EATON BRAY
Eitona (xi cent.); Eytona (xii–xiv cent.).
Eaton Bray is a large parish of 2,417 acres on the
Buckinghamshire border. More than half the area
is arable land, but there are 664 acres of rich
meadows for cattle grazing. The country is very
open, with a small wooded corner in the extreme
south, where 7 acres of Whipsnade Wood extend
into the parish. (fn. 1)
The land rises from 290 ft. in the north, reaching
330 ft. in the centre, where the village lies. From
here the rise is more marked, and reaches 770 ft. in
the south, where the Dunstable Downs stretch for
several miles. In a level field south-east of the village
Edlesborough Hill rises to a height of 434 ft.
Eaton Bray Church from the South-west
In addition to crops of wheat, barley and beans
plums and damsons are largely grown.
The carnation and rose nurseries and the orchards
of Mr. W. E. Wallace, which are situated to the east
of the market-place, were started in 1886, and are now
in a flourishing state and afford employment for many
of the inhabitants. A speciality is made of the
culture of carnations, the flowers being sent to the
London, Manchester and Glasgow markets.
Duck rearing was also started about twenty or
thirty years ago and is still kept up by many of the
natives, but the risks being so great it is gradually
losing its popularity.
A market for straw-plaiting formerly held on
Fridays has long since been discontinued. In 1891
the local authorities reported that no tolls were
collected and that the market consisted of a butcher's
stall in the High Street every Friday. (fn. 2)
The village of Eaton Bray stretches for a mile and
a-half along the road from Edlesborough to Billington. Eaton Green, the northern part, is the most
picturesque, and has several half-timber cottages,
among them 'The Rye,' which has a lower story of
stone, an upper one of brick and half-timber and a
thatched roof. On a stone beam over the fireplace
in the living room is the date 1674.
The middle portion of the village is built round
an open space containing the village pond, on which
four roads converge. The church stands about
100 yds. south in a walled churchyard and contains
two old fire hooks. On the opposite side of the
road is the vicarage, a modern building with a fine
garden.
A cart track leads off the market-place to the site
of the old castle, half a mile westward. The disturbed state of the ground and large moat point to
an extensive building. The Park Farm is just without
the moat on the north-east.
At Moor End, the southernmost portion of Eaton
Bray, are many modern houses and the cemetery. A
moat, now dried up, gives its name to the small
modern cottage it surrounds, known as Moat Hall.
The village is watered by numerous streams, which
rise at Well Head and on the Dunstable Downs, and
find their way eventually to the Ouzel, which forms
the western boundary. On its banks, slightly north
of Edlesborough Hill, stands Edlesborough Mill.
Steam is employed here when insufficiency of water
prevents that power being utilized. On the other
side of the stream, in Buckinghamshire, is an old
windmill, whose sails were blown down seventeen
years ago. A primitive bridge of planks is here
placed across the water for the use of pedestrians.
At Moor End is another water-mill where steam
is sometimes employed. It stands on the same
waterway as the Edlesborough mill, while between
them is Bellows Mill belonging to the Lidlington
charity.
Eaton Bray was inclosed under the Act in 1860.
The following place-names occur in documents
relating to this parish:—Eldurnestob, Sfwifesmull,
Dudeningshei (xiii cent.); le Swylie, Hykenilte
(Icknield), le Merlonge (xiv cent.); Compe, Castle
Field (xvii cent.).
CASTLE
The castle at Eaton Bray, which followed the descent of the manor, was
built in 1221 by William de Cantlowe,
and is described in the Annals of Dunstable as being a
serious danger (in grave periculum) to Dunstable and
the neighbourhood. (fn. 3)
In 1273 an interesting account of Eaton Bray
Manor, unfortunately torn, includes the following
particulars of the castle:—A manor inclosed with a
wall, and moat and two drawbridges; within the
principal inclosure is a hall with two chambers at
the ends (capita) of the hall. The chamber beyond
the pantry and buttery was covered with tiles. There
is mention of a great chamber, a foreign chamber
(camera forinseca), a garderobe, a house for a larder
used as a kitchen because there was no kitchen, a
drawbridge towards the park, a new chapel and a
granary. In the other bailey, probably the outer
bailey, there were stables for sixty horses, covered
with tiles, a grange, cow-houses, pigsties and other
outbuildings covered with straw. There were two
gardens outside the inclosure, the one containing
3 roods and the other an acre. The park contained
28 acres of wood. (fn. 4)
No mention occurs of a castle at Eaton Bray after
the 13th century, and it is probable that the mansionhouse of the Bray family was rebuilt on the old site
in the reign of Henry VIII. Part of this dwelling
still remained in 1794, when it was taken down. (fn. 5)
Traces of the castle moat and foundations may still
be seen in the parish, and persist in such place-names
as Castle Field.
MANORS
At the time of the Domesday Survey
the manor of EATON, later known as
EATON BRAY, consisted of 12 hides
1 virgate, and belonged to the Bishop of Bayeux. (fn. 6) It
afterwards escheated like other of his estates to the
Crown. (fn. 7) During the reign of Henry II it was
granted out to farm, at a rental of £20, to Osbert
Martel, whose name appears on the Pipe Rolls from
1166 to 1173, (fn. 8) at which date it was transferred to
Aldulf de Braci. He held it at the same farm until
1179, and possibly later. (fn. 9) It next appears in the
possession of Eleanor widow of Henry II, who in an
undated charter granted the whole of her vill of 'Eaton
by Dunstable' to Engelram her butler, (fn. 10) and in 1196
confirmed his grant of half the vill to Fontévrault
Abbey. (fn. 11) Queen Eleanor, whose interest was for life
only, died in 1204, (fn. 12) and the following year the
manor was granted by the king to William de
Cantlowe, in exchange for 300 marks and his manor
of Cockeswall. (fn. 13)
It is interesting to note that William de Cantlowe
married firstly Mascelin daughter of Aldulf de Braci, (fn. 14)
who held Eaton at farm from 1173 onwards (q.v.),
and secondly Millicent daughter of Hugh de Gurnay
(ut infra), but that these marriages do not appear to
have led directly to his acquisition of the vill, for he
obtained the manor by grant of the king and the
7 hides comprising the remainder of the vill by subinfeudation from his wife Millicent's family.
William, who is returned as tenant in chief of
Eaton in 1211, (fn. 15) took the side of the king in his
war with the barons, and in 1225 among the sums
of money allocated to him in repayment of his financial support was the first scutage due from his fee in
Eaton. (fn. 16)
The manor was confirmed to him by a fresh
charter in 1227, (fn. 17) in which year he appears to have
found difficulty in exacting the full amount of works
and aids due from his tenants. (fn. 18) William de Cantlowe
held Eaton till his death (fn. 19) in
1254, when he was succeeded
by an heir, described as 'a
boy named George, not quite
three.' (fn. 20) He was son of
William de Cantlowe, and
during his minority the
Crown held the custody of
his lands. (fn. 21) The bailiffs appointed in the manors of
Eaton and Houghton are
described in the Annals of
Dunstable as being 'very
wicked and cruel. They
vexed the Abbots of St. Albans
and of Woburn very much, and especially us, who
were unjustly amerced at 6 marks.' (fn. 22)
Cantlowe. Gules a fesse vair between three fleurs de lis coming out of leopards' heads or.
George de Cantlowe attained his majority in
1273, (fn. 23) but died the same year, leaving as co-heirs his
sisters Millicent wife of Eudo la Zouche and Joan
widow of Henry de Hastings. (fn. 24)
Eaton Manor was assigned to the former, (fn. 25) who
held it for one knight's fee in 1276 (fn. 26) and 1284. (fn. 27)
On her death in 1298 it passed to her son William
la Zouche, then aged twenty-two years. (fn. 28) He and
his tenants held Eaton for the services of one knight's
fee in 1302, (fn. 29) and in 1316 he was head of the four
manors of Eaton, Houghton Regis, Whipsnade and
Totternhoe. (fn. 30) In 1324 he settled the reversion of
Eaton Manor upon his second son William, (fn. 31) who in
1333 released his claim to the manor, (fn. 32) and in the
following year the elder William made a fresh settlement of the property in favour of William son
of his eldest son Eudo, (fn. 33) who had died in Paris
1325–6. (fn. 34)
William succeeded his grandfather (fn. 35) in 1352, (fn. 36)
and during his lifetime was summoned to Parliament
as Lord Zouche of Haringworth. (fn. 37) On his death in
1382 Eaton passed to his son
William, (fn. 38) one of the 'evil
councillors' banished in 1389
from the court of Richard II,
who died in 1396. (fn. 39) His
son and heir William la
Zouche took part in the
French wars, and in 1413
was Lieutenant of Calais.
He was followed at his death
in 1415 by his son, grandson
and great-grandson (fn. 40) in
succession, all of whom bore
the name William. (fn. 41)
Zouche of Haringworth. Gules bezanty and a quarter ermine.
John la Zouche son and heir of the last was a minor
at the time of his father's death in 1468. His mother,
who married a second husband, Gilbert Debenham,
held the site or capital messuage of Eaton Manor and
50 acres in Eaton Park as dower until her death in
1470. (fn. 42) John la Zouche, lord of the manor, was
summoned to the Parliament of 1483, and was with
Richard III at the battle of Bosworth. He was
attainted by the Parliament of 1485 and his estates
were confiscated. (fn. 43)
In 1490 Eaton Manor was granted by Henry VII
to Sir Reginald Bray, (fn. 44) who received a confirmatory
grant in 1492, (fn. 45) but who on the reversal of the
attainder of the former owner John la Zouche, and
the restoration of his lands, (fn. 46) paid 1,010 marks for the
Bedfordshire property. (fn. 47) Sir Reginald Bray was a
statesman who rose to considerable importance in
the reign of Henry VII, and was made High
Treasurer and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
As an architect he attained great distinction,
St. George's chapel and Henry the Seventh's chapel
in Westminster Abbey having been built by him. (fn. 48)
On his death without issue in 1509 Edmund
Bray son of his brother John succeeded to Eaton
Bray. (fn. 49)
Edmund, afterwards created Lord Bray, left the
manor, by a settlement made shortly before his death
in 1539, to his son John with a remainder settlement
to his brother Edward. (fn. 50) John died without issue in
1557, and Edward, who only survived him one year,
left as heir a son Edward, (fn. 51) who settled Eaton Bray
upon his issue by Elizabeth his wife in 1560. (fn. 52) In
1566, however, he alienated the estate for 2,000 marks
to Edmund Bray, (fn. 53) from whom it was purchased in
1574 by Walter Sandys. (fn. 54) In the following year
Walter obtained the interests of the other reversionary
heirs of the first Lord Edmund Bray, an annual rent
of £120 chargeable on the manor of Eaton Bray
being reserved to Sir William Sandys, who was
descended from Margery cousin of Lord Bray. (fn. 55)
Bray, Lord Bray. Argent a cheveron between three eagles' legs razed at the thigh sable.
Sandys. Or a fesse dancetty between three crosslets fitchy gules.
In 1577 Sir William Sandys released his rent-charge on the property to trustees, (fn. 56) who had acquired
the whole title to the manor on behalf of Miles
Sandys. (fn. 57) Ten years later Miles settled the manor on
his son Edwin. (fn. 58)
The latter, afterwards Sir Edwin Sandys, kt., had
married Elizabeth daughter of Sir William Sandys, (fn. 59)
and she held the mansion-house and Eaton Park for
life. (fn. 60) Sir Edwin, who died seised of Eaton Bray
Manor in 1608, (fn. 61) left a son William, then a minor
aged seventeen, to inherit the property. (fn. 62) In 1622
he settled it on trustees for himself and his heirs, (fn. 63)
but the following year he and his two brothers Miles
and Henry quitclaimed their whole right to John
Huxley. (fn. 64)
John Huxley, son and heir of the latter, was created
a knight at the Restoration, (fn. 65) and at his death in 1675 (fn. 66)
Eaton Bray passed to John Huxley, probably his son,
who was lord of the manor in 1686. (fn. 67)
Thomas Huxley, a descendant, by his will dated
1742 left the manor (fn. 68) to his
brother-in-law Isaac Hughes,
in trust to sell the same to
raise legacies for his daughters. (fn. 69)
Eaton Bray was purchased by
John Potter, Archbishop of
Canterbury, who left the
manor by his will of 1745 (fn. 70)
to his son Thomas Potter. It
passed from him by a settlement of 1761 to his son and
heir Thomas, (fn. 71) who sold it in
1763 to William Beckford,
Lord Mayor of London. (fn. 72) By
1781 Eaton Bray Manor had
passed to a son William Beckford, (fn. 73) who was still seised in the early part of the
19th century. (fn. 74)
Huxley. Ermine a bend cotised gules with three crescents or on the bend.
In 1854 the manor was in the hands of Anne
widow of Arthur Macnamara, and remained so until
her death in 1875. Her son Arthur held it until
1906, when it passed to his twin brother Mr. John
Macnamara, the present owner. (fn. 75)
In an extent of the manor made in 1273 are the
following details:—The works of thirty-five customary
tenants, valued at £4 2s. 4½d. a year; the rent of
assize yielded £20 0s. 11d. and the ferm of two
mills held at will, 66s.; one mill held by the lord of
the manor was worth to him 54s.; 3s. was paid to
him as Peter's Pence; and the total annual value was
£75 5s. 5d. (fn. 76) Another extent of the manor made
in 1299 mentions the capital messuage with garden
and fish-ponds on the 'Down Park' land, wood called
'Dodesymmeshange' and four water-mills. (fn. 77)
The manorial rights claimed by William la Zouche
in the early 14th century included a view of frankpledge and free warren granted to a former lord of
Eaton in 1239 (fn. 78) and confirmed in 1295. (fn. 79) The
view of frankpledge was confirmed to him by
Edward III in return for a fine of 60s. (fn. 80)
Seven hides of land in Eaton Bray, with Wendover
(co. Bucks.), were granted by King Stephen to Hugh
de Gurnay, but were resumed by Henry II after the
Toulouse expedition, (fn. 81) and before 1158 (fn. 82) were
granted to Faramus de Boulogne, who held them
certainly until 1179. The heirs of Hugh de Gurnay
recovered their Wendover fee, however, (fn. 83) and in 1254
the 7 hides in Eaton pertaining to it were held of
them. (fn. 84) In 1276 this land is described as still held
of the honour of Wendover. (fn. 85) No further trace of
overlordship rights exercised by the holders of this
honour is found until 1403, when Agnes widow of
William Bardolphe, to whose family Wendover had
passed by marriage with a female heir of the Gurnay
family, (fn. 86) is stated to have held a life interest in
7 hides in Eaton. (fn. 87)
William de Cantlowe, (fn. 88) to whom Eaton Manor was
granted in 1205, obtained the ownership in fee of
these 7 hides in Eaton, by subinfeudation from the
lords of Wendover, before his death in 1254. (fn. 89) In
1276 a distinction is made between this property and
the manor which his heirs held of the king in Eaton, (fn. 90)
but after that date the 7 hides appear to have lost
their separate identity and to have become merged in
the manor of Eaton (q.v.).
Aldulf de Braci during the reign of Henry II
granted 40 acres of land in Eaton to the Prior of
Dunstable. The prior apparently found difficulty in
proving his claim to this property, and finally, by a fresh
agreement between himself and William de Cantlowe
in 1209, it was agreed that the latter should endow his
church with 20 acres of land in Eaton for the support
of one canon in Dunstable Priory, whose presentation
should belong to William and his heirs. (fn. 91) In 1323
the prior received a grant of free warren to extend
over his lands in Eaton, (fn. 92) and at the time of the
Valor in 1535 an annual rent of 12s. 11½d. was paid
to Lord Bray for the priory lands in Eaton and
Houghton Regis. (fn. 93)
In 1251 Alexander le Boteler received from Cecil
de Sanes a messuage, a mill and 1 carucate of land in
Eaton to hold to himself and heirs for an annual rent
of 2d. (fn. 94) Thomas le Boteler in 1338 alienated a
similar estate, then described as in Edlesborough and
Eaton, to a chaplain to celebrate divine service daily
in Edlesborough Church for the souls of the donor
and his ancestors. (fn. 95) There is no further trace of
such an estate in Eaton, and it seems probable that
this property of the Boteler family formed part
of their manor of Botelers in the next parish of
Edlesborough (co. Bucks.) which they held until
1350.
One hide of land with a capital messuage in Eaton
Bray was held by Jordan Peverell in the early part of
the 13th century. (fn. 96) It was known as Peverell's fee,
and was held of the lords of Eaton Bray Manor as a
free tenement. (fn. 97) No direct descent for this property
can be found, but trace of it exists in the capital
messuage called Peverells, held in the middle of the
17th century by Cuthbert George of the lord of the
manor. (fn. 98)
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN consists of a chancel about
30 ft. 6 in. by 17 ft. 6 in., a nave
51 ft. by 22 ft., north chapel 20 ft. by 11 ft. 6 in.,
south chapel 15 ft. 6 in. by 18 ft. 6 in., north aisle
6 ft. wide, south aisle 7 ft. wide and a west tower.
The neighbourhood of the Totternhoe quarries doubtless accounts for the beauty of the 13th-century work
in this church and the ashlar facings to the walls.
The north arcade of the nave is admirable work of
c. 1220, and the south arcade, though of simpler
character, is nearly contemporary with it. The chancel
arch dates from c. 1320, though the chancel seems to
have been rebuilt in the 15th century, together with
the nave chapels. The tower was added c. 1320, but
is now in a very ruinous condition.
In the 15th century the nave and aisle walls were
heightened and roofs of a lower pitch constructed;
the original 13th-century pitch of the south aisle can
be seen in its west wall and that of the nave on the
east wall of the tower. In recent years the church
has undergone much repair, and more is still in contemplation; the work has been well and carefully
done in the face of great difficulties for lack of funds.
All the chancel windows are of the 15th century, a good deal repaired. The east window is of
five cinquefoiled lights under a four-centred head,
and in the north wall is a three-light window, and
further west is one of two lights; the windows in the
south wall are similar, except that to the west has
three lights instead of two. The north doorway is
pointed with widely splayed jambs, and has a modern
label with head stops. The sill of the south-east
window is kept low to form sedilia, and there is a
13th-century piscina with a deep basin, over which
is a lintel supported by detached shafts; there is a
projection at the back to form a shelf, and to the east
is a small locker. Under the north-east window is
the panelled altar tomb of Jane wife of Sir Edmund
Bray, kt., Lord Bray, and daughter and heiress of
Richard Halliwell and his wife Anne (Norbery), 1558.
In the recess over the tomb is her brass figure with a
son and ten daughters, and two lozenges with the
arms of Halliwell: Quarterly of 7, (1) on a bend
three goats passant, (2) a cheveron between three
bulls' heads caboshed, (3) a fesse checky between six
crosses formy fitchy, (4) bendy of six, (5) bendy of
eight, (6) a cross between four bees, (7) a cheveron.
Between them is a scroll bearing the words 'In te
dñe speravi nõ cõfondar in eternum,' and beneath
the effigies is the inscription.
Below is another brass inscribed:—
'I, Jane the doughter of Edmond Lord Bray
Under this stone lieth closed in clay
All ye my frendys I pay you pay for me
For as ye ar so I was, and as I am so shalt ye be
Obiit Vo die Marcij ano dñi M.CCCCCXXXIX.'
The chancel arch is in two wave-moulded orders,
with semi-octagonal jambs having moulded capitals
and bases.
The north arcade of the nave is in five bays with
richly moulded arches resting on columns of eight
shafts with beautifully carved foliate capitals, and the
shafts are alternately detached and attached in the
east respond and alternate columns, the other columns
having all their shafts attached, while the west arch
springs from a cone-shaped fluted corbel with a foliate
capital. The south arcade, also of five bays, has arches
of two hollow-chamfered orders stopped by broaches
and a moulded label, and springing from octagonal
shafts; the capitals are carved with foliage of a plainer
character than those of the north arcade; on two of
the shafts are moulded brackets. The clearstory
windows, five on each side, are of two cinquefoiled
ogee-headed lights with tracery under a pointed head;
the wall over the north arcade projects about 6 in. on
the inside owing to the arcade having been pushed
out of the perpendicular by the earlier roof. A
curious and unusual feature in this connexion is to
be seen in the north aisle, which was designed with
half arches intended to abut the arcade, and from
the springers of the arcade moulded half arches of
very flat pitch were arranged to butt against the soffits
of those springing from the aisle walls. The work is
contemporary with the arcade, but there is nothing
to show whether it was ever completed. On either side
of the chancel arch are 14th-century image niches for
the nave altars. The tower arch is in three wavemoulded orders springing from square jambs, and
above it can be plainly seen the line of the 13th-century
roof of the nave.
The present nave roof is modern, but rests on 15th-century head corbels surmounted by an embattled
moulding.
The north chapel has an east window of three
cinquefoiled lights under a three-centred head;
the outside is moulded in two hollow-chamfered
orders and the rear arch has 14th-century shafted
jambs and mullions, while the head of the windows
is of the 15th century. In the sill is a stone panel
of the 15th century, part of the reredos of the altar
formerly here, and to the south of it is a 15th-century
niche; in the north wall there is a modern segmentalheaded window of three cinquefoiled lights. The north
porch is of the same date as the chapel, and has a
re-used 13th-century outer arch with modern capitals
and bases; in its west wall is a square-headed window
of two trefoiled lights. The north doorway is of
early 14th-century date with continuous moulded
orders.
To the east of it is a square-headed window of two
lights with unpierced cusping, which seems to have
belonged to an earlier pointed window, and to the west
is a 14th-century window of two trefoiled lights under
a square head. The aisle roof is modern.
The south chapel has a 14th-century cinquefoiled
piscina, and the middle of the east window—which
is of three cinquefoiled lights under a four-centred
head—is occupied by a canopied niche, c. 1520,
beneath which is a panelled reredos of the same date;
on the north side is another cinquefoiled canopied
niche, and on the south a bracket, beneath which is a
locker.
The south window of the chapel, of four uncusped
transomed lights, is dated 1608. The south porch
is similar to the north porch, but the arch of the
doorway is in two orders moulded with a wave
moulding and a double ogee; the south doorway is
of the same date, in two continuous moulded orders.
In the south wall of the aisle is a restored 15th-century window of three cinquefoiled lights, and in
the west wall is a 13th-century lancet with a cinquefoiled head inserted in the 15th century.
The tower is built of squared clunch walling and
is in a most ruinous condition; the top is gone and
the west wall has been lately pulled down to save it
from falling, the gap being filled in with a wooden
partition. In the top of the third stage are blocked
ogee-headed windows on the south and east, and a
good part of the tower was rebuilt in the 15th
century.
The font is of 13th-century character, with a
round bowl on a central and four detached columns
having capitals carved with foliage like that of the
north aisle, but only the bowl and central shaft are
old. There is a 15th-century chancel screen retaining its double doors, but the top of the screen is
modern. In the south aisle is an Elizabethan
communion table with a carved top rail and baluster
legs. On the south door is some very fine late
13th-century ironwork, consisting of three hinges
with ornamental scroll work, and a scroll ornament
at the top of the door.
South Door, Eaton Bray Church
There is a ring of five bells: the treble by Edward
Hall, 1740; the second inscribed 'TH. E.B. EC.
1656'; the third by George Chandler, 1705; the
fourth has 'Wim Whittmore for Richard Burrland.
Tho. Haward E.B. C. 1656'; and the tenor is by
J. Briant, Hartford, 1790. There is a small priest's
bell dated 1737.
The plate consists of a foot paten of 1730 and
a modern cup and paten.
The registers are as follows: (1) all entries 1559
to 1704; (2) baptisms and burials 1680 to 1714;
(3) 1716 to 1757; (4) marriages 1754 to 1798;
(5) baptisms and burials 1757 to 1778; (6) the
same 1785 to 1812; and (7) marriages 1798 to
1812.
ADVOWSON
Eaton Church was
granted to Merton
Priory by King
Stephen some time between 1126 and
the date of his accession. (fn. 99) The priory
continued to hold both rectory and
advowson until the Dissolution, (fn. 100)
though at the beginning of the 13th
century William de Cantlowe appears
to have claimed the church as a right
pertaining to the manor. (fn. 101) By an
agreement between the two parties in
1210 William released his right, on
condition that the Prior of Merton
should allow him a chapel in his court
of Eaton, in which the chaplain provided by the prior should read divine
service three days a week. (fn. 102)
The rectory of Eaton was appropriated by Merton Priory before 1291, (fn. 103)
when its value was £16 13s. 4d., and
the vicar's stipend was £5 6s. 8d. In
1535 the rectory was worth £20 and
the vicarage £12 16s. 2d. (fn. 104)
In 1547 both rectory and advowson
were granted by Henry VIII to the
Fellows of the Trinity College in
Cambridge, (fn. 105) to whom they have since
belonged. (fn. 106)
The chapel of St. Nicholas (fn. 107) was
granted by Merton Priory in 1210 to
William de Cantlowe (fn. 108) and his heirs
in his court of Eaton. In 1273 a
confirmation of a grant by William
was made by his son of a messuage,
12 acres of land, 6 measures of wheat
yearly and 22s., and a further grant of
50s. yearly towards the support of a
second chaplain, and of a croft to keep
a lamp burning in the same chapel perpetually. (fn. 109)
The advowson of the chapel belonged to the lords
of Eaton Bray Manor during the 15th and 16th
centuries. (fn. 110)
After the dissolution of chantries and chapels by
Edward VI the land endowment lapsed to the
Crown, and in 1601 was granted to Peter Page and
Edmund Pigeon. Further trace of this property is
lost. (fn. 111)
The rent from certain small parcels of land in the
tenure of Agnes George, Alice Cooke and Richard
Bunker, of the annual value of 3s. 7d., formed part
of the endowment of Eaton Church for the support
of obits, which were abolished with chantries and
chantry lights by Edward VI. (fn. 112)
CHARITIES
A customary allowance of one
quarter of wheat and the same
quantity of barley and beans was
formerly received from Trinity College, Cambridge,
in whom the great tithes were vested, ascribed to
the bounty of the family of Bray, as to which
no documents are extant. Bread to the value of
£6 17s. 8d. or thereabouts, at the cost of the college,
is distributed on 11 October, old Michaelmas Day,
each year.
In 1634 Hugh Cooke by his will, proved in the
archdeaconry court of Bedford, charged his property,
known as Barr's Place, with 10s. a year to be distributed among poor householders on St. Thomas' Day.
The annuity is distributed in sums of 4d. each to
poor widows.
Allotments of 2 r. 24 p. and 1 r. 15 p. were made to
the churchwardens and overseers respectively under an
award confirmed by the Inclosure Commissioners, 1860.