SPALDWICK
Spalduuic, Spaldewick (xi cent.); Spaldewic (xi–xii
cent.).
The parish of Spaldwick comprises 1,552 acres of
clay land, most of which is pasture. The Ellington
Brook flows through it from west to east to the north
of the village, and the land rises from the brook,
where it is about 73 ft. above Ordnance datum, to
about 180 ft. to the north, and undulates upwards
to about 218 ft. to the south. We have reference in
the 12th century to the ' Forest of Spaldwick,' (fn. 1) and
in 1185 the Bishop of Lincoln owed 35s. 3d. for
assarts there and at Buckden. (fn. 2) In 1215 the bishop
had permission to inclose and impark his wood at
Spaldwick, (fn. 3) and in 1227 he was granted deer-leaps
there. (fn. 4) The bishop and the dean and chapter continued
to obtain confirmations of their assarts into the 15th
century. (fn. 5) Nothing now remains of the park.
The village lies along the road from Huntingdon
to Thrapston, from which former place it is about
seven miles. This road forms the village High Street,
and at the extreme west end passes over the brook
by a 15th-century stone bridge of three arches, which
has been widened with brickwork on the north side
at a later date. On the south side the bridge retains
its ancient features, the centre arch being of two chamfered orders, while the side arches are of single
chamfered orders; the cutwaters remain on the south
side. At the west end of the High Street is the
village green, where there is a stone which was probably the base of the village cross; and in the garden
of a house on the south side is a stone that may
have been a portion of the cross. The street widens
out at the west end, and here probably were held
the Wednesday market and possibly the yearly fairs
held on the feast of St. Philip and St. James (1 May)
and the feast of St. Hugh of Lincoln (17 November),
which were granted to the Bishop of Lincoln in 1441. (fn. 6)
In 1682 a fair on Wednesday before Whit Sunday
was granted, and this and the fair of St. Hugh (which
became 28 November by the addition of 11 days
for the New Style) were held as cattle fairs in the
19th century. (fn. 7) Both market and fairs are now discontinued.
The High Street has some interesting 17th-century
houses. The George Inn, at the west end on the
north side, is a timber-framed and tiled house with
projecting upper story. It was built in the early
part of the 17th century, but was much altered
about a hundred years later. On the same side,
in about the middle of the street, is the Manor
Farm, a timber-framed and tiled house with projecting
upper story along the street front. It was probably
built about 1628, when the manor was granted to
Henry, Earl of Manchester. Eastward of the Manor
Farm is a late 17th-century red brick house with
projecting porch and brick pilasters. This house,
known as ' The Limes,' goes with West Lodge Farm
and was owned and occupied by the Day family who
figured in the two famous trials for ejectment in
1784 and 1797 which raised the question of legitimacy
of the defendant. Opposite this house is another red
brick house with the initials P D (fn. 8) and the date 1688
over the front door. This house was occupied by
William Ladds early in the 19th century and later
by the Ashton family. Somewhat westward is a
timber-framed 17th-century house called ' Beech
House,' in which the Mann family lived early in the
19th century and which was later the home of the
Browns. There is a Baptist chapel at the east end
of the village which was built in 1844. A Baptist
meeting house was registered for solemnisation of
marriages in 1838. (fn. 9)
Long Lane leads from the High Street southward
to Upthorpe (Opthorpe, xiii cent.; Ugthorpe, xviii
cent.), where there was formerly a hamlet (fn. 10) now
marked by irregularity of the ground. A Presbyterian meeting house was licensed here in 1672. (fn. 11)
At the south-west corner of the High Street a branch
road runs to Stow Longa and Kimbolton. At Belton's
Hill, half a mile to the north of the village, there is
a windmill. There was also a windmill south of the
village.
The church stood in a large area inclosed with a
ditch and bank (fn. 12) at the west end of the village.
This inclosure, known as Bury Close, was probably
the site of the Bishop of Lincoln's manor house or
grange, but there has not been a house here for many
years. There was formerly a windmill here, which
was perhaps the mill granted in 1609 to Edward
Ferrers and Frank Phillips. (fn. 13)
There was an Inclosure Award for Spaldwick cum
Upthorpe in 1777. (fn. 14)
Owen Evans, a royalist, who became vicar of
Spaldwick in 1613, was made prebendary of the
prebend of Sanctae Crucis otherwise Spaldwick in
1640–1, but was ejected during the Rebellion, the
living being sequestrated in 1651. Evans returned
at the Restoration, but died in 1662 a very old man.
John Mason (1677–1723), son of John Mason, the
hymn-writer, was a non-conformist divine at Spaldwick, and his son, another John Mason (1706–63), an
author, was also an Independent minister at Spaldwick.
The nearest railway station is at Grafham, about
three and a half miles from Spaldwick.
Manor
According to the 'Liber Eliensis,'
SPALDWICK was granted to Ely Abbey
by Brithnoth, (fn. 15) who succeeded Aelfgar,
ealdorman of the East Saxons, father of his wife
Aethelflaed. (fn. 16) Brithnoth fell at the Battle of Maldon
in 991, and the monks brought the headless body of
their benefactor to Ely, (fn. 17) where his bones still rest.
It was stated about this time that no land in the
sheriffwick of Huntingdon was so free that it could
not be lost by forfeiture, save two hides in Bluntisham
and two hides at Spaldwick. (fn. 18) The manor was
allotted by Abbot Leofsin, in the time of Cnut, to
the food of the monks for two weeks in the year. (fn. 19)
It was confirmed to the abbey by Edward the Confessor. (fn. 20)
Bishopric of Lincoln. Gules two leopards or and a chief azure with the Virgin and Child or therein.
In 1086 the abbey held Spaldwick as a manor of
15 hides, inclusive of its berewicks of Stow Longa,
Easton and Barham. Four
carucates (fn. 21) were held by the
abbot in demesne ' in thegnland,' ungelded, and there
were 50 villeins and 10 borders,
and in Little Catworth 4 hides
with 7 villeins. (fn. 22) In order to
compensate the Bishop of
Lincoln for loss of jurisdiction
when the new diocese of Ely
was formed in 1109, Spaldwick ' as the Abbot of Ely
held it' was given to him. (fn. 23)
The Bishop of Lincoln continued in possession until
1543, (fn. 24) with the exception of
a brief period in 1265 when the bishop was believed
to have been an adherent of Simon de Montfort, (fn. 25)
and again in 1324, (fn. 26) when Bartholomew de Burghersh
was deprived for aiding in the escape of Roger
Mortimer from the Tower.
In 1547 the bishop exchanged the manor and soke
with the king for other property, (fn. 27) and the Crown
retained it until 1620. (fn. 28) It was then granted, with
all its rights, members and appurtenances, assize
rents in Spaldwick, Upthorpe, Barham, Easton and
Stow Longa, and the rents of the customary tenants
in the same and Little Catworth, to John Lord Digby
and his heirs. (fn. 29) Digby seems to have surrendered it
to the Crown, and in 1625 it was granted to Edward
Allen and others. (fn. 30) In 1628 the manor and soke
were finally granted to Henry, Earl of Manchester,
and his heirs. (fn. 31) From that date Spaldwick and its
soke have descended with Kimbolton (fn. 32) (q.v.).
Free warren was granted to the Bishop of Lincoln
in 1329. (fn. 33)
The Marchioness of Northampton had a rent from
this manor in the early 17th century, (fn. 34) and from 1700
a yearly rent of £54 7s. 4d. descended with the manor
of Leighton Bromswold. (fn. 35)
Soke
The Soke of Spaldwick has always
followed the descent of the manor, and is now
owned by the Duke of Manchester. In 1286
the Bishop of Lincoln claimed in Spaldwick many
privileges and jurisdictional rights, including view of
frankpledge, waifs, quittance of murders, common
amercements, fines and suits of county courts and
hundred courts by immemorial right (except murders,
which he claimed under charter of Richard I made in
1190), and that he had the right to gallows and
tumbril. (fn. 36) The soke includes Spaldwick, Upthorpe
(in Spaldwick), Barham, Easton, Stow Longa and the
greater part of Little Catworth. In 1086 the soke
was stated to be 'altogether three leucas long and
2 leucas broad,' (fn. 37) which closely expresses the present
size of 4½ miles by 2¾ miles.
Church
The church of ST. JAMES consists
of a chancel (28 ft. by 18 ft.), south
chapel (17 ft. by 16 ft.), nave (40 ft. by
20¼ ft.), south aisle (40 ft. by 14½ ft.), west tower
(12 ft. by 12 ft.), and south porch. The walls of the
tower are of coursed rubble and, of the rest of the
church, stone and pebble rubble, all with stone
dressings; the roofs are covered with slates and lead.
The church is not mentioned in the Domesday
Survey (1086), but there seems to have been an aisleless stone church here by the end of the 12th century,
of which the north wall and small parts of the east
wall remain; to this church a south aisle was added
about 1250. The chancel with the chancel arch were
rebuilt in the early years of the 14th century. The
tower was commenced about the middle and completed, together with its spire, before the end of the
14th century, but apparently there was a cessation
of the work about halfway up the tower, which may
possibly have been caused by the Black Death (1349).
Probably it had been intended to rebuild the nave,
for a door for access to the roof was provided in the
east wall of the tower; this idea must have been
abandoned, and about 1370 a clearstory was added
to the existing walls, and about the same time the
porch was built. The south chapel was built c. 1500,
and the south aisle and porch were rebuilt. In the
17th century two buttresses were built on the north
side of the nave, the window between them was
altered, and the parapets of the nave were rebuilt.
A good deal of work was done at the church between
1810 and 1815; the nave was re-roofed in 1843;
the greater part of the spire was rebuilt in 1850, and
the upper part was again restored in 1873. The
whole church was restored in 1863, when the roof of
the south aisle was renewed, nearly all the windows
reglazed, and the tower arch opened out. The spire
was struck by lightning, 30 May 1904, and was afterwards repaired and partly rebuilt. The chancel was
restored in 1908, and the tower in 1914.
The early 14th-century chancel has a three-light
east window with geometrical tracery in a two-centred
head. The north wall has two similar two-light
windows. The south wall has a similar two-light window; a four-centred arch, c. 1500, of two chamfered
orders, the lower order resting on semi-octagonal
attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases;
and a piscina with two-centred head, quatrefoiled
basin and stone shelf.
The early 14th-century chancel arch is two-centred
and of two chamfered orders; the lower order is
carried on semicircular moulded corbels; the arch
is much distorted, and has probably spread to the
north, the respond on that side being reconstructed
with a curious bend just below the corbel. The
northern corbel has been cut out of a 12th-century
stone, and retains part of a string-course carved with
chevron and billet ornaments. Above the arch the
weather moulding of an earlier roof remains on the
east side.
The south chapel, (fn. 38) c. 1500, has a four-light east
window with a depressed four-centred arch and containing some fragments of early 16th-century glass,
reset. On the north is the arch already mentioned,
opening into the chancel. In the south wall are two
three-light windows with depressed four-centred
heads; and a piscina with two-centred head and
rectangular basin. On the west is a four-centred
arch of two chamfered orders, the lower order resting
on semi-octagonal attached shafts with moulded
capitals and bases. In the north-west angle is a
moulded shelf. The contemporary oak roof has
moulded beams and a carved boss.
Plan of Spaldwick Church
The late 12th-century nave has in the north wall an
original doorway with semicircular head and continuous moulded jambs, ornamented with the curious pallets overlapping a roll and
hollow after the fashion of a
beak-head; (fn. 39) and an early
16th-century square-headed
two-light window having
13th-century splays and reararch. The upper part of this
wall is of c. 1370, and has
three tall two-light transomed
windows with tracery in fourcentred heads. The south
arcade, c. 1250, is of four
bays, having two-centred
arches of two chamfered
orders, and moulded labels
having the nail-head ornament; they are carried on circular columns with moulded
capitals (two having the nailhead ornament) and bases;
the responds are semi-octagonal attached shafts with
moulded capitals and chamfered bases, but the
western respond is almost built into a buttress of
the tower. The clearstory, c. 1370, has three squareheaded two-light windows which appear to have
been reconstructed in the 16th century.
The south aisle, c. 1500, has in the south wall three
three-light windows with depressed four-centred
heads; a reset doorway of c. 1250, with a two-centred head of two continuous orders, the outer moulded
and the other chamfered; and a 16th-century
rectangular bracket. The west wall has a threelight window similar to the rest.
The 14th-century west tower has a two-centred
tower arch of three chamfered orders, the lower order
continued down as semi-octagonal attached shafts.
The west doorway has a two-centred arch of three
continuous moulded orders. The window above is
of two lights with reticulated tracery in a twocentred head. The second stage has in the north,
south and west walls a lozenge-shaped window with
reticulated tracery and a label all round; in the east
wall is a narrow doorway with a two-centred head,
leading on to the nave roof. The third stage has a
single-light window in the west wall. The belfry
windows are coupled two-lights with transoms and
with tracery in two-centred heads. The buttresses
are square with the angles and rise to about halfway
up the belfry windows. The tower is surmounted by
an octagonal broach spire with boldly projecting
figures at the tops of the broaches, and having three
tiers of spire lights, all on the cardinal faces, the two
lower tiers being two-lights, and the top tier single
lights. The height from the ground to the top of the
spire is 152 ft., and at the level of the top lights a stone
is inscribed ' j. rivitt, 1873.' The stairs are in
the south-west corner and are covered at the second
stage with a stone vault with chamfered ribs and
carved figure on the central boss. From the second
stage a stairway entered from the north jamb of the
west window runs up in the north-west angle to the
belfry.
The south porch, c. 1500, has a reset late 14thcentury archway with a two-centred arch of two
moulded orders, the lower order resting on semicircular attached shafts with moulded capitals and
bases. There is a square-headed two-light window in
each of the side walls.
The 13th-century font has an octagonal bowl on
an octagonal central and four modern octagonal
smaller shafts on a square base.
There are six bells, inscribed: (1) H. T. HavardJones, Vicar. E. F. Brown, F. E. Last, Churchwardens, 1921. Alfred Bowell, Ipswich, made me &
hung us all. 1921; (2) God save the King. 1635;
(3) Robert Filbrigge and Richard Edwardes chvrchwardens. 1635; (4) Cvm . sono . si . non . vis venire .
nvmqvam . ad preces . cvpies ire: 1635; (5) IHS
Nazarenvs. rex Jvdeorvm. fili Dei. miserere mei. 1635;
(6) Mi soundinge is each one to call to serve the Lord.
1635 (and on a line above) boeth great and small. The
five old bells are by Hugh Watts, of Leicester, and are
very fine bells. In 1552 there were four bells and a
sanctus bell. (fn. 40) The old treble (now the second)
bell was recast, a new treble added, and the whole
hung in a steel frame by Bowell, of Ipswich, in
1921–22.
The south aisle is separated from the south chapel
by an early 16th-century oak screen of five bays and
an opening; the bays have simple open tracery and
the lower panels, which do not range with those
above, have tracery with carved spandrels. The
upper beam is carved with an undulating vine and is
surmounted by a much-mutilated cresting of foliage
and crowns. The screen has been much patched, and
possibly comprises parts of two screens. (fn. 41) In the
south aisle is a 17th-century chest.
In the churchyard, on either side of the north door,
are two early 14th-century coped coffin-lids with
crosses at head and foot, and against the west wall of
the tower is a portion of another slab.
In the south chapel are the matrices of two brasses:
one with indent for figures of man, wife and inscription plate; and the other with indent for a small
figure with scroll and inscription plate.
There are the following monuments: in the south
chapel, to Ann, wife of the Rev. John Thompson,
d. 1802, Mary Ann, their daughter, d. 1806, Mary,
his mother, d. 1807, John Rice, d. aged 14, and Frederic
Dennis, d. in infancy, two nephews, and the Rev.
John Thompson, d. 1826; Mrs. Elizabeth Dennis,
sister of the Rev. John Thompson, d. 1828; and the
Rev. Richard Andrew, vicar, d. 1848; floor slabs to
. . . . . . 1716; Sarah, relict of the Rev. John Davis,
vicar of Easton, d. 1819; Letitia (Hewet), wife of
William Sharman, d. 1820; and William Sharman,
d. 1823. In the nave, to John, son of Christopher and
Mary Ann Newton, d. 1820; Christopher Newton,
d. 1839; and the Rev. Richard Andrew, vicar, d. 1848;
glass windows to Thomas Heading, d. 1885, Alice
Jellis (Heading), d. 1911, George Cooper Heading,
d. 1884, Kathleen Mary Jellis, d. 1900, and Phyllis
May Jellis, d. 1900; Daniel Cooper, d. 1896, Susan
Cooper (Jellis), d. 1900, Thomas James Cooper,
d. 1898, and Elizabeth Cooper, d. 1896; John Atwood
Hulbert, d. 1913, Elizabeth Brown Hulbert (Ravenhill), d. 1905, John Ernest Hulbert, d. 1908, and
Patrick Ravenhill Hulbert, d. 1915. In the south
aisle, to James Mann, d. 1826; and William Harold
Ashton, d. 1919.
The registers are as follows: (i) baptisms 6 January 1687/8 to 16 November 1794, marriages 6 October
1695 to 1 January 1754, and burials 3 March 1697/8
to — June 1792; (ii) baptisms and burials 27 January
1793 to 1 November 1812; (iii) the Official Marriage
Book 14 July 1754 to 24 October 1812.
The church plate consists of: A silver-gilt cup,
inscribed 'This comunion cupp and trencher was
given by the Lady Magdalin Hide to the Church and
Parish of Spaldwick for the servis of the Lords table
anno domini 1628,' hall-marked for 1628–9; a
silver gilt cover-paten, inscribed 'This trencher was
given by the Lady Magdalin Hide to the Church and
Parish of Spaldwick for the servis of the Lords Table
anno domini 1628,' hall-marked as the cup; a
small pewter plate.
Advowson
Although no documentary evidence
of a church at Spaldwick has been
found before 1248, (fn. 42) the architecture
indicates the existence of a church here in the latter
part of the 12th century. Stow Longa was the chief
church of the Soke and the impropriate rectory and
advowson of Spaldwick formed a part of the prebend
of Stow Longa in the cathedral church of Lincoln,
probably from 1109 and certainly from 1265. The
prebend of Sanctae Crucis alias Spaldwick only obtained its second name because at a later date it was
endowed with some of the tithes of Spaldwick,
apparently those of the bishop's demesne lands there. (fn. 43)
The advowson continued to belong to the prebendary
of Stow Longa until 1839, (fn. 44) when it was transferred
to the Bishop of Ely, who is still patron of the living.
In 1869, the benefices of Spaldwick and Barham
were united by Order in Council.
Charities
Town and Poor's Estate.—This
property consists of 3 acres 2 roods
2 poles of grass land in the parish, the
rents of which are applied for the benefit of the poor.
The land is now let for about £10 per annum and this
sum is distributed in bread and money to the poor of
the parish.
Ann Goodwin, by indenture dated 21 Oct. 1735,
charged her lands in Barham with a yearly payment of
£3 to be distributed as follows: 10s. for the vicar of
Spaldwick for preaching a sermon; 1s. for the parish
clerk of Spaldwick; 29s. for bibles and prayer-books
for distribution amongst children of Spaldwick, Stow,
Little Catworth, Easton and Barham; 10s. for distribution in bread amongst poor of the above parishes;
10s. for refreshments on the day of distribution.
The rentcharge is regularly paid by Mrs. B. Horsford,
the occupier of the lands charged, and distributed
by the vicar of Spaldwick as follows: 10s. to the vicar
for a sermon; 30s. for bibles and prayer-books distributed amongst children of Spaldwick, Stow, Little
Catworth, Easton and Barham; 10s. in bread to the
poor of the said parishes, and 10s. to missions.
Charity of Ann Horsford.—This charity consists
of a gift of £100 by the two daughters of Mrs. Ann
Cooper for the benefit of the poor of the parish. The
endowment now consists of £98 7s. 9d. War Stock
with the Official Trustees, the dividends on which are
distributed in coal to the poor. The vicar and churchwardens are the trustees of the charity.