STONE
Stanes (xi and xiii cent.).
The parish of Stone has an area of 2,516 acres, of
which 17 acres are covered by water, 1,405 acres
are arable land, 415 permanent grass, and 90 wood. (fn. 1)
It is situated immediately south-east of Kidderminster, from which it is divided by the River Stour
and by one of its tributaries. There is a rifle range
for volunteers on the left bank of the river. Besides
the village there are three hamlets: Hoo rook in the
west and partly in the foreign of Kidderminster,
Dunclent half a mile north of the village, and
Shenstone 1½ miles south. The village is in the
north-east of the parish, and is 2 miles from each
of the stations of Kidderminster and Hartlebury, and
on the Kidderminster and Bromsgrove road. From
this road Cursley Lane branches off near Mustow
Green, and forming part of the eastern boundary
of Stone runs south and joins the main road
from Kidderminster to Droitwich. The last road,
which passes through the west of Stone to Hartlebury, forms the southern boundary of this parish for
some distance. Branches from it running in a
north-easterly direction cross the parish, one called
Stanklin Lane leading to the village of Stone, and
the other passing through Shenstone to Chaddesley
Corbett. The land rises gradually from the Stour to
a height of 287 ft. above the ordnance datum in the
east. Stour Hill, a little to the east of the river, is
partly in this parish and partly in Hartlebury.
The parish was inclosed under an Act of 1762–3,
and the award is dated 20 December 1763. (fn. 2) The
soil is loamy, lying partly on the Keuper Sandstones
and partly on the Bunter Pebble beds. The population is now chiefly engaged in agriculture, the
most important crops being wheat, beans, barley and
potatoes. Paper and yarn-mills were formerly worked
at Hoobrook, but are now disused. There are two
schools in the parish, one in the village of Stone,
and the other, an infants' school, at Hoobrook. A
third school was built at Shenstone in 1882, but
never opened for want of funds, and is now used as
a barn.
MANORS
Before the Conquest STONE was held
as two manors by Tumi and Euchil,
but in 1086 Herlebald was holding it
as one manor of Urse D'Abitot, (fn. 3) from whom the
overlordship passed with his other property to the
Beauchamps and probably descended with their
barony of Elmley Castle (fn. 4) (q.v.), although its connexion with the Beauchamp family is not mentioned
after the 13th century. The manor was said in
1578, 1618 and 1636 to be held of the Crown as of
the hundred of Halfshire in socage by fealty. (fn. 5)
Herlebald was succeeded by the family of Stone,
who took their name from the manor, although there
is no mention of their holding land in the parish
until the beginning of the 13th century, when
Walter Stone was holding half a knight's fee of
William de Beauchamp. (fn. 6) This Walter was possibly
a son of William de Stanes, who in 1200–1 confirmed a grant made by his father Walter (fl. 1178)
and grandfather William of land at Osmerley to the
monks of Bordesley. (fn. 7) In 1259 a Walter Stone and
Aline his wife are mentioned as landowners in
Worcestershire, (fn. 8) and were probably holding the
manor of Stone. They were evidently succeeded by
Thomas Stone, whose name occurs on a Lay Subsidy
Roll, c. 1280. (fn. 9) According to Nash, William Stone
held the manor in 1284–5 and Thomas Stone in
1299. (fn. 10) By 1327 the manor had passed to Thomas's
son Richard Stone, (fn. 11) who in that year with his wife
Cecilia settled tenements in Stone on their son
Richard and his wife Joan. (fn. 12) Richard the son probably died in the lifetime of his father, for in 1341
the latter with Cecily his wife
settled a messuage and 2 carucates of land in Stone upon
Margaret wife of Roger
Folliott for life with remainder
to Thomas Folliott, Margaret's
son, and his wife Elizabeth,
who is stated by Habington
to have been a daughter of
Richard or William Stone. (fn. 13)
William Fitz Warin, who is
mentioned in 1346 as a
former owner of the manor, (fn. 14)
may have obtained it by
marriage with a widow of one
of the Stones. Thomas Folliott was holding the
manor in 1346, (fn. 15) and it continued in the Folliott
family until the 17th century. Hugh Folliott,
grandson or great-grandson of Thomas, (fn. 16) was lord
of the manor in 1428, (fn. 17) and had been succeeded
before 1431 by his eldest son Richard. (fn. 18) The latter
settled it in 1468 on his son Nicholas, (fn. 19) from whom
it passed to his grandson John Folliott, who died in
1578. (fn. 20) After the death of Thomas Folliott son of
John in 1617 his son Sir John Folliott, kt., who had
married Elizabeth daughter of John Aylmer, Bishop
of London, succeeded to the manor, (fn. 21) and in 1624
sold it to Sir William Courteen, kt., (fn. 22) a prominent
merchant. He was succeeded in 1636 by his son
William Courteen, (fn. 23) who, owing to the repeated
losses incurred by his father, became bankrupt in
1643. (fn. 24) Stone was probably claimed with his other
property by the Committee for Sequestration and
was sold to Sir James Rushout, bart., son of John
Rushout, a Flemish merchant, who had settled in
London. (fn. 25) The exact date of the purchase by Sir
James is not known, but he was dealing with land at
Stone in 1662–3, (fn. 26) and was in possession of the
manor in 1694. (fn. 27) He died in 1697–8, and was
succeeded by his second but eldest surviving son
James. (fn. 28) On the latter's marriage in 1699–1700
with Arabella daughter of Thomas Vernon the
manor was settled upon her. (fn. 29) Both Sir James and
Arabella died in 1705, and their only son James died
in boyhood in 1711. (fn. 30) The manor passed to his
sister Elizabeth, who married in 1731 Paulett
St. John. (fn. 31) A settlement of the manor was made
upon her at that date. (fn. 32)
Folliott. Argent a lion with a forked tail purpure crowned or.
Elizabeth died without issue in December 1733, (fn. 33)
and in 1734 St. John sold the manor for £6,500 to
Joseph Cox, an attorney of Kidderminster, (fn. 34) whose
daughter and heir Mary married Stephen Beckingham, and was holding the manor with him in 1738. (fn. 35)
In 1751 it belonged to Stephen
Beckingham and his son
Stephen. (fn. 36) It had passed before 1762–3 to John Baker, (fn. 37)
who was lord of the manor in
1808. (fn. 38) Property at Stone
was apparently held by the
Misses Baker in 1868, (fn. 39) and
they and Mrs. Bernard owned
the manor in 1872. It had
passed before 1876 to James
Holcroft of Red Hill House,
Stourbridge. He was succeeded in March 1894 by
his brother Charles Holcroft
of the Shrubbery, Kingswinford, who was created a baronet in 1905, (fn. 40) and is
now lord of the manor of Stone.
Holcroft, baronet. Argent a cross engrailed sable with an eagle rising sable in the first and fourth quarters.
The manor of DUNCLENT (Duncklen, xvi cent.)
belonged before the Conquest to the priory of
St. Guthlac, Hereford, and Odo held it of the priory.
In 1086 it was held under the priory by Nigel the
physician, under whom it was held by Urse. (fn. 41) Since
in 1212 the fee belonged to Walter de Beauchamp, (fn. 42)
it is evident that the Urse who held the manor under
Nigel was Urse D'Abitot. The overlordship is not
again mentioned until 1476, when the manor was
said to be held of the Prior of Lewes for the service
of one knight. (fn. 43)
Dunclent evidently gave its name to the family of
Dunclent, who were lords of the manor in the 13th
and 14th centuries. About 1280 Robert de Dunclent
paid a subsidy of a mark at Dunclent, (fn. 44) and in 1284
Mary Dunclent, probably his widow, owned property
there. (fn. 45) Clement de Dunclent is the next owner of
the manor whose name is known. He seems in 1294
and 1316 to have held it under the Burnells, who
in turn held it of Stephen de Bosco. (fn. 46) Clement de
Dunclent paid a subsidy of 3s. at Dunclent in 1327, (fn. 47)
and his widow Amice was still in possession of a
quarter of a knight's fee there in 1346. (fn. 48) John
de Dunclent son of Clement was probably lord of the
manor in 1351, when he exchanged certain lands in
Broom with his brother Edmund and Maud his wife
for others in Dunclent, (fn. 49) and he was called lord of
Dunclent in 1368. (fn. 50) The family appears to have
died out in the 14th century, and the manor probably
reverted to the Beauchamps as overlords, being settled,
like Rushock, on William Beauchamp Lord Bergavenny. (fn. 51) It then followed the descent of Kidderminster Biset (fn. 52) (q.v.), Lord Bergavenny being the
owner in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It was
probably sold after his death in 1586–7, and its
descent becomes difficult to trace.
In the Visitation of Worcester, 1569, Elizabeth
daughter and heir of John Moore of Dunclent is
mentioned as having married John Folliott of Stone, (fn. 53)
and Nash also states that Dunclent was at one time
held by John Moore. (fn. 54) It afterwards passed to
Edmund Brode, who left most of his property,
including a park called Dunclent Park, by his will,
dated 22 February 1599, to a younger son, Edward
Brode. (fn. 55) He sold the manor in 1655 to Thomas
Foley, (fn. 56) in whose family it remained (fn. 57) until about
1836, when it was purchased by the late Earl of
Dudley. (fn. 58) It now belongs to his son William Humble
Earl of Dudley.
SHENSTONE and HOO were regarded as manors
during the 17th century. (fn. 59) Land at Shenstone was
held in 1431 by Richard Folliott, lord of Stone, by
knight service, (fn. 60) and both manors passed with Stone
from the Folliott family to Sir William Courteen. (fn. 61)
They are not mentioned after 1636. (fn. 62)
A mill at Stone worth three ounces of silver belonged
to the manor in 1086. (fn. 63) Another mill in the parish
called 'the water mill of Stone' appears to have belonged
to the manor of Dunclent, for it was given by Edmund
de Dunclent to his brother John in 1351. (fn. 64)
A disused paper-mill at Hoobrook is the only mill
at present in the parish.
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY consists of
a chancel, nave with a western gallery
and a western tower and spire. The
whole building is modern, and was built in 1831,
when the old church was destroyed. A pencil drawing
of the latter, still preserved, shows this to have been
of some interest. The sketch does not give much
detail, but the proportion of the tower and the
general appearance of the belfry lights suggest a
12th-century date for this part of the church, while
the east windows of the chancel appear to have been
three grouped lancets. Prattinton, who visited the
church, also mentions 'a Saxon door on the north
wall,' a further suggestion of 12th-century work. (fn. 65)
The present church is ostensibly designed in 15th-century style, but is poor in both design and detail.
The traceried east window of the chancel is of three
lights, and in the south wall is a two-light window.
There is no chancel arch, and the nave is lit by six
two-light windows, three on either hand. At the
west end of the nave is an organ gallery. The
tower is of three stages, with lancet belfry lights and
an embattled parapet, above which is a stone spire.
The lowest stage serves as a porch. The belfry contains six bells, cast by Thomas Mears of London in
1832. The font is of 13th-century design, with a
square bowl. Affixed to the north wall of the
chancel are two small brass plates, the only relics of
the old church, both removed from a monument.
One is to Will Spicer, died 1656, and bears the
inscription:
'Drawn from a martyrs bloud, from a generous line
Decended was this meek, this grave divine.'
Below are the arms, a battled fesse between three
lions rampant. The second brass is to Ursula wife
of the above, died 1663, and bears the Spicer arms
impaling a cheveron between three roses with the
difference of a crescent upon the cheveron. Over
the west door is a small late 18th-century carving of
the royal arms with the unusual arrangement of
England quartering Scotland, Ireland, and France.
The church plate consists of a small three-legged
salver of 1800 and a modern set of a chalice, paten,
standing salver and flagon, presented in 1862 by the
Rev. John Peel, vicar of Stone and Dean of Worcester.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all
entries 1601 to 1709; (ii) baptisms and burials 1709
to 1785, marriages 1709 to 1752; (iii) baptisms and
burials 1786 to 1812; and (iv) a printed marriage
book 1754 to 1812.
ADVOWSON
The chapel of Stone was dedicated
in honour of the Virgin Mary by
Godfrey Giffard, Bishop of Worcester,
in 1269. (fn. 66) It was annexed to the church of Chaddesley
Corbett, (fn. 67) and the presentations were made by the
rectors of Chaddesley until 1392. (fn. 68) Like Rushock
it probably became separated from Chaddesley when
that rectory was appropriated to the college of St.
Mary, Warwick, and in 1535 it was a vicarage valued
at £17. (fn. 69) The presentations were made by the dean
until the dissolution of the college, (fn. 70) and the advowson of Stone was then apparently granted like that of
Chaddesley Corbett to the bailiff and burgesses of
Warwick, (fn. 71) as they or their feoffees presented until
1622. (fn. 72) The king presented in 1662, and the advowson has since been in the Crown. (fn. 73)
CHARITIES
The Parochial Charity, comprising
the charities of Nicholas and Elizabeth Folliott, founded by deed 4 June
1501; John Wall, 1 February 1504; Richard
Thatcher (date unknown); John Oldnall, will, 1690;
Richard Hill, will, proved 1730; and Thomas Pratt,
will, proved 1802, is regulated by a scheme of the
Charity Commissioners, 4 August 1882, whereby the
charity is divided into the educational branch, the
church branch and the eleemosynary branch.
The trust property consists of 47 a. 3 r. and buildings of the rental value of £120; a rent-charge of
£2 issuing out of Dawkes Meadow in respect of
Oldnall's charity; £7,055 9s. 6d. India 3 per cent.
stock, belonging to the other charities above mentioned, and including proceeds of sales of land and
royalties, and £190 11s. 6d. consols, which sums of
stock are held by the official trustees; also £16 8s. 6d.
consols and £48 17s. 8d. like stock in the name of
the Paymaster-General (Chancery Division), the dividends amounting in the aggregate to £218 4s.
The Educational Foundation, under an order of
the Charity Commissioners, 20 February 1906, was
determined to consist of the school premises, the
dividends on £190 11s. 6d. consols, amounting to
£4 15s., and an annual sum of 15s. for every £1
awarded to the school by the Board of Education
and two-fifths of the remainder of the net income;
the church branch to consist of one-fifth of the remainder of the net income, two-fifths of such remainder
being assigned to the eleemosynary branch.
In 1910 a sum of £36 4s. 4d. represented onefifth of the remainder of the net income.
In 1817 William Wheeler by his will left a legacy
of £200 (less duty) for the use of the poor in such
manner as his daughter should direct. A portion of
the principal sum appears to have been expended,
and the remainder is now represented by £76 8s. 11d.
consols, the annual dividends of which, amounting to
£1 18s., are applied for the benefit of necessitous
poor under a scheme of the Charity Commissioners,
23 January 1883.