LITTLE BARFORD
Bereford (xi cent.), Berkeford (xii–xvi cent.), Little
Berkford (xvii–xviii cent.).
Little Barford is a small parish of 1,200 acres on
the Huntingdonshire borders. The western boundary
is formed by the River Ouse, and the land here is
liable to floods; the south-east is given up to agriculture. The soil and subsoil of the upper part of the
parish is clay, and of the lower part gravel. Little
Barford contains 608 acres of arable land, 630
of permanent grass, and 17 of woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats,
beans, and market produce. The high road from
Tempsford to St. Neots runs from south-west to
north-west of the parish, approaching the village from
the south. The rectory lies on the east side, and beyond it on the same side stands Rowe's Cottage, where
Nicholas Rowe, the dramatic poet, was born in 1673.
It is a simple two-story building, which has recently
received a complete coat of pebble-dash, and shows
little trace of age. A picturesque row of low thatched
cottages lines the road on the east opposite the
entrance to Little Barford
House, the seat of Mr. Julius
Alington, the present lord of
the manor. The church of
St. Denis stands in the grounds
at some distance from the road
and to the west of the house,
which is comparatively modern
and of no architectural interest. South-west of the
church is an isolated building
now divided into three cottages, and probably of some
antiquity, though possessing no features of much
interest.
Alington. Sable a bend engrailed between six billets argent.
The land lies low, and near the church has been
worked for gravel, as the broken surface shows, though
now again covered with grass. The church itself
stands on slightly higher ground near the river bank.
The Great Northern main line passes through
Little Barford; the nearest station is St. Neots,
3½ miles off.
The parish was inclosed by agreement before 1778,
when an Act of Parliament was obtained to confirm
it. (fn. 2) There is a public elementary school, built in
1873.
Manors
The abbey of St. Benedict, Ramsey,
held LITTLE BARFORD MANOR
in chief both at the time of and previous to the Domesday Survey. (fn. 3) An early charter of
the abbey records that a certain Ædgiva granted
land in Barford to the abbey, (fn. 4)
which probably became the
manor assessed at 5 hides referred to in Domesday. (fn. 5) Be
tween the years 1133 and 1160
the manor was alienated by
Abbot Alwin to Hugh de
Beauchamp for £10 without
the consent of the monastery, (fn. 6)
but in 1194 Hugh surrendered
the 5 hides of land which constituted the manor to Abbot
Robert, (fn. 7) and from this time
until the Dissolution of the
Monasteries Ramsey Abbey
continued to exercise the overlordship of Little Barford, which was invariably held
by the service of one knight's fee and the rent of a
mark of silver. (fn. 8) It then lapsed to the crown, and
the last mention of the overlordship occurs in 1563,
when the manor was held of the queen 'by reason of
the dissolution of the abbey.' (fn. 9) At the time of the
Survey this manor was held of Ramsey Abbey by
Eudo Dapifer, who had as under-tenant one Osberne. (fn. 10)
Eudo appears to have been followed by the Leyhams, who were holding in Barford as early as 1194,
in which year Peter de Leyham rendered homage
for this manor to the abbot. (fn. 11) Matthew de Leyham,
probably a grandson, who was one of the knights of
Ramsey Abbey who performed service in Poiton,
Gascony, and Scotland in the years 1240, 1242,
and 1244 respectively, (fn. 12) confirmed his right to the
manor by fine in 1243. (fn. 13) By the year 1316 the
manor had passed to Thomas de la Dale, (fn. 14) probably
on his marriage with Isabel de Leyham. A fine
levied a year later declared the manor to be the right
of Isabel formerly wife of Thomas Dale, which lends
probability to this assumption. (fn. 15) Thomas Dale, son
of Isabel, held the manor in 1346, (fn. 16) and was succeeded
by a son Thomas, whose wife Isabel in 1408 obtained
the marriage and wardship of her grandson Thomas,
on payment of 100 marks to Ramsey Abbey within
twenty years. (fn. 17) He rendered feudal service for the
manor in 1428, (fn. 18) and in 1480 his grandson John
Dale, son of another Thomas, died seised of this
manor. (fn. 19) John left a son William, who at his death in
1537 left the manor to his eldest daughter Anne,
wife of Alexander Fettiplace. (fn. 20) They settled the
manor on their son William, and on his death in
1563— shortly before that of his father—the manor
passed to his son Edmund Fettiplace. (fn. 21) In 1613 the
manor passed to John son of Edmund, (fn. 22) who in 1658
alienated it to George Edwards, (fn. 23) whose son Jasper
Edwards transferred it in 1692 to Sir Walter St. John
and Francis St. John. (fn. 24) By the marriage of Mary
daughter of the latter to Sir Samuel Browne, (fn. 25) the
manor next passed to the Brownes of Arlesey, and
followed the same descent as Arlesey manor (q.v.)
during the eighteenth century. (fn. 26)
Ramsey Abbey. Or a bend azure ivith three rams' heads argent cut off at the neck therein having horns of gold
Leyham. Gules a swan argent, which arms were afterwards borne by the Dales.
Fettiplace. Gules two cheverons argent.
In 1764 Mrs. Schutz (granddaughter of Sir Samuel
Browne) made over this estate to a son, who sold it
to an attorney. He transferred it to Mr. Hutchinson, a partner in the original Security Bank, and on
his failure in 1799 Little Barford manor was sold to
Mr. Williamson of Baldock, 'a great dealer in malt,
and of very considerable landed property in the
county of Hertfordshire.' (fn. 27) His daughter Sara
married the Reverend William Alington, who died
in 1849, leaving a son John, who at his death in
1864 left two sons, William, who died in 1874, and
Julius Alington, who is at the present day lord of
Little Barford manor. (fn. 28)
The Domesday Survey mentions a second manor
in Barford, consisting of 3 hides, which at the time
of the Confessor had belonged to Ulmar of Eaton,
but in 1086 was held in chief by Osbern son of
Walter. (fn. 29)
These 3 hides, as did other lands formerly held by
Ulmar of Eaton in Bedfordshire, became part of the
barony of Eaton, and were granted in 1120 to one of
the house of Beauchamp. (fn. 30) In 1194 Hugh de
Beauchamp claimed the homage of the holder of this
land, (fn. 31) and again in 1284 the same 3 hides were
held of Ralph Beauchamp of Eaton. (fn. 32) One further
reference has been found to the overlordship, when
in 1396 Eleanor wife of Reginald de Grey of Ruthyn
held a manor in Barford of Thomas Dale. (fn. 33)
Osbern son of Walter had no tenant under him at
the time of the Survey, but in 1194 the manor was
held of the overlord by Peter de Leyham, who also
held the more important manor of Barford. (fn. 34) In
1284 John de Leyham held it, (fn. 35) and from that date
till 1380 no further reference has been found to this
property. In that year, and again in 1384, Reginald
de Grey and Eleanor his wife conveyed Barford
manor into the hands of trustees, (fn. 36) and in 1396
Eleanor wife of Reginald de Grey died seised of the
manor, of which further trace has been lost. (fn. 37)
One mill is mentioned in the Survey of Little
Barford in 1087. It was valued at 12s. and belonged
to Little Barford manor held by Eudo Dapifer. (fn. 38)
To the same manor was also attached in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries a free fishery in the
waters of the Ouse, and a view of frankpledge. (fn. 39)
Church
The church of ST. DENIS has a
chancel 30 ft. 10 in. by 12 ft. 7 in., with
south vestry and organ chamber, nave
36 ft. by 15 ft. 4 in. with north aisle 7 ft. wide, and
west tower 8 ft. by 8 ft. 8 in., all measurements being
internal.
The earliest building of which any evidence
remains had an aisleless nave 36 ft. by 15 ft. 4 in.
and a chancel probably of the existing width, but
shorter. There is no trace of enlargement before the
early years of the fourteenth century, though a north
aisle may perhaps have existed previously. About
1310–20 the present north arcade was built, the aisle
being probably somewhat narrower than at present.
A south chapel was added to the chancel shortly
afterwards, the chancel being probably lengthened or
rebuilt at the same time, and the chancel arch is of
this date. The east arch of the west tower being
also of fourteenth - century work presupposes the
existence of a tower at this time, but the present tower
belongs to the late part of the fifteenth century.
In 1834 the church was 'restored,' a three-light
east window of the chancel being replaced by a
larger window, copied from one in Eaton Socon
church, and at the same time the south chapel was
pulled down and its arcade blocked up. A window
of imitation twelfth-century detail was cut in the
south wall of the nave to light the reading desk, and
old wooden north and south porches were destroyed.
In 1869 the chancel was pulled down and rebuilt,
the blocked arcade on the south being reopened, and
a vestry and organ chamber—the latter in transept
form—built. The nave and north aisle were repaired
in 1871, and much decoration and new fittings added.
The high pulpit with a sounding board at the northeast of the nave, and the reading and clerk's desks at
the south-east, disappeared at this time. The fifteenthcentury screen now in the vestry was till 1871 in
position at the chancel arch.
The chancel at the present time has three lancets
at the east, and two two-light north windows of
fourteenth-century style, all being modern. In the
south wall is an arcade of two bays, with wide
pointed segmental arches, moulded capitals and
bases, and shafts of quatrefoiled plan, which opened to
the former south chapel, and now to the modern vestry
organ chamber. In the south-east angle of the
vestry is a fifteenth-century piscina, found in the
south wall of the chancel, which is now set to project
from the wall face, with the unusual feature of a
narrow arched opening in its west side, the head
worked in imitation of a ribbed vault. It may have
opened originally into a sedile immediately adjoining
it on the west, but this cannot now be determined.
The screen at the west of the vestry, of mid-fifteenthcentury date, has been repainted from indications of
the old colour, and has a design of large single roses
on the lower panels, open tracery above, and a cornice
with paterae, over the central opening bearing a shield
with I H S.
The chancel arch is of early fourteenth-century
detail, like the north arcade of the nave, which is of
three bays, with octagonal pillars, pointed arches of
two chamfered orders, and moulded capitals. The north
aisle of the nave shows in its east and west walls the
traces of a steeper-pitched roof, which may have
belonged to a narrower aisle, and has at the west a
small round-headed twelfth-century light, and another,
much altered, at the east. Both were perhaps at first in
the north wall of the aisleless nave. The north wall
of the aisle has no ancient features, door and windows
being alike modern. The nave has three windows on
the south, the imitation twelfth-century light, a twolight window which is a modern copy of a window
of c. 1320 previously existing, and to the west of the
south doorway, and at a rather higher level in the
wall, a sixteenth-century window of two uncusped
lights under a four-centred head. The south doorway is good work of c. 1160–70, with a square head,
not in its original condition, and perhaps replacing a
carved tympanum, under a semicircular arch with a late
form of zigzag and an engrailed label which has been
copied in the modern window to the east. The arch
has nook-shafts with scalloped capitals of advanced
style, and close to its east jamb is a holy water stone
projecting from the wall, but formerly sheltered by
a porch. (fn. 39a) In the west jamb is an incised sundial.
Till late in the fifteenth century the nave had a highpitched roof, but a clearstory was then added, and a
lower-pitched roof put on, with two two-light
windows on each side, the western bay being blank.
The tower, of three stages, has an embattled parapet
and two-light belfry windows with cinquefoiled lights
and four-centred heads. In the ground stage is a
three-light west window, a good deal repaired, of
fifteenth-century date. The roofs of the church have
no old details, and there is little old woodwork beyond some plain and heavy bench ends and rails in
the nave, a seventeenth-century church chest, and an
altar table now cut in half. At the east end of the
north aisle, where marks of a parclose screen show in
the arcade, is a large iron-bound chest with rounded top,
7 ft. long, and of considerable though uncertain age.
The font, in the north aisle, has an octagonal
bowl with beaded angles, standing on five small
columns, and is plain and perhaps unfinished as regards the panels of the bowl—it may be of fourteenthcentury date and shows traces of red paint.
The only old monument is a brass on the nave
floor with the figures of Thomas Perys, 1535, and
Agnes his wife, with an indent for a large rectangular
plate below them.
There are four bells, the treble by Richard
Chandler, 1681, the second by Christopher Graye,
1661, the third blank, and the tenor of 1759, bearing the name of the Rev. J. Gamble, rector 1733–63.
The plate consists of a communion cup and cover
paten of 1571, the latter a good deal modernized,
and a modern set of parcel gilt plate of 1865, chalice,
paten, flagon and spoon.
The earliest registers preserved date from 1653,
and are extracts in a MS. book. The first original
book now left begins with a loose sheet of entries
1661–70, and there are consecutive entries from 1678.
Advowson
The first mention that has been
found of the church of Little Barford is in 1178, when a papal bull
of Pope Alexander confirmed the church to the
abbey of Ramsey, to whom the overlordship of the
manor also belonged. (fn. 40) In 1317 the church was in
the possession of the lords of the manor, (fn. 41) since which
date the right of presentation appears always to have
remained in their hands. (fn. 42)
In 1535 the living, which is a rectory, was worth
£ 13 16s. 2d. (fn. 43)
Charities
Little Barford (Charities). See
Parish of Dunton.—The Rev. Robert
Bamford also charged his house in
St. Paul's parish, Bedford, known as the Black Bull
Inn, with the following annual payments, namely:
10s. to the rector for preaching a sermon on the
anniversary of the donor's death (24 August, 1720),
20s. to buy bread for distribution in the church
among the poor not receiving collection every Sunday
between Michaelmas and Lady Day, £3 to teach six
poor children to read and write, with the Church
Catechism, and 10s. to the parish clerk. The several
charges, amounting to £5, are regularly paid by
Mr. E. P. Rose of 50, High Street, Bedford, the
owner of the property charged. In 1905 2 cwt.
of coal were given to each of twenty-seven householders, £3 was paid to the school, and 10s. each to
the rector and clerk.