SIMPSON
Siwinestone, Sevinestone (xi cent.), Shiveneston
(xiii cent.); Sewenestone (xiv cent.); Sympson,
Sympston (xvi cent.); Sewingston (xvii cent.).
This parish has an area of 1,317 acres of land and
19 of land covered by water, and is mostly pasture,
156 acres being arable, and 994 permanent grass. (fn. 1)
The soil is heavy, some clay, with a subsoil of clay
and gravel. The ground falls from about 300 ft.
above the ordnance datum in the west to about
200 ft. in the east.
Simpson includes a portion of the town of Fenny
Stratford, (fn. 2) and is governed by the Bletchley Urban
District Council. Watling Street forms the south-west
boundary and becomes the High Street of Fenny Stratford in the south. The River Ouzel is the eastern
boundary, and the Grand Junction Canal passes through
the parish from north to south. The Bedford branch
of the London and North Western railway runs through
the parish from west to east, and has a station at Fenny
Stratford.
The village, which contains a number of old
cottages, some much altered, lies at the foot of a hill,
in the north-east of the parish, east of the Grand
Junction Canal, and along a road branching north
from Watling Street. At the eastern end of the village
is the church of St. Thomas. To the north is the
Rectory house, dating from 1872; the former house
was described by Sheahan about 1860 as an ancient
brick building. (fn. 3) A little further north is the Rectory
Farm, a 17th-century half-timber house of two stories,
repaired with later brickwork.
Simpson House, formerly Simpson Villa, lies south-west of the church. It was built about the middle
of the 19th century for Mr. C. Warren, and afterwards bought by Mr. Kenet, who renamed it
Simpson House. The manor-house, called Simpson
Place in the 18th century, (fn. 4) was pulled down early in
the 19th century, and the Manor Farm, an old farmhouse at the south-western end of the village, has
since been used as a residence by the Sipthorp family. (fn. 5)
A little south of Manor Farm are a wharf and
swing-bridge over the canal, with King's Barn about
a quarter of a mile west of the wharf. There
is a Wesleyan Chapel north-west of the church,
originally built in 1842, but rebuilt on a new site in
1870.
The parish contains the Bletchley Urban District
and Newport Pagnell Rural District Isolation Hospital,
erected in 1907. To the west of the station are
Staple Hall and Lodge, and to the north of it are
saw-mills west of the swing-bridge over the canal.
The common fields were enclosed by Act of
Parliament in 1770, the award bearing date 26 April
1771. (fn. 6)
Among place-names has been found Groveway
Farm (fn. 7) (xviii cent.).
Manor
Before the Conquest Queen Edith held
a manor of 8 hides and 3 virgates in
SIMPSON, which in 1086 was entered
among the lands of the Bishop of Coutances, who held
it in pledge of William Bonvaslet. (fn. 8) By the 13th
century this was annexed as one fee to the barony of
Wolverton, (fn. 9) of which it still formed part in 1635. (fn. 10)
The manor was subinfeudated before the middle of
the 13th century, when Geoffrey de Cauz, who presented to the church in 1231, (fn. 11) was holding it. (fn. 12) Here
as in Water Eaton, Bletchley (q.v.), the Cauz family
were succeeded by the Greys, probably by marriage,
since in 1351, during the Greys' tenure, the lords
were described as the heirs of Geoffrey de Cauz. (fn. 13)
John de Grey, the first of his family mentioned in
Simpson, held in 1254. (fn. 14) About ten years later
Bertram du Sulee sued him for Simpson Manor, (fn. 15)
a claim which was renewed in 1275 against his son,
Reynold de Grey, by Bartholomew de Sulee. (fn. 16)
Reynold called to warrant his son John de Grey, (fn. 17)
who was called lord of Simpson in 1302 in his father's
lifetime. (fn. 18) In 1307 John made a settlement of the
manor on his second son Roger, (fn. 19) to whom it passed
with Bletchley Manor and Stoke Hammond (fn. 20) (q.v.),
and was included in the settlement made of the latter
at the beginning of the 16th century. By 1551 the
manor had passed to Thomas Pigott, senior, of Doddershall, Quainton (fn. 21) (q.v.), but was sold by his son
Thomas in 1578 to William and Thomas Cranwell. (fn. 22)
Thomas Cranwell, with Sir Arthur Wilmot, bart.,
Robert Saunders and John Hatch, was defendant in
1624 in a suit brought by Robert Dixon of London.
He complained that in 1622 Thomas Cranwell had
given him the manor as part security for a debt of
£165, though it had been previously mortgaged to
Sir Arthur Wilmot, who with the other defendants
had combined to deprive Dixon of his title in the
same by fraudulent conveyances. (fn. 23) Settlements of the
manor were made by Sir Arthur Wilmot, Thomas
Cranwell, and Fitz Hugh Cranwell in 1626 (fn. 24) and in
1628. (fn. 25) Three years later it was in the hands of
Arthur Warren. (fn. 26)
It next appears in the possession of the Hatch
family, who had held property in Simpson for some
generations. (fn. 27) In 1574 Thomas Pigott and his wife
Mary conveyed to Richard
Hatch two messuages, lands,
and a weir in Simpson, (fn. 28)
apparently part of the manor,
since this property was likewise held of Wolverton
Barony. (fn. 29) The name of
Richard Hatch appears in a
minute of the Privy Council
of 1590–1 as Richard Hatch
of Simpson, he having been
unlawfully attached by a
counterfeit pursuivant. (fn. 30)
Richard Hatch in 1604 settled
a messuage or farm in Simpson and other property on
his son and heir John and his heirs, with remainder to
his only daughter Joan, widow of Robert Massingberd,
and died seised of this property on 9 December 1605,
when he was succeeded by his son John. (fn. 31) On 2 June
1635 John Hatch died seised of a messuage in Simpson,
a farm called Britnells, Pillgrove Wood and land, which
he bequeathed to his wife Jane for bringing up his
children, until his son Thomas, then aged ten, should
be twenty-three years of age. (fn. 32) On 1 May 1668
Thomas Hatch and his wife Dorothy, daughter of
John Spencer of Windsor, (fn. 33) are mentioned in connexion with land in Simpson. (fn. 34) Spencer Hatch, probably
his son, appears to have succeeded him before
1678, (fn. 35) and in 1683 he and his mother Dorothy,
William Wellis and Mary his wife, conveyed the
manor to John Walden of
Coventry. (fn. 36) At his death in
1689 it passed by will to his
brother Thomas. (fn. 37) Thomas
Walden died in March 1701–2
in London, when the manor
came to his only daughter
and heir, Susan. (fn. 38) In 1717
she married Job Hanmer, (fn. 39)
who died in 1739. (fn. 40) Of their
only son Walden, who succeeded him, (fn. 41) Cole wrote in
1760: 'Job Walden Hanmer
was my schole-Fellow at Eton,
from thence he removed to Oxford and the Inns of
Court, and now practises as a Councillor in this
County, living at Broughton, as his mother lives in
the house at Simpson.' (fn. 42) He was created a baronet
in 1774, (fn. 43) and in 1776 barred the entail on the
manor, (fn. 44) of which he died seised in 1783, being
buried at Simpson. (fn. 45) His son, Sir Thomas Hanmer,
who succeeded him, made settlements of the manor
in 1785 (fn. 46) and in 1802. (fn. 47) He occasionally resided
at the manor-house, (fn. 48) which he sold in 1806 to
Charles Pinfold with about 210 acres of land. (fn. 49)
Charles Pinfold pulled down the manor-house, and
leased the manor farm to a tenant, William Sipthorp,
whose son William Sipthorp purchased this estate
before 1860 (fn. 50) ; it is now the property of John
Sipthorp. The manorial rights have been for a considerable time in abeyance.
Hatch. Gules two demi-leopards or.
Hanmer. Argent two leopards azure.
One hide and 1 virgate in SIMPSON were held
before the Conquest by Lewin Oaura, who could
sell, and this property was still held by him in
chief in 1086. (fn. 51) In 1275 it was in the hands of
various owners, including John de Grey, and it was
presented by the hundred that 32s. rent paid to
Henry II had been withdrawn by the Abbess of
Fontévrault, but by what warrant was unknown. (fn. 52)
A mill worth 10s. was held with the manor in
1086, (fn. 53) and is mentioned in 1324. (fn. 54) Two watermills under one roof, with the Mill House, Millholmes Meadows, fisheries and ferries, were held by
the Hatch family in the 17th century, (fn. 55) and are
probably identical with the water-mill attached to
the manor in the 18th and 19th centuries. (fn. 56)
Church
The church of ST. THOMAS (fn. 57) consists of a chancel 24 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft.,
central tower 9 ft. 6 in. by 8 ft. 6 in.,
north transept 18 ft. by 13 ft., south transept
16 ft. 6 in. by 11 ft., nave 46 ft. 6 in. by 24 ft. 6 in.,
and a south porch. All these measurements are internal.
No detail of an earlier date than the first half of
the 14th century remains in the present structure,
which appears to have been almost entirely rebuilt
during that period. The somewhat restricted dimensions of the central tower suggest that it was originally
designed for a smaller church, and that the reconstruction undertaken in the 14th century consisted in
the enlargement of the chancel, transepts and nave of
an earlier cruciform building, the existing central
tower, the lower portion of which may incorporate
work of the previous century, being retained. The
arches which pierce the ground stage, however, seem
to have been altered in the early years of the 14th
century, to which date the responds belong, and again
some thirty years later, when the arches themselves
were rebuilt. The details of the rest of the church
point to the second quarter of the century as the
principal period of rebuilding. About 1400 the
tower was increased in height, and the nave was
re-roofed, the rood stairs built, and several windows
altered or inserted in the 15th century. At some
time in the same century a north vestry, since
demolished, was added on the north side of the
chancel. The south porch was built in the 16th
century, and the transepts were re-roofed in the 17th
century. Restorations of the church were carried out
in 1873 and 1904. At this latter date the plaster
ceiling of the nave was removed, the east wall of
the chancel was rebuilt, and the western archways
between nave and transepts were opened out, while
the rood-loft staircase was continued up to the belfry
in oak, and a new ringers' floor was inserted over the
arches of the tower.
The east wall of the chancel, with its window and
buttresses, is modern, and there is a modern two-light
window in both the north and south walls. In the
north wall are a doorway and a window, both blocked,
and outside can be seen traces of the vestry wall and
a demolished central buttress. The south wall has a
buttress in the middle, to the west of which is a high
square-headed window, originally of the 14th century,
heightened in the 15th or 16th century. It was
blocked with brickwork when the Hanmer monument
was erected in 1789, and is now visible only from
outside.
The tower is three stages in height and has an
embattled parapet. Each wall of the ground stage is
pierced by a pointed and chamfered arch with semicircular responds, the shafts having moulded capitals
and bases, and dating from the early part of the 14th
century, the arches being somewhat later. In the
west wall high up is a doorway with a four-centred
head opening into the nave. The east and west walls
of the upper stages show traces of the position of the
old roofs of the chancel and nave. The bell-chamber
has four windows, each of two lights, probably of early
15th-century date.
The transepts each have angle-buttresses, and are
of the same date as the chancel. In the north and
south walls respectively is a three-light window with
net tracery, of the first half of the 14th century, and
below and to the west of each window is a small low
rectangular opening, probably of the 15th century, now
glazed. The north transept has in its east wall an
early 15th-century moulded doorway, with an external
rear-arch, formerly leading to the demolished vestry.
In the west wall is blocked window, probably of the
15th century, to the south of which are the doorway
of the rood-loft staircase and an arched opening
giving access to the nave. At the south-east, in the
portion of the north wall of the chancel overlapped
by the transept, is a trefoil-headed piscina. At the
north-east corner of the south transept is a 15thcentury squint blocked by the Hanmer monument
in the chancel. In the west wall is a blocked window
and to the north of it is a skew-arched opening
into the nave, having a small inner arch carried on
shafts with moulded bell-capitals. The roofs of both
transepts have plain trusses with re-cut tie-beams and
struts, and were probably rebuilt in the 17th century.
With the exception of the 15th-century west window, all the details of the nave are of 14th-century
date. The only window in the north wall is placed
at the east end; it is of two trefoiled lights with
tracery in a pointed head. In the normal position,
a little to the west of the middle
of the wall, is the north doorway,
which has a moulded head and
jambs. In a corresponding position in the south wall is the
south doorway, the external label
of which has a foliated finial, and
to the east of the doorway are
two windows, that nearest the
doorway being similar to the
north window, while the eastern
window is of three lights with
intersecting tracery. The west
window, which has been much
restored externally, is of four
lights with vertical tracery in the
head. The nave roof, a fine piece
of work, has three intermediate
and two wall-trusses, with moulded
wall-plates, tie-beams and purlins,
and chamfered wind-braces, struts
and collar-beams. The intermediate trusses each have a tiebeam, and two collar-beams carried by struts; the
eastern wall-truss has hammer-beams without the
lower collar, but with arched struts, while the western
wall-truss has hammer-beams and two collars.
The south porch, which is very irregularly set out,
has a pointed and chamfered archway of the 16th
century, with jamb-shafts having defaced capitals. In
the west wall is a small arched light, now blocked,
and in the east wall are indications of another blocked
window.
The font now in use is modern; the old font is
placed in the north transept. It is probably of the
15th century, and has a tapering circular bowl
without ornament, standing on a round stem with
a stepped base. The font cover is of the 17th
century.
In the chancel are four 18th-century mural monuments to members of the Hanmer family, the largest
being that which commemorates Sir Walden Hanmer,
bart. (d. 1783), by Bacon. Just outside the north
transept doorway is a mutilated slab to William Gale
(d. 1638).
There are five bells: the treble was added in
1895; the old second was recast in 1896 at the expense
of Miss C. Eaton; the second and fifth, the old treble
and tenor, and the fourth, the old third, have been
recast by Taylor of Loughborough. (fn. 58)
The communion plate includes a cup with long
conical bowl and moulded stem; a paten of Sheffield
plate, originally with three feet, and a modern plated
flagon, neither of which have date-marks.
The registers before the year 1718 have been
missing for many years, those up to 1812 are as
follows: (i) baptisms and burials 1719 to 1805,
marriages 1719 to 1753; (ii) marriages 1754 to
1812; (iii) baptisms 1805 to 1813. There are also
two books of accounts: churchwardens' 1778 to 1872,
and Feoffees' 1783 to 1873.
Plan of Simpson Church
Advowson
The advowson was appendant to
the manor from the early 13th century and probably before, (fn. 59) but was
not alienated with it in 1578, being sold by Thomas
Pigott and his son Thomas to William Beeley, sen.,
of Wooburn in 1587. (fn. 60) He may have been trustee for
George Bury, who presented to the church in 1591, (fn. 61)
but later conveyed the advowson to Thomas Cranwell,
from whom it passed about 1634 to Robert Staunton. (fn. 62)
He held the right in 1659, (fn. 63) but conveyed it in
1663 to George Potter, the rector, (fn. 64) doubtless for
one turn only, as in 1664 Staunton and his wife
were again in possession. (fn. 65) It was purchased from the
Stauntons by William Cotton, (fn. 66) who presented to the
church in 1667. (fn. 67) According to Browne Willis Cotton
sold the advowson about 1690 to John Stannard, then
incumbent. (fn. 68) According to the same authority John
Stannard's son about 1712 sold it to Mrs. Elinor
Hawes, from whom it passed to her son Matthew,
the incumbent. (fn. 69) There seems to be some confusion in
this statement, since in 1719 Matthew Hawes was presented to the church by his father-in-law Thomas
Barrabee, who held in right of his wife Frances, (fn. 70) the
Barrabees conveying the advowson to Matthew Hawes
the same year. (fn. 71) Mr. Clobury of Marlow, a later
patron, is said to have conveyed his right about 1756
to John Cranwell, clerk, (fn. 72) who, with his wife Anne,
conveyed it in 1761 to Walden Hanmer. (fn. 73) Sir Thomas
Hanmer retained the advowson when he sold the
manor, and it is now the property of the present
baronet, Sir Wyndham Charles Henry Hanmer.
The church was valued at £5 6s. 8d. in 1291, (fn. 74)
and at £17 6s. 8d. in 1535. (fn. 75)
At the suppression of the chantries a tenement and
lands worth 6s. 4d. yearly given for an obit in
Simpson Church, and a parcel of meadow worth 16d.
given for a lamp in Walton Church, were recorded in
Simpson. (fn. 76)
Charities
The charity of Thomas Pigott,
founded by deed 25 March 1573, is
regulated by a scheme of the Charity
Commissioners of 20 October 1908. The trust
property consists of a farm at Simpson containing 40 a.
let at £45 a year, £1,210 16s. 8d. consols in the
High Court and £589 10s. 7d. consols with the
official trustees producing in annual dividends £45.
The scheme directs that the net income should be
applied for the general benefit of the poor in one or
more of the modes therein specified. In 1912 the
payments included the sum of £10 5s. to the nursing
association, £8 16s. to hospitals and travelling expenses
of patients, £31 15s. to provident clubs and £13 13s.
in the distribution of coal.
The charity of Sir Thomas Hanmer, comprised in
a memorandum dated 9 April 1817, consists of a
yearly rent-charge of £1 issuing out of a piece of land
in the hamlet of Fenny Stratford, now belonging to
Mrs. T. Pitkin. By a scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 5 March 1912 the annuity is made applicable in the same manner as the preceding charity.