. 106) In 1356 the windmill was
sufficient but needed new sails. (fn. 107) There is no further
known record of a mill at Hardwick.
Local Government.
The bishop of Ely had
extensive judicial rights in Hardwick as part of the
liberty of St. Etheldreda. In 1279 they were defined
as view of frankpledge, gallows, tumbrel, return of
writs, pleas of vee de naam, and warren. (fn. 108) The manor
court and leet seem to have met usually once a year,
though expenses were sometimes claimed for two
courts. (fn. 109) The court leet of Toft with Hardwick,
belonging to the honor of Clare, presumably had
jurisdiction over that part of the parish which was
part of the Clare manor in Toft. (fn. 110)
The rolls of the manorial court of Hardwick,
shorn of the special jurisdictions attaching to the
see of Ely, survive from 1603 to 1741 with gaps. (fn. 111)
Courts were usually held by the steward and contain
very little besides the routine business of admissions
and surrenders of copyhold tenants. Records of
admissions and surrenders continue until 1854. (fn. 112) In
1740 four field-reeves were appointed, (fn. 113) but there is
no record of the appointment of other parish
officials such as constables. The office of constable,
however, survived late. Mr. M. R. Fraser was
appointed last parish constable in March 1939, (fn. 114)
a few months before the abolition of the office in
Cambridgeshire. (fn. 115)
Parish expenditure on the poor in 1776 was £36,
and in 1783–5 £40, but by 1803 it had risen to £111,
out of which 10 persons were permanently and 10
occasionally relieved, besides 18 children, of whom
6 were at a school of industry. (fn. 116) In 1835 Hardwick
was included in the Caxton and Arrington poor
law union, (fn. 117) and in 1934 was transferred from the
Caxton and Arrington R.D. to the Chesterton
R.D. (fn. 118)
Church.
A church at Hardwick was recorded
in 1217. (fn. 119) The benefice has since the 13th century been a rectory. (fn. 120) The advowson has belonged
to the bishop of Ely throughout the recorded
history of the church, which was a peculiar of
the bishop, exempt from the archdeacon's jurisdiction. (fn. 121)
Before 1279 the bishop had granted the rector a
house and 40 a. in Hardwick. (fn. 122) In 1615 the glebe
comprised 60 a. in the open fields of Hardwick and
Toft. (fn. 123) The rector also retained the tithes. In 1217
the church was taxed at 10 marks. (fn. 124) In 1254 12
marks, evidently all or nearly all of the income of
the rectory, was said to be the portion of a vicar,
who is not otherwise recorded. (fn. 125) The value of the
rectory, assessed at 16 marks in 1291, (fn. 126) had fallen
to £8 14s. 1d. by 1535. (fn. 127) In 1644 it was worth £80
a year, (fn. 128) and in 1826 the gross yearly value was £300,
out of which a curate was paid £50. (fn. 129) At the inclosure in 1836 the tithes were commuted for a
rent-charge of £254, and the rector was allotted
33 a. for his glebe. (fn. 130) In 1887 he also owned c. 11 a.
in Toft. (fn. 131) The rector suffered heavily during the
agricultural depression. The rent of the glebe fell
from an earlier £60 to £30 in 1896, when the rentcharge was also reduced to £173. His necessary
outgoings were then £48. (fn. 132) Substantial reapportionments of the tithe-rent-charges were made in 1935
and 1950. (fn. 133)
The glebe house suffered many periods of
dilapidation, possibly owing to the frequent absence
of the rectors. In 1665 it was ordered to be repaired. (fn. 134)
In 1787 it was being used as 'a sort of hospital' for
poor families. It was described as 'deplorable' in
1790, and was let in three tenements to paupers in
1807. In 1836 it was unfit for the residence of the
incumbent, being little better than a labourer's
cottage. (fn. 135) All thought of the incumbent residing in
it was abandoned and its site was later known as
Old Rectory Farm. A new rectory was built, nearer
the village street, (fn. 136) and the incumbent was living there
in 1881. (fn. 137)
There was a guild in honour of St. Mary at
Hardwick in 1523. (fn. 138) In 1548 1 a. in Hardwick, given
for a light in the church, was sold to William Warde
and Richard Venables by the Crown. (fn. 139)
From the 14th to the mid 19th century the rectors
were often but not invariably absentees. John of
Thriplow was licensed for 2 years' absence in 1348. (fn. 140)
A curate was mentioned in 1543. (fn. 141) Ralph Baynes,
later bishop of Coventry and Lichfield and a staunch
supporter of Queen Mary, was rector until 1544. (fn. 142)
His successor, Nicholas Stennett, was deprived in
Mary's reign for unknown reasons, but a man of
the same name re-appears as rector under Elizabeth
I. (fn. 143) William Middleton, rector 1585–1613, was a
prominent protestant controversialist (fn. 144) and in 1593
was reported for not wearing the surplice according
to the queen's ordinance. (fn. 145) He served the cure
himself and was buried at Hardwick; he gave
3 or 4 a. to the parish for the maintenance of his
tomb, the land to become glebe if the grave was
not properly preserved. (fn. 146) The non-resident Edmund
Mapletoft, a prominent supporter of Bishop Wren,
was ejected in 1644, after being accused of negligence
and popish practices, and a puritan successor
installed. (fn. 147) The same year 12 superstitious pictures
and a cross were ordered by William Dowsing to be
removed and the steps to the altar levelled. (fn. 148) John
Fido was ejected from the rectory in 1662. He had
been part author of a work in praise of Parliament and
later became a Congregationalist. (fn. 149) Non-residence
continued to be common until the later 19th century.
Church life was at a low ebb in the early 19th
century. Only one service was held on a Sunday and
communicants averaged about 7 in 1836. The
curate, who was himself often resident in another
parish, and the clerk conducted a Sunday school. (fn. 150)
By 1896, with a resident rector, two services were
held on Sundays and there had been 22 communicants at Easter. Four teachers were employed
in the Sunday school and there was a parish magazine and a choir. (fn. 151) For many years after 1902 the
benefice of the neighbouring and virtually uninhabited parish of Childerley was held with that
of Hardwick. In 1966 the rector of Hardwick also
served Toft with Caldecote. (fn. 152)
The church of ST. MARY is built largely of
field stones and has a chancel, nave with north
vestry and south porch, and west tower with a spire.
All except the vestry, which is modern, are to a
unified design of c. 1400, which incorporated one
early-14th-century window, presumably from an
earlier church on the site, in the south wall of the
chancel. (fn. 153) The queen-post roofs are 15th-century
and presumably contemporary with the walls.
During the 15th century the chancel arch was
rebuilt, presumably to make it larger, and a stone
stair to the rood-screen was constructed in the northeast corner of the nave. The original rood-screen
was presumably removed at the Reformation, for
in the early 17th century another, of Jacobean
design, was put in. (fn. 154) In 1783 the church was said
to be in very bad repair and the spire very much out
of line. (fn. 155) The church was well ventilated in 1836, but
the roof was in bad repair, admitting sparrows into
the body of the church during divine service. (fn. 156)
From 1901 an extensive restoration was carried out
by a Mr. Rickett of Abington under the direction
of Detmar Blow. Everything was done 'strictly
in the spirit of conservation of ancient architectural
features'. Most of the funds were provided by
members of Pembroke College, Cambridge. (fn. 157) In
1552 there were three bells in the tower, and a
sanctus bell. (fn. 158) The church in 1965 had three bells
cast in 1797. (fn. 159) In 1970 the plate included a cup and
cover paten, both dated 1569. The registers date from
1564 and are virtually complete. (fn. 160)
Nonconformity.
In 1669 there was a
Congregational conventicle at John Morley's house
in Hardwick with a preacher, Nathaniel Ball, (fn. 161) who
had been an ejected minister. (fn. 162) There were two
dissenters at Hardwick in 1676, (fn. 163) and 20 Presbyterians there in 1728. (fn. 164) Houses were licensed for
worship by protestant dissenters in 1739, (fn. 165) and
1805, (fn. 166) and a barn in 1826. (fn. 167) In 1783, however,
there was but one family of dissenters (fn. 168) and only
four persons in 1805. (fn. 169) By 1881 there was no
meeting-place in Hardwick and only one nonconformist. (fn. 170) There were no nonconformists in 1897. (fn. 171)
Education.
James Forester, B.A., was licensed
as schoolmaster at Hardwick by the bishop in 1580. (fn. 172)
No other educational activity is recorded in the
parish before 1789, (fn. 173) when there was a small dame
school. The curate then thought a Sunday school
would be impracticable, owing to 'the general
disposition of the inhabitants'. (fn. 174) The only means of
education in 1818 was a Sunday school attended
by only 9 children. The curate who conducted it
reported that the poor people 'seem very indifferent
whether their children have the advantages of
education or not'. (fn. 175) It was attended by 13 boys and
girls in 1833, (fn. 176) and by 33 in 1846–7. It was supported
by subscription and the children were taught free.
The schoolroom was in the church. (fn. 177)
A National school, a single schoolroom with a
teacher's house built on the glebe in 1871, was
opened in 1872. It provided accommodation for
64 children. School pence were paid and the school
received annual parliamentary grants from 1876.
The average attendance rose from 24 in 1876 (fn. 178) to
40 in 1880. (fn. 179) Thereafter it declined to 21 in 1908
and 11 in 1932. By 1938 it had risen again to 22. (fn. 180)
The school was still open in 1968, though under
threat of closure.
Charities for the Poor.
None known.