HAMPTON-IN-ARDEN
Acreage: 2,364.
Population: 1911, 1,084; 1921, 1,157; 1931, 978.
Hampton was originally a large parish of nearly
12,000 acres, including what are now the separate
parishes of Balsall, Knowle, and Nuthurst, and the
detached hamlet of Kinwalsey, included since 1895
in the civil parish of Fillongley. The present parish of
Hampton-in-Arden consists of a roughly rectangular
block, 3½ miles from east to west by about 1 mile, with
an extension northwards at the north-east angle for a
distance of about a mile, containing the hamlet of
Diddington. The northern boundary, separating it
from Bickenhill, is formed for the most part by a small
stream which falls into the River Blythe, which forms
the eastern boundary. Another such stream forms the
eastern half of the southern boundary between Hampton and Barston, the western half, adjoining Solihull,
being Lug Trout Lane. (fn. 1) On the west it is divided from
Elmdon by a third stream. The country is open,
mostly pasture, the only large block of woodland being
Hampton Coppice, on the western edge of the parish.
From this point, which rises to a little over 400 ft., the
ground slopes gently to the east to about 275 ft. along
the Blythe. The roads are small, the village lying centrally on a slight hill where two east-west roads are
joined by one running north. At the north end of the
village is Hampton Station, on the L.M.S. Railway
from Rugby to Birmingham, with a branch north-east
to Whitacre. At the south-east angle of the parish,
crossing the River Blythe into Berkswell parish, is an
ancient packhorse bridge, only 5 ft. wide between the
low parapets. It dates probably from the 15th century
and consists of five bays with ancient stone piers having
pointed cut-water faces on the west side against the
flow of the stream—and square projections on the east.
The three northern arches are segmental-pointed, the
southern two have been rebuilt with brick arches. East
of the bridge is a ford.
There are seven or eight ancient buildings in the
village. The most interesting is Moat Farm, west of
the churchyard. It has a back or west wing which is
partly of medieval masonry. The main block, facing
east, retains late-16th-century timber-framing in the
upper story, partly close-set studding and partly of
herring-bone pattern. The lower story, a gabled
south wing in line with it, and an addition behind the
latter are of later red brick, the last on ancient stone
foundations. A 16th-century stone chimney-stack at the
north end of the back wall provides a wide fire-place
for the hall and a smaller one to the stone back-wing.
The hall has early-16th-century ceiling beams; one
passes through into the back wing to the depth of the
wide fire-place, where it meets a similar beam running
north and south. The fire-place over the hall is of stone,
carved with a crude grape pattern. The brick-faced
wing has an upper room with late-16th-century panelling and door. Another door with ornamental straphinges, rehung at the back, belonged to the lower
entrance doorway. Extending northwards is a later
(17th-century) wing of square framing in two bays.
A 12-ft. square building close to it was probably a
pigeon-house of the same period. There are remains
of the north and east arms of the moat, now dry; in parts
it is 10 ft. deep.
Other buildings mentioned are of the 17th century
unless otherwise dated. Church Farm, south of the
church, is brick-fronted, but has old framing on
the gable-ends. The White Lion Inn, north-east of the
church, is plastered externally, but old beams are exposed inside. A cottage, now tenements, in a back lane
parallel with the main road east of the church is of old
framing, and another house near-by, on the south side
of the road to the packhorse bridge, has a modern
brick front and an old framed back wing.
Near the railway station is a house, now tenements,
with a north wing of square framing. It is gabled on
the east front, the head projecting on curved brackets.
A wing extending to the south (making the plan T-shaped) has a modernized east front with a jettied
upper story, but is of old framing at the back. Nearly
opposite is a cottage of square framing, and there is
another near-by on the road to Bickenhill. 'Old Farm',
farther north on the south-east side of the road, is a
complete house of square framing. The central
chimney-stack in the main block has a wide fire-place
and three diagonal shafts. The lower rooms have
chamfered ceiling-beams and the upper show straight
wind-braces to the roof purlins. North of it is an old
barn.
Of the outlying buildings four are of importance.
Walford Hall Farm, 1 mile west of the church, is of
15th-century origin; it had a great hall of two bays,
15 ft. and 9 ft., with cross-wings making the plan H-shaped. When, in the 16th century, the great chimneystack was built in the western 9-ft. bay and an upper
floor inserted, the hall-roof was raised to the same level
as those of the wings, but the original wall-plates were
left in position. The north and south fronts show some
of the original rectangular framing, the former also
retaining a curved brace below the former wall-plate.
Inside, forming part of the inner wall of the east wing,
are principal rafters of the earlier hall-roof, and above
them the later principals of the 16th-century roof.
The main roof-truss between the two bays had a cambered and chamfered tie-beam supported by curved
braces; the tie-beam was raised subsequently and the
braces removed. The east wing has been partly refaced
with brickwork but has most of the original rectangular
framing on the north front and a curved cambered tiebeam in the gable-head. The roof has a medieval truss
with a braced and cambered tie-beam and the purlins
have curved wind-braces. The west wing, probably
rebuilt when the other 16th-century alterations were
made, is mostly of the old square framing; the south
gable-head projects on a moulded bressummer and
shaped brackets. Inside, the lower room has a good
stop-moulded ceiling beam. The central chimneystack has two 9½-ft. fire-places back to back, and above
are three square shafts with V-shaped pilasters.
Hampton Lane Farm, near Walford Hall, is mostly
of 18th-century brickwork but has some earlier framing
in the east gable-head and also a late-16th-century
central chimney-stack with a shaft like that at Walford
and two diagonal shafts. West of it at the corner of the
Bickenhill road is a cottage of framing with halfdormers in the roof, and close to it is a framed outbuilding.
Diddington Hall is a house of c. 1580, of two stories,
attics, and a cellar. The walls are of red brick with
red sandstone dressings, on a moulded plinth. The
plan is E-shaped, facing east. The recessed middle
block is narrow (about 18 ft.) compared with the wings
(about 21 ft.) and has a two-storied porch wing. The
front has stone angle-dressings, but not the back. Most
of the windows are of original stonework with hollowchamfered mullions and (excepting the attic windows)
with transoms. The front entrance has a round head
with plain imposts and keystone. Low modern additions have been built in between the porch and side
wings, the heads of the original windows in the main
wall appearing above them. The cellar in the south
wing has an outer doorway and windows in the plinth.
The hall has a moulded stone fire-place in the back
(west) wall, and that in the room above has a moulded
shelf. The south wing has nearly similar fire-places on
both floors, and the north wing has a 7-ft.-wide fireplace (to the former kitchen) with an oak lintel with
sockets for a roasting-jack. The staircase, a 17th-century insertion, has newels with moulded and ball heads,
and twisted balusters. On the walls are reset several
pieces of 17th-century carving, &c., apparently from
former overmantels. A stone stair leads down to the
cellar. The roofs have plain trusses, and straight windbraces to the purlins. In the attics are three original
doors with moulded battens, and there is one at the
top of the cellar stairs. Modern additions to the north
contain the present kitchen and offices. A forecourt has
steps leading up to the entrance. North of it are 18thcentury and later stables, &c.
Diddington Farm, ¼ mile to the north-west of the
Hall, is of the same style, material, and date. The plan
is H-shaped, facing west. The recessed middle block,
of about the same size as that at the Hall, has no porch.
The front entrance instead is next to the north wing
and has moulded jambs and a flat-arched head. Another
doorway (into the kitchen) contains a nail-studded
door hung with ornamental strap-hinges. All the
windows and doorways have moulded drip-stones.
The fire-places resemble those at the Hall. A space by
the side of the kitchen fire-place, next to the side
entrance, entered by a trap-door above, was probably
a hiding-hole. The staircase is in the north-east
quarter of the south wing; it has square newels with
moulded and ball heads, turned balusters, and plain
handrail. The cellar is below this wing. The chimneystacks have original square shafts with square pilasters.
Mouldings Green Farm, 3/8 mile south-east of
Diddington Hall, is a house of c. 1600 with walls
almost completely of rectangular framing on stone
foundations. Some of the ancient wattle-and-daub
infilling remains, but most of it has been replaced with
bricks. The plan is L-shaped, facing east: the gabled
north wing projects about one yard on the front. The
front has another gable at the south end, and the south
wall is also gabled, its head projecting on a moulded
bressummer and shaped brackets. The four main windows of the front are original oriels. The front entrance
has a moulded frame and a nail-studded door hung with
ornamental strap-hinges and having an original handleknocker. The windows of the north wing are modern.
Two internal chimney-stacks are original, the northern
having one and the southern three square shafts with
V-shaped pilasters. The roofs are tiled. A barn also
has old framing.
During a lawsuit in 1729 Henry Beighton of Griff,
F.R.S., deposed that in 1723, 'purposing to make a map
of the county' (that published in 1730 in Thomas's
edition of Dugdale), he ascertained the exact bounds of
Hampton and its members, from which he found that
Knowle contained 2,500 acres, Balsall 3,500, and
Hampton with Diddington 1,500, exclusive of roads
and waste. (fn. 2) In 1652 there were four common fields:—
Shirley, Mill Field, Innfield, and Innedge Field; of
which Shirley Field lay by the road from Solihull to
Coventry and near the Shadow Brook. (fn. 3)
The first three
of these fields still existed in 1773, but a good deal of
inclosure had already taken place, as there is mention of
the 'Old Inclosure' of 113 acres, bounded on the north
by Busted Lane and Heath Lane, on the west by Sir
Harry Goff's Old Inclosure, and on the east by the
churchyard. (fn. 4)
In 1805 an Act (fn. 5)
was obtained for the
inclosure of another 600 acres, but the Award was not
made until 1812.
MANOR
In 1086 the manor of HAMPTON-INARDEN was held by Geoffrey de Wirce. It
was rated at 10 hides and included a mill
and woodland 3 leagues long and as much broad. (fn. 6)
With Geoffrey's other lands it came to Niel son of
Roger d'Aubigny, who took the name of Mowbray, (fn. 7)
and the overlordship descended in that family. (fn. 8)
When Roger Mowbray died in 1297 half a knight's
fee in Hampton was held of him; (fn. 9) in 1376 the
manor was held of the heir of Lord Mowbray, a
minor in ward to the king, (fn. 10) and in 1387 of Thomas
Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham. (fn. 11)
About the middle of the 12th century Roger Mowbray is said to have enfeoffed
Ralph de Haia, who subsequently
sold the manor to Robert de
Arden, or Arderne. (fn. 12) Robert's
father Ralph (identified by Dugdale with Ralph de Hamtona
who in 1130 was pardoned 10s.
danegeld in Warwickshire) (fn. 13) had
bought lands at Chadwick in
Balsall from Roger Mowbray. (fn. 14)
From Robert, who became Archdeacon of Lisieux, the manor of
Hampton passed to his brother
Roger de Arderne, (fn. 15) whose grandson Sir Hugh (son of
William) held the half-fee about 1230 (fn. 16) and in 1242. (fn. 17)
Hugh received in 1251 a grant of free warren in Hampton and Knowle, and the right to hold a weekly market on
Tuesday and a fair on the eve, feast, and morrow of
St. Luke. (fn. 18) His son William died in 1276 (fn. 19) and the
manor passed to his brother Richard, who was insane;
it was therefore taken into the king's hands and entrusted to Bartholomew de Sudeley. (fn. 20) On the death
of Richard the manor was divided between the descendants of his father's two sisters, Olive and Hawise.
Olive had married Robert le Megre, (fn. 21) and her granddaughter Amice with her husband John le Lou conveyed her moiety to Queen Eleanor in 1284 in return
for an annuity of £30. (fn. 22) The other moiety was in the
hands of Hawise's son John Peche, (fn. 23) who acquired
Queen Eleanor's portion (fn. 24) and was holding Hampton
as ½ knight's fee in 1299. (fn. 25) His grandson Sir John
Peche died in 1376, (fn. 26) leaving a son John, then 15,
who died in 1387 and left a widow Katherine and two
daughters, Joan aged 2¾, and Margaret, who was only
one day old. (fn. 27) In 1411 Katherine held the manor for
life, with remainder to Sir William de Mountfort of
Coleshill and the said Margaret his wife. (fn. 28) It then
descended in the Mountfort family until the attainder
of Sir Simon Mountfort in 1495, (fn. 29) when it was forfeited to the Crown. Next year it was granted in tail
male to Richard Pudsey and Joan his wife, (fn. 30) but
evidently reverted to the Crown, as in 1512 the manor
was granted to Sir Henry Guldeford and Margaret his
wife. (fn. 31) He died without male issue, and in 1553 a
lease of the reversion of the manor after the death of
Margaret, who had married Gawen Carew, was made
to Thomas Lysley for 31 years at a rent of £55. (fn. 32) In
1572 the manor was granted in tail male to Robert,
Earl of Leicester, (fn. 33) but on his death in 1588 it reverted
once more to the Crown. A number of leases seem to
have been made of the lands of the manor, and these
were acquired by Henry Martin, the Queen's trumpeter
and a soldier of some distinction, who in 1602 tried
to purchase the whole. (fn. 34) The lordship, however, continued in the Crown until the first half of the 19th
century, when it was bought by Isaac William Lillingston, who sold it to Sir Robert Peel. (fn. 35) He died in 1850,
leaving the manor to his younger son Sir Frederick
Peel, after whose death in 1906 it was acquired by
James Rollason; his widow has recently sold the property to the Gooch Estates.
Mowbray. Gules a lion argent
Peche. Gules crusilly and a fesse argent.
Peel. Argent three sheaves each of three arrows proper banded gules and a chief azure with a bee or.
DIDDINGTON and KINWALSEY
DIDDINGTON and KINWALSEY, though
occasionally referred to as manors, are more often
correctly termed hamlets. They were given to the
nuns of Markyate Priory (Beds.), probably by Roger
de Mowbray, and were leased by the convent c. 1190
to William de Arden, whose son Hugh bought them
c. 1231 for 30 marks. (fn. 36) After this they descended with
the manor of Knowle (q.v.).
CHURCH
The parish church of ST. MARY AND
ST. BARTHOLOMEW has a chancel,
nave with narrow aisles, west tower, south
porch, and north vestry. The chancel is of about mid12th-century date. It is comparatively long and narrow
for the period, in a church of this size, and it has an unusual north doorway near the west end; it is possible
that it represented the complete church, at least for a
short time. The nave, if not coeval, was built soon
afterwards and had a late-12th-century south aisle, of
which the arcade remains. Possibly the nave was of
the same width as the chancel, but was widened to the
north about 5 ft. about the middle of the 13th century
and a narrow north aisle and arcade added. The chancel
arch was widened at the same time to the utmost limits
permitted by the width of the chancel.
For some reason, probably weakness, the north aisle
was rebuilt late in the 14th century on the old foundations of the narrow aisle. This was followed by a similar
rebuilding of the south aisle early in the 15th century,
again without widening it. About the same time the
west tower was begun, but carried up only a short
way, the completion being delayed until late in the
century.
The last medieval alteration was the building of the
clearstory in the 16th century in place of the old steeply
pitched roof indicated by the lines on the tower.
The tower bore a tall spire 'till by the extraordinary
violence of Lightning and Thunder, hapning on St.
Andrew's day at night, in the year 1643, it was cloven,
and fell to the ground: at which time the whole fabrick,
with the tower, were torn in divers places'. (fn. 37)
The south porch and north vestry are modern, and
various repairs and restorations have been executed to
other parts. The chancel was rebuilt in 1879 with the
old material. All the roofs are modern.
The chancel (about 41 ft. by 17 ft.) has a modern
east window of four lights and tracery, set in a modern
wall which is thinner than the 12th-century lower part;
there are 4-in. setbacks below the sill on both faces. In
the north wall are two small 12th-century roundheaded windows, the jambs of two orders outside, the
outer chamfered, the inner square. The head is of two
pieces. The inner splayed reveals and arches are plastered and have angle-dressings and voussoirs. Between
the windows is a modern doorway to the organ-chamber
and vestry. West of the second window the wall is
thickened outside nearly up to the eaves and contains a
3-ft. doorway of the 12th century now blocked: it is
of two orders outside, both with small chamfers, and
has grooved and hollow-chamfered impost stones. The
inner order forms a segmental arch, the outer a semicircular arch with a hood-stone chamfered on both
edges. The tympanum is of rubble, but one of the stones
is part of a 13th-century coffin-lid with an incised
cross-head. This position is an unusual one for a doorway in a thickened wall and indicates either that the
chancel was originally the complete church or that it
has been re-set here from elsewhere.
In the south wall is a modern window (fn. 38) in the east
half resembling the 12th-century windows; in the west
half are two windows; the eastern, of the late 13th
century, is of two trefoiled lights and a trefoiled triangle
in a two-centred head with an external hood-mould and
with a moulded segmental-pointed rear-arch; all the
foils have soffit-cusps. The other, of the 15th century,
mostly restored, is of three cinquefoiled ogee-headed
lights and foiled spandrels under a square head with an
external hood-mould. About midway in the wall is a
13th-century priests' doorway with chamfered jambs,
moulded imposts, and hollow-chamfered two-centred
head with a hood-mould.
Plan of Hampton-in-Arden Church.
The lower part of the east wall and the north wall are
of 12th-century squared rubble with wide joints, and
have a plinth of two chamfered courses and a doublechamfered string-course below the windows. The east
wall also has a chamfered course below the window inside. At the angles are pairs of shallow buttresses up to
the eaves, and there is another low one under the east
window. The south wall, rebuilt in 1879, has the 12thcentury masonry reused. An intermediate shallow
buttress is half cut back in the lower part for the
priests' doorway. Another 4-ft. shallow buttress at the
west end is the original nave-angle but stops below
the chancel-eaves level. The walls inside are plastered.
The splays of the south-east window are continued
down to the floor in modern masonry to form a sedile
recess. East of it is a modern or renovated piscina with
a trefoiled two-centred head and a quatrefoil basin.
The chancel arch (fn. 39) is of the 13th century and has responds of two chamfered orders with moulded capitals,
carved on the south side with stiff-leaf foliage and on
the north side with a human head and foliage. The
two-centred arch is of two chamfered orders with
rather small voussoirs. The bases are not original. In
order to obtain as great a width as possible to the north
the inner face of the reveal only just clears the face of
the north wall of the chancel and the east side of the
arch dies on to the wall.
The nave (about 61 ft. by 22 ft.) has its south wall
in line with that of the chancel, the extra 5 ft. of width
being to the north. The north arcade is of mid-13thcentury date; the pillars are cylindrical with moulded
bases, the middle base of 'hold-water' section, on
chamfered square sub-bases. The circular capitals are
moulded and the middle one is carved with vertical
leaves about 4 in. apart. The responds are semi-octagonal, with moulded uncarved capitals, but the capitals
of the square outer angles are carved with foliage like
the south of the chancel arch: the bases are modern.
The arches are two-centred and of two chamfered
orders with mixed medium and small voussoirs, and
hood-moulds towards the nave; they have probably
been rebuilt and heightened at some later date with the
original material. The south arcade, of four bays, is
of late-12th-century date. The pillars are cylindrical.
The easternmost has a moulded base and scalloped
capital—from round to square—and a moulded abacus.
The third capital is also scalloped and carved with incipient foliage. The second was scalloped, round to
square, but it was crudely altered in the 14th century
to a circular plan, the angles being changed into carvings
of human heads, singly or in groups of three; another
human face was carved on the north side, and the west
side was plain-moulded: the east and south sides retain
some of the original scallops. The moulded abacus is
roughly circular. The east respond is square, with a
small middle half-round shaft which has been restored
but retains the original capital, round to square, with
shell-like leaves carved at the angles, and a chamfered
abacus. The west respond has a similar shaft and a
scalloped capital. The arches are two-centred and of
two orders with small chamfers; the hood-mould has
head-stops over the pillars and east end. The voussoirs
are mostly small, but larger stones have been used in
repairs, especially in the western part, where there appears to have been mutilation for former galleries. The
arcade leans a little to the south. The walls above are
plastered up to the clearstory. All the masonry is red
sandstone. The clearstory, built mostly of grey ashlar,
has four windows each side with chamfered jambs and
plain square heads. The parapets are embattled.
The north aisle (about 6 ft. wide) has an east window
of two trefoiled pointed lights and a trefoiled tracery
light in a two-centred head with an external hoodmould and chamfered rear-arch; the jambs are moulded
outside and include small rolls or shafts with moulded
bases; the internal splays are plain. In the north wall
are two two-light windows of similar detail, but with
plain spandrels, in three-centred heads and four-centred
rear-arches. All probably of late-14th-century date.
The north doorway has moulded jambs and two
centred head with an external hood-mould and threecentred rear-arch. In the west wall is a narrow single
light with red sandstone jambs of a single chamfer, with
a square head having a lintel of cream-white Arden
sandstone like the north and east windows: it is evidently a 13th-century window altered: the internal
splays are plastered and have angle-dressings.
The walls are of Arden sandstone ashlar with some
later repairs at the top; the plinths are chamfered and
there is an oversailing chamfered course at the eaves.
Old narrow buttresses divide the north wall into three
bays, the doorway and a window occupying the middle
bay. From the doorway to the east end inside is a stone
wall-bench. The door is of oak, dated 1758. At the
south part of the west wall is a 9-in. red sandstone buttress to the north arcade.
The south aisle (5 ft. 9 in. wide) has an east window
similar to that of the north aisle, but with mouldings of
later section. In the south wall are three windows of
two cinquefoiled ogee-headed lights and foiled piercings
in square heads with labels, and segmental rear-arches.
The jambs are chamfered and have plain internal
splays of ashlar. All are of Arden sandstone much
restored. The south doorway has moulded jambs of
light and dark red sandstone and a four-centred head:
the external hood-mould has been cut away. In it is an
ancient nail-studded oak door with modern ribs planted
on to make five panels: it has plain strap-hinges, an iron
plate, and ring-handle. West of it is the outline of a
former small doorway, now walled up, of uncertain
age: it is a shallow recess with an elliptical head. The
west wall is unpierced. The walls are of Arden sandstone ashlar, with one larger course above the chamfered plinth. The west end has a shallow buttress to the
arcade of red stone like the northern. The south wall
has an old buttress of two stages at each end. Inside,
east of the doorway, is about 17 ft. of stone wall-bench.
A piscina, east of the south-east window, has chamfered
jambs and a trefoiled pointed head: in the sill is a
quatrefoil basin (the outer half restored) and behind it
the incised lines for another abandoned quatrefoil.
The stone porch is modern.
The west tower (about 12 ft. square) is built of
Arden sandstone and is of one stage unbroken outside
by string-courses. The plinth is of two chamfered
courses; the parapet embattled. At the west angles are
deep diagonal buttresses of three stages. On the south
side near the aisle is a stair-turret of half-octagonal projection in the lower part but changing to a half-round
in the upper and stopping about midway in the second
story with a semi-conical stone roof. It is entered by a
pointed doorway inside; an external doorway to it has
been abolished. The lower part of the tower up to the
level of the top of the semi-octagonal turret is of widejointed masonry, but above it is of later fine-jointed
ashlar. On the east wall below the bell-chamber
window is the weather-course of the earlier roof of the
nave, proving that the whole tower is older than the
clearstory.
The archway towards the nave has jambs and a twocentred head of two chamfered orders with moulded
bases and imposts. (fn. 40) Random scratchings indicate the
existence of a former gallery front. The west window
is of three trefoiled lights and vertical tracery in a twocentred head with an external hood-mould having
head-stops. The second story has three trefoiled windows with two-centred heads. The bell-chamber has
four windows, each of two trefoiled four-centred lights
and a plain spandrel in a four-centred head, of late15th-century date. The jambs of all the windows are
double-chamfered.
In the two-light south window of the chancel are
some mixed fragments of 15th-century glass, mostly
yellow foliage.
The font is a curiously clumsy round one of uncertain age: the base may be an ancient bowl reversed,
but the bowl with hollowed sides and rounded top edge
is probably much later; it shows no traces of staples for
a lid.
At the east end of the south aisle is a stone altar of
which the lower courses are ancient.
In the chancel floor are about 90 14th- or 15thcentury inlaid tiles of various designs: several have a
fleur de lis, one a charge, apparently three martlets
quartering a lion passant, but all reversed; another a
part of a pattern of lozenges and rosettes. By them,
against the north wall, are remains of 13th-century
coffin-lids or slabs with incised crosses with trefoiled or
fleur de lis ends.
In the south wall of the chancel, east of the priests'
doorway, and close to the floor, is a 21-in. recess with
moulded and shafted jambs and trefoiled pointed head
with moulded foils. In it is a carved half-figure of a
man and a heater-shaped shield: the last has some slight
traces of a charge, perhaps two leopards. It is probably
part of a monument of the late 13th century: all of
white stone.
Before the chancel step is a grave slab with a 14-in.
brass of an early-16th-century civilian, also indents of
figures of his wife and two groups of children and an
inscription. (fn. 41)
A chest with fielded panels and three locks is of the
18th century.
In the south aisle is a disused clock with an iron
frame having three standards with moulded bases and
offsets and spurs at the tops with ball-heads: probably
late-17th-century.
In the churchyard, east of the chancel, is a square
base and part of the stem of a medieval cross.
There are six bells of 1725 by Joseph Smith of
Edgbaston.
The registers begin in 1599, but the early years are
largely illegible.
ADVOWSON
The Domesday Survey shows that
there was a priest, and therefore a
church, at Hampton in 1086. (fn. 42) During
the episcopate of Bishop Roger of Chester (1129–49)
Roger Mowbray gave to the Priory of Kenilworth the
church of Hampton-in-Arden, with its chapels and
other appurtenances, including 2 virgates of land
and certain crofts, messuages, and meadow. (fn. 43) This
was confirmed by his tenant Roger de Arderne, (fn. 44) whose
brother Robert apparently held the living at the time; (fn. 45)
later, between 1161 and 1175, Bishop Richard of
Coventry confirmed a grant made by the canons of
Kenilworth to Roger's other brother Peter of the
church with its chapels and endowments, paying 10s.
yearly. (fn. 46) Bishop Richard also confirmed an agreement
between the Priories of Kenilworth and Monks Kirby, (fn. 47)
a cell of St. Nicholas of Angers, to which abbey
Geoffrey de Wirce had given ⅓ of the tithes of his
demesnes in Hampton. (fn. 48) Roger de Arderne presented
his son William to the living, but on Roger's death
William renounced his orders and became a knight and
his brother Roger became vicar. (fn. 49) This Roger died
in 1215 or 1216 and Sir William asserted his right
to present his other brother Walter, which the Prior
of Kenilworth denied. (fn. 50) Eventually (1221–4) Sir
William renounced all claim to the advowson, and the
convent agreed that in future he and his heirs should
choose a fit clerk for vicar and the convent should
present him to the bishop; at the same time a vicarage
was ordained, to which were assigned all the small
tithes and obventions, and the tithes belonging to the
chapels of Baddesley (Clinton) and Nuthurst; the vicar
was to pay 20s. yearly for support of the chaplain at
Balsall. (fn. 51) The benefice was valued at £26 13s. 4d. in
1291, (fn. 52) and in 1535 the rectory was farmed for
£9 6s. 8d. (fn. 53) and the vicarage, with the chapel of Nuthurst, was assessed at £15 6s. 8d. clear, the pension of
20s. being still paid to Kenilworth. (fn. 54)
After the Dissolution the advowson was retained by
the Crown until 1573, when it was granted to the Earl
of Leicester and became part of the original endowment
of Leicester's Hospital at Warwick, the master and
brethren of which had the patronage until 1862, when
it was sold with the consent of the Charity Commissioners. (fn. 55) It was acquired by the lord of the manor,
Sir Frederick Peel, whose widow held it in 1915. (fn. 56) It
subsequently passed into the possession of the Guild of
All Souls, the present patrons. (fn. 57) The Hospital, however, has retained the great tithes and the Master is
still lay rector. (fn. 58)
CHARITIES
Henry Marsh in about 1617 gave
to poor of Hampton-in-Arden a yearly
payment of £1 charged upon land at
Pearsall End. The charge was redeemed in 1916 under
an Order of the Charity Commissioners for £40 Consols. The income amounts to £1 per annum.
Town Lands. In the year 1686 several sums
amounting to £102 3s. were given by various donors
and expended in the purchase of Hampton Town Land
lying in Balsall, the rent being applied in apprenticing
poor boys in the parish. The endowment now
consists of 12 acres (approx.) let at an annual rent of
£15. The income is applied with that of Fentham's
Charity.
George Fentham by will dated 24 April 1690 gave
to trustees all his property, after payment of certain
legacies, to pay an annuity of £30 as follows: £20 a
year to a schoolmaster for teaching poor male children,
£5 for the relief of 10 poor families, and £5 for apprenticing the son of a poor inhabitant. After giving another
annuity of £20 to the poor of Birmingham, he gave
a moiety of the residue of his estate for the benefit of
the poor inhabitants of Hampton. The endowment
now consists of various properties containing 49 acres
or thereabouts, together with several sums of stock,
the whole producing a yearly income of £2,000
(approx.). By a Scheme of the Charity Commissioners
dated 23 December 1907 a body of 10 trustees was appointed. The scheme directs that, after payment of
a yearly sum of £500 for educational purposes, the
yearly income of the charity shall be applied for the
benefit of the poor of the parish as set out under various
heads, including the payment of pensions to poor
persons of good character.