MOLESWORTH
Molesworde (xi cent.); Mulesworth, Mullesworthe
(xii cent.).
Molesworth occupies a long, narrow strip of land
about 4½ miles in length from north to south, and
varies in width from a little over a mile to half a mile
or less. For a short distance its northern boundary
touches Northamptonshire. The parish covers 1,787
acres of clay land, the greater part of which is pasture.
A brook flows from west to east through the middle of
the parish and the land, which is undulating, rises from
it to 255 ft. above the Ordnance datum both to the
north and south.
The village is in the middle of the parish, on the
southern slope of the hill leading down to the brook.
It stands a little to the north of the main road from
Huntingdon to Thrapston, along a branch road to
Oundle, which at the north end of the village has a
return back to the main road. The church is at the
west end of the village, with the Rectory House to
the south of it and Yew Tree Farm, a late 17th-century
timber-framed house with modern additions, to the
north-east. The Manor House is on the west side
of the road to Oundle, and on the opposite side of
the road is Spring Hill Farm, an early 17th-century
timber-framed house, which takes its name from some
springs rising here. South of Spring Hill Farm is
another house originally built in the early part of the
17th century, but much altered and rebuilt. Chainbridge Lane leads southward to Hunt's Close Farm,
crossing the brook by a bridge called Chain Bridge.
Kimbolton Station is about three and a half miles
south-east of the village.
Manor
Four hides in MOLESWORTH were
held in 1066 by Norman, possibly a thegn
of Earl Waltheof, but by 1086 they had
passed to Waltheof's widow, the Countess Judith. (fn. 1)
The manor, a dependency of Caldecote, (fn. 2) became part
of the honour of Huntingdon, and on the partition
of the honour in 1237, on the death of John Le Scot, (fn. 3)
the overlordship went with the Brus pourparty (fn. 4) until
forfeited after the death of Robert de Brus the
elder in 1304. (fn. 5) It was apparently granted with
Caldecote to Hugh le Despenser in 1324 (fn. 6) and afterwards to Edmund de Woodstock, Earl of Kent, who
was seised on his execution in 1330. (fn. 7) It continued
to be held of the manor of Caldecote (fn. 8) (q.v.).
The subtenancy in 1086 was held of the Countess
Judith by Eustace the Sheriff. (fn. 9) From him it seems
to have passed early in the 12th century to Walter
L'Engleis, and by the marriage of his sister with
Walter (?) de Lindsey (Lindesei) it descended in that
family. (fn. 10) Walter apparently had a son Walter de
Lindsey of Earlstown in Lauderdale, who granted the
church of Earlstown to the Abbey of Kelso for the soul
of Walter, his uncle, about 1159. (fn. 11) His brother
William, son of Walter de Lindsey I, between 1156
and 1166 bestowed on Chicksand Priory (Beds), for
the health of his father and for the souls of his mother
and of Walter L'Engleis, 160 acres in Molesworth
and common of pasture for twenty score sheep and
24 beasts. (fn. 12) The grant was attested by the donor's
father, Walter, and this and other grants in Molesworth made by William de Lindsey and Walter, his
brother, were confirmed to Chicksand by Henry II
between 1163 and 1166. (fn. 13) Walter appears to have
succeeded his brother William about 1165, when he
paid £20 for the right of his
lands in Cambridgeshire and
Huntingdonshire. (fn. 14) Richard
de Lindsey, said by Dr. Farrer
to be Walter's successor, may
have been his son, who was
succeeded by a brother
Walter, as in 1201 Walter
warranted the charter which
Richard had made to Crowland Abbey. Walter attested
an agreement in 1213, but in
1216 the lands late of Walter
de Lindsey in Molesworth were committed to Roger
de Millers, presumably during the minority of the heir.
Sir Walter de Lindsey, knt., probably, from the dates,
son and heir of the last named Walter, presented
to the church of Molesworth in 1220, when he would
have reached his majority. He seems to have died
before 1230, before which year William de Lindsey,
who, again it would appear from the dates, was a
brother of Sir Walter, married Alice, sister and later
co-heir of William de Lancaster, Baron of Kendal.
In 1232 William de Lindsey brought an action against
William, son of Hamel, as to half a hide, less 5 acres,
of land in Molesworth and in 1235 presented to the
church. (fn. 15) He was holding half a fee in Molesworth
in 1242–3 of Isabella de Brus of the honour of
Huntingdon. (fn. 16) William died before 1250, when the
lands of his son and heir, Walter, were taken into the
king's hands. (fn. 17) Walter, while still a minor aged 16,
was returned as co-heir of his uncle William de Lancaster, Baron of Kendal, in 1246. (fn. 18) He was heavily
burdened with the debts of his uncle, William de
Lancaster, and died in 1271, leaving William, his son
and heir, aged 21 years, (fn. 19) and a widow Christiana,
who held dower in 1282. (fn. 20) William married in 1266
Ada, daughter of John de Balliol, and died in 1282,
leaving a daughter, Christiana, wife of Ingram de
Gynes. (fn. 21) William seems to have settled Molesworth
on his brother, Gilbert de Lindsey, who in 1279 is
said to have held the manor of William de Lindsey
for the rent of a pair of gilt spurs or 6d., and he of
William de Brus by foreign service, and he of Robert
de Brus. (fn. 22) In 1286, however, Ada, widow of William de
Lindsey, claimed dower. (fn. 23) In the same year Gilbert
de Lindsey failed to justify a claim to view of frankpledge and other liberties in the manor, which was
thereupon taken into the king's hands, but replevied
in 1289. (fn. 24) In 1319 complaint was made by Gilbert
de Lindsey, presumably son of the former Gilbert,
as to an assault upon him and his men by a multitude
of persons at Molesworth. (fn. 25) Probably the younger
Gilbert settled the manor on his sister Margaret, the
wife of Simon de Drayton, for life. Simon de
Drayton and John his son, with others, were accused of killing John de Overton Longueville at Holborn (Midd.), and were pardoned in 1339. Apparently the matter was raised again in 1342, when the
king confirmed the pardon. (fn. 26) Simon de Drayton
died in 1357, when the manor was said to be held
of Christiana de Lindsey by the rent of one gilt
spur. (fn. 27) Margaret died in the following year, when the
manor was returned as held of William de Lindsey. (fn. 28)
Both these returns as to the superior lord are clearly
out of date. On the death of Margaret the manor
reverted to the daughters and heirs of Gilbert de
Lindsey, or their representatives, namely his daughter,
Christiana, who had married her first cousin, John
de Drayton, son of Simon de Drayton and Margaret,
and Thomas Dacre, son of his other daughter, Isabel. (fn. 29)
Christiana sold her moiety of the manor and advowson
in 1360 to Simon Simeon of Gosberkirk (Lincs), (fn. 30)
who with his wife Elizabeth (daughter of Sir Gilbert
de Neville) settled the manor in 1377 and in 1386, (fn. 31)
and died without issue in 1387. (fn. 32) His widow Elizabeth
married in the following year John, Lord la Warre,
when the manor was settled on them. (fn. 33) Elizabeth
died in 1393 and Lord la Warre in 1398, seised of half
the manor, leaving his brother Thomas, a priest, his
heir. (fn. 34) Thomas, Lord la Warre, died in 1427, when
Reginald West, nephew of the half blood, was his
next heir and John Griffin, Lord Latimer, was his heir
general. (fn. 35) The half manor of Molesworth, however,
was subject to numerous settlements, the effect of
which is not clear, and its descent after the death
of John, Lord la Warre, is obscure. (fn. 36) In 1428 the
whole manor was held by Roger Hunt, who then had
the half fee which Robert de Brus formerly held. (fn. 37)
Lindsey. Gules a voided scutcheon vair.
The Dacre moiety of the manor and advowson was
conveyed as half the manor of Molesworth called
'Lyndseys' in 1407 to John Randolf, chaplain, (fn. 38) but
by 1428 the two moieties were held by Roger Hunt. (fn. 39)
The whole manor and advowson had passed before
1465 from Roger Hunt to Sir Richard Wydville, knt.,
and his wife Jaquetta, Duchess of Bedford, and was
conveyed by them to Agnes Forster, widow [of
Stephen Forster of London], and others in that year. (fn. 40)
Agnes Forster presented to the church in 1475 and in
1484. (fn. 41) By her will she left Molesworth to her son,
John, and his heirs with remainder to Robert Morton
and Agnes his wife (daughter of testatrix) and their
heirs and further remainder to Alice and Agnes,
daughters of Robert Forster, another son of the
testatrix. (fn. 42) Robert Morton and Agnes his wife
had apparently come into possession of the manor
before 1506 and 1507, when Agnes Morton presented
to the church. It was probably their son Robert (fn. 43)
who presented in 1524 and came to an agreement with
the rector as to the glebe, (fn. 44) and it was he, or his son
Robert, who was referred to as lord of the manor
in 1534, 1545 and 1550. (fn. 45) George, son of the third
Robert Morton, was holding the manor in 1570 and
as George Morton of Boughton Mallard (Kent)
presented to the church in 1572. (fn. 46) He was evidently
in pecuniary difficulties and in 1571 conveyed the
manor and advowson, evidently as security for a loan,
to William Playfere and Ralph Bestoke. (fn. 47) On 13 May
1574 he, with Mary his wife, mortgaged the manor
and advowson for £2,000 to William Farren or Farrant
of Molesworth. (fn. 48) A week later he conveyed the
manor, apparently subject to this encumbrance, to
Nicholas Welle, who died on 1 July 1587 leaving
six infant daughters—namely, Margaret, Frances,
Mary, Bridget, Alice and Elizabeth. (fn. 49) In 1583
William Bedell and Elizabeth his wife, William
Androwe and Alice his wife, William Wurlyche and
Margery his wife, and Thomas Carter and Jane his
wife conveyed four parts of a messuage, barn, garden,
orchard, 24 acres of land, 2 acres of meadow and 2 acres
of pasture in Molesworth, divided into five parts, to
Matthew Stevens. (fn. 50) On 19 September 1587 Matthew
Stevens died seised of a quarter of the manor held of
William Farren which in 1579 William Farren had
given to Alice Carter, widow, for life with remainder
to Henry Carter and his heirs. (fn. 51) Matthew left a
son Thomas. Possibly William Farren foreclosed on
his mortgage; at all events, he came into the possession
of the whole manor and advowson and is returned as
having died seised of them in 1585, having in 1578
settled his interest in the manor and right of patronage
as to one-third on his son and heir, Oliver, on his marriage with Frances, daughter of Francis Dayrell of Lamport (Bucks), and two-thirds on his wife Bridget with
remainders successively to his sons Oliver, Thomas,
John, Francis, Lawrence and their heirs male. (fn. 52)
Oliver Farren was dealing with the manor and
advowson in 1598 (fn. 53) and 1601, (fn. 54) and in 1602 with his
wife Frances, son and heir William, and William Becke
and his wife Margaret, conveyed them to William Bedell
and his son and heir Silvester. (fn. 55) William Bedell settled
them in 1604 upon his son, Silvester, in tail male on his
marriage with Anne, eldest daughter of James Pickering of Titchmarsh (Northants). At the death of William Bedell in 1612 they descended to Silvester, (fn. 56) who
died seised of the manor, chief messuage, and advowson
in 1630. (fn. 57) His son and successor, William Bedell, conveyed them in the same year to Francis Say, (fn. 58) who with
Elizabeth, his wife, was dealing with them in 1641. (fn. 59)
By Alexander Say, their son, and his wife, Elizabeth,
the manor was sold in 1655 to Thomas Weekly,
citizen and grocer of London, and his wife, Mercy,
for £2,365. (fn. 60) A settlement of the manor
was made in 1681 by Thomas Weekly, senior, and
John Weekly to Thomas Weekly, junior, (fn. 61) who was
holding the manor in 1702. (fn. 62) By 1709, however, it
had passed to Sydney Pickering, (fn. 63) a member of the
family of Pickering of Titchmarsh (Northants) (q.v.),
being son of Sydney Pickering, second son of the first
baronet. (fn. 64) In 1764 the manor was held by Frances
Byrd, widow, and Dorothy or Elizabeth Pickering,
spinster, the two sisters and co-heirs of Sir Edward
Pickering of Titchmarsh, bart., who had died unmarried in 1749, and who was the grandson of Sir John,
the eldest son of the first baronet. In 1764 the two
sisters joined in conveying the manor to Edward
Dickenson of St. Clement Danes, London. (fn. 65) In 1784
the manor was sold by John Bramston of Oundle and
Charles Butler of Lincoln's Inn to William Peere
Williams of Clapton (Northants) (eldest son of the
Rev. Frederick Williams, D.D., who was the third son
of William Peere Williams, formerly of Gray's Inn,
barrister), by whom in that year a conveyance of it
barring entail was made. (fn. 66) Admiral William Peere
Williams was dealing with it in 1789, with his wife
Henrietta, (fn. 67) and was lord at the inclosure of about 1,000
acres in 1799. (fn. 68) He took the name of Freeman in 1822
and died in 1832 at the age of 90. He was succeeded
by his youngest son, William Peere Williams Freeman. By 1855 the manor had passed to Benjamin
Welstead, of Kimbolton, who died in 1858. His son,
John Richards Welstead, died in 1873 and was succeeded by Edward Leonard Welstead, of Kimbolton, (fn. 69) who in 1912 put the property up for auction.
It was acquired by William Bowyer of Buckden, to
whom Thomas T. Bowyer has now succeeded.
Lands and tenements in Molesworth were in 1367
granted by William Dulay of Great Paxton to John
Carpenter, parson, and others, evidently feoffees, (fn. 70) by
whom, as the manor called DULAYS MANOR, they
were in 1398 quitclaimed to Thomas Pegure, Robert
Huntingdon of Catworth, and others. (fn. 71)
A family of de Molesworth owned land in the
parish, and Walter de Molesworth, sheriff of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, and holder of many
offices in Huntingdonshire, (fn. 72) was granted licence to
have an oratory in his 'manor' of Molesworth, distant from the parish church, in 1292, (fn. 73) and was dealing
with lands and rents in Molesworth and Catworth
(q.v.) in 1286 and 1312. (fn. 74) He died in 1318 leaving two
daughters, and his Molesworth property descended
with his holding in Thurning (q.v.).
In 1324 Richard, son of Hugh de Molesworth,
granted a chief messuage and a carucate of land in
Molesworth to Adam Grymbaud, of Winwick, who
was holding with his wife Isolda in 1333. (fn. 75)
Church
The church of ST. PETER consists
of a chancel (28¾ ft. by 16¼ ft.), nave
(36¼ ft. by 19 ft.), west tower (7 ft. by
7 ft.), and modern south porch. The walls are of
rubble partly coursed and mixed with large stones, and
with stone dressings, and the roofs are covered with
tiles and lead.
The church is not mentioned in the Domesday
Survey (1086). Several 12th-century stones preserved
in the church seem to indicate a stone church of this
period, but the earliest work in situ is the chancel of
c. 1275. The nave was rebuilt towards the end of the
15th century, and the tower was added early in the
next century. The church was restored in 1884–5,
when it is said that the chancel was taken down and
rebuilt because its orientation differed
from that of the nave. The south
porch was rebuilt in 1890; and the
tower and west wall of the nave were
underpinned in 1931.
The features of the chancel are of
c. 1275. The east window is of three
graduated lights with plate-tracery
under a two-centred head; the jambs
have small angle-shafts with moulded
capitals, and the rear-jambs have
similar angle-shafts. On the north
side of the window a late 13th-century
carved head has been built into the
wall. Also northward of the window
is a rectangular locker. The side
walls are both divided into three
bays by wall arcading having twocentred arches of one chamfered order carried on continuous jambs, except that between the first and
second arches a moulded corbel takes the place of the
jambs. Below the arches are stone seats along the
wall. Under each of the two eastern arches on either
side is a window of three lancets under a continuous
label, those on the south side slightly graduated. In
the western bay of the north wall is a single lancet; and
in that of the south wall is a square-headed low-side
window, and a doorway with a two-centred head of
two continuous hollow-chamfered orders. In the
south-east angle is a piscina formed of a square projecting stone with a circular basin, found built into a
buttress in 1885 and refixed here. The chancel
arch is two-centred, of two chamfered orders, the
inner order carried on semicircular attached shafts
with moulded capitals and bases. The roof is
modern.
The 15th-century nave has in each of the side walls
two three-light windows with depressed four-centred
heads, the inner splays of the easternmost windows
being carried down to form seats. In the western bay
of the north wall is a blocked doorway with a depressed
four-centred head, and simple continuous chamfered
jambs; and in that of the south wall is a late 13thcentury doorway with a two-centred head of one chamfered order on plain jambs each with one attached
shaft; the eastern shaft has a capital carved with stiffleaf foliage, and the western a moulded capital, and
both have moulded bases. The nave was probably
one bay longer, for there was until recently a straight
joint at the south-west angle and the plaster on
the inner face of the south wall was continued
through almost to the outer face of the west wall,
and the foundations of the wall were found
running westward. The side buttresses are continued up as shallow pilasters to the underside of
the parapets, which are of rubble and finished with
a plain coping; at the north-east angle a base,
perhaps for a pinnacle, has been fitted with a modern
cross, now broken. The early 16th-century oak
roof has moulded tie beams, purlins and ridges,
but no jack-legs. The spandrel-pieces above the
middle beam have three crosses cut on them, one on
the east and two on the west.
Plan of Molesworth Church
The early 16th-century tower has a two-centred
tower arch of two simply moulded orders, the inner
order resting on semicircular attached shafts with
moulded capitals and bases. The west window is a
cinquefoiled single-light. The belfry windows, on
three sides only, are cinquefoiled single-lights; and
the east wall of the belfry has a small doorway on to
the nave roof. The tower, which is very low, has
diagonal buttresses at the north-west and southwest angles and is finished with an embattled
parapet.
The modern south porch (1890) has a two-centred
arch of two moulded orders, the inner order carried
on semicircular attached shafts with moulded capitals
and bases. The gable above is divided into seven
niches with cinquefoiled heads; in the central niche
is a figure of St. Peter. The side walls each have a
two-light window with simple tracery in a square
head. The old porch appears to have been a
mean structure of two plain walls with a simple
tiled roof. (fn. 76)
The modern font has an octagonal bowl on a stem
composed of a group of four large and four small
engaged shafts with moulded capitals and bases.
An early 18th-century font of Renaissance design
remains in the churchyard and has a shallow
octagonal bowl and octagonal baluster-shaped stem
and base.
There are three bells, inscribed: (1) G. Mears &
Co. Founders London 1861. L. F. Clarkson Rector.
[on waist:] Thomas Pashler churchwarden. (2)
Thomas N Norris made me 1636. (3) Oliver Pashler
churchwarden 1710. The third bell is by Henry Penn
of Peterborough. A sanctus bell was sold in 1549. (fn. 77)
There were three bells in 1709. (fn. 78) The treble bell was
recast and all three bells rehung in a new frame by
Geo. Mears & Co. in 1861.
In 1851 there was a screen across the chancel arch
and a few old seats. (fn. 79) A small fragment of the lower
part of the screen with two panels of tracery of early
15th-century date was lying loose in the church within
recent years. The seats have all gone.
The early 18th-century oak Communion table has
turned legs and moulded rails. The contemporary
oak pulpit is hexagonal with bolection moulded panels,
moulded cornice, and a modern stone base.
Preserved in the church are several old stones,
including: pieces of 12th-century shafts with spiral
ornament; pieces of star-ornament; and a fragment of
a cushion capital; a 13th-century base; and pieces of
14th-century window tracery. In the churchyard is a
13th-century coffin found in the foundations of the
north-west corner of the nave in 1931.
There are two wall paintings of c. 1500 in the
nave: (1) on the north wall, representing St. Christopher (fn. 80) and two coats of arms, (a) a chevron
between three pheons, an annulet for difference; (b)
quarterly: 1 and 4, on a fesse three roundels; 2
and 3, as (a); (2) on the south wall, representing
St. Anthony.
Near the centre of the nave floor is an early 14thcentury tapering marble slab, much cracked and worn,
with matrix of marginal inscription in Lombardic
capitals: '.m . . . . . [: f]emme [: de :] g [il] l [:] de
[:m]olesworthe: gist: [ici: d] ev . . . . . m . [ei] t
[merci].' (fn. 81) A similar stone covered by the pulpit
is said to commemorate Alianore, mother of Walter de
Molesworth. (fn. 82)
There are the following monuments: in the chancel,
to the Rev. Henry Arthur Penzer, rector, d. 1929.
In the tower, to the Rev. William Ellis, rector, d.
1821, and Ann, his daughter, d. 1809; Catherine
Ellis, d. 1824, Charles Thomas Ellis, d. 1829,
daughter and son of the late Rev. Wm. Ellis, Mary,
another daughter, wife of the Rev. Ottiwell Tennant,
d. 1834, Sarah, another daughter, d. 1843, and
the Rev. Ottiwell Tennant, rector of Upton,
d. 1863; and a glass window as War Memorial
1914–18.
The registers are as follows: (i) baptisms, marriages and burials 4 May 1564 to 15 February
1706/7—there is a gap from 1669 to 1686; (ii) the
same 19 April 1707 to 10 September 1748; (iii) the
same 26 March 1748 (fn. 83) to 25 September 1812, marriages end 5 November 1753; (iv) marriages 12 May
1754 to 5 May 1810 (really to 1813).
The church plate consists of: a silver cup with
two bands of Elizabethan ornament, and hall-marked
for 1569–70; a cover paten for the same, inscribed
'+ 1569 +,' and hall-marked as the cup; a silver
paten, hall-marked for 1873–4; a silver-mounted
glass cruet, hall-marked for 1874–5, and another hallmarked for 1899–1900; and a pewter alms-dish with
rose and crown on back.
Advowson
The advowson, from the earliest
date of which we have record, seems
to have passed with the ownership of
the manor. Walter de Lindsey presented in 1220
and the subsequent lords of the manor presented
until the end of the 16th century. (fn. 84) During the time
the manor and advowson were held in moieties by
the Lindsey co-heirs, the right of patronage was
exercised by Simon Simeon and the la Warres. (fn. 85)
Roger Hunt, who held the whole manor, presented in
1449 and the advowson continued with the owners
of the manor. (fn. 86) Francis Say and Elizabeth his wife
settled the manor and advowson in 1641, (fn. 87) but after
this date the conveyances and settlements by the
lords of the manor cease to include the advowson.
In 1667 the Crown presented, after which the advowson
was held by the Richards family. Thomas Richards
of Rushden presented Edmund Richards in 1681;
Thomas Richards and George Wilkinson presented in
1694; John Richards of Molesworth in 1700, and in
1707 he presented Robert Richards; and in 1711
Henry Richards of Higham Ferrers presented John
Richards. (fn. 88) In 1713 John Richards, clerk, and Henrietta Maria, his wife, and others conveyed the advowson to William Leete and Richard Smith, (fn. 89) possibly
on behalf of the Archbishop of York, as we find the
Archbishop of York exercised the right of patronage
at the next vacancy in 1739. (fn. 90) The archbishops held
the advowson until 1859, when the patronage was
transferred to the Bishops of Chester, who still
hold it. (fn. 91)
Charity
Edward Pickering, by will dated
30 March 1697, bequeathed £200,
the income derived therefrom to be
applied for the benefit of the poor of the parish.
This sum was laid out in the purchase of land in the
parish, in lieu of which, on the inclosure in 1799, an
allotment of between 29 and 30 acres was awarded.
The land is now let in allotments and the rents,
amounting to about £18 per annum, distributed to poor
parishioners in money. The charity is administered
by the rector.