MONKS KIRBY
Acreage: 10,016. (fn. 1)
Population: 1911, 1,396; 1921, 1,355; 1931, 1,459.
This extensive parish, which has a length of 6 miles
from north to south and a maximum breadth of
4½ miles, lies largely between the two Roman roads,
the Fosse Way and Watling Street, which intersect at
High Cross, the Roman station of Venonae. (fn. 2) The
parish consists of a large block, to the northern tip of
which is attached a roughly diamond-shaped extension,
the hamlet or chapelry of Great Copston (1,144 acres).
The south-east and north-east sides of this diamond
are formed respectively by the Fosse Way and
Watling Street, meeting at High Cross, from which
point a road runs west for a mile to the hamlet of
Copston with its church of St. John; the south-west
side is formed by Mere Lane which meets the Fosse
Way at Cloudesley Bush. Here there was formerly a
tumulus, which Dugdale, with less than his usual good
sense, guessed to commemorate some Roman Claudius. (fn. 3)
Mere Lane is continued as Coal Pit Lane, which for
2 miles forms the north-eastern boundary of Monks
Kirby, till it meets the Watling Street, down which the
parish, and county, boundary runs for 1¼ miles to
Bransford Bridge over the River Swift, whose tortuous
course it then follows to the south-west. The Fosse
Way forms the western boundary for two miles south
from Cloudesley Bush; for the next 2 miles the parish
boundary runs somewhat to the west of the Way as
far as Smite Brook. On the south it follows Cathiron
Lane, (fn. 4) runs up a small stream to the high ridge (455 ft.)
of Montilo's Lane, leading south from Little Walton
through Pailton Fields, and down another stream on
the other side of the lane into the Swift.
The country is undulating, lying for the most part
between 300 ft. and 400 ft., with a number of spinneys
and coppices in the north, along Coal Pit Lane, and
the two extensive parks of Newnham Paddox and
Newbold Revel.
The village of Monks Kirby lies at the junction of
a number of small roads, with the Smite Brook, just
east of it, running southwards past Street Ashton to the
village and township of Stretton-under-Fosse (1,231
acres), where there is a church mission-room and a
Congregational chapel, originally founded in 1662 and
rebuilt in 1789. (fn. 5) Across the Brook, east of the church,
lies the small hamlet of Brockhurst, on the edge of
Newnham Paddox Park. From the village a road
running south-west to Stretton is crossed by one eastwards to the populous township of Pailton (1,756 acres)
with its church of St. Denis, built in 1884, and a
Baptist chapel. A road leads south from Pailton and
branches south-eastwards to the neighbouring parish of
Great Harborough and south-westwards to the village
and township of Easenhall (1,135 acres), lying on the
south-eastern edge of the grounds of Newbold Revel,
which extend for a mile north-west to Stretton-underFosse. Easenhall is cut by the Trent Valley section of
the old L.M.S. Railway, Brinklow Station being
within its bounds, and by the Oxford Canal. On
the east side of the parish the Leicester and Rugby
branch of the railway runs north and south, passing
close to the moated site of Cesters Over, where
'Old Town Field' marks the site of the depopulated
hamlet. (fn. 6)
The Cesters Over corn-mill on the River Swift is
doubtless the successor of the mill attached to that
manor in 1086 and then valued at 2s. (fn. 7) Both a watermill and a windmill belonged to the manor in 1545. (fn. 8)
In 1291 the priory of Monks Kirby had a water-mill
at Copston and a windmill at Kirby, (fn. 9) and there was
still a windmill attached to the manor in 1721. (fn. 10)
Another windmill, at Newbold Revel, is mentioned in
1538 (fn. 11) and 1593, (fn. 12) as is one at Pailton in 1587. (fn. 13)
Pailton corn-mill, with its large mill-pond fed by the
Smite Brook is close to Street Ashton, and the watermill at Street Ashton given by John Hubbok, chaplain,
to his sister Lucy de Strutarston in 1305 (fn. 14) may be
identical with the mill in Pailton which John Daysie
of Street Ashton gave to Sir John Revel in 1341. (fn. 15)
Newnham Paddox, the seat of the Earls of Denbigh,
was so much altered in about 1875 that architecturally
it can only be called a fine modern house, remarkable
for its pictures and other furnishings, and for its setting
in ornamental grounds, and an extensive park. The
famous wrought-iron gates, which have been described
as 'perhaps the largest and most beautiful gates in the
kingdom', (fn. 16) were only brought here in 1873 from
Berwick House near Shrewsbury and came originally
from a Spanish monastery. (fn. 17)
Newbold Revel, (fn. 18) built for Sir Fulwar Skipwith at
the beginning of the 18th century, is a fine house
typical of the period, very little altered since its erection.
The main block is recessed between two wings, which
project more deeply on the west than on the east.
Above the third story is an open baluster parapet
crowned with stone vases, and on the east front the
central block is surmounted by a triangular pediment.
The grounds are of great charm and contain some
remarkable carved stone vases.
Manors
Kirby was one, and the most important,
of the estates which had been held by
Lewin (i.e. Leofwine) before the Norman
Conquest and after that event had been acquired by
Geoffrey de Wirce, or de la Guerche, (fn. 19) probably
through his marriage with Alveva (i.e. Ælfgifu).
Geoffrey rebuilt the church here and on the day of its
dedication, 1 July 1077, he with the consent of his wife
gave it with its furnishings and (the services of) its priest
called Frano to the abbot and convent of St. Nicholas
of Angers; he also granted them the reversion of
everything that Osgot, another priest, held of him, on
his death or cession. In Kirby he gave them 20 acres
of cornland, and the vill of Copston. (fn. 20) Accordingly in
1086 'the monks of St. Nicholas' are recorded as having
2 plough-teams and 22 villeins and 6 bordars with
5 ploughs, as part of Geoffrey's manor of KIRBY,
which was rated at 15 hides. (fn. 21) The '2 priests' among
Geoffrey's tenants may have been Frano and Osgot.
The lands of Geoffrey de Wirce on his death came into
the hands of the king, who granted them to Niel
d'Aubigny. Niel, his son Roger de Mowbray, and the
latter's son Niel all confirmed and increased the holding
of the abbey in Kirby, (fn. 22) where monks of Angers were
established as a cell of the abbey, forming the alien
priory (fn. 23) of MONKS KIRBY. In 1242 threequarters of a fee in Kirby was held of Roger de
Mowbray by the prior, (fn. 24) and in 1291 the temporalities
of the priory included 4 carucates of land, worth £4,
in Kirby, a windmill, worth 10s., and fixed rents,
£10 13s. 4d.; another 4 carucates in Walton; and in
Copston 2 carucates, worth only 30s., a mill, worth
10s., and £2 in rents. (fn. 25) In 1266 Henry III had
granted the monks a fair at Midsummer and a market
at Kirby on Wednesday; (fn. 26) for some reason this proved
inconvenient and in March 1305, at the request of the
monks, the market was altered to Tuesday. (fn. 27) At the
same time they were granted free warren in Kirby,
Walton, and elsewhere; and in October of the same
year they were given view of frankpledge for their
tenants in Kirby, Cesters Over, Little Newnham, and
Walton, and other franchises, for which they were to
pay 5 marks yearly at the Exchequer. (fn. 28) This payment
was still being made by the prior or farmer of Monks
Kirby in 1412, when it was assigned for life to Richard
Bromer, yeoman of the pantry. (fn. 29)
During the wars with France the estates of this alien
priory were constantly seized into the king's hand.
Sir Canon Robsart, to whom the estates were committed in 1377 by the king at a rental of £40, (fn. 30)
obtained a lease of them from the monks for 25 years
and on his death bequeathed the remainder of the term
to his son John. (fn. 31) Shortly after this Thomas Mowbray,
Duke of Norfolk, patron of Monks Kirby Priory,
arranged with Sir John Robsart (fn. 32) and the abbey of
Angers for the transference of the priory's estates to
his new foundation of Carthusians in the Isle of
Axholme. (fn. 33) In 1535 the monks of Axholme were
receiving £96 0s. 10½d. from their temporalities in
Monks Kirby and its members. (fn. 34) These, with the
other property of the priory, were made over to the
king by the prior in 1538 (fn. 35) and the manor of Monks
Kirby was granted in March 1539 to Thomas
Mannyng, Bishop of Ipswich. (fn. 36) Mannyng was also
Master of the College of Mettingham (Suffolk), and
in November 1539 Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk,
bargained with him that if the college were dissolved
this manor should pass to him. (fn. 37) His daughter Frances,
wife of Henry Grey, Duke of
Suffolk, died in 1559 and the
manor passed to her elder daughter Katherine, (fn. 38) who married
Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford. Their grandson William,
later Marquess of Hertford, sold
the manor to Mary, Countess of
Buckingham, (fn. 39) who settled it on
her grandson Basil, Lord Feilding, created Earl of Denbigh in
1622, (fn. 40) in whose family it has
since descended.
Feilding. Argent a fesse azure with three lozenges or thereon.
In 1086 a hide in NEWNHAM [PADDOX] (fn. 41) was
held of Geoffrey de Wirce by Ansegis, (fn. 42) who was
presumably identical with 'Anseis' who held 4 hides
in the adjoining parish of Harborough. (fn. 43) From an
early date it was held by a family who took their name
from the place. Roger de Newnham, who held one fee
under Niel de Mowbray, (fn. 44) is presumably the Roger,
lord of Newnham, son of Aubrey, who granted land
here to Monks Kirby Priory, which grant was confirmed by his son William. (fn. 45) Philip de Newnham held
the fee here at the time of the death of Roger Mowbray
in 1297, (fn. 46) and was himself dead before 1333, when
his widow Julian held one-third of the manor in dower.
The reversion of this third was settled in 1333 on
Philip de Newnham (apparently grandson of the elder
Philip) (fn. 47) and Alice his wife in tail. (fn. 48) At the same time
Roger Ryvel and Joan his wife settled the other twothirds of the manor on themselves for their lives, and
then to Philip and Alice in tail. (fn. 49) In each case there
were contingent remainders to Philip's brother Robert
de Newnham (probably a clerk) for life, and then to
his brother John in tail, or to their sisters Joan and
Mariot in tail, or to the right heirs of Joan wife of
Roger Ryvel, who must have been daughter of the
elder and mother of the younger Philip. (fn. 50) The manor
was held by John Colard in right of his wife Katherine
in 1362, when they conveyed it to Walter Withors
and Isabel his wife. (fn. 51) From their son Ralph Whithors
it passed, about 1393, to John Leventhorpe, who (after
an abortive conveyance to Thomas Totty) (fn. 52) sold it on
11 November 1433 to John Fildyng, or Feilding. (fn. 53)
In this family, of fabulous antiquity, (fn. 54) it has remained
until the present time.
John Feilding's grandson Sir Everard (fn. 55) died in 1515
seised of the manor of 'Coldenewenham alias Padox
Newenham', held of Maurice Berkeley (representative
of the Mowbrays) as of his manor of Melton Mowbray. (fn. 56) His grandson Basil married Goodith, one of
the daughters and coheiresses of William Willington of
Barcheston (q.v.), and died in 1585, (fn. 57) leaving a son,
Sir William. The latter's grandson, Sir William
Feilding, married Susan Villiers, sister of the royal
favourite George, Duke of Buckingham, and was
created Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddox and
Viscount Feilding in 1620. On 14 September 1622 he
was made Earl of Denbigh, his younger son George
being created Earl of Desmond two months later. The
earl was killed in a skirmish near Birmingham on
3 April 1643 and was succeeded by his elder son Basil,
on whose death without issue in 1675 the estate passed
to his nephew William, 3rd Earl of Denbigh and
2nd Earl of Desmond. With his direct descendants
Newnham Paddox has remained, being the seat of the
present Earl of Denbigh. (fn. 58)
In 1086 Geoffrey de Wirce held 8 hides in FENNY
NEWBOLD, (fn. 59) which probably included Strettonunder-Fosse, Easenhall, and Pailton. In 1276 it is
described as a member of Wappenbury, (fn. 60) and it was
presumably part of the 5 knights' fees held of Roger
de Mowbray by Thomas de Wappenbury in 1166. (fn. 61)
A later Thomas held 1 fee in Newbold apparently of
the king in chief, in 1235. (fn. 62) At his death his estates
passed to his three sisters. (fn. 63) Agnes
was mother of Richard de Beyvill,
to whom she conveyed her rights
in 1261; (fn. 64) Joan was mother
either of Hugh Revel or, more
probably, of his wife Alice; the
descendants of the third sister,
Margaret, seem to have taken
the name of Wappenbury. The
main manor of Fenny Newbold
came to Hugh Revel, whose son
William had a grant of free
warren in 1299, (fn. 65) as did his son
John in 1327. (fn. 66) In 1316 William had made over to John
in tail, with contingent remainder to his brother Robert,
his estate here, consisting of 16 messuages, 11 virgates
of land, with woodland, meadow, pasture, and a mill in
Newbold, Easenhall, Stretton and Pailton. (fn. 67) This Sir
John was a man of some local prominence and knight of
the shire in 1351. (fn. 68) His three sons leaving no issue, his
estates passed to his three daughters and the manor of
NEWBOLD REVEL was assigned to Alice, who
married Sir John Malory of Winwick, Northants. (fn. 69)
In 1391 Sir John Malory and Alice settled the manor
on themselves in tail. (fn. 70) It descended to Sir Thomas
Malory, whose widow Elizabeth died in 1480 holding
it of Richard, Duke of York, in right of his wife Anne,
representative of the Mowbrays. (fn. 71) It then passed to
Sir Thomas's grandson Nicholas, aged 13. Nicholas
Malory died on 22 January 1513, having previously
settled the reversion of the manor, which he held of
Sir Maurice Berkeley, on his elder daughter Dorothy
and her husband Edward Cave. (fn. 72) It seems, however, to
have been divided between the two daughters of
Nicholas, as Margery, the younger, with her second
husband John Cope in 1537 sold their share to Thomas
Pope. (fn. 73) He sold it in the following year to Sir William
Whorwood, Solicitor-General, (fn. 74) who also bought the
share of Dorothy from her and her second husband
George Ashby. (fn. 75) Whorwood's daughter Margaret
married Thomas Throckmorton, and they sold the
manor in 1593 to Robert Stanford. (fn. 76) His son Charles
sold it in 1608 to Elizabeth Alderford, widow. (fn. 77) Her
son, by a previous husband Edward Morgan, is said
to have sold it to Sir Simon Clarke, (fn. 78) whose widow
conveyed it to Sir Fulwar Skipwith, who had married
her niece. (fn. 79) His grandson, Sir Fulwar, built the
existing mansion, and the manor continued in the hands
of the Skipwith family until 1862. The estate was then
sold by Sir Thomas George
Skipwith to Charles Ramsden,
who resold it to Edward Wood
of Inverness. The Woods made
a good many alterations to the
house and grounds before 1898,
when Arthur Herbert Wood sold
the estate to Col. Arthur Howard
Heath, on whose death in 1911
his son sold to Leopold Bernhard
Bonn. From his son, Major
Walter Basil Bonn, it was
bought in 1931 by the British
Advent Missions, Ltd. of Watford, but in 1946 the
property was acquired by the Sisters of Charity of
St. Paul as a training college for teachers. (fn. 80)
Revel. Ermine a cheveron gules and a border engrailed sable.
Skipwith. Argent three bars gules and in chief a running greyhound sable.
At the beginning of the 13th century the manor of
PAILTON was in the hands of William de Turville,
who assented to his son William endowing his wife
Maud (de Hastings) therein. In 1217, after the death
of the younger William, Maud claimed the whole
manor as dower, while her father-in-law would only
grant her one-third of it. (fn. 81) The younger William
having died without issue, his estates were divided
between his sisters, Cecily wife of Roger de Craft, and
Pernel wife of Simon de Crewelton (whose descendants
took the name of Turville); the third sister, Isabel,
who married Walhamet le Poure, seems to have left
no issue. (fn. 82) Roger de Craft's son Roger was succeeded by
his sisters Isabel wife of Hugh de Herdeburgh and
Beatrice, whose first husband was William de Charneles.
Accordingly in 1297 in the list of knights' fees of
Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, we find a half-fee in Pailton
and Harborough held by Nicholas de Turville, and
a quarter-fee each held by Hugh de Herdebergh and
George de Charneles in Pailton. (fn. 83)
William de Charneles, son of Sir Henry, of Bedworth was dealing with lands here between 1330 and
1345, (fn. 84) and in 1405 the lands late of his son John,
apparently the last of his line, were in the hands
of trustees; (fn. 85) after which time this quarter-fee cannot
be traced.
Isabel, one granddaughter of Hugh de Herdebergh, (fn. 86)
married John de Hulles and had two daughters; Denise
married John de Wateville, and Alice married first John
de Langley and then John Peyto. As they were under
age and in ward to Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, at the
time of his rebellion in 1322 their lands in Pailton,
which were held of him as of the honor of Leicester,
were seized with the king's hands, but were restored
in 1324. (fn. 87) Denise left no issue, and in 1361 John de
Peyto, Alice's son, held a quarter-fee in Pailton, which
was assigned to Maud, one daughter of Henry, Duke
of Lancaster. (fn. 88)
Ella, sister of Isabel de Hulles, married Walter de
Hopton and their descendant Walter (fn. 89) died in 1461
seised of 4 messuages and 4 carucates of land in Pailton,
which passed to his sister Elizabeth wife of Roger
Corbet and so descended, being sometimes styled a
manor, (fn. 90) with Great Harborough (q.v.) to the family
of Oughton.
William Revel had a grant of free warren in his
demesnes at Pailton in 1304, (fn. 91) as did John Revel in
1327. (fn. 92) This manor than descended with Newbold
Revel (see above) until 1537, when John Cope and
Margery (Malory) his wife sold their moiety to Thomas
Pope. (fn. 93) The other moiety, however, was retained by
Dorothy (Malory) and her husband Edward Cave and
was held by her two daughters in 1545 (fn. 94) and by the
younger, Margaret wife of Thomas Boughton, at her
death in 1565, when the manor was said to be held of
the Duchy of Lancaster. (fn. 95) She was succeeded by her
eldest son Edward Boughton. It is probably this manor
of Pailton that was held by the Skipwiths from 1728 (fn. 96)
until about 1850, at which date the Earl of Denbigh
was said to be lord of the manor. (fn. 97)
The lands which William Revel in 1316 settled on
his son John, besides Newbold and Pailton, lay in
Easenhall and Stretton-under-Fosse. (fn. 98) The latter seems
to have had no manorial existence apart from Newbold,
but EASENHALL was partly in the hands of the
Beyvilles, 100s. in rents there being held of John, son
and heir of Edmund, Earl of Kent, by Lora widow of
Richard de Beyville at her death in 1350. (fn. 99) Her son
Robert being only 5 years old, custody of his estates
was granted to William de Peck. (fn. 1) No further trace of
the Beyville interest has been found, but in 1487
Nicholas Malory was said to have converted 30 acres
of arable in Easenhall to pasture, causing a plough and
six persons to be unemployed, (fn. 2) and in 1501 John Smith
died holding 3 messuages and 3 virgates of land here,
worth £6, from Nicholas Malory. (fn. 3) When his son
Henry Smith died in 1513 the property is called a
manor and was held of Edward Cave (husband of
Nicholas's daughter Dorothy) and Margery Malory
(Dorothy's sister), (fn. 4) Henry's son Sir Walter Smith was
murdered by his second wife in 1553, (fn. 5) and his son
Richard, who died in 1593, settled the manor on his
daughter Margaret on her marriage with William
Littleton, (fn. 6) by whose father Sir John Littleton he was
tricked out of the reversion of his estates (fn. 7) here and at
Shelford in Burton Hastings (q.v.). The Littletons sold
Easenhall to Sir John Hale, but on his death in 1609,
when his son Sir Warwick Hale succeeded, it is not
called a manor but is described as 2 messuages and
440 acres of land. (fn. 8)
Robert, who in 1086 held of Geoffrey de Wirce
5 hides in 'Wara'—the later WAVER or CESTERS
OVER (fn. 9) — may have been ancestor of the family of
Waver. The history of the family, however, begins
with Robert de Waver who held
I knight's fee here of Niel de
Mowbray c. 1225 (fn. 10) and of
Richard de Curzun, who held of
Roger de Mowbray, in 1242. (fn. 11)
He gave land in Cesters Over
to the Abbey of Combe, where
he desired to be buried. (fn. 12) His
son William in 1257 had a grant
of a market on Tuesdays in this
manor of Waver and a yearly
fair on the eve, day, and morrow
of St. James. (fn. 13) At the beginning of the Barons' War
Sir William was taken by the royal forces at Northampton; (fn. 14) his estates were seized and granted to Roger de
Somery, with whom he compounded for their recovery
in 1267. (fn. 15) He died in 1271, seised of the manor,
which he held of Richard le Cursun of Queenborough,
his son Robert being then 24. (fn. 16) In 1307 the manor
was settled on William de Waver on his marriage with
Alice daughter of Robert Lovett of Newton, subject
to the life interest of (William's father) Robert de
Waver. (fn. 17) Four members of the Waver family contributed to the subsidy in 1332 at Cesters Over, John
and William each being rated at 6s.; (fn. 18) but later part,
at least, of the estate came into the hands of the Lovetts.
William Lovett of Lipscombe (Bucks.) in 1385 granted
to William Purefey the reversion of 12 messuages and
13 virgates of land in Cesters Over and Cosford, (fn. 19)
held by John Paraunt and Clemence his wife (said to
have been the mother of William Lovett) (fn. 20) for her life.
His grandson William Purefey and John Waver are
alleged to have been joint lords of Cesters Over in
1432, (fn. 21) and in 1448 William Purefey certainly owned
a manor here. (fn. 22) In 1460, however, William Broke, (fn. 23)
son and heir of Ellen Broke of Astwell (Northants.)
granted his rights in the manor to Henry Waver,
citizen of London, for life; (fn. 24) and five years later he
converted this into a definite release of a moiety of the
manor, (fn. 25) William Bate of Melbourn (Derb.) at the
same time making a similar release of his moiety. (fn. 26)
In January 1467 Sir Henry Waver, (fn. 27) who was then
sheriff of London and master of the Drapers' Company, (fn. 28) was granted view of frankpledge in this manor,
with licence to erect and crenellate walls and towers
there, and to impark 500 acres at either manor of
Cesters Over or Waver Marston (in Bickenhill). (fn. 29) Sir
Henry died in 1469, (fn. 30) and his son Henry died in
1478, (fn. 31) leaving a daughter Christine, then aged 5,
seised of the manor, held of the Duchess of Norfolk as
of her manor of Melton Mowbray. Christine married
William Browne and subsequently Humphrey Dymmock, on whom she settled the manor; but at her death
in 1545 it passed to her grandson Edward Browne
(son of John Browne and Isabel), (fn. 32) who in the following year sold it to Sir Fulk Grevill, (fn. 33) in whose family
it descended until about 1800, George, Earl Brooke
and Warwick, being then lord; (fn. 34) but Richard Arkwright is named as lord of the manor in 1803, and
Robert Arkwright in 1832. (fn. 35)
Waver. Argent a fesse sable with three scallops or thereon.
In the charter of 1077 by which Geoffrey de Wirce
endowed the Abbey of St. Nicholas of Angers 'the
vill called Copston' (fn. 36) constitutes the main part of his
gift and seems to be the equivalent of the later manor
of Monks Kirby. While these estates remained in
monastic hands [GREAT] COPSTON appears to have
been the manorial centre of administration, (fn. 37) but after
the Dissolution it became only a member of Monks
Kirby. Similarly the manor of [LITTLE] WALTON,
where Sir James de Bysegh granted his estate, which
was confirmed to the monks by his descendant Sir John
de Clinton in 1328, (fn. 38) had no separate manorial
existence after the Dissolution.
Churches
The parish church of ST. EDITH
stands on the summit of a small mound,
on the south side of a large churchyard
planted with avenues of yew trees. It consists of a
chancel, nave, north and south aisles and chapels, south
porch with a parvise, vestry, and a tower built into the
south-west corner of the church. It was rebuilt in
the latter part of the 14th century and again towards
the end of the 15th century, when the present arcades
were built, the upper part of the tower rebuilt, and most
of the windows replaced. The priory buildings were
on the north side of the chancel; part of them were
embodied in the church during the 15th-century
reconstruction to form the chapel. Apart from the
blocked openings, a door jamb, offsets for an upper
floor against the chapel, and the line of a steep roof on
the north wall of the chancel, nothing remains of the
priory buildings. About the end of the 16th century
the church was re-roofed; it was re-leaded in 1709,
according to a cast lead inscription removed from the
roof in the 19th century, now fixed to the east wall of
the parvise. The general arrangement of the church
is somewhat unusual, the nave, until recent times,
extended into the chancel without a chancel arch or
other line of demarcation except, no doubt, a screen.
Although the church is lofty there is no clearstory, but
the windows are placed at an unusual height above the
floor. The tower is tall and exceptionally large. When
the upper part was rebuilt in the 15th century it
included a tall octagonal spire; this was blown down
on Christmas night 1722. (fn. 39)
Most of the east wall of the chancel has been refaced
with ashlar and the gable and south buttress rebuilt.
It has a modern pointed traceried window of three
trefoiled lights. The lower part of the north wall is of
ashlar, in which there is an aumbry with a four-centred
head, and an opening, also with a four-centred head,
both blocked with masonry. The upper part, of
alternate courses of ashlar and rubble, has the line of a
steep-pitched roof and a blocked splayed opening with
a four-centred head above the opening below. On the
south a low modern vestry replaces a small earlier
structure. It has a pointed doorway, a two-light squareheaded window on the east and another on the south,
a diagonal buttress at the angle, and a low buttress
against the aisle wall, terminating in a crocketed finial.
The roof is a low-pitched lean-to one with a plain
parapet. Above the vestry the wall has been largely
refaced and has an early-16th-century traceried window
inserted in a shallow square-headed recess; it is of three
cinquefoil lights with a transom under a four-centred
head. The east wall of the south aisle above the vestry
is lighted by a traceried window of three cinquefoil
lights under a four-centred head with a hood-mould.
The south wall, which has a moulded plinth, is divided
into four bays by buttresses, each in two stages terminating in pinnacles with crocketed finials above a plain
parapet. At sill level there is a weathered offset, the
lower weathering being carried round the buttresses
and porch as a string-course. The east bay has a pointed
traceried window of two cinquefoil lights, and the
remaining three have wide windows of three trefoiled
lights, the centre ogee and the others pointed; the
tracery in all these windows is of late insertion.
Plan of Monks Kirby Church
The porch is two-storied, built of red sandstone
ashlar. The gable, which formerly contained a sundial,
was rebuilt on a classic moulding in the 19th century,
omitting the sundial. The south entrance is by a richly
moulded pointed archway, with the string-course
carried over as a hood-mould. Above this arch the
parvise is lighted by a small pointed window of two
trefoiled lights, with its tracery restored, and on the
east side by a narrow ogee-headed window. The
ground floor has a stone vaulted ceiling with moulded
ribs and carved central boss, supported in the angles on
attached shafts with moulded bases, the rib mouldings
dying out on the shafts. The doorway has an elaborately
moulded pointed arch of three orders, the inner
supported on a moulded capital, the two outer are
without capitals, but all three have moulded bases.
The wall of the north aisle, except half the west bay,
was rebuilt with light-coloured ashlar in the 19th
century, including the windows, probably copies of
their predecessors, and the two central buttresses, which
rise in four weathered stages. It is lighted by four
traceried windows of three trefoiled lights in deep
hollow splays under four-centred heads; the one at the
west end and the east jamb of the eastern one are
original. At the west end there is a small added
buttress, close to the original one, which has a moulded
string-course and gabled head. The chapel at the
eastern end is divided into two bays by a rebuilt buttress.
Both bays have a traceried window of three trefoiled
lights under a four-centred head in deep splays, and
immediately below their sills there is a splayed offset
for a floor of the destroyed priory buildings. The east
wall, built of a mixture of red and light-coloured sandstone ashlar, continues at the north end as a buttress
and contains the south jamb of a doorway. It has a
restored three-light window under a segmental pointed
head. The west wall is built of squared and coursed
masonry in alternate wide and narrow courses and has
an angle buttress, as on the north. It has a traceried
window of three cusped trefoil lights under a fourcentred head. A large modern buttress divides this wall
from the west end of the nave, which has a large pointed
widow of four lights in a deep hollow splay, the head
and tracery being modern.
The lower half of the tower, which has a moulded
plinth, is built of red sandstone ashlar and the rebuilt
upper half of light-coloured ashlar. It rises in three
stages, with buttresses in five weathered stages at the
angles of the south and west walls, and terminates in
a 19th-century parapet with open trefoil-headed panels,
central pediments and crocketed pinnacles with
weather vanes at each angle. On the west side the
ground floor is lighted by a tall pointed three-light
traceried window, of three splayed orders, in a deep
splay, and on the south by a similar window, but of
two trefoiled lights with restored tracery. The second
stage has traceried windows of two trefoiled lights with
transoms under four-centred heads and hood-moulds
on the east, south, and west. The belfry windows on
each face are similar, but with a string-course at sill
level. On the east side above the ringing-chamber
window there is a clock dial. Against the buttress at
the south-east angle the wall is splayed out for the tower
staircase, which is lighted by six loop-lights, three ogeeheaded in the lower stage and three round-headed in
the rebuilt portion.
The chancel (45 ft. by 23 ft.) has a tiled floor with
three steps to the altar placed against a carved stone
reredos with a central cross of alabaster. The walls of
the eastern end are of roughly coursed rubble up to
their junction with the nave arcades of red sandstone
ashlar; two bays of the south arcade and one of the
north are included in the chancel by a modern dwarf
wall of light-coloured ashlar and oak screens. The
dwarf wall extends right across the church to embrace
both the chapels. At the eastern end in the south wall
there is a trefoil-headed piscina under a pointed arch
on attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases, and
triple sedilia with pointed moulded arches, the inner
order trefoiled, supported on circular shafts with
moulded capitals and bases. Between them is a narrow
blocked doorway with a four-centred arch under a
square head with sunk spandrels. All this portion of the
wall has been rebuilt in light-coloured sandstone ashlar
and the sedilia and piscina are restorations; the doorway,
however, is original. In the north wall opposite are two
aumbries with four-centred heads. High up in the wall
above them there is a narrow rectangular opening and
on the same level a narrow trefoil-headed opening into
the chapel. Below this opening there is a modern
unglazed four-light window, and west of it the east bay
of the arcade, closed by a dwarf wall and oak screen.
Hung on the north wall there is a framed painted Royal
Arms of Charles II, dated 1660. The south side takes
two bays of the arcade, the east one being partly blocked
by a modern wall in the form of a buttress to the
respond. Both bays are closed by walls and oak screens,
with an opening in the east bay to the chapel.
The south chapel (28 ft. 4 in. by 12 ft. 6 in.), known
as the Skipwith chapel, has a hatchment on the south
wall bearing the Skipwith coat. Part of the east wall,
including the sill of the window, was rebuilt in ashlar
with an ogee-headed doorway and hood-mould when
adding the modern vestry. At the southern end of this
wall there is a moulded ogee trefoil-headed piscina
with its projecting basin cut away, and above it a
moulded and carved bracket. Built into the wall on
the north side of the east window there is a small square
panel with a carved shield of arms. The east window
has a hollow-moulded four-centred rear-arch; the
south window has splayed jambs with a pointed reararch.
The north chapel (31 ft. by 12 ft. 8 in.) is stonepaved for a distance of 20 feet, six steps above the level
of the nave, the remainder being occupied by the organ.
In the angles of the east wall there are niches with
mutilated canopies of ogee trefoils, pilasters with
crocketed finials, and battlemented bracket pedestals.
To the west of the narrow light to the chancel there
are traces of a destroyed dividing wall. There are two
large alabaster table tombs of similar design, one (fn. 40) in
the north-east corner to Sir William Feilding, died
1547, and Elizabeth his wife, died 1539, with their
life-sized effigies; the man is in armour with a book
clasped in his conjoined hands, clean shaven, wearing
three rings on each hand and is without a ruffle. The
woman is also clasping a book, wearing a ruffle, and
with three rings on each of her hands. The pedestal is
divided in front into five panels, three with shields, and
the end into two, both with shields. The other tomb, (fn. 41)
towards the opposite corner, is to Basil Feilding, son
and heir of Sir William Feilding, date of death left
blank, and Gooddeth his wife, died 1580. The two
effigies are very similar to the others but the man has
a beard and is wearing a ruffle, his feet rest on a lion
and his gauntlets are laid beside his right leg. Each is
clasping a book, each wearing two rings on both hands,
and on the hem of the woman's dress there are two small
sleeping dogs, one on either side. At the east end of the
pedestal are two shields, at the other a shield supported
by undraped figures. On the south side there are three
shields, each held by a woman, and three infants in
winding-sheets; and on the opposite side three shields,
one supported by a man and woman and two held by
men, one dressed in armour, the other a civilian, and
a woman with her hands clasped in prayer with two
infants in winding-sheets.
The nave (76 ft. by 23 ft. 10 in. and at the west end
76 ft. by 14 ft.) has red sandstone ashlar walls and a
floor of modern tiles. The north arcade consists of six
and the south of five bays of moulded pointed arches
which die out on plain tall lozenge-shaped pillars with
moulded bases. Two bays of the south arcade and one
of the north extend into the chancel, this arrangement
being accounted for by the presence of the tower
within the church. At the west end the wall has been
increased in thickness up to the level of the window sill
with modern light-coloured ashlar; the window has a
hollow-moulded pointed rear-arch. The tower arch
is pointed and richly moulded, the mouldings dying
out on plain half-hexagonal responds. These plain
responds, similar to those of the arcade, suggest that it
was inserted at the same time as the arcades were built.
On the east wall of the tower, where it projects into the
nave, the roof line of the earlier aisle is visible. Hung
on the west wall there is a coloured plan of the seating,
with the names of the occupiers, dated 1752. The
pulpit, a modern octagonal one of stone, is placed on
the north side of the chancel. Hung on the tower
wall there are a helmet, a pair of gauntlets, a sword,
and a pair of spurs, all of small size.
The north aisle (76 ft. by 12 ft. 6 in.) has three
blocked doorways with four-centred heads at the east
end, two close together on the ground floor and above
them, one to a first floor. Built into the north wall at
the west end there is a badly mutilated head and
shoulders of a large stone effigy. Against the north
wall there are two white marble monuments of very
similar design, one to the 7th Earl of Denbigh, died
1865, and his wife, died 1847; the other is to Lady
Augusta Feilding, died 1848; and between them three
small tablets to other members of the family. The west
wall is thickened in the same manner as the nave.
The south aisle (55 ft. by 12 ft. 6 in.) has a modern
tiled and partly boarded floor. The tower arch is
pointed and richly moulded, the mouldings continuing
down to a moulded base. It has been partly blocked
on the north side to take the respond of the later arcade.
The windows have pointed rear-arches of two splayed
orders continuing down to the sills, and the door a
pointed rear-arch of two plain orders. Above the door
there is a small ogee-headed light to the parvise.
The tower (17 ft. 6 in. by 17 ft. 6 in.) has a modern
tiled floor with a modern octagonal stone font in the
centre. It has a stone vaulted ceiling with moulded
ribs and a central octagonal boss. The moulded ribs
die out on plain chamfered responds in the angles,
without capitals but with moulded bases. In the southeast angle there is an ogee-headed doorway to a circular
staircase leading to the tower and parvise; above the
door there is a painted list of charities, dated 1714.
Both windows have pointed rear-arches to deeply
splayed reveals. Round the walls there is a dado of oak
panelling cut from the old bell-frame in 1921 when it
was replaced by a steel one. The traceried screens
enclosing the chancel and chapels were also made from
these timbers.
The roofs of the nave and aisles, which extend the
whole length of the church, all date from the end of the
16th century and were probably carried out by the
Duke of Suffolk. The nave roof has a low pitch and
is divided into twelve bays by trusses supported on
curved brackets with traceried spandrels and moulded
wall-posts. The tie-beams, ridges, purlins, and wallplates are moulded and in some cases the tie-beams
are battlemented. At the west end the truss, which is
shortened by the tower, has a solid instead of a traceried
bracket. Both aisle roofs are of the lean-to type and of
similar design. That over the south aisle is divided into
six bays by moulded beams resting on a moulded wallplate supported on stone corbels on the arcade wall.
Each bay is divided by an intermediate beam and by
two purlins, both moulded. Three bays at the east end
have carved bosses at the junction of the purlins with
the intermediate beams. The north aisle has a roof of
nine similar bays but without the carved bosses. Some
of the timbers of the western bays have been renewed,
probably in the 18th century, and much of the roof
has been re-boarded.
Of the six bells (fn. 42) the earliest probably dates from the
late 14th century; three are by Henry Bagley, 1618,
1623, 1640; one by Joseph Smith, 1711; and one by
Thomas Eayre of Kettering, 1741.
The plate consists of a silver gilt flagon, chalice,
ciborium, and paten, all the gift of the Duchess of
Dudley, 1638. Also a silver chalice and cover of 1585;
a silver paten inscribed I.H.S. and bearing a crucifix
which has been defaced.
The registers commence in 1653.
The church of ST. JOHN in Copston Magna, a
chapel of ease to Monks Kirby, stands on a mound to
the west of the village in a large churchyard. It consists
of a chancel, nave, south porch, and a vestry on the
south side of the chancel. It was built in the Gothic
style of the 14th century in 1849, probably on the site
of the old church; no parts of the old church have been
incorporated in the new. (fn. 43) It is of red sandstone rubble
with dressings of a lighter colour, the roofs are tiled
and on the west gable there is a bell-cote for a single
bell. The chancel has an east window of three trefoiled
lights, two single trefoiled lights on the north, and one
on the south. The porch entrance is pointed, the
mouldings resting on attached shafts, the doorway has
its mouldings carried down to carved stops at the base.
The nave is lighted on the north by three windows of
two trefoiled lights and a single light, on the south by
two similar windows and one single light, and on the
west by two two-lights with a six-foiled light in the
gable. The chancel measures 16 ft. 3 in. by 15 ft. 2 in.
and the nave 43 ft. by 20 ft. 10 in. The chancel arch
is pointed and supported on half-octagonal responds
with moulded capital and square bases.
The church of ST. DENIS in Pailton, also a chapel
of ease, in the middle of the village, stands in a small
plot of ground in which there are no burials. It was
built in 1884, and consists of an apsidal chancel
measuring 25 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft. 6 in., a nave 40 ft. 9 in.
by 18 ft. 8 in., and a small apsidal vestry on the north
side. It is built of red brick with stone dressings in the
style of the 12th century. The roofs are tiled and there
is a bell-cote for a single bell. The interior is also of red
brick and stone dressings in alternate light and dark
courses.
Advowson
Kirkby, the original form of the
name of the parish, implies the early
existence of a church here. At the
Norman Conquest Geoffrey de Wirce found the
church in ruin and, as already mentioned, rebuilt it
and gave it to the Abbey of St. Nicholas, Angers. It
was appropriated to the Priory of Monks Kirby and
in 1291 was valued at £21 6s. 8d. (fn. 44) With the priory
it passed to the Carthusians of Axholme, who in 1535
were paying a yearly stipend of £20 to the vicar, and
£5 6s. 8d. to the priest of a chantry, (fn. 45) of which the
foundation and history are unknown. At the Dissolution it came into the king's hands and in December
1546 the rectory and the advowson of the vicarage were
granted by Henry VIII to his foundation of Trinity
College, Cambridge, (fn. 46) in whose possession they have
continued.
One of the members of this large parish provided
with a chapel was Cesters Over. (fn. 47) Here a chapel had been
established by the ancestors of Sir William de Waver,
who in 1220 complained to Pope Honorius III that
the Priory of Monks Kirby were taking the rents of the
endowment and not providing a priest. Next year the
prior and convent undertook to institute a chaplain to
celebrate in the chapel of 'Wavere' for the household
of Sir William and his heirs and the men of the
vill, subject to the rights of the mother church of
Kirby. In return Sir William gave them 2 virgates
in 'Wavere', and a manse next to the chapel for the
chaplain to dwell in. (fn. 48) The arrangement was confirmed in 1251. (fn. 49) No later reference to the chapel is
known. There was also a chapel at Great Copston
(see above) which was probably the oratory of the
Prior of Monks Kirby referred to in 1373. (fn. 50) It was
apparently functioning, as a donative in the gift of
the Earl of Denbigh, in 1730 (fn. 51) and, although
described in 1769 as a 'destroyed church' (fn. 52) its fabric
seems to have stood until the new church was built
in 1849.
It was probably for the provision of assistance for the
incumbent that the augmentation of the living by £20
was approved in 1658. (fn. 53) It is not clear whether this
took effect at that time, but Alice, Duchess Dudley,
who died in 1669, gave sufficient endowment to
augment the living by the same sum of £20. (fn. 54)
Charities
Joseph Bosworth, by will dated
20 December 1805 gave £63, to pay
the interest on £42 to the officiating
minister of Monks Kirby for preaching a sermon in the
parish church in the afternoon of Mid-Lent Sunday
and another in the afternoon of the Sunday next after
old St. Swithin, and the interest on £21 towards the
support of the Sunday Schools for poor children of the
township of Monks Kirby and hamlet of Pailton
equally; but if the Sunday School should be discontinued in either place, then to pay one-half of the
interest on the £21 to the said minister for preaching
a sermon in the afternoon of the first Sunday after
29 September; if discontinued in both places, then to
pay the other half to the minister for preaching a
sermon in the afternoon of the second Sunday after
29 September. The testator by a codicil dated 7 March
1806 devised a close of land in Pailton called Shuckborough Close to the vicar of Monks Kirby upon the
trusts contained in his will.
The annual income of the charity amounts to £10
(approximately).
Thomas Cook. A tablet placed in the church in
1714 states that he gave by his will arable land for the
maintenance of the church, £1 5s. 4d.: the rent received
in respect of the land is applied by the churchwardens
for church purposes.
John King, who died in 1642, by his will charged
certain land in Street Aston lordship called Fat Furlong
with the annual payment of the sum of 10s., viz. 3s. 4d.
at Christmas, the same at Easter, and the same at
Whitsuntide, to the poor of Monks Kirby town.
William Miller by his will gave Gill's Close near
Pailton, ordering the rent to be distributed yearly
among the poor of the Constable Ward of Monks
Kirby. The rent, amounting to £8, together with the
10s. comprising John King's charity is distributed
among widows and old people residing in the parish.
Lady Mary Frances Catherine Feilding by her will
dated August 1895 bequeathed £3,000, the interest to
be applied for all or any of the following purposes,
(a) towards providing the salary of the minister of the
Church of England who shall conduct divine service
in the chapel of ease known as St. Denis at Pailton;
(b) towards the maintenance of any branch of the work
of the Church of England in the said parish; (c) towards
the maintenance of the Lady Mary's Home in the
parish so long as the purposes and uses of the home are
continued in accordance with the principles of the
Church of England.
By a scheme of the Charity Commissioners dated
December 1918 a body of trustees was appointed to
administer the charity, the annual income of which
amounts to £60 (approximately).
Lady Mary's Home. By an Indenture dated
18 March 1880 Lady Mary Frances Catherine Feilding
granted to trustees the property then known as
Pailton Hall, upon trust for the benefit solely of the
respectable inhabitants of the parish of Monks Kirby,
the instruction of the young and the care of the sick
and aged being always among the principal objects to
be kept in view, subject to such regulations as the
Archdeacon of Coventry, the vicar of Monks Kirby,
and any trustee or trustees or the major part of them
should with the approval of the Bishop of the Diocese
appoint.
The following scheme for the management of the
Home was approved by the Bishop of Worcester in
or about the commencement of the year 1913:
'The net proceeds, after paying all legal charges and providing for the maintenance of the property, may be applied
by the Trustees at their discretion to any of the following
objects:—
A.—The Poor
(1) Gifts in time of sickness or any special necessity.
(2) Obtaining admission to Hospitals, Convalescent
Homes or suchlike institutions, or providing special medical
or surgical appliances.
B.—Church Schools
Contribution to the expenses which fall upon Managers
of Elementary Schools.
C. Contribution for providing an additional Clergyman
in the Parish, in consideration of his efficient care of the
poor, the sick, and the aged, the amount not to exceed one
quarter of the net revenue in any year.'
The charity is regulated by a scheme of the Charity
Commissioners dated 20 December 1918, which
appoints trustees to administer the charity and directs
that the yearly income shall be applied for the purposes
approved by the Bishop in 1913, or for such other
charitable purposes for the benefit of the inhabitants
as may be selected by the trustees and approved by the
Bishop. The yearly income of the charity amounts to
£50 (approximately).