HAMPTON LOVETT
Hamtona juxta Wiccium emptorium (viii cent.);
Hamtun, Hamtune (xi cent.); Hampton Lovet
(xiv cent.).
Hampton Lovett is a small parish containing
2,041 acres, (fn. 1) watered by the Hampton Brook. The
land is undulating, rising from about 100 ft. above
the ordnance datum on the banks of Hampton Brook
to 200 ft. at certain points. The soil is mixed clay
and the subsoil marl. Clay was worked on Stockend
Farm, near the main road leading to Kidderminster,
about fifty years ago, and there are other disused
clay-pits in the parish, but now agriculture is the
only industry.
Hampton Lovett village is situated to the east of
the main road to Droitwich from Kidderminster; it
is small and very picturesque, consisting of only one
group of houses, each of which stands in its own
garden. The church is at the east end of the village
and the rectory about a quarter of a mile north.
There is now no school in the parish, that at Cutnall
Green being supposed to serve it. A parish room
was erected in 1897 on a site given by Lord Hampton
with funds chiefly raised by Lady Godson, wife of
Sir Frederick Godson, M.P. for Kidderminster, who
was then residing at Westwood Park.
Boycott Farm, in the south of the parish, was
transferred from Salwarpe to Hampton Lovett in
1880, and four years later part of Elmley Lovelt
was transferred to this parish. (fn. 2) There is apparently
no inclosure award for Hampton Lovett.
William Thomas, who was Bishop of Worcester
from 1683 to 1689, was presented to the rectory of
Hampton Lovett in 1670. (fn. 3) Henry Hammond, the
royalist divine, who was sheltered during the Common-wealth at Westwood, was buried in the church of
Hampton Lovett in 1660 on the eve of the Restoration. (fn. 4)
MANORS
In a spurious Evesham charter dated
716 Ethelbald of Mercia granted 'Hamtona juxta Wiccium emptorium' with
other lands to Abbot Ecgwin. (fn. 5) The first authentic
reference to HAMPTON LOVETT occurs in a
charter of 817, when Coenwulf, King of Mercia,
granted land at Salwarpe and 'Hamtun' to Bishop
Deneberht of Worcester. (fn. 6) According to the Chronicle
of Evesham, however, the manor remained in the possession of the abbey until Abbot Æthelwig, who
died in 1077, (fn. 7) gave it to Urse the Sheriff, (fn. 8) who was
holding it in 1086. (fn. 9) According to the Domesday
Survey Urse had succeeded Alwold in 4 hides at
'Hamtune' and the Abbot of Evesham in 4 hides at
'Hantune,' which is probably also to be identified
with Hampton Lovett. With 'certain of his knights'
he had held the manor of Hampton and those of
Upton and Witton of Abbot Æthelwig II, but when
the abbot died Urse 'invaded those lands and no
service could be had.' (fn. 10) Hampton Lovett was subsequently held of the barony of Elmley Castle, and the
overlordship is mentioned for the last time in 1626. (fn. 11)
Robert, tenant of both manors under Urse in 1086, (fn. 12)
was evidently the Robert Parler who held other property of Urse in Worcestershire at that time, (fn. 13) as by
Stephen's reign he had been succeeded by Isnard
Parler. (fn. 14) It is uncertain whether William son of
Guy de Offern, grandson of Isnard, (fn. 15) ever held this
manor. An estate at Himbleton which Isnard had
held was bequeathed by him to Brian de Brompton
and his wife Margery, (fn. 16) and it would seem that
Hampton Lovett followed the
same descent, for it was settled
by Brian de Brompton upon
Henry Lovett and his wife
Joan in tail, with reversion to
the donor and his heirs. (fn. 17)
John Lovett was dealing with
land in Hampton Lovett in
1226–7, (fn. 18) and had been succeeded before the middle of
the century (fn. 19) by his brother
Henry. (fn. 20) John Lovett, who
held the manor in 1256 and
1316, was son of Henry
Lovett. (fn. 21) Part of the manor had passed before 1280
to the Blount family. This estate subsequently became known as the manor of Hampton Lovett, and
its descent will be found below.
Lovett. Argent three wolves passant sable.
The manor retained by the Lovetts, which was
afterwards called OVER HALL or OVER COURT, (fn. 22)
passed on the death of John Lovett without issue (fn. 23) to
the heirs of Brian de Brompton. (fn. 24) These heirs were
his great-granddaughters Margaret and Elizabeth. (fn. 25)
Margaret, the eldest, married Sir Robert Harley,
kt., (fn. 26) and her half of Over Hall had passed to her son
Robert Harley before 1361. (fn. 27) His only daughter
and heir, Alice, married Sir Hamo Peshall, (fn. 28) and was
succeeded before 1415–16 by her only child Elizabeth wife of Sir Richard Laken, kt., (fn. 29) on whom half
the manor was settled in 1431. (fn. 30) This moiety remained in the possession of the Lakens (fn. 31) until 1528,
when Thomas Laken, great-grandson of the above
Richard and Elizabeth, sold it to John Pakington. (fn. 32)
Elizabeth, the other heir of Brian de Brompton,
married Sir Edmund Cornwall, kt., and they settled
their half of Over Hall on their youngest son Peter, (fn. 33)
who was granted free warren there in 1369. (fn. 34) Peter
died in 1386, Edmund his grandson and heir being
then two and a-half years old and in the custody of
Sir Brian Cornwall, lord of Burford. (fn. 35) This property
remained with the Cornwalls, passing from Edmund
Cornwall in 1452 to his son
Thomas, and from Richard
Cornwall in 1533 to his son
George (fn. 36) until 1544, when
George Cornwall sold it to
John Pakington, who thus
became possessed of the whole
manor. (fn. 37)
Cornwall. Ermine a lion gules crowned or and a border engrailed sable bezanty.
The Blounts' manor of
HAMPTON afterwards became more important than
Over Hall. William Blount,
husband of Isabel widow of
Henry Lovett, who was seised
of it about 1280, (fn. 38) was succeeded before 1316 by his son Peter (fn. 39) ; he died
without issue and was succeeded by his brother
Sir Walter Blount, whose son
William by his second wife
Joan de Sodington was granted
free warren there in 1327. (fn. 40)
The manor apparently passed
from William to his brother
John Blount, who was in
possession in 1346. (fn. 41) He was
succeeded by a daughter
Alice, (fn. 42) who presented to the
church of Hampton Lovett in
1396 (fn. 43) and in 1414 founded
a chantry at Hampton Lovett
for the souls of Sir John Blount
and Elizabeth his wife, her father and mother, and
for Richard Stafford and Richard Stury, the two
husbands of Alice. (fn. 44) Alice and her first husband,
Richard Stafford, jun., were seised of the manor in
1370, (fn. 45) and in 1393 she settled it on her second
husband, Sir Richard Stury. kt., with remainders to
Elizabeth Blount, Walter Blount and to John son of
Walter Blount. (fn. 46)
Blount. Barry wavy or and sable.
Alice died without issue in 1415, her heir being
Sir John Blount of Sodington, (fn. 47) whose relationship to
her is not certain, but who was probably her nephew.
It is difficult to account for the fact that the manor
of Hampton Lovett passed a few years later (before
1419) to Thomas Blount, afterwards Sir Thomas, who
was the grandson of Sir Walter Blount mentioned
above by his first wife Eleanor, daughter and heir of
John Beauchamp of Hatch, co. Somers. (fn. 48) He was
succeeded in 1456 (fn. 49) by his son Sir Walter, who was
created Lord Mountjoy in 1465 (fn. 50) and was followed
in 1474 by his grandson Edward. The latter died
in the following year, when the manor passed to his
uncle John Blount, (fn. 51) who left it in 1485 to his son
William fourth Lord Mountjoy. (fn. 52) In 1524 William
sold the manor to Sir John
Pakington above mentioned. (fn. 53)
Sir John Pakington built at
Hampton Lovett a house
called Hampton Court, which
is described by Leland as 'a
veri goodly new house of
brike,' (fn. 54) and, having no sons,
settled the reversion of the
manor in 1542 upon his
nephews Thomas and John
Pakington, sons of his brother
Robert, in tail-male with remainder to Humphrey,
another brother of the elder
John. (fn. 55) John died in 1560, (fn. 56)
and the whole manor passed to Sir Thomas Pakington,
who was Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1561. (fn. 57) On
his death in 1571 the manor passed to his son John, (fn. 58)
who was knighted in 1587. (fn. 59) He died in 1625, and
was succeeded by his grandson Sir John Pakington,
who had succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of
his father in 1624. (fn. 60)
Pakington. Party cheveronwise sable and argent with three molets or in the chief and three sheaves gules in the foot.
The estates of Sir John Pakington were sequestered
three times for his loyalty to Charles I and Charles II, (fn. 61)
and were not finally restored to him until the accession
of Charles II. His wife Dorothy, daughter of Thomas
Lord Coventry, has been said to have been the author
of The Whole Duty of Man. (fn. 62) In 1669 Sir John settled
the manor of Hampton Lovett on his son John, (fn. 63) who
succeeded him in 1679–80 and died in 1688. (fn. 64)
Sir John Pakington, his only son, supposed to be the
original of Addison's Sir Roger de Coverley, (fn. 65) was
succeeded in 1727 by his only surviving son Sir
Herbert Perrott Pakington. The latter was succeeded
in turn by his two sons—John, who died without
issue in 1762, and Herbert Perrott, who died in
1795, leaving his property to his eldest son John. (fn. 66)
In 1830 John also died without issue, and his
nephew John Somerset, son of William Russell of
Powick and Elizabeth his wife, sister of the above
John Pakington, succeeded as heir-at-law. (fn. 67) John
Somerset Russell afterwards took the name of Pakington, and was created a baronet in 1846 and raised
to the peerage as Lord Hampton in 1874. (fn. 68) As
Sir John Pakington he was a minister of the Crown
in several offices. He died in 1880, when Hampton
Lovett passed to his son John Slaney Lord Hampton,
who was succeeded in 1893 by his half-brother
Herbert Perrott Murray Pakington, (fn. 69) from whom
Mr. Edward Partington of Easton Glossop, co.
Derby, the present owner of the manor, purchased
it in July 1900. (fn. 70)
HORTON is now the name of two farms situated
in the north of the parish. At the time of the
Domesday Survey Robert held Horton of Urse
D'Abitot. Aluric had held it before the Conquest, (fn. 71)
but no other mention of the property has been found
until the 16th century. In 1538 William Lygon of
Madresfield mortgaged six messuages and land in
Horton and Hampton Loyett to John Pakington, (fn. 72)
and in the following year sold the estate to John. (fn. 73)
In 1571 Sir Thomas Pakington, kt., nephew of John,
died seised of the 'manor or farm' of Horton. (fn. 74) Since
then it has belonged to the lords of the manor of
Hampton Lovett, (fn. 75) but all manorial rights have long
since lapsed.
THICKEN APPLETREE (Thiccan Apel Treo,
Tichenapletreu, xi cent.; Thikenepeltre, xiii cent.;
Fikelnapeltre, Thykenaptre, xiv cent.; Fykenapetre,
Thirkenappeltre, xv cent.; Faukenapultre, Fekenapultre, xvi cent.), formerly a manor in the parish of
Hampton Lovett, has now entirely disappeared. It
was probably situated in the east of the parish, as,
according to Habington in his Survey of Worcestershire, it was partly in the parishes of St. Peter and
St. Augustine, Dodderhill. (fn. 76)
Before the Conquest Thickenappletree seems to
have been held by the church of Worcester, having
been acquired by Bishop Wulfstan from Erngeat son
of Grim, who afterwards, with the help of Earl Leofric,
regained the manor. Wulfstan retaliated by refusing
to make Erngeat's son a monk, and the latter then
promised that the manor should after his death belong
to his son and through him to the monastery. This
promise was not kept, and 'after a little while not
one of all his children remained to succeed him and
this land with his other property came to the hands
of strangers.' (fn. 77) Thickenappletree probably passed to
Alwold, who was mentioned in the Domesday Survey
as a former lord of the manor.
In 1086 William was holding the manor of Hugh
the Ass. (fn. 78) The Herefordshire manors of Hugh passed
to the Chandos family, (fn. 79) but Thickenappletree does
not seem to have done so, and one of the parts into
which it subsequently became divided was held of the
honour of Elmley Castle. (fn. 80)
This manor was known in later times as GREAT
THICKEN APPLETREE. A John de Thickenappletree, who had some estate in the manor in
1248–9. (fn. 81) may possibly have held the manor itself;
and Amicia de Thickenappletree was living in the
parish of Hampton Lovett about 1280. (fn. 82)
In 1321 Richard le Boteler was holding Great
Thickenappletree, (fn. 83) and he evidently sold it to Sir
John Blount, kt., lord of Hampton Lovett, for in
1345–6 Joan le Boteler, Richard's widow, released
her dower in Thickenappletree to Sir John, (fn. 84) who
was in possession of the manor in 1346. (fn. 85) Thickenappletree then followed the same descent as the
Blounts' manor of Hampton Lovett, (fn. 86) and is mentioned for the last time in 1626.
Plan of Hampton Lovett Church
The second manor, known as THICKEN APPLETREE NEXT WYCHE or KINGS THICKENAPPLETREE, was held of the manor of Inkberrow. (fn. 87)
It probably originated in land in Thickenappletree in
the demesne of Inkberrow. Such land was granted
in 1371–2 by William de Brugge, parson of Martley,
to his father Edward. (fn. 88) This estate was afterwards
divided, part, as half the manor of Thickenappletree,
passing to Thomas Earl of Warwick, and the other
as a knight's fee in Thickenappletree passing to the
Sales, being held in 1375–6 by Sir Robert de Sale
and in 1435–6 by John Sale. (fn. 89) The former moiety,
which was held by Thomas Earl of Warwick at the
time of his forfeiture in 1396, (fn. 90) followed the same
descent as Elmley Castle until it was granted to
Henry VII in 1487 by Anne Countess of Warwick. (fn. 91)
In 1525 the king granted a lease of the site of
the manor of Thickenappletree 'parcel of Warwick's
lands' to John Pakington for twenty-one years, (fn. 92) and a
similar lease was made to John Wheeler in 1529–30. (fn. 93)
on the surrender of Pakington's lease. The manor
was sold in 1545 to Richard and Walter Cupper, (fn. 94)
and they in 1546 sold it to John Pakington and
Thomas his nephew. (fn. 95) The manor then followed the
same descent as Great Thickenappletree. (fn. 96)
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY consists of
a chancel 25 ft. 6 in. by 15 ft., a nave
37 ft. by 22 ft., a north chapel 36 ft. by
20 ft. with a modern vestry on the north side
of it, and a tower 9 ft. by 10 ft. on the south
side of the nave. These measurements are all
internal.
Portions of the side walls of the nave and
chancel remain of the early 12th-century
church, which consisted of nave and chancel
only. The plan remained unaltered till the
14th century, when a tower (forming a porch
to the south doorway) was added on the south
side of the nave; the east wall of the nave was
rebuilt with a wider arch and the chancel perhaps lengthened eastwards. The east wall of
the nave, which dates from the second quarter
of the 14th century, is not set at right angles
with the north and south walls, and corresponding irregularities in the east wall of the
chancel and the west wall of the nave appear
to be due to their being set out at equal distances from either end of this wall. About
1414 (fn. 97) the chapel of St. Anne was built on the
north side of the chancel; it was enlarged
westward to its present size in 1561 by the
Pakingtons. (fn. 98) In 1858–9 a careful restoration
was undertaken. A vestry was added on the
north side of the chapel, a window there being
moved a little to the west and the old doorway
walled up from the inside with the original oak door
retained in situ. Owing to its bad condition the
west end of the nave was entirely rebuilt and new
tracery put into the old jambs of the west window.
The wall between the nave and chapel was broken
through and an arch inserted and the priest's doorway
on the south of the chancel walled up at this time.
The east end of the chancel has been considerably
restored, the large buttresses at the angles being
modern, but the east window is of late 14th-century
date; it is of three lights with a traceried head under
a two-centred arch. Above this is a small square-headed gable light, the gable itself terminating in a
modern cross. On the north side of the chancel is a
four-centred arch of two orders opening to the Pakington
chapel; to the west of it is a smaller opening and to
the east a recessed tomb. On the south side are two
square-headed windows, each of two lights with tracery
over. Between the windows the jambs of the blocked
doorway are to be seen in the wall and further eastwards is a piscina. The chancel arch is of two
continuous moulded orders and on the gable above it
is a sanctus bellcote. The east window of the
Pakington chapel is square-headed, of five lights,
having a moulded label on the outside and a four-centred rear arch. The two north windows are
similar to those on the south side of the chancel,
except that the eastern one is of three lights. These
windows, which are of 15th-century date, are not
in their original positions, having been reset in the
wall at the enlargement of the chapel in 1561, and
the westernmost again moved when the vestry was
added, as mentioned above. The blocked north
doorway has a two-centred arch under a square head,
with deep sunk moulded spandrels. At the south-east of the chapel is a piscina with an ogee head.
The nave is lighted by two ancient windows, one
on each side, both probably of the late 14th century.
The three-light west window has been rebuilt, the
original jambs being re-used. On the north side of
the nave is a fine early 12th-century doorway, having
a semicircular head supported on shafts with cushion
capitals and crude bases, the whole set in jambs slightly
projecting from the wall face and continued upwards
to the eaves as narrow pilaster buttresses. The door
frame is flush with the outer face of the wall and has
a tympanum under a segmental relieving arch.
The tower is of four stages, with an embattled
parapet and a north-west cylindrical turret containing
the stair. Its original entrance doorway within the
church is blocked and an outer entrance has been
made. The lower stage of the tower serves as a
south porch, its outer doorway being pointed and
double chamfered, while the inner doorway is of
two moulded continuous orders. The belfry stage
has windows of two lights with a quatrefoil over, and
the two stories below have small chamfered square-headed windows. A peculiar feature is the saddle-backed roof running from north to south with small
gables on the east and west.
There are two incised sundials on the south side
of the chancel. Some of the pews are panelled in
front with 15th-century tracery, probably remains
of the chancel screen destroyed during the restoration
of 1858. The oak altar table is of the 16th century,
with carved baluster legs.
In the north-east window of the Pakington chapel
is some heraldic glass dated 1561. The first piece
is a much damaged and strangely arranged shield of
Pakington quartered with Baldwin, Arden and Washbourne, and impaling a quartered coat whereof only
the second and third quarters, which seem to be
Donnington quartering Cretinge, survive. A second
shield is quarterly: (1) lost. (2) Sable three fishes
rising argent and a chief or with a lion sable between
two roundels sable, the one charged with a martlet,
the other with an anchor, impaling the second quarter
of the impaled coat on No. 1, for Kitson. (3) Partly
lost, but apparently the third quarter of the Pakington coat on No. 1. (4) Quarterly, as the second
quarter of the first shield but reversed. A third
shield is Pakington impaling Washbourne, and a
fourth shield is Arden quartering Washbourne impaling Azure ten billets or and a chief or with a
demi-lion sable therein, for Dormer. A fifth shield
is the quarterly coat of (1) and (4) Pakington, as on
No. 1, with a mullet gules for difference. A sixth
shield is the coat of Pakington quartering Washbourne,
impaling Baldwin quartering Arden.
In the north wall of the chancel is a monument
which was discovered behind the tomb of Sir John
Pakington when that was removed to its present
position in the west of the chapel. It is recessed
into the wall and the lower part or pedestal is ornamented in front with four quatrefoils. The back of
the recess is panelled in five compartments, and the
insides of the jambs have similar panels continuing
round the soffit of the four-centred arch. In the
panelling at the back of the recess are three carved
shields, repainted in modern times; the coats on
them are: (1) Pakington; (2) Pakington impaling
Dacres (the arms are wrongly painted); (3) Dacres.
The tomb has been a good deal restored, and a brass
inscription above it states that it was erected to Sir
John Pakington, kt., of Hampton Lovett, who died
in 1560. He was a judge, who received the grant
of the Westwood property from Henry VIII, and
according to the visitation pedigree of 1569 married
Anne daughter of Henry Dacres, alderman of
London.
The tomb at the west end of the chapel is to Sir
John Pakington, who died in 1727; the monument is in the Renaissance style, with a reclining
figure. On the south wall of the nave is a large
wall monument to Henry Hammond, who died in
1660.
There are four bells: the first by John Martin of
Worcester, 1664; the second by Richard Sanders
of Bromsgrove, 1711; and the third inscribed 'SOM
ROSA POLSATA MONDE MARIA VOCATA,' undated, but the
ornamental borders at the end of the inscription
show it to be the work of Thomas Hancox of
Walsall, c. 1630. The fourth is a 'ting-tang' or
sanctus bell, inscribed 'Indesinenter orate,' by John
Martin, 1663.
The plate of the church was stolen in 1781, and
then consisted of a large silver cup, a small silver
paten, a large pewter flagon and two pewter plates;
the present plate consists of a small cup with the
1755 hall mark, a small paten and flagon with the
hall marks of 1895, and two pewter salvers each on
three legs.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1666 to 1766, burials 1666 to 1767, marriages
1666 to 1755; (ii) baptisms and burials 1766 to
1812; (iii) marriages 1755 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of Hampton Lovett
apparently belonged to the Lovetts,
lords of the manor, for in 1269 a
dispute about the right of patronage arose between
Joan widow of Henry Lovett, then the wife of
Robert de Scotevill, (fn. 99) and William Earl of Warwick,
the guardian of the son and heir of Henry Lovett.
It was determined in favour of the earl, and a writ
was sent to the bishop commanding him to admit
any person to the church of Hampton Lovett whom
the earl might present. (fn. 100) The advowson afterwards
became annexed to the Blounts' manor of Hampton
Lovett, and has since followed its descent, (fn. 101) Edward
Partington being now patron of the living.
Alice Stury, lady of the manor of Hampton
Lovett, obtained licence in 1407 to found two
chantries in the chapel of St. Anne in the church
of Hampton Lovett dedicated in honour of St. John
the Baptist and St. Anne. (fn. 102) The actual foundation
does not appear to have taken place until 1414,
when the bishop's licence was obtained (fn. 103) and the
chantry of St. Anne was ordained. (fn. 104) The first admission to each chantry was made on 13 September
1414. (fn. 105) There are many subsequent references to
these chantries, presentations to which were made by
the lords of the Blounts' manor (fn. 106) of Hampton Lovett
until the dissolution of the chantries about 1549,
when the revenue of these two amounted to
£16 14s. 7¾d. The chantry priests are said to be
'competently learnyd and of honest conversacon but
not able to kepe a cure.' (fn. 107) In 1549 the chantry
house and lands belonging were granted to John
Cupper and Richard Trevor. (fn. 108)
John Chapman, by his will dated February 1334,
left £5 to the fabric of the church, 40s. to the high
altar, 20s. to the light of the Cross and 6s. 8d. to
the light of St. Nicholas and St. Margaret. (fn. 109)
CHARITIES
In 1830 Sir John Pakington, bart.,
by his will proved in the P.C.C.
16 July, bequeathed a sum of money,
which was invested in £132 17s. 9d. consols, the dividends to be applied for the benefit of the poor in
January and February.
In 1846 Miss Dorothy Pakington, by her will
proved in the P.C.C. 25 September, left a legacy represented by £99 10s. consols for the use of the poor.
In 1891 the Rev. Joseph Amphlett, by his will
proved at Worcester 19 February, bequeathed £200,
which was invested in £206 19s. 9d. consols, the
dividends to be applied in the same manner as the
charity of Sir John Pakington above mentioned.
The several sums of stock are held by the official
trustees, the annual dividends whereof, amounting to
£10 19s. 4d., are applied in pursuance of the trusts
of the respective charities.