TURWESTON
Turvestone (xi cent.); Thurneston, Turnestone
(xiv cent.); Turston alias Tereweston, Turveston
alias Tower Weston (xvii cent.); Turson (xviii cent.).
The parish covers 1,295 acres, of which 604 are
arable land, 573 permanent grass and 34 woods and
plantations. (fn. 1) The soil and subsoil are various and
the chief crops are wheat, barley and beans. The
general level of the ground is well over 400 ft. above
the ordnance datum, 430 ft. being reached about the
north centre of the parish; on the west border by
the River Ouse the land drops to 339 ft.
The road from Brackley to Buckingham throws off
a branch leading north to Turweston village, about
half a mile distant on the Oxfordshire border The
village is small, but rather straggling, and contains
some 17th-century stone cottages. The church is at
the east entrance, and to the east of this again, across
the road, is the Rectory House, built in 1855.
About 200 yards north of the church is Turweston
Manor House, the seat of Sir John Frecheville
Ramsden, bart. It is an early 17th-century stone
house of two stories, built probably by the Haynes
family, who were lessees under the Dean and Chapter
of Westminster. Before the west front of the house
stretches a park of about 35 acres, the great part of
which is in Brackley, the River Ouse, which flows at
the foot of the lawn, forming the dividing line. In
the grounds is a stone house with mullioned windows,
which bears the date 1638. It is now divided into
two cottages, and has been considerably restored.
Turweston House, a modern building, was bought
from the Dean and Chapter of Westminster by their
lessee, Mr. J. Locke Stratton. (fn. 2) It is now occupied
by his widow.
North-east of the rectory, about half a mile from
the village, is Oatlays Hall, a modern house, the
residence of the owner, Capt. Spence.
At the north-west end of the village stands Turweston Mill, perhaps on the site of the one worth
7s. 6d. mentioned in Domesday, (fn. 3) for which, with half
a virgate of land, William the Miller paid 14s. in
1278. (fn. 4) William le Muney (Meunier ?) brought
an action in 1302–3 against William Maunsell for
having by night, out of malice aforethought, thrown
a great quantity of quicksilver in the mill pond at
Turweston, causing damage to the amount of £100. (fn. 5)
The Haynes family afterwards held the old watermill on lease from the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, and the removal of a plank bridge leading
thereto was the subject of a lawsuit in 1680. (fn. 6) Another
17th-century document refers to arable land called
Upper and Lower Wakes Mill and to Old Windmill
Hill, together with an existing windmill. (fn. 7)
The school stands south of the church, and further
beyond is the Wesleyan chapel, built in 1861.
There are a few outlying farms; in the south
Turweston Hill Farm and Grove Hill Farm, and
about the centre, on the eastern boundary, is the Rectory Farm.
Some 17th - century place-names are Tarriers
meadow, Curlockes mead, the Plocke and Cat braines. (fn. 8)
The open lands in Turweston were inclosed by an
Act of Parliament passed in 1813. (fn. 9) Right of common
on Wanfordfield, adjoining Westbury, when it should
lie fallow, had been claimed in 1566 by Robert
Mordaunt, lord of Westbury, by virtue of a grant
made to his predecessor Andrew de St. Lys by the
Abbot of Westminster in 1313–14. The fields of
the two manors adjoined and were undivided by
hedge or ditch. Richard Wygorns, on behalf of the
township of Turweston, ejected Mordaunt's cattle
about 1562, (fn. 10) and no further claim to common rights
in Turweston appears to have been put forward by the lords of Westbury.
Manor
Wenesi, the chamberlain of King
Edward, held and could sell TURWESTON, a manor of 5 hides which by
1086 had passed to William de Fougeres (Felgeris),
and was his only holding in this county. (fn. 11) The overlordship rights afterwards passed to the Mortimers Earl
of March, of whom there is record in Turweston from
1278 (fn. 12) until the 15th century. (fn. 13) Holding an intermediary lordship under them were the Zouches, whose
rights were recognized from the early 13th century (fn. 14)
until the 15th century. (fn. 15) The service rendered was
for half a fee, one fee, one-third fee and one and a
third fees at varying times, but after the grant to
Westminster Abbey the interest of the Mortimers and
Zouches must have been purely nominal, and during
the 14th century the abbot was said to owe the
service of one fee to the king. (fn. 16)
Turweston was obtained in fee by the Scovill
family before the 13th century. The Humphrey de
Scovill who made an arrangement with his father Ralf
concerning the manor of Hilperton (Wilts.) in 1205 (fn. 17)
was probably the Humphrey de Scovill against whom
Laurentia de Scovill brought an action of novel disseisin in Turweston in 1218. (fn. 18) His name is given as
lord of the whole 'villata' about 1235, (fn. 19) but it was
probably a descendant Humphrey who was in possession in 1274. (fn. 20) He died shortly after 1278, (fn. 21)
leaving a widow Florence and four sons, Ralf, Humphrey, Baldwin and William. (fn. 22) Florence received
Hilperton in dower, but exchanged it for two parts of
Turweston with Henry de Mountfort, to whom Ralf
de Scovill had transferred his right. After Ralf's
death Henry de Mountfort acknowledged the right of
Humphrey de Scovill, brother and heir, to Hilperton
and a third of Turweston, and Florence bestowed her
two parts, in which she had only a life interest, on
her son William. (fn. 23) In the meantime Humphrey died,
about 1281, and the third brother, Baldwin, inherited
the third of Turweston, Florence acknowledging his
right in return for a rent of 6 marks. (fn. 24) Baldwin then
proceeded to eject from the other two-thirds of the
manor his brother William, and his action was upheld
by the court in a suit lasting from 1284 (fn. 25) to 1286. (fn. 26)
Simon de Clesworth, whom Baldwin de Scovill apparently enfeoffed of the manor, (fn. 27) was said to be responsible for the feudal aid of 1284–6, (fn. 28) but Turweston
afterwards escheated to the Crown and was bestowed
on Queen Eleanor. (fn. 29) After her death in 1290 a life
grant made by her to Otho de Grandison was confirmed by Edward I in 1291 with reversion to himself. (fn. 30) The following year the manor, advowson and
liberties, including free warren, were bestowed on Westminster Abbey in free
alms for keeping the anniversary of Queen Eleanor, (fn. 31) Otho de Grandison receiving the
manor of Shenley, Hertfordshire, in compensation. (fn. 32) Denham (q.v.) was given at the
same time on the same conditions, and the two manors
henceforward descend together, (fn. 33) the estate at Turweston being augmented in
1340 by 7 messuages 5 virgates of land, (fn. 34) in pursuance
of a licence granted in 1316. (fn. 35)
After the Dissolution Turweston was confirmed to the Dean and Chapter of
Westminster in 1542, (fn. 36) and a further confirmation
was obtained from Elizabeth in 1560. (fn. 37) Under the
Act for abolishing deans and prebends, the trustees of
the lands held by them sold Turweston to Nicholas
Workman and Henry Lane of Hanslope, (fn. 38) but
Westminster afterwards regained its possessions, and
Turweston continued with the dean and chapter, (fn. 39)
the Ecclesiastical Commissioners exercising the manorial rights at the present day.
Westminster Abbey. Gules St. Peter's Keys crossed saltirewise with St. Edward's ring in the chief all or.
Records of leases of the manor exist from the 16th
century onwards. A lease for twenty-one years, at a
rent of £5 6s. 8d., was obtained in 1534 by Henry
Dorell, and at its expiration he remained on the
premises as tenant at will of the dean and chapter. (fn. 40)
In the meantime, however, a lease, evidently in reversion, had been granted in 1550 to Robert Chichester,
and by him transferred to Simon Haynes. (fn. 41) The
latter, when an infant of five, brought an action for
trespass against Dorell in the reign of Philip and
Mary, (fn. 42) and in 1566 had trouble with his neighbour
Robert Mordaunt, lord of Westbury, as to pasturage
in the common fields of Westbury. (fn. 43) A further lease
of Turweston was given in 1610 to Simon Haynes
for the lives of his wife Anne, son Henry and daughter
Joan, the rent of £13 6s. 8d. being reserved to the
schools and almshouses at Westminster at the sale of
these lands in 1650. (fn. 44) Simon Haynes died in April
1628, (fn. 45) and left as executrix of his will his widow
Anne, (fn. 46) who died about 1647. (fn. 47) Her son Henry
Haynes in 1650 sued in Chancery a neighbour Thomas
Yates (fn. 48) and claimed four years later to have bought the
manor from the Parliamentary
trustees. (fn. 49) His infant son,
Simon, inherited in 1656. (fn. 50) Joseph Haynes held in
1671. (fn. 51) Leases of Turweston in the 18th century were
held by Lord Hillsborough, the Weldmans and by Mr.
Derbishire, in whose representatives it was vested in the
early 19th century. (fn. 52) By
1813 George Courthope had
the leasehold rights, (fn. 53) and from about the middle of
the 19th century onwards (fn. 54) these have been held by
the Stratton family.
Haynes. Or a cheveron between three arrows sable and a battled chief azure with three molets or therein.
Church
The church of
the ASSUMPTION OF THE
BLESSED VIRGIN consists of
a chancel measuring internally
25 ft. 10 in. in length with an
average width of 12 ft. 7 in.,
north vestry and organ chamber,
south chancel aisle, nave 32 ft.
3 in. by 16 ft. 6 in., north and
south aisles each 11 ft. 8 in.
wide, south porch, and west
tower 10 ft. by 9 ft. 2 in. It
is built of stone rubble, the
nave roof being covered with
lead and the other roofs with slate.
This church dates from the
12th century and consisted at
the end of that period of the
nave, north aisle, and probably
a small chancel. The south aisle
was added early in the 13th century and the chancel
rebuilt about 1250, while the west respond of the
south arcade was renewed and the arch above it altered
at this latter period. In the 14th century a clearstory
was added to the nave, and the aisles were widened.
During the 19th century the whole fabric was restored
and the vestry, chancel aisle, porch and tower were
built, the tower probably on old foundations.
The east window of the chancel, which is of three
cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery, was inserted
in the 15th century, but there is an original lancet
with an external hollow chamfer moulding at the
east end of each side wall. The inner jambs of the
south lancet were carried down in the 14th century
to form a sedile, to the east of which is a large 13thcentury piscina with a pointed head, continuous
moulded jambs and a quatrefoil bowl, part of which
has been cut away. Below the north lancet is an ogeeheaded tomb recess of about 1400, which has a
moulded edge and crocketed label with a foliated
final and flanking pinnacles; the sill and part of the
moulding of the west jamb have been cut away. At
the west end of the chancel are a modern arch to
the vestry on the north, and a modern arcade to the
chancel aisle on the south. Reset in the east wall of
this aisle is a 14th-century traceried window of two
trefoiled lights, probably taken from the chancel. The
pointed chancel arch, of about 1250, is of two
hollow-chamfered orders, the outer dying into the
walls on the east side, and the inner supported by halfround shafts with moulded capitals and bases, the
latter of which have been considerably cut away.
The chancel has a modern timber roof with plastered compartments.
The nave is of two bays and is lighted by a clearstory with two 14th-century pointed windows on
both sides, all renewed externally. On the north
is a late 12th-century arcade of two bays with round
arches of two plain orders, supported by a central pier
and responds having engaged half-round shafts and
edge rolls with moulded capitals and bases. The
main capitals of the central pier have rudimentary
ornament, but those of the responds are more elaborately treated with rich foliage, that at the west being
delicately undercut. The floor of the north aisle has
evidently been lowered at some period, as the square
plinths of the piers and responds now stand upon
rough masonry 12 in. high. The south arcade is also
of two bays and has arches of two chamfered orders,
the eastern semicircular and the other pointed. Both
were originally semicircular, and of the early 13th
century, but about 1250 the west respond was rebuilt
and the western arch altered to its present form, thus
accounting for the break in curvature about 1 ft. 9 in.
from the springing line. Both responds of the eastern
arch and the east respond of the other are original
and have three large rolls with moulded capitals, the
central roll being filleted. The bases have been restored in a plain manner and the eastern capital has
been entirely renewed. The west respond is similar
to those of the chancel arch and has a half-round shaft
with moulded capital and base, and hollow chamfers on
both sides with moulded stops. The pointed tower
arch in the west wall is modern. The nave has an
open timber low-pitched roof with traceried spandrels,
which probably dates from the early 16th century.
Plan of Turweston Church
The north aisle is lighted from the north by two
traceried windows of two lights, originally dating
from the 14th century, but almost entirely renewed,
and from the west by a narrow round-headed light of
the late 12th century, now high in the wall, and,
owing to the widening of the aisle, much out of
centre. A window on the east, similar to those on
the north, has been blocked by the Haynes monument. At the south-east are the remains of a piscina.
The east wall of the south aisle is pierced by a modern
arch opening into the chancel aisle. In the south
wall are two windows of about 1350, each of two
trefoiled lights, the eastern with running wheel tracery,
the other with flowing tracery. Near the north end
of the west wall is a 13th-century lancet similar to those
in the chancel. The south doorway, which has a
round head and plain continuous chamfer, is modern.
The tower is of three stages with western diagonal
buttresses and is surmounted by a saddle-back roof
covered with slates; reset in the south wall of the
second stage is a two-light traceried window, probably of about 1700.
The font and pulpit are modern. On the north
side of the chancel is a beautifully drawn brass figure
of a priest in mass vestments of the early 15th century,
and on the south are two small brass figures of a
man and woman of about 1470 with the inscription,
'Orate pro animabus Thome Grene Johanne et Agnetis
uxorum eiusquorum animabus propicietur deus Amen.'
Blocking the east window of the north aisle is a marble
monument to Simon Haynes (d. 1628); he is represented with his wife kneeling on either side of a prie
dieu, in front of which is a child on a low bed, and
the monument is flanked by Corinthian columns supporting an entablature and cornice with arms. On
the north wall of the tower is a monument to George
Harris (d. 1689) and Alice his wife, and on the south
wall a monument to William Harris, eldest son of George Harris (d. 1674).
The tower contains two bells by Robert Atton, the
treble dated 1626 and the tenor 1625.
The communion plate includes a cup of 1684.
The registers begin in 1695.
Advowson
The advowson of the church of
Turweston has always descended with the manor, and is now vested
in the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. (fn. 55) In
1279 there is mention of an endowment of one
virgate of land, (fn. 56) and in 1291 it was assessed at £8
exclusive of a pension of 4s. paid to Eynsham Abbey (fn. 57) ;
by 1535 the value had increased to £13 6s. 8d. (fn. 58)
In 1346 a quarrel between the Prior and the Abbot
of Westminster as to the exercise of the patronage was
decided in favour of the former. (fn. 59) The abbot would
not accept the verdict (fn. 60) and upon complaint by the
prior in 1347 that a conspiracy was on foot to prosecute appeals and bring the case into the court of Rome,
an order was issued for the arrest of all persons therein
concerned. (fn. 61)
Charities
The Rev. William Fairfax, a former
rector, who died in 1762, by his
will bequeathed £100 for putting out
poor children to learn to read. The endowment now
consists of two cottages, presumably purchased out of
the trust funds, and £33 14s. 5d. consols with the
official trustees. The income of about £7 10s. a year
is applied for educational purposes.
On the inclosure of the parish in 1814, 2 r. 32 p.
known as the Town Plot were allotted to the churchwardens and overseers, and 3 r. 11 p., known as the
Constables Hook, were allotted to the constables of
Turweston. The Fuel allotment containing 11 a.
3 r. 32 p. was at the same period allotted in lieu of
the right of the poor to cut fuel from the common
lands. The land is let at £6 a year, which is distributed in coal.
The Causton Memorial, founded by deed, 12 June
1850. A sum of £102 13s. 11d. consols was raised to
perpetuate the memory of the Rev. Thomas Causton,
D.D., Prebendary of Westminster, for many years rector of the parish. The sum of stock is held by
the official trustees, and the annual dividends amounting to £2 11s. 4d. are applied in the distribution of
winter clothing.