BARFORD
Acreage: 1,677.
Population: 1911, 694; 1921, 639; 1931, 634.
This small parish is pleasantly situated on the left
bank of the River Avon, which forms its western
boundary. The village, with the church in its centre,
lies close to the river along a road running roughly
parallel to it. Some 15 or 16 of the houses show
remains of 17th-century timber-framing, a few having
thatched roofs. At its west end the village street meets
the road from Warwick to Kineton, along which the
houses are mostly of the 18th century or later, but just
south of the 18th-century stone bridge over the Avon
is a farm building and opposite it a cottage with some
17th-century framing. The ancient manor-house was
destroyed in the 19th century; as was also The Grange,
another ancient house near the church, which was for
more than a century the home of the family of Ward. (fn. 1)
The northern end of the parish is largely occupied by
Barford Wood, which is now part of Warwick Castle
Park, the road from the village, which used to run
through it, having been diverted to run along its eastern
edge. Leafield Bridge in this neighbourhood probably
marks the site of the mill of 'la Lee' (see below).
Under an Act of 1760 the whole parish was inclosed.
It is good agricultural land. Joseph Arch, who played
so important a part in improving the lot of the agricultural labourer, was born at Barford in 1826 and
retired to a cottage here in his old age, where he died
in February 1919. (fn. 2)
Manor
Under Edward the Confessor 1 hide in
BARFORD was held by Saulf, which in
1086 was held by William son of Corbucion. (fn. 3)
The greater part, 4 hides, was at the same date held by
one Hugh from Osbern son of Richard, 'two knights'
holding part of it under Hugh. (fn. 4) Osbern had inherited
from his father the honour of Richard's Castle in
Herefordshire, (fn. 5) and the overlordship of Barford descended for some time with this fief. Osbern's son
Hugh married Eustache daughter and heiress of
Hugh de Say, and their descendants assumed the name
of de Say. (fn. 6) In 1210 Margaret, heiress of the de Says,
married Robert de Mortimer. (fn. 7) On the death of Robert,
Margaret married William de Stuteville, (fn. 8) who therefore was holding half a knight's fee in Barford in 1235. (fn. 9)
Margaret's grandson Robert de Mortimer held it in
1279 (fn. 10) and at the time of his death in 1287. (fn. 11) Not
long after this the overlordship passed in some way to
the Earl of Warwick, who held it in 1316. (fn. 12)
A mesne lordship was held by the family of Verdon.
In 1212 Nicholas de Verdon held what is then called
1/6 knight's fee in Barford of the honour of Richard's
Castle. (fn. 13) His daughter Rose, who married Theobald
le Botiler, held a half-fee here in 1242, (fn. 14) as did her
grandson Theobald de Verdon in 1279 (fn. 15) and 1287. (fn. 16)
His son Theobald held it in
1316, (fn. 17) and when his lands were
divided between his heirs in
1344 this half-fee was assigned
to Thomas, son of his fourth
daughter Joan and her husband
Thomas, Lord Furnivalle. (fn. 18) He
died without issue in 1365, (fn. 19)
and his brother William, Lord
Furnivalle, died in 1383 seised
of this half-fee, (fn. 20) which was assigned in 1385 to his daughter
Joan and her husband Thomas de Neville, (fn. 21) after
which no more is heard of this mesne lordship.
Verdon. Or fretty gules.
Hugh the under-tenant of Osbern in 1086 was
evidently the same Hugh who held under Osbern at
Hillborough and Ipsley (q.v.) in this county and in
Keysoe, Risely and 'Elvendone' in Bedfordshire, where
he is identified as Hugh Hubald. (fn. 22) In 1205 Henry
Hubald of Barford was concerned with land in 'Eluedon' in Beds., (fn. 23) clearly the unidentified 'Elvendone'.
Two years earlier Henry Hubald acquired 3 virgates
in Ipsley from Walter de Bereford, (fn. 24) and in 1219
Denise de Bereford is definitely called sister and heir
of Henry Hubaud of Barford; (fn. 25) as his heir she held
the half-fees of Ipsley in 1220, (fn. 26) but in this case and
elsewhere she is called sister and heir of Henry de
Bereford, (fn. 27) and daughter of Walter son of Reynold. (fn. 28)
This Walter de Bereford gave 12 acres in Barford to
Walter son of Thurstan de Charlecote, and the gift
was confirmed by his son Henry. (fn. 29) Ipsley continued in
the hands of the Hubauds, but Denise married
(? William) de Nafford (fn. 30) and Barford passed to her
eldest son Henry. (fn. 31) On the death of Henry de Nafford
in about 1250 the manor passed to his kinsman
William de Nafford, (fn. 32) probably a nephew. He was
succeeded, after 1268, (fn. 33) by his son William, who was
holding the half-fee of Theobald de Verdon in 1279 (fn. 34)
and in 1285 established his claim to gallows, view of
frankpledge, and assize of bread and ale in his manor of
Barford. (fn. 35) The younger William died about 1290,
leaving a widow Nichole (fn. 36) and a son and heir John. (fn. 37)
The name of John de Nafford occurs frequently as
lord of Barford between 1293 and 1335, (fn. 38) and in 1337
he was said to be holding the half-fee. (fn. 39) He probably
died about this time and it is possible that his immediate
successor was the Henry Tankard who is said in 1428
to have 'formerly' held ⅓ knight's fee in Barford, (fn. 40) for
Mr. Henry Tankard and Denise his wife occur in
1325 (fn. 41) and he appears as one of the smaller taxpayers
in Barford in 1332. (fn. 42) In some way the manor appears
to have come into the hands of William de Clinton,
Earl of Huntingdon, (fn. 43) and to have been conveyed by
him in 1340 to the Earl of Warwick. (fn. 44) From this date
the manor descended for some time with the estates of
the earldom. (fn. 45)
Lands in Barford were granted by Queen Elizabeth in 1562 to Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwick, (fn. 46)
and 'the manor' was granted to him in 1564. (fn. 47) His
widow the Countess Anne conveyed it in 1603 to
William Jeffes of Walton. (fn. 48) The countess, however,
had only a life interest, and in 1602 the queen had
granted the reversion of the manor to Simeon Chambers and William Holman. (fn. 49) Its subsequent history
is obscure, but by 1709 it was in the hands of Lord
Willoughby de Broke, (fn. 50) in whose family it remained until 1760, when it was sold to Francis, Earl
Brooke and Warwick, (fn. 51) and the Earl of Warwick is
the present lord of the manor.
A manor of Barford was in the hands of the college
of Westbury-on-Trym (Gloucs.) in 1535, when the
demesnes were farmed for £2 13s. 4d. and the rents
of the customary tenants produced £7 19s., a payment
of 14d. being made to 'the lord of Warwick'. (fn. 52) It seems
probable that the estate had been given, presumably by
Richard, Earl of Warwick, to the college in about 1465,
at which time the canons acquired the right of nominating to the rectory (see below). After the suppression
of the college its possessions, including the manor of
Barford, were sold to Sir Ralph Sadleir in 1544. (fn. 53) In
1546 this reverted to the crown; (fn. 54) in 1566 it was
settled on Anne, Countess of Warwick, for life, and it
was definitely this manor (fn. 55) that was granted in reversion
to Chambers and Holman in 1602.
In 1279 the Knights Templars held under William
de Nafford 1 virgate in Barford, (fn. 56) which had been
given to them in 1240 by William son of Thomas. (fn. 57)
This may be the virgate which Eudes de Bereford in
1303 sold to Nicholas de Warrewik, as the Master of
the Temple put in his claim on that occasion. (fn. 58)
Very early in the 13th century Henry de Bereford
and Isabel his wife granted the church of Barford and
certain messuages there to the canons of Thelsford. (fn. 59)
Shortly after this these canons (of the Order of the
Holy Sepulchre) were replaced by Trinitarian Friars, (fn. 60)
to whom a number of grants, mostly of small properties,
in Barford were made. (fn. 61) By 1279 the friars were
holding 5 virgates here of Peter de Montfort, who held
of Robert Aumfrey, (fn. 62) and 6 virgates of Fulk de Lucy (fn. 63)
under William Nafford. (fn. 64) In 1332 the friars were the
largest taxpayers in the parish, (fn. 65) and in 1535 their
property here brought in £8 13s. 4d. (fn. 66) The grange of
Barford, formerly belonging to Thelsford, was sold in
1545 to William Pynnok, (fn. 67) and later came into the
hands of the Ward family. (fn. 68)
Small properties within this parish were held by the
religious houses of Henwood, Kenilworth, St. Mary's,
Warwick, Bordesley, and Evesham. (fn. 69)
Mills
There was at Barford in 1086 a mill worth
2s. and 3 sticks of eels. (fn. 70) Henry de Bereford
in about 1205 granted to the monks of Bordesley his mills of Barford, with the aid of his men to
repair the pool when necessary, and the right of taking
earth for repair of the mills and ponds. (fn. 71) The grant of
these three mills was confirmed by Denise his sister in
1222, (fn. 72) and the abbot paid 14 marks and promised to
pay her for life 12 marks per annum. She also confirmed his grant of a little island near the mill of La
Lee. Henry de Nafford, son of Denise, held the mill of
Barford from Bordesley with a covenant not to injure
the mill of 'La Lee' and to erect certain bounds at
'Alrefford' above the level of which the water was not
to be allowed to rise. (fn. 73) John de Nafford in 1293 gave a
bond to the abbot for arrears of rent for the mill of
Bereford payable at the mill of 'La Lee'. (fn. 74) About the
same time he granted the last-named mill to the priory
of Thelsford. (fn. 75) In 1562 'two water mills of Barford'
were granted to Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwick,
which had previously belonged to his father, John
Dudley, Earl of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland. (fn. 76) These same mills were in 1609 granted by the
king to Edward Ferrers and Francis Philipps. (fn. 77) In
1657 it was stated that the corn mills of Barford had
for long been held by the late Rowley Ward, his father
and ancestors; (fn. 78) and Charles Ward, a member of the
same family, in 1692 quitclaimed 4 water-mills in
Barford to the heirs of William Price. (fn. 79)
Church
The parish church of ST. PETER consists of a chancel, north transeptal organchamber and vestry, nave, north and south
aisles, south porch, and west tower.
The tower dates from the end of the 14th century;
the remainder of the church was rebuilt in 1844 in
the style of the same period. The walls are of ashlar
stonework and the roofs covered with slates. The nave
arcades are of five bays. The nave and chancel roofs
have hammer-beam trusses. The floors are paved with
Wilmcote stone.
The west tower, about 9½ ft. square, is built of
ashlar stonework and has a plinth of two chamfered
courses and an embattled parapet. At the angles are
diagonal buttresses that formerly had pinnacles above
them. The upper part of the tower is largely concealed
by verdure. The high segmental-pointed arch towards
the nave is of two chamfered orders dying on the square
jambs. The floor of the tower is two steps below that
of the nave.
The west window is of three cinquefoiled lights without tracery under a two-centred head. The jambs,
which are splayed inside and out, and part of the head
are ancient. In the south wall is a modern four-centred
doorway, now the principal entrance to the church, and
in the south-west angle is a splay with a four-centred
doorway to the vice, with an ancient plain oak door.
The second story is lighted by rectangular windows to
the north and south. The bell-chamber has windows
of two trefoiled lights and plain spandrels in a twocentred head. The pyramidal roof has a central
weather-vane.
The font and other furniture are modern.
In the vestry is a stone tablet to the Reverend Thomas
Warde, 'gentleman, parson of Barford', 1532. A mural
monument on the north side of the chancel is to Thomas
Dugard, A.M., 1683; it is of stone with Corinthian
shafts, entablature, and pediment. There are several
later memorials mostly to incumbents and their relatives.
Lying in the tower is a 14th-century recumbent
effigy of a woman in a close-fitting dress, veil and
wimple, the head resting on a cushion. At the foot is
apparently a dog. The effigy is badly worn and
damaged, the arms are missing and the surface of the
skirt either worn or cut down several inches.
There is also a 16th-century iron-bound chest,
3 ft. 4 in. long, with plain strap-hinges, a lock and two
hasps fitting into it which are secured in place by a
horizontal bar engaged in two ring-staples, one end
being turned up and the other end looped for a padlock.
The three bells are dated 1709, 1639, and 1661—the second and third by Henry Bagley. (fn. 80)
The registers begin in 1538.
There is a fine row of yew-trees south of the church.
Advowson
About 1205 Henry de Bereford
gave the church of Barford to the
canons of Thelsford. (fn. 81) In 1276
William de Nafford gave the advowson to the abbey of
Evesham, (fn. 82) who strengthened their position by bringing an action for the right of presentation against the
Prior of Thelsford. (fn. 83) In 1291 the rectory was valued
at £7 6s. 8d., (fn. 84) and in 1535 at £11 11s. (fn. 85)
Although Evesham retained the right of presentation
until the Dissolution, from 1466 onwards the presentee
was nominated to the abbot by the Dean and Chapter
of the College of Westbury-on-Trym (Gloucs.). (fn. 86)
What happened to the advowson after the Dissolution
is not known, but in 1551 John Hales conveyed it to his
brother Stephen, who died seised of the advowson in
1574. (fn. 87) Bartholomew Hales bought it of his executors,
and shortly afterwards sold it to Edward Combes, who
presented in 1576 (fn. 88) and was dealing with the advowson
in 1580. (fn. 89) Philip and William Jones, to whom he conveyed it, sold it in 1582 to Andrew Ognell, from whom
it was bought by Thomas Ward. He in 1602 gave it
to his son Rowley, whose grandson Thomas sold it
to William Newsham. From him it passed to one
Bellamy, who sold it to the Rev. John Mills, who
had been presented to the living in 1740, and has
descended to the present patron, Major J. D. Mills,
D.L., J.P. (fn. 90)
Charities
Miss Sarah Ann Ayres by will proved
12 December 1919 bequeathed £100,
the income to be applied towards keeping the churchyard in good order.
William Henry Reading by will proved 25 August
1927 similarly gave £100, the income to be applied in
keeping the churchyard, and particularly the grave
therein of members of the testators' family, in good
order.
Mrs. Ida Small's Fund for upkeep of the churchyard
originally consisted of a gift of £150. These charities
are administered by the vicar and churchwardens.
Beale's Charity. Upon an old tablet formerly affixed
in the church was an inscription stating that John Beale
gave £60 to this town, which money was laid out in
land in Leamington Priors. In the Returns under
Gilbert's Act it is stated that the charity was given by
the will of John Beale in 1672. The charity is now
regulated by a Scheme of the Charity Commissioners
which appoints a body of trustees to administer the
charity and provides for the application of the income
of £30 approx., for the general benefit of the poor.
Overton's Charity. Upon an old Benefaction Table,
dated 1757, it was stated that John Overton gave 10s.
a year to be given to the poor of Barford at Christmas
yearly. The gift was charged upon some small tenements in Barford. The rentcharge was redeemed in
1930, and 10s. annually in dividends are distributed by
the rector to poor widows.