MARTLEY with HILLHAMPTON
Mertelai (xi cent.); Merleia, Merlega, Martelega,
Mardelega (xii cent.); Martele, Marklegh (xiii cent.).
This extensive parish lies in a district unpenetrated
by railways, 3½ miles north of Knightwick station on
the Worcester and Bromyard branch of the Great
Western railway. The River Teme forms its western
boundary, and some of the most magnificent views in
the county are to be obtained from the numerous
fine hills overlooking the river.
The parish contains a number of hamlets, Rodge
Hill, Hill Side, Prickley, Kingswood, Berrow Green,
Horsham, New Town, Collins' Green and Willow
Green. The land is high, rising rapidly from the
Teme Valley to heights of 500 ft. and 600 ft. at
Rodge Hill, Pudford Hill, (fn. 1) Penny Hill and Berrow
Hill, in the west of the parish, and falling again to
the east to the Laughern Brook, which waters this
part of the parish. The soil is various; the subsoil
in the east is Keuper Marl, on the west there are
Keuper Sandstone, Old Red Sandstone, and small
outcrops of the Ludlow and Wenlock Beds. The
chief crops are wheat, barley, hops, beans, peas and
roots, and fruit is extensively grown. Apples and
pears for cider and perry were much cultivated in
the 17th century, and still are. (fn. 2) There are quarries
and lime-kilns on Penny Hill.
Martley contains 4,421 acres, of which 19 are
covered by water, 1,276 are arable, 2,616 permanent
grass and 273 woods and plantations. (fn. 3) The parish
is crossed by a high road from Tenbury to Worcester, branches from it running north to Great
Witley and south-west to Knightsford Bridge. The
village lies on the Worcester road. At its southern
end are St. Peter's Church and the rectory, with the
pound and Martley Union workhouse to the west. (fn. 4)
The Noak, Martley, from the North-east
The rectory dates from the latter part of the 16th
century, but it has been somewhat altered and
modernized internally in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is two-storied red brick building of an
H plan with a central hall. Externally the walls
have been colour-washed. At the north end of the
hall is an Elizabethan staircase with moulded string
and handrail and turned balusters, while at the
southern end 18th-century stairs have been inserted.
The overmantel in the hall is supposed to have been
made up from part of a Mortimer tomb in the church.
It is of alabaster, and bears the arms of Hedley, Slaney,
Russell, Croft, Cooksey and one unknown coat. It
was probably erected in its present position by John
Vernon (rector in 1663), who added his arms over
the others.
The Court Farm, now occupied by Mr. Holliday,
stands near the rectory on the Worcester road. It is a
three-storied red brick building, mostly of 18th-century date, and has a tiled roof and a brick modillion
cornice. Some older work remains internally, including a fine panelled room on the first floor, dated
1661. The brick garden wall adjoining Church Lane
is of 16th-century date.
The Noak, (fn. 5) the residence of Mr. Richard Slade
Nash, has long been the home of the Nash family,
of which the Rev. Treadway Russell Nash, D.D., the
historian of Worcestershire, was a distinguished member.
It stands on a hill about half a mile north-west of the
church on the north side of the road to Clifton upon
Teme. The back part of the house dates from the
early years of the 17th century, but the front and
larger portion of the building was rebuilt in 1853.
The house is three stories high and is built of red
brick. The older part stands on a red sandstone
base, and has mullioned and transomed windows of
the same material. The east or back elevation is
symmetrically designed, and has continuous brick
string-courses to each story breaking over the heads
of the windows. The other elevations appear to
have been treated in a similar manner, but, unfortunately, only short lengths of the return walls of the
old building remain. Inside, the old part of the
house retains some 18th-century panelled rooms, but
it has been generally modernized throughout. On the
south side of the building parts of the moat remain.
About half a mile east of the church stands Laughern House, the residence of Miss Currie. It stands
back on the south
side of the road into
Martley, and commands a fine view
over the village and
country to the west.
The main house was
built in the latter
part of the 18th century round an existing small manorhouse which now
accommodates the
offices. The addition
is symmetrically designed and is two
stories high. It is
built of red brick on
a red sandstone base,
and has a stone cornice and a string of
the same material at
the first-floor level.
In the centre of the
west or principal
front is a projecting stone bay with a tetrastlye
engaged Doric portico to the ground stage and small
attached Doric columns between the windows above.
The windows to the ground floor on this front have
stone dressings.
Hillhampton House: The West Front
On the same side of the road about midway
between Laughern House and the village, approached
by an avenue of elms, is Barbors, another 18thcentury house, now the residence of the Misses
Martley. It is three stories high, and is built of red
brick with a tiled roof, and has a wooden modillion
cornice.
The township of Hillhampton, formerly in Martley, (fn. 6) is now in the parish of Great Witley. It lies
some distance north-east of Martley, on the road from
Hundred House to Droitwich. Its area is 800 acres,
of which 124 are arable land, 117 permanent grass
and 61 woodland. (fn. 7) The principal house, Hillhampton House, the residence of Mrs. McGeagh, is an
E-shaped house of two stories and an attic, dating
from about 1600, with a north-east wing added or
refaced during the 18th century, and a south-east
wing of the early 19th century. At this last period
several internal alterations were made to the house
and modern sash windows were inserted in the west
front. The original part is built of sandstone ashlar,
the subsequent additions being made in brickwork,
and the roofs are tiled. The west front has a central
projection crowned by a pyramidal tiled roof, and the
two side wings have pointed gables. The walls, which
rise from a moulded plinth, are surmounted by a plain
parapet, and two moulded strings are carried across
the whole face and returned along the north and south
fronts. All the original mullioned lights of the west
front have been replaced by sash windows and the
stonework of the front has been considerably repaired.
On the south side of the house are three original
stone-mullioned windows and a projecting chimney
stack crowned by three original square brick shafts, the
two outer ones of which are set diagonally. The
windows, two of which are blocked, are divided into
six lights by two mullions and a transom. The southeast corner is supported by three deep buttresses, two
on the south and one on the east side. On the north
front is an original projecting chimney stack surmounted
by modern brick shafts, and there is also an original
mullioned window similar to those on the south. A
small closet constructed on the first floor within the
chimney was lighted by a small square window on the
north, now blocked. The main doorway on the west,
which admits to a small porch in the central projection,
has stone moulded jambs and a semicircular arch with
square moulded imposts at the springing. The room
over the drawing room has a good original plaster ceiling
designed in geometrical patterns, and in an attic of
this wing is an original four-centred fireplace with
enriched spandrels. In the centre of the approach
before the west front of the house is a circular stone
sundial on a roughly square conical shaft. On the
brass dial let into the top is the inscription 'Docet
umbra 16 Aug 09.' On the south side of this
approach there is a magnificent yew tree.
One of the most interesting features of the parish is
Berrow Hill, in the west, a noble elevation, on the
summit of which are the remains of an ancient entrenchment, commanding wide views of a most
beautiful district. At the foot of the hill is Berrow
Green, with an old inn, the 'Admiral Rodney.'
Among eminent persons born at Martley were
Francis Jukes the engraver, born 1745, Charles Stuart
Calverley the poet, born 1831, and John Doughtie,
a divine, born in 1598. (fn. 8) Sir Thomas Hastings the
admiral and Sir Charles Hastings, founder of the
British Medical Association, were sons of James
Hastings, rector of Martley. (fn. 9)
MANORS
In the Domesday Survey MARTLEY
was surveyed with the king's lands in
Herefordshire. Queen Edith had held
the manor in the time of King Edward, (fn. 10) and it had
afterwards been given to William Fitz Osbern Earl of
Hereford. (fn. 11) His lands were forfeited to the Crown
by his son and successor Roger in 1074 and the king
was in possession in 1086. Earl William had given
to Ralph de Bernai two radmen and removed them
from his manor with the land which they held.
Roger de Lacy was returned also in the Survey as
having one radman in Martley, (fn. 12) and Drew Fitz
Ponz, as successor to Earnwine, was holding a virgate
for which he paid geld, and on which he had one
radman. (fn. 13)
The manor remained in the king's hands (fn. 14) until
1196, when it was granted at farm to the men of the
vill. (fn. 15) They were still paying arrears of rent in 1198,
but in 1197 land worth £33 there had been granted
to Philip de Aire. (fn. 16) This land seems to have passed
before the end of 1200 to Alan de Frise (Frisc or
Fruges), (fn. 17) who was succeeded two years later by Wales
de Frise. (fn. 18) William brother of Wales succeeded
him in 1204, (fn. 19) and in 1205 the king confirmed
Martley to him. (fn. 20) William de Frise held two
knights' fees in Martley in 1210–12 (fn. 21) and continued
to hold as late as 1227. (fn. 22) He died in 1233, (fn. 23) and
his land apparently lapsed to the Crown, for Henry III
granted the manor of Martley to Geoffrey le Despencer
for one-fourth of a knight's fee, (fn. 24) and in 1244 ordered
the tenants to pay tallage to Geoffrey. (fn. 25)
Geoffrey died in 1251, when his widow Emma
paid a fine of 400 marks for permission to have the
custody of his son John, who was then a minor. (fn. 26)
John, afterwards Sir John, apparently joined the barons
against Henry III, (fn. 27) for in 1273 he was compelled to
pay a fine of £220 as ransom for the manor under the
Dictum of Kenilworth. (fn. 28) Sir John le Despencer died
in 1275, when his heir was his nephew Hugh son of
Hugh le Despencer, a minor. (fn. 29)
On 20 January 1280 the
manor was granted to Francis
Accursii, the king's secretary,
during Hugh's minority, (fn. 30) but
he came of age in 1282, (fn. 31)
when the manor was delivered
to him. Hugh le Despencer
going beyond seas with the
king on his service, demised
the manor for seven years
to Richard de Loughborough
(Lughteburgh) and Robert de
Harweden in 1297. (fn. 32) He
received a grant of free warren
in all his demesne lands of Martley in 1300. (fn. 33)
Hugh was banished from England in 1321, but
returned the next year, and, having assisted Edward II
at Boroughbridge, was in 1322 created Earl of
Winchester. (fn. 34) In 1326 he was taken by Queen
Isabella's forces and hanged at Bristol. His son Hugh
was executed a month later, (fn. 35) and in 1327 a grant of
the reversion (fn. 36) in fee simple of the manor was made
at the request of Edmund Earl of Kent to John Wyard,
king's yeoman, (fn. 37) who received a grant of free warren
there in 1328. (fn. 38) Hugh son of the younger Hugh le
Despencer was restored, (fn. 39) and seems to have repossessed himself of Martley before 1341, when he complained of poachers in his free warren there. (fn. 40) In
1344 Hugh settled the manor on his wife Elizabeth
and his heirs. (fn. 41) He died in 1349, and the manor
was assigned to Elizabeth. (fn. 42) In 1359, on her death,
the manor was delivered to Edward son of Edward,
le Despencer, nephew and heir of Hugh. (fn. 43) Edward,
who was knighted in 1361, was summoned in 1364
to show his right to the manor, which Alina widow
of Edward Burnell had held for life by grant of the
Earl of Winchester, and which after her death should,
on account of his forfeiture, come to the king, who
had granted the reversion to John Wyard, since dead.
John Wyard's heir was Elizabeth wife of John de
Herle, daughter of his son Robert, to whom the
manor ought to have passed on the death of Alina.
Edward pleaded the possession of his uncle Hugh,
who he said had recovered the manor against Alina
in 1338, (fn. 44) but must have lost his case, as in 1393
Sir John de Herle and Elizabeth his wife were in
possession. (fn. 45) The manor then followed the descent
of Kyre Wyard (q.v.) until 1520, when Kyre Wyard
was sold. Martley was retained by Sir Thomas West,
Lord de la Warr. His son Sir Thomas sold it in
1527 to William Mucklow, (fn. 46) who bequeathed the
manor to his son and heir Richard and died 6 April
1529 (fn. 47) Richard Mucklow died in 1556 at Howdens
in Kempsey, when his son Simon, who had married
Alice daughter of William Gatacre, succeeded him. (fn. 48)
Simon died on 8 August 1572 at Eardington, co.
Salop, leaving a son John. (fn. 49) John Mucklow married
Apollina, a daughter of John Folliott, and died in
1579. He was succeeded by his son Simon, (fn. 50) and in
1654 William Mucklow, son and successor of Simon,
sold the manor to Richard Slaney, (fn. 51) who sold it in
1670 to Thomas Foley (fn. 52) of Witley.
The manor has since followed the
descent of Great Witley (fn. 53) (q.v.).
Dispencer. Argent quartered with gules fretty or a bend sable over all.
Before the Conquest Wulfmar held
a virgate of waste land at HILLHAMPTON (fn. 54) (Hilhamatone, xi cent.;
Hillington, Hillhampton, xviii cent.).
This virgate is perhaps to be identified
with the virgate in Martley which
William Earl of Hereford gave Droard,
who was still in possession in 1086. (fn. 55)
There never seems to have been a
manor here, but in 1718 a so-called
manor of Hillhampton was sold by
Alan Cliffe to Thomas Lord Foley. (fn. 56)
It has since followed the descent of
Martley Manor. (fn. 57)
Pudford Farm, Martley
In 1086 there were a mill and two
weirs at Martley, the latter rendering
2,500 eels and five 'stiches' of eels. (fn. 58)
The mill still belonged to the manor
in 1275, (fn. 59) but is not again mentioned.
CHURCH
The church of ST.
PETER consists of a
chancel measuring internally 32 ft. 4 in. by 25 ft. 9 in., nave
61 ft. 1 in. by 24 ft. 10 in., west
tower about 14 ft. square, north vestry,
and a south porch.
The church dates from the early
years of the 12th century, and the
walls of the nave are of that period.
In the first years of the 13th century
the chancel was rebuilt and widened
to the same width as the nave, but
the east wall was again rebuilt in the
beginning of the 14th century, while
a large portion of the south wall dates
from about 1315, (fn. 60) when the chapel
was formed on the south side of the chancel which
was afterwards known as Mortimer's chapel. The
tower was added in the middle of the 15th century.
In 1875 the vestry was added, and in 1884 the porch
was erected. The building was thoroughly restored in
1909 under the supervision of Sir Charles Nicholson.
The walls were then stripped of an ugly external
coating of cement, the body of the church cleared of
a west gallery and the antiquated heating apparatus
and pewing, while below the many coats of whitewash were revealed some very fine mediaeval wall
paintings. These were carefully brought to light
again and restored where possible, and the roofs, which
had previously been ceiled, were opened out and thoroughly repaired. A portion of the head of a blocked
window which was discovered adjoining the southeast buttress of the tower suggests the possibility
that the western bay of the nave is part of a 14thcentury extension removed when the later tower
was built. All the walls are now faced externally
with red or white sandstone and are internally
plastered.
Plan Of Martley Church
The east window of the chancel is of early 14thcentury date and of three trefoiled lights with intersecting tracery under a pointed head; both mullions
are, however, modern. The two eastern windows in
the north wall are lancets of the date of the first
rebuilding of the chancel; to the west of them is a
round-headed doorway of the same date opening into
the vestry. To the west of this, looking into the vestry,
is a two-light pointed window with modern tracery,
covered on the chancel side by the organ. Below the
easternmost window is a double aumbry, which has only
recently been uncovered. At the east end of the south
wall is a pointed window of two trefoiled lights with
a quatrefoil over. It is of about the same date as the
east window, though the mullion is modern. Below
it is a 14th-century piscina having a shouldered head
and circular projecting basin, and jambs enriched
with small ball flowers. The moulded label, the apex
of which is cut off by an oak ledge, is stopped on the
west by the carved head of a priest, but on the east
the stop has been broken away. The two windows
to the west of this formerly looked into the Mortimer
chapel. They are each of two trefoiled ogee lights
with a quatrefoil under a pointed head, and have set
between them a priest's doorway with a threecentred head. Running below their sills and breaking up over the head of the doorway is an internal
moulded string. There is a label of the same
section on the outside over the doorway, but the
moulded string has been cut away. The north and
south walls each had an external chamfered plinth,
but on the south side the plinth is now interrupted
by the portion rebuilt in the 14th century. There is
no structural division between the nave and chancel.
At the eastern angles are right-angled buttresses, each
of three stages.
In the north wall of the nave are three two-light
windows of 14th-century design, but only the inner
splays may be of this date, the tracery, outer jambs
and mullions being modern. Between the two
westernmost is a blocked early 12th-century doorway.
The head, which is semicircular and is moulded
with a roll between two square orders, springs from
detached jamb-shafts with circular capitals. On
the east jamb is an original consecration cross. The
top stone of the outer order of the jambs, out of which
the capitals of the jamb shafts are carved, is enriched
with a saltire and roundel enrichment, as is also the
inner order of the arch, while on the outer order is
carved a kind of network ornament. There is a
moulded abacus at the springing of the head, and the
whole doorway projects some 6 in. in front of the
general wall face. The rear arch is also semicircular.
The stonework of the doorway generally is original, but
the shafts have been renewed. At the east end of the
south wall is a four-centred rood doorway. The rood
stairs must have been partly contained in an external
projection, as the present thickness of the wall at this
point would not allow space for the turn which the
stairs must have made to reach the existing squareheaded upper doorway which opened on to the former
rood-loft. When the stairs were filled up at some postReformation period, the external projection appears
to have been cut away, the present curious buttress,
which is probably composed of mediaeval fragments,
being erected upon its lower courses. In 1909 the
remaining portion of the stairs was opened out again,
and a small iron ladder was inserted to give access to
the top of the modern chancel screen. The nave is
lighted from the south by three 14th-century twolight windows, each of two trefoiled lights with a
quatrefoil under a pointed head. The tracery and
mullions have been in each case considerably repaired,
but the jambs are original. Between the easternmost
window and the rood doorway the jambs of a blocked
window are visible. In a corresponding position to
the doorway in the north wall is an original early 12thcentury doorway. It is of similar design to that
opposite, but is in a less good state of preservation;
the shafts are original, but the bases have been restored.
Built against the eastern external jamb is a mutilated
stoup. The walls of the nave appear to have been
originally built with alternate bands of red and white
sandstone in the four upper courses, but this arrangement has been much disturbed by the subsequent
restorations and the insertion of later windows. At
intervals along the north and south walls are flat
Norman buttresses.
The tower is divided externally by moulded strings
into three stages. It stands on a moulded plinth and
is crowned by an embattled parapet, while at the
angles are diagonal buttresses finishing in pinnacies.
These were added at the recent restoration, (fn. 61) to replace
some 18th-century stone vases, two of which are now
in the churchyard and two in the rectory garden.
Built against the south wall and entered from within
is a semi-octagonal stair-turret which gives access to
the intermediate stage, which now contains the clock,
and the bell-chamber. The tower arch is pointed
and of two chamfered orders with jambs of the
same section; the springing is marked by moulded
abaci. The west window is original and is of three
cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery under a
pointed head. The intermediate stage is lighted from
the north, south and west by single trefoiled lights
with pointed heads, while in the east wall is an
opening looking into the roof of the nave. In each
wall of the bell-chamber is a pointed window of two
cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in the head.
The chancel and nave roofs are both original,
and are apparently of the 14th century, though
considerably repaired and restored. They are of the
trussed rafter type. The former is ceiled in, but the
nave roof is open and is divided into six bays by tiebeams. A post-mediaeval truss, made up of vertical
and horizontal timbers only, marks the division between
the two roofs. The pulpit and font are both modern.
Two Jacobean benches remain, and preserved in the
tower is the old Elizabethan chest.
Against the south wall of the chancel is a fine
alabaster effigy of a late 15th-century knight. It is
believed to commemorate Hugh Mortimer, who died in
1460. He is wearing a complete suit of plate armour
with escalloped taces, from which are suspended tuilles.
His head rests on a helm having for crest a bush
of feathers and his feet are supported on the back of
a small lion. The hands, which are folded across
the breast, are broken off, as is the nose; the sword,
which was suspended by a narrow belt, is also missing,
but his dagger still hangs at his side. Set in a
corresponding position against the north wall of the
chancel is a stone coffin showing traces of a carved cross
or pastoral staff on its lid. In the floor of the nave
is a slab to William Cave, who died in 1615; Anne
widow of William Cave, who was buried in November
1665; Thomas Cave, who died in 1692, and his wife
Elizabeth, who died in the following year.
Let into the floor of the chancel are a number of
mediaeval tiles of the Malvern type, one being of the
common Talbot pattern.
The wall paintings, which have already been
referred to, are of the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. On the north wall of the chancel is a
masonry pattern with the joints marked in red ochre,
and a small black cinquefoiled flower on the end of a
bending stem in the centre of each panel. Round
the angles of the window jambs runs a pattern of
large trefoiled leaves alternating with smaller ones on
stems, while the dado is decorated with crudely formed
trefoiled leaves of another type. The paintings on the
east wall are of 14th-century date. The lower part,
on either side of the window, is painted with a draped
curtain, in the loops of which are the following small
animals: a fox, a dragon, a winged monster, a rabbit,
a wolf and a hart. Above the curtain runs a lozenge
border into which green has been introduced, while
round the whole of the east window is a black and
white cheveron enrichment. On the north side of
the window are the remains of some canopy work.
Round the head and west jamb of the south-east
window of the chancel is the curious decoration of
the quartered arms of Mortimer, Despencer, Clare
and Cornwall, and on the east jamb are the remains
of a figure. Over the doorway in the south wall of
the chancel is part of an Annunciation with a small
kneeling figure beneath On the north wall of the
nave are the remains of a large painting apparently
representing St. Martin of Tours, over the eastern
end of which is a smaller painting of the Adoration
of the Magi. They are of late 13th-century date, but
both have been considerably mutilated.
There is a ring of six bells by Richard Keene, 1673,
cast on the spot, and a sanctus bell of 1721.
The plate consists of a silver cup of 1571; a cup
of the same design, inscribed 'Ex dono H. J. Hastings
1829'; two circular silver dishes measuring about
4 11 / 16 in. in diameter, to which are fixed handles in
the form of fleurs de lis which appear to be of
mediaeval workmanship, though neither dish nor
handle is marked in any way; a 1715 credence
plate with foot, inscribed 'Ex dono Rdi Pritchet
A M CIl 1774'; a silver flagon of 1859, inscribed 'A
thank offering by Henry James Hastings, M.A., Rector
and Patron of this church 1860'; and a late 18th or
early 19th-century latten chalice. There are also
preserved in the church a small sacring bell, probably
of 14th-century date, and the bowl of an incense
boat of the preceding century. They are both made
of latten. The former is of a longish shape, the
height over all being 3½ in., while the diameter at the
lip is 27/8 in. The incense boat is of a pointed oval
shape on plan with small monsters' heads at either
end for handles, from which runs under the vessel a
rounded fillet forming a kind of keel, which was
interrupted in the centre by a foot; this, however,
has been broken off. The bowl measures about 5¾ in.
by 3½ in.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i)
baptisms 1625 to 1763, burials 1625 to 1762,
marriages 1625 to 1757; there are no entries in
this volume between 1642 and 1654; (ii) baptisms
and burials 1763 to 1784; (iii) baptisms and burials
1785 to 1812; (iv) marriages 1754 to 1810;
(v) marriages 1810 to 1812.
ADOVWSON
The tithes of Martley apparently
belonged originally to the church of
St. Helen, Worcester, (fn. 62) but in the
Domesday Survey it is stated that the church (fn. 63) of
Martley with the land appurtenant, and with its tithe
and two villeins, with 2 virgates of land, were given by
William Fitz Osbern Earl of Hereford to St. Mary of
Cormeilles (fn. 64) in Normandy. Henry II confirmed this
grant and commuted the tithes and those of Suckley for
75s. a year (fn. 65) In 1290–1 Hugh le Despencer confirmed
the advowson to the abbot. (fn. 66) The presentations were
occasionally made by the Prior of Newent, (fn. 67) the cell
of Cormeilles in England, but frequently during the
14th and 15th centuries the advowson was in the
king's hands on account of the French wars. (fn. 68) On
the suppression of the alien priories in the reign of
Henry V the advowson was granted to the college of
St. Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay, (fn. 69) to which a
pension of 13s. 4d. was paid from the rectory in
1535. (fn. 70) The incumbent, John Russell, master of
the college in 1535, surrendered the advowson on
1 July 1539. (fn. 71) It was granted to Sir John Bourne, kt.,
and Dorothy his wife in 1554, (fn. 72) and passed on Sir
John's death in 1576 to his son Anthony, (fn. 73) who
conveyed it to Richard and Anthony Whitney in
1579. (fn. 74) In 1620 John Washbourne sold it to John
Clent. (fn. 75) The advowson remained with the Clents
until 1663, when Lyttclton Clent and others sold it
to John Vernon, clerk, (fn. 76) who was presented to the
rectory in May of that year. (fn. 77) Two years later he
conveyed the advowson to John Bearcroft. (fn. 78)
The advowson apparently remained with the
Vernons, (fn. 79) though they did not always make the presentations, (fn. 80) until about 1765, when Amphillis Vernon,
widow, presented. (fn. 81) Nash states that the advowson
was purchased of Mr. Vernon by Mr. Dunne, (fn. 82) and
Martin Dunne presented in 1770. (fn. 83) In 1795 Thomas
Bradley Paget was patron, (fn. 84) and he sold the advowson
in 1799 to the Rev. James Hastings. (fn. 85) The advowson
has since remained in his family, the present patron
being the Rev. James Francis Hastings, M.A. (fn. 86)
In 1685 the inhabitants of Martley were engaged
in a suit against John Vernon, the rector, concerning
a modus of 4d. paid in lieu of tithes for every hogshead
of perry or cider, the rector apparently having attempted
to obtain this tithe in kind. (fn. 87)
A chantry had been founded at Martley before
1350. (fn. 88) It was probably founded in 1315, when the
chapel of St. Mary was built. (fn. 89) The founder is not
known, but it appears from 16th-century deeds that the
objects of the chantry were besides the chantry services
the maintenance of a school, the repair of the church
and 'other charitable alms.' (fn. 90) It was not returned
among the chantries at the Dissolution and in the
16th and 17th centuries its endowments known as
St. Mary Lands were the subject of much litigation
as concealed lands. (fn. 91)
From depositions taken in 1573–4 (fn. 92) it appeared
that part of the rents had been previously applied to
the maintenance of a chantry priest called St. Mary
priest, who said the St. Mary mass within the church
of Martley and received part of the profits of the lands
from certain specially appointed wardens called St. Mary
wardens, with certain other moneys, 'gathered in
the parish of every man his devotion.' The last
priest maintained with a stipend was Sir William
Sheward, (fn. 93) who died 7 March 1544. He used to say
mass in a 'clossed' on the right side of the church
commonly called Sir William's 'closed.' The last
St. Mary wardens were chosen about forty years before,
and received the rents for about twenty years.
By a decree of 1577 a messuage and lands in Martley and elsewhere, part of this property, were assigned
for the maintenance of a free school in Martley, (fn. 94) and
the chantry-house, which was a timbered building
in the churchyard, from that time became the schoolhouse. (fn. 95)
CHARITIES.
Educational Charities.—The chantry lands became in 1579 applicable to the support of a grammar
school. There was at the Hill End a farm-house upon
part of the property out of which the income was
derived, where the master at times resided. (fn. 96) The
administration of the school is regulated by a scheme
of the Board of Education, 14 October 1911, and a
new Chantry School has been erected out of the trust
funds.
The present endowments consist of about 7½ acres
at Wichenford let at £7 a year, a cottage at Doddenham let at £3 a year, a rent-charge of £1 1s. paid
by the Earl of Dudley out of land at Hillhampton,
and a rent-charge of 10s. out of land at Doddenham
paid by Mr. Greswolde-Williams. The official trustees
also hold the remainder of a sum of £3,234 10s. consols
arising from the sale of Hill End Farm, Martley (the
ancient Chantry farm), formerly belonging to the trust,
producding £80 17s. yearly. It was sold to the late
Dr. Nash of the Noak in 1856, and is now part of
the Noak estate. The sum in consols is now reduced
owing to its having been expended on the new building.
By the scheme the trustees are authorized to apply
yearly a sum not exceeding £15 for maintenance and
improvement of Martley Church of England school,
£5 for prizes at the same school, £10 in aid of the
library, and the residue in Secondary school and
technical exhibitions.
Thomas Shepheard, as stated on the church table,
gave in his lifetime £170 for ever to be applied in the
maintenance of a school teacher. The gift was applied
in the purchase of about 10½ acres comprised in a deed
dated 2 February 1745, the net rents of which are
applied for educational purposes.
The Eleemosynary Charities.—It appeared from a
table set up in the church in 1709 that Edward Tillam
and other donors thereon mentioned gave to the poor
of this parish sums amounting together to £40 10s.;
Also from another table set up in 1712 that the
Rev. John Vernon, a former rector, and other donors
thereon mentioned gave sums amounting together to
£140 for the poor.
These sums were subsequently augmented by a gift
of £9 10s. by Miss Browning, and by a legacy by
will of Mr. Slade Nash, who died in 1811, and by a
gift of £100 by Mr. George Nash.
The several gifts are now represented by £369
4s. 7d. India 3½ per cent. stock, the annual dividends
of which, amounting to £12 18s. 4d., are distributed
on St. Thomas's Day to about 100 recipients.
In 1874 Mary Hurst by deed gave a sum of £50
to be invested and the income thereof to be distributed
in coal among the poor; trust fund, £53 16s. 6d.
consols, producing £1 6s. 8d. yearly.
In 1886 Catherine Dowding, by will proved at
London 22 March, bequeathed £50, the income to
be distributed among deserving aged poor; trust fund,
£47 3s. 1d. consols, producing £1 3s. 4d. yearly.
In 1908 the children of John Parsons Hastings
by deed declared the trusts of a sum of £300 New
South Wales 3½ per cent. stock to be that the annual
dividends, amounting to £10 10s., should be distributed in December or January in coal or other fuel
or articles of household use among the poor.
The several sums of stock are held by the official
trustees.