ELDERSFIELD
Yldresfelda (x cent.); Edresfelle (xi cent.); Eddrefeld, Eldresfeld, Heldresseld, Eldresfelda (xii cent.).
Eldersfield is situated in the southern extremity of
the county, and forms with Chaceley a tongue of
land projecting into Gloucestershire. It has an area
of 3,387 acres, about two-thirds of which are
pasture (fn. 1) ; wheat and beans are grown. The soil is
loam and clay, and the subsoil Keuper Marls. The
surface is for the most part low, as the parish lies in
the Severn Valley; the highest point, about 186 ft.
above the ordnance datum, is near the village of
Eldersfield at a small hill or tump named Gadbury
Bank where there is an ancient earthwork. (fn. 2) This
formed a line of defence with Malvern and Bredon,
and from its summit there is an extensive view over
the Severn Valley.
Glynch Brook separates Eldersfield from Redmarley. There are now only 10 acres of woodland,
but the woods of Eldersfield, formerly part of Malvern
Chase, were of great importance and were mentioned
in the Domesday Survey; 'the wood is two leagues
in length and as many in breadth. It is separated
from the manor.' (fn. 3) Eldersfield was just within the
boundary of Malvern Forest, and in the churchyard
there still stands a large and ancient pollard ash, said
to be a survival from that forest. (fn. 4) Corse Lawn in
the south-east of the parish and extending into
Chaceley was part of the forest of Corse which was
situated in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire and
formed part of Malvern Chase. (fn. 5) In 1189 the Knights
Hospitallers had a charter from Richard I granting to
them the waste woods at Pendock and Eldersfield. (fn. 6)
The village of Eldersfield is in the middle of the
parish. The church stands on a slope close to
Eldersfield Court, the old manor-house, a two-story
brick house with a red tiled hipped roof. At Eldersfield Court is a square dovecote of timber and plaster
resting on stone foundations. Near the church is Rue
Green, where tradition says that Dick Whittington
held lands (fn. 7) ; the arms of the Whittington family are
placed on the font in Eldersfield Church. (fn. 8) Half a
mile to the east of the church at Pigeon House Farm,
a two-storied house of red brick with tiled roof, near
which are traces of a moat, there is a square brick dovecote, with a roof gabled at each front and surmounted
by a wooden lantern. It is not in good repair; the
lower part is used as a fowl-house, and there are two
sundials, one dated 1705, the other bearing an
inscription. There is a Wesleyan Methodist chapel
near the high road from Gloucester to Upton upon
Severn.
The south-east of the parish is cut up into a number of small farms. Near Lucas Farm, one of these,
are traces of a moat. On the north-east near the
Forthampton boundary is Hardwick Court with the
remains of a surrounding moat. Between Hardwick
and the village is a low-lying piece of land known as
the Marsh, and here is Marsh Court. Near Gadbury
Bank is Dobshill Farm, formerly known as 'The
Chantry Lands.' (fn. 9) The chantry priest had a house
here. In the 16th century Dobshill was held by the
Savage family (fn. 10) ; the most noted member of this
house was Henry Savage, who was born at Dobshill
about 1604. He was appointed Master of Balliol in
1650–1 and was one of the chaplains of Charles II. (fn. 11)
In 1619 articles were exhibited by some of his
parishioners against Gerard Prior, the vicar, complaining of 'various immoral acts done by him,' i.e.,
'they had heard him pray that the King's heart
might be turned from profaneness, vanity and Popery.'
Prior was suspended and bound over to appear at
the assizes, but he seems to have won the day, as he
retained the living till 1627. (fn. 12)
Eldersfield was the scene of some activity during
the Civil War. 'The people were frequently
plundered, their houses and corn burnt, their cattle
taken and their young men carried off to fight.' (fn. 13)
In 1644 the army of the Parliament under Colonel
Massey came to Eldersfield hoping to find the enemy
there. The Royalists had retired to Redmarley,
whither the Parliamentarians pursued after staying in
Eldersfield two or three hours to refresh themselves
and their horses. (fn. 14)
Dovecote at Pigeon House Farm, Eldersfield
Acts for inclosing lands in this parish were passed
in 1836, 1840 and 1861. The awards are dated
1 August 1845 and 15 September 1865. (fn. 15)
The following place-names occur: Blacanmoresforda (fn. 16) (xi cent.); Burney Meadow, Deepholme,
the great Picke, the little Picke, the Mare Leases,
the Windmill Leasow (fn. 17) (xvii cent.). Examples of the
local termination 'end' in this parish are: Linkend,
Nashend, Palmer's End, Drinkersend, Moorend Farm.
MANORS
As in Chaceley the boundaries of
ELDERSFIELD are given after those
of Longdon in Edgar's charter to the
abbey of Pershore in 972; it may be assumed that
Eldersfield then formed part of the 30 hides in
Longdon at that date confirmed to the abbey. (fn. 18) It
is probably to be identified with the 5 hides in the
manor of Longdon, formerly held by Reinbald the
Chancellor, (fn. 19) held in 1086 by King William, (fn. 20) but
it is entered separately in the Survey of Herefordshire (fn. 21) as having been obtained by William Fitz
Osbern Earl of Hereford (1067–72) by exchange
with Reinbald, and in 1086 was with the rest of
Fitz Osbern's lands in the hands of the king. (fn. 22)
Like Hanley Castle, (fn. 23) Eldersfield passed to Robert
Earl of Gloucester (1121–47), who gave it to William
de Berkeley as one knight's fee, (fn. 24) his countess,
Mabel, having 10 marks for her assent. (fn. 25) From that
time Eldersfield seems to have been held of the
manor of Bushley as part of the honour of Gloucester, (fn. 26) but when Bushley came into the possession
of the Earls of Warwick in the 15th century, this fee
apparently became part of their barony of Elmley
Castle, of which it was said to be held in 1572 and
1603. (fn. 27)
William de Berkeley was nephew (fn. 28) of Roger de
Berkeley who held Coberley in Gloucestershire in
1086. (fn. 29) His son William in 1195 paid 40 marks
for having seisin of Eldersfield. (fn. 30) In 1199 he had a
charter from Richard I confirming the grant of the
earl to his father, (fn. 31) and the confirmation was renewed
by King John on his accession, (fn. 32) William de Berkeley
giving 15 marks and a palfrey for the charter. (fn. 33) In
1210–12 Robert son of William de Berkeley held a
knight's fee in Eldersfield, (fn. 34) and he was probably in
possession of the manor in 1220, when he laid claim
to the advowson of the church. (fn. 35) The manor afterwards passed to Nicholas de Berkeley; he held it
until his death about 1263, (fn. 36) when he was succeeded
by his brother Giles, who paid relief for his lands in
that year. (fn. 37) About 1280 Giles de Berkeley paid a
subsidy of 10s. on his lands in Eldersfield. (fn. 38) His
will is dated 1294, (fn. 39) and he was succeeded by his
son Thomas, who held the manor of Eldersfield in
1314. (fn. 40) In 1346 he was returned as holder of a fee
in Eldersfield which Ralph de Cressy and John 'le
Arblaster' had held. (fn. 41) He died before 1351, (fn. 42) and
his son Thomas settled the
manor in 1364 on his son
Thomas and his wife Juliana
with contingent remainder to
his other sons John, Nicholas
and Walter. (fn. 43) They evidently
all died without issue, for
Thomas the elder, (fn. 44) on his
death in 1405, was succeeded
by his two daughters as coheirs. These were Margaret
wife of Nicholas de Mattesdon
and Alice wife of Thomas
Brydges. (fn. 45) Eldersfield fell to
the share of Alice, who married
as her second husband John Browning. She died in
1414 (fn. 46) and was succeeded by her son Giles Brydges, (fn. 47)
who in 1453 settled a rent from the manor of
Eldersfield on his son Thomas and his wife Florence. (fn. 48)
Giles was twice Sheriff of Gloucestershire, in 1430
and 1453, (fn. 49) and Commissioner of the Peace for the
same county in 1435 and 1437–41. (fn. 50) He was
member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1455, (fn. 51)
and died in 1466–7, (fn. 52) having obtained in 1464 a
confirmation of the charter of Richard I to his
ancestor William de Berkeley. (fn. 53) His son and
successor Thomas died in 1493, leaving a son Giles, (fn. 54)
who was knighted for his valour at Blackheath in
1497 (fn. 55) ; he was Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1499 (fn. 56)
and died in 1511. (fn. 57) His son John Brydges was
knighted at the Battle of Spurs,
1513. (fn. 58) He was Constable
of Sudeley Castle and Lieutenant of the Tower under
Queen Mary, (fn. 59) who in 1554
created him Lord Chandos of
Sudeley. (fn. 60) His son Edmund
Lord Chandos died in 1572, (fn. 61)
and was succeeded by his son
Giles, who died in 1594, (fn. 62)
when his estates were divided
between his two daughters,
Elizabeth wife of Sir John
Kennedy and Katherine wife
of Sir Francis Russell. They
with Grey Lord Chandos, nephew and heir male
of Giles, appear to have sold the manor of
Eldersfield in 1605, (fn. 63) probably to William Winter,
who with Margaret his wife dealt with it in 1613. (fn. 64)
They possibly sold it in that
year to Sir Henry Spiller,
who was lord of the manor in
1624. (fn. 65) In 1646 his estates
were sequestered for delinquency (fn. 66) ; he pleaded that he
had lost £1,000 in personal
estate, rent and woods since
the beginning of the war;
'he had been for the recovery
of his health to Hereford,
where he was taken prisoner
when the town was reduced
by Parliament. He was left
behind at Gloucester on account of sickness and was too
infirm to attend in person the
meeting of the Committee.'
A fine of £8,961 was imposed
on him, but he died in 1650
before the payment of the
second half. (fn. 67) His heir-at-law
was his granddaughter Jane, (fn. 68)
wife of James Herbert. (fn. 69) She
appears to have disposed of
Eldersfield to Henry Spiller,
possibly a nephew of Sir Henry, who dealt with
lands here in 1653. (fn. 70) With Elizabeth his wife he
conveyed the manor of Eldersfield in 1667, evidently
in trust, to Henry Marten and Thomas Brown. (fn. 71)
He seems to have been still in possession in 1668, in
which year he presented to the church, (fn. 72) and in
1679 he still held some lands in Eldersfield. (fn. 73)
Brydges, Lord Chandos. Argent a cross sable with a leopard's head or thereon.
Eldersfield Court
Spiller. Sable a cross voided between four molets or.
Before 1715 the Eldersfield estate had passed to
Anthony Lechmere of Severn End in Hanley Castle,
who presented to the church in that year, (fn. 74) and his
son Edmund Lechmere held the manor in 1787. (fn. 75)
Eldersfield seems to have been unentailed and
inherited by Edmund's younger son Anthony, (fn. 76) by
whom it was held in 1818. (fn. 77) His son Sir Edmund
Hungerford Lechmere bought Severn End, with
which estate Eldersfield then descended until recently,
when part was sold by the late baronet, Sir Edmund
Anthony Harley Lechmere, to his tenants.
The manor of HARDWICK (Herdwich, xii cent.;
Ordewike, xiii cent.; Hardwick Bryant, xix cent.) is
not mentioned in the Domesday Survey, being at that
time probably included in Eldersfield. In 1183 the
Sheriff of Worcestershire paid to the Treasury 40s.
'issue of Herdwich, member of Hederfeld, which was
the land of Robert son of Gregory,' (fn. 78) and again in
1185 he rendered account of 76s. 8d., 'farm of
Herdwich, member of Ederefeld, which was the land
of Hamo de Wellebuef.' (fn. 79) In 1194 the 'ferm of
Hardwick, escheat of Malvern,' is entered. (fn. 80) William
Earl of Gloucester (d. 1183) is said to have given
Hardwick to Thomas Delamare, (fn. 81) and he or a descendant
of the same name in 1210–12
held Hardwick by service of
half a knight's fee. (fn. 82) About
1280 William Delamare paid
8s. subsidy on his lands in
Eldersfield, (fn. 83) and in 1294 Sir
William Delamare was mentioned in the will of Giles de
Berkeley. (fn. 84) In 1346 John
Delamare, mentioned in
1340, (fn. 85) held an eighth of a
knight's fee in Eldersfield
which his ancestor John Delamare had held, (fn. 86) and in 1428
and 1431 a quarter of a fee
was held by another John
Delamare. (fn. 87) Sir Richard Delamare, kt., is mentioned here
in 1504–15, (fn. 88) and Robert
Delamare later, in the reign of
Henry VIII. (fn. 89) In 1517 John
Delamare died seised of the
manor of Hardwick in Eldersfield, (fn. 90) and was succeeded by his son Robert, (fn. 91) who
died in April 1566 (fn. 92) and was succeeded by his son
Richard (fn. 93) ; he with Beatrice his mother conveyed
Hardwick in 1572 to Edward Pursell. (fn. 94) In 1587
Michael Blount conveyed the manor back to Richard
Delamare, (fn. 95) who died in 1612 and was buried at
Eldersfield. (fn. 96) Thomas Delamare, probably his son,
was lord of the manor in 1622, (fn. 97) and in 1628 he
sold Hardwick to Thomas Lord Coventry. (fn. 98) Since
that date this manor followed the descent of Croome
D'Abitôt, (fn. 99) until the manorial rights lapsed. Hardwick Court Farm still belongs to the Earl of
Coventry. (fn. 100)
Hardwick Court, Eldersfield
The manor of MARSH COURT (Le Mersh, xv
cent.; Marshe Place, xvi–xvii cent.), held of the
manor of Eldersfield, (fn. 101) may have originated in land at
Eldersfield held in the 13th century by the family
'de Marisco.' (fn. 102) It is not mentioned as a manor till
1431, when it was held by Robert Andrews. (fn. 103) It is
probably to be identified with the 'manor of Eldersfield' given by John de Longdon in 1450–1 to
Thomas Winslow, (fn. 104) for the manor of Marsh Place
descended with Hill Court in Longdon (q. v.) till
about 1560. (fn. 105) It must have passed shortly after
to John Heydon, who sold a capital messuage in
Eldersfield called Marsh Place about that time to John
Franklin. (fn. 106) Franklin was succeeded in 1597 by his
brother Richard, (fn. 107) who died in 1615. (fn. 108) His successor
was his son Sir John Franklin. In 1651 Richard
son of Sir John Franklin (fn. 109) conveyed the manor of
Marsh Court to Thomas Hodges (fn. 110) of Shipton Moyne
(Gloucestershire), (fn. 111) and he, or more probably his
son Thomas, (fn. 112) held it in 1685. (fn. 113) Thomas Hodges
married Edith daughter of Thomas Estcourt and
died in 1696. (fn. 114) Their eldest son Thomas died under
age in 1708 and was succeeded by his brother Estcourt, (fn. 115) who was lord of this manor in 1720. (fn. 116) In
1725 the Rev. Walter Hodges, the last male representative of the family, (fn. 117) conveyed Marsh Court to
Francis Savage and Isaac Wells. (fn. 118) In 1794 and 1800
Sir John Dashwood King held the manor of Marsh
Court, (fn. 119) but all manorial rights have now lapsed.
William Fitz Osbern gave to the abbey of Lire a
villein and a virgate of land (fn. 120) in Eldersfield together
with all the tithes. (fn. 121) In 1212 the abbot was returned
as holder of a virgate of land in Hardwick, (fn. 122) and this
holding is again mentioned in 1291. (fn. 123) Henry V
gave this estate with the other possessions of the abbey
of Lire to the priory of Sheen, (fn. 124) which held a rent
of assize of 6s. 8d. from Eldersfield at the Dissolution. (fn. 125)
In 1210–12 Richard de Eldersfield held a hide of
land in Eldersfield of the gift of Robert Earl of
Gloucester, 'so that he may serve in red boots on
Christmas Day.' (fn. 126)
Giles de Berkeley (d. 1294) gave a virgate of land
at Eldersfield to the priory of Little Malvern, (fn. 127) and
the priory held land here till the Dissolution. (fn. 128) It
was granted with the manor of Little Malvern in
1554 to Henry Russell and Charles Broughton, (fn. 129) and
passed with Little Malvern until 1572, (fn. 130) when it is
mentioned for the last time.
The so-called manor of BIRTON'S HOUSE may
have originated in lands held by one Thomas Breton,
who was hanged for felony in 1296–7. (fn. 131) In 1340
mention is made of Nicholas Breton, (fn. 132) and in 1389
of Richard Breton or Carpenter of Eldersfield. (fn. 133) Margaret the wife of John Breton occurs in 1440. (fn. 134) In
the reign of Edward IV 'Brettons place' was held
by Adam Bretton, who was succeeded by a son
Walter. (fn. 135) Thomas Birton is mentioned in the reign
of Henry VIII. (fn. 136) In 1579–87 there was a suit in
Chancery between Thomas Birton and his father
Nicholas concerning the manor of Birton's House, (fn. 137)
a moiety of which had been conveyed by Nicholas
in 1581 to another son William, (fn. 138) while according
to Thomas's plea Nicholas had settled a half on him
with the reversion of the remainder. (fn. 139) There is no
further mention of this manor.
A mill belonged to the manor of Eldersfield in
1086, (fn. 140) and in 1715 one was held with the rectory
and advowson by Joseph Musgrave. (fn. 141) There are at
the present day two corn-mills known as Blackford
Mill and Farm Mill on the Glynch Brook.
CHURCH
The church of ST. JOHN BAPTIST consists of chancel 20 ft. 3 in
by 16 ft. 6 in., nave 58 ft. 6 in. by
20 ft. 9 in., north aisle 47 ft. by 8 ft. 8 in., transeptal
south-east chapel 16 ft. 6 in. by 18 ft. 10 in. wide,
and west tower 15 ft. square, surmounted by a stone
spire. All the above measurements are internal.
The oldest part of the building is the chancel arch,
which dates from the 12th century, and part of a
doorway of the same period in the south wall of the
nave. The chancel, though retaining no contemporary
detail, seems by its plan to belong to this 12th-century
building, which had an aisleless nave of perhaps the
same length as, or a little less than, at present. In
the 14th century the north aisle and the tower and
spire were added, and the chapel which opens from
the east end of the nave on the south side is of 15thcentury date. A west doorway was made in the
tower in 1839 and in the same year the spire was
partially rebuilt, but there was no general scheme of
restoration till about 1852, when the aisle was repaired
and the high pews removed. A more complete
restoration was carried out in 1876, when the nave
was newly roofed and its south wall rebuilt.
The church throughout is built of rubble masonry
with grey tiled roofs to the chancel and nave overhanging at the eaves. The roofs of the chapel and
aisle are of lead. The chancel has a two-light east
window of early 14th-century date high up in the
wall. It is of red stone, contrasting with the grey
rubble masonry of the wall on either side, and is
obviously an insertion. The lights are trefoiled and
there is an opening in the head, but no label. On the
south side are two earlier single lancets and on the
north two windows of two lights, that at the east end
being square-headed and the other pointed with forked
mullion; both are probably in 14th-century openings.
The lancets on the south side are 2 ft. in width with
heads in two stones and are perhaps not very much
earlier than the east window, but all the openings are
probably later than the walls in which they occur, or
if the chancel was rebuilt in the latter part of the
13th century the lower part of the walls was probably
retained. Except for a chamfered plinth and quoins
at the angles the walling is quite plain, without buttresses or architectural features of any kind. The top
part of the gable has been rebuilt. Internally the
walls are plastered and the roof is modern. There
are no traces of mediaeval ritual arrangements. The
chancel arch is semicircular and consists of a single
order with quarter-round moulding and double roundbilleted label towards the nave, but square and quite
plain towards the chancel. The arch springs from
quarter-round angle shafts with moulded bases and
rudely cushioned and carved capitals. The abaci
have a series of triangular grooves or quirks, the flat
surfaces between being ornamented with simple incised
zigzag patterns. There is one step to the chancel
below the arch and two further east to the sanctuary.
The other 12th-century feature—the remains of
the south doorway of the nave—is visible only from
the outside and has apparently been re-inserted when
the wall was rebuilt. The west jamb and a portion
of the semicircular arch remain, but the base of the
angle shaft is 2 ft. 6 in. above the ground level. The
arch is of a single order with zigzag ornament and
has a studded interlacing hood mould. The shaft has
a cushion capital with ornament similar to that on the
capitals of the chancel arch, and the base has a foot
ornament.
The nave has two single-light windows on the
south side with flat
pointed heads,
which may be
modern adaptations
of late 13th-century work. The
lower part of one,
including the sill,
is ancient. Higher
up in the wall further east near to
the transept is a
small window of
two trefoiled lights
described by Nash
as 'a little south
window over the
porch.' (fn. 142) The walls
inside are all plastered, and on the
north side there
are three modern
clearstory windows,
probably introduced when the aisle was restored. The nave arcade
consists of four pointed arches of two chamfered
orders with piers composed of four half-round shafts
with moulded capitals and bases following the section
of the pier. The responds are of the same type,
but that at the east end consists of one shaft only.
The arcade has been a good deal restored, but the
detail is all of 14th-century date. The roof is modern
and of seven bays plastered between the rafters. At
the east end the quoins of the old aisleless nave are
still visible outside, the aisle and chapel having simply
been built up against the older walls. The west end
of the nave is screened off to form a choir vestry.
The aisle is lighted by two modern windows of two
lights with two large buttresses between, but its east
and west walls are blank.
Plan Of Eldersfield Church
The chapel, which was dedicated in honour of
the Blessed Virgin, opens from the nave by an arch
of two chamfered orders and has diagonal buttresses
of two stages at the angles. The south window is
of four trefoiled lights with tracery in the head, but
the mullions and tracery are all modern. The east
window is wholly original and is of three trefoiled lights
with early 15th-century tracery. To the east of the
south window inside is a carved stone bracket or
corbel 7 ft. above the floor, but no traces of ancient
ritual arrangements remain. The roof is modern and
of very flat pitch. The chapel formerly contained the
figure of a vested priest, but this had disappeared
before 1882. (fn. 143)
The tower is of three stages, marked externally by
hollow string-courses, and has a double-chamfered
plinth and a vice in the north-east corner. There
are diagonal buttresses of four stages at each of the
four corners, carried up above the parapet as small
square pinnacles. The strings stop against the
buttresses in each case, and the belfry windows are of
two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in the head.
The parapet is embattled and rises from the face of
the tower without the intervention of a stringcourse. The middle stage on each side, except to
the east, has a niche with trefoiled head set at a
slightly lower level between two small pointed
openings with inner square-headed slits, possibly a
later filling. Between the windows and the top of
the niche are small square panels with blank or
obliterated shields within a quatrefoil. In the lower
stage of the south-west buttress there is also a trefoiled
niche containing the figure of a man, with a shield
on his left arm and his right hand on the hilt of his
sword. The lower stage of the tower is blank on
the north and south sides, but on the west is pierced
by a later tall three-light window with perpendicular
tracery cut out of one stone, and the modern doorway below. The tall and narrow tower arch is of
two chamfered orders continued to the ground, and
there are four steps down from the floor of the tower
to the nave. The octagonal spire has ribbed angles
and two sets of trefoiled spirelights on each of the
four cardinal faces. It was again partially rebuilt in
1862 and 1867, the last time owing to its having
been struck by lightning.
The font is of 15th-century date and consists of
an octagonal stone bowl, on each face of which is
carved a shield of arms. (fn. 144)
The pulpit is of oak and apparently of 17thcentury date. When the old square pews were removed some earlier linen-pattern oak benches were
allowed to remain, and the whole of the new seating
was copied from them. The original seats are
probably of early 16th-century date.
The original stone altar slab was broken up in
1876, and the fragments built into the south wall. (fn. 145)
There is no chancel screen, but some pieces of
carved oak which were lying about in 1880 are
thought to have belonged to a former one. (fn. 146)
Nash notes a quantity of old heraldic glass chiefly
in the east window of the chancel and in the two
windows of the chapel. This has all disappeared. The
south window of the chapel contained glass erected
in 1629 by Sir Henry Spiller, in which were the arms
of himself and his predecessors, lords of Eldersfield,
from the time of Robert Consul, first Earl of Gloucester. In Habington's time this window was perfect, (fn. 147)
but it was much broken before 1780. (fn. 148)
There are no monuments earlier than the 17th
century. In the north aisle are tablets to Henry
Brown of 'Coss' (d. 1684) and other members of the
same family. The organ, which is at the east end of
the aisle, dates from 1876.
There is a ring of six bells by Abraham Rudhall of
Gloucester, 1705, but two were recast by Taylor & Co.
of Loughborough in 1891. (fn. 149)
The plate consists of a cup of 1717, a small paten
of 1880 inscribed 'E. Holmes, d.d.' and a plated
cup, paten and flagon. (fn. 150)
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms and burials 1718 to 1789, marriages 1718 to
1753; (ii) marriages 1754 to 1790; (iii) baptisms and
burials 1790 to 1812; (iv) marriages 1791 to 1812.
There is a yew tree on the south side of the
church, and near the south-east entrance to the
churchyard an ancient stone coffin-lid with two sunk
crosses, one at the head within a circle and the other
at the foot. Between is a raised shield, but the
stone is now almost entirely covered by moss.
ADVOWSON
Eldersfield was originally a chapelry subject to the mother church
of Longdon (q.v.) and in the patronage of the Folliott family. (fn. 151) In 1220 the advowson
was unsuccessfully claimed by Robert de Berkeley
against Robert Folliott, (fn. 152) whose son Reginald gave it
to the priory of Little Malvern. (fn. 153) The Berkeleys
still seem to have claimed some right in the advowson,
for in 1232–3 Giles de Berkeley confirmed the
advowson to the prior. (fn. 154) It was probably at about
this time that the church became parochial, as the
monks of Little Malvern agreed to pay half a mark
from the church of Eldersfield to the church of
Longdon. (fn. 155) Eldersfield is not, however, mentioned
as a vicarage in 1291, and the first institution to the
living occurs in 1320. (fn. 156) The advowson remained
with the Priors of Little Malvern till the Dissolution, (fn. 157)
and was granted in 1558 to Richard Bishop of
Worcester. (fn. 158) He was deprived on the accession of
Queen Elizabeth, and in 1565 a new grant of the
advowson was made to William Haber and Richard
Duffield. (fn. 159) They may have been 'fishing grantees,'
and in any case they did not hold long, for in 1585
the patron was John Heydon, (fn. 160) who in 1590 conveyed the advowson to Thomas Dobbes. (fn. 161) In 1607
Anna Childe, widow, presented to the church, (fn. 162) which
was in the gift of Sir Henry Spiller in 1627. (fn. 163)
From that date (fn. 164) to 1849 the advowson appears to
have descended with the manor. (fn. 165) From 1850 to
1877 the Rev. Richard Holmes was both patron and
incumbent. (fn. 166) The advowson was apparently repurchased by Sir Edmund Anthony Harley Lechmere,
bart., in 1878 (fn. 167) and has remained in the Lechmere
family to the present day.
The tithes of Eldersfield were given by William
Fitz Osbern to the abbey of Lire in Normandy. (fn. 168)
Before 1317 the abbot let the rectory at a fee farm
of 100s. to the Prior of Little Malvern, (fn. 169) and the
rectory remained in the possession of successive
priors till the Dissolution. (fn. 170) It was granted in
1552 to John Heydon and Lucy his wife for their
lives, (fn. 171) and the reversion was granted in 1565 to
William Haber. (fn. 172) In 1590 John Heydon sold the
rectory to John Franklin, (fn. 173) and it was held by his
family in 1651. (fn. 174) In 1715 the rectory belonged to
Joseph Musgrave. (fn. 175) In 1776 Margaret Kemble conveyed all the tithes in Eldersfield to John Martin. (fn. 176)
In 1781, however, Mrs. Kemble of Tewkesbury was
said to be impropriator of the tithes here, (fn. 177) though
in 1820 Charles Martin and Elizabeth his wife con
veyed the rectory of Eldersfield to Richard Griffiths. (fn. 178)
In 1872 the tithes belonged to J. E. Baker and were
vested in his trustees in 1896. In 1904 and 1908
the rectorial tithes were held by Mrs. Margaretts of
Cheltenham, the Earl of Coventry and Sir E. A.
Lechmere.
Thomas Holford founded in the church of Eldersfield (fn. 179) a chantry dedicated to the Virgin; he gave
lands and tenements for the maintenance of the priest
and for the repair of the church. (fn. 180) Giles de Berkeley
in his will, dated 1294, bequeathed vestments to
the chapel of the Blessed Mary of Eldersfield, together
with 6s. 8d. for the work of the chapel. (fn. 181) Thomas de
Berkeley in 1337 gave a virgate of land and rent in
Eldersfield to support the chaplain. (fn. 182) When the
chantry was dissolved the incumbent was one Philip
Horsham, a man 'lernt competently and of honest
conversation.' (fn. 183) The chantry lands and the priest's
house at Dobshill were held in the 17th century by
Ralph Savage and his son Francis. (fn. 184)
CHARITIES
In 1646 William Underhill by
his will devised his lands lying in
Highleadon (co. Gloucester) for the
honest poor, such to be paid their moneys upon the
stone tomb, which he therein directed to be constructed, on St. Thomas's Day before Christmas and
on St. John Baptist's Day in the morning about 9 of
the clock. The lands contain 14 a. let at £18 yearly.
The distribution is made in sums varying from 2s. 6d.
to 5s. each.
In 1816 Hannah Pollock, as stated on the church
table, by her will bequeathed £500 stock, the dividends
to be applied towards the education of poor children
of the parish according to the principles of the Church
of England. The legacy is represented by £450 consols
with the official trustees, producing £11 5s. yearly.