Parishes: Alderminster

ALDERMINSTER

Sture (ix cent.); Aldermanneston, Aldermoneston, Aldermaiston, Aldremoneston (xiii cent.); Aldermeston, Aldermonston (xiv cent.); Aldermarston (xvi cent.).

Alderminster is a detached portion of the county, being surrounded on the north, east and west by Warwickshire, the River Stour forming its western and southern boundaries. It has an area of 3,229 acres, of which, in 1905, 894 were arable land, 1,380 permanent grass, and 157 woodland. (fn. 1) It lies chiefly on the Lower Lias beds, a small part on the west being on Keuper Marl. The soil is various, producing crops of barley, wheat, oats and beans. The parish was inclosed in 1735–6 (fn. 2) the award being dated 18 February 1736. (fn. 3)

The village lies on the road to Shipston-on-Stour from Stratford on Avon. The old cottages have for the most part been pulled down and modern brick dwellings with slate or tile roofs erected in their stead by Mr. James Roberts-West. Some 17th-century halftimber cottages, however, still remain on the east side of the road, and on the same side, at the south end of the village, are two fine 18th-century brick tithebarns with tiled roofs. The church stands on the west side of the road near the centre of the village. The vicarage, which stands a little distance back from the road on the opposite side to the church, is an L-shaped house, two stories in height with an attic, dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, and is built of stone and brick with tiled roofs. There is a large central chimney stack and a wide fireplace in the room which was formerly the kitchen, while the original staircase with its turned balusters, moulded handrail and square newels still remains, together with some original moulded doors which are probably of oak but are now thickly painted. The house has been considerably added to and the staircase is said to have been removed to its present position from the entrance hall. The track of the derelict Stratford on Avon and Moreton-in-Marsh railway, one of the earliest lines in England, passes through the parish by the road side. The present house at Upthorpe Farm, near Eatington, 1½ miles south-east of the village, is modern, but near it is a large half-timber barn of about 1600.

Goldicote House, the residence of the Hon. Claud Berkeley Portman, with its fine grounds, is pleasantly situated on the Banbury road, 3 miles north of the church.

A Romano-British fibula was discovered at Goldicote in the limestone rock under a second bed of stone more than 5 ft. deep. (fn. 4)

Among ancient place-names have been found: Bernewelle, Berehulle, le Helde, Heyhulle, Horeputte, Peselond, le Rugweye (xiii cent.) (fn. 5); Brygmede, Knovehull (xv cent.) (fn. 6); Strangmedowe, Homwey (xvi cent.) (fn. 7); Lake Meadow (xvii cent.) (fn. 8); Ramblamb Bushes (xviii cent.). (fn. 9)

MANORS

The present ALDERMINSTER has been identified with ten 'manses' at Sture which are said to have been confirmed by Edgar in 972 to the abbey of Pershore. (fn. 10) Unlike so much of the land confirmed to the abbey by this grant, Sture remained in the possession of the abbey, and an estate of 20 hides there belonged to the abbot in 1086. (fn. 11) In 1251 the abbot received a grant of free warren in this manor, (fn. 12) and in 1291 he held at Alderminster 5 carucates of land and a mill worth 6s. yearly. (fn. 13) The manor was in lease to John Davies, the collector, in 1490. (fn. 14) In 1537 a lease for lives to Roger Davies and Elizabeth his wife, and to John, William and Nicholas their sons, of the parsonage and manor became forfeit. On 3 December 1538, the abbot leased the parsonage and manor with its members Goldicote and Upthorpe to Sir John Russell, (fn. 15) who continued as lessee of the Crown after the dissolution of Pershore Abbey in 1539. (fn. 16) He was succeeded by his son Sir Thomas. (fn. 17)

In 1560 the manor was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, (fn. 18) who died in 1571, having bequeathed this manor to his second son Arthur, (fn. 19) who was knighted in 1596. (fn. 20) He settled the manor in 1596 on his wife Anne, with contingent remainders successively to Sir Thomas Wotton and his wife Mary, eldest of the four daughters of Sir Arthur, and to Ann, Elizabeth and Catherine, his other daughters. (fn. 21) He died at Paulerspury (Northants.), in 1626, (fn. 22) and the manor passed to his youngest daughter, Catherine, who married in 1627 Edward Partriche (Partheriche, Partheridge) of Bridge, in Kent, and died 1 July 1632. (fn. 23) Her husband, Sir Edward Partriche died between 1650 (fn. 24) and 1677, his son Edward being in possession of the manor at the latter date (fn. 25) and in 1681. (fn. 26) It was probably this Edward who in 1705 barred the entail on this manor, (fn. 27) which in 1727 was still held by him or a descendant of the same name, Edward Partriche, sen. and Edward Partriche, jun. then dealing with it. (fn. 28) Edward Partriche was still lord of the manor in 1736, (fn. 29) and John son of Edward Partriche died in 1783. (fn. 30) It is not clear who was the next owner, but Prattinton, writing in 1829, says that Mr. Partriche's property came to a Mr. Campane of Shennington. (fn. 31) On 15 July 1819 Alderminster Manor was advertised for sale. (fn. 32) Before 1868 it had passed to Mr. James Roberts-West of Alscot Park (co. Glouc.), (fn. 33) who died in 1882 and was succeeded by his son, the present lord of the manor, Mr. James Roberts-West. (fn. 34)

A rent of £3 4s. 5½ d. reserved when the manor was granted in 1560 to Sir Nicholas Throckmorton (fn. 35) was vested in the trustees for the sale of fee-farm rents in 1670, (fn. 36) and sold by them to John Jones of Whitehall in 1672. (fn. 37) In 1807 a rent issuing out of the manor was held by Miss Frances Hearne Bettesworth. (fn. 38)

At the Public Record Office there are Court Rolls and accounts of the manor of Alderminster temp. Henry VI, (fn. 39) Henry VII, (fn. 40) and Henry VIII, (fn. 41) and a Court Roll for 1630 is at the British Museum. (fn. 42) These show that the men of Goldicote and Upthorpe owed suit at these courts.

The manor of GOLDICOTE(Goldicot, Caldecote, xiii cent.) was held of the manor of Alderminster. (fn. 43)

It was probably represented in 1086 by the 2 hides held 'with two radmans' by a knight in the manor of Alderminster. (fn. 44) In 1210–12 the Abbot of Pershore was holding two knights' fees in Goldicote and Beoley. (fn. 45) There are many early 13th-century fines and deeds relating to land in Goldicote in the chartulary of Pershore Abbey, (fn. 46) and at this time the manor seems to have been held of the abbey in moieties by the families of Goldicote and Wyke. William son of Robert de Goldicote appears to have been in possession of one moiety in 1216 (fn. 47) and 1226, (fn. 48) and also in 1234–5. (fn. 49) He was probably succeeded shortly after by his son Lawrence. (fn. 50) This family seems to have continued to hold at Goldicote as late as 1311–12, when William son of Walter de Goldicote gave land in Goldicote to Warin Giffard of Goldicote and his wife Isabel. (fn. 51) Before this time this moiety of the manor must have passed out of the possession of the Goldicotes, and it was possibly their estate which was conveyed in 1278 by Henry le Fenn and Isabel his wife to Walter Giffard, Archbishop of York. (fn. 52)

The other moiety of the manor, which had been held in 1216 by Peter, son of Robert de Wyke, (fn. 53) and about 1240 by Peter de Wyke, (fn. 54) was perhaps identical with the manor of Goldicote which Peter de Lench and Margery his wife conveyed in 1283–4 to Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells. (fn. 55) In 1286–7 Walter Cooksey was holding the manor of Robert Burnell, (fn. 56) and in 1307–8, Hugh son of Walter Cooksey granted it for four years to his father's widow Elizabeth. (fn. 57) In 1310 Hugh acquired a messuage and land in Goldicote from John de Pebworth of Evesham, (fn. 58) releasing the same to the said John's son Thomas and Roberga his wife in the following year. (fn. 59) He was holding the manor in 1318, (fn. 60) and received a grant of free warren there in 1335. (fn. 61) From that time the manor followed the same descent as that of Cooksey in Upton Warren (fn. 62) (q.v.) until the death of Thomas Cooksey at the end of the 15th century. His heirs, Robert Russell of Strensham and Robert Winter of Huddington, were holding Goldicote Manor in 1500, when they conveyed it to Richard Emson and others, (fn. 63) possibly trustees for Robert Lawrence and his wife Margaret, who sold the manor in 1511 to Edward Greville. (fn. 64) This sale appears to have been followed by a dispute as to the title of the manor, for Edward Greville on 24 July 1511 agreed that Thomas Lucy, who disputed his title, should occupy the premises for a year. (fn. 65) Sir Edward Greville died seised of the manor on 22 June 1528 and was succeeded by his son John, (fn. 66) who in the previous year had married Eleanor, daughter of Sir Ralph Verney. (fn. 67) John Greville settled the manor on his son Edward and Margaret, daughter of William Willington, and their heirs male, on 8 July 1531, at their marriage, (fn. 68) and died in 1547, when Edward succeeded. (fn. 69) Abraham Greville, who was dealing with the manor in 1558, (fn. 70) probably held it under some trust, for in 1562 he conveyed it to Lewis Greville, (fn. 71) who had succeeded his father Edward in 1559. (fn. 72) Lewis Greville died seised of the manor on 14 November 1589, when he was succeeded by his son Edward (fn. 73) who conveyed it in 1595 to Thomas Bowyer and John Norton. (fn. 74) Dugdale writes of Edward Greville that he so wasted his estates, and his debts were so great, that leaving issue only daughters, his lands were exposed for sale by Sir Arthur Ingram, a Yorkshire knight, husband to Mary, the fifth of them, (fn. 75) but in the case of Goldicote the process was begun by himself with the assistance of Sir Arthur Ingram, the conveyance to Bowyer and Norton being possibly effected in the course of transferring it to John Woodward, who on 13 November 1601 died in London seised of the manor, with a chief messuage called Goldicote House and a park called Goldicote Park. (fn. 76) John Woodward was succeeded by his son John, to whom Sir Edward Greville confirmed the manor in 1603. (fn. 77) By him it must have been transferred before 1622 to Sir Arthur Ingram and Mary his wife, and William Ferrers and Susan his wife, who in that year conveyed it to Lionel, Lord Cranfield, Lord High Treasurer. (fn. 78) Lionel was created Earl of Middlesex in September 1622, (fn. 79) and the manor was confirmed to him under that title by Sir Edward Greville in the following year. (fn. 80) In 1624 he was impeached for corruption in his office of Lord Treasurer and found guilty. A fine of £50,000 was part of his heavy sentence, which banished him for ever from public life. (fn. 81) The park and manor of Goldicote were proposed as securities by the earl to creditors of the office of the ordnance, and the proposal was under consideration on 7 October 1624. (fn. 82) This forfeiture was probably the cause of another conveyance of the manor in 1629 by Sir Edward Greville to the earl. (fn. 83) He died in 1645, when his son James succeeded. (fn. 84) James died without male issue in 1651, and this manor instead of going to his daughter, passed with the title to his brother Lionel, who was dealing with it in 1653. (fn. 85) By a conveyance of 1654, Sir Christopher Wray, bart., and Anne his wife, widow of James, Earl of Middlesex, (fn. 86) probably released their claim in the manor to Lionel, Earl of Middlesex, who was holding it in 1655 (fn. 87) and sold it in 1667 to Sir Walter Walker. (fn. 88) He was judge advocate to the queen consort Catherine, and died in 1674, when his son George succeeded. George Walker was knighted in 1676 and created a baronet in 1680. (fn. 89) He wasted his fortune, and sold his estates, Goldicote being purchased in 1680 by Daniel Colwall and James Hudson as the manor of Goldicote and Alderminster. (fn. 90) In 1752 half of the 'honour, manor and park of Goldicote' was conveyed by Samuel Finney and Sarah his wife to George Goodwin, (fn. 91) who with his wife Mary sold the whole to Thomas Lintall (fn. 92) in 1773. In 1804 Charles Henry Hunt and Eliza Anne his wife were holding the manor, which they then conveyed to Edward Ravenscroft. (fn. 93) It had passed before 1849 to Gustavus Thomas Smith, (fn. 94) who is said to have purchased it of the Finneys, and it was sold by his representatives about 1886 to Charles Hylton Jolliffe. Goldicote was purchased in 1906 of Mr. Jolliffe by the Hon. Claude Berkeley Portman, who is the present owner, (fn. 95) but all manorial rights have lapsed.

The manor of UPTHORPE(Upthrop, xiii cent.; Opthorp, xiv cent.) was not mentioned by name in the Domesday Survey, and was probably included in the 20 hides belonging to the manor of Alderminster, of which it was a member and of which it was held. (fn. 96) It contributed separately, however, to the subsidy c. 1280, Martin de Upthrop paying 2s. 6d. (fn. 97) Robert Moryn, who evidently held the manor in right of his wife Margaret, settled it in 1313–14 on his children by her, with contingent remainder to her right heirs. (fn. 98) It next appears as the property of William son of Nicholas of Warwick, who in 1334–5 granted it to Richard son of Richard de Sowe of Chesterton in exchange for lands and tenements in Chesterton. (fn. 99) The manor seems to have been next in the hands of Hugh Cooksey. John French of Goldicote granted lands, &c., in Upthorpe and Alderminster in 1343 to Hugh Cooksey and Denise his wife, (fn. 100) and Hugh Cooksey died seised of the manor in 1356. (fn. 101) It then followed the same descent as Goldicote (q.v.) until the death of Thomas Cooksey. (fn. 102) It evidently formed part of the Winters' share of the Cooksey inheritance, and in 1519 it was settled on Roger Winter of Huddington, with remainders successively to the heirs of his father Robert, to John Russell of Strensham, and the heirs of Robert Russell, grandfather of the said John, and to Sir Edward Greville. (fn. 103) Upthorpe then followed the descent of Huddington (fn. 104) (q.v.) until the death of George Winter in 1594. (fn. 105) It was forfeited with the rest of his possessions by George's son Robert, and never seems to have been recovered by the family.

In 1641 Edward Underhill, a member of the family of Underhill of Eatington (co. Warwick) is stated to have removed to Upthorpe, where his family remained for some years. (fn. 106) Upthorpe Manor may have been purchased by the Underhills before 1630, however, as in that year Sir Edward Underhill, kt., uncle of the above-named Edward, was holding 8 virgates of land within the manor of Alderminster. (fn. 107) He died childless in 1641, and his nephew Edward resided at Upthorpe, dying on 14 April 1670. (fn. 108) His son George apparently succeeded to Upthorpe. He died in 1685, (fn. 109) and is mentioned in the same year as having held a lease of tithes of Upthorpe Farm on the expiration of a similar lease made to Edward Underhill. (fn. 110) His brother John is described as 'of Upthorpe,' but his son Thomas was not so described. (fn. 111)

In 1805 the manor was in the hands of Thomas Grove, senior, and Thomas Grove, junior. (fn. 112) It afterwards passed to the Shirleys of Eatington, and now belongs to Mr. Evelyn Charles Shirley, though part of the land near the house is held by Mr. James Roberts-West of Alscot Park. (fn. 113)

Two mills worth 17s. 6d. were held with the manor of Alderminster in 1086, (fn. 114) and the Abbot of Pershore was in possession of one mill in 1291. (fn. 115) It was stated in 1490 that there was no rent that year from the water-mill because it was totally destroyed. (fn. 116) On 1 April 1527 Humphrey Jennetts claimed to have a common way to his mill, 'where he ought by right to have no way,' and also had made a certain bridge on the land of the lord leading to his mill 'where there ought to be none.' (fn. 117)

A fishery in the Stour at Alderminster was held by the Abbot of Pershore in 1490. (fn. 118) A free fishery belonged to the manor in 1650, (fn. 119) 1681, (fn. 120) and 1705. (fn. 121)

CHURCH

The church of ST. MARY AND HOLY CROSS consists of a chancel measuring internally 36 ft. by 19 ft. 6 in., central tower about 16 ft. square, north transept 18 ft. 4 in. wide by 21 ft. 7 in. deep, south transept of the same width and 21 ft. 9 in. deep, nave 47 ft. 5 in. by 18 ft. 8 in., and a modern north porch.

The earliest building on the site appears to have been erected early in the 12th century, and portions of its walls, with fragments of two small windows, survive in the nave of the present church. Towards the close of the century an eastward enlargement was begun by the demolition of the original chancel and the erection on its site of the four arches of the central tower with the north transept. Early in the 13th century the south transept was added and a little later the chancel was rebuilt and the upper stages of the tower completed. About the middle of the 14th century new windows were inserted at the south-east of the chancel and at the eastern end of the north wall of the nave. In 1873 and 1884 the church was restored with melancholy results, every piece of old stone that could possibly be removed under any pretext being taken out and new work inserted. The eastern portion of the south wall having fallen down, the nave was then rebuilt. The walling throughout the building is of sandstone rubble with wrought quoins and dressings, the internal face being plastered. The roofs are all modern and are covered with tiles.

The east wall of the chancel, which has been entirely refaced, if not rebuilt, contarns a triplet of modern lancets with a chamfered external sill-string beneath, returned round the side walls, parts of which are original 13th-century work. In the north wall are four lancets, very much restored, arranged in pairs, the eastern pair having their sills slightly raised. An internal string-course with a few old stones runs beneath their sills and is dropped for the western pair. At the north-east is an aumbry of the original date of the chancel, with a trefoil head rebated continuously with the jambs. At the west end of the same wall is a second aumbry with a twocentred head, but only the east jamb is original 13thcentury work. The arrangement of windows in the south wall is similar, with the exception that the easternmost window has been replaced by a squareheaded 14th-century window of two trefoiled ogee lights with pierced and foliated spandrels. Beneath the sill is a fine mid-13th-century piscina with an elaborately moulded trefoil head and filleted jambshafts with moulded capitals and water-holding bases. The label is returned horizontally at the springing and cut off, suggesting that the original intention was to continue it as a string-course. The present stringcourse, which runs beneath the sills of the windows of this wall and is moulded with a double chamfer like that on the opposite side of the chancel, is interrupted by the piscina and returned on itself on either side, a circumstance which leads to the conclusion that the wall has been very considerably tampered with at one or other of the restorations. Between the two pairs of windows is a small doorway with some original jamb-stones and a modern head. The south-east angle is occupied by the lower part of the tower vice, which was originally entered from the chancel by a plain square-headed doorway now blocked. This portion of the vice is no longer used, and a modern turret, reaching to the ringingstage of the tower, has been built to replace it in the angle made externally by the chancel with the south transept. In the western external jamb of the easternmost lancet of the south wall is an old dial-stone.

The four late 12th-century arches which carry the central tower are two-centred and of two chamfered orders, the outer orders shafted and labelled on the internal faces of the tower and towards the nave, but chamfered continuously, like the inner orders, on the chancel and transept sides, where there are no labels. The jamb-shafts have scalloped capitals of late types, and their bases, which stand upon plinths, are moulded with a single small roll. The floor of the ringingchamber, which ceils the crossing, is modern, and is carried upon beams which take their bearing upon modern stone corbels. The upper stages of the tower, which are of the early 13th century, present externally a particularly imposing appearance. A buttress-like projection at the south-east angle contains the vice, and the bell-chamber, which is divided from the ringing-stage by an external chamfered string-course at the level of the roof-ridges, is lighted by a pair of lancets in each wall. The plain parapet with its gargoyles and pinnacles is probably an addition or repair of the 15th century. It is pierced in the centre of each face by a quatrefoil, and its mouldings are continued round the vice-turret, which is crowned by a weathered stone roof, surmounted by a crocketed pinnacle with a square embattled stem like those at the other three angles. The ringingchamber is lighted by modern quatrefoil piercings.

In the east wall of the north transept is a modern window of two lancet lights. The north window, which is of three trefoiled lancet lights under a common rear-arch, is also modern, though the external double-chamfered string-course beneath the sill is largely of original date. The west window, a single round-headed light, is probably contemporary with the tower arches. The east and south walls appear to have been rebuilt at some period subsequent to the original erection of the transept, foundations of earlier walls being visible externally. The south transept is lighted from the east by a lancet window with a few old stones in the jambs, and from the south by a triplet of trefoiled lancets similar to the corresponding window of the north transept, with some old jamb-stones. Below the sill externally is a chamfered set-off, surmounted by a roll, and at the base of the wall is a chamfered plinth. Neither of these features is returned on the side walls. The west window is a lancet of original early 13th-century date, comparatively unrestored.

At the north-east of the nave is a small roundheaded light of the early 12th century, much restored. To the west of it is an original 14th-century window of two trefoiled ogee lights with a circle filled with cusped running tracery above in a two-centred head inclosed by a plain double-chamfered label. The remaining two windows of the north wall, a single lancet and a coupled lancet window, are modern. Between them is a doorway of original mid-12thcentury date with a plain round rear-arch and a rollmoulded external order of the same form springing from jamb-shafts with scalloped capitals and inclosed by an engrailed and pelleted label. The jamb-shafts with their bases are modern, but the capitals have been left untouched. The doorway itself is square-headed, and the tympanum is modern, but a plain incised wheel cross, probably from the original tympanum, has been let into it. The two eastern windows of the south wall, which are each of two lights, and the westernmost window, a single lancet, are modern. The south doorway, which is of the same type as the north doorway, is entirely modern with the exception of two stones of the label. To the west of it is a small light like that at the north-east, but little besides the head is original. In the west wall is a tall narrow 13th-century lancet with an original label, but otherwise much restored. There are string-courses externally and internally at the sill-level, the former moulded with an overlapping roll and the latter with a double chamfer; both are largely original. The font and furniture are all modern.

On the west wall of the north transept is a mural tablet to Catherine Partriche, wife of Edward Partriche of the county of Kent, the youngest daughter and one of the co-heirs of Sir Arthur Throckmorton of Paulerspury, Northamptonshire; she died in 1632 and was buried at Hollingbourne, Kent. On the same wall is a mural monument to John Partriche, 'Lord of the manor of Alderminster,' who died in 1783 and was buried at Stratford Church. On the east wall of the south transept is a marble tablet to John Kettle, who died in 1803, and to other members of his family. On the south wall of the chancel is a tablet commemorating James Kettle, who died in 1806, and is described as having been for many years minister to a Nonconformist congregation at Warwick, and his wife, who died in 1814.

There is a ring of five bells, inscribed as follows: Treble, 'Mr. Tho: Millward Ch: Warden 1714 A. R.' (for Abraham Rudhall); (2) 'God be our good speed H. B. 1653' (for Henry Bagley; the last figure of the date is placed upside down); (3) 'Henry Bagley made mee 1668'; (4) 'RichHydn WPhipps Churchwarden A. R. 1716' (for Abraham Rudhall); tenor, 'Henry Bagley made mee 1676.'

The plate consists of a silver cup and cover paten of 1635.

The registers previous to 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1628 to 1689, burials 1650 to 1687, marriages 1641 to 1688 (there are no entries between 1638 and 1654); (ii) baptisms and burials 1691 to 1794, marriages 1699 to 1754; (iii) marriages 1754 to 1791; (iv) baptisms and burials 1795 to 1812; (v) marriages 1793 to 1812.

ADVOWSON

The church of Alderminster was appropriated to the abbey of Pershore by Henry de Soilli, Bishop of Worcester (1193–5), and this was confirmed by Pope Celestine III (1191–8) and Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury (1193–1207). (fn. 122) A portion of 50s. was then assigned to the vicar. (fn. 123) The rectory and advowson remained in the possession of successive Abbots of Pershore until the Dissolution, (fn. 124) except for a period before 1269, when the abbey must for a time have been deprived of it, as it was then restored at the petition of Walter Giffard, Archbishop of York, by his brother Godfrey Giffard, Bishop of Worcester. (fn. 125) After the Dissolution the advowson was granted to Richard Bishop of Worcester by Queen Mary on 14 November 1558, (fn. 126) Queen Elizabeth depriving him of it on her accession. It then remained in the Crown (fn. 127) until in 1876 it was acquired by J.Williams of Edgbaston. It remained in his family until 1890, when it passed to R. W. Thrupp, of whom it seems to have been purchased in 1908 by the Society for Maintenance of the Faith, in whose patronage it now is. (fn. 128)

The rectory was held on lease with the site of the manor by John Davies in 1490, (fn. 129) and both continued to be leased together as late as 1570, when they were the subject of a lawsuit instituted against Sir Thomas Russell by the Crown, (fn. 130) a grant of the rectory having been made in the previous year to John Prestwick. (fn. 131) In 1606 the rectory was granted to George Lord Carew and others, (fn. 132) and a fee farm rent of £10 2s. 6d. then reserved was in 1620 granted to Laurence Whitaker and Henry Price. (fn. 133) William Deane died seised of the rectory on 9 September 1620. He was succeeded by his son William, aged two. (fn. 134) Richard Harrison and Dorothy his wife were in possession in 1648 (fn. 135) and in 1650, when they granted it to John Yardley and Henry Goodcheape. (fn. 136) By 1670 Thomas Milward was impropriator of the rectory, and in that year was engaged in a suit brought against him by the vicar, Nathaniel Swan, (fn. 137) on the ground that he had withheld tithes and instigated other parishioners to do the same. (fn. 138) Thomas Milward appears to have died a year or two later and to have been succeeded by his son James. (fn. 139) In the course of further litigation it appeared that the tithes of corn and grain were held in 1677–8 by Mr. Milward and Mr. Cady, that some agreement about the payment of tithe had been made by the parishioners with their landlord Edward Partriche, the lord of the manor, that a penny called 'smoak penny' had been paid to the vicar in satisfaction of wood, furze and fuel tithe, (fn. 140) and that a customary rate of 40s. yearly paid to the vicar and the keeping of a mare and colt in 'a great ground called the Park' for some part of the year had been accepted in lieu of tithes from Goldicote, which paid no tithes to the impropriator. (fn. 141) The Milwards still owned the rectory in 1736, (fn. 142) but later it passed to the Kettles of Birmingham, (fn. 143) and since the end of the 19th century has been held by the lord of the manor.

CHARITIES

There are apparently no endowed charities subsisting in this parish.