GREAT LINFORD
Linforda (x cent.); Magna Lufford (xiii cent.);
Mechel Lyngford (xiv cent.); Moche Lynforde,
Lyndeforde Magna (xvi cent.).
The parish of Great Linford covers 1,835 acres, of
which 238 are arable, 1,053 permanent grass and
87 woods and plantations. (fn. 1)
The soil is mixed, with a
subsoil of cornbrash and Great
Oolite, producing crops of
wheat, barley and oats. The
parish is watered by the River
Ouse, which forms its northwestern boundary. The neighbourhood of the river is liable
to floods. The highest point
is 369 ft. above the ordnance
datum on the southern
boundary and the lowest is
199 ft. on the road near Black
Horse Farm. There are quarries close to the church, and
south-east of the village is a
sand-pit.
The village, compact in
shape, lies at the northern end
of the parish, and south of
the main road from Stony
Stratford to Newport Pagnell,
almost parallel to which is the
Newport Pagnell branch of
the London and North
Western railway; the station at Great Linford is
north-east of the village. The Grand Junction Canal
has a wharf between the railway station and the
village. Some brickworks lie near it.
The church of St. Andrew lies to the north-west
of the village, which also contains a Congregational
chapel, built in 1810. The rectory, which stands to
the south-east of the church, is a stone building,
apparently erected at the close of the 16th century,
although there seems to be work of a century earlier
in the south-east wing. It is of two stories with an
attic, the dormer windows of which belong to the
17th century. North of the modern porch is a late
16th-century four-light window. The 'Nag's Head'
and several thatched cottages in High Street are of
the 17th century. The almshouses and schoolhouse,
to the east of the church, were built by Sir William
Pritchard at the end of the 17th century. (fn. 2) The
main building is of one story, with a central block of
two stories. The original staircase and panelling in
the central block are worthy of notice. Adjoining
the almshouses is the Manor House, the residence or
Mr. Charles Walter Mead. To the south of the
village is Great Linford House, and near it is Ivy
House, the residence of Captain H. E. Churton
Ditmas, R.F.A.
Village Street, Great Linford
Linford Wood, with Wood House and Wood Farm,
are in the south-west of the parish, and Windmill Hill
Farm lies in the village. The kennels of the Bucks
otter hounds are in the parish.
Manors
The first reference to Linford occurs
in 944, when King Edmund gave to
his thegn Aelfheah land at Linforda
with liberty to leave it to whom he wished. (fn. 3) In
1086 there were two manors, both assessed at 2 hides
1½ virgates. One of these, which had belonged to
Alric, son of Goding, at that date formed part of the
lands of Walter Giffard. (fn. 4) As part of the honour of
Giffard (fn. 5) it descended with Fawley (fn. 6) (q.v.), this overlordship being last mentioned in 1420, when it was
assigned to Beatrice, widow of Gilbert Talbot, as
part of her dower. (fn. 7) It passed in this century to
the Crown, (fn. 8) by whom the manor was annexed to the
honour of Ampthill in 1542, (fn. 9) and the overlordship
rights retained until the abolition of feudal tenure. (fn. 10)
In 1086 Walter Giffard's sub-tenant was Hugh de
Bolebec, (fn. 11) who was at the same time tenant in chief
of the second manor in Great Linford. (fn. 12) This
manor was held before the Conquest by three thegns,
who had the right to assign and sell it. These two
manors must have been united to form the manor of
GREAT LINFORD, as their descent is thenceforward indistinguishable. (fn. 13) The Bolebecs later subinfeudated Great Linford, their overlordship rights
passing as in Great Kimble (q.v.) to the Earls of
Oxford, (fn. 14) who retained them as one fee until as late
as 1632. (fn. 15)
Bolebec. Vert a lion argent.
Vere. Quarterly gules and or with a molet argent in the quarter.
The manorial rights of Great Linford were obtained by a branch of the Pipard family which ended
in a female heir Alice. (fn. 16) Early in the reign of
Henry III she was said to be in the gift of the king
and married to Geoffrey Marsh (de Marisco, Mareis), (fn. 17)
who is returned in 1235 as holding Great Linford,
worth £20, in right of his wife Alice. (fn. 18) Their granddaughter and heir, Alice, was wife of Ralph son of
Ralph Fitz Nicholas in 1242, when the manor was
granted to Ralph Fitz Nicholas for £18 rent pending inquiries into Alice's claim. (fn. 19) The younger Ralph
was in possession c. 1255, (fn. 20) and was succeeded in
1257 (fn. 21) by his son Robert Fitz Nicholas. (fn. 22) He died
about 1273, when his heir was Ralph Pipard, (fn. 23) called
in the inquisition the son of his brother, (fn. 24) but elsewhere said to be the son of his sister, i.e., son of Nichole
a daughter of Ralph, sister of Robert Fitz Nicholas and
wife of Henry Pipard. (fn. 25) Ralph Pipard complained
in 1283 that the deer in his park had been hunted
and carried away. (fn. 26) He held the manor (fn. 27) until his
death about 1308. (fn. 28) In 1310 his son and heir John
conveyed Great Linford to Edmund Butler, reserving
a life interest, (fn. 29) which he afterwards transferred to
Edmund for an annual rent. (fn. 30) Five years later, as
Edmund had not paid the rent for two years, John
Pipard re-entered the manor and held it until
Edmund's death in 1321. (fn. 31) The manor was then
taken into the king's hands, but was restored in 1323
to John Pipard, (fn. 32) apparently for life, in accordance
with the agreement of 1310. John Pipard was evidently dead in 1328 when James Butler, Earl of
Ormond, the son and heir of Edmund Butler, was in
possession of Great Linford. (fn. 33) The earl died about
ten years later seised of the manor, leaving a son and
heir James, a child of six. (fn. 34) Eleanor, his widow, in
January 1343–4 married Thomas Dagworth, Lord
Dagworth, (fn. 35) who held Great Linford in 1346. (fn. 36) He
was slain in Brittany in 1359, (fn. 37) and Eleanor, who
made a settlement of the manor in 1361, (fn. 38) died in
1363, when her life interest devolved on her son
James second Earl of Ormond. (fn. 39) He was succeeded
in 1382 by his son James, (fn. 40) who died in 1405, leaving
as heir his son, another James, a minor. (fn. 41) Before his
death in 1452 he had granted the manor to his son
and heir James, (fn. 42) who had been knighted in 1426, and
summoned to Parliament as Earl of Wiltshire in 1449.
In 1445 he had acquired Newport Pagnell Manor (fn. 43)
(q.v.), with which Great Linford escheated to the
Crown in 1461. (fn. 44) In the following year it was granted
to Richard Middleton and his heirs male, (fn. 45) a further
grant to himself and his wife Maud being made in
1465. (fn. 46) In October 1467 the manor was granted
for life to the king's daughter, the Princess Elizabeth, (fn. 47)
afterwards wife of Henry VII, (fn. 48) but it was obtained
in 1474 by Gerard Caniziani, a merchant of London,
and his wife Elizabeth. (fn. 49)
Pipard. Argent two bars and a quarter azure with a cinqfoil or in the quarter.
Butler. Or a chief indented azure.
On the accession of Henry VII in 1485 the
Ormond attainder was reversed and the Butlers were
restored to their estates. (fn. 50) They were in possession of
Great Linford in 1498, (fn. 51) and the manor henceforward
descends with Newport Pagnell (q.v.) until 1560,
when Queen Elizabeth granted it to John Thompson. (fn. 52)
He died seised of it in 1597, (fn. 53) leaving the reversion,
after the death of his wife Dorothy, to his son Robert,
who at that date had been a lunatic for five years. (fn. 54)
Robert's son John, then aged eight and afterwards
knighted, (fn. 55) appears later to have managed his father's
estate. (fn. 56) Robert died in 1633, (fn. 57) and in 1640 Sir John
Thompson conveyed the manor to Richard Napier, (fn. 58)
afterwards Sir Richard Napier, kt., (fn. 59) who died in January
1675–6. (fn. 60) His son Thomas Napier (fn. 61) alienated Great
Linford Manor in 1678 to Sir William Pritchard, kt., (fn. 62)
who by his will dated 29 December 1702 left it,
after the death of his widow Sarah, to his nephew
Richard Uthwatt for life, with remainder to Richard's
eldest son John and his male issue. (fn. 63) Sir William
Pritchard died in February 1704–5 (fn. 64) and Richard
Uthwatt in 1719. (fn. 65) His eldest son John died without issue. (fn. 66) The second son, Thomas, Sheriff of
Buckinghamshire in 1726, (fn. 67) who died in 1754, (fn. 68) had
by his wife Catherine Dalton an only daughter
Catherine, wife of Matthew Knapp, (fn. 69) who was
debarred by Sir William Pritchard's will from inheriting Great Linford. Richard, the third son of Richard
Uthwatt, had died before his brother Thomas, (fn. 70) and
it was his son Henry who inherited the manor in
1754 and broke the entail in that year. (fn. 71) Henry,
who was sheriff in 1755, (fn. 72) died in 1757, and Linford
was held by his widow Frances for life. (fn. 73) The
Knapps appear to have put forward a claim which
they renounced in 1760. (fn. 74) Frances Uthwatt died
in 1800, (fn. 75) when the manor, in accordance with the
terms of Henry Uthwatt's will, passed to a godson and
distant cousin, the Rev. Henry Uthwatt Andrewes, (fn. 76)
on condition of his taking the name of Uthwatt. (fn. 77)
He held Great Linford till his death in 1812, (fn. 78) and was
succeeded by his eldest son Henry Uthwatt, Sheriff of
Buckinghamshire in 1831, (fn. 79) who died unmarried in
1855, leaving as heir his brother the Rev. William
Uthwatt. (fn. 80) At his death without issue male in 1879
he was succeeded at Great
Linford by his brother Augustus Thomas Uthwatt, from
whom the manor passed in
1885 to his nephew and heir,
William Francis Edolph Andrewes Uthwatt, the present
owner.
Uthwatt. Argent a bend between cotises sable and charged with three pierced molets argent.
Thomas Earl of Ormond
appears to have made a temporary alienation or settlement
of the manorial rights in the
early 16th century, for in
1516 they were settled by
Thomas Stafford of Tattenhoe
on his illegitimate son William
Stafford, (fn. 81) who died seised of Great Linford in
1529 (fn. 82) ; it was then held of Lady Anne St. Leger,
to whom the manorial rights appear to have reverted,
as there is no further trace of this sub-tenancy.
The Earls of Pembroke as overlords claimed
gallows and assize of bread and ale in Great Linford
in the 13th century. (fn. 83) View of frankpledge was
claimed by the Pipards about the same time, (fn. 84) and
was held, as also a court baron, as late as the 17th
century. (fn. 85) Grants of free warren were made to the
lords of the manor in 1284, (fn. 86) in 1316, (fn. 87) and in
1328. (fn. 88)
In 1303 a certain William le Waleys and Cecilia
his wife owned a messuage, mill and 120 acres of land
in Great Linford, the reversion of which they settled
on their son John. (fn. 89) William was dead four years
later, when his widow gave to another son Robert her
tenement in Great Linford. (fn. 90) This holding is probably that which became known in the 17th century
as LINFORD or WALSHES or TYRINGHAM'S
or PIPARD'S MANOR. (fn. 91) Robert Walsh and Maud
his wife, from whose family the manor derived one of
the distinctive names, held lands here in 1316, (fn. 92) and
various references to other members occur as late as
1480, (fn. 93) though they are never mentioned in connexion
with the manor. In 1465 a grant of a messuage
and 160 acres of land, 16 acres of meadow and 20
acres of pasture called 'Walshes' was made to Richard
Middelton and Maud his wife on the forfeiture of
Sir John Fortescue, kt. (fn. 94) Nothing further is known
of this holding until 1614, when it reappears as the
property of Sir Anthony Tyringham, kt. (fn. 95) He died
in this year, and was succeeded by his son Thomas. (fn. 96)
In 1621 this holding is first referred to as a manor. (fn. 97)
Sir Thomas Tyringham died in January 1636–7, (fn. 98)
and the estate seems to have passed by the marriage
of his daughter Anne to Sir Richard Napier, (fn. 99) who
was seised of it in 1650. (fn. 100) From this date it
descended with the manor of Great Linford, from
which it is not distinguished after 1808. (fn. 101)
Before the Conquest two men of Alric son of
Goding held 2 hides of land in Great Linford. In
1086 these lands belonged to the Count of Mortain (fn. 102) ;
they eventually passed to the Earl of Cornwall and
were held by his tenants of the honour of Berkhampstead, (fn. 103) last mentioned in connexion with Great
Linford in 1498. (fn. 104) Ranulf was the sub-tenant here
at the time of the Survey. (fn. 105) Ralph Marshall, the
next holder, was in possession about the middle of
the 13th century, (fn. 106) but had subinfeudated John
Aynell before 1284–6. (fn. 107) Holding with John Aynell
in 1302–3 were Peter Basset, Richard Tours and
their tenants, (fn. 108) and by 1346 this estate had descended
to John Aynell, jun. (fn. 109) Robert de Luton was the
tenant in 1379, (fn. 110) but the holding afterwards became
merged in Great Linford Manor, which in consequence
was said in 1405 to be held in part of the honour of
Berkhampstead. (fn. 111)
Church
The church of ST. ANDREW consists of a chancel measuring internally
30 ft. by 17 ft., nave 47 ft. by 21 ft.,
north aisle 27 ft. 6 in. by 11 ft. 6 in., north porch,
south aisle 6 ft. wide, south porch, and west tower
13 ft. by 12 ft. 6 in It is built of rubble with stone
dressings and the roofs are covered with lead and
tiles; the clearstory, north aisle and porch, and the
tower are coated with cement.
The present church was built about 1250, and to
this date belong the nave and the two lower stages
of the tower; the chancel and south aisle, though
considerably altered, probably date from this time.
The north porch was added early in the 14th century,
when the chancel arch was rebuilt and the south arcade
repaired; the north aisle and the original south porch
were built about 1350 and the clearstory was added
to the nave late in the 15th century. The fabric
appears to have fallen into considerable dilapidation
by 1708, when it was very extensively repaired by
Sarah, widow of Sir William Pritchard, and her
two nephews. (fn. 112) This work included the complete
remodelling of the chancel and of all the window
tracery, the rebuilding of the south porch and the
addition of a third stage to the tower. The church
was again restored in 1884–5.
The chancel, though remodelled, still probably
retains its 13th-century walls, and an original narrow
doorway, now blocked, remains at the south-west.
In each of the side walls is a two-light pointed window
of the 18th century, in which some older material
has been re-used. The east window, of three lights
with tracery in a pointed head, is a recent insertion.
The early 14th-century chancel arch is pointed, and
springs from responds composed of three clustered
shafts with richly moulded capitals; the bases are
modern.
The nave opens to the south aisle by a late 13thcentury arcade of three pointed arches having responds
with moulded corbels and carved heads, and octagonal
pillars with moulded capitals and bases. The corbels
appear to have been inserted in the 14th century,
and the abaci of the capitals are modern. On the
north is a mid-14th-century arcade of two pointed
arches, which also has moulded corbels at the responds,
and an octagonal pillar with a moulded capital and
base. The east corbel is enriched with ball-flower
ornament and an embattled moulding, and the capital
of the pillar with five-leaf ornament. The west
corbel is modern. West of the arcade is a plain
chamfered doorway to the north porch, the round
head of which has been considerably defaced. The
west tower stands considerably to the south of the
axial line of the nave, a disposition common in the
neighbourhood (even where, as in this case, the nave
does not appear to have been subsequently widened),
and doubtless adopted since it admitted of the direct
abutment of one of the nave walls. The tower arch,
which dates from about 1250, is much distorted and
has been built up; it has clustered responds with
moulded capitals and bases, the latter being very
much defaced. The clearstory is lighted from both
sides by four two-light windows of the late 15th
century, from all of which the tracery was removed
in 1708 and replaced by mullions rising into the
heads. Both the chancel and nave have segmental
plastered ceilings, that of the nave being intersected
by the openings for the clearstory windows.
In its original state the north aisle must have been
a rich and charming example of mid-14th-century
work. On the north is an original wall arcade of
two arches, springing from a circular attached shaft
and responds with moulded capitals and bases. Each
bay of the arcade is pierced by a large pointed
window, the outer orders of which, as well as the
capitals of the wall arcades, are enriched with foliated
ornament. The original window tracery, however, has
been removed and replaced by 18th-century mullions,
carried straight up to the head, with transoms at the
springing, the windows being now divided into
three instead of four lights as formerly. There are
some fragments of mediaeval glass in the head of the
easternmost window. High in the west wall is an
18th-century doorway to the parvise over the 14thcentury north porch. The lower stage of this porch,
which is well preserved, is divided into two bays by
a sexpartite vault, the chamfered ribs of which spring
from head corbels and meet above in a large foliated
boss. The entrance on the north is richly moulded
and has a pointed ogee head, and at the north-west
is a pointed window, the head of which has been
restored, while a corresponding window in the east
wall is blocked by the aisle. This apartment is now
used as a vestry, and the old door with strap hinges
still retained in the doorway is permanently fastened.
In both the north and west walls of the parvise there
is a small trefoiled hight; a similar light in the east
wall is blocked by the north aisle.
The south aisle, which is particularly narrow, is
lighted from the south by two large windows of
similar character to those in the side walls of the
chancel, but of three lights. The doorway to the
west of these windows, which is now coated with
plaster, is similar to that in the north wall of the
nave. Much of the original material has been reused in the south porch, including the pointed entrance
doorway and the traceried heads of two two-light
windows now built into the same opening in the east
wall, while a 15th-century corbel, carved as an angel
holding a shield, is inserted over the doorway.
The tower is of three stages with western diagonal
buttresses and is surmounted by an embattled parapet.
The ground stage is lighted by original lancets in the
north and south walls, and there is a 15th-century
two-light window in the west wall; the latter has been
treated similarly to those of the clearstory, and below
it is an 18th-century doorway. The second stage,
the original bell-chamber, has two pointed windows
of the 13th century on the south. Two corresponding windows formerly existed on the north, the outlines of which can still be traced inside; these windows,
however, were blocked in the 18th century, when an
opening to the roof in the east wall was also built up
and the south windows were altered externally. The
buttresses were added in the 15th century and the
present bell-chamber, which is lighted from each side
by a large single-light window, was built in 1708.
The font is modern. The painted deal pulpit,
with bolection moulded panels, dates from the 18th
century. On a slab in the nave are brass figures of
Roger Hunt (d. 1473), and Joan his wife, both represented in long gowns, with a marginal inscription, two
shields inscribed respectively 'Jhu Mercy,' 'Lady
helpe,' and the verses: 'Here lieth I dowen under
this stone | Roger hunt and Johane his wiffe | Of
whose propre costes alone | This chirche was paved
soon aft' ye liffe | Almighty Jhu sittyng in trone |
bothe their soules to have m'cy | As thou camyst from
yi fader alone | Wt yi precious blood manys soule to
by.' There are also indents for sons and daughters.
In the chancel is a brass with figures of a man and his
wife, both wearing ruffs, groups of five sons and three
daughters, and an inscription commemorating Anne
wife of John Uvedall (d. 1611). In the north aisle
is a brass to Thomas Malyn (d. 1536) and Elizabeth
his wife, with their figures in fur-trimmed gowns, the
lady wearing a gabled head-dress; there is also a small
figure of one daughter and an indent for one son.
On the west wall of the north aisle is a monument of
white marble commemorating Sir William Pritchard,
kt. (1704), his wife Sarah (Coke) (d. 1718), and
William, their only son (d. 1685). The inscription
states that Sir William Pritchard was 'Alderman,
and sometime since Lord Mayor of London . . . .
He was one of the City's Representatives in sev (fn. 1)
Parliaments, and President of St. Bartholomew's
Hospital, where he erected a convenient apartment
for cutting of the stone; and built and endowed a
School House and Six Alms Houses in this Parish.'
On a shield above are the arms, Ermine a lion sable
impaling Party gules and azure three eagles, for Coke.
There is a mural monument with arms at the east
end of this aisle to Thomas Uthwatt (d. 1754) and
Catherine (Dalton) his wife (d. 1769); and on the
south wall is a monument to Catherine (Uthwatt)
daughter of the above and wife of Matthew Knapp
(d. 1794). On the chancel floor are slabs commemorating John Coles, for forty-nine years rector of the
parish (d. 1748); Anne his wife; Edmund Smyth,
also rector of the parish (d. 1789), and Dorothy his
wife (d. 1780); and Edward Harrison (d. 1676).
The altar and altar rails date from about 1700; the
chancel walls have a deal dado of the 18th century.
In the lower stage of the tower is a piece of bell
framework of the same period.
The tower contains a ring of six bells, five of which
were recast from older bells in 1756, when the treble
was added, all by Joseph Eayre of St. Neots, and a
small bell dated 1753.
The communion plate consists of a cup and cover
paten of 1610, two flagons of 1732, and a large
paten of 1754.
There is one register book, which includes all entries
1653 to 1759 and baptisms and burials to 1812,
and a book of marriages only 1759 to 1811.
Advowson
The advowson of the church descended with the manor (fn. 113) until
1560, when Queen Elizabeth granted
it to William Button and Thomas Escourt. (fn. 114) They immediately sold it to Christopher Troughton, (fn. 115) and he or
a successor of the same name in 1606 conveyed it to
Robert afterwards Sir Robert Napier alias Sandy, bart.,
of Luton Hoo, Bedfordshire. (fn. 116) His brother Richard
Napier, the rector since 1590, died in 1634, when the
next presentation was made by Richard, younger son
of Sir Robert Napier, bart. (fn. 117) In 1640 he acquired the
manor, with which the advowson has since descended. (fn. 118)
At the present day it is vested in Mr. Thomas Andrewes
Uthwatt, cousin of the lord of the manor.
Charities
By his will dated 29 December
1702 Sir William Pritchard gave a
yearly rent-charge of £34, £24
thereof to be divided equally among six poor people
inhabiting the almshouses built by him, and the other
£10 to be paid to a schoolmaster. (fn. 119) The rent-charge
issues out of a portion of Great Linford estate. The
almshouse and school premises consist of a range of
buildings containing seven tenements under one roof,
also a schoolroom, and residence for the master, and
a garden. Under a scheme of the Board of Education of 6 January 1906 it was determined that the
old schoolhouse and master's residence with the
garden and ten thirty-fourths of the net income in
respect of the rent-charge of £34 should form the
endowment of Sir William Pritchard's educational
foundation. The almspeople (six in number) received
from the charity 1s. 6d. weekly, and £10 is yearly
applied to Sir William Pritchard's educational foundation. The alms-people also receive £6 a year
from the charity of Dame Sarah Pritchard next
mentioned.
Dame Sarah Pritchard, who died in 1718, by her
will (fn. 120) bequeathed a legacy for charitable purposes,
now represented by £645 18s. 2d. consols, with the
official trustees, producing £16 2s. 8d. yearly. Under
a scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 20 July
1886 the income is applicable as follows: £6 to be
divided equally among the inmates of Sir William
Pritchard's almshouses, £1 to the rector so long as he
shall not permit any cattle to be grazed in the churchyard and burial place, £1 to the parish clerk for keeping clean the pews and windows of the parish church,
and the residue, amounting to £8 2s. 8d., in apprenticing, or in the advancement of education under
the title of 'Dame Sarah Pritchard's educational
foundation.' (fn. 121)
Charity of unknown donor.—The earliest reference
to this charity is in an account book dated 2 December 1731, in which it is stated that £8 yearly is
payable to the poor out of lands belonging to Thomas
Uthwatt. The annuity is paid by the lord of the
manor, and is distributed in money to about fortyeight recipients.
Miss Ann Cape, by her will, proved at London
7 September 1859, gave a sum of money, now
represented by £540 consols, with the official trustees,
producing £13 10s. yearly, and directed that fiveninths of the income should be applied towards the
support of the Church Sunday school, three-ninths
to a master for instructing Sunday school children,
girls and boys, in writing and arithmetic in the week,
and the remaining one-ninth for the entertainment
of children once a year with tea drinking, or some
suitable amusement.
Maria Barbara Cape, by her will, proved at London
9 December 1864, gave a sum of money, now
represented by £370 15s. 10d. consols, with the
official trustees, producing £9 5s. 4d. yearly, the
income to be applied at Christmas as follows: £1 to
each widow living in Linford on parish allowance and
not receiving benefit of an almshouse, £1 to each old
man past work and not in an almshouse, and the
residue to the poor and needy, in blankets, sheets,
flannel, or other useful articles. In 1912 one widow
and eight old men received £1 each.