YELLING
Gillinge, Gellinge, Ghellinge (xi cent.); Gillinges,
Gylling (xii–xv cent.); Illyng (xvi cent.).
This small parish borders on Cambridgeshire on all
sides but the west. It covers an area of 1,848 acres
of heavy clay land producing cereals and beans. The
land rises gently from about 100 ft. above ordnance
datum in the north to about 200 ft. in the south of the
parish. The population in 1921 was 225 persons.
The village lies in the north of the parish on a road
branching westward from the main road from Potton
to St. Ives. This branch road crosses a stream in the
middle of the village by a bridge which underwent
repairs in 1545–6. (fn. 1) The church is on the north side
of the road towards the east end of the village.
Opposite to it is Church Farm, (fn. 2) a 17th-century square
building of brick with brick pilasters and a slate roof.
It has been much altered in modern times and the only
original wooden mullioned window is on the ground
floor of the east front. Some original internal fittings
still remain. A 17th-century barn belongs to the
house, and the stables are of the same date but have
been considerably altered later. A little to the east
on the north side of the village street is Friends Farm
and eastward again on the south side is Top Farm, a
17th-century timber-framed house with overhanging
story on the west front. A great part of the house
was recently destroyed by fire. West of the church
on the south side of the road is the school, built in
1868, and the rectory on the north. At the Manor
Farm, a little to the west, the road forks, the main road
going to Toseland, having the Baptist chapel, built in
1850, and a windmill, mentioned in 1307, a little way
along it and a road going north-west, which becomes
a field path, to Graveley (co. Camb.). There are
several 17th-century houses and cottages scattered
about the village.
Among interesting personalities connected with the
parish must be mentioned the Rev. Henry Venn
(1725–97), one of the prominent leaders of the
Evangelical revival in the Church of England, who
accepted this small living in 1770 when completely
broken down by his strenuous labours in various
curacies. The friend of the Thorntons, he died at
Clapham, where his son was rector. Jane, the second
daughter of his son John, was mother of Sir Fitzjames
Stephen and Sir Leslie Stephen.
MANORS
The manor later known as GREYS
MANOR can be traced back to the gift
of Hardecnut and his mother Ælfgiva
or Emma to Ramsey Abbey of Hemingford Grey and
5 hides at Yelling. Both were leased by the abbey
in 1041–2 to Wlfwin son of Alfwin for life. (fn. 3) Apparently
after the death of Wlfwin the lands were granted for
life to Aluric the sheriff who was killed at the Battle
of Hastings, when instead of reverting to Ramsey
Abbey they were seized by William the Conqueror
and given to Aubrey de Vere or were seized by Aubrey
himself. In 1086 Aubrey de Vere was holding 5
hides in Yelling, where there was a church and a priest. (fn. 4)
His grandson Aubrey de Vere was created Earl of
Oxford by the Empress Maud and the title confirmed
to him by Henry II in 1155, from which date until
the forfeiture of John de Vere twelfth Earl of Oxford
in 1461 the overlordship passed with the title. Later,
possibly by some confusion, it became attached in the
16th century to the Honour of Huntingdon. (fn. 5) The
tenant in demesne in 1086 was Ralf son of Osmund,
who also held Hemingford Grey (q.v.), with which
manor Yelling passed until the beginning of the 14th
century. In 1312 it was settled on John second Lord
Grey of Wilton for life with remainder to Roger de
Grey his younger son and the heirs of his body. To
this settlement Henry, John's eldest son, put in a
claim. (fn. 6) On the partition of John's lands after his
death in 1323 Hemingford Grey went to Roger the
younger son, later Lord Grey of Ruthyn, and Yelling
was assigned in 1328 to Henry third Lord Grey of
Wilton, who at his death in 1342 was seised of the
manor. (fn. 7) This partition led to disputes between the
two brothers and an appeal was made to a settlement
of 1256 on their grandfather Reginald. (fn. 8) The extent
taken after the death of Henry specifies a chief
messuage and garden. The windmill (referred to also
in 1307) (fn. 9) was in 1342 in a bad state. (fn. 10) Henry was
succeeded by his son Reginald and Yelling seems to
have continued in the possession of the elder branch,
the lords Grey of Wilton. Henry fifth Lord Grey of
Wilton, after settling 'Greyesmaner' in Yelling on
his wife Elizabeth and their heirs, died in 1396, (fn. 11)
leaving as his heir a son Richard, aged 3 years.
Elizabeth, his widow, held the manor in dower and
died in 1402. (fn. 12) Richard Lord Grey of Wilton settled
the manor on his second wife Margaret Ferrers and
died in 1442. (fn. 13) His son Reginald, with his wife
Tacine, conveyed the manor of Yelling in 1447 to
Sir Thomas Grey, kt., and his wife Margaret, for
the life of Margaret. (fn. 14) In 1494 Reginald was succeeded by his son John Lord Grey of Wilton, who
married as his second wife Elizabeth, widow of Sir
Thomas Cokesey, and died in 1499. (fn. 15) Elizabeth
died in 1515, when as Elizabeth Cokesey, wife of Sir
Thomas Cokesey, kt., late wife of John Grey of
Wilton, kt., and afterwards wife of Edward Stanley
Lord Monteagle, she was seised of divers lands and
tenements in Yelling with reversion to her stepson,
Edmund Lord Grey of Wilton. (fn. 16) Edmund with his
wife Florence had conveyed the manor in 1507 to
Sir Robert Throckmorton, kt., Sir John St. John, kt.,
and others. (fn. 17) The manor was in 1528 in the hands of
Sir George Throckmorton, kt., son and heir of Sir
Robert (d. 1520), (fn. 18) who according to 'a remembrance
for Mr. Cromwell to shew to my lord Cardinal's
grace' was ready to exchange it for land of equal
value in Warwickshire. (fn. 19) In the following year
it was conveyed, with manors of Toseland, Hemingford and Paxton, by Sir George to Edward Peke
and others, (fn. 20) and from them Greys Manor passed
to John Gostwicke of London in the same year. (fn. 21)
It was immediately sold by John Gostwicke to
Sir Richard Gresham, kt., (fn. 22) and by Sir Richard
in 1535 to Sir Richard Williams alias Cromwell,
kt. (fn. 23) It was conveyed in 1540 by Sir Richard
Williams alias Cromwell and his wife Frances to Sir
Walter Luke, kt., Justice of
the King's Bench, (fn. 24) who died
seised of rents in Yelling in
1544, (fn. 25) leaving as his heir a son
Nicholas, Baron of the Exchequer (fn. 26) (d. 1563). John,
his son, died in 1566, (fn. 27)
leaving as his heir his son,
another Nicholas, (fn. 28) but Greys
Manorpassed under his father's
will to John his second son. (fn. 29)
In 1634 Sir John Luke, kt.,
of Flamstead (co. Herts.), (fn. 30)
and Henry Garton conveyed
the manor of Yelling Greys, the inheritance of
Sir John Luke, to Dame Dorothy Constable, widow,
of Eyworth (co. Bed.), and to Edmund Anderson, also
of Eyworth, and his wife Alice, (fn. 31) daughter and sole
heir of Sir John Constable, kt. (fn. 32)
By these ladies it was three
years later sold to Sir Charles
Adelmare alias Caesar, kt., a
Master in Chancery, (fn. 33) who died
in 1642 seised of both Yelling
manors. (fn. 34) His son and heir
Julius died in 1642 of the smallpox that had carried off his
father six days earlier, his heir
being his brother Henry. (fn. 35)
Charles succeeded his father
Henry and died in 1694. His
son Charles Caesar settled the
manors in the following year, (fn. 36) when they must
have passed to Robert Piggott, who settled them
on 15 May 1695 on his marriage with Frances
Ward and made his will in 1724. His son Robert
settled the manors on his marriage with Anne Peers
in 1733. He was succeeded by a third Robert
Piggott, who died in 1770, and either he or his
son, a fourth Robert, settled the manors of Yelling,
Toseland and Papworth St. Agnes in that year. (fn. 37)
Shortly after this date the manor must have been
conveyed to Jonathan Burnham, who with his wife
Hannah sold it in 1786 to Edward Leeds, (fn. 38) who died
in 1803 and was succeeded by Joseph Leeds. (fn. 39) In
1809 it was held by George William Leeds, of Croxton
Park (co. Camb.), who was created a baronet in 1812. (fn. 40)
In 1814 Sir George and his wife Maria were dealing
with the manor, (fn. 41) of which Sir George was returned as
lord at the Inclosure Act of 1819. (fn. 42) It was subsequently held with Croxton Park by George Onslow
Newton, having presumably been purchased with
Croxton in 1825 by Samuel Newton, his grandfather,
whose eldest son George died in 1837 in his father's lifetime. Sir George Douglas Cochrane Newton, K.B.E.,
son of George Onslow Newton (d. 1900), is now lord. (fn. 43)
Luke. Argent a bugleborn sable with its strings gules.
Caesar. Gules a chief argent and six roses countercoloured.
The abbey of Ramsey held 5 hides in Yelling by
the gift of Liviwa, the widow, which was confirmed
by King Edgar (959–975) and Edward the Confessor
(1042–1066). (fn. 44) In 1086 the abbot was holding these
5 hides, (fn. 45) which became the manor of BUTLERS or
ASHFIELDS, and continued to claim overlordship
over them. The abbot claimed the service of a
knight's fee, but the tenant only admitted the service
of half a knight. (fn. 46) The overlordship of the abbot seems
to have lapsed and before the
Dissolution the manor is returned as being held in chief of
the crown. (fn. 47)
Ashfield. Sable a fesse engrailed between three fleurs de lis argent.
The subtenant in the Domesday Survey (1086) was Suin,
who was succeeded by the
family of Yelling which apparently had the alternative name
of le Botiler (Butyler, Butler).
Harold de Yelling was holding
in 1166 (fn. 48) and in 1235 Theobald
de Yelling was holding half a knight's fee which was
claimed by John de Kent. (fn. 49) Roger le Botiler and Margaret his wife dealt with the manor in 1275 (fn. 50) and Roger
owed military service for it in 1293–4. (fn. 51) Richard
le Butler, possibly his son, was returned in 1316 as
holding Yelling with John de Grey. (fn. 52) Roger and
John, sons of William de Yelling and Margaret,
late the wife of William de Yelling, suitors in 1327–8, (fn. 53)
were possibly members of the Butler family, John
being perhaps identical with the John Butler of
Yelling in whose place a coroner for the county was
elected in 1344, owing to his being insufficiently
qualified. (fn. 54) In 1385 Robert Butler of Yelling appears
as a collector of fifteenths in Huntingdonshire, (fn. 55) and
in 1408 John Butler of Yelling was a feoffee for Sir
William de Papworth, kt. (fn. 56) By 1506 the manor had
passed to the Ashfield family, and was bequeathed
by Florence Ashfield, widow, who died in that year,
to her grandson George, son of her son John. (fn. 57) At
his death in 1517 George was succeeded in the manor
by his son and heir, Robert, (fn. 58) who, as Robert Ashfield
of Stowelangtoft, co. Suffolk, sold it in 1545 as the
manor of Ashfields in Yelling to Nicholas Luke,
Baron of the Exchequer, for £180. (fn. 59) From Nicholas
Luke it passed to his son John of Woodend (co.
Beds.), who was holding it with Yelling Greys at his
death in 1566, (fn. 60) when Greys Manor passed to his
second son, John, and Butlers or Ashfields to his
eldest son, Nicholas. Nicholas Luke died seised of
Ashfields Manor in 1613, leaving a son and heir
Sir Oliver Luke, (fn. 61) who before his death (fn. 62) had
with his wife Maud conveyed Butlers in 1623 to
Henry Adelmare or Caesar, S.T.P., Dean of Ely. (fn. 63)
Next year the dean settled Butlers on his nephew,
Sir Charles Adelmare alias Caesar, kt., son of his
brother Julius, the Privy Councillor, and died in
1636, (fn. 64) his nephew and heir, Sir Charles, then becoming owner of both manors, which henceforward
descended together. (fn. 65)
Theobald, son of Henry, in 1218 conveyed to Ralph,
abbot of Sawtrey, a hide in Yelling (fn. 66) which had evidently been the property of Henry de Lek. Henry's
widow Katherine, then remarried to Gerard de Cassell,
in the same year levied with Theobald de Lek a fine
of a third of 4 virgates of land and a windmill in
Yelling claimed by Gerard and Katherine of the abbot
of Sawtrey as appurtenant to her dower, in the free
tenement of her former husband Henry de Lek, and
also other property. (fn. 67) The abbot of Ramsey, in 1232,
granted 2 acres in Yelling to John de Lek. (fn. 68) In 1242–3
the abbot of Sawtrey conveyed to John de Kent,
Nicholas Meuerel, and Robert de Lockesle, 4 virgates
of land in Yelling, (fn. 69) to which Ramsey put in a claim.
Nicholas Meuerel and John de Kent were probably
dealing with this property when in 1247–8 they
conveyed a third of 200 acres to Thomas de Lockel. (fn. 70)
The abbey of Sawtrey was returned in 1291 as owning
£4 0s. 9d. in Yelling in lands, rents, meadows, and
mill, (fn. 71) and had rents worth 72s. in Yelling at the
Dissolution, (fn. 72) with 9s. 2d. from the courts of the
lordship.
When Sawtrey was granted after the Dissolution
in 1537 to Sir Richard Williams alias Cromwell, the
grant included lands in Yelling, (fn. 73) which appeared in
1554–5 in the hands of William Dorceter (Docetour
or Dossyter) at his death. (fn. 74) He was evidently
succeeded by another William Dorceter, who in
1568–9 with his wife Alice conveyed messuages and
lands in Yelling, Paxton Magna and Papworth Agnes
to William and Henry Lawrence. (fn. 75) William Lawrence
of St. Ives (q.v.) in 1570 settled a chief messuage in
Yelling on his son Henry's marriage with Elizabeth
Hagar or Huggar of Bourn (co. Camb.) and died in
1572. Henry his son and heir died in 1581 and was
succeeded by his son John. (fn. 76) Henry's widow married
Gilbert Pickering, who surrendered his interest
to Sir John Lawrence, his stepson, in 1601. (fn. 77)
In 1285–6 the prior of the Hospital of St. John of
Jerusalem claimed view of frankpledge from 3 tenants
in the vill of Yelling. (fn. 78)
CHURCH
The Church of the HOLY CROSS
consists of a chancel (30 ft. by 16¾ ft.),
nave (35¼ ft. by 18 ft.), north aisle
(8 ft. wide), south aisle (13¼ ft. wide), west tower
(11¼ ft. by 11¼ ft.) and south porch. The walls are
of rubble with stone and clunch dressings and the
roofs are covered with slates and lead. The church
is mentioned in the Domesday Survey (1086), but
the oldest part extant is the north arcade of the nave,
c. 1180–90, which probably indicates the addition of
a north aisle to an already existing nave, and late in
the 13th century a south aisle was added. A little
later the chancel was rebuilt and doubtless enlarged.
The end of the 14th century saw considerable alterations; the clearstory was added to the nave, the
tower and south porch built, and the walls of the
chancel altered and raised. The church was restored
in 1730, (fn. 79) the north aisle was rebuilt in 1868–9, and
the south aisle and porch in 1889.
The chancel, mainly of late 14th century date, has
a five-light east window, much restored; and in the
north wall two two-lights and a small doorway.
The south wall has two similar windows, the inner
sill of the easternmost being arranged to form two
graded seats; and also a 13th-century piscina with
two drains, one quatrefoiled and one octofoiled.
The chancel arch, of the extreme end of the 13th
century, is of two chamfered orders resting on responds of three grouped shafts with moulded capitals
and bases; the arch appears to have been widened.
The roof is modern.
The nave has a north arcade, c. 1180–90, of three
bays having pointed arches of one square order
resting on circular columns with scalloped caps, and
square responds with chamfered imposts. The south
arcade of late 13th century date is also of three bays,
with pointed arches of two chamfered orders resting on
octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases.
The late 14th-century clearstory has three square-headed two-light windows, much modernised on each
side. The roof is modern.
The modern north aisle has a two-light east window,
one single-light window, one two-light window and a
plain doorway in the north wall; and a two-light
window in the west wall. In the south wall, eastward
of the arcade, is an early 14th-century trefoiled
piscina with two drains, one circular and one sexfoiled.
There is a plain chamfered bracket in the north-east
angle of the aisle. (fn. 80)
The late 13th-century south aisle has a two-light
east window; the south wall has two two-lights, a
doorway of two chamfered orders, a piscina with
quatrefoiled drain, and a plain rectangular locker;
the west wall has a two-light window. In the south
wall is an arched recess under which is a late 13thcentury coped stone with foliated cross rising from a
calvary of three steps, and its head inclosed in a
circle.
The late 14th-century west tower has a pointed
tower-arch of three orders. There is no west doorway, but a three-light window mainly modern, and in
the stage above is a narrow square-headed light.
The belfry windows are of two lights. The tower
is finished with an embattled parapet; formerly
there was a tall octagonal spire, removed during the
first half of the 19th century. (fn. 81)
The late 14th-century south porch has a pointed
outer archway of two orders resting on moulded
jambs; and a small single-light in each side wall.
The 13th-century font has a square bowl with
splayed angles on an octagonal stem with moulded
base.
There are four bells inscribed: (1) 'Christopher
Graye made me. 1666.' (2) ditto. (3) 'Joseph Eayre,
St. Neots, fecit. 1770. Thomas Rayston, Churchwarden.' (4) 'I: Eayre, St. Neots, Founder. Omnia
fiant ad gloriam Dei. John Godhard, Churchwarden.
1739.'
There are the following monuments: in the
chancel, to the Rev. John Pennington, Rector, and
Prebendary of Lincoln, d. 1768, and Elizabeth his
wife, d. 1791; and floor slab to Lawrence Wood,
d. 1732–3; in the north aisle, window to the Rev.
Philip Nevil Joddrell, Rector, d. 1850; and another
to Sarah his widow, d. 1870; in south aisle, War
Memorial 1914–18.
The registers are as follows: (i) Baptisms, marriages and burials, 11 July 1583 to 10 May 1713;
(ii) ditto, 15 July 1717 to 28 Feb. 1742–3; (iii)
ditto, 10 Oct. 1742 to 27 Dec. 1799; marriages end
24 Feb. 1754; (iv) baptisms and burials, 8 Jan.
1800 to 4 Oct. 1812; (v) the official marriage book,
16 June 1754 to 13 Oct. 1812; the usual modern
books.
The church plate consists of: A silver chalice
engraved 'Calicem salutaris accipiam et nomen
Domini invocabo,' hall-marked at Birmingham, for
1860–61; a silver paten similarly hall-marked; a
plated paten and plated flagon; two pewter plates
inscribed on back 'Yelling, 1794.'
ADVOWSON
There were a church and a priest
on the 5 hides entered as held in
chief by Aubrey de Vere in the
Domesday Survey, (fn. 82) which later took the name of
Greys Manor. The advowson was at an early date
granted to the priory of Merton (in Surrey),
though no mention of this occurs in its charter
of confirmation of 1121. The priory, which owned
lands in the county, had a prior Ralph de Yelling
in 1222. (fn. 83) It presented in 1226 (fn. 84) and until the
dissolution of the monastery in 1538. (fn. 85) From this
date the advowson has been the property of the
crown. (fn. 86)
At the Dissolution the profits from the rectory,
then leased to Anthony Malory, were £20, the pension
of the prior of Merton £4, and that of the prior of
Huntingdon £1. (fn. 87)
CHARITY
Town Land.
This charity consists
of an allotment of about 13 acres of
land awarded on an inclosure in lieu
of certain lands formerly called the Town Land
and the Town Close. The land is now let in allotments to various tenants and the rent amounting to
about £13 per annum is carried to the churchwardens'
account. Under the provisions of a scheme of the
Charity Commissioners dated 30 July 1918 trustees
were appointed consisting of the archdeacon and the
rector and churchwardens (ex-officio trustees) and
two co-optative trustees.