ILMINGTON

Acreage: 3,325.

Population: 1911, 576; 1921, 536; 1931, 531.

Until 1931 this parish formed the centre of a detached portion of the county of Warwick surrounded on the north and east by Worcestershire and on the west by Gloucestershire. In that year, however, the intervening Worcestershire parishes were annexed to Warwickshire. Ilmington is a long narrow parish, 4 miles from north to south with a breadth varying from less than a mile up to 2 miles. The ground is very hilly, rising from 225 ft. in the north where the road from Stratford-on-Avon to Chipping Campden enters the parish to 833 ft. where the same road crosses the southwestern boundary. In this high ground of the Ilmington Downs are several quarries, formerly worked both for building stone and road metal. Between the Downs and the village Nebsworth Hill is crossed by a track, known as Pig Lane, which may have been used in Roman times to connect the Ricknield Street and the Fosse Way. A little north of, and below, this track is a small rectangular earthwork which has been considered a Roman camp but is more probably medieval. (fn. 1) Half a mile due south of this is the hamlet of Foxcote, lying in a hollow with Windmill Hill to the east of it. A windmill belonging to the manor is mentioned as early as 1295 (fn. 2) and as late as 1697. (fn. 3) The southern extremity of the parish is occupied by the hamlet of Compton Scorpion.

About a quarter of a mile north-west of the church a chalybeate spring was found in 1684 and, thanks to the commendation of Dr. William Cole and a pamphlet by Dr. Samuel Derham, had a considerable vogue for some years. The site was enclosed and paved and was given to the public use for ever by Sir Henry, afterwards Lord, Capel in 1699, (fn. 4) but it has been for many years in private possession.

Dr. Thomas records, from the information of the rector, Abraham Swanne, that a popular gathering, wrongly styled a 'Wake', was held on 21 September, St. Matthew's day, which 'was set up by Mobbish People for wrestling and other masculine Exercises about the year 1650'. (fn. 5) This is said to have continued until about 1830. (fn. 6)

The parish contains a good deal of woodland, particularly in the neighbourhood of Foxcote and round the village, which still has some remains of its former green. The common fields were inclosed in 1781 under an Act (fn. 7) which affected 52 yardlands containing 1,820 acres.

The village is a fairly long and narrow one of a rambling plan in irregular oblongs one within the other, with roads branching off in all directions, some trailing up the slopes to the south-west and ending in culsde-sac.

The church sets back from the west side of, and within, the larger oblong and is approached only by a footpath passing south of it. The buildings are of usual Cotswold type, being mostly of Campden stone with thatched or stone-tiled roofs. Few have any noticeable architectural features. 'Hobdays', a small house on the west side of the road near the north end of the village, is dated 1709 and has the initials 1 & ms carved in a panel on its south-east front, but its windows are mullioned and have moulded labels and inside is a wide fire-place more characteristic of the 17th century.

The old Manor House (fn. 8) (Mrs. Spencer Flower) about 200 yds. east of the church is an early-to-mid-16thcentury many-gabled house of three stories that has been much altered and enlarged in the present century. The old part is of L-shaped plan, the longer range facing east, and of three gabled bays, the shorter wing facing south with two gabled bays and also gabled at its west end towards the roadway. The gables have copings and ball-finials. The windows have plain mullions and square heads with labels: those to the ground floor of the south-west wing also have transoms. In the alterations of c. 1920 the courtyard in the angle between the two parts has had a similar gabled wing built upon it, containing the dining-room, &c., but the windows in the old walls that looked into the courtyard have been retained in the dining-room. There are four original Tudor fire-places with moulded stone jambs and four-centred and square heads. One at the south end of the long hall that occupies two-thirds of the main block has a portcullis carved in each spandrel. The fire-place in the modern dining-room is in its original chimney-stack but turned the other way. The chimney-stacks have diagonal shafts.

A lower outbuilding to the north, facing the road, has been joined up with the house: its upper room has a roof that may be older than the main building: the middle truss has curved braces forming an arch below a collar-beam. A large barn north-east of the house has been converted into a music-room and joined to the house by a modern corridor.

The 'Dower House', now the Rectory, stands a short way north of the church, setting back on the west side of the road. It is an attractive stone-built house, mostly of rectangular plan and facing south-east. The front is of two periods, the northern half being of rougher ashlar than the southern, the two parts being each gabled and meeting with a straight joint. The north half of the house is of the 16th century and has mullioned windows with moulded jambs and square heads; the other half is probably of mid-17th-century addition; its mullioned windows have chamfered jambs, &c., and there is a cellar below this half only. The front entrance, in the middle opposite the central chimneystack, has moulded jambs and a lintel with a key-block and a segmental carved hood. Inside are plain wide fire-places and a 17th-century staircase.

Foxcote, 1¼ miles south-west of the church, is a large three-storied house of yellow stone ashlar built in the 18th century. The north-west and south-east fronts are divided into five bays by tall Doric pilasters and have entablatures: above the middle bay of each is a pediment. The middle doorway of the south-east front has a curved broken pediment and above the north-west doorway is a modern shield of arms. The interior is very plainly treated. The chapel attached to the house was for two centuries used by the Roman Catholics of the district, and John Mannock, O.S.B., a theological writer of some eminence, was chaplain to the Cannings here from 1709 until 1759. (fn. 9) In 1935, however, the Roman Catholic church of St. Philip, overlooking the village green, was consecrated.

The Methodists have a chapel, erected in 1848.

Manors

Ilmington occurs, as 'ylman dune', in a charter of 978 as one of the bounds of Tredington in Worcestershire. (fn. 10) At the time of the Domesday Survey it was held by the Count of Meulan; the main portion, 7 hides less 1 virgate, which had been held by three thegns, was in his own hands, (fn. 11) but 1 hide ½ virgate was held of him by Odard. (fn. 12)

In 1204 the manor of ILMINGTON was held by Robert de Harecourt, who on the loss of Normandy adhered to the King of France and forfeited his lands. A valuation of the manor then made showed that the rents produced £14 and that when it was fully stocked it was worth £20. (fn. 13) Out of this King John granted land to the value of £13 to Owen son of David, (fn. 14) but John de Harecourt, probably a son of Robert, seems to have recovered the manor, as upon his death it was granted, in 1219, to Philip de Ulecot. (fn. 15) In January 1221, however, Richard de Harecourt paid a fine to the king for the lands of his father Robert in Ilmington. (fn. 16) He died in or before 1246, when the manor had reverted to the Crown and had been assigned to Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. (fn. 17) He is said to have made a grant of the manor to Sir John son of Richard de Harecourt, (fn. 18) but subsequently gave it to Sir Peter de Montfort, who held the adjacent estate of Whitchurch, (fn. 19) to be held of him as one knight's fee. (fn. 20) Sir Peter's son Peter in 1272 obtained confirmation of his right to the manor from Sir John de Harecourt and the king. (fn. 21) His grandson Peter, who died in 1369, settled the reversion of the manor on his illegitimate son John in tail in 1324, (fn. 22) and it descended in that family, being held of the Honor of Leicester and Duchy of Lancaster, (fn. 23) with Coleshill (q.v.) until the attainder of Sir Simon Mountfort in 1495. (fn. 24) It was then granted, in 1497, to Sir Reynold Bray, (fn. 25) and on his death in 1503 passed to his niece Margery and her husband Sir William Sandys. (fn. 26) Their son Thomas, Lord Sandys, in 1550 sold the manor to (Sir) Thomas Andrews (fn. 27) of Charwelton (N'hants.). His son Thomas, with his wife Jane, made a settlement of the manor in 1603 on the marriage of his son John with Anne Reade (fn. 28) and died in 1609. (fn. 29) Sir John Andrews in 1613 sold to Sir Baptist Hicks, (fn. 30) who was created Viscount Campden and Baron Hicks of Ilmington in 1628 and died the following year. (fn. 31) Ilmington then passed to his younger daughter Mary, wife of Sir Charles Morrison, whose daughter and heir Elizabeth married Arthur Capell, Earl of Essex. (fn. 32) His descendant Algernon, Earl of Essex, conveyed the manor in 1700 to John Milles. (fn. 33) The history of the manor then becomes obscure. The Hon. Robert Shirley appears as lord in 1726 and 1729, and George Shirley in 1739 and 1764. (fn. 34) In 1764 Francis Canning, of Foxcote (see below), is so described, (fn. 35) and in 1770 he was dealing with the manor. (fn. 36) It continued in the family until the death of Robert Canning in about 1848, when it passed to his cousin Eliza Minto Canning, daughter of John Canning, who had married Philip Henry Howard of Corby (N'humb.); their son Philip Canning Howard held the manor at his death in 1934, after which it passed to his widow. (fn. 37)

Canning. Argent three Moors' heads couped wreathed about the temples or and azure.

FOXCOTE, which may perhaps represent the estate in Ilmington held by Odard in 1086, is called a hamlet in 1316. (fn. 38) It had no independent manorial rights, but an estate here was conveyed by Geoffrey le Marshall in 1294 to his son Gilbert, whose descendant Eustatia is said to have married John Salmon early in the 15th century. (fn. 39) Their daughter Agnes, according to a 17thcentury pedigree, (fn. 40) married Thomas Canning, whose descendants resided here for ten generations in the male line, till the death of Robert Canning in about 1848, when the estate passed with Ilmington Manor (see above) to the family of Howard.

Compton Scorpion is probably the 'parva Contone' of Domesday, where 5 hides which had been held by Brictic were held in 1086 by Warin under Robert de Stafford. (fn. 41)

In 1242 a half-fee in Hethin Cumpton was in the hands of Robert de Haleford, who held it of Roger le Poer, and he of Ernald de Bois, himself a tenant of Robert de Stafford. (fn. 42) A generation later, in 1279, Robert son of Peter was lord of Cumpton Shorefen, which he held of Thomas de Stoke, Jordan Cachelewe, and Felice his wife as ½ fee 'of the small fee of Stafford'; they held of William Poer, who held of John de Bois, a tenant of the Barony of Stafford. (fn. 43) No more is known of the mesne lordships, but in 1316 Robert de Val was lord of COMPTON SCOREFEN, (fn. 44) and Dugdale was probably right in suggesting (fn. 45) that Robert son of Peter was son of Peter de Valle, who occurs as a landowner in Warwickshire in 1227. (fn. 46) Sir Robert de Valle in 1334 settled the manor on himself with remainder to his son John and his heirs. (fn. 47) This John died in 1360 holding Compton from the Earl of Stafford, his heirs being John Burdet, aged 15, and John Noreys, aged 21, sons of his two sisters. (fn. 48) Accordingly we find among the fees of the Earl of Stafford in 1372 and 1386 Compton Scorefen held by John Burdet and Geoffrey Noreys, (fn. 49) and in 1392, 1398, and 1403 by Thomas Burdet and Geoffrey Noreys. (fn. 50) No more is known of the Noreys interest, but when Thomas Burdet, grandson of the above Thomas, was attainted in 1477 for plotting the murder of Edward IV by witchcraft (fn. 51) he was holding the manor jointly with Margaret his (second) wife. (fn. 52) Margaret afterwards married Thomas Wodhull, and they were dealing with the manor in 1495. (fn. 53) The estates of Thomas Burdet were disputed between the descendants of his two wives, but eventually Compton Scorefen was assigned to Thomas Burdet, grandson of Margaret. (fn. 54) He died in 1536, having settled the manor three years earlier on his son Robert at his marriage with Elizabeth daughter of Sir Thomas Cokayne. (fn. 55) In 1546 Robert sold the manor to William Sheldon and Robert Palmer. (fn. 56)

Palmer. Checky or and azure a chief gules.

The Sheldon moiety of the manor was inherited by Edward son of Ralph Sheldon in 1613 (fn. 57) and sold by him in 1616 to John Savage of Edgiock. (fn. 58) George Savage sold it in 1658 to Thomas Appletree. (fn. 59) The other moiety was in the hands of Giles Palmer in 1650, (fn. 60) and his grandson Giles held the estate with two of the four houses in the hamlet (the other two being held by Thomas Rowney of Oxford) in about 1730. (fn. 61) This Giles Palmer died while Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1734 and the estate was held by his widow until her death in 1763. (fn. 62) The only later reference to the manor of Compton Scorpion appears to be in 1800 and 1803, when Thomas Stanley Hill occurs as lord. (fn. 63)

Church

The parish church of ST. MARY consists of a chancel with a small north vestry, nave, north and south transepts, south porch, and west tower.

The building dates from about the middle of the 12th century, when it had a chancel and a nave of the present size. The west tower was the first addition, late in the same century. Early in the 13th century the chancel was rebuilt; its width and the thickness of its walls are doubtless those of the 12th century, but its length was increased. The north transept appears to have originated in the 13th century as a short aislechapel with an arcade of two 8 to 9 ft. bays, but the transept was apparently enlarged in the 15th century when the arcade was altered from two bays into one large bay with the re-use of the older material. Most likely the south transept was then added to complete the crossshaped plan, but it has been almost entirely rebuilt in modern times (1846 ?). The clearstory of the nave was a mid-late-14th-century addition but the roof shows no detail earlier than the 16th century. The top stage of the tower is a late-15th-century heightening and the south porch an early-16th-century addition. The church was restored in 1846, apparently rather drastically; further repairs were done in 1911, when the blocked tower archway was reopened and the nave roof opened out. The roof had to be repaired again in 1939 owing to the ravages of the death-watch beetle.

The chancel (about 26½ ft. by 14½ ft.) has an east window of four cinquefoiled lights and tracery of 15thcentury character in a two-centred head with a hoodmould. Only the splays and the rear-arch are ancient. In the north wall are three 13th-century lancets, of one chamfer outside and with wide rubble splays with ashlar dressings and segmental rear-arches. The lower part of the middle window has been cut away for the modern doorway to the vestry. The south wall has two windows of c. 1500, each of two elliptical-headed lights under a square head. The external labels have return stops, above which are carved lozenges or squares. The masonry is greyer than that of the walling. Between them is a 13th-century lancet, and below this is a priest's doorway with jambs and pointed head of curiously unconventional mouldings, having quasicaps at the springing-level and a hood-mould with human heads carved above the return stops. There is another similar head carved on the sill of the lancet above it. The doorway has an elliptical rear-arch.

Below the south-east window is a small 14th-century piscina with a trefoiled ogee head and remains of a round basin, and west of it are three sedilia with moulded stone seats at one level: the recesses have ogee heads and foiled panels above them under a square main head. The east half is ancient, probably 14th-century, the west half is modern, and the westernmost recess has a cinquefoiled head. In the west half of both side-walls, which are unusually thick for the 13th century, are four stall-recesses with hollow-chamfered jambs and plain pointed heads of the 13th century.

The walls are of coursed ashlar in yellow Campden stone and without plinths. There is modern ashlar below the east window; probably the sill was lower than now. At the east angles are 15th-century diagonal buttresses. The east wall is gabled and has late-18th-century copings and modern kneelers.

The gabled roof is hidden by a segmental plastered ceiling. It is covered with tiles and has eaves gutters.

Plan of Ilmington Church.

The chancel arch has a round head of three square orders towards the west and two towards the east. The chamfered innermost order of the responds is mostly modern; the other orders are carried on nook-shafts (restored) with the original 12th-century capitals: the outer northern on the west face is carved with a human mask, at the angle, and interlacing strap ornament. The other capitals are of cushion type, two on the west face having cheveron line-ornament cut in the curves. The chamfered abaci are carried to the side walls as stringcourses and stop the ends of the grooved and chamfered hood-mould.

In the north wall of the modern vestry is a re-used window of two trefoiled lights and tracery in a twocentred head, mostly 14th-century work.

The nave (57½ ft. by 21½ ft.) has an archway of about 17 ft. span at the east end of the north wall opening into the transept. It has a two-centred order of two chamfered orders with small and medium voussoirs and plain chamfered hood-moulds on both faces, with head-stops under the west ends. The east respond is of two similar orders, the inner with a modern moulded capital. The west respond is an early-13thcentury round pillar set against the south-west angle of the transept and having a moulded base and capital. If the re-used material is indigenous the whole feature seems to have been a 15th-century remodelling of an earlier arcade of two narrow (8 to 9 ft.) bays.

West of it—only 8 ft. from the respond—is a 12 in. round-headed window of the 12th century. The 12thcentury north doorway is a plain feature with a reset segmental head of two square orders, and grooved and chamfered abaci and hood-mould, carried on jambs also of two orders, the inner chamfered, the outer with a roll mould. The bottom of the doorway is walled up, the rest being converted into a window.

On the south side is a wide pointed archway into the south transept, all modern; and west of it a 12th-century window like that opposite. In the west half of the wall is a window of c. 1330, of two trefoiled ogee-headed lights and a quatrefoil in a two-centred head. The south doorway, of the 12th century, was altered in the early 16th century, only the original outer order of the head and hood-mould being left in place. Both have zig-zag mouldings of the usual sections, the hood having pellets in the indents. It has been cut into two by an early16th-century cinquefoiled ogee-headed niche for an image. This has side-pilasters with pinnacles; the head has crockets and a finial, all rather crudely cut. The doorway has jambs and depressed four-centred head of two orders, the outer hollowed. There are four steps down from the porch to the nave floor.

The clearstory is lighted in each side by three windows of two trefoiled ogee-headed lights and foiled piercings in a square head without a label. The jambs are of two chamfered orders.

The thick nave walls are of 12th-century irregular rubble in Campden stone with ashlar dressings at the west angles. The plinth, if any, is hidden by the higher ground of the churchyard. There are no buttresses. Inside the masonry has been revealed by the removal of the dado wall-lining: the original masonry is of large irregular rubble, but 3½ ft. west of the west angle of the north transept is a vertical break and a change to coursed and squared small rubble, probably of the date of the transept. The upper parts of the walls are plastered.

At the base of the comparatively tall clearstory is an external weather-course, the face above setting back a few inches and being of roughly squared rubble.

The plain parapets have a moulded coping and stringcourse.

The roof was restored in 1939. It is low-pitched and divided into five bays by moulded tie-beams, probably of the 16th century, with wall-posts and curved braces. On the soffits of three are bosses carved from the solid, two with conventional rosettes and one with an ihs centre. The trusses are carried on stone corbels, some with plain shields. On the east face of the tower is the weather-course of the former steeply pitched gabled roof, its apex reaching to the top of the second stage.

The north transept (about 20½ ft. square) has modern three-light traceried windows in the east and north walls. In both side walls are two 15th-century clearstory windows, each of two trefoiled pointed lights and tracery in a square head with an external label having square volute stops. The walls are built of coursed rough ashlar with a chamfered plinth. There are 15thcentury diagonal buttresses at the north angles, and at the south end of the east wall is a slight projection, probably the north-east angle of the original nave. The parapets are plain and have old copings and stringcourses differing from those of the nave. The north wall has a low-pitched gable. The roof has been much repaired but retains a 15th-century middle truss with a cambered tie-beam on wall-posts and curved braces. It has stone corbels and there are corbels for two other former trusses.

The south transept (about the same size) is more or less a replica of the other. The windows are modern, except for the two clearstory windows in the west wall. The west wall and the south wall, excepting the gablehead, are of ancient yellow rubble, probably re-used material. Reset in the south-east angle inside is an incomplete vertical carved stone with a collared and chained bear squatting on its haunches and below it part of another beast, perhaps a dog. What purpose it served is not evident. The roof of two bays is modern.

The south porch (8½ ft. square), of the early 16th century, has a four-centred entrance with a hollow mould outside and chamfer inside, both with broach base-stops. In the side walls are unglazed square-headed windows of two lights. The walls are of largish coursed yellow ashlar and have a moulded plinth and plain parapets. At the angles are diagonal buttresses. The lowpitched south gable has a shield carved on the parapet, charged with four bends. There are stone benches inside. In the east wall is an ogee-headed stoup with a shallow basin.

The west tower (about 15 ft. north to south by 13 ft. inside) is of four stages, the three lower diminishing outside and divided by plain weather-courses. The lowest stage is of coursed yellow ashlar in medium-large stones, some of which still show the original diagonal tooling, and has a low moulded and splayed plinth. At its west angles are shallow clasping buttresses and at the east similar buttresses, but the sides are flush with the east wall. Between them in all three walls are narrower buttresses. All are tabled back at the lowest stringcourse level, except the south-west containing the stairvice, which rises to the top of the third stage.

The masonry of the second and third stages is of similar but somewhat smaller courses. The 15thcentury top stage is of larger and smoother yellow ashlar and has a moulded base-course and an embattled parapet of greyer stone. The parapet string-course has a middle gargoyle in each face. Above each was originally a pinnacle, of which only the V-shaped pilaster remains in the parapet: there were also angle-pinnacles.

The stair-vice in the south-west angle is approached by a right-angled passage from a square-headed doorway at the south end of the west wall inside and is lighted by west loops. The steps are badly worn. The very plain archway from the nave has responds and round head of four continuous chamfered orders towards the nave and three towards the tower: the arch has pressed the responds out of perpendicular. The west and south walls have original round-headed windows, 18 in. wide, piercing the intermediate buttresses: below the western was a 17th-century doorway with a square head, now blocked.

The next story has a similar west window and in the east wall is a round-headed doorway, now mostly restored inside with brickwork, with steps up through it on to the nave roof: it opened originally into the earlier gabled roof-space; north of it inside is an old locker rebated for a door. Another window in the south wall is now blocked. This chamber has an ancient floor, open-timbered below.

The third stage, the original bell-chamber, had each wall pierced by a wider window, now indicated only by straight joints in the masonry.

The fourth stage, the late-15th-century bell-chamber, has a window in each wall of two trefoiled ogee-headed lights and a quatrefoil in a straight-sided four-centred head without a hood-mould. The jambs and head have large external splays. There is no floor between this chamber and the older chamber below. The lowpitched, almost flat, roof is apparently of modern repair.

The font has a plain octagonal bowl with a hollowed under edge in a chamfer; it is probably of the early 16th century, but the upper half of the stem is a curious and rather clumsy attempt at quasi-Norman decoration by cutting engrailed, indented, and foiled edges in faces diminishing downwards, the lower half being splayed and the base chamfered.

The altar is a small early-18th-century table with shaped cabriole legs. In the tower is a 16th-century iron-bound chest with a half-round coved lid which has been restored: it has three locks.

A badly worn stone effigy is that of a priest in mass vestments, probably of the early 15th century: the head rests on a cushion, the feet on a dog. It now stands upright in the tower.

On the east wall of the north transept is a plain panelled stone tablet with a pedimental head, set up by John Palmer to his father Richard, died 1582, and to his own wife Frances daughter of Nicholas Overbury of Borton, died 1601, with her only son Richard. There are three shields of arms.

On the same wall is a brass plate to members of the Brent family, starting with William, lord of Stoke and Admington, 1595, and Elizabeth his wife, and continuing to 1666. There are also four detached shields charged with a wyvern.

On the west wall of the transept is a tablet, like that opposite, to Giles Palmer eighth son of John and Eleanor (Rouse), died 1665, placed by his widow Elizabeth daughter of Henry Jones of Chastleton. Also a small brass to Edmund sixth son of Henry Jones, 1667(8); and another to Dorothy widow of Giles Palmer and daughter of Humphrey Lyttelton, 1763. There are uninscribed floor slabs, two with brass shields with the Brent wyvern. There are grave-slabs in the nave to Joan wife of Richard Canning of Foxcote, 1685, to Apolonia wife of Frances Canning, 1712(13), and to Thomas Canning son of Richard, 1716.

There are five bells by Henry Bagley, 1641.

The communion-plate includes an Elizabethan chalice with a cover bearing the date 1571; and a flagon given by Michael Sparke in 1640.

The registers begin in 1588.

In the churchyard is a stone carved with a crucifix on one side—perhaps the base of a 15th-century cross. (fn. 64) There are also several 17th-century tombstones, and one to Hutton Corbet, who died in 1706, aged 106 years, 9 months, and 11 days.

Advowson

There was a priest, implying a church, at Ilmington in 1086, (fn. 65) and the advowson descended with the manor, being conveyed with it in 1550 to Sir Thomas Andrews. (fn. 66) One of this family seems to have parted with it, possibly because they were Roman Catholics. (fn. 67) Presentation was made by Queen Elizabeth in 1586, (fn. 68) but by the end of 1588 the rectory and advowson were in the hands of Thomas Bushell of Packwood, who sold them to John Childe. He sold one moiety thereof to William Awstyne and the other moiety to Thomas Childe of Ilmington, who in 1607 sold his share to Richard Canning of Foxcote. The legality of the sales was challenged by Sir Edward Bushell, brother of Thomas, (fn. 69) but with what result is not known. George Boteler of Leigh (Rutland) presented in 1632, and Francis Kinge, merchant tailor of London, in 1635. (fn. 70) In 1669 Henry Parker presented, and in 1719 his greatgrandson Sir Henry Parker, bart., who died in 1771. (fn. 71) Before this, however, he had parted with the advowson, the patrons in 1750 being Robert Backhouse and Edward Griffith, clerks. (fn. 72) Between 1762 and 1785 presentations were made by the Rev. Richard Swanne, (fn. 73) who was the son of Abraham Swanne of Ilmington. (fn. 74) Gore Townsend of Honington Hall was patron from 1802, (fn. 75) and on his death in 1826 the advowson passed to his fourth son, (fn. 76) the Rev. E. J. Townsend, who died in 1858. (fn. 77) The patronage was acquired by the Rev. Nicholas John Warner, who became rector in 1896, (fn. 78) and was held by his executors until about 1935. It was then bought by the Martyrs' Memorial Trust and conveyed by them to Canford School. (fn. 79)

Charities

Richard Badger's Charity. This parish receives 1/42nd of the income of this charity, amounting to £17 16s. 9d. annually, representing the church share, and a like amount representing the poor's share. These amounts are applied in accordance with the trusts.

The Rev. Christopher Cleobury by will proved 21 Dec. 1863 gave to the incumbent and churchwardens £50, the income to be disposed of in bread, fuel, and clothing to the poor of the parish. The endowment produces £18s. 4d. annually in dividends, which are applied for the benefit of the poor of the parish.

John Bartlett, who died in 1762, gave 5s. a year to the churchwardens of this parish to be distributed to such widows or widowers, churchgoers, as should not receive any collection. The 5s. was regularly paid by John Bartlett of Witney, great-nephew of the donor, as a charge upon certain lands in Ilmington which he derived from his ancestor, until the year 1857, but does not appear to have been paid since that date.

Church Lands. Upon the inclosure of the common fields of Ilmington in 1781 an allotment of 32 a. 1r. 30 p. was awarded to the rector and churchwardens in lieu of three-quarters of a yardland and the right of common to the same belonging, held by them as trustees for the repair of the church of Ilmington; and a further allotment of 4 a. o r. 10 p. was also awarded in exchange for a close called Church Close or Crow Yard containing 1a. 0 r. 7 p. There were also five cottages with small gardens and an orchard and small close; but the source from which this property was derived is unknown.

Part of the land has been sold and the endowment now consists of four inclosures of arable and pasture land containing 37 acres or thereabouts at Ilmington adjoining Berryfields Farm, let at an annual rent, and two sums of stock. The income is applied to the repairs and expenses of the church.

Footnotes