LILLINGSTONE LOVELL
Lillingestan (xi cent.); Liwngstane (xii cent.);
Great Lyllingstone (xiii, xiv cent.); Lyllingstone
Dansey (xiv, xv cent.); Lylenstone alias Lyllyngstone
Lovell (late xiv, xvi cent.).
This parish, which is separated from that of Lillingstone Dayrell by a feeder of the River Ouse, extends east
and north to the borders of Northamptonshire. It still
belongs to the hundred of Ploughley in Oxfordshire, and
formed a detached part of that county until 1844,
when it was annexed for local government purposes to
Buckinghamshire. (fn. 1) More than half the area of 1,667
acres is pasture, and the remainder includes 512 acres
of arable and 165 acres of woods and plantations. (fn. 2)
The most important of these are Lovell and Shirehill
Woods in the north-west of the parish, and in the
north-east, parts of Briary and Cattlehill Woods, both
of which extend into Northamptonshire. (fn. 3) The level
of the land varies from 336 ft. above the ordnance
datum to the east of the church to 431 ft. on the
Towcester road in the north-west of the parish. The
soil is clay, the subsoil principally limestone and
marl, the former supplying the material for the building of the church. (fn. 4) The village is situated about half
a mile to the east of the road from Buckingham to
Towcester, and is approached by a by-road which
eventually passes eastward through Wicken Wood
into Northamptonshire. The main part of the village
lies on the east side of a stream which flows into the
feeder of the Ouse mentioned above. Here are a
few old houses, including a 17th-century farm-house
of stone, formerly an inn, on the north side of the
road, and some thatched cottages of about the same
date on the opposite side of the way. The church,
rectory, and schools with a few cottages are grouped
together west of the stream. Lillingstone Hall, a
plain square stone house with tiled roofs south of the
village, was built from the 17th-century materials of
part of the old Hall. The remains of a homestead
moat and fish-pond in the grounds south of the
present house doubtless mark the site of the former
building. (fn. 5) After their acquisition of the manor in the
later 15th century the Wentworths appear to have
lived at the house, (fn. 6) but later generations evidently
resided elsewhere, probably in Essex, from which
county the family originally came. Sir Peter Wentworth, who returned to Lillingstone, certainly speaks
of himself in February 1635–6 as 'a mere stranger in
the county,' (fn. 7) i.e., Oxford. The house was then in a
ruinous condition, apparently caused by fire in that
year, (fn. 8) and he evidently repaired and enlarged it.
Owing to the money and care he bestowed upon it,
the fame of the house spread far. (fn. 9) He also laid out
extensive grounds and plantations, (fn. 10) and inclosed a
park which was stocked with ten brace of deer from
Whittlewood Forest by a grant of the Commonwealth
in 1659. (fn. 11) After Major Drake's death in 1788 the
estate was neglected; the old timber was cut down and
the old mansion ultimately dismantled and demolished,
part of the material being re-used for a house at
Wicken Park and part for a house at Buckingham. (fn. 12)
The Manor House, a comfortable modern building,
is situated about a mile to the north-east of the church,
with large grounds and a spinney on the south and
south-east. It is the residence of Mr. James Bogle
Delap, who is both lord of the manor and sole landowner in the parish.
Manors
In the time of Edward the Confessor
Azor held in Lillingstone 2½ hides
of land, afterwards LILLINGSTONE
DANSEY or LILLINGSTONE LOVELL MANOR,
which by 1086 had come to Benzelinus. (fn. 13) The holding was later in the St. Martin family, and had passed
from Godfrey de St. Martin before 1235 (fn. 14) to his son
Hugh, (fn. 15) who held it of the king in serjeanty by the
service of guarding the door of the king's hall at the
great feasts. (fn. 16) His son Peter succeeded about 1247, (fn. 17)
and alienated the overlordship soon afterwards to
Patrick Chaworth, who leased it to Peter de Chaceporc, Sir Hugh de Chaceporc holding it in 1254. (fn. 18)
It had reverted to Pain Chaworth before 1279, (fn. 19) and
passed, through the marriage
in 1298 of his niece Maud to
Henry, third Earl of Lancaster, (fn. 20) to the duchy of
Lancaster, (fn. 21) and is last mentioned in this connexion in
1613. (fn. 22)
Duchy of Lancaster. England with the difference of label of France.
William Clifford, tenant of
lands in Lillingstone in 1131, (fn. 23)
was evidently an ancestor of
Margery Clifford, who was
holding under Sir Hugh de
Chanceporc in 1254. (fn. 24) Her
first husband was Peter de St. Martin, (fn. 25) but she was
the wife of Peter Dansey in 1260, when Lillingstone
Manor was settled on them and their issue with
remainder to Margery's right heirs. (fn. 26) He was living
in 1266 (fn. 27) and she in 1284. (fn. 28) Her heirs appear
to have been Margery Criol (Keriel), Elizabeth
wife of John Pabenham, and Margery daughter and
heir of Robert and Margaret Hereward, (fn. 29) to whom
Richard son and heir of Sir John Clifford quitclaimed in 1313 his rights in Lillingstone and elsewhere, a special point being made of the lands held
by Margery Criol it that date, (fn. 30) probably by settlement on her marriage. She was the widow of
Sir Nicholas Criol, kt., (fn. 31) and was holding this manor
in 1316. (fn. 32) The Margery, however, who married
William Lovel was probably Margery Hereward, and
received her purparty of Lillingstone, for in the 14th
century there took place a division of the estate into
the manors of Overend and Netherend, (fn. 33) each apparently held for half a fee. (fn. 34) This distinction was
maintained into the 17th century, though the whole
property was then again in one ownership. (fn. 35) William
Lovel obtained a grant of free warren in Lillingstone
in 1346, (fn. 36) and was knighted at the siege of Calais the
following year. (fn. 37) His widow Margery is mentioned
in 1348, (fn. 38) and Beatrice Lovel, who held this moiety
in 1361, (fn. 39) was presumably their daughter. The owner
of the other moiety was said to be Margery Criol. (fn. 40)
The re-united manor passed eventually with the
Criol-Lovel estate in Irchester (Northamptonshire) to
Alice daughter of William Adderbury and Elizabeth
Swynford. (fn. 41) She married Roger Chamber, (fn. 42) called of
Lillingstone about 1382, (fn. 43) and was in possession of a
moiety of Irchester in 1428. (fn. 44) Their daughter and
heir Mary married Sir John Fitz Simond of North
Shoebury (Essex), by whom she had a son and heir
Robert Fitz Simond, (fn. 45) owner of both Irchester and
Lillingstone at his death in 1473. (fn. 46) The manors
passed to his daughter and co-heir Joan, then wife of
Robert Timperley. (fn. 47) She afterwards married, as his
second wife, Henry Wentworth of Great Codham Hall
in Wethershield (Essex), (fn. 48) who died in 1482. (fn. 49) About
1509 she was again a widow, when, under the name
of Dame Joan Fitz Lewis, she enfeoffed Sir Thomas
Lovel, kt., Sir Richard Fitz Lewis, kt., and Thomas
Mansfield in her manor of Lillingstone Lovell to the use,
according to directions in her will dated 7 September
1511, of her son Nicholas
Wentworth and his issue. (fn. 50)
About 1519 he asked for a
discharge from a relief demanded, presumably on her
death, by the feodary of the
duchy of Lancaster, claiming
this manor, not by descent,
but by purchase in use. (fn. 51) He
became seised in fee through
an Act of Parliament in February 1535–6, (fn. 52) and was
knighted in or about 1545, (fn. 53)
shortly before he acquired the
other principal manor in Lillingstone Lovell (see later). Sir Nicholas Wentworth
held the office of Chief Porter of Calais, and died
about 1557, in which year his will, dated 7 February
1551–2, was proved. (fn. 54) He left his manor of Lillingstone Lovell in trust for the use of his wife Jane
for her life, his son and heir Peter being then a
minor. (fn. 55) She was buried in Burnham Church in
1569. (fn. 56) Peter Wentworth entered Parliament as
member for Barnstaple in 1571, and from 1584 was
member for the borough of Northampton. He was
distinguished for his defence of the House's right to
liberty of speech against the queen's attempts to
control debate. (fn. 57) In 1591 he was imprisoned in the
Tower, so closely at first that his health suffered, and
some mitigation had to be made, (fn. 58) but he appears to
have been still under confinement at his death in
1597. (fn. 59) His son and heir Nicholas (fn. 60) was granted
entry into Lillingstone Lovell in 1600, (fn. 61) and, dying
in 1613, was succeeded by his son Peter, (fn. 62) who was
made a knight of the Bath in February 1625–6. (fn. 63) He
was Sheriff of Oxfordshire in 1635, meeting with
many difficulties in the levying of ship-money in that
county, where he had lately settled. (fn. 64) He sat in the
Long Parliament as member for Tamworth (fn. 65) (Staffordshire), and dying at Lillingstone Lovell was buried
in the chancel of the church there in 1675. (fn. 66) He
was succeeded by his brother Paul Wentworth, (fn. 67) who
died in February 1689–90 and was also buried at
Lillingstone Lovell. (fn. 68) He left his estates in Oxfordshire
and Buckinghamshire to his executors for ten years, for
the payment of debts and legacies (including some of
his brother's), with remainders to his kinsman John
Creswell of Purston in King's Sutton (Northamptonshire) for life and his son John in tail-male. (fn. 69) The
latter succeeded in 1699, under the name of John
Wentworth alias Creswell, (fn. 70) his father having died two
years previously. (fn. 71) On his death in 1759 (fn. 72) he was
succeeded by his nephew William Creswell, (fn. 73) who
took the surname of Wentworth in addition to his
own. He was Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 1768, (fn. 74)
and died in 1784. (fn. 75) By his
will Lillingstone Lovell passed
to his cousin Major Francis
Drake of Frimley, Surrey,
and, on his death in 1788, (fn. 76)
to the Hon. Edward Onslow,
second son of the first Earl of
Onslow. (fn. 77) In 1821 he sold
the whole estate to James
Bogle Delap of Stoke Park,
near Guildford, (fn. 78) who died in
1850. (fn. 79) On the death of his
widow in 1859 it passed to
his nephew the Rev. Robert
Delap of Monellan, Donegal. (fn. 80)
His son Mr. James Bogle Delap, who was sheriff of
that county in 1874, succeeded in 1885, (fn. 81) and is the
present owner.
Wentworth. Gules a bend argent with three scallops azure thereon.
Delap. Gules a pile argent with an eagle gules thereon.
Two and a half hides in LILLINGSTONE were
assessed in 1086 among the lands of Richard Engaine. (fn. 82)
His estate lay chiefly in Northamptonshire (fn. 83) and constituted the honour of Benefield, held for the service
of one fee, (fn. 84) of which a quarter was rendered by
Lillingstone. (fn. 85) The overlordship passed through a
later Richard Engaine to his grandson Fulk Lisors, (fn. 86)
whose granddaughter Alice (daughter and co-heir of
Hugh Lisors) married Nicholas de Bassingbourn, (fn. 87)
overlord of Lillingstone about 1235. (fn. 88) Their son
Humphrey de Bassingbourn (fn. 89) died in or about 1280, (fn. 90)
and the overlordship was afterwards vested in the
Danseys of Dilton, Wiltshire, (fn. 91) John Dansey holding
it in 1353. (fn. 92) It lapsed on the acquisition of the
manor by the Crown later in the century. (fn. 93)
The Engaine holding in Lillingstone appears to
have been subinfeudated in 1131 to Walter Dangerville. (fn. 94) In the later 12th century it was in two moieties,
of which Sybil Dangerville held one. (fn. 95) Her moiety,
afterwards called GREAT LILLINGSTONE, LILLINGSTONE DANSEY and LILLINGSTONE
LOVELL MANOR or KINGSLANDS, descended
with Tattenhoe Manor (fn. 96) (q.v.), being confiscated to
the Crown with the other lands of William Martel in
1224. In 1225 the king granted his land in Lillingstone during his pleasure to Ralph de Carevill, (fn. 97) who
appears to have married a daughter of William Martel (fn. 98)
and was holding in 1231. (fn. 99) It was in the king's hands
again in 1242, when he granted it to Thomas Barber
to hold by the service of a pair of gilt spurs or 6d.
yearly. (fn. 100) Thomas Barber was living in 1254, (fn. 101) but
his holding had passed before 1276 to James Barber, (fn. 102)
who in 1284 successfully contested a suit brought
against him by Denise de Carevill, (fn. 103) Ralph's granddaughter. (fn. 104) John Monhaut (fn. 105) and his wife Ellen, possibly
a daughter of James Barber, were jointly enfeoffed
about 1284. (fn. 106) Ellen was living in 1294, shortly after
her husband's death, but their son Adam (fn. 107) had succeeded
before 1300. (fn. 108) He died about 1306, (fn. 109) when the custody
of his daughter and heir Elizabeth was granted to
Geoffrey de la Lee, (fn. 110) who was holding this manor in
1314. (fn. 111) Elizabeth Monhaut married Stephen Trafford
before 1316, (fn. 112) and, surviving her husband, died in 1344,
when she was succeeded by their son Stephen Trafford. (fn. 113)
He granted the manor for life to Thomas Ferrers with
reversion to William Baret (whose daughter Margery
was Stephen's wife (fn. 114) ) and his heirs. (fn. 115) Thomas Ferrers
died in 1353, (fn. 116) but the Baret interest, which was
acknowledged in the following year, (fn. 117) had been purchased by Ferrers and the manor granted in trust
to John de Newenham, (fn. 118) parson of Cheadle Church
(Staffordshire), in addition to Moorend Castle and
Manor in Potterspury and other property in Northamptonshire. (fn. 119) The king acquired these in 1363
from Thomas le Despencer, (fn. 120) who had rights in
remainder in 1353, (fn. 121) and the Lillingstone Manor in
1364 from John de Newenham. (fn. 122) It was held for a
time by Sir John de Ypres, kt., and afterwards by
Alice Perrers. (fn. 123) A grant for life was made in 1398
to Philippa Duchess of Ireland, who was pardoned
in the following year for entering upon the manor as
parcel of Moorend Castle. (fn. 124) In 1516 Sir Thomas
Parr and his wife Maud received a grant for life in
survivorship, (fn. 125) and in 1545 Sir Nicholas Wentworth (fn. 126)
obtained the manor in fee in exchange for an estate
in Towcester (Northamptonshire). (fn. 127) He already held
by inheritance the other important manor in Lillingstone, into which this estate merged in the 17th
century. (fn. 128)
The tenant in 1231 of the second moiety of Great
Lillingstone was William de Osevill, (fn. 129) perhaps the
William de Olney whose heirs were holding in
mesne in 1254. (fn. 130) This overlordship was held by
William de Stapelton in 1279, (fn. 131) and descended in
his family to Robert de Stapelton, who was living in
1361. (fn. 132)
Walter de Olney was under-tenant in 1254, (fn. 133) and
was succeeded by John de Olney before 1276. (fn. 134) He
was living in 1294, (fn. 135) but his estate appears to have
passed to Geoffrey de Bradden before 1300. (fn. 136) Later
in the century it was held by Thomas de Lillingstone,
who died seised of it in 1361 (fn. 137) in addition to his
small manor next mentioned, from which it is not
afterwards distinguishable.
A small estate known as LILLINGSTONE MANOR
was held of the king in chief by knights' service. (fn. 138) It
seems to have descended from Godfrey de Lillingstone,
who is mentioned in 1174–6, (fn. 139) to Thomas de Lillingstone, who died seised of it in 1361, when a carucate
of land, a mill, (fn. 140) and 6d. yearly from the pleas and
perquisites of the court were included in the extent. (fn. 141)
His heirs were a nephew, Thomas atte Well, and a
great-nephew, Geoffrey Osberne or Thurbarn, (fn. 142) against
whom Christine, widow of Thomas de Lillingstone
and later wife of Hugh de Waltham, recovered seisin,
only to be again disseised by the king. (fn. 143) In 1390
Thomas atte Well and Geoffrey Osberne granted this
manor to Richard II, (fn. 144) so that it became parcel of
the royal manor (fn. 145) granted by Henry VIII to Sir
Nicholas Wentworth in 1545.
Another small estate in Lillingstone Lovell was given
in the reign of Henry VI by John Mantel to Walter
Mantel, Elizabeth his wife, and their heirs. (fn. 146) Walter,
then Sir Walter Mantel, kt., died in 1487, (fn. 147) and in
1492 his grandson and heir John Mantel (fn. 148) secured
his title against Robert Mantel. (fn. 149) This property was
afterwards acquired by Sir Richard Empson, and said
in 1510 to be mortgaged to John, Earl of Oxford. (fn. 150)
The king held in 1512, when he granted it to William
Tyler. (fn. 151) It is probably the property including a close
called Hollenden, afterwards claimed by Nicholas
Wentworth as purchaser of the leasehold rights held
at one time by Thomas Empson. (fn. 152) Hollenden Close
also appears as one of the contested parcels (fn. 153) in the
numerous lawsuits in which Wentworth was involved
about 1530 in respect of the Clare or Clarell lands,
including Herring's Hoo Balk and Hosells, (fn. 154) claimed
by him as parcel of his manor. His principal
opponent, Thomas Poyner, stated that his grandmother John had been seised in the lands in dispute
in special tail to her and her first husband Thomas
Clarell or Clare. She afterwards married John Risley,
by whom she had a daughter Jane. After the death
of Joan Risley these lands came to her daughter
by Thomas Clarell, Isabel (or Elizabeth) wife of
Richard Poyner, who in her widowhood gave them
to her son, the said Thomas Poyner. (fn. 155) The contest
appears to have dragged on for at least fourteen
years. (fn. 156) In 1564 the lands were held by Ralph
Redmayn and his wife Bridget, with reversion on her
death to Robert son and heir of Richard Poyner,
and were sold to Peter Wentworth, owner of the
manors of Lillingstone Lovell. (fn. 157)
Some land in this parish was held by Luffield
Priory as part of its original endowment (fn. 158) in the
first half of the 12th century. (fn. 159) In 1279 it consisted of half a virgate of land held under Margaret
(usually called Margery) Dansey, and half a virgate
held of John de Olney. (fn. 160) This property, mentioned
in 1503 on the death of the last prior, Thomas
Rowland, (fn. 161) was leased in 1505 for forty years to Sir
Richard Empson. (fn. 162) After his attainder a lease for
thirty-four years was obtained in 1512 by William
Tyler. (fn. 163)
Church
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN consists of a chancel 13 ft. 6 in.
by 17 ft., a nave 48 ft. by 11 ft. 6 in.,
north chapel 17 ft. 6 in. by 11 ft., north aisle 6 ft.
wide, south aisle 10 ft. wide, western tower 10 ft.
square, a south porch and a modern vestry on the
north side of the north aisle. The measurements are
all internal.
There was apparently a small church here in the
early part of the 13th century, of which the lower
part of the tower, the reset south doorway, and
possibly a part of the western walls of the nave still
survive. In the middle of the 14th century the
church was rebuilt and considerably enlarged. The
retention of the tower and possibly the western part
of the nave walls of the 13th-century church necessitated an eastward extension and restricted the width
of the nave. The utilisation also of the foundations
of the north wall of the north aisle of the earlier and
smaller church caused the peculiar narrowness of the
14th-century north aisle. The want of proportion of
the nave was still further emphasized by the size of the
14th-century chancel, which exceeds the nave in width
and formerly extended considerably further to the east.
The north chapel, the south aisle, and the topmost
stage of the tower are also of the mid-14th-century.
The church remained without alteration in plan for
nearly three hundred years. About 1639 all the
roofs except that of the chancel were renewed and
the south porch was added. In 1777 the church
was repaired, and it was at this date apparently that
the chancel was shortened to about half its length, the
east wall being then built in its present position. In
1892 the north vestry was added and the church
was restored.
The chancel is lighted from the east by a 14thcentury three-light window with tracery in a pointed
head, reset from the older east wall. On the north
wall there are indications of the jambs and arch of a
blocked window, and on the south is a 14th-century
two-light window with tracery in a pointed head.
Below this window is a square-headed low-side window
with a modern shutter, and eastward is a 14th-century
pointed doorway, now blocked. The pointed chancel
arch is of two chamfered orders, the outer continuous
and the inner springing from corbels.
The nave arcades of three bays on each side are of
14th-century date and have pointed arches of two
chamfered orders springing from octagonal piers with
moulded capitals and bases; the western responds
have moulded corbels on carved heads, but the corbels
on the eastern responds have been destroyed. There
are four modern square-headed clearstory windows
with trefoil lights on the south side. At the east end
of the north wall is an opening possibly to light the
rood-loft, and on the south side is the upper doorway
to the loft.
The north chapel is lighted from the east by a
14th-century three-light window with tracery in a
pointed head which contains some fragments of old
glass. On the north side is a two-light window of
similar design and in the south-east corner is a 15thcentury squint into the chancel. In the south wall
at the east end of the chapel are a 14th-century
double piscina having two trefoiled arches with tracery
in a pointed head and a plain pointed sedile.
The narrow north aisle has a 14th-century twolight window in the north wall corresponding to the
window in the north chapel, eastward of which is a
moulded doorway with pointed head now leading
into the modern vestry.
The south aisle is lighted from the east by a
window similar to that in the corresponding position
in the north chapel. On the north side of the
window is a 15th-century squint to the chancel. In
the south wall is an early 13th-century doorway,
re-used, which has a pointed head of two moulded
orders and shafted jambs with foliated capitals and
moulded bases. On the east side of the doorway is a
15th-century stoup and further eastward is a plain threelight window with a four-centred head of a similar
date. Beyond this window are a piscina and sedile,
the former having two trefoil arches with a quatrefoil in a pointed head and the latter having a plain
pointed head. Westward of the south doorway is a
14th-century two-light window, almost wholly restored,
with tracery in a pointed head.
The 13th-century tower is surmounted by a modern
saddle-back roof, below which is a string-course with
heads at the angles. It is of three stages, but is without buttresses or external divisions. The pointed
tower arch of two orders springs from square jambs
with plain imposts. There is a lancet in the west
wall of the tower and above is a smaller lancet on each
side except the east. The middle stage has square
openings on the north and south sides, and the bellchamber has on each side a 14th-century window of
two lights with tracery in a pointed head.
The porch has a pointed entrance arch of two
chamfered orders, over which is a stone with the
date 1639, being that of the erection of the porch,
and underneath it the date 1892, when a general
restoration of the church took place. There is a
round sundial in the gable.
The oak pulpit, which is of the time of James I,
forms an incomplete octagon in plan and is composed
of panels with round-headed arches in two stages.
The font is modern.
There are two brasses in the chancel, one showing
two hands rising from conventional clouds holding a
pierced heart, below which is an inscription to John de
Merston (Marston), rector of the church, who died on
11 February 1446–7. The other brass shows a civilian
and his wife in the dress of the period, and an inscription
to Thomas Clarell, patron of the church, who died on
20 September 1471, and to Agnes his wife, the date
of whose death is left blank. There is a brass in the
nave to William Risley, who died on 11 June 1513,
and Agnes his wife, with three inverted shields, one
bearing the quartered arms of Bradshaw and the others
the arms of Risley of Chetwode. The four bells were
made by Alexander Rigby in 1693.
The plate comprises an Elizabethan cup and cover
paten, the foot of the latter being lost. They are without date letter or hall-mark. There are also a silver
almsdish and flagon given by Mrs. Wentworth Creswell in 1761 and 1765 respectively, and a silver paten.
The ancient pewter sacramental vessels were presented
to the Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society by the
Rev. William Lloyd. (fn. 164) The registers begin in 1558.
Advowson
Half the advowson of the church
of Lillingstone Lovell was held in the
later 12th century by Sybil Dangerville. (fn. 165) Her share was claimed in 1206 by William
de Grendon, who derived his right through John de
Loreng, who had married his sister Sybil. (fn. 166) In 1231
the king recovered the advowson against Ralph de
Carevill and William de Osevill. (fn. 167) It remained in
the Crown (fn. 168) until 1354, when it was granted to
Nutley Abbey with licence to appropriate the church
in lieu of a right to fuel in Bernwood Forest granted
by King John. (fn. 169) As the abbey had trouble in obtaining
the appropriation, a grant was made of 12½ marks yearly
until such time as it could be effected. (fn. 170) This took
place in 1366, when orders were given for the endowment of a vicarage. (fn. 171) No other reference occurs to
the vicarage, which was apparently never ordained,
and the right of presentation which remained with
Nutley (fn. 172) was to a rectory, valued at £9 yearly at the
Dissolution. (fn. 173) The advowson remained with the
Crown (fn. 174) until about 1892, (fn. 175) when it was acquired
by Mr. James Bogle Delap, the present owner.
There was a chapel at Great Lillingstone to which
a presentation was made by Godfrey de St. Martin. (fn. 176)
His son Hugh gave the advowson to Luffield Priory,
which in 1239 sued the parson of Lillingstone for
claiming it as appertaining to the mother church. (fn. 177)
The right of the parson was evidently confirmed by
the bishop, (fn. 178) but no later reference to the chapel has
been found.
Charities
Sir Peter Wentworth, who died in
1675, by his will bequeathed £300
for the establishment of a charity for
apprenticing. (fn. 179) The legacy was laid out in the purchase
of a rent-charge of £18 issuing out of property called
Keys in the parish of Lillingstone Dayrell, now
belonging to Mr. J. B. Delap. One moiety of the rentcharge is applied in the parish of Lillingstone Lovell,
and the other moiety is applicable in the parish of
Woolstone, but does not appear to have been paid for
many years.
The same testator likewise bequeathed for the poor
of Lillingstone Lovell the sum of £100, which was
laid out in the purchase of a rent-charge of £6 on the
property called Keys, above referred to. The income
is distributed in coal with that of the charity next
mentioned.
The Whittlebury Forest Coal Charity consists of a
sum of £63 3s. 1d. consols with the official trustees,
arising from compensation for the disafforestation of the
forest under an Act of 1852–3. (fn. 180) The annual income,
amounting to £1 11s. 4d., is applied in the distribution
of coal.
The Rev. William Lloyd, by his will proved at
London 15 July 1889, bequeathed a legacy, now
represented by £136 13s. 1d. consols with the official
trustees, the annual dividends of which, amounting
to £3 8s. 4d., are distributable among the aged and
sick poor and the widows of the parish. In 1913
there were six recipients.