STRETTON-UPON-DUNSMORE AND PRINCETHORPE
Stretton-upon-Dunsmore
Acreage: 1,919.
Population: 1911, 587; 1921, 612; 1931, 648.
Princethorpe
Acreage: 1,070.
Population: 1911, 357; 1921, 324; 1931, 298.
These two parishes, which are united for ecclesiastical
purposes and were formerly both hamlets of Wolston,
lie in the centre of the county about equidistant (some
8 miles) from Rugby, Leamington, Kenilworth, and
Coventry. The villages, which are about a mile apart,
are on opposite sides of the valley of a small stream
rising on Dunsmore Heath and flowing west and then
south (Stretton village being near the change of course)
to the river Leam, which forms the southern boundary
of Princethorpe. The ground is undulating, the highest
point, rather over 350 ft., being found on the heath
north-east of Stretton, and falling to just under 200 ft.
where the stream joins the Leam at the south-west
corner of Princethorpe. There is a fair amount of
woodland in the western part of both parishes. Stretton
is of a somewhat elongated shape, measuring about
4 miles from east to west by only about one mile north
to south, and merits its distinguishing name more than
most of the villages 'on Dunsmore', the greater part
of the heath being in the long eastward extension of
the parish. The parishes are well served by roads,
being crossed not only by the Fosse Way, from which
Stretton derives its name, but also by the main roads
from Coventry to London and to Oxford, and the
direct road from Rugby to Warwick. Princethorpe
village is situated where this last road, that from
Coventry to Oxford, and the Fosse Way intersect;
Stretton is just west of the Fosse Way, and linked up
with the main roads by a number of lanes. There are
no railways through either of the parishes; the nearest
stations are Brandon and Wolston on the Birmingham
main line (2½ miles north of Stretton) and Marton
on the Leamington branch (2½ miles south of Princethorpe).
In 1704 an inclosure of 1,700 acres of common
fields in this parish was carried out, (fn. 1) presumably by
agreement, as no Act can be traced. A further 14½
yardlands, or 1,000 acres, of common field in Princethorpe were inclosed by Act of Parliament in 1762. (fn. 2)
Both parishes have contained institutions of more
than average interest. In Stretton, the Warwick
County Asylum for Juvenile Delinquents was established in 1818. It was a private venture, taking charge
of convicted boys of 14 to 16 years of age, who were
kept for two years and taught shoemaking and tailoring.
This reformatory was closed before 1900, (fn. 3) and is now
commemorated only by Asylum Farm, ½ mile southeast of the village. A Gardeners' Allotment Association,
providing plots of about 20 perches each, was established in Stretton in 1825. (fn. 4)
Princethorpe contains St. Mary's Priory, founded in
1833 for nuns of the Order of St. Benedict, with a
girls' school attached. The buildings, which include a
church with a bell-tower, are a prominent feature in
the landscape.
It seems probable that the name of Stretton was in
early times applied to a much larger piece of Wolston,
or possibly used as an alternative for that name, as 'the
mill of Stretton called Purimulne' in 1226 (fn. 5) appears
to be the same as 'the mill of Stretton on the Avon'
(which river does not touch the present Stretton), and
to be on the site of the existing Wolston Mill.
Manors
The 5-hide vill of STRETTON
[UPON DUNSMORE], held in the
reign of Edward the Confessor by Ailmund,
was in 1086 the property of Roger de Montgomery,
Earl of Shrewsbury, whose tenant was Rainald de
Bailleul. Its value had increased from £3 to £5 and
in 1086 to £6. (fn. 6) Earl Roger, amongst his other estates
and dignities, held the castle and earldom of Arundel, (fn. 7)
and Stretton appears to have been regarded as an
appendage of this earldom in its various creations. In
1235 it was reckoned with Wolston and Church
Lawford at 2½ knight's fees held of John Fitzalan, (fn. 8)
Stretton by itself being a half-fee held of the same
overlord by the heir of Ralph Strange (Extranei) in
1242. (fn. 9) A quarter of a fee in Stretton and Princethorpe
was in 1428 stated to have been formerly held of the
Earls of Arundel. (fn. 10)
The next recorded tenant of the manor after Ralph
Strange was Thomas de Garshale, who with his wife
Maud in 1262, for a consideration of 20 marks silver
and an annual rent of 1d. or a pair of white gloves,
passed property in Stretton and Princethorpe consisting
of 2 messuages, 2½ virgates of land, and 10 acres of
wood to Robert Heriz of Stretton. Though not
specifically described as a manor it included demesnes,
homages, rents of freemen, wards, reliefs, escheats, and
other manorial appurtenances and represented the
whole of the Garshales property in the two vills. (fn. 11)
Robert Heriz soon regranted the estate, at the same
rent but for a consideration of 30 marks, to Henry de
Hastings, son and heir of Sir Henry de Hastings. (fn. 12)
He or his son Sir John subinfeudated Thomas de Bray,
who held a fifth of a knight's fee in Stretton of the
latter in 1313, (fn. 13) and in 1282 had made a settlement
of his estates in Warwickshire and Bedfordshire on
himself and his wife Alice, with remainder to his son
Thomas and his heirs, his sons Henry, Roger, and
Richard, and their heirs successively. (fn. 14) The Bray
family continued to be tenants of the Hastings (later
Earls of Pembroke). (fn. 15) This fifth of a fee in Stretton
was identified in the inquisitions on Joan widow of
Sir William Beauchamp (1435), who inherited through
the entail made by the second Hastings, Earl of Pembroke, on his cousin William de Beauchamp, (fn. 16) and on
Sir Edward Neville (1476), her grandson. (fn. 17) The last
of the Brays in the male line was Richard (temp.
Henry VI), one of whose daughters and coheiresses,
Helen, married Edmund Starkey. (fn. 18) His descendant,
William Starkey (died 1555), left two sons, Thomas,
who died in 1557, and William, aged 18 at that time; (fn. 19)
the latter was dealing with his share in 1560, (fn. 20) perhaps
as a settlement on his coming of age, and sold it two
years later to Anne, widow of Sir Thomas Longueville, (fn. 21) on whose death in 1564 it came to her son by
a former marriage, Bartholomew Tate of Delapré
(Northants.). (fn. 22) The latter conveyed it in 1581 to his
younger brother Anthony, of Sutton Bonington (Notts.)
and it was sold by Anthony's son George to Richard
Taylor of Binley in 1620. (fn. 23) This manor remained
in the Taylor family for over a century, (fn. 24) Samuel
Taylor being returned as lord between 1715 and
1742. (fn. 25) A Samuel Taylor was dealing with it in
association with William Butler and his wife, probably
his brother-in-law and sister, in 1750, (fn. 26) and William
Butler was lord up to at least 1759, when with his wife
Mary, son William, and several other members of the
family he sold it to George, Earl of Halifax. (fn. 27) The
latter died without surviving male issue in 1771, (fn. 28)
when this half of the manor disappeared as a separate
entity, becoming merged with the half already held
by the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch, who was distantly
related to the Earl of Halifax and in the previous year
had acquired manorial interests in Stretton through
his marriage with the heiress of the Montagus (see
below). The Dukes of Buccleuch remained lords of
the manor, but the manorial rights seem to have
lapsed.
The descent of the other half of the manor, which
is not noticed by Dugdale, is very obscure. A fine was
levied on a half-manor between Clement Cave, third
son of Richard Cave of Stanford (Leics.) (fn. 29) and Margery
his wife and Edward Mountague and John Croke in
1527, (fn. 30) and between Nicholas Charnell and Gabriel
Chambers in 1571. (fn. 31) Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of
Southampton, was lord of Stretton in 1656 (fn. 32) and his
daughter and coheir Elizabeth with her husband
Jocelyn, Lord Percy (later Earl of Northumberland),
were dealing with the manor in 1668 (fn. 33) and she with
her second husband Ralph, Baron Montagu of
Boughton in 1673. (fn. 34) John, Duke of Montagu, and
Mary his wife were dealing with the manor in 1711; (fn. 35)
no members of this family are mentioned as lords of
the manor in the Gamekeepers' Deputations, but there
is little doubt that the two halves of the manor became
merged after 1771 (see above).
In 1330 Richard le Fevre was licensed to alienate
property in Stretton, Princethorpe, and other places to
the prioress and nuns of 'Kynewod'. (fn. 36) The nunnery
of Henwood had property worth £1 0s. 5d. net in
1535. (fn. 37)
The hamlet of PRINCETHORPE is first mentioned
in 1275–6, when William de Holeweye and Henry
Coc' held 1 virgate here. (fn. 38) In 1357 it was described
as a manor, when it was settled on William de Peekes,
for life with contingent remainders to Sir Richard
Treweloue in tail, John de Hockeleye and Cecily his
wife in tail, or Nicholas le Eyr and his heirs. (fn. 39) From
about this date till the middle of the 15th century
Princethorpe figures with Wappenbury and Eathorpe
as 4 knights' fees held of the Mowbrays and the Earls
of Norfolk. (fn. 40) In the 15th century the immediate lords
of the manor were the Hugford family, (fn. 41) and in 1517
John Hugford was reported to have inclosed the sites
of 2 messuages and 50 acres of land in Princethorpe. (fn. 42)
In the same year he sold the manor to Sir William
Compton, (fn. 43) who died in possession in 1528. (fn. 44) Henry,
1st Lord Compton, Sir William's grandson, was
dealing with his manor of Princethorpe in 1583, (fn. 45)
and William, 2nd Lord Compton, made a settlement
of it in 1629 (fn. 46) shortly before his death, when his
younger brother Sir Henry succeeded him. (fn. 47) It was
finally conveyed by Richard Compton and others to
Richard Jennens in 1665. (fn. 48) Another Richard Jennens
appears as vouchee in recoveries in 1708 and 1739. (fn. 49)
His youngest daughter and coheiress Anne married
William Peareth, of Usworth (Durham), in whose
family the manorial rights remained as late as 1906. (fn. 50)
Compton. Sable a leopard or between three helms argent.
Peareth. Gules a cheveron argent between three pears or.
Another manor appears in the middle of the 16th
century; in 1560 Matthew Knyveton settled the manor
of Princethorpe on his wife Elizabeth and at the same
time made a lease thereof for 40 years to William
Fletewood of the Middle Temple. Knyveton died in
1562 when his son William was 10, the wardship of
his lands being granted to Sir William Cordell and
Richard Alington. (fn. 51) William Knyveton was dealing
with this manor in 1576 (fn. 52) and passed it in 1580 to
Martin Chamberlyn, when the appurtenances included two mills and fishery in the Leam. (fn. 53) This
manor remained with the Chamberlayne family till
the end of the 18th century, Stanes Chamberlayne
of Stoney Thorpe being vouchee in a recovery of
1792. (fn. 54)
Church
The existing church (fn. 55) of ALL SAINTS
is situated to the west of the village on
the summit of a hill and stands in a large
churchyard. It was completed in 1837 from designs
by Rickman, and except for the addition of a choir
vestry and a new east window inserted in 1936 as a
memorial, it is unaltered. It is built of brick faced with
stone ashlar and consists of a chancel, nave, north and
south aisles, west tower, vestry and choir vestry. The
east end has diagonal buttresses at the angles, moulded
coping to the gable with a cross finial and is lighted by
a pointed traceried window of five lights, the centre
light cinquefoil and the others trefoil, the hoodmould being taken round a quatrefoil piercing above
the window in ogee form, terminating in a foliated
finial. The north and south sides each have a threelight traceried window. Both aisles have pointed twolight windows above the vestry roofs. The vestries on
either side of the chancel are of one story with flat
roofs, pierced parapets, and diagonal buttresses at the
angles. The aisles and clearstory are divided into
four bays by buttresses, with a string-course at sill
level and a plain parapet to the low-pitched slated
nave roof. The aisles have three pointed traceried windows of two trefoil lights with hood-moulds and the
four clearstory circular lights are of trefoiled cusping
with ogee hood-moulds terminating in floriated finials.
The tower rises in three stages, with buttresses at each
angle, and finishes with a plain coping on a moulded
string-course. The west door has a pointed moulded
arch flanked by small buttresses with crocketed gabled
heads terminating in floriated finials. The second
stage has a single trefoil light with a hood-mould and
the belfry two-light windows with ogee crocketed
labels on each face. The north side has two single
pointed lights and a clock dial in the second stage.
The south side has a single trefoil pointed window
in the lower stage. The west ends of the aisles have
single trefoil lights, with circular windows above to
light the gallery.
The chancel (20 ft. by 12 ft.) is paved with stone
and has five steps from the nave to the altar. The
ceiling is quadripartite vaulting with moulded ribs,
carved bosses, and slender attached shafts with moulded
capitals on foliated corbels. In the side walls there are
shallow niches with segmental heads, cusped and
supported on attached shafts with moulded capitals
and bases.
The nave (49 ft. 6 in. by 20 ft.) has a vaulted ceiling
continued from the chancel, which is without a chancel
arch, and a boarded floor. The arcades are of four bays
of moulded pointed arches, the inner order supported
on attached shafts and the outer continued to form
hexagonal pillars with splayed stops on a plain hexagonal
base. The clearstory windows are in moulded recesses
with segmental-pointed arches, the lower part of the
recesses being panelled. The font, placed under the
gallery on the south side of the entrance, is octagonal,
with panelled sides, small buttresses at the angles,
moulded capping and a circular basin of white enamel.
The pulpit, south of the chancel, is of stone, octagonal
with trefoil-headed panels on a circular moulded base
and opposite a somewhat similar reading-desk.
The aisles (47 ft. by 10 ft.) have similar vaulting
to the nave, supported on moulded corbels. A gallery
extends right across the church at the west end supported on a stone arcade of seven segmental arched
bays on clustered shafts. At the back of the gallery
there is a deep splayed pointed arch recess to the tower
with a door to the tower staircase. In the centre of
the gallery are the pipes of an organ.
The tower (12 ft. 6 in. by 13 ft. 6 in.) forms a
lobby to the west door. The tower staircase is carried
in straight flights round the walls and gives access to
the gallery. On the west wall there is a list of charities
from 1687 to 1839.
The plate consists of a silver flagon, silver chalice,
and silver paten, all inscribed 'Francis and Thermuthis
Fauquier of Stoneythorpe in the County of Warwick
to the Parish of Stretton on Dunsmore 1795'. There
are also a silver chalice with hallmark of 1673, a silver
spoon, and three pewter plates.
There are three bells, one by Hugh Watts, 1620,
and two by Joseph Smith, 1705. (fn. 56)
The registers of burials begin in 1681 and those of
baptisms and marriages in 1695.
Advowson
Stretton-upon-Dunsmore and
Princethorpe were hamlets of Wolston
till 1696, when William Herbert
demised two cottages valued at £40, held on a 1,000year lease in Long Itchington of the lord of the manor
of that village, to provide a stipend for a vicar for the
two villages. (fn. 57)
There is no mention of a chapel in the Taxatio,
but in 1345 Thomas de Wolvardyngton, parson of
Lubenham (Leics.), was licensed to alienate 3 messuages,
3 virgates of land, 4 acres of meadow, and 3 of wood,
with 20s. rent, in Stretton and Princethorpe, to provide
two chaplains to celebrate at the altar of St. Thomas
the Martyr in the chapel of All Saints at Stretton for
the souls of himself and Peter de Wolvardyngton and
Aline his wife. (fn. 58) This chantry may have lapsed owing
to the Black Death, for in 1350 Robert de Stretton,
Bishop of Lichfield 1360–86, had licence to alienate to
provide a chantry priest here, though he did not carry
out his scheme till 1378, when he set aside 4 messuages
and 8 virgates in Stretton, valued at £4, for the good
estate of the king, his father, and grandfather. (fn. 59)
In any case, only one chantry is mentioned in the
Valor, when its value was £4 14s. (fn. 60) In 1545 this
chantry was surrendered by John Shyrborne its priest
and Richard (Sampson), Bishop of Lichfield, the patron,
and the possessions thereof granted for life to Francis
Everarde of London, with remainder to the king. (fn. 61)
In 1581–2 it was regranted to Sir Christopher Hatton
and his heirs, (fn. 62) and in 1673 Charles Hatton, 2nd son of
Christopher 1st Lord Hatton, and Mary his wife,
passed it to John Rushworth. (fn. 63)
On the formation of the separate parish the patronage
was vested in Mary Chamberlayne, her executors or
assigns (2 turns) and Fisher Wentworth (patron of the
mother church of Wolston), his executors or assigns
(1 turn); the Act lays down that every vicar presented
'shall be approved by the major part of the inhabitants . . . of Stretton and Princethorpe'. (fn. 64) The two
shares of the Chamberlayne family, at that time lords
of a manor in Princethorpe, passed to the Fauquiers
through Elizabeth, wife of Francis Fauquier, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia; (fn. 65) a Francis Fauquier sold
his next turn to Henry Sawbridge in 1795. (fn. 66) The
Wentworth share was in 1850 in the hands of the
Rev. H. T. Powell, the incumbent. (fn. 67) This latter share
remained with the Powell family till between 1900
and 1915 when it was transferred to the Bishop; the
Fauquier shares were before 1900 handed over to the
Simeon Trustees. (fn. 68)
Charities
Henry Johnson, by will dated
18 August 1719, charged his estate in
Stretton-on-Dunsmore with the yearly
payment of 10s., to be distributed in bread by the
churchwardens and overseers to the poor of the parish
on the Sunday next before 'Twelfth Day'.
Rhoda Marriott, by will dated 23 February 1827,
bequeathed £10, the interest to be expended in bread
on every New Year's day and given to such aged poor
widows and widowers of this parish who should have
attended divine service on that day.
William Smith. This parish participates in this
charity to the amount of 4s. each year, which in
accordance with the terms of the bequest is required
to be distributed in bread to the poorest people of the
parish. For particulars of the charity see under parish
of Bilton.
Elizabeth Taylor by will, date unknown, charged
certain land in the parish with the payment of £3
every seventh year, to be applied towards putting out
an apprentice.
Mary Turner. This parish participates in this
charity to the amount of 6s. 8d. each year, to be applied
for the relief of the impotent and most needy people
dwelling in the parish. For particulars of the charity
see under parish of Ryton-on-Dunsmore.
The above-mentioned charities are regulated by a
scheme of the Charity Commissioners dated 5 October
1915 which appoints a body of trustees to administer
the charities. The annual income of the charities,
excluding the charity of Elizabeth Taylor, amounts
to £1 5s. 8d.
Poor's Plot. It is stated in the printed Parliamentary
Reports of the former Commissioners for Inquiring
Concerning Charities dated in 1834 that the lands
belonging to this charity have been applied to the use
of the poor from a very early period, but the first formal
notice found occurs in an indenture dated 2 June 1704
whereby an inclosure was made of certain open fields
in the parish of Stretton. It is also stated in the Report
that the rents, after deducting expenses for repairs, is
divided on St. John's Day (27 December) among all
the poor of the parish according to the members in
family, and is laid out in coals.
Church and Poor's Land. It is also stated in the
Report that the origin of the property belonging to
this charity is not known, but it appears from old
parish books that the rents have been divided between
the church and the poor for a great number of
years.
William Herbert, by will dated 15 August 1694,
bequeathed his property at Shilton in trust to pay
yearly out of the rents and profits £12 to three aged
men and three aged widows of the town of Strettonupon-Dunsmore, if such should be there found, or else
to six such other persons as should have most need,
40s. each for life by half-yearly payments; and upon
further trust to pay 20s. for the yearly preaching of
two sermons at Stretton Church, one on Ascension Day
and the other on 21 October, to be paid to the minister
that should preach them; and upon further trust to
employ the residue of the yearly profits for putting out
one poor boy or girl of Stretton to be an apprentice to
some good trade every two years. In 1786 a case was
laid before Sir Pepper Arden, then Attorney General,
inquiring whether the trustees would be justified in
applying a part of the rents towards the support of a
school, as being a charitable use consonant with the
will of the donor, the rents having then increased to
£30 a year. Under the sanction of his opinion a school
was then established.
The above-mentioned charities are regulated by a
scheme of the High Court of Chancery dated 8 August
1859. By an Order dated 20 March 1906 the Charity
Commissioners determined what part of the endowments ought to be applied to educational purposes.
Princethorpe Allotment Charity and Stretton Field
Charity. By an Award under an Act of Parliament for
the inclosure of the Princethorpe open common field
dated 18 December 1762 the Commissioners awarded
to the trustees and feoffees of the poor of Stretton
and Princethorpe three plots of ground containing
7 a. 1 r. 23 p., 3 a. 1 r. 5 p., and 2 a. 1 r. 7 p. The
charities are now regulated by a scheme of the Charity
Commissioners dated 5 April 1918 which directs that
the income of each charity shall be applied for the
benefit of the poor of the respective parishes in such
ways as the trustees think fit. The annual income of
the Stretton Field Charity amounts to £22 15s. 8d.