NORTON-JUXTA-KEMPSEY
Norton-juxta-Kempsey is a small parish containing
1,844 acres of land lying to the north-east of Kempsey.
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton branch
of the Great Western railway meets the Abbots
Wood branch of the Midland railway at Norton
Junction, where there is a station. The Bristol and
Birmingham branch of the Midland railway also passes
through the parish, but has no station at Norton.
The only high road which passes through Norton is
that from Worcester to Pershore.
The village of Norton lies near the railway. Hatfield and Littleworth are districts to the south. To
the north-west are Norton Barracks, the dépôt of
Regimental District no. 29 (the Worcester Regiment),
built in 1876. The village of Norton, which includes
a few half-timber houses, stands at a height of 130 ft.
to 150 ft. above the ordnance datum, and the land
rises slightly north and south. Woodhall, the seat of
Mr. Walter Holland, D.L., J.P., stands in wooded
grounds commanding views of Malvern and the surrounding hills. The mansion is a modern erection
of brick in the Tudor style. An avenue of trees leads
from the house northward to the Worcester and
Pershore high road. There is a small park with a
fish-pond at Norton Hall, the residence of Mr.
Francis Joynson, and the districts of Hatfield and
Littleworth are well wooded. At Newlands Farm
near the barracks are the remains of a moat.
In 1905 Norton-juxta-Kempsey contained 532
acres of arable land and 1,294 acres of permanent
grass. (fn. 1) The soil is various, the subsoil Keuper Marl,
and the chief crops are barley, beans and wheat.
Hatfield in Norton was inclosed in 1840, and 70
acres in Eastfield were inclosed in 1854. (fn. 2)
Cookes Holme was transferred in 1885 from
Stoulton to Norton-juxta-Kempsey, and at the same
date part of Old Home Farm was transferred from
Norton to Whittington. (fn. 3)
MANORS
NORTON-JUXTA-KEMPSEY has
apparently never been looked upon as a
separate manor, but has always formed
part of the manor of Kempsey. (fn. 4)
The manor of WOODHALL was held of the
manor of Kempsey. (fn. 5) Beatrix de Pirton held a hide
of land in Norton, in the manor of Kempsey, early
in the 13th century. (fn. 6) It was stated in 1220–1 that
the ancestors of Reginald de Pirton, son of this
Beatrix, had held the manor since the conquest of
England. Reginald deduced his claim from his
grandmother Beatrix, mother of Beatrix de Pirton,
but Boidin, parson of the church of Norton, said that
Beatrix, grandmother of Reginald, who held the estate
as dower, knowing that it rightfully belonged to the
church, restored it to the church as free alms, and
Beatrix her daughter confirmed this grant. The
jurors had, however, no knowledge of these gifts, and
Reginald was adjudged to be the rightful owner. (fn. 7)
William de Pirton paid a subsidy at Norton in 1280, (fn. 8)
and was still holding the manor in 1299. (fn. 9) Giles son
of this William (fn. 10) seems to have assumed the name
'de la Wodehall,' for in 1317–18 'the manor of
Norton' was settled upon Giles de la Wodehall and
Sybil his wife for their lives, with reversion to Robert
de Aston and Katherine his wife and their heirs de se,
with contingent remainders to Robert de Pirton and
his heirs. (fn. 11) It seems probable
that Katherine de Aston was
daughter of Giles, and that
Robert de Pirton was his
brother. In 1346 the manor
was held by Henry Wyvill. (fn. 12)
Thomas Gower, escheator of
Worcestershire in 1419–20, (fn. 13)
settled it in 1410 upon himself and his wife Katherine,
in whose right he appears to
have held it. (fn. 14) She was, according to a pedigree of the
Gower family given in the
Visitation of Worcestershire,
1569, a daughter of Lord Dudley. (fn. 15) Habington
mentions that he has seen in a book of the bishopric
of Worcester the Lady Dudley called lady of
Woodhall. (fn. 16) Thomas Gower died before 1431,
and his widow married John Finch, who is called
'of Woodhall' in 1431. (fn. 17) Thomas left a son Thomas,
who married Alice daughter of John Attwood of
Northwick and died in 1440, leaving a son Thomas,
a minor at the time of his father's death. (fn. 18) John son
of Thomas died in 1526–7 seised of the manor of
Woodhall. (fn. 19) His son and successor William was
Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1549. (fn. 20) He was succeeded by his son John, (fn. 21) who died in 1569. (fn. 22) His
son John, who then succeeded to the manor, conveyed
it in 1577 to Richard Lygon and others for a settlement on his marriage with Margaret Harewell, a
relative of Richard Lygon. (fn. 23) He died in 1620, and
was buried at Norton-by-Kempsey. (fn. 24) His son
William Gower and his wife Anne, who was the
daughter of Sir William Whorwood, (fn. 25) sold the
manor of Woodhall to William Stevens in 1628–9. (fn. 26)
William seems to have been followed by a son
Randall, who died in 1653, (fn. 27) and had been succeeded
before 1676 by Thomas Stevens, who conveyed the
manor in that year to William Bagnall for a settlement upon Thomas and his heirs. (fn. 28) Thomas died
in 1711. (fn. 29)
Gower of Woodhall. Azure a cheveron between three wolves' heads razed or.
The Woodhall estate had passed before 1868 to
Thomas Adams, (fn. 30) and the house was occupied by his
widow in 1888 and 1896. It was purchased in
1903 by Mr. Walter Holland, D.L., J.P., the present
owner.
The manor of NEWLAND probably originated in
land in the manor of Kempsey held by the family
'de Newland.' There was litigation in 1220 between
Simon de Newland and Boidin, parson of Kempsey,
as to a curtilage and garden in Norton. (fn. 31) William
de Newland gave a messuage and a carucate of land
in Norton to Walter Cantilupe, Bishop of Worcester (1237–66), (fn. 32) and this property the bishop
assigned to the sacristy of Worcester. It was claimed
in 1274 by William's brother Robert de Newland,
who stated that when his brother made the gift he
had been in durance at Colchester. Robert's plea
was rejected, and it was found that William was 'in
bono statu et extra vincula et extra prisonam ad
voluntatem suam propriam.' (fn. 33) Bishop William's
grant was confirmed to the sacrist in 1336 by the
bishop and by the prior and convent. (fn. 34) The estate
seems to have been held of the prior and convent, (fn. 35)
and the bishop's confirmation was made in order that
the grantee might be quit of suit of court and any
other service beyond rent and scutage. (fn. 36) In 1536
the convent was receiving a rent of 69s. 4d. from the
demesne lands at Newland. (fn. 37) The manor, with a
rent of 16d. for the carriage of four wagon loads of
fuel from Newland to the sacristy of the priory, was
granted in 1545 to John Bourne, the lessee under
the priory. (fn. 38) He died in 1575, and the estate passed
to his son Anthony, who sold it in 1577 to Sir
Thomas Bromley, kt., Lord Chancellor of England. (fn. 39)
He with his son Henry conveyed it in 1587 to
trustees for a settlement upon Elizabeth wife of Sir
Thomas for life. It may have passed in the same
way as Hill Croome from the Bromleys to Lord
Coventry, for the Earl of Coventry now holds Newland
Farm, but all manorial rights have lapsed. (fn. 40)
William de Marisco about 1182 held half a hide
of land in Norton, which he had received from Bishop
Simon (1125–50). (fn. 41) The estate was held of the
manor of Kempsey, and Joseph de Marisco was the
owner early in the 13th century. (fn. 42) In 1232 the
bishop attorned Richard de Cumpton and Richard
de Alvechurch against Thomas de Marisco and Alice
his wife of half a virgate and 12 acres of land in
Kempsey. (fn. 43) John de Marisco held it in 1299, (fn. 44) and
Habington states that his land was given to the
chantry of Kempsey, (fn. 45) but in 1346 William de
Marisco held a fifth of a fee in Norton which Joseph
de Marisco had formerly held. (fn. 46)
CHURCH
The church of ST. JAMES consists
of a chancel 21 ft. by 12 ft., north vestry,
nave 50½ ft. by 16½ ft., south aisle
11½ ft. wide, south porch and western tower 7 ft. wide
by 9¾ ft. deep. These measurements are all internal.
The church has been a great deal repaired during
the past century, and the south aisle, porch and vestry
were added in 1875. The oldest portion of the
existing church is the 12th-century nave, which
appears to have been lengthened in the 13th century.
The chancel appears to have been rebuilt in the 14th
century, and the tower may have been added late in
the same century.
The east window has two lights with modern
tracery and mullions. The east wall sets back 6 in.
about 5 ft. above the ground outside. In the north
wall is a square-headed late 14th-century window of
two lights, now opening into the vestry. In the
south wall is a similar window of two lights; the
jambs, which are of white stone, and the sill and
lintel, which are of red sandstone, appear to be old
work recut. The chancel arch is pointed and of
modern date. The nave is lighted in its north wall
by three windows; the first, the stonework of which
is modern, is of two lights with a quatrefoil over.
The second is apparently of the 12th century, and is
the only window of that date left; it is very small
and has a round head. The third window is a lancet
with a pointed head, and is evidently of 13th-century
date. Between the two last is a round-headed doorway covered by two wood doors bolted together.
A modern arcade of four bays divides the nave from
the aisle, which is lit by three windows in the south
wall and one at each end. The round-headed south
doorway is of 12th-century design, and the capitals
and a few stones of the outer order are old, and
evidently belonged to a doorway formerly in the
south wall of the nave. The south porch is of
timber on stone foundation walls.
A modern doorway in the west wall of the nave
admits to the tower, which is unbroken horizontally
from ground to parapet. The latter is pierced by
quatrefoils and has square pinnacles at the angles,
gabled and crocketed. The west window in the
ground floor is of two lights with rough heads,
apparently recut, and a modern mullion. The
chamber above has two unglazed rectangular lights in
the west wall and one in the north, all with original
red sandstone jambs. The bell-chamber is lighted by
windows of two lights under pointed heads.
The roofs are all modern and gabled; that over
the chancel is panelled, and the nave and aisle have
low pointed barrel ceilings. All the furniture is
modern except the 13th-century font, which is octagonal and of irregular form.
In the chancel is a slab to Randall Stevens of
Woodhall, who died in 1653, and others to later
members of the same family. There are also many
wall monuments of the 18th century and later. On
the east wall outside is a memorial to William March,
who was buried in 1661, and his son William, 1673.
There are three bells: the first by Abel Rudhall,
1716; the second inscribed 'Sancta Anna ora pro
nobis' and bearing a stamp of four fleurs de lis set
saltirewise in a square; the third is dated 1682 and
has a stamp with the maker's initials I. M. for John
Martin.
The communion plate consists of a silver cup with
a baluster stem, and a cover paten, dated 1677,
and stamped with the hall mark of 1675, a paten
of 1677, the gift of Bishop Fleetwood, a set of a
cup, paten, almsdish and flagon given in 1876, and
a pewter flagon of older date.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1540 to 1710, burials 1538 to 1710 (with a
gap between 1638 and 1652) and marriages 1572
to 1709 with gaps between 1640 and 1653 and
1658 to 1661; (ii) baptisms 1711 to 1812, burials
1711 to 1812 and marriages 1711 to 1754; (iii) a
marriage book 1754 to 1812. There are also preserved several old deeds, and the will of Mrs. Stephens,
1668, bequeathing various gifts to the parish.
ADVOWSON
The church or chapel at Norton-by-Kempsey was dependent upon
the church of Kempsey. (fn. 47) In 1269
the inhabitants of Norton complained that Maurice
de Tapenhale, vicar of Kempsey, had taken from them
baptisms, weddings and churchings which by ancient
custom were celebrated at Norton, and it was decided
by the bishop's commissioners that the parishioners
had such customs, and that mass ought to be celebrated on every Sunday and feast day in the said
chapel. (fn. 48) In 1368 further trouble arose between the
men of Norton and the rector and vicar of Kempsey
as to the rights of their chapel. The inhabitants
claimed that their chapel from time immemorial had
all rights belonging to a parish church except that of
sepulture, and they affirmed that they ought to have
a priest there continually to celebrate the services.
The rector of Kempsey, however, maintained that
services ought to be celebrated there only three days
in the week. The bishop again decided in favour of
the men of Norton. (fn. 49) In 1556 Bishop Pates granted
the parishioners of Norton the right of sepulture. (fn. 50)
The living of Norton-juxta-Kempsey was a perpetual curacy until 1867–8, when it became a
vicarage. (fn. 51) The Dean and Chapter of Worcester
have always been patrons of this parish.
There is a Wesleyan chapel at Littleworth.
CHARITIES
The charities subsisting in this
parish are regulated by a scheme of
the Charity Commissioners 28 July
1882, as varied by scheme of 23 December 1908,
namely, the charities of:—
1. Thomas Knight, will, 1652, endowment consisting of £336 11s. 7d. consols, arising from the sale
in 1881 of land purchased with the original bequest.
2. Elizabeth Stephens, by will, 1668, trust fund,
consisting of £49 3s. 9d. consols.
3. The parish lands appear by a feoffment made
7 January 1568 to have been originally granted
towards the relief of the poor, the setting forth and
furnishing of soldiers, the amending of highways, and
other such like works of charity, within the town
and parish. The trust estate consists of 5 a. 18 p. at
Whittington and 6 a. at Norton-juxta-Kempsey and
£370 2s. 7d. consols.
The sums of stock, amounting together to £755
17s. 11d. consols, are held by the official trustees. Of
this £600 stock was, by an order of the Charity
Commissioners 17 January 1905, directed to be set
aside for providing £15 a year for educational
purposes, leaving a sum of £155 17s. 11d. stock, producing £3 17s. 8d., for the other charitable purposes.
The parish lands are let at £21 a year, out of
which, by an order of the Charity Commissioners
22 February 1898, £6 a year was made applicable
towards church expenses and the remainder of the
income of the charities for eleemosynary purposes was
in 1910 applied in the distribution of bread and coals.