KIMPTON
Kamintone (xi cent.); Kymitone, Kymbton,
Kumynton (xiv cent.); Kympton (xv cent.).
Kimpton is a parish of 3,677 acres, lying on the
Bedfordshire border, north of the Ayots and west of
Codicote. The northern and southern parts reach
a height of 450 ft., but the rest is some 100 ft. lower.
The surface is undulating, and the village lies in the
lower parts, being built along a road running east and
west. The street has several 17th-century houses
and cottages which retain many of their ancient
features. It is about a mile long, including the
hamlet of Kimpton Bottom. There are many hamlets
and outlying farms and cottages in the parish. Skegsbury Lane lies to the west, Ansells End to the north-west and Percy Green with Peters Green further to
the north-west of the parish.
Bury Farm, the residence of Mr. John Barker, lies
to the east of the village; Kimpton Grange, the
residence of Mr. C. F. Parr, lies to the west;
Lawrence End House, with extensive grounds, the
seat of Mr. George Oakley, J.P., lies in the north-west part of the parish. Stoneheaps Farm, lying a
little less than a mile to the south-west of the church,
is a two-storied house of the L type, of plastered
timber and brick, built early in the 17th century.
Tallents Farm, Rumeridge, Kimpton Hall and Kimpton Mill Farm are farm-houses in the parish built
at about the same date, but they have all undergone
much alteration, external as well as internal.
The little River Mimram or Maran flows through
the north-east of the parish, and adjoining it are osier
beds. The soil is chalk. Nearly the whole of the
parish is given up to agriculture, 2,506 acres being
under the plough; 682 acres are permanent grass,
and some 168 acres are woodland, (fn. 1) including Cuckoldscross Wood, Dovehouse Wood, Park Wood and
Leggatts Spring.
Some Roman and Celtic coins have been found
near Prior's Wood in the south-east.
In the 14th century the hundred court of Hitchin
was held at Kimpton. (fn. 2)
MANORS
In the time of King Edward Ælveva,
mother of Earl Morcar, held KIMPTON.
In 1086 it was assessed for 4 hides and
formed part of the possessions of Odo Bishop of
Bayeux, of whom it was held by Ralf de Curbespine. (fn. 3)
Ralf was of the same family as Gilbert Maminot,
Bishop of Lisieux (who was son of Robert de Curbespine), and his lands afterwards descended with the
Maminots, (fn. 4) of whose Dover-Castleward barony Kimpton was held as two knights' fees. (fn. 5) Through Alice
sister and heir of Walkelin de Maminot this barony
passed to the family of Geoffrey de Say, her husband,
and the overlordship then descended with the barony
of Say. (fn. 6)
Under the Says Kimpton was held by three separate tenants as the manors of Hockinghanger, Parkbury and Leggatts.
Hockinghanger
HOCKINGHANGER (Hokenhangre, xiv cent.;
Hokynanger, xvi cent.). As early as 1235–6 Baldwin
de Vere, a member of the Northamptonshire family of
Vere, was holding this manor and demanding customs
there from a certain William de Bikkeworth. (fn. 7) He was
succeeded by another Baldwin, probably his son, who
died before 1303, when his widow Matilda was
assessed for three-quarters of a fee in Kimpton held
of William de Say. (fn. 8) This descended to John de
Vere, probably his son, and his widow Alice was
holding in 1346. (fn. 9) In 1351 Robert de Vere made a
settlement of his land, under the name of the manor
of Hockinghanger, on himself and his wife Elizabeth
in tail. (fn. 10) The manor descended in this family until
1493, when Henry de Vere of Great Addington,
co. Northants, died seised, leaving four daughters,
Elizabeth, Ann, Constance and Audrey. (fn. 11) Elizabeth married John Lord Mordaunt (fn. 12) ; Ann married
Sir Humphrey Browne, kt., of Roding, co. Essex (fn. 13) ;
and Audrey married John Browne, a nephew of
Sir Humphrey. (fn. 14) These three daughters with their
husbands each held one-third of the property. In
1556 Audrey, after her husband's death, conveyed
her third to John Lord Mordaunt. (fn. 15) These two thirds
descended to his son John
Lord Mordaunt and to the
latter's son Lewis Lord Mordaunt. (fn. 16) Sir Humphrey
Browne, husband of Ann,
died in 1562, leaving the
third which had fallen to his
wife to his three daughters—Mary, who afterwards married
Thomas Wylforde; Christine,
later the wife of John Tufton,
and Katherine. (fn. 17) Mary and
Katherine seem to have both
conveyed their shares to Christine and John Tufton, (fn. 18)
who in Hilary Term 1581–2 conveyed this portion
to Lewis Lord Mordaunt, (fn. 19) who thus acquired the
whole.
Mordaunt. Argent a cheveron between three stars sable.
In 1596 Lord Mordaunt sold the manor to Thomas
Hoo of St. Paul's Walden. (fn. 20) He was succeeded by
his son William Hoo, on whose death in 1636 the
manor descended to his son Thomas. (fn. 21) Thomas died
in 1650, his son Thomas having predeceased him,
and Hockinghanger passed with Hoo in St. Paul's
Walden to his daughter Susan wife of Sir Jonathan
Keate, bart. (fn. 22) It descended to their son, Sir Gilbert
Hoo-Keate, who was succeeded by his son Sir Henry
Hoo-Keate. (fn. 23) He sold the manor in 1732 to Margaret Brand of the parish of St. James's, Westminster,
widow of Thomas Brand, (fn. 24) from whom it passed successively to her son and grandson, both named
Thomas. (fn. 25) The son Thomas married in 1771
Gertrude daughter of Henry Roper Lord Teynham,
who, on the death of her brother Charles Lord
Dacre, became Lady Dacre in her own right.
Her son Thomas Brand succeeded his mother as
twentieth Lord Dacre, from whom the manor passed
in 1851 to his brother Henry Otway, who took the
name of Trevor. His two sons Thomas Crosbie
William Trevor, Lord Dacre, and Henry Bouverie
William Brand, Lord Dacre, created first Viscount
Hampden in 1884, successively inherited the estate,
and it passed from the latter to his eldest son Henry
Robert Brand, second Viscount Hampden and twentyfourth Lord Dacre, the present lord of the manor. (fn. 26)
Hoo. Quarterly sable and argent
Keate. Argent three cats passant sable
Roper, Lord Dacre. Six pieces azure and or with three harts' heads or
Brand, Viscount Hampend. Azure two crossed swords argent with their hilts or between three scallops or.
Parkbury
The manor of PARKBURY was held under the
Says in the 14th century by the family of Brok as
one half and one half of one quarter of a knight's
fee. (fn. 27) In 1303 Laurence de Brok was assessed for
it. (fn. 28) He was dead by 1330, when the manor was
held by his widow Ellen de Brok for life, with
reversion to her son Ralph, and she received a grant
of free warren in that year. (fn. 29) Before 1346 the
manor had passed to Nigel de Loreng, kt., (fn. 30) chamberlain
to the Black Prince, who had a large estate at Chalgrave
in Bedfordshire. (fn. 31) He was in possession in 1384–5,
when he conveyed it to trustees. (fn. 32) Probably the
trustees conveyed to John Fray, (fn. 33) who was assessed
for the same fee in 1428. (fn. 34) In 1436 John Fray and
Agnes his wife sold the manor under the name of
Parkbury to Richard Hungate and Elizabeth his
wife. (fn. 35) After Richard's death Elizabeth married John
Gunter, and they held it for life with reversion to
John Suliard and his wife Agnes daughter and heir
of Richard Hungate. (fn. 36) Edward Suliard died seised
of the manor in 1516, leaving as heir his son William, (fn. 37)
who died in March 1539–40, having settled the
property on his brother Eustace. (fn. 38) From Eustace it
passed to his son Edward, (fn. 39) who in Hilary Term
1579–80 conveyed the property to John Knighton
and George his son. (fn. 40) John Knighton, of the Inner
Temple, died in 1599. (fn. 41) His son George must have
predeceased his father, for his brother George Knighton
of Bayford was his heir. (fn. 42) George was knighted in
1603. (fn. 43) He settled the property in 1603 on himself
and his wife Lady Susan for life, with remainder to
their son John, who succeeded in 1613. (fn. 44) At John's
death in 1635 the manor passed to Knighton Ferrers,
son of his sister Anne, who had married Sir John
Ferrers of Markyate. (fn. 45) His daughter and heir
Katherine married Thomas Viscount Fanshawe. (fn. 46)
In 1665 Basset Cole and his wife Anne (fn. 47) sold the
property to Sir Jonathan Keate, bart., (fn. 48) after which
it descended with Hockinghanger (q.v.).
Leggatts
The manor of LEGGATTS was held in 1303 as
half a knight's fee and one-eighth of a fee of Lord
William de Say by Roger Wyscard. (fn. 49) It passed shortly
afterwards to the family of Leggatt, from whom it
took its name. In 1346 Robert Morlee, a feoffee of
John Leggatt, was assessed for it. (fn. 50) John's son Edward
Leggatt, who was in gaol for felony in 1369, (fn. 51) died
seised of the manor in 1396. (fn. 52) The estate consisted
of a messuage and garden, a dove-house, 242½ acres
of land, 1 acre of meadow, rents of 42s. 2¾d. and a
fishery. (fn. 53) His cousin John was his heir. (fn. 54) John
possibly left co-heiresses, for in 1409 a certain John
Chertsey conveyed a moiety of the manor to John
Fray, (fn. 55) from whom it passed with Parkbury to
Hungate, (fn. 56) and the two manors subsequently descended
together.
Besides the three manors which formed the holding
of the Says in Kimpton there was another manor
called BIBBESWORTH (Bybesworth, xiv cent.),
which was held of the manor of Pirton, (fn. 57) from
which it was evidently formed by subinfeudation.
It gave its name to, or took its name from, a family
of Bibbesworth, who held it under the lords of
Pirton. (fn. 58) In 1277 Walter de Bibbesworth was
holding the manor, and received a grant of free
warren in January of that year (1276–7). (fn. 59) William
de Bibbesworth settled it in 1303 on his son Hugh
de Bibbesworth and Emma his wife. (fn. 60) Later Hugh
granted half a hide of his estate to the monastery of
St. Albans. (fn. 61) He was succeeded by his son John de
Bibbesworth, (fn. 62) who died in 1361, (fn. 63) having previously
settled the property on his son Hugh and Amice his
wife. (fn. 64) In 1402 they settled the manor on their son
Edmund. (fn. 65) After his death it was held by his widow
Goditha, (fn. 66) she outliving her son John, who died in
1448, (fn. 67) leaving a son Thomas, a minor. Thomas
entered into the property on attaining his majority
in 1467. (fn. 68) He died without issue in 1485, his heirs
being his cousins, Joan wife of Thomas Barlee and
John Cotys of Hunningham, co. Warwick. (fn. 69) The
manor of Bibbesworth was assigned to Joan and
Thomas Barlee. (fn. 70) At his death in 1524 Thomas left
a son Robert, (fn. 71) who was succeeded by his son
Francis. (fn. 72)
In 1560 the manor was owned by Richard Barlee, (fn. 73)
probably son of Francis. Richard died in 1593,
leaving as heir a son Thomas, (fn. 74) who became a lunatic
in 1603, but seems to have held the manor till some
four years later, when his heirs are returned as his
three sisters, Dorothea Osburn, Anna Lady Dacres
and Maria Wiseman. (fn. 75) Apparently, however, he
had a daughter Grace (perhaps born after this date),
the wife of Cressy Tasburgh, who suffered sequestration as a recusant in 1650, but obtained restoration
of his lands in 1651. (fn. 76) In 1659 Robert Barlee and
William Wiseman, probably their trustees, conveyed
to Sir Jonathan Keate, (fn. 77) and the manor remained with
his descendants (fn. 78) together with Hockinghanger (q.v.).
Little Bibbesworth
LITTLE BIBBESWORTH was another estate
formed out of the manor of Pirton. John de Limesi,
lord of that manor in the latter part of the 12th
century, granted 8 acres in Bibbesworth to Richard de
Puteo, who gave them to the monastery of St. Mary,
Hertford (to which Ralph de Limesi [see Pirton]
had made a grant of tithes and of pannage in his wood
there), to the use of the kitchen. (fn. 79) In 1291 the
priory had lands valued at £2 13s. 8d. in Kimpton. (fn. 80)
After the Dissolution this estate was granted under
the name of the manor of Bibbesworth in February
1537–8 to Anthony Denny and Joan his wife. (fn. 81)
They conveyed the manor in 1543 to Nicholas
Bristowe and his wife Lucy. (fn. 82) In the inquisition
taken on his death in 1584 the manor is called Little
Bibbesworth. (fn. 83) He was succeeded by his son Nicholas,
who died at Ayot St. Lawrence in 1626. (fn. 84) His son,
also Nicholas, died in July 1634, and Robert his
brother inherited the fee simple of the Bristowe
estates. (fn. 85) After this time it seems to have descended
with the advowson (q.v.).
Plummers
A reputed manor called PLUMMERS (fn. 86) was conveyed in 1596 by Thomas Hoo to Edward Sibley, (fn. 87)
and the next year was acquired from the latter by
Thomas Halsey alias Chambers. (fn. 88) The farm of
Plummers is now occupied by Mr. Robert Avery.
Leigh or Lygh
Another reputed manor of LEIGH or LYGH was
held by Sir Edward Benstede, kt., at his death in
1518. John Ferrers, his kinsman and heir, succeeded. (fn. 89)
In 1547 the manor was conveyed by Francis Ferrers
to John Brockett and his wife Margaret. (fn. 90) Edward
Peade was holding it in 1589, when he alienated it
to Thomas Cheyne. (fn. 91)
CHURCH
St. Peter And St. Paul
The parish church of ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL stands at the north
end of the village. The church consists
of a chancel, nave, south chapel, north and south
aisles, west tower of three stages with leaded spire,
south porch of two stages with an octagonal north-west stair turret, north vestry and organ chamber. (fn. 92)
It is built of flint rubble with freestone dressings.
The existing nave is probably of the same plan as
that of the original 12th-century building, which
consisted of an aisleless nave and chancel. About
1200 the north and south aisles were added, and at
the same time, or perhaps a little later, the chancel
was enlarged to its present size. There are traces of
14th-century alterations in the chancel, but it was
not until the 15th century that any further addition
was made, when the south chapel was built, the
south aisle probably partly rebuilt, the clearstory of
the nave was made, and the south porch and west
tower were added. In 1861 the church was rather
drastically restored, the north aisle being completely
rebuilt, the windows and doors much repaired and
altered and the north vestry and organ chamber
added.
The chancel has an east window of three lights, in
which traces of early 14th-century work remain, but
the bulk of it is modern. On either side of it the
remains of a 13th-century lancet window are visible
with traces of contemporary paintings of figures of
angels on the remaining splays. The chapel arcade
on the south side is of the 15th century, of three
bays with columns of four clustered shafts and
moulded arches. Between the chancel and south
chapel are parts of a mid-15th-century parclose
screen, much repaired, with traceried panels and
moulded stiles and cornice. There are six poppy-head bench ends of the 15th century in the chancel,
also much restored. The north wall of the chancel
is modern.
The south chapel has an east window and three
square-headed south windows. The openings are
original, but all the tracery is modern, and the south
door is much restored. There is here an early 13th-century piscina, which has been reset. The mid15th-century screen at the west of the chapel has a
vaulted canopy. It is much restored throughout.
Plan of Kimpton Church
The nave has arcades of six bays, of the end of the
12th or early years of the 13th century. The arches
are two-centred, and of two moulded orders, with
drop labels facing the nave. The columns are
circular with moulded bases; some of the capitals
are scalloped and some foliate. The clearstory
windows are three on the north and four on the
south. They have two lights, and the westernmost
on the south side has a wooden head.
The north aisle is entirely modern. The south
aisle, which is much restored, has four three-light
windows, of which the jambs and rear arches only
are old. The roof of this aisle is of late 15th or early
16th-century date. It has moulded ridges, purlins and
wall-plates and cambered trusses resting on corbels
carved as angels. The south doorway is of the 15th
century and has a continuous moulding, and a label
with grotesque stops. It opens to the south porch, of
the same date, which is of two stories, and originally
had a window opening into the south aisle from the
second stage; this is now blocked. The pointed
entrance arch is plain and has a label with carved
stops. There are square-headed windows on the
east and west. The second stage is approached by
an octagonal stair turret rising above the porch, at
the north-west, at the angle of junction with the
aisle, and is lighted by a two-light traceried window
with a pointed head. Both the porch and the turret
have embattled parapets above string-courses. The
west tower is of two stages with strongly projecting
buttresses, an embattled parapet and a lead-covered
needle spire. At the north-east corner is a projecting stair turret. The tower arch is of the 15th century,
and is four-centred, of two moulded orders with flat
jambs. The west door is so much restored as to be
practically modern, and the same is true of the
window above it. The windows of the upper stage
of the tower are of two trefoiled lights; they also are
much restored.
The earliest monument is an early 15th-century
brass in the chancel, with the figure of a woman wearing her hair loose, having no inscription. There are
mural monuments to Susannah wife of Sir Jonathan
Keate, 1673, to Judith Orlebar, 1690, and to Sir
Jonathan Keate, 1700.
There are six bells: the first and third are by
Robert Oldfeild, 1636; the second is by John
Waylett, 1728; the fourth is by John Saunders,
and dates from the middle of the 16th century; the
fifth is probably by William Burford, of the middle
of the 14th century, and the sixth is by Robert
Oldfeild, with the date 1638.
The plate includes a cup of 1635.
The registers are contained in three books, the
first containing baptisms and burials from 1559 to
1777 and marriages from 1559 to 1753; the
second contains baptisms and burials from 1777
to 1812, and the third marriages from 1777 to
1812.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of the church of
St. Peter and St. Paul of Kimpton
was granted, probably by one of the
Says, to the priory of Austin Canons of Merton,
in Surrey. (fn. 93) A vicarage was ordained there previous
to 1291, (fn. 94) and between 1363 and 1397 the vicar
and Prior of Hertford (who had a grant of tithes of
pannage from Ralph de Limesi, see above) arranged
an allotment of tithes. (fn. 95) In February 1542–3 the
king granted the advowson to John Williams and
Anthony Stringer, (fn. 96) who alienated in the same year to
Nicholas Bacon and Henry Ashfelde. (fn. 97) Nicholas
Bacon conveyed the property in 1543 to Nicholas
Bristowe, (fn. 98) who died in 1584, leaving as heir his son
Nicholas. (fn. 99) Five years later the advowson was granted
to Richard Branthwayte and Roger Bromley, (fn. 100) who
were possibly acting as trustees or were merely 'fishing
grantees.' Nicholas son of the above Nicholas came
into possession at his father's death. (fn. 101) He was succeeded by his son Nicholas, (fn. 102) who held the property
until 1634, when he died, leaving to his daughters
Elizabeth and Anne a twenty-one years' interest in
the estate, which was to revert at the end of that
time to their uncle Robert Bristowe. (fn. 103) In 1663
Robert Bristowe and his son Nicholas conveyed the
advowson to Sir Jonathan Keate, bart., (fn. 104) and it
then descended with the manor of Kimpton (fn. 105) to
Viscount Hampden, the present patron.
In the 15th century Edmund atte Hoo left in his
will a bequest to the fabric of the church of Kimpton. (fn. 106)
A letter has been preserved, written by the Prior of
Merton to the Bishop of Lincoln, asking permission
for the construction of a private oratory without a
bell-tower. The request was apparently made on
behalf of Lady Ellen, formerly wife of Robert
de Vere. The chapel was to be used by her
household and guests alone, and the chaplain was to
make amends to the vicar of the mother church of
Kimpton if he gave the sacrament; while the vicar
could suspend the celebration if the mother church
suffered by it. (fn. 107)
The rectory was granted by the king in 1543 to
Nicholas Bristowe and Lucy his wife for their lives. (fn. 108)
In 1567 it was regranted to Nicholas Bristowe, their
son, on lease for twenty-one years. (fn. 109) A grant to
Richard Branthwayte and Roger Bromley in 1589 (fn. 110)
was probably in trust for Richard Spencer, (fn. 111) whose
son Sir John Spencer of Offley, bart. (so created in
1627), died seised in 1633 under a settlement made
by his father. (fn. 112) At Sir John's death the rectory
passed to his brother Brockett Spencer, (fn. 113) and afterwards descended in the family of Salusbury (fn. 114) with
the manor of St. Ledgers in Offley (q.v.).
There is a Wesleyan chapel in Kimpton.
CHARITIES
William Barford, D.D., Prebendary of Canterbury, Fellow of Eton,
and vicar of this parish, by his will
proved in the P.C.C. 31 January 1793 bequeathed
20s. yearly for the poor. The legacy is now represented by £33 6s. 8d. consols with the official trustees,
and the annual dividends amounting to 16s. 8d. are
distributed equally among eight poor persons.
John Bassill by his will, proved in the P.C.C.
1 February 1816, gave £120 stock, the dividends,
subject to keeping in repair the testator's vault, to
be applied every three years as to one-third for
dinner to the resident clergyman, one-third among
six poor families, and remaining one-third in prize
money for games among young people, first deducting 40s. for a dinner for the church ringers and parish
clerk.
The legacy is now represented by £192 0s. 5d.
consols with the official trustees, producing £4 16s.
yearly.