ROXTON
Rochesdon (xi cent.); Rekesduna, Ructona (xiii
cent.); Rokesdon (xv cent.).
The parish of Roxton has an area of 2,918 acres,
of which 1,938 acres are arable, 532¾ acres permanent grass and 53 acres woods and plantations. (fn. 1)
Its western boundary is formed by the River Ouse, in
the neighbourhood of which the land is liable to
floods.
The highest point above ordnance datum is
279 ft. in the north-east of the parish, while in
Chawston there is a bench mark showing 73 ft. The
soil is clay and gravel, of which there is a pit to the
south of Chawston. Wheat, barley, oats and beans
are the principal crops, while an increasing area is
devoted to market gardening.
The village of Roxton in the extreme south-east of
the parish stands some little distance off the main
road. It is picturesquely situated at the foot of a
hill between the river and the road. The majority
of the houses are old, and there is no principal
village street. The church of St. Mary is in the
east of the village, which has also a fine Congregational chapel built in 1822. Roxton House, standing in a park, is an 18th-century brick building in
the south-east. The population is chiefly agricultural
and is steadily decreasing. Outlying districts of the
parish are Chawston hamlet in the north, where there
is an ancient moat surrounding a modern house which
marks the site of Chawston Manor, and Colesden in
the west with a Grange farm in existence in 1677. (fn. 2)
Water is obtained in this parish by pumps. Roxton
was inclosed in 1810. (fn. 3)
MANORS
The principal holder of land in this
parish in 1086 was William Spec, who
held ROXTON MANOR assessed at
8 hides and 3 virgates. (fn. 4) Like other of William Spec's
land this manor is later found held of the barony of
Trailly. (fn. 5) As in the case of Biddenham the Trailly
interest in this parish was later attached to the
honour of Gloucester, of which mention has been
found as late as 1518. (fn. 6)
In 1086 Roxton Manor was held by twelve
socmen. (fn. 7) The first tenants found holding this property after the Survey are the Bowels; in 1219
Henry de Bowels was accused by Aubrey Espec of
taking homage and relief in her free tenement in
Roxton. (fn. 8) In 1227 John de Bowels brought a suit
against Nicholas de Themes here, (fn. 9) and in 1235 one
of the same name is found benefiting the monks of
Pipewell by a grant in this parish. (fn. 10) John de
Bowels held the property in 1246–7, (fn. 11) and in the
latter part of the 13th century he was proved to
hold one and a half knights' fees in Roxton. (fn. 12) By
1302 these knights' fees had passed to Alexander
Bosun, (fn. 13) and the descent follows that of Bosoms in
Stagsden (q.v.) from then till 1423, after which it
follows that of Bosoms in Wootton (q.v.) until 1447,
when Margaret the wife of William Bosun died
seised of the manor. (fn. 14) It then passed to Robert
Olney, husband of her younger daughter Goditha. (fn. 15)
The next mention of Roxton Manor is in 1518,
when Robert Throckmorton died seised of it, (fn. 16) being
succeeded by his son George. (fn. 17) The latter held it
till 1541, (fn. 18) in which year he transferred it to the
Crown in exchange for other manors. (fn. 19) Roxton was
granted by the Crown to John Lord Mordaunt in
1553–4, (fn. 20) in whose family it remained till 1624,
when John Lord Mordaunt transferred it to Gideon
de Lanie or Laune, (fn. 21) a French apothecary, who held
the appointment of surgeon to Anne of Denmark and
was Master of the Apothecaries' Society in 1637. (fn. 22)
The family already owned Netherbury Manor in
Great Barford. Gideon de Laune died in 1659, (fn. 23)
and William Delaune, with his son-in-law Sir William
Hugessen, made a settlement of the manor in 1660 (fn. 24)
and again in 1663. (fn. 25) William Delaune in 1688 still
owned the manor, (fn. 26) which was in the possession of
one of the same name in 1715. (fn. 27)
By 1737 it had become the property of William
Metcalfe (fn. 28) and in 1784 William and James Metcalfe
suffered a recovery of it. (fn. 29) James died in 1796, and
in 1811 his son Charles James Metcalfe was under
age. (fn. 30) In 1847 his son Charles James was lord of
the manor, but sold it before 1854 to the Rev.
Robert Delap of Monellan, Ireland, whose son
James Bogle Delap holds it at the present day. (fn. 31)
At the time of the Domesday Survey William Spec
held 7 hides and 3 virgates of land in Chawston, (fn. 32)
and Eudo Dapifer 1 hide and 1 virgate, (fn. 33) and the
overlordship of both these holders is subsequently
found in what later became known as CHAWSTON
MANOR. William de Roos, representing the Spec
honour, held here in the middle of the 13th century, (fn. 34)
whilst Richard de Beauchamp at the same date held
1 virgate of the honour of Eaton, into which Eudo
Dapifer's lands had passed. (fn. 35) In 1290 the dual
overlordship of the de Roos family and Beauchamps is
mentioned, (fn. 36) but after this date Chawston Manor is
stated to be held of de Roos of Hamlake only, mention
of the overlordship occurring in 1302, 1343, 1346,
1414 and 1428. (fn. 37)
The tenants of William Spec at Domesday were
William son of Raineward and William Gros, whilst
no tenants are named as holding of Eudo. (fn. 38) In the
middle of the 13th century four holders in Chawston
are given. (fn. 39) Of these Richard de Beauchamp and
Ralf Ridel (who held of both honours) appear to have
preceded John de Kirkeby, Bishop of Ely, to whom
land was conveyed in 1270, (fn. 40) and who died seised of
property in Chawston in 1290. (fn. 41) This passed to his
brother William de Kirkeby, (fn. 42) at whose death in 1302
he was proved to hold Chawston Manor (here so
called for the first time). (fn. 43) His four sisters were his
co-heirs, of whom Mabel Grymband inherited land
in Chawston (treated of below), but Chawston Manor
remained in the possession of his widow, Christine de
Kirkeby, who held it in 1316, (fn. 44) and in the same
year conveyed it by fine to Oliver Calverly and Mary
his wife. (fn. 45) Oliver de Calverly still held the manor
in 1330. (fn. 46) By 1343 this property had passed to
Thomas Swathyng and Margaret his wife (fn. 47) ; and
forty years later a further transfer had taken place to
John Corner of Norfolk and Anora his wife, who in
that year conveyed it by fine to John Fage. (fn. 48) A few
years later the manor was again alienated to Roger
or Robert Hunt, who held it in 1414, (fn. 49) in which
year he was M.P. for Bedfordshire. (fn. 50) He was succeeded
by his son Roger, who held
by knight service in 1428. (fn. 51)
The latter was a distinguished
lawyer, and was Speaker of
the House of Commons in
1433, (fn. 52) and five years later
was created baron of the Exchequer. His son Roger
inherited the manor from
him, (fn. 53) and died seised of it in
1518, (fn. 54) when the property
passed to his son Thomas,
who was in turn succeeded
by William, the eldest of
his five children. (fn. 55) The latter died in 1593, and
left the manor to Roger, his fourth child but
eldest son, (fn. 56) upon whose death Chawston descended
to his eldest son Thomas, who held it in 1628. (fn. 57)
Thomas Hunt left the property to his second son
Thomas, (fn. 58) who suffered a recovery of Chawston
Manor in 1631. (fn. 59) Upon proof of his recusancy
two-thirds of his estate were sequestered and granted
in 1635–6 to William Bell for thirty-one years, (fn. 60)
he having had an interest in the manor four years
previously. (fn. 61) In 1641 Thomas Hunt is still found
owning a portion of Chawston Manor, (fn. 62) but he
died in that year, (fn. 63) and in 1653 another Thomas
compounded for the two-thirds of it that had been
sequestered. (fn. 64) In 1699 John Cufaude, who married
Anne daughter of Roger Hunt, held half the manor
of Chawston. (fn. 65) He died in 1701, (fn. 66) and four years
later the whole of the original property was in the
hands of Mary Hunt, spinster. (fn. 67) She is the last
member of the family found holding the manor, (fn. 68) for
at about this time it became the property of the
Metcalfes, and henceforth follows the descent of the
main manor of Roxton (q.v.). (fn. 69)
Hunt of Chawston. Argent a cheveron gules
and a border gules bezanty with a ring or on the cheveron.
Upon the marriage of Mabel, youngest sister and
co-heir of William de Kirkeby, with William Grymband, (fn. 70) a portion of the manor of Chawston was
granted as her dower in 1301–2. (fn. 71) This consisted
of 40 acres of arable, 2 acres of meadow and 30s. 8d.
rent of assize, and was held as one-sixteenth part of a
knight's fee. (fn. 72) Mabel died in 1312, and was succeeded by her son Robert, whose son was William, (fn. 73)
upon whose death the property passed to his son
Robert. The latter left it to his son Robert, from
whom Nicholas his son inherited it. It was then
held successively by his daughter Joan, her son Thomas
and his daughters Joan and Agnes. William Lytton
was son of Agnes, and he, together with Richard Hill
and the latter's sister-in-law, transferred it, as co-heirs
to the property, to Roger Hunt in 1507, (fn. 74) after
which it followed the descent of the rest of the Hunts'
property in this parish.
A third manor in Roxton appears in the 15th
century, which originated from land held by William
Spec at the Survey. It was known as COLESDEN
MANOR, and its overlordship follows that of Roxton
Manor (q.v.), (fn. 75) and is last found mentioned in
1480. (fn. 76)
In 1410 Joan, formerly the wife of Richard Boltere,
conveyed the manor to Thomas Martin and Thomas
Englysshe, (fn. 77) whose daughter Margaret brought it in
marriage to John Radewell. (fn. 78) She died in 1444, (fn. 79)
and the manor passed to her son Thomas Radewell,
who died the same year as his mother, when Henry
Englysshe, his kinsman, inherited Colesden. (fn. 80) In
1472 the manor was granted by John Dundin to John
Fitz Jeffrey, (fn. 81) who died seised of it in 1480, (fn. 82) and
upon its sale by Francis Fitz Jeffrey, in 1546, to Lord
Mordaunt (fn. 83) it became joined to and followed the same
descent as Roxton Manor (q.v.).
The manor of THROCKMORTONS or BOXES
in this parish originated in a grant by the Crown of
a portion of Sir George Throckmorton's property to
William Boxe, citizen and grocer of London, and
Anne his wife in 1546. (fn. 84) By 1553–4 it had become
the property of Lord Mordaunt, (fn. 85) and it henceforth
followed the descent of Roxton Manor (q.v.). (fn. 86)
The family of Ardens, who held property in Roxton
in the early 13th century, give their name to the
manor of ARDENS. In 1231 Roger de Hillingdon
was summoned to answer Eustacia wife of Thomas
de Ardens for a breach of an agreement as to
6 virgates of land in 'Ructona.' (fn. 87) In 1347 Thomas
de Ardens, kt., who owned Roxton Manor, was
outlawed for felony. (fn. 88)
A property reappears in the 16th century which
is called Arderns Manor, a third of which was
transferred in 1543 by Nicholas Bradshawe to Thomas
Child. (fn. 89) Another third was transferred to him by Ralf
Heydon in 1546, (fn. 90) whilst in 1548 he acquired the remaining third by fine from the same persons. (fn. 91) Robert
Child died holding tenements in Roxton in 1639–40, (fn. 92)
but no further trace of the manor has been found. (fn. 93)
Another manor in Roxton is CARLYLES or
ROXTON WOOD END, first mentioned in 1472,
when Walter Stotfold and Joan his wife conveyed it
to Richard Carlyle. (fn. 94) In 1501 it was in the possession
of William Mordaunt and Anne his wife, (fn. 95) and
henceforward it follows the same descent as Roxton
Manor (fn. 96) (q.v.), and is mentioned separately in
documents as late as 1813. (fn. 97)
Walter de Baa or Bathonia (fn. 98) held by knight service
of the Trailly fee in right of Anne his wife from 1284
to 1316. (fn. 99) By 1346 this fee had passed to Reginald
de Cobham, (fn. 100) and in 1428 it was dispersed into
five parts. (fn. 101)
Jordan de Colesden held property in Colesden in
1199 (fn. 102) which descended to William his son and
grandson of the same name, (fn. 103) being held in the
13th century as half a knight's fee of Alinor Wake,
of the honour of 'Buly.' (fn. 104)
In 1086 Roxton Mill, held by William Spec, was
worth 33s. and 260 eels. (fn. 105) It was bestowed in
1235 by John de Bowels on the monks of Pipewell,
together with holms and meadows adjoining it, (fn. 106)
and after the Dissolution was granted in 1546 to
Trinity College, Cambridge. (fn. 107) These meadows
were held of the latter in 1585 by Edmund Day,
who appears to have acquired the mill and who
brought an action against John Webster in that year
for erecting certain flood-gates and mills upon the
Ouse, whereby the plaintiff's property was destroyed. (fn. 108)
The last mention of the mill is found in 1604, when
it was the property of William Webster. (fn. 109)
The monasteries of Caldwell, (fn. 110) St. Neots (fn. 111) and
Newnham (fn. 112) held lands and rents in Roxton down
to the dissolution of those houses.
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN consists of a chancel 31 ft. 10 in.
long by 16 ft. 8 in., a nave 46 ft. by
20 ft., a south aisle 14 ft. 4 in. wide overlapping the
tower, and a west tower about 13 ft. 6 in. square.
The south arcade of the nave, of the early part of
the 14th century, is the earliest piece of detail in the
church, but the north wall of the nave is probably
older. A south chapel was added to the chancel
about 1330, and the chancel may have been lengthened
at the same time; the arcade opening to the chapel
remains, but the chapel itself has been pulled down.
The arcade projects for about half its thickness
from the face of the wall, and it seems that the wall
has been rebuilt a little to the south of its former
line in order to make the axis of the chancel correspond with that of the nave, the arcade itself being
left undisturbed. There is nothing to show the process by which the original alteration of axis was brought
about, for it must be assumed that the nave and chancel
were in the first instance set out symmetrically.
In the 15th century the west tower was built,
perhaps taking the place of an older tower, and at
the end of the century or later the south wall of the
south aisle was heightened and the aisle itself extended
westward to the west face of the tower. About the
same time a window was inserted in the north wall
of the chancel and another in that of the nave.
The church is built of cobble-stones of a rich
brown colour with ashlar dressings, and has steep
pitched roofs, the timbers of which are all modern.
The chancel has a modern east window of three
lights with flowing tracery, to the south of which is
a locker and at the north-east and south-east are
two-light 14th-century windows, the latter having
clearly been reset. This must have been done when
the wall was rebuilt on its present line. In the
north wall is a doorway in modern stonework and
west of it a late window, perhaps c. 1520, of three
cinquefoiled lights. In the south wall is a square
chamfered piscina recess, and to the west of it is the
blocked 14th-century arcade of two bays, which once
opened to a south chapel. It has chamfered arches
resting on octagonal shafts with moulded capitals, the
responds having been made into shafts by the addition
of cement and plastering. The chancel arch is
pointed, all cement-faced and modern.
The nave has an early 14th-century south arcade
of three bays with arches springing from octagonal
columns and half-round responds with moulded
capitals and bases. At the south-east angle is the
rood stair. In the north wall near the chancel arch
is a 14th-century square-headed window of two trefoiled ogee lights set low in the wall, and to the west is
a late 15th-century window of three cinquefoiled lights
of the same kind as that in the chancel. The north
doorway has a single chamfered arch and label, probably of 14th-century date, and to the west of it is a
three-light window with net tracery of the same
date.
In the south wall of the aisle are three tall 15thcentury windows with square heads under which are
three cinquefoiled lights; the doorway consists of
two pointed chamfered orders and a label and is now
blocked. At the east end is a blocked two-centred
drop arch which led into the chapel, and at the west
end is a square-headed window of three cinquefoiled
lights with multifoiled net tracery.
The tower is not divided into stages, but has an
embattled parapet, and at the north-east and south-west angles are large 15th-century buttresses ending
underneath it. The west doorway is 15th-century
work, and above it is a late two-light plain window;
the belfry stage is lighted by two-light 15th-century
windows cinquefoiled under a four-centred head, and on
the north by a restored trefoiled lancet window, there
being one similar in the west wall of the story below.
The font is of the 14th century and has an
octagonal bowl on a square chamfered shaft round
which are four roughly octagonal detached columns
with capitals and bases. There are a few interesting
monuments. On the south side of the chancel is
a panelled altar tomb bearing shields of Hunt, and
on the top slab is a brass plate inscribed simply
'Hic jacet Rogerus Hunt,' already referred to in
the account of Chawston Manor. In the south wall
is another brass with a Latin inscription to John
Fage the elder of 'Chalvesterne' (Chawston), 1400,
and in the floor a stone to Mrs. Ann Andrew, 1693.
In the north wall of the nave is a plain 14th-century
recessed tomb, consisting of a chamfered depressed
two-centred arch, under which is the mutilated effigy
of a lady in long robes. The proportions are very
long and slender, but the drapery is good; the head is
gone, and the feet are turned outwards in an ugly way;
between them is a little dog curled up and asleep.
Roxton Church from the South
The pewing and fittings are modern, but the
15th-century lower part of the rood screen remains
with six cinquefoiled panels each side, each panel
except those nearest the wall on either side having
three holes pierced in the head. These are much
larger to the north than to the south. The panels
bear paintings of saints, the figures on the north
being smaller than on the south, the paintings not
going so far down the panel. All are mutilated,
but some are still recognizable. On the north are (?)
St. James, St. Erasmus, the Resurrection, St. Christopher, King Edmund (? St. Sebastian) and St. Dorothy;
on the south are the four doctors, a king in ermine
robes carrying crozier and book, and St. Helena.
The ring of five bells was cast in 1893, but on the
wood frame is the date 1647.
The plate consists of a modern silver cup and
paten and an electro-plated flagon.
There are four books of registers before 1812.
The first has all entries, 1684 to 1742; the second
the same, 1743 to 1755, with the years 1725 and
1726 missing, and baptisms and burials to 1802; the
third baptisms and burials 1803 to 1812; and the
fourth marriages 1755 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
Until the Dissolution Roxton
Church follows the same history as
that of Bromham (q.v.). In 1546 it
was granted to Trinity College, Cambridge, (fn. 113) who
have held it until the present day. In 1736 it
was attached to Great Barford. (fn. 114) The rectory was
valued at £14 at the Dissolution. (fn. 115)
CHARITIES
The poor formerly received an
annual sum of £1 from the owner of
a piece of land at Hail Weston, in
the county of Huntingdon, the origin of which,
however, could not be ascertained.