HUNNINGHAM
Acreage: 1,261.
Population: 1911, 177; 1921, 198; 1931, 227.
Hunningham is a small parish and village in the
Learn valley, 3½ miles north-east of Leamington Spa.
The river Learn forms the boundary on the north and
west, the village being near the river. Hunningham
Bridge, which connects the parish with Weston-underWetherley, was out of repair in the early 17th century,
the inhabitants of the two parishes being presented at
Quarter Sessions in 1636 and 1638. It was found,
however, 'by ancient indenture' to be chargeable to
Knightlow Hundred, and was eventually repaired in
1651 for £20 at the cost of the hundred. (fn. 1) This suggests
that the by-road carried by the bridge, running roughly
parallel with the 'Welsh Road' from Napton-on-theHill and Long Itchington towards Stoneleigh, was
formerly of some importance. The Fosse Way runs
diagonally across the centre of the parish and is here a
metalled road, though not one of the portions which
are still a first-class main road. The Rugby and
Leamington branch of the L.M.S.R. runs across the
south-east of the parish, but there is no station nearer
than Marton, 3 miles distant. The south-east boundary
is formed by the river Itchen, a tributary of the Learn;
near the two rivers the land is liable to floods and about
200 ft. above sea level, rising to 334 ft. on the southern
edge where Ridgeway Lane crosses the railway. A
fishery at Hunningham is mentioned in 1348. (fn. 2)
Among the vicars of Hunningham was George
Leigh Cooke (? 1780–1853), Sedleian Professor of
Natural Philosophy at Oxford, who held the living
(in plurality) from 1824. (fn. 3)
Manors
HUNNINGHAM in 1086 formed part
of the lands of William fitz Corbucion,
whose tenants were Osmund (2 hides
formerly held freely by Ernewi) and Chetel (1½ hides
and ½ virgate formerly held by Saulf). (fn. 4) This William
held several Warwickshire manors, the chief being at
Studley, and was probably sheriff of the county, a
charter of William the Conqueror confirming grants to
Worcester cathedral priory being addressed to him. (fn. 5)
The tenancy in chief was evidently granted to the Earl
of Warwick, as William's descendant Peter de Studley (fn. 6)
held 10 knights' fees of the Earl of Warwick in 1166
de vetero feffamento, (fn. 7) and in 1235 the Warwick
holding in Hunningham was reckoned at a quarter of
a knight's fee, the tenant not being named. (fn. 8) This
quarter-fee was in 1242 held by Robert de Deyvill of
William de Cantilupe, who held of the heir of Geoffrey
Corbucion, and he of the Earl of Warwick, (fn. 9) and is
again recorded as belonging to the earl in 1316. (fn. 10)
In 1401 the earl's quarter-fee was held by Edward
Metteley. (fn. 11) Four years later Sir Walter Cokesey held
the manor of Hunningham of the Earl of Warwick, (fn. 12)
and his grandson Sir Hugh similarly in 1445. (fn. 13) In
1460 the manor was stated to be held of the king
through the forfeiture of Richard, Earl of Warwick
(the Kingmaker), (fn. 14) and in the following year it was
among the fees in Warwickshire held by John, Duke
of Norfolk. (fn. 15) The manor was, however, restored to
the earldom of Warwick after the creation of the new
(Clarence) earldom in 1472, and was so held in 1473 (fn. 16)
and 1480. (fn. 17) After the final extinction of the Clarence
earldom the overlordship was retained by the Crown,
and the manor was stated to be held as of Warwick
Castle or of the earldom of Warwick in 1520 (fn. 18) and as
late as 1624. (fn. 19)
William fitz Corbucion was apparently succeeded
by Robert, (fn. 20) but the next member of the family to
figure at Hunningham is Geoffrey Corb(ucion) who
granted the chapel to his clerk Richard between 1161
and 1170. (fn. 21) The Peter (Corbucion) 'of Studley' who
held the fees in 1166 may have been his brother, as he
is said to have been 'son of William' (fn. 22) and was probably
grandson of the Domesday tenant. He had a son
Peter, who was living in 1200 (fn. 23) and seems to have
been succeeded here by Richard Corbicun, who in
1221 granted to his son Geoffrey 'the whole estate of
Hunningham' with the chief messuage. (fn. 24) Richard
died in or shortly before 1227, when his widow
Beatrice had dower in Hunningham, the reversion of
which Geoffrey granted to his brother Richard. (fn. 25)
Geoffrey was dead by 1242, when his heir is referred
to; (fn. 26) in 1311 the quarter-fee was held by William
Corbicun, (fn. 27) who was himself dead by 1316, (fn. 28) when
his heirs held it. As late as 1347 John son of John son
of William Corbicun was holding land in the parish, (fn. 29)
but no more is heard of the family's overlordship.
Peter son of Peter (Corbucion) of Studley enfeoffed
William de Cantilupe in much of his estate, (fn. 30) and it
was no doubt through his accession to the Cantilupe
estates (fn. 31) that John de Hastings, Lord Bergavenny,
claimed court leet in Hunningham in 1284. (fn. 32) His son
John had view of frank-pledge there in 1325. (fn. 33)
In 1295 Urian de St. Pierre died in possession of a
capital messuage and land in Hunningham, held of
Sir John de Hastings as one-third knight's fee. (fn. 34) This
estate passed to his grandson Urian, at whose death in
1311 it was said to be held of William 'Corpison' as a
quarter-fee. (fn. 35) It was conveyed by his son John to
William son of Sir William Trussell in 1334, (fn. 36) and
William Trussell is stated to have held a quarter-fee
in Hunningham of the heirs of Hastings in 1346. (fn. 37)
This was presumably a settlement in connexion with
the marriage of John St. Pierre to William Trussell's
daughter Isabel. (fn. 38) John's granddaughter and heir
Isabel in 1353 was married to Walter son of Hugh de
Cokesey (then aged 10), (fn. 39) and in 1352 the manor of
Hunningham, extended at 71s. 10d. yearly, was
assigned in dower to Hugh's widow Denise during
the minority of Walter. (fn. 40) This Sir Walter's son Sir
Hugh de Cokesey died without issue in 1445, (fn. 41) and
on the death of his widow Alice in 1460 (fn. 42) the manor
passed to Sir Hugh's sister Joyce Beauchamp, widow, (fn. 43)
and on her death in 1473 to Sir John Grevill, her son
by a previous husband; he was then 44 years of age (fn. 44)
and died in 1480. His son Sir Thomas assumed the
name of Cokesey, and as he left no issue the manor
reverted to the descendants of Cicely, daughter of
Walter son of Isabel St. Pierre, namely Robert Russell
and 'Robert' (? Roger) Winter, (fn. 45) to whom licence of
entry upon Sir Thomas's lands was granted in 1500. (fn. 46)
Roger's grandson George Winter was said to hold
the manor at his death in 1594, (fn. 47) but there is no later
trace of any Winter interest, and land amounting to
7 virgates, with 4 messuages, had been sold by Roger
Winter to John Underhill, (fn. 48) whose son Thomas
married Roger's sister (fn. 49) and was said to have inclosed
40 acres of arable and reduced 2 messuages to cottages
in 1510, ejecting 8 persons and putting one ploughteam out of action. (fn. 50) John Underhill had bought the
other manor of Hunningham (see below) and on the
strength of it his grandson Edward appears to have
claimed manorial rights over the St. Pierre estates.
These claims were disputed c. 1535 first by William
Seyntpeir of Wellington and then, on his death, by
his son John, who maintained that after the death of
Sir Thomas Cokesey the estate should have come to
them, as descended from Thomas, younger son of Sir
John St. Pierre and Isabel (Trussell). (fn. 51) They do not
seem to have been successful, and the whole of the
Underhill property was presumably united as one
manor.
As already noted, Robert de Deyvill was tenant
under William de Cantilupe in 1242; (fn. 52) and in 1252
his son Walter had a grant of free warren in his
demesnes, including Hunningham. (fn. 53) His successor
Roger had to sell most of his lands, (fn. 54) and there is reason
to think that his estate here was acquired by Silvester
de Honingham, (fn. 55) who had land here in 1236 (fn. 56) and
in 1288 made over 4 messuages and 1½ virgates to
Roger de Honingham. (fn. 57) According to Dugdale, this
Roger was son of Silvester and took the name de Cotes. (fn. 58)
To the transaction of 1288 William Corbison and
Robert de Noers (fn. 59) put in their claims, and in 1304
Robert de Noers and Beatrice his wife conveyed to
William son of Roger (de Cotes) 3 virgates and 20s.
rents in Hunningham, (fn. 60) which Beatrice confirmed in
1316 after Robert's death. (fn. 61) In 1327 William de Cotes
and his son John obtained the reversion of land held
in Hunningham by Beatrice, (fn. 62) and when William died
in 1330 he held a messuage and 48 acres from Beatrice
de Noers and another messuage and 16 acres from Lora
de Beyvill. (fn. 63) John de Cotes, whose name heads the
list of tax-payers in this vill in 1332, (fn. 64) left a son
William, whose widow Margaret married Edward
Metteley, (fn. 65) who was tenant of the Earl of Warwick's
quarter-fee in 1401. (fn. 66) In 1431 the quarter-fee is said
to have been held jointly by Margaret Metley, John
de Cotes, Sir Hugh de Cokesey, and William Warmyngton, (fn. 67) whose claim is obscure. In 1500 John
Underhill bought from Sir Thomas Pulteney, who may
have been a mortgagee or trustee, the manor of
Hunningham, 'which late belonged to Thomas Cotes
the elder', and settled it on his wife Agnes. (fn. 68) He died
in 1518 and his son Thomas two years later, the manor
passing to the latter's infant son Edward, who in 1545
sold it to Richard Newport, reserving a rent of
£26 13s. 4d. (fn. 69) Richard died in 1565 and his son John
the following year, leaving a son William then aged 6. (fn. 70)
This (Sir) William inherited the property of his
mother's brother Sir Christopher Hatton and took the
name of Hatton; (fn. 71) he died in 1596, and in 1611 his
daughter and heir Frances and her husband Sir Robert
Rich (afterwards Earl of Warwick) sold the manor to
Thomas Gibbes. (fn. 72) John Woodward in 1614 conveyed the manor to Timothy Wagstaff, (fn. 73) who with
Edward Murcott enfeoffed Hannibal Horsey (fn. 74) thereof
on 29 November of the same year (fn. 75) in tail, with contingent remainder to James Enyon, Hannibal's fatherin-law. Horsey was succeeded by his son James in
1622, who left an infant daughter Dorothy at his death
in 1630. (fn. 76) She later married George Fane, a Colonel
of Horse and younger son of the 1st Earl of Westmorland, (fn. 77) and they dealt with the manor in 1653. (fn. 78)
Their son Sir Henry Fane, with Elizabeth (Southcott)
his wife, conveyed it in 1690 to Robert Waring and
John Cropper, (fn. 79) and in 1695 sold the manor to Thomas,
2nd Baron Leigh, (fn. 80) whose son Edward was lord in
1730. (fn. 81) It remained with the family after the extinction of the barony in 1786, Thomas Leigh, James
Henry Leigh, (fn. 82) and James Leigh Perrot dealing with
the manor in 1806 (fn. 83) and 1812. (fn. 84) Chandos Leigh,
1st baron of the second creation, was lord in 1850. (fn. 85)
His son William Henry was lord of the manor in
1900, (fn. 86) and any surviving manorial rights belong to the
present Lord Leigh.
In 1548 Edward Underhill and Joan his wife
granted the rent of £26 13s. 4d. annually arising out
of the manor of Hunningham to Thomas Spencer. (fn. 87)
This was dealt with by the Spencers in 1577 (fn. 88) and
1599, (fn. 89) and conveyed by Sir Thomas Spencer and
Jane his wife to Sturch Walford in 1666. (fn. 90) The
latter, who lived at Wolverton and was concerned
in the non-repair of a highway there about this
time, (fn. 91) with his wife Anne and John Walford conveyed the rents to George Abell in 1696, (fn. 92) and
Abel and Susanna Walford to Joseph Thompson in
1769. (fn. 93)
A small part of Hunningham became in some way
attached to the Duchy of Lancaster and descended
with Brinklow (q.v.) as a member of that manor. (fn. 94)
In the middle of the 17th century the vill of
Hunningham paid a yearly fine of 6d. to the
Duchy. (fn. 95)
In 1226 Geoffrey Corbucion granted a messuage
and 8 acres of meadow to the Hospital of St. John at
Warwick. (fn. 96)
Church
The Church of ST. MARGARET is
situated on the east bank of the river
Itchen, north of the village. It is a small
church consisting of chancel, nave, north aisle, vestry,
south porch, and a timber bell-cote on the west gable.
It dates from the latter part of the 13th century, when
it consisted of a nave and chancel, and appears to have
been repaired at the end of the 14th century, and
re-roofed at the end of the 16th century; in modern
times a north aisle, vestry, and south porch were added
and the whole church drastically restored. All the
roofs are covered with tiles.
The chancel, except parts of the north and south
walls adjoining the nave, has been entirely rebuilt with
a light-coloured sandstone ashlar, the old portions being red sandstone coursed rubble. The east end has angle
buttresses and is lighted by a plain tracery window of
two pointed lights with a pointed arch. On the south
side at the west end is a rectangular low-side window
of two splayed orders, and a modern central buttress
dividing the old walling from the modern. On the
north side a modern vestry has been built, which
incloses a blocked low-side window corresponding
with the one on the south. The south wall of the nave
has three windows of two trefoil lights with tracery
under square heads, all modern but perhaps copies of
the previously existing 14th-century windows. Between
the last two is a four-centred doorway, with a single
splay, covered by a modern timber porch. The west
gable of the nave is the most interesting and unaltered
part of the building and is built of red sandstone rubble
with ashlar dressings. In the centre there is a buttresslike projection which reaches to the apex of the gable,
where it is weathered off. It contains a long chamfered
lancet window with a simple label moulding. On the
top of the gable is a small square weather-boarded
bell-cote for two bells, with a pyramid roof terminating
in a weather vane representing a cock. Between this
and the angle buttress at the south-west angle there is a
massive buttress in four weathered stages built of lightcoloured sandstone with a moulded plinth, probably
part of the 14th-century repairs. In the west gable of
the modern north aisle are two lancet windows of one
splay with a hood-moulding continued over both, and
on the north side, which has three shallow buttresses,
are three windows with trefoil heads, one a single light,
one of two, and the other of three lights. Built into this
wall is a round-headed 13th-century doorway, now
blocked with masonry, taken from the north wall of
the nave when it was destroyed. At the eastern end is
the modern vestry, with a single-light window on the
north and a doorway in the east with a chamfered
pointed arch. The aisle and vestry are built of hammerdressed ashlar.
The chancel (18 ft. 8 in. by 12 ft.) has a modern
tiled floor, plastered walls, two steps up from the nave
and one to the modern altar. The roof, which is of
the queen-post type, is modern, but constructed with
old timbers, probably members of the earlier roof,
re-used. In the south wall the low-side window has a
splayed recess with a flat head; the corresponding one
on the north is plastered over and is only visible inside
the vestry. On this wall there is a marble monument
to James Enyon, died 1623, and Constance his wife,
died 1610; also on an oak board is a small brass representing seven figures, with an inscription, 'This brass,
circa 1485, was found in the churchyard in 1906 and
fixed in the church in 1946'. The figures appear to be
gazing upwards and may have formed part of an
Assumption group.
The nave (33 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft. 10 in.) has a modern
tiled floor and plastered walls. On the south side the
window recesses are square with flat heads, and that
in the west has deeply splayed jambs. The chancel
arch has been destroyed and its jambs cut away and a
plain modern segmental arch inserted, which carries
the modern gable above and stops abruptly on the
walls at both ends. The late-16th-century roof is a
form of queen-post truss, with carved central bosses
on the undersides of the stop-chamfered tie-beams,
and plastered between the rafters. The modern north
arcade is in three bays with pointed arches of two
splayed orders which continue uninterrupted down to
moulded stops forming square bases.
Opposite the south door is a late-14th-century font
of white sandstone, which has a circular basin with
eight round shafts projecting from its face, dividing it
into as many panels, which are decorated with foliated
designs of different patterns, the rim moulding being
carried round the shafts to form capitals. The underside of the basin is moulded, the stem circular on a base
of three graduated splays. It stands on an octagonal
step with a square one on the west side. The pulpit
placed on the south side of the chancel arch is modern;
also the seating.
The north aisle (33 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft. 3 in.) has a
modern tiled floor, ashlar walls, and an open roof of
king-post type with curved brackets and plastered
between the rafters. The window recesses are splayed,
with pointed arches. Standing against the west wall
there is the deep basin of a plain font with part of its
rim broken away.
Of the two bells, (fn. 97) one is medieval, of c. 1350, the
other was probably cast by Thomas Bullisdon of
London, c. 1510.
The registers begin in 1718.
Advowson
As already mentioned, Geoffrey Corbicun between 1161 and 1170 granted
his chapel of Hunningham to one
Richard, his clerk. (fn. 98) This was presumably little more
than a private manorial chapel, as it was apparently a
later Sir Geoffrey Corbicun, 'in King John's time', who
gave to Edmund, rector of Wappenbury (within which
parish the vill of Hunningham lay), a messuage and
land and all the tithes of his fee here for the maintenance
of a priest to celebrate in the chapel three days in the
week and on special festivals; the reason being the
dangerous nature of the approach to Wappenbury
church when the Leam was in flood. Sir Geoffrey at
the same time made over his rights in the chapel to
Sir Richard de Wappenbury, patron of the mother
church, and his heirs. (fn. 99) It remained attached to
Wappenbury and with that church was appropriated
to the Priory of Monks Kirby early in the 13th century. (fn. 1)
That alien priory was made over to the Carthusians of
Axholme in 1396, (fn. 2) and they had licence to convey the
church of Wappenbury to the Northamptonshire abbey
of Sulby in 1399. (fn. 3) Accordingly, in 1535 Hunningham
was returned as appropriated to Sulby. It is then styled
a parish church, of which the glebe and emoluments
were worth £5, in addition to £2 which the abbey
paid to the stipendiary priest who served the church. (fn. 4)
The 'rectory or tithes' of Hunningham, valued at
£6 10s. 6d., were granted in 1560 to Sir George
Howard, (fn. 5) but the benefice presumably remained a
donative in the gift of the lord of the manor, as no
presentation is known until 1734, when Edward, Lord
Leigh, presented to the curacy. (fn. 6) It descended with the
manor, as a perpetual curacy, until the middle of the
19th century, since when the Lord Chancellor has been
patron of the benefice, which is now a vicarage. (fn. 7)
Charities
George Murcott by will dated
27 January 1885 bequeathed £70 to
the minister and churchwardens of
Hunningham, the interest to be applied to the use of
the poor and distressed widows of the parish.
Mary Garlick. In an overseers' book it is recorded
under date 1803 that Mary Garlick by will gave £10,
the interest to be applied similarly to the use of poor
widows.
Hannah Garlick by will dated 29 July 1865 gave
to the officiating clergyman and churchwardens of
Hunningham £19 19s., the interest to be applied to the
use of poor widows. The annual income of the abovementioned charities amounts to £2 15s. approximately.
Thomas Bayes by will dated 1729 left a rent-charge
of 20s. per annum issuing out of a meadow ground
called Gilberts Close, Easinghall, Monks Kirby, unto
the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the
parish of Hunningham to distribute forty sixpenny
loaves of bread among the poor inhabitants. The rentcharge was redeemed in 1915 in consideration of the
sum of £40 Consols, producing an annual income of 20s.
Richard Cox. It is recorded upon a tablet in the
parish church that Richard Cox by his will dated
3 March 1700 gave to the poor of the parish the sum
of 10s. to be annually paid them on 24 February, for
ever, out of his cottage there.
Church Land. It is stated in the printed Parliamentary Reports of the Commissioners for Inquiring
Concerning Charities dated 1827 that there is a parcel
of arable land in the parish containing 3½ acres the
rent of which has from time immemorial been received
by the churchwardens and applied towards the repair
of the church, but it is not known how the property
was acquired. It is also stated that the churchwardens
receive the following rents which are applied towards
the repair of the church:
2s. 6d. a year in respect of a 'Hooke' or small slip of
land in a meadow called Caudle Meadow, in this
parish.
5s. a year in respect of a 'Hooke' in Crow Meadow,
in this parish.
The origin of these payments is unknown.
The annual income of the Charity amounts to £9.
Philip Edward Shepheard by will dated 13 July
1933 bequeathed £200 Consols to the Parochial
Church Council of Hunningham, to apply the dividends
for the upkeep of the new churchyard.