GREAT BRICKHILL
Brichella (xi cent.); Magna Brikehille (xii cent.);
Magna Brichull (xiii cent.).
This parish contains nearly 2,383 acres, of which
the surface is part sand and part clay and the subsoil
Lower Greensand. Of this area 444 acres are arable,
where wheat, oats and barley are grown, 1,506 are
pasture and 130 woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The land
rises in the west of the parish to 300 ft., and near the
village to 400 ft., above the ordnance datum.
The main road of Great Brickhill, called Galley
Lane, runs from north to south through the long and
straggling village. Near its north-western extremity,
in extensive grounds, identical probably with the
park of the 13th century and later, (fn. 2) stands Brickhill
Manor, the seat of Sir Everard Philip Digby Pauncefort-Duncombe, bt., and the successor probably of more
than one ancient manor-house. Robert Bardolf owned
a capital messuage in the parish at the close of the
12th century, (fn. 3) as did the lords of the house of Grey
for the greater part of the 14th century, (fn. 4) although in
1396 the site was occupied by buildings of no value. (fn. 5)
The Duncombes, who were called 'of Great Brickhill,'
had a capital messuage here which they and their
heirs made their dwelling-house (fn. 6) except for a period
in which it was leased to the Wallis family. (fn. 7) The
church and rectory both stand south of the manorhouse. There are many picturesque 17th-century
houses and cottages in the village with walls of halftimber and brick and roofs mostly of thatch, but
some of tiles or slate. The Baptist chapel, at its
south end, dates from 1812, and the Wesleyan
Methodist chapel, built in 1877, has succeeded one
existing here in 1862. (fn. 8)
In the north-west of the parish Orchard Mill preserves the name of a water-mill of the 16th and following century. (fn. 9) This was perhaps on the site of one of
the two mills standing in 1086 in Great Brickhill, (fn. 10) to
which a water-mill remained appurtenant until the
early 18th century and probably later. (fn. 11) The other
Domesday mill is probably the Smewnes Mill of
1251 (fn. 12) or its predecessor, which must have stood
in the south-west of the parish, where the Ouzel
divides Great Brickhill from Soulbury, in which part
of Smewnes lay. This mill in the 13th century
associated with the 'water of Novente,' (fn. 13) in the 17th
described as two mills under one roof, (fn. 14) reappears in
the 18th as a paper-mill (fn. 15) and gave its name to Paper
Mill Farm, the name of Smewnes itself having
disappeared from modern maps.
'Le lord meadows' of 1634 (fn. 16) is probably the
'Lord's Mead' of 1771, then held by the rector
with 'Swansnest' and 'Half the Parson's Hide.' (fn. 17)
There was a 'dole meadow' in 1584 (fn. 18) ; 'Eaton
leyes' and 'Quydlecott' belong to the 16th and 17th
centuries (fn. 19) ; 'St. Margaret lande,' 'Apenham meade,'
'Achemore field' and 'Barbers' occur in a record of
1596 (fn. 20) ; 'Fosseys farme,' 'Maynard' and 'Conigree
Close' in one of 1634. (fn. 21) 'Doddes,' 'Bacons,'
'Crowell furlonge,' 'Capon hedges' and 'Otehill,' (fn. 22)
as also woods called 'Sapgrove' and 'Ladygrove,' (fn. 23)
and a messuage called 'le White House' (fn. 24) were all
included in the reputed manor of Smewnes, though
the last seems afterwards to have been transferred to
the chief manor. (fn. 25)
About 1,260 acres in this parish were inclosed by
Act of Parliament in 1771. (fn. 26)
Manors
The manor of GREAT BRICKHILL,
which Earl Tosti held before the Norman
Conquest, belonged to Hugh Earl of
Chester in 1086, when it was assessed at 9 hides. (fn. 27)
Randolph Earl of Chester, great-great-grandson of
Hugh's sister Margaret, (fn. 28) was overlord in 1205. (fn. 29)
After his death without issue the overlordship of
Great Brickhill came to Hugh Earl of Arundel, (fn. 30) son
and heir of his sister Mabel. (fn. 31) He, too, left no
child, and the earldom of Chester was annexed to
the Crown in 1246. (fn. 32) Great Brickhill was still said
to form part of the honour of Chester in 1284, (fn. 33) but
this is the last reference to the connexion of the
Earls of Chester with the place, the overlordship rights
having been obtained at that date by Hugh le
Despencer, (fn. 34) son of Hugh le Despencer and of Alina
daughter and heir of Sir Philip Basset of Wycombe, (fn. 35)
to whom a pair of gilt spurs worth 6d. was owed for
this manor. (fn. 36) He and his descendants, described as
the heirs of Philip Basset, are returned as overlords
throughout the 14th century. (fn. 37) From 1526 to 1634,
however, the tenure was of the Crown by knight
service. (fn. 38)
Chester. Azure three sheaves or.
Despencer. Argent quartered with gules fretty or and over all a bend sable.
From a certain William, sub-tenant of the Earl of
Chester in 1086, (fn. 39) or from his heirs the manor of
Great Brickhill came to the
family of Malbank. It appears
to have descended towards the
close of the 12th century to
the daughters and co-heirs of
William, Baron of Nantwich, (fn. 40)
possibly the William de Malbank who held in Buckinghamshire or Bedfordshire from
1176 to 1184. (fn. 41) The number
of these ladies is given variously as three (fn. 42) and four. (fn. 43)
Eleanor, described as the
second and said to have died
unmarried, (fn. 44) is by the same
authority identified with Aenor Malbank, grantor of
part of a Cheshire manor. (fn. 45) She is probably the
Anor or Annora Malbank who had rights in Great
Brickhill in 1205, (fn. 46) and who is supposed to have
been the wife of Robert Bardolf. (fn. 47) The possessions
of Robert, a landowner here in 1197 or 1198, (fn. 48)
were granted as forfeited lands of the Normans to
his overlord Randolph Earl of Chester in 1205, (fn. 49)
but the Malbanks were still in possession of their
estate after this date. Ada Malbank, sister of
Eleanor or Annora, (fn. 50) settled her land in Brickhill on
her second son Matthew, (fn. 51) and afterwards with her
husband Warren d Vernon relinquished her share
of the manor to her eldest sister Philippa and her
husband Thomas Basset of Headington, Oxfordshire. (fn. 52)
Philippa, one of the daughters and co-heirs of Thomas
and Philippa Basset and wife of the Earl of Warwick, (fn. 53)
held Great Brickhill as two knights' fees in the reign
of Henry III. (fn. 54) After her death without issue in
1246, (fn. 55) the manor appears to have passed to the third
son of her father's younger brother Alan, Sir Philip
Basset of Wycombe, and to have been subinfeudated
by him to the Grey family, the overlordship thus
created having been dealt with above.
Malbank. Quarterly or and gules a bend sable.
John Grey, who was in possession of the manorial
rights in 1265, (fn. 56) was also lord of Bletchley Manor
(q.v.), with which Great Brickhill descended to
Richard Earl of Kent. (fn. 57) In
1506 he settled the manor,
with those of Simpson and
Stoke Hammond, on himself
for life, with reversion to Sir
Charles Somerset, Lord Herbert, whose son and heir
Henry was to marry Anne,
Richard's sister. (fn. 58) The marriage did not take place, and in
1512 a fresh arrangement
secured the reversion of Great
Brickhill alone to Lord Herbert. (fn. 59) In the following year
Lord Herbert acquired the
earl's life interest in return for a yearly rent of
£14 6s. 8d., (fn. 60) which was relinquished in 1514 for
£400. (fn. 61) Lord Herbert, then Earl of Worcester, received the king's pardon in the same year for alienation of the manor without licence, (fn. 62) and died seised of
it in 1526. (fn. 63) He left it to his wife Eleanor, against
whom it was claimed in reversion by Henry Grey,
half-brother and heir of Richard Earl of Kent, under
a settlement made by their father, George Earl of
Kent. (fn. 64)
Somerset. FRANCE quartered with ENGLAND in a border gobony argent and azure.
In accordance with her husband's will, it passed at
Eleanor's death to their younger son Sir George
Somerset, (fn. 65) who with his wife Mary sold it to William
Duncombe in 1549. (fn. 66) Another sale by William
himself ten years later brought Great Brickhill to his
younger son Thomas, (fn. 67) on whom it was finally settled
by his father in 1573. (fn. 68) In 1574 Thomas Duncombe jun., son of John, William's elder son, (fn. 69)
surrendered his rights in the manor to his uncle
Thomas, (fn. 70) who, having soon afterwards accounted for
its alienation without licence, (fn. 71) remained in possession
until his death in February 1595–6. (fn. 72) John his eldest
son entered into possession the same year, (fn. 73) and in
1612, with his wife Lucy, settled this manor on the
marriage of their son Thomas with Joan daughter of
Simon Haynes of Turweston. (fn. 74) Another settlement
was made by John, Lucy and Thomas in 1627, in
which year Lucy died. (fn. 75) John survived her until
1630, (fn. 76) and in 1634 Thomas, then aged forty-five,
was granted livery of a third of the manor. (fn. 77) He was
succeeded in or before 1639 by his son and heir John, (fn. 78)
who in that year leased part of the manor to Richard
Sydenham for ninety-nine years, and in 1649 sold
the remainder of this term to William Wallis, whose
family sued him in Chancery twelve years later. (fn. 79) He
is said to have been the father of another John Duncombe, whose son of the same name died without
issue in 1687, when Great Brickhill descended to his
three sisters and co-heirs. (fn. 80)
Katherine, the eldest, held a third in 1701, when a
settlement was made, (fn. 81) probably as a preliminary to
her marriage with Thomas Bristowe that year. (fn. 82) A
further settlement was made in 1708. (fn. 83) She died in
1711, (fn. 84) her husband, who survived her about thirty
years, enjoying a life interest in her share of Great
Brickhill. (fn. 85) Dr. Duncombe Bristowe, who died in
1758, leaving his property in this parish, then
described as a moiety of the manor, to his wife
Frances, with remainder to his brother Richard, (fn. 86)
was probably the elder son of Thomas and Katherine
Bristowe. Richard inherited on the death of Frances
in 1765, (fn. 87) and by his will, made and proved four
years later, this moiety came to Philip Barton in
1769. (fn. 88)
Philippa, the second sister, then a spinster, owned
one-third of Great Brickhill in 1701 and 1708, (fn. 89) and
afterwards married Dr. Stephen Chase, with whom
she was in joint possession in 1720. (fn. 90) She died
the next year, it would seem without issue, and her
husband died in 1740, (fn. 91) when this share of the manor
reverted to the other co-heirs, who thus each held a
moiety.
In 1708 Mary, the youngest sister, held her third
with her husband John Barton, (fn. 92) afterwards rector of
this parish. (fn. 93) She died eleven years later, (fn. 94) and on
the death of her husband in 1760 (fn. 95) the Barton
moiety of Great Brickhill descended to their fourth
but apparently sole surviving son Philip, (fn. 96) who inherited the rest of the manor in 1769. (fn. 97)
The Rev. Philip Barton, sole lord of Great Brickhill in 1771, (fn. 98) died in 1786, leaving the manor in
trust for his godson Philip Duncombe Pauncefort on
condition that he should take the name of Duncombe
on inheriting. (fn. 99) This was done in 1805. (fn. 100) In
1849 Great Brickhill descended from the elder Philip
to his son of the same name, created a baronet in 1859. (fn. 101)
He was succeeded in 1890 by his son Philip Henry
Pauncefort-Duncombe, whose son and heir Sir Everard
Philip Digby Pauncefort-Duncombe, bart., has been
lord of the manor since 1895. (fn. 102)
Pauncefort. Gules three lions argent.
Duncombe. Party cheveronwise and engrailed gules and argent three talbots' heads razed and countercoloured with a crosslet or for difference.
Free warren was an appurtenance of this manor
from the 13th to the 17th century. (fn. 103) The Earl of
Kent complained in 1493 his warren had been broken
and hares, coneys, pheasants and partridges taken. (fn. 104) A
several fishery also belonged to the manor until the
18th century, (fn. 105) a quantity of fish being unlawfully taken from it in 1348. (fn. 106) It was described in
1596 and 1630 as extending from Stapleford Bridge
to Eaton Mill. (fn. 107) Liberties that occur in somewhat
later records are courts leet and baron and view of
frankpledge. (fn. 108) From 1323 to 1720 there were dovecotes varying in number from three to one. (fn. 109)
A grant of Smewnes Mill and some land in Great
Brickhill made by Nicholas de Sanford to Woburn
Abbey in 1251 or 1252 (fn. 110) was perhaps followed by
other gifts before 1337, when the abbot enjoyed
temporalities here of considerable value. (fn. 111) Together
they seem to have formed the manor of SMEWNES
GRANGE, to which in 1348 John Pessovere or Passelewe of Dunstable, jun., and his wife Margaret had
some right for the term of Margaret's life, which they
surrendered to the abbot and his successors. (fn. 112) The
possessions of the abbey in
Smewnes were in 1535 held
by lease by Edward Staunton,
then bailiff, (fn. 113) and he was still
tenant in 1541, when the
king granted them to Sir John
Williams in an exchange. (fn. 114)
Three months later Sir John
obtained licence to alienate
this property to Henry Terell
and Edward Water. (fn. 115) A manor
of Great Brickhill, however,
which appears to be Smewnes,
and was annexed to the
honour of Ampthill, was in
the Crown in 1548, (fn. 116) and five years later Edward
Staunton, still tenant in 1548, (fn. 117) was lord of the
'manor or grange called
Smewnes.' (fn. 118) He then settled
it on trustees for the use of
himself and his younger son
Edmund, who inherited on
his father's death in 1553, (fn. 119)
and made a settlement in the
following year. (fn. 120) In 1555
Edmund was called upon to
prove his title to his grange
of Smewnes, (fn. 121) of which he
remained lord until 1607. (fn. 122)
Reginald his son and heir, on
whose marriage with Elizabeth Shuckburgh the property had been settled in
1585, (fn. 123) entered into full possession in 1617, (fn. 124) made
a settlement on the marriage of his son Anthony
early in 1625, (fn. 125) and died seised ten years later. (fn. 126)
From Anthony, who was granted livery of one-third
of Smewnes in 1638, (fn. 127) the manor descended through
his son and grandson of the same name to Elizabeth,
only daughter and heir of the third Anthony Staunton, (fn. 128) who with her husband James Stokes (fn. 129) in 1718
surrendered her rights in it to John Staunton of
Galway, (fn. 130) grandson of her great-grandfather's younger
brother George. (fn. 131) Thomas Staunton, John's son and
heir, (fn. 132) died in 1784, having survived his sons John
and Thomas (fn. 133) and his grandson Thomas son of
Thomas. (fn. 134) In accordance with his will made in
1778, before the death of the third Thomas, Smewnes
descended to his daughters Elizabeth Catherine, who
married John Cumberland Bentley the year after her
father's death, and Bettinson Staunton and to his
granddaughters Mary and Margaret Staunton, the
only surviving children of his son Thomas. (fn. 135) The
last two being wards in Chancery, an Act of Parliament was passed in 1791 vesting the estates of the
late Thomas Staunton in trustees for their sale on
behalf of the four co-heirs. (fn. 136) It is said that Smewnes
was sold the next year to Edward Hanmer of Stockgrove, Soulbury, who owned it about 1813. (fn. 137) It
passed from him to Colonel H. Hanmer, K.H.,
M.P., who held in 1862, (fn. 138) and appears to have been
purchased from his heirs before 1897, together with
Grovebury Manor in Leighton Buzzard (Bedfordshire),
by Mr. J. T. Mills. (fn. 139)
Woburn Abbey. Azure three bars wavy argent.
Staunton. Argent two cheverons sable.
Free fishery was an appurtenance of Smewnes in
1251, (fn. 140) a dovecote in 1554. (fn. 141)
A farm and lands in Greenend in Great Brickhill,
held by William Shepherd in the second half of the
16th century, and disputed between his sons in
1592 (fn. 142) and 1594, (fn. 143) was described as the manor of
GREENEND in the latter year, when its court rolls
were said to be fraudulently detained by his widow
Elizabeth and sons Thomas and Henry. (fn. 144)
Land in Great Brickhill, which had belonged to
the monastery of St. Mary de Pré in Hertfordshire
and came to the Crown on the death of the last
prioress, was granted to Cardinal Wolsey in 1528, (fn. 145)
and afterwards included in grants made to John Penn
and his wife in 1531, 1544 and 1545. (fn. 146) In 1547 John
and his wife Lucy sold it to Sir Robert Dormer, (fn. 147) but
the claims of the Crown were revived nearly forty
years later (fn. 148) in a grant to Theophilus Adams and
others. (fn. 149)
Church
The church of THE NATIVITY
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN (fn. 150) consists
of a chancel measuring internally 25 ft.
by 13 ft. 6 in., central tower 10 ft. by 14 ft., north
and south chapels, nave 49 ft. 6 in. by 15 ft. 6 in.,
north aisle 13 ft. 6 in. wide, south aisle 12 ft. wide,
and south porch. It is built of rubble with stone
dressings, and the roofs are covered with tiles.
The chancel, tower, and probably the nave date
from the 13th century, but all the original details of
the nave have been obliterated by subsequent alterations. The south aisle and chapel were built about
1460, and the north aisle and chapel about thirty
years later, the chapels in both cases being formed by
the extension of the aisles eastward beyond the tower
to the western part of the chancel. The chancel was
repaired in 1602. The roofs were heightened and
the south porch was added in 1867, when the whole
fabric was restored.
The chancel is lighted from the east by a modern
window and from each of the lateral walls by a 13thcentury lancet with an original moulded rear arch
and jamb shafts, but modern external stonework. At
the west end of the north wall is a 15th-century
segmental arch to the north chapel, and there is a
similar arch to the south chapel in the wall opposite.
The central tower opens to the chancel and nave by
13th-century pointed arches having semi-octagonal
responds with original moulded capitals and restored
bases. On the south are a continuously moulded
doorway with a much-restored two-light window
above it, both probably of about 1390, and a small
15th-century doorway to the stair turret. The larger
doorway originally opened to the churchyard, but
now leads to the chapel, the roof of which partly
covers the window.
The nave arcades are each of four bays with
pointed arches supported by octagonal pillars with
moulded capitals and bases. Both arcades have semioctagonal west responds, but die into plain responds
on the east. In the west wall is a doorway with a
three-light window above, both of which were inserted about 1390, but the tracery of the latter is
modern and all the stonework of the doorway has
been renewed.
The north chapel and aisle are continuous, and
are lighted from the north by three late 15th-century
windows, each of three lights in a square head; in
the west wall is a three-light window of the same
date, though considerably restored, while the east
window is modern. There is an original pointed
piscina in the east wall. The north doorway, now
blocked, is at the west end of the north wall. It has
a pointed head, and is continuously moulded. The
two eastern windows in the continuous south wall
of the south aisle and chapel are modern, and the two
western are of the 15th century, but have been much
restored; the east and west windows are modern,
but the latter retains a few old stones in its external
jambs. The south doorway is original, and has a
pointed arch in a square head with traceried spandrels.
The central tower rises two stages above the
church roof, the upper stage being considerably
contracted above offsets on the north and south; it
is surmounted by an embattled parapet, and has a
projecting stair in a turret on the south. The external
stonework has been considerably renewed. On the
south side is a clock.
The communion table dates from the 17th century,
and there is a chest with incised ornament in the north
chapel of the same period. On the internal jambs
of the 13th-century lancets in the chancel are traces
of original painting. The font is modern. There
are many 18th-century monuments to members of
the Duncombe, Bristowe, Pauncefort, Barton, and
Chase families.
The tower contains a ring of six bells; the second by
Thomas Mears, 1840, and all the others by W. & T.
Mears, 1789. There is also a small bell by George
Chandler, inscribed 'G.C. 1681.'
The plate consists of a silver cup and paten given by
John Barton, rector, in 1755; a round silver salver
with feet, given in 1756 by the same; a silver flagon
given in 1718 by Anne Barton, widow of Samuel
Barton, rector; and a rounded hexagonal silver salver
with feet, given by Edward Staunton, rector of
Tattenhoe, in 1759. Attached to the bottom of the
last piece is a silver disc with illegible date mark.
The registers begin in 1558.
Advowson
The church of Great Brickhill
has generally followed the descent
of the main manor. Annora
Malbank gave a moiety of the church to Dunstable Priory in 1205, (fn. 151) but if this grant took effect
it can only have been for a short time, Thomas
Bassett, who disputed her right (fn. 152) and obtained from
her sister Ada and her husband Warren de Vernon a
renunciation of their claim to a third of the presentation, (fn. 153) being acknowledged patron in 1214. (fn. 154)
The Prior of Dunstable, however, either through
Annora's grant or else in virtue of the gift of the
tithe of Brickhill (Brichella) and a villein to the
abbey of St. Evroul, Orne, Lower Normandy, by
Hugh second Earl of Chester 1071–1101, (fn. 155) had some
show of right in the tithes of Great Brickhill;
11s. rent, in fact, was due to Dunstable Priory from
Walter Cuncus, son of Hugh de Dunstaville, for two
parts of the tithe of his demesne of Brickhill, and for
half a virgate of land 'de Socheshide' with messuage,
and for the messuage next the cemetery, all of which
belonged to the church of St. Evroul. (fn. 156) This right
to the tithes of Great Brickhill the prior exchanged
for a pension of 20s. in 1214 by an agreement with
the rector, (fn. 157) which was renewed and confirmed in
1280. (fn. 158) This was paid in 1291. (fn. 159)
During the Commonwealth John Duncombe's title
to the presentation was disputed on the ground of
his alleged delinquency, (fn. 160) and the Crown presented
in 1660. (fn. 161) Anne widow of Samuel Barton, rector
of Great Brickhill, was patron for one turn only at
his death in 1715. (fn. 162) With these exceptions the
advowson appears to have been always in the same
hands as the manor.
In 1519 Robert Keye obtained licence to build a
chapel in honour of the Virgin Mary and St. John
the Baptist near the spring called the Maidens'
Well. (fn. 163)
Charities
The following charities are administered under a scheme of the
Charity Commissioners of 4 February
1908 under the title of the Parochial Charities,
namely:—
1. Charity of Anne Briscoe and William Duncombe,
founded by indenture dated 13 July 1631. The
endowment consists of a fee-farm rent of £8, issuing
out of two water-mills, houses and land at Redbourn,
Hertfordshire.
2. The Feoffee's charity, comprised in indenture
of 30 September 1640. The property consists of
about 14 acres of land at Great Brickhill and
£228 13s. 9d. consols, representing accumulations of
income. There are also certain almshouses belonging
to that charity, occupied by paupers, which are kept
in repair by the trustees.
3. Charity of Anthony Holton, will proved 5 May
1725, legacy of £50.
4. Charity of John Newman, will 1700, legacy of
£20. These legacies are represented by £100
consols.
5. Charity of John Meade, will 1716, trust fund,
£202 5s. 6d. consols, arising from sale of land in
1893, purchased with legacy of £50.
The land belonging to the charities is let at
£23 19s. yearly, and the sums of stock, which are
held by the official trustees, produce £13 5s. 4d.
yearly.
The net income is applied in money payments to
about forty poor people and about £8 is distributed
in food and fuel.
The Poor's Land, allotted by an Inclosure Award,
containing 7 a. 1 r. 7 p. at Partridge Hill, is let in
allotments producing £8 17s. yearly, which is applied
in the distribution of coal.
A piece of land called the Bell Rope Piece, containing 2 a. 0 r. 11 p., was mentioned on a board in
the church. It is let at £2 10s. yearly. One half
the income is applied to the ringers and the remaining
half towards providing bell-ropes.
It was also stated that Thomas Bust in 1701 left
1s. yearly for the poor. The annuity was paid by
the lord of the manor in respect of a cottage belonging
to him.