PEDMORE
Pevemore (xi cent.); Pebmore, Pebbmer (xiii
cent.).
The parish of Pedmore is situated in the north-west of the county adjoining Stourbridge. It comprises an area of 1,510 acres. The general slope
of the land is from east to west, the greatest height
being attained at Wychbury Hill, in the south-east
of the parish. It forms the north-western end of
the Clent Hills, and is 600 ft. above the ordnance
datum. There is here a large earthwork on this hill
where two bronze rings have been found. The
western boundary varies in height from about 300 ft.
in the north to 400 ft. in the south.
The subsoil is Keuper sandstone; the surface soil
is light and suitable for the production of turnips,
swedes, mangolds and barley. The stone with
which Old Swinford Church was built was obtained
from quarries at Pedmore. In 1905 the parish comprised 752 acres of arable land and 607 acres of
permanent grass. (fn. 1) In 1300 part of the parish of
Pedmore was included in the forest of Kinver, (fn. 2) but
at the present day there are only 7½ acres of woodland.
Pedmore Hall stands on a small hill about a quarter
of a mile east of the main road between Bromsgrove
and Stourbridge and to the east of the church. It faces
the west and is approached through an avenue of
limes. Though the centre part of the present building was erected in 1670, (fn. 3) the house is now of little
interest, having undergone considerable alteration in
the 18th century. It is three stories high and stands
on a basement. The front has been stuccoed and
the windows modernized. Of the 17th-century
fittings the staircase only remains. It is at the
back of the house. The handrail and strings are
moulded and the balustrade between is composed of
one open panel to each flight following the rake of
the stair.
Pedmore Common, in the north-west of the parish,
and close to the road from Kidderminster to Stourbridge, is surrounded by a race-course.
Sixteenth-century place-names which occur in
deeds relating to Pedmore are the Hides, Grymsmere Inneye, Olerne Coppice, Gostier, (fn. 4) Nednell or
Knednell, and Foxcote. (fn. 5)
MANOR
The manor of PEDMORE was held
by Turgar in the time of Edward the
Confessor. It appears in the Domesday
Survey as one of the possessions of William Fitz
Ansculf, of whom it was held by Acard. (fn. 6)
The overlordship descended with the manor of
Northfield (fn. 7) (q.v.), being mentioned for the last
time in 1547. (fn. 8) Early in the 13th century Geoffrey
de Piringham (fn. 9) paid 20d. for three parts of a fee
which he held of the barony of Dudley. (fn. 10) Geoffrey
was probably descended from Giffard de Tiringham,
who held three fees under Gervase Paynel in 1166. (fn. 11)
This Giffard died about 1189, and occurs as Giffard
'de Pebmore' in a deed of 1179–89. (fn. 12)
Geoffrey de Piringham was probably succeeded by
Philip de Pedmore, whose name occurs as a witness
to an inspeximus charter of the borough of Halesowen
in the latter part of the reign of Henry III, (fn. 13) and
again in a grant of somewhat later date in which he
is termed 'Philip lord of Pedmore.' (fn. 14) He paid a
subsidy of 10s. for his land in Pedmore in 1280, (fn. 15) but
he seems to have died before 1292, when 'the lady
of Pebmore,' probably his widow, held the manor. (fn. 16)
In 1296–7 John son of John son of Philip jointly
with Sarah his wife conveyed the reversion of the
manor after Sarah's death to William de Simplingford. (fn. 17) William presented to
the church in 1304, (fn. 18) and
was said to be in possession
of the manor in 1322, (fn. 19) but
Sarah was still holding it in
1323. (fn. 20)
Arderne of Park Hall. Ermine a fesse checky or and azure.
In 1339–40 John de
Simplingford sold the manor
to Walter Clodshall and his
son Richard. (fn. 21) Richard Clodshall presented to the church
of Pedmore in 1349, 1361
and 1401, (fn. 22) and appears to
have been still alive in 1424–
5. (fn. 23) By the marriage of his
daughter Elizabeth with Robert Arderne of Park Hall (fn. 24)
co. Warw. the manor of Pedmore passed to the Ardernes.
After the death of Elizabeth, Robert Arderne held it
by courtesy, but, having sided with the Yorkists, he
was attainted and executed in 1451–2. (fn. 25) The
custody of his lands was granted for four years to
Fulk Stafford and Thomas Young in 1454. (fn. 26) The
manor seems to have been restored to Walter Arderne,
son and heir of Robert and Elizabeth, and passed
from him to his son John. (fn. 27) This John married
Alice daughter of Richard Bracebridge, and their
union was the cause of some dispute between their
parents, Robert Arderne accusing Richard Bracebridge
of stealing away his son. (fn. 28)
On John Arderne's death, 23 May 1525, his son
Thomas succeeded to his estates, (fn. 29) and in 1539
settled Pedmore on his son William, who, however,
predeceased him in 1544, (fn. 30) leaving a son Edward,
who thus became heir-apparent to his grandfather,
whom he succeeded in 1563. (fn. 31) In 1573 Edward
Arderne settled Pedmore on his son Robert on the
latter's marriage with Eleanor daughter of Reginald
Corbett. (fn. 32) Edward was afterwards concerned in the
plot of his son-in-law John Somerville to kill the
queen, and was executed at Tyburn in October
1583. (fn. 33) Since the manor of Pedmore had been
previously settled on Edward Arderne's son Robert
and Elizabeth his wife in fee-tail, they were allowed
to hold it with reversion to the Crown in case
of their dying without issue. (fn. 34) On 27 January
1585–6 this reversion was granted in perpetuity to
Edward D'Arcy, (fn. 35) to whom a fresh grant was made
on 3 May 1609. (fn. 36) Robert Arderne, who died in
1635, (fn. 37) was succeeded by his grandson Robert, who
received a grant of the reversion of the manor from
Charles I in 1640, (fn. 38) and thus became seised of the
manor in fee. He appears to have sided with the
king in the Civil War, and died, probably in arms,
in 1643, (fn. 39) leaving as co-heirs his four sisters, Anne
wife of Sir Charles Adderley, whose share descended
to their son Arderne Adderley, Elizabeth wife of
Sir William Pooley, whose heir was their daughter
Susannah, afterwards the wife of Anthony Maxey,
Dorothy, who married Harvey Bagot, and Goditha or
Judith, who married Herbert Price. (fn. 40) In the September
following Robert Arderne's death his estate was
sequestered by the county committee, and found to
have been previously mortgaged for £2,000 to Sir
William Boughton, who appears to have sold the
mortgage to several persons. The various parties
having compounded for their respective shares, three-fourths of the estate was discharged from sequestration
on 30 November 1653, (fn. 41) and the remaining fourth
pertaining to Herbert Price and Goditha, which
appears to have been purchased from the Committee
for Compounding by Humphrey Boughton, was also
discharged in February following. (fn. 42)
In the early part of 1668 Thomas Foley purchased
from the co-heirs the various shares of the manor, (fn. 43)
and left it by his will dated January 1671 to trustees
for the maintenance of boys at the Bluecoat School or
Hospital, which he had founded at Old Swinford. (fn. 44)
To the trustees of the school it still belongs.
CHURCH
The church of ST. PETER consists
of a chancel with north vestry and organ
bay, a nave with north and south aisles,
west tower and south porch.
The only remains of an early church are the arch
and tympanum of the south door, which date from the
12th century, together with some fragments preserved
in the tower. The building which preceded the
existing one appears, from illustrations in the Gentleman's Magazine, &c., to have been of no architectural
interest, and after being half rebuilt, owing to subsidence, was entirely pulled down in 1869. Much
of the old material was re-used. The chancel arch of
the older church, consisting of three square orders,
now forms the organ bay, and has modern capitals
and responds. During its demolition three layers of
plaster, with texts and scrolls, were uncovered on the
walls; a square two-light low-side window was also
removed.
In the present south aisle wall is a trefoiled piscina,
probably of the 14th century, moved from the earlier
Lady chapel. The font, perhaps of the 15th century,
is octagonal, with tracery in the panels on each face,
and a thick octagonal stem with no base.
Some old glass from the previous east window is
preserved in the vestry, and shows the arms of Arderne.
A fragment of the Clare arms, or three cheverons
gules, was also found. In the tower is an old clock,
now disused, which may be the one for which new
weights were purchased in 1694.
The south doorway, probably of late 12th-century
date, has a round head of one order with a zigzag on
the face and soffit. The tympanum represents our
Lord in glory, the right hand raised in benediction,
and the figure inclosed within a vesica formed of two
serpents, with the feet of the figure resting on their
heads. On either side are the symbols of the
Evangelists.
The jambs have shafts with scalloped capitals, and
are partly restored.
The bells are three in number: the first cast in
1736 by W. B. of Bromsgrove and recast 1897, the
second cast 1735 and recast 1897, and the third cast
1735, and inscribed 'I to the Church the living call
and to the grave do summon all.'
The plate consists of a cup made in 1571 and
inscribed 'Gloria deo, ex dono Johannis Perrot
Armigeri,' a modern standing and flat paten, and a
modern flagon.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all
entries 1539 to 1705; (ii) 1705 to 1752; (iii) baptisms and burials 1752 to 1812. There is a marriage
book 1754 to 1813.
ADVOWSON
There was a priest at Pedmore in
1086, but no mention is made of any
church or chapel at that time. (fn. 45) In
1292 there was a chapel at Pedmore, the advowson of
which belonged to the lady of the manor. (fn. 46) In
1339–40 it is called a church. (fn. 47) The advowson
followed the same descent as the manor until 1668, (fn. 48)
when it passed into the hands of Thomas Foley.
His grandson Thomas was created Lord Foley of
Kidderminster in 1711–12, (fn. 49) and the advowson
descended with the title (fn. 50) until it was given by Lord
Foley about 1857 to the feoffees of the hospital of
Old Swinford, (fn. 51) in whose patronage it still remains.
Ríchard de Kingswood, rector of Pedmore, had
licence to let his church to farm on 5 May 1335,
the rectory being then in ruins and not to be repaired
without great expense. Seven marks were to be
devoted to its repair 'except 30s. which were to be
paid to the said rector.' (fn. 52)
CHARITIES
In 1892 Mrs. Mary Cole, by her
will proved at London 30 April,
bequeathed £50 to be applied towards
the support of the parish schools. The legacy was
invested in £50 17s. 7d. consols.
The same testatrix bequeathed a further sum of
£50 towards the general expenses of the parish
church. This was likewise invested in £50 17s. 7d.
consols.
The sums of stock are held by the official trustees;
the annual dividends, amounting to £1 5s. 4d. in
each case, are applied in accordance with the trusts
of the respective charities.