CRANFIELD
Crangfeld (x cent.); Cranfelde (xi cent.).
Cranfield is a large parish of 3,998 acres, situated
on a range of hills on the Buckinghamshire border.
The soil is heavy, with a subsoil of cold clay. There
are 1,757 acres of arable land, the crops being wheat,
oats and barley, 1,654 acres of permanent pasture
and 37½ of woods and plantations. (fn. 1)
The village of Cranfield stands on high ground over
360 ft. above the ordnance datum and extends some
distance along roads radiating from the church, which
is surrounded by a shady churchyard. Some years
ago, when the church was undergoing restoration,
Roman coins were discovered in the churchyard. (fn. 2) At
the junction of the roads is the village pump and hard
by are the schools. The street boasts several good
shops, due probably to the fact that the nearest railway
stations, Millbrook and Woburn Sands, are only 4 miles
distant. The most conspicuous object, however, is
the group of almshouses, two separate portions of
which were erected by the late Mr. James Goodman
and the third by the Society of Friends. In this part
of the village, which extends into the hamlets of
West End and Tartlett End, are the Wesleyan chapel
and two Baptist chapels.
Along the road leading north from the village lie
some of the hamlets contained in the parish. At
Broad Green there is a windmill still in use, whilst
another one recently stood north of Gossard's Green.
A third at Bourne End was burnt down a few years
ago. Bourne End, which is served by a mission
room, consists of scattered farms, of which Troy
Hall and Hillgreen Farm are moated. The site
of another moat is visible to the north-east of Boxhedge Farm.
The north-east end of Cranfield, known as East
End, contains a Baptist chapel. From here a field
path leads to Moat Farm, a small modern brick
building almost entirely surrounded by a moat still
holding plenty of water.
In the extreme west of the parish is the small
group of houses called Wharley End. The remaining hamlet of Wood End is about three-quarters
of a mile south of the village and contains little of
interest beyond a moated inclosure. The road connecting it with the village borders the park surrounding Cranfield Court, a large modern red-brick building with Bath stone dressings, in the French Gothic
style. It is the seat of the widow of Mr. J. F. Hatfeild
Harter, and from its elevated position can be plainly
seen from all sides.
MANORS
The earliest mention of Cranfield is
found in 969, when among the boundaries of Aspley mention is made of
'Cranfeldinga dic.' (fn. 3) The Chartulary of Ramsey
Abbey records that Alwyn the Black, who died in
998, gave the manor to the Abbot and convent of
Ramsey. (fn. 4)
This grant was confirmed by Edward the Confessor in 1060, (fn. 5) by William I in 1078, (fn. 6) and by Pope
Alexander III (fn. 7) in 1178. The latter grant speaks of
the church, which is not mentioned in the two
earlier.
Abbot Alfwin, the last Saxon abbot, granted a life
estate in Cranfield to Ralph Earl of Hereford. (fn. 8)
The Domesday Survey states that the Abbot of
Ramsey held the manor; that it was assessed at 10
hides worth £9. (fn. 9)
In the 11th century two of the abbots are mentioned as having alienated land here belonging to the
abbey, giving it to their relations. (fn. 10)
On the retirement of Abbot Robert de Redinges in
1206 King John, with the
assent of the abbey, granted
the manor to him for life. He
seems to have been involved
in a quarrrel with this monarch,
and no doubt the manor was
given him, as a pension, to
compensate him for having to
retire. (fn. 11) In the same king's
reign the abbot was granted
a view of frankpledge in his
manor of Cranfield, and in
1251 Henry III gave the abbot
and convent a grant of free
warren in all their demesne
lands at Cranfield, (fn. 12) and there
seems to have been some doubt as to the validity of
these grants, for the abbot was summoned to the Bedford Assizes in 1330 to show by what right he enjoyed
these liberties. After hearing the case the court
decided to take them back into the king's hands and
the abbot had to pay 40s. to have them regranted to
him. (fn. 13) In 1328 the manor was granted by the
abbot to Sir William de Herle, Robert de Sachynton
and Robert de Burgh, rector of Houghton, for the
yearly rent of £100 of silver, the abbot on behalf of
the monastery reserving the right of re-entry should
the rent not be paid. This grant also expressly
states that the right of presentation to the church was
to remain with the abbey. (fn. 14) During the 14th century various grants of land at Cranfield were made to
the abbot. Thus Thomas de Newby gave 60 acres. (fn. 15)
The abbots continued to hold the manor till the
Dissolution, at which time its value was £68 9s. 4d. (fn. 16)
It then became Crown property, and in 1542 was
attached to the honour of Ampthill. (fn. 17) In 1545
William Hutton was appointed to be the bailiff and
collector of the manor. (fn. 18)
Ramsey Abbey. Or a bend azure with three rams' heads argent cut off at the neck and having golden horns.
In 1550 Edward VI granted the manor to his
half-sister the Princess Elizabeth, (fn. 19) who ten years
later leased it for twenty-one years to one Fysher. (fn. 20)
Later in 1603 James I granted it as part of her dowry (fn. 21)
to his consort Queen Anne, who died in 1617–18.
In 1621 the manor was
granted to Sir Lionel Cranfield (fn. 22) on being raised to the
peerage as first Baron
Cranfield of Cranfield. The
following year he was created
Earl of Middlesex. (fn. 23) He died
in 1645, and was succeeded
by his son James, on whose
decease in 1651 his brother
Lionel succeeded to the title
and estates as heir male. (fn. 24)
He made a settlement of
Cranfield Manor in 1653, (fn. 25) in
1655, (fn. 26) in 1660–1, (fn. 27) and again
in 1663. (fn. 28) In 1672 it became the property of the Monoux family, by whom
it was retained till 1729, when it was purchased by
the Duke of Bedford, (fn. 29) by whose family it was retained till 1837, (fn. 30) about which date it was alienated
to Joseph Ashby Partridge, who held it in 1847.
A further alienation took place before 1864 to
Captain Drake, whose widow devised it by will to
her husband's kinsman, Mr. Alfred Henry Tarleton, (fn. 31)
the present owner.
Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex. Argent a pale azure with three fleurs de lis argent there on.
A second manor existed here called WASHINGLEY MANOR, which no doubt is called after the
family of Wassingle, whose names appear as witnesses to deeds granting land in Cranfield (fn. 32) to Ramsey
Abbey in the 13th century, and who seem to have
been in the employment of the abbot, for William de
Wassingle, as steward of the abbot, presided over the
court of King's Repton in 1288, and he is mentioned
as holding the position of steward of the fair of
St. Ives in 1293. (fn. 33) The first mention of this family as
landowners in Cranfield is in 1295, when William de
Craunfeld (fn. 34) granted for 20 marks and for the yearly
payment of 6 marks of silver during his life all his
lands, tenements and appurtenances, with the homage
and service of free tenants, to William the son of
William de Wassingle of Cranfield. A little later
William de Wassingle the elder obtained a licence to
alienate in mortmain to the Abbot and convent of
Ramsey a messuage and a moiety of 1 virgate of land
at Cranfield. (fn. 35) In 1353 John de Wassingle obtained
a messuage and land from Gilbert de Warwick and
Nicholas of York. (fn. 36) The first mention of Washingley
as a manor is in 1515, when Thomas Stafford sold it
to Richard Langley for £140. (fn. 37) By 1548 the manor
had come into the possession
of Thomas Leigh, who seems
to have mortgaged it to John
Dormer, a citizen and merchant of London. (fn. 38) At his
death in 1572 (fn. 39) Thomas
Leigh left a son John, who
was a minor, aged nine years.
In 1584 John Leigh recovered
the estate, (fn. 40) but in 1589 he
transferred it to John Stampe
and his wife, who was the
daughter and heir of the
above-mentioned John Dormer. (fn. 41) By 1599 John Leigh
had again obtained the manor, (fn. 42)
and died in 1620, being succeeded by his son Lewis, (fn. 43)
who with his wife Lucy conveyed the manor in 1624
to Nicholas Hampson. (fn. 44) Again in 1649 the Leighs
were in possession of the property, (fn. 45) but the following
year Thomas Lord Leigh and his son Charles parted
with it to William Feilde, (fn. 46) who settled it on Miles
Whitworth and Thomas Ringe. From the Feildes
the manor passed through female heirs to the families
of Baker and Coleman, (fn. 47) and then to Mr. Pearse of
Bedford, who inherited it from the latter family, and
transferred it to Robert Denis in 1802. (fn. 48) After this
date no further mention has been found of this
manor.
Leigh, Lord Leigh. Gules a cross engrailed argent with a lozenge argent in the quarter.
There was also a third manor in this parish, which
was known as RUDLONDS or RUDLANDESFELDE,
the first mention of which
yet discovered occurs in 1563,
when Sir William Paulet
appears as the owner. (fn. 49) In
1575 he conveyed it to
Jeremy Weston, (fn. 50) whose son
Richard was created Lord
Weston in 1628 and Earl of
Portland in 1633. (fn. 51) The earl
at the time of his death
(March 1634–5) was in possession of the manor (fn. 52) ; but
in 1640 his widow and her
son Jerome second Earl of
Portland parted with the
property to Mr. Dray Chamberlain, (fn. 53) when all mention of it disappears.
Weston, Earl of Portland. Or an eagle sable looking backwards.
CHURCH
The church of ST. PETER AND
ST. PAUL consists of a chancel 36ft. 4 in.
by 20 ft. 8 in., with a north vestry, nave
57 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft. 6 in., north aisle 11 ft. wide,
south aisle 12 ft. 9 in. wide, and west tower about
10 ft. square.
The chancel arch, nave arcades and lower part of
the tower date from about the middle of the 13th
century, and the chancel, though now entirely modernized, must have reached its present plan early in the
14th century at least. Part of the two-story northeast vestry is of that date. The aisle walls are perhaps
also of late 13th-century date, though remodelled in
the 15th century, when the clearstory was added
and the tower heightened and much altered. It is
possible that at the same time the nave arcades were
rebuilt and heightened.
The chancel is plastered and overgrown with ivy,
and the windows, which have perpendicular tracery
in four-centred heads, are modern; on each side of
the east window is a modern canopied niche, and
the piscina and sedilia, in 15th-century style, are also
modern.
The vestry, which has modern doors and windows,
is 14th-century work, and has a priest's chamber
above it, approached by a staircase in the south-west
angle; it has an embattled parapet, chamfered plinth
and diagonal angle buttresses of little projection. The
upper room is lighted by two narrow square-headed
lights, but shows no traces of arrangements like those
at Marston Moretaine.
The chancel arch is of two chamfered orders with
a deeply undercut label; there are half-round shafts
in the jambs, having well-moulded capitals, of which
that on the south is ornamented with nail-head. The
arcades of the nave, each in four bays, are of the
same character as the chancel arch, with similar arches
resting on shafts, a quatrefoil on plan, and with
moulded capitals varying slightly in section; the
chamfers of the arches in the south arcade are stopped
over the capitals by a scroll. The clearstory windows,
of which there are four on each side, are of three
cinquefoiled lights under a four-centred head. The
nave roof is good 15th-century work in four bays;
the secondary rafters have angels supporting them, with
wings outspread and holding shields bearing emblems
of the Passion, the angels and carved bosses being
disfigured by modern colouring. The tower arch
is 13th-century work, and consists of chamfered
orders springing from the jambs, and having a
restored label and mask stops.
The north aisle has a late 13th-century piscina in
the north wall with a trefoiled head, over which is a
label; above it is an image corbel. The east window
is also of the end of the 13th century, consisting of
three uncusped pointed lights under a pointed head
and a label with modern stops. In the north wall,
which is plastered and has an embattled parapet, are
three restored 15th-century windows, each of three
cinquefoiled lights under a four-centred head; between
these windows are 13th-century buttresses in two
stages. The round-headed north doorway, now
blocked, is re-used work of the latter part of the
12th century, but almost entirely made up in Roman
cement; it is in two orders, the outer moulded with
a pointed bowtel between two hollows, and the inner
slightly chamfered; it rests on jambs in which are
shafts having scallop and simple leaf capitals. The
west end of the aisle is not plastered, and the walling
is of roughly coursed rubble, the window being like
those in the north wall. The roof is of the 15th
century, with painted bosses and half-figures of angels
carrying shields.
The south aisle has a squint in the north-east angle
looking into the chancel; there is a 13th-century
square piscina in the south wall, moulded like that of
the north aisle, and adjoining it is an unmoulded
aumbry. The windows are like those of the north
aisle, but much more restored, and the doorway and
the inclosing stonework are quite modern; over the
arch of the doorway is an early carving of a seated
saint holding a book (?); the sides of the stone taper
and have a roll moulding, and it seems probable that it
is part of a cross shaft. To the east of the doorway,
inside the aisle, is a trefoiled stoup fitted with a
modern piscina basin. The roof is 15th-century work
and like that of the north aisle. The porch is modern.
The tower is built of wide-jointed coursed rubble,
with an embattled parapet and diagonal buttresses;
about half-way up it widens on all sides, the projection being carried on three-centred arches. The
west door is modern, in 15th-century style, and the
window above it, of two cinquefoiled lights under a
four-centred head, is also modern. On each side of
the top stage are two 15th-century windows consisting
of two cinquefoiled lights under a four-centred head,
and there is a stair in the south-west angle, entered
from the ground floor by internal and external doorways.
The font and pulpit are both modern, but in the
churchyard is a 15th-century font in a ruinous
condition.
There are few monuments of interest, but in the
south wall of the chancel is a marble quarry inscribed
to the memory of Thomas Frank, a former rector,
who died in 1690, and was buried at Campton in
the same county.
There are five bells: the first by John Hodson,
1663; the second and third by Newcombe of Leicester,
1611; the fourth by Mears of London, 1833; and
the fifth by Taylor of St. Neots, 1805. There is
also a small bell with no inscription or marks.
The communion plate consists of a foot-paten of
1710 and a cup, flat paten and flagon of 1848.
The registers previous to 1812 are in six books:—
(1) all entries 1600 to 1652; (2) the same, 1653
to 1670; (3) 1690 to 1734; (4) printed marriages
1754 to 1770; (5) baptisms and burials 1763 to
1787; and (6) printed marriages 1802 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of the church
belonged to the Abbots of Ramsey, (fn. 54)
who were the lords of the manor
of Cranfield, and after the Reformation the right of
patronage still continued to belong to the manor till
the 18th century. (fn. 55) The present patron is the widow
of the late Mr. J. H. Harter, whose grandfather
obtained it by purchase before 1854. (fn. 56) The earliest
mention of the church is in the time of Abbot
Walter (1133–60), when he granted it to Godfrey
the priest, (fn. 57) who paid 20s. yearly to the abbey for
the repair of the service books at Ramsey. The
next mention of the church is in 1178, (fn. 58) when Pope
Alexander III confirmed it to the abbey, Pope
Gregory IX doing the same in 1229. (fn. 59) According
to the Taxatio
(fn. 60) the value of the living was £20.
The Valor shows the living to be worth £33 2s. (fn. 61)
In pre-Reformation times a brotherhood or gild
existed in the parish. This gild, according to the
chantry certificates, (fn. 62) had a house and 6 acres of land.
The brotherhood also owned a herd of cattle which
were let to various people, the money paid being
£8 10s. In addition to the brotherhood 5 acres of
land were devoted to the upkeep of a light, and a
rood and a half of land was given to a drinking.
CHARITIES
In 1601 George Bury by will
devised 40s. a year for the repair of
causeways and common churchways
to be paid out of the rents of the lands called
Coles. By a scheme of the Charity Commissioners,
22 December 1897, the rent-charge is vested in the
official trustee of charity lands, and is made applicable
in the repair of any footpaths under the control of
the parish council, or in placing and maintaining
seats in places of public resort, or for other public
purposes in the parish. In 1908 there was a balance
in hand of £15 14s. 6d.
The St. Thomas' Day charities consist of a rentcharge of £2 5s. charged on Broad Green Farm by
Mr. H. Lovell, the owner, supposed to represent
the gifts of Thomas Butler, 1645, Thomas King,
1658, and Elizabeth Field, 1694; also a rentcharge of £1 charged on Perry Hill Farm, representing
the gift of William Fruit in 1649. The annuities
are duly received and applied.
In 1683 Richard Grange bequeathed £200 for
purchasing freehold land, the rent thereof to be
applied in apprenticing the sons of poor householders.
The endowment consists of 3 a. in this parish and
6 a. in Wootton of the rental value of £20 or
thereabouts. The charity is regulated by schemes
of the Charity Commissioners of 4 October 1862 and
4 December 1885.
The school. (fn. 63)
The endowments are derived from settlements by
Mrs. Alice Girton and her son-in-law Peter Caynhoo,
1703, Mrs. Ann Baker, 1716, and will of Thomas
Turney, 29 December 1712, consisting of two fields
containing 12 a. 2 r. 11 p. let at £7 a year, and a
rent-charge of £10 on a farm at Bourne End, the
property of Mr. F. G. Taylor.
The Hartwell Almshouses, founded by will of
Richard Hartwell, 2 December 1734, are regulated
by scheme, 22 July 1898. The trust property consists of three buildings used as almshouses and 40 a.
let at £65 a year. By the scheme the net income
is applicable in pensions to not more than six persons,
of whom one-half to be members of the Society of
Friends and the other half persons who have been
five years resident in the parish. In 1908–9 three
widows, inmates of the almshouses, received 2s. 6d.
a week and three annuitants received £8 6s. per
annum.
The Goodman Almshouses.
In 1888 James
Goodman, formerly of Cranfield, by deed, dated
24 September in that year, founded and endowed
almshouses for aged and infirm widows.
The same donor by deed, dated 13 October 1892,
also built and endowed five additional almshouses
for aged or infirm married couples or widowers.
The endowment consists of house property at Tooting,
Herne Hill, Brixton and Clapham, and 3 a. 2 r. at
Cranfield, producing in 1909 £170 or thereabouts;
5s. a week is paid to each of the inmates, the surplus
income being applied for the benefit of deserving poor.
In 1883 Stephen John Hatfeild Harter, by will
proved at London on 7 March in that year, bequeathed
£1,000, the interest to be applied in donations to
the poor or other charitable purposes for the good of
the parish at the discretion of the rector and churchwardens. The legacy is represented by £896 London
and North Western 4 per cent. stock with the official
trustees, producing £35 16s. 10d., which in 1909
was applied in tickets for clothing of the value of
5s. each; also gifts were made to families to encourage
the children's school attendance.
The Church Estate consists of 4 a. or thereabouts,
the rental value of £5 being applied for church
expenses.
The trustees of the Baptist chapel, comprised in
a deed of 8 November 1849, hold certain cottage
property now producing about £21 a year upon
trust as to £5 for the use of the Sunday school of
the Meeting House and the residue towards the
support of the minister.