WAPPENBURY AND EATHORPE
Wappenbury
Acreage: 953.
Population: 1911, 74; 1921, 60; 1931, 70.
Eathorpe.
Acreage: 531.
Population: 1911, 153; 1921, 142; 1931, 140.
The parish of Wappenbury and hamlet of Eathorpe
lie on the banks of the Leam, about 4 miles north-east
of Leamington Spa. The river divides Wappenbury
proper from Eathorpe on the east and from the parish
of Hunningham on the south. Wappenbury contains
the valley of a small brook rising near Wappenbury
Wood in the north of the parish and joining the Leam
just south-west of the village; there is a larger tributary,
running more or less parallel, forming the western
boundary of the parish. The northern end is mostly
occupied by Wappenbury Wood, which is large (300
to 400 acres), and here is the highest ground (328 ft.);
the rest of the parish is mostly in pasture. The secondary
road from Leamington to Rugby takes a somewhat
zigzag course across the middle of the parish, the village
being about ¼ mile south of this, on a by-road. The
site of the village is well adapted for defence, the north
bank of the Leam being fairly steep at this point, and
is surrounded by earthworks, the 'burh' which gave
the village its name. (fn. 1) The village has always been a
small one, there being no licensed alehouse till 1642; (fn. 2)
there is now no public house here. There is a Roman
Catholic chapel, built in 1849 on a site given by Lord
Clifford.
Eathorpe, with a larger population than Wappenbury, is bounded on the north and west by the Leam,
and on the east by that river and its tributary the
Itchen, the highest ground (278 ft.) being roughly in
the centre of the parish. Much of the hamlet is taken
up with the grounds of Eathorpe Park and Eathorpe
Hall, the latter causing a slight westward diversion
of the Fosse Way, which forms the village street.
The village consists of a group of 18th-century redbrick houses with tiled roofs and a few timberframed cottages. At the southern end of the village
is Eathorpe Hall, a long rectangular 18th-century
building of two stories, built of red brick with stone
dressings, and a tiled roof. The front is symmetrical,
with a central porch, rectangular windows with flat
stone arches, equally spaced, and finished with a projecting cornice. There are bridges across the Itchen
east to Marton, and across the Leam north to Princethorpe, and west to Wappenbury. This last-named
bridge crosses by Eathorpe Corn Mill, the pond of
which was famous in the early 19th century for its eels,
which were very large, but 'not pleasant to look at,
being not silver but spotted like serpents'. (fn. 3) At that
time the Coventry road, north from Eathorpe, ran by
Stonyford, which was liable to be dangerous in the
rainy season. About 1819 the Rev. Mr. Williams, a
Welshman and ex-fellow of Wadham who was vicar
of Wappenbury, 'being much intoxicated', tried to
ride through the flooded ford and was drowned. (fn. 4)
Sir Robert Viner (1631–88), Lord Mayor of
London, was a member of an Eathorpe family, being
third son of William Viner (fn. 5) who died in 1639 seised
of tenements there, (fn. 6) which were still in the hands of
the family as late as 1830. (fn. 7)
Manors
The 5-hide vill of WAPPENBURY
was in 1086 held by Geoffrey de Wirce;
the pre-Conquest tenant is not named.
The total value in both 1066 and 1086 was 110s., of
which a mill contributed 6s. 8d. (fn. 8) Geoffrey de Wirce
was succeeded in his Warwickshire estates by Niel
d'Aubigny, (fn. 9) of whose son, Roger de Mowbray, Thomas
de Woppenberi held 5 fees de antiquo feodo in 1166. (fn. 10)
The Mowbray overlordship of Wappenbury is again
recorded in 1298 (as to 4½ fees), (fn. 11) 1400 (a similar
assessment), (fn. 12) and 1461, when the high rating is
explained by the 4 fees then recorded including the
hamlet of Eathorpe and lands in six other villages
besides Wappenbury. (fn. 13)
An intermediate tenancy was established in 1201,
when William de Mowbray assigned the service of
Richard de Wappenbury for 4½ knights' fees to
William de Stuteville. (fn. 14) His granddaughter Joan,
daughter and heir of Nicholas de Stuteville, married
Hugh Wake, (fn. 15) and the holder of the Mowbray fees
in 1298 was Baldwin Wake. (fn. 16) In 1349 Thomas Wake
of Liddell was stated to hold 2 fees in Wappenbury
and Fenny Neubold (Newbold Revel). (fn. 17) Through
the marriage of his sister Margaret to Edmund, Earl
of Kent, these fees passed to the earldom, (fn. 18) Elizabeth,
dowager Countess of Kent (widow of Edmund's second
son John) holding them at her death in 1411, (fn. 19) and her
daughter Joan, Duchess of York, in 1434. (fn. 20) The latter
left various sisters, nephews, and nieces as coheirs, and
this intermediate overlordship is not further recorded.
Thomas de Wappenbury's descendant Richard was
in 1208 summoned to show why he did not keep the
terms of his charter made with Geoffrey fitz Piers,
Earl of Essex, regarding his wood at Wappenbury,
and undertook not to alienate to a Jew or to any other
person so as to disinherit Thomas his son and heir. (fn. 21)
This Thomas held 2½ fees of Niel de Mowbray in
Warwickshire and Leicestershire at the beginning of
the reign of Henry III; (fn. 22) he had sided with the barons
against John and his forfeited lands were restored to
him in 1217. (fn. 23) He was the holder of one fee in Wappenbury in 1235–6. (fn. 24) Thomas died without issue,
leaving three sisters as coheiresses: (fn. 25) Margery, who
married (? Robert) de Wassingle; Joan, whose daughter
Alice married Robert Revel, or Ryvel; and Agnes,
wife of (? Richard) de Beyvill. Accordingly, in 1349
Wappenbury was held of Thomas Wake by Roger de
Wappenbury, Lora widow of Richard de Beyvill, and
John Revel. (fn. 26) This Roger de Wappenbury, who was
in 1332 the largest taxpayer in this parish, Lora de
Beyvill being next largest, (fn. 27) was in fact a member of the
Wassingelegh family. In 1314 Thomas de Wassingelegh entailed (his share of) the manor, subject to a life
tenancy for himself, on Roger de Wassingelegh and
his heirs by Maud his wife, with remainder to his own
right heirs. (fn. 28) Thomas was lord of Wappenbury cum
membris in 1316, (fn. 29) but the descent of this estate after
Roger's death is obscure. Lora widow of Richard de
Beyvill died in 1350 in possession of the capital
messuage here, with 60 acres of arable land, 4 of
meadow, a wood, 3 messuages, 3 cottages, and
20 acres in the common fields, without tenants owing
to the Black Death, (fn. 30) which seems also to have carried
off her son Richard. (fn. 31) Her grandson Robert being a
child of 5, the wardship was granted to William de
Peck, at an annual rent of 10 marks. (fn. 32) Robert Beyvill
proved his age in 1363, (fn. 33) and in 1375 settled his third
of the manor on his son Robert on the marriage of the
latter to Alice daughter of John de Ryslee, (fn. 34) but the
younger Robert seems to have predeceased his father.
The Wassingelegh portion of the manor seems to
have come to the family of Stafford. (fn. 35) Thomas Stafford
was described as 'of Wappenbury' in 1419. (fn. 36) His son
Richard Stafford and Ralph Bellars were joint lords
in 1431–2, the latter passing his title to Nicholas
Metley six years later. (fn. 37) Metley's daughter and heir
Margaret brought the manor to John Hugford, (fn. 38)
whose estates were divided after his death in 1485
between his three heirs—John Beaufo, son of his eldest
daughter Joan, and his other daughters Alice and Ann. (fn. 39)
Wappenbury seems to have been allotted to John, who
in 1512 exchanged it, with Wolston and Marston, for
Emscote with his cousin John Cotes, (fn. 40) son of Alice
Hugford. He at once made an exchange of this 'third
of the manor' to Sir Edward Belknapp; (fn. 41) and on his
death without issue the following year it passed to
Philip Cooke of Gidea Hall (Essex), (fn. 42) husband of his
sister and coheir Elizabeth. The manor may have been
divided at this time into four parts, the other heirs
being Mary wife of George Danett, Alice wife of Sir
William Shelley, and Anne wife of Sir Thomas Wotton;
Leonard Danett and his wife Christine conveyed a third
part to Sir Anthony Cooke, Philip's grandson, in 1564 (fn. 43)
and Thomas Wotton released his interest to Cooke in
the same year. (fn. 44) A rent out of the manor, amounting
in 1547 to £20 was granted to Richard and Joan Cooke,
with reversion to Thomas Burnaby of Watford
(Northants.) and contingent remainder to his brother
Eustace; (fn. 45) this rent was transferred in 1547 by John
Bartylmewe and Joan his wife (probably a Burnaby,
the warranty being against her heirs) to William Byall. (fn. 46)
Anthony Cooke, Sir Anthony's grandson, passed the
manor to Richard Fennys of Broughton (Oxon.) in
1584, (fn. 47) and the latter and his wife Constance conveyed
it two years later to Thomas Morgan, when the
appurtenances included two mills. (fn. 48) Morgan died
seised of the manor in 1603, his heir being his brother
Anthony; in 1599 Thomas had settled it in turn on
his wife Mary, Anthony, and Anthony's daughter
Bridget on her marriage to Anthony Morgan of
Llanfihangel Llantarnam (Mon.), in tail male, with
contingent remainders to various members of the
family. (fn. 49) Thomas Morgan, son of Bridget and
Anthony, was dealing with the manor in 1616 and in
1622, (fn. 50) and in 1634–5 was cited for recusancy; (fn. 51) he
was killed at the first battle of Newbury (1643). (fn. 52)
After this the manor passed by the marriage of Morgan's
surviving daughter and heiress
Jane to Sir John Preston of
Furness (Lancs.), whose nephew
and successor Sir Thomas was
dealing with it in 1665. (fn. 53) The
Preston family estates were
divided after Sir Thomas's death
(1709) between his daughters
Mary and Anne, Wappenbury
being allotted to the latter, who
was married to Hugh, 3rd Baron
Clifford of Chudleigh, (fn. 54) in whose
family the manorial rights have since remained. (fn. 55)
Clifford of Chudleigh. Checky or and azure a fesse azure.
The hamlet of EATHORPE is mentioned in 1428
as being, with Wappenbury, formerly held by Thomas
Wake of Liddell. (fn. 56) From the latter half of the 16th
century it is often described as a manor, (fn. 57) which has
always descended with Wappenbury. In 1612 John
Lapworth died seised of a messuage and lands in
Eathorpe held of Thomas Morgan's manor of Wappenbury, which he bequeathed to his wife Isabel and
younger son Henry in tail. (fn. 58)
A manor of Eathorpe, so-called, was in the hands of
Sir Fulwar Skipwith in 1716 and of Sir Thomas
Skipwith, bart., until his death in 1790, and was then
held by his widow (fn. 59) . On her death in 1832 it passed
to Sir Guy Skipwith, bart., who was lord in 1850. (fn. 60)
Church
The church of ST. JOHN THE
BAPTIST stands on a slight mound in
the middle of a small churchyard, with a
farmhouse on the west and Wappenbury Hall, which
has been entirely rebuilt, to the east. The church was
built in the 13th century and then consisted of chancel
and nave. Early in the 14th century a west tower was
built on the south side of the nave, together with a
south aisle and porch. The nave and south aisle were
completely 'restored' c. 1825 (fn. 61) but were pulled down in
1886 and rebuilt in the character of 14th-century work,
and at the same time a south porch and transept were
added and the whole church re-roofed.
The east wall of the chancel has been almost entirely
refaced and the string-course, plinth, and the coping
and cross finial of the gable renewed. It has three lancet
windows with the jambs and sills restored. (fn. 62) Over
these windows there is a continuous hood-moulding
round each arch with head-stops at the two ends. The
north side is built of red sandstone rubble patched with
small limestone rubble. It has three lancet windows
of one splay, a moulded string-course at sill level and a
plinth of one splay. The south side is similar but has
a re-set doorway at the west end with a trefoil head of
two splays, (fn. 63) the string-course at sill level carried over
it as a pointed arch. The walls of the south aisle,
transept and porch are modern, built of a reddish
sandstone in squared and coursed masonry. The
transept has a gable with a chimney as a finial and is
lighted by a two-light tracery window with a hoodmoulding on the south, and a single trefoil-headed light
on the east. Between the transept and the porch the
aisle is lighted by three lancets placed close together.
The porch has angle buttresses and a pointed entrance
arch and an ogee-headed window on either side, that
on the west being an old one re-used. Below the wallplate some old moulded stones have been used as a
cornice. The south door has a pointed arch and
mouldings of a 13th-century character. The north
side of the nave has two single trefoil lights with pointed
arches and between them a plain two-light tracery
window. West of these is a doorway, projected slightly
from the wall as a gable with low buttresses to give the
appearance of a porch. The doorway has a moulded
trefoil head and a pointed arch formed by a hoodmoulding.
The tower, which is divided by string-courses into
three stages, is built of red sandstone ashlar, supported
by diagonal buttresses at each corner, those on the east
side coming down, the one into the nave, the other
into the south porch. At the base of the tower is a
moulded plinth, restored, but with some remains of the
original. It has an embattled parapet, with a small
turret corbelled out at the south-west angle, probably
to balance the stair turret. Below the parapet at each
corner are grotesque gargoyles. At the south-east angle
there is a turret corbelled out for the spiral tower staircase, the corbel carved with a grotesque figure of a man
lying on his chest, his chin supported on his hands. The
stair is lit by a chamfered loop-light in the lower stage.
The belfry windows on the north, south, and west are
of two trefoil lights, of two chamfered orders, with
pointed arches containing pierced cusping, and a labelmoulding above; that on the east side has three trefoil
lights, with a rather flat four-centred arch and a labelmoulding. Beneath the window in the second stage
is a chamfered window with a trefoil head under a
square label-moulding, and near the south-east angle
there is a similar light. On the south side of the lower
stage is a window of two trefoil lights set in deep
splayed reveals with a pointed arch, cusped piercing,
and a label-moulding, with head-stops. On the east
face above the modern aisle roof is the line of the lowpitched earlier roof.
The chancel (30 ft. 10 in. by 16 ft.) has a modern
tiled floor, three steps from the nave, two to the altar
rails, and two to the modern altar, and a modern
trussed rafter roof. The three east lancet windows have
trefoil rear-arches, springing from capitals, and above
them a label-moulding with head-stops. The three
lancet windows in each side wall have deep splayed
recesses with segmental-pointed arches, and above
them trefoil heads. At sill level there is a moulded
string-course, which is carried over the slightly cambered rear-arch of the south door as a hood-moulding.
Between the two east windows on the south side is a
late-13th-century piscina, the head trefoiled in two
delicately moulded orders springing from two shafts
in each jamb, with moulded capitals and bases; the
bowl is modern. The recess is unusually wide for a
piscina, being 4 ft. 6 in. across.
The nave (43 ft. 9 in. by 20 ft.) is entirely modern,
with a tile and wood-block floor and a roof matchboarded in the form of a wagon vault. The north
door has a segmental rear-arch with hood-mouldings
stopped on scrolls. All the windows have shouldered
rear arches. The chancel arch of two orders is also
modern, and on the south side of it is a modern
moulded niche with a bracket. The nave arcade is in
three bays in line with the tower arch, which forms a
fourth; the east bay opens into the modern transept,
used as a vestry and organ chamber. The arches are
pointed, in two splayed orders springing from octagonal
pillars with moulded capitals, the splayed bases being
modern. The stone-work of the capitals and pillars
has been re-dressed. The pointed tower arch is lofty
and of two splayed orders supported on half-octagon
responds with moulded capitals and bases. On either
side of the arch are corbels carved like animals' heads,
now used to support the modern roof. As the modern
south aisle (20 ft. 6 in. by 9 ft. 2 in.) is lower than the
original the upper part of the arch to the tower has
been blocked and a modern depressed four-centred
arch inserted, springing from the original moulded
capitals; that on the south is carved with the face of an
old man with a beard. Traces of the earlier arch can
be seen under the apex of the modern lean-to roof.
The windows have stop-chamfered recesses with flat
oak lintels.
The tower (9 ft. 6 in. by 9 ft. 6 in.) has a modern
tiled floor with three steps down into the aisle. Placed
on the top step is a modern plain tapered circular stone
font. The window in the south wall has a splayed
recess with a stop-chamfered rear-arch. In the southeast corner there is a narrow doorway to the tower
staircase, with a four-centred head. Standing against
the west wall are two 13th-century coffin lids, one with
a foliated cross, and the other, belonging to a child,
with a plain cross; above are several 18th- and 19thcentury mural tablets. On the north side is an old
plain wooden chest of uncertain date, bound with
iron straps.
There are three bells: (fn. 64) (1) by Brian Eldridge, 1657;
(2) by Newcombe, c. 1580; (3) by Hugh Watts, 1629.
The registers start in 1753.
In the churchyard opposite the south door to the
chancel is the square base, on three octagonal steps, of
a 14th-century cross. The angles of the base are carved
with a male head and shoulders in deep relief, three of
them, however, are badly mutilated. Let into the
base is a short length of square-moulded shaft.
Advowson
Two parts of the tithes and a mill
were granted by Geoffrey de Wirce
to the abbey of St. Nicolas, Angers, (fn. 65)
whose cell of Monks Kirby made the first recorded
presentation in 1283. (fn. 66) During most of the 14th century the patronage was with the king, owing to the war
with France. (fn. 67) At the end of that century the endowments of Monks Kirby were transferred to the
Carthusian priory of Axholme (Lincs.) (fn. 68) which in 1399
was licensed to transfer Wappenbury church to the
abbey of Sulby (Northants.), the latter being allowed to
appropriate it. (fn. 69) This transaction, however, was not
actually carried out till 1453–4, when the abbot and
convent of Sulby granted letters of attorney to Richard
Aleynson and Thomas Layton to act on their behalf. (fn. 70)
After the Dissolution the first presentation (1547) was
made by Edward Sanders on the grant of Sulby abbey;
in 1582 the Crown presented and in 1586 Thomas
Wayse, or Wace, senior and junior, (fn. 71) members of a
family that at that time held the rectory. (fn. 72) By 1745 (fn. 73)
the patronage had come to the Lords Clifford, who held
the manor, and before 1915 it was transferred to the
Bishop. (fn. 74) The living was united with Weston-underWetherley in 1891. (fn. 75)
The value of the church in 1291 was £10, (fn. 76) and
that of the vicarage in 1535 £8, (fn. 77) the rectory then
being worth £5, (fn. 78) out of which 16s. 4d. was payable
to the Bishop of 'Chester' (i.e. Lichfield). (fn. 79)
Charities
Mary Turner. This parish participates in the Charity of Mary Turner and
receives 6s. 8d. each year, to be applied
for the relief of the poor impotent and most needy
people dwelling in this parish. For particulars of the
charity see under parish of Marton.
Town Ground. It is not known with certainty how
the land, containing 4 a. 2 r. 23 p. situate in Eathorpe
and known as the Town Ground, and formerly constituting the endowment of this charity, was acquired.
The land was sold in 1932 and the proceeds of sale
invested. The charity is now regulated by a scheme of
the Charity Commissioners dated 24 June 1932, which
appoints a body of trustees to administer the charity
and provides for the application of the income, amounting to £7 11s. 8d., for the benefit of the poor of the
parish.