UPTON
Opetune (xi cent.); Vptone (xii cent.); Opton
(xiii cent.).
The area of the parish is 1,216 acres of clay land,
growing cereals and beans. There are about 68
acres of woodland and the remainder of the land
is about half arable and half pasture. The ground
rises from the Alconbury Brook, which forms the
western boundary, where it is about 77 ft. above the
Ordnance datum, to the village, where it reaches 162 ft.
The rather straggling village is built around the
meeting place of roads from the Ermine Street in
the east, Hamerton in the west, and along Coppingford Lane from Coppingford on the north-east.
The church is in the middle of the village, and to the
east of it is the Manor Farm, built within a moated
site, of which only fragments of the moat survive.
On the north side of the village is Christ's College
Farm, another moated site. The existing house was
built early in the 17th century and received an
addition on the north side about 50 years later. It
is a timber-framed, thatched house and within are
many original fittings. Upton House, formerly the
Rectory, and South Farm lie to the south of the
village.
The nearest railway station is at Abbots Ripton
(4 miles).
Manors
In 1086 UPTON was held by Hugh,
Earl of Chester, (fn. 1) and both the overlordship of the honour of Chester, until the
end of the 13th century, and the mesne lordship
of the Patrics, followed the descent of those for
Coppingford (q.v.). The overlordship passed in
1237 to Devorgilla Balliol, one of the heiresses of
John le Scot, Earl of Chester and Huntingdon, and
she was holding it in 1279. (fn. 2) In 1303 it was held by
John de Britannia, (fn. 3) the king's nephew, during the
minority of Thomas Wake, her great-grandson, who
inherited Coppingford (q.v.). John, however, was
granted part of her inheritance, which had descended
to her son John Balliol and was forfeited in 1296, (fn. 4)
and it seems very doubtful if the Wakes ever recovered possession of the overlordship of Upton.
The mesne lordship of the Patrics can be traced till
1316. (fn. 5) In some of the later returns the manor is
said to be held of the honour of Huntingdon, but this
inaccuracy has arisen owing to the Balliols and others
having had portions of both honours. (fn. 6)
The undertenant in 1086 was Fulk [de Beville,
Bainvilla], and his descendant Richard de Beville
[Beyville], who held a knight's fee in Upton, (fn. 7) died
before 1238 leaving three daughters and co-heirs—
namely, Alice the wife of David de Malpas otherwise
the Bastard, Cecily the wife of Robert de Sibthorpe,
and Margery the wife of Geoffrey de Raund. (fn. 8) The
pourparty of David and Alice went to their two
daughters, Beatrice and Idonea. Beatrice de Malpas
married, firstly, William son of Robert Patric and,
secondly, Roderic son of Griffin (brother of Llewelyn
son of Griffin, prince of Wales), who was holding a
sixth of a fee in Upton of the heirs of Robert Patric
in 1279, and had lands there in 1284. (fn. 9) Idonea de
Malpas married Urian de St. Pierre, whose grandson
Urian, son of John de St. Pierre, was holding lands in
Upton in 1316. (fn. 10)
The pourparty of Robert de Sibthorpe and Cecily
passed to James 'the heir of Robert' whose wardship
was granted to Geoffrey de Mortimer. (fn. 11) Robert
and James seem to have had the alternative name of
Grim or Gryme, and in 1279 James, as James Grim,
and his mother, as Cecily de Beville, were holding
in Upton and Sibthorpe (in Ellington q.v.). (fn. 12) James
was succeeded by Robert Grim, who died in 1298,
leaving a brother and heir Ralph. (fn. 13) In 1316 Alice
Grim, probably widow of Ralph, was holding a sixth
of a knight's fee in Upton, (fn. 14) and in 1338 Robert
Grim, probably son of Ralph, settled a manor there
on himself and Katherine his wife. Robert died in
1349, leaving a son Robert aged 15 years. (fn. 15) Robert,
the son, married Margery, daughter of Thomas
Greenham of Ketton. Their daughter Katherine in
1372 granted the manor of Upton to her mother and
her second husband, Sir Thomas Burton, for their
lives. (fn. 16) The descent from this date is uncertain.
Margery Burton was living in 1412, and after her
death the pourparty was held by Ralph Grim. With
Sibthorpe in Ellington (q.v.) it passed to co-heirs,
when its identity seems to be lost.
The most important pourparty in Upton, which
included the advowson of the church, was that of the
third daughter, Margery de Beville, who married
Geoffrey de Rand or Raund. Geoffrey presented to the
church in 1252, (fn. 17) but shortly afterwards his interest
had passed to Sir Guy Gobaud of Newball in Stainton
(Lincs), who succeeded his father, John Gobaud, in
1258 (fn. 18) and presented to the church of Upton in 1273.
John, son of Sir Guy Gobaud, married Margaret,
who after his death married Edmund de Colville
of Castle Bytham (Lincs) and in 1310 presented to
the church as Margaret de Colville widow of John
Gobaud. (fn. 19) Guy (d. 1314), son of John Gobaud and
Margaret, married Alice daughter of Roger de
Colville and sister of Edmund, and they had two sons
and a daughter: John, who died childless; Guy, whose
son Guy also died childless; and Mabel, who married
William Lampert or Lampet. Guy, son of Guy and
Alice, conveyed lands in Lincolnshire to Robert son
of Edmund de Colville and probably conveyed
Upton to him before 1348, when Robert de Colville
presented to the church. Robert's grandson Robert,
son of Walter de Colville, who presented to the church
in 1360, died childless about 1380–1, when the property
went to John son of John Gernon, whose mother
Alice, sister of Edmund de Colville and widow of
Guy Gobaud, married John Gernon. (fn. 20) John Gernon,
the son, died seised of a life interest in the manor
of Upton in 1384, when the manor passed by settlement to Thomas Lampert, (fn. 21) descendant of Mabel,
daughter of Guy Gobaud and Alice, who married
William Lampert, and his heirs male. Thomas
Lampert presented to the church in 1391. Possibly
he died without male issue, as the manor seems to
have passed to Ralph Basset of Sapcote, son of Simon
Basset, son of Elizabeth, another sister of Edmund de
Colville, who before 1395 granted the advowson and
probably the manor to John de Eton and others, (fn. 22)
possibly feoffees. In 1442,
John Fox conveyed the manor
to John Lawrence, Richard
Sapcote and John Collan, (fn. 23)
evidently on behalf of Richard
Sapcote, who, as Richard
Sapcote of Elton, presented
to the church in 1443. By
the middle of the 15th century all the manors and pourparties of manors in Upton
and Coppingford had passed
into the hands of Richard
Sapcote. The manor of Upton
descended with the Sapcotes of Elton (fn. 24) (q.v.) until
1600, when Robert Sapcote died and left it to his grandson Edward Harington, son of his daughter Frances
and James Harington. It was conveyed in 1604 by James
and Edward Harington, knts., to Thomas Prescott, (fn. 25)
and by 1616 was in the possession of Anne, (fn. 26) daughter
of Sir Richard Dyer of Great Stoughton, wife of Sir
Edward Carr, bart., of Sleaford (Lincs). (fn. 27) In 1618
Sir Edward died seised, (fn. 28) his wife having ceded the
manor for other jointure; he left a male heir to his
baronetcy, (fn. 29) but settled this manor on his daughter
Lucy, (fn. 30) who was dealing with it in 1638. (fn. 31) She
apparently married Henry English, as in 1644 and
1661–2 Henry English and Lucy his wife by right of
Lucy made conveyances, among others, to George,
Duke of Albemarle. (fn. 32) Before 1754 it seems to have
come into the possession of the Cottons, who united
in conveying it in that year to Sir John Heathcote,
bart., (fn. 33) and it descended with their manor of Conington
(q.v.) (fn. 34) to Mr. John Norman Heathcote, who auctioned
the estate in 1918, when the manorial rights appear to
have been lost.
Gobaud. Gules two bars or with three bezants in the chief.
Colville. Or a fesse gules.
Sapcote. Sable three dovecotes argent.
Beville. Gules a cheveron or between three bezants.
Although Richard de Beville's knight's fee in
Upton passed to co-heirs, another branch of the
family continued to hold a
large freehold there. In 1260–1
Richard de Beville granted to
Agnes de Beville 2 carucates
of land and £10 rent in Wood
Walton and Upton for life in
exchange for lands in the
counties of Warwick and
Sussex. (fn. 35) Probably the land
dealt with was dower land of
Agnes, who may have been the
widow of Robert de Beville
of Wood Walton (q.v.), apparently Richard's father. The
Bevilles of Wood Walton continued to hold lands in
Upton. In 1428 Thomas de Beville held the half fee in
Upton and the half fee in Coppingford which John de
Britannia formerly held. (fn. 36)
Church
The church of ST. MARGARET
consists of a chancel (22 ft. by 15½ ft.),
modern vestry on north (10 ft. by
12 ft.), nave (29¼ ft. by 16¾ ft.), north aisle (36½ ft.
by 13½ ft.), south aisle (37½ ft. by 5½ ft.), west tower
(6½ ft. by 10¾ ft.), and modern south porch. The
walls are faced with rough ashlar and the roofs are
covered with tiles and lead.
The church is mentioned in the Domesday Survey
(1086), but the earliest parts now existing are the
12th-century south doorway and the font. The
chancel, nave arcades and south aisle are of early
13th-century date, but the whole church underwent
a complete reconstruction in the early years of the
14th century, beginning with a partial rebuilding of
the chancel, and following on with that of the aisles
which were also heightened, the building of the clearstory, and possibly the rebuilding of the west wall.
The combination of two single-light west windows
and three buttresses suggests that this wall may have
been surmounted with a bell-cote. In the 15th century the chancel arch was rebuilt, and a west tower
and spire were built within the nave. (fn. 37) At some
period both aisles were shortened at the west end. (fn. 38)
In 1870–1 the church again underwent a complete
reconstruction, when the north aisle was rebuilt and
widened, a vestry was built on the north side of the
chancel, both aisles were restored to their original
length, the whole of the roofs were renewed, and a
south porch was added. (fn. 39) The west end of the south
aisle was underpinned and repaired in 1908.
The 13th-century chancel has a 14th-century
three-light east window with intersecting tracery in a
two-centred head. The north wall has an early
13th-century lancet window; a modern aumbry;
and a low 14th-century recess with a segmentalpointed arch and continuous moulded jambs, which
looks like a tomb recess, but it may have been used
as an Easter sepulchre. (fn. 40) The south wall has a
modern window formed of two grouped lancets under
a single rear-arch and with the inner sill carried down
as a seat; a 13th-century lancet, much restored;
a 13th-century doorway with trefoiled head and continuous chamfered jambs; and a modern piscina with
trefoiled head and twelve-foiled basin. In the west
wall, south of the chancel arch, is a blocked squint. The
15th-century chancel arch has a two-centred arch of two
moulded orders, the lower order resting on semi-octagonal attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases.
The modern vestry has a two-light window in the
east wall; a doorway with a two-centred head and
continuous moulded jambs in the north wall; a fireplace in the south-east angle; and a doorway with a
two-centred head opening into the north aisle.
The early 13th-century nave has an arcade of three
bays on each side, having two-centred arches of two
chamfered orders, resting on circular columns and
attached semicircular responds all with moulded
capitals and bases. The western arches, especially
that on the north, are somewhat distorted, probably
caused by the digging of the foundations for the
tower. The west wall, which has been incorporated
into the west tower, has two 14th-century single-light
windows with ogee heads, a large buttress between
them, and a smaller one on either side. At the
angles the original height of the west wall seems to be
indicated by some restored weathering. The central
buttress is carried nearly up to the limit of the original
gable. There is no sign of a bell-cote, the wall having
been refaced. The 14th-century clearstory has three
square-headed two-light windows on each side; the
south side appears to have been rebuilt in 1870–1. (fn. 41)
The rebuilt north aisle has, in the north wall, a
modern two-light window; a reset 14th-century
single-light window with an ogee head; and a reset
and blocked square-headed 13th-century doorway
with continuous roll-moulded jambs. In the west
wall is a modern two-light window with reticulated
tracery in a two-centred head.
The 13th-century south aisle has a 14th-century
square-headed two-light window, with ogee-headed
lights, and a fragment of early 16th-century glass in
the head. The south wall has a 14th-century squareheaded three-light window with ogee-headed lights;
a similar two-light window; and a late 12th-century
doorway with a semicircular arch of one moulded
order resting on jambs having roll-moulded edges
finished at the top with small and crudely formed
cushion capitals, and a moulded abacus; a 13thcentury double piscina with two two-centred arches
but without a central column, and with two quatrefoiled basins, one of which is badly formed. The
west wall has a modern single-light window.
The modern south porch (1870–1) is of timber
with a tile roof.
The 15th-century tower is much wider from north
to south than from east to west. The tower arch
has a two-centred arch of two chamfered orders, the
lower order resting on semi-octagonal attached shafts
with moulded capitals but rising directly from a
square plinth at the foot. The side walls are built
against the inner faces of the nave walls, which they
slightly encroach upon, but the north wall being
thicker than the south the centre of the tower is
thrown somewhat to the south of the centre of the
nave, and the large central buttress is not on the
centre line of the tower. The first stage which rises
above the nave roof has a small single-light window in
the north and south walls; and in the south wall,
also, are two reset head-stops. The belfry has, in
the north, south and west walls, a 15th-century twolight window with a four-centred head; and in the
east wall a single-light window. Above these windows
the tower is reduced in width from north to south,
so that it is brought nearly to a square, but this portion
of the tower is quite low, and almost immediately
gives place to a low octagonal broach spire with two
tiers of lights, both on the cardinal faces; the windows
of the first tier are of two-lights with a quatrefoil in
the spandrel of a steep gabled head, and those of the
upper tier are of single-lights.
The font has a late 12th-century bowl like a cushion
capital, square at the top but nearly circular at the
bottom; it stands on a 13th-century stem having a
circular central shaft and eight smaller shafts with
moulded capitals merging into a circular common
abacus, and moulded bases; the small shafts are of
modern Purbeck marble. (fn. 42)
There are two bells, inscribed: (1) W: Walton rector
me jubet altesonare 1778; (2) God save the King 1671.
The first is by Edward Arnold of St. Neots, the second
by Norris of Stamford. In 1552 there were two bells
and a sanctus bell, (fn. 43) while in 1707 there were two bells. (fn. 44)
They were rehung in 1871.
The early 17th-century Communion table, now in
the south aisle, has boldly turned legs; two pendants,
formerly fixed to the front rail, have now gone.
There is a modern oak screen (1870–1) under the
chancel arch.
In the churchyard is the base of a churchyard cross,
square at the base but brought to an octagon by simple
angle stops; it is probably of late 14th-century date.
There are the following monuments: in the
north aisle, War Memorial, 1914–18. In the tower,
to Martha wife of the Rev. William Walton, d.
1757; Mariae, wife of the Rev. William Walton, d.
1782; the Rev. William Walton, M.D., Rector, d. 1789;
the Rev. Thomas Stafford, Rector, d. 1797, and
Elizabeth his wife, d. 1796; and George Walton
Furness, d. 1802.
The registers are as follows: (i) marriages
27 October 1755 to 13 October 1812; (ii) baptisms
and burials, 5 April 1784 (one 1776 and one 1780) to
24 December 1812. A note in this book says: '1801.
During the incumbency of the late Rector the Parish
Register previous to the year 1784 was lost. The
present Rector, finding the Register from that time
not very accurately kept, has transcribed it into this
book.'
The church plate consists of (fn. 45) a plain silver cup
and cover, hall-marked for 1634–5; a large modern
brass alms-dish; a coarse pewter plate.
Advowson
The advowson was presumably
held by the Bevilles, under-tenants
of the manor, until the partition of
the manor (q.v.) in 1238 among the co-heirs of Richard
de Beville. It thus went with the pourparty of the
youngest sister Margery, the wife of Geoffrey de
Rand, and followed the same descent, through the
Gobauds, Colvilles, Lamperts and Bassets, to the
Sapcotes, (fn. 46) and has, since 1465, descended with the
advowson of Coppingford (q.v.).
There are no charities for this parish.