OLD WESTON
Weston (xi cent.); Wald Weston, Weston de
Waldis, Westgrenewold (xiii cent.); Woldeweston
(xiii–xiv cent.); Weston super Waldis, Wodeweston (fn. 1)
(xiv cent.); Weston upon Brouneswold (fn. 2) (xv cent.);
Old Weston (xiv cent.).
The area of this parish is 2,051 acres of mixed soil
with a subsoil of clay. About one half of the land is
arable and the other half is pasture. There are now
only about 11 acres of woodland. Old Weston Grove,
in the south-west of the parish, represents the 13thcentury pasture land called 'Woldwestongrave' (fn. 3) or
'Westongrave super Waude.' (fn. 4) In 1340 William de
Weston had licence to impark his wood, (fn. 5) and a jury
of 1579 stated that they had known the Abbot of
Ramsey fell a great wood at Weston Grove. (fn. 6)
A stream flows south-east through the middle of
the parish and seems formerly to have had the name
of the Cock Brook. It gave its name to Cockbrook
Lodge, Cockbrook Lane and Cockbrook Spinney.
'Cukusbrigg' or 'Cukisbrygg' stream is mentioned
in the 13th century, and the 'brig' or bridge has been
identified with the bridge in Old Weston. (fn. 7) The
land is very undulating and varies from about 145 to
245 feet above Ordnance datum. The remains of
Old Weston windmill, mentioned as early as 1200,
are in the south of the parish and represent one of the
two 14th-century windmills in the manor of Old
Weston, Brington and Bythorn. (fn. 8)
The somewhat scattered village stands mainly on
the north side of the stream, but the church is detached from the village and is on the south-west side
of it. The village is said to have extended south of
the church but was burnt down, and the record of a
brief exists at Leighton Bromswold for the fire at
Old Weston on 28 February 1701. A part of the
village is built round a loop in the road from Leighton
Bromswold, from which the village street runs west
and north. The Model Farm on the east side of the
road is probably on the site of the manor house, the
house and grounds of which in 1279 were said to
have covered 10 acres and to have been inclosed by a
ditch. (fn. 9) The lord's capital messuage is mentioned in
1593. (fn. 10) The present house was built early in the
17th century, perhaps by Thomas Parratt, who purchased the property about this time, (fn. 11) and is partly
timber framed and partly of brick, with a tiled roof.
The staircase and some fireplaces belong to the
original house. There are other 17th-century timberframed houses and cottages along the part of the
village street leading north; among them Hospital
Farm, at the north end of the street, is probably of
this date, but much altered; it takes its name apparently as the property of Barnwell Hospital
(Northants).
Some 13th and 14th century names are Madecroft,
le Madplot, le Madslad, Colncroft, Eldebyristode, le
Yorn, le Marehyl, le Blakelond, le Benelond, Aylmereowlkested, le Hulkslond. (fn. 12)
A small field in the parish, by long-established
custom, belongs to the parish clerk, on condition that
he strews the church with hay from it, on the feast
Sunday, the first Sunday after St. Swithin. The
origin of the custom is not known. (fn. 13)
The Wesleyan Chapel was erected in 1839, and the
Odd Fellows Hall in 1887.
In 1673 Richard (Butler), Earl of Arran, was created
Baron of Weston (Hunts), a title which became extinct
with that earldom in January 1685–6. A second
creation was made in 1693 for Charles (Butler), Earl
of Arran, and those two peerages in 1758 again became
extinct. (fn. 14)
Manor
Aylwin son of Athelstan the 'half-king,'
ealdorman of East Anglia, inherited Brington from his father and OLD WESTON
from his mother, who received it from her
foster-child King Edgar. These places he gave to
Ramsey Abbey when he founded that house, while his
brother Alfwold gave Bythorn to the monks. Edgar,
Edward the Confessor, William I, other kings and
Pope Alexander III confirmed these gifts. (fn. 15)
The Abbey held the 'manors' of Brington, Bythorn
and Old Weston in 1086, assessed to the geld respectively as 4 hides, 4 hides and 10 hides. (fn. 16)
By the 13th century, when Brington (q.v.) had
become the ecclesiastical head of these three places, (fn. 17)
Old Weston had become the manorial head, and so
remained. (fn. 18) The three 'vills' were united in the
time of Henry I to supply a full farm, (fn. 19) and this was
allocated to the monks' hospitality. (fn. 20)
Ramsey Abbey. Or a bend azure charged with three rams' beads argent cut off at the neck.
Some time before 1177, one, Henry, increased the
Ramsey lands by a hide and 8 acres in Old Weston, (fn. 21)
and in 1279 the manor or vill of Old Weston, with
Brington and Bythorn, belonging to the barony of
Ramsey, was composed of 15
hides, of which the abbot held
8 carucates in demesne. The
free tenants did 2 suits yearly
at the court of Broughton,
and paid sheriff's and hundred
aid. Eight villeins paid the
same, and tallage, rents of
assize, merchet, leyrwite,
pannage, 'wodepeny,' lovebones, barn thatching, cornbote, etc., and 28 other
villeins did different services,
specified at length, and would not work on holidays. (fn. 22)
The abbot had gallows, tumbril, view of frankpledge,
assize of bread and ale, warren, hidage, custody and
marriage of tenants. (fn. 23) In the time of Abbot Hugh
Foliot (1216–31) a tallage of 100s. was assigned to
the cellarer. (fn. 24)
Old Weston, Brington and Bythorn, as we have
seen, originally all formed separate manors, but in
course of time the officers of Ramsey Abbey, by
negligence or design, allowed the three manors to
merge into one by the use of one roll and one court.
After the dissolution of Ramsey Abbey in 1539 the
Crown retained the manor until 1550, when Edward VI
granted what were described as the manors of Weston,
Brington and Bythorn, with many other manors, to
Princess Elizabeth in fulfilment of the will of his
father. (fn. 25) The grant was confirmed in the following
year. (fn. 26) In 1581 Elizabeth granted the manor or
'manors' and advowson to Edward (fn. 27) Downing and
Peter Ashton, (fn. 28) the latter being possibly the son of
Thomas Ashton, (fn. 29) bailiff of the manor in 1546, (fn. 30)
lessee of the rectory of Brington, and purchaser of a
considerable amount of property here in 1552. (fn. 31) Peter
Ashton was a Crown debtor in 1593 (fn. 32) and was apparently in pecuniary difficulties. He was living in 1595
but probably died about this time, as Thomas Ashton
presented to the church in 1601. The demesnes of
the manor seem to have become split up and the copyholds to have been enfranchised, so that the lands of
the three parishes were said to be freehold (fn. 33) and
the manor then apparently fell into desuetude. This
is corroborated by an inquisition in which it is said
that about 1628 Edmund Collyne died seised of
tenements in Brington 'formerly parcel of the manor
of Brington, Bythorn and Old Weston.' (fn. 34) Thomas
Parratt purchased the capital messuage and much of
the property from Peter Ashton about 1593. (fn. 35)
Butler. Or a chief indented azure.
In the mid 17th century the so-called manors of
Old Weston, Brington and Bythorn seem to have been
acquired by Richard Butler, who was created Earl of
Arran in 1662 and took a second title as Baron of
Weston (Hunts) [i.e. Old
Weston] in 1673, before which
date he must have purchased
Old Weston. About the same
time he purchased Leighton
Bromswold, which had belonged to his first wife's family,
the Dukes of Richmond. He
died in 1685, leaving by his
second wife, Dorothy daughter
of John Ferrers, an only
daughter Charlotte, who married Charles, fourth Baron
Cornwallis, (fn. 36) to whom Leighton, Brington and Bythorn passed. Weston, however,
seems to have gone to his nephew Charles Butler,
created Baron Butler of Weston in 1693. He died
in 1758, when Weston seems to have passed to
Charles, fifth Baron Cornwallis, whose son Charles,
second Earl Cornwallis, in 1786 put up the three
manors for sale by auction. (fn. 37) Leighton, Brington and
Bythorn we find in 1789 in the possession of Lord
Porchester and Thomas and Richard Brandon. (fn. 38)
They were sold in 1793 to John Norris, of Magdalen
College, Oxford, and in 1853, on the death of a later
John Norris, Leighton, Brington and Bythorn were
again put up for auction and were purchased by the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who still hold them. (fn. 39)
Old Weston passed before 1854 to Earl Fitzwilliam,
R. A. Reynolds and Samuel E. Cooch. (fn. 40) Lord Fitzwilliam died in 1857, leaving his Huntingdon property
to his second surviving son, the Hon. George Wentworth Fitzwilliam, who died in 1874. (fn. 41) The estate
is now held by his son Mr. George Charles Wentworth Fitzwilliam. Mr. Frederick J. Howson, who
in 1885 is said to have shared the manorial rights
with Earl Fitzwilliam, was succeeded by his son the
late Mr. James Moss Howson of Howson's Lodge,
Old Weston.
Many of the free tenants of Ramsey Abbey in the
13th century bear the names of 'de Waldis,' 'de
Woldweston,' 'Waldeschef,' (fn. 42) taken no doubt from the
wolds here, but the relationship among themselves
and with the Stukeleys and Hotots, a branch of the
Hotots of Clapton, (fn. 43) other free tenants here, is hard
to establish. In the time of Henry I one Fulk held
a hide freely, (fn. 44) and he was followed by his son
Richard, who was living in 1175–6. (fn. 45) He apparently
was succeeded by his son Fulk, (fn. 46) and in 1250 there
died Hugh de Weston, tenant of Fulk, son of Richard
de Weston, (fn. 47) and possibly grandson of the last-mentioned Fulk. Perhaps Adam, son of Richard, who
held 1½ hides (fn. 48) and was dead by 1249, leaving a son
Thomas, (fn. 49) was one of the same family.
In 1259–60 William de Waldis, kt., (fn. 50) Alexander de
Stukeley and Emma, his wife, and Richard de Hotot
(Houetot, Hotoft) and Mariota, his wife, conveyed
lands in the three places to Ramsey Abbey. (fn. 51) Emma,
widow of William de Waldis, made grants in 1271; (fn. 52)
and in 1274 William, son of Maurice de Weston de
Waldis, and Margery, his wife, and Ralph Waldeschef
of Chesterton and Beatrice, his wife, were dealing
with lands here. (fn. 53) It was related in 1279 that John
de Stukeley had once held the manor at farm and
that then Alexander de Stukeley and Emma, his wife,
were among the tenants of Richard de Hotot, who
'defended' a hide here. (fn. 54) Abbot Simon de Eye
(1317–42) bought from William Hotot his land
in the manor. (fn. 55) An Edmund de Hotot of 1317–20 (fn. 56)
was succeeded by 1322 by his son and heir, William, (fn. 57)
whose brother John was known as John de Woldweston, clerk. (fn. 58) In 1329 Joan, widow of Edmund
Hotot, demised for her life to the abbey all her holding
here in exchange for an annuity and a coloured robe
with suitable fur yearly. (fn. 59) In 1333 William Hotot
and Agnes, his wife, granted the abbey 95 acres of
land in Old Weston and Brington in exchange for a
corrody and a house in Ramsey. (fn. 60) He is perhaps the
William de Weston who had leave to impark his wood
in 1340. (fn. 61) His widow, Agnes, released her corrody
and robe to the abbey in 1342. (fn. 62) From 1351 to 1360
Thomas, son and heir of William de Hotot, made
grants here to the Stukeleys. (fn. 63) The last mention
found of this family is in 1448, when John Weston
sold lands here. (fn. 64)
Church
The church of ST. SWITHIN consists of a chancel (21 ft. by 15½ ft.),
nave (49 ft. by 15 ft.), north aisle (7½ ft.
wide), south aisle (9¼ ft. wide), west tower (10½ ft.
by 10½ ft.) and south porch. The walls are of stone
rubble, coursed in places, and with stone dressings,
and the roofs are covered with lead.
The church is mentioned in the Domesday Survey
(1086), but the earliest parts of the present building
are the late 13th-century nave arcades. During the
14th century the church seems to have been largely
rebuilt, commencing with the chancel, which was rebuilt and widened to the north in the first decade;
the aisle walls in the middle of the century; the
clearstory added to the nave about the same time;
and the west tower and south porch at the extreme
end. The northern part of the east wall of the chancel
and the western end of the north aisle were rebuilt in
the 15th century. The roof of the nave was reconstructed in 1657; that of the north aisle in 1638, and
of the south aisle in 1785. The church was restored
in 1895, when the walls were thoroughly repaired and
pointed and the roofs re-leaded.
The chancel, c. 1300, has a 15th-century three-light
east window with vertical tracery in a four-centred
head. The north wall has an original two-light window with a plain spandrel in a two-centred head; and
an original two-light window larger than the other, but
the outer part re-formed with a 15th-century square
head. The south wall has two original two-light
windows, each with a plain spandrel in a two-centred
head, and the sill of the easternmost carried down to
form a seat; an original piscina with a trefoiled head
and quatrefoiled basin; and a square-headed squint
into the south aisle. The greater part of the east wall
was rebuilt in the 15th century, the original south-east
corner remaining. The roof is modern. The chancel
arch, contemporary in date with the chancel itself,
is two-centred, of two wave-moulded orders, continuous except for a moulded capital introduced at the
springing line of the lower order; it rests on a hollowchamfered plinth.
The late 13th-century nave has an arcade of four
bays on either side. The arches are two-centred,
of two chamfered orders resting on octagonal columns
and semi-octagonal responds all with moulded capitals
and hollow-chamfered bases. The middle column on
the north has a circular abacus to its capital, and it,
together with the capital of the western column on
the south, has the nail-head ornament. At the eastern
end of the north wall is the 15th-century upper
doorway of the rood-stairs, and four steps in the wall,
but there is no lower part, and they were apparently
reached by a ladder. (fn. 65) The mid 14th-century
clearstory has four two-light square-headed windows
on each side. The roof was reconstructed in 1657,
but contains a few older timbers. It is of low
pitch and the purlins are carried directly on the
tie-beams, while short king-posts support the ridge;
it has long jack-legs and simple braces. The corbels
under the jack-legs are carved with grotesque heads.
The western beam is inscribed 'r.a. 1657 r.e.
chvrch: w.'
The mid 14th-century north aisle has a 15thcentury two-light east window with vertical tracery
in a two-centred head. The north wall has three
original square-headed two-light windows; a reset
13th-century doorway with a two-centred head,
chamfered jambs and moulded imposts, and with the
nail-head ornament in the label. There is no window
in the west wall. The western half of the aisle is
slightly narrower than the eastern, and may have been
rebuilt in the 15th century. The rather flat pent-roof
has simply moulded main timbers, one of which is
dated 1638.
The mid 14th-century south aisle has an original
square-headed three-light east window. The south
wall has a late 15th-century three-light window with
vertical tracery in a four-centred head, inclosed on the
outside, with a square label and traceried spandrels;
an original square-headed two-light window; an
original doorway with a two-centred head of two continuous orders, one moulded and one chamfered; and
an original piscina with ogee head and quatrefoiled
basin. (fn. 66) In the west wall is a small single-light window with a modern made-up head. The simple
18th-century pent-roof is inscribed on one beam
'W.T. 1745. I.S.'
The late 14th-century west tower (fn. 67) has a twocentred tower arch of three chamfered orders, continuous except for moulded capitals to the inner
order, and has hollow-chamfered bases. There is no
west door, but the west window is of two-lights with
a quatrefoil in a four-centred head. In the stage
above is a small single-light window. The belfry
windows are transomed two-lights, each with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head. The tower has diagonal
buttresses at the north-west and south-west angles,
which rise to the sill of the belfry windows; at the
springing line of these windows the tower is reduced,
by low broaches, to an octagon with a small pinnacle
attached to the diagonal faces. The octagon is
finished with a moulded cornice from which rises an
octagonal stone spire having two tiers of lights
both on the cardinal faces, the lower three-lights
and the upper two-lights. The tower stairs are at
the south-east angle, in a slightly projecting square
turret.
The late 14th-century south porch has a twocentred outer archway of two chamfered orders, the
lower order resting on semi-octagonal attached shafts
with moulded capitals. The side walls have each a
two-light window with simple tracery in a fourcentred head.
The font has a 14th-century octagonal bowl with
crude V-shaped projections on the diagonal sides,
perhaps left for carving, standing on a modern octagonal stem and base.
There are four bells, inscribed: (1) o f o a l t
pevgbfes (fn. 68) ; (2) Non: verbo: sed: voce:
resonabo: Domini: lavdem: r: a: e: a: 1612;
(3) Non clamor sed amor cantat in avre Dei 1612;
(4) Non: sono: annimabvs: mortvorvm: sed:
avribvs: vivencivm. The first probably of Elizabethan date and from the Leicester foundry, with
capitals of an unusual quasi-gothic type sometimes
imperfectly formed; the second and third by Tobias
Norris I; and the fourth probably also from the
Stamford foundry. In 1552 there were three bells
in the steeple. (fn. 69) In 1890 the bells were in very bad
order. (fn. 70)
The late 17th-century Communion table has turned
legs and simple rails.
In the chancel are two coffin lids, c. 1300: one
with a scroll cross at each end and the double-omega
ornament in the middle, and with the later inscription 'c.h. 1637' cut on it; the other with a cusped
cross on a calvary and between two roses and
two square-leaved flowers, and having the later
inscription 'c.h. 1638.' In the churchyard, near
the north aisle, is the 15th-century base of a gable
cross.
On the south wall of the south aisle are three
fragments of wall paintings: (1) the enthronement of
a bishop by two others; (2) part of a wheel of fortune;
(3) the beheading of St. John the Baptist. On the
north splay of the east window of the south aisle is a
painting of St. Margaret under a canopy and standing
on a dragon; and on the south splay, St. Katharine
with wheel. All these paintings were uncovered in
1895, when it was found that all the walls were covered
with paintings, in some places, three deep. The top
paintings were merely rude lines of black and red; the
middle paintings very rich and finely drawn, and
including scenes with men in armour and horses; and
the lowest and original paintings similar to those which
remain. The two upper paintings were very loose
and came away with a touch, and the whole of the
plaster was so perished that it was impossible to save
any more. (fn. 71)
There are the following monuments: in the
chancel, to Edward Ashton, d. 1802, Jane his wife,
d. 1807, and Edward their son, d. 1807; the Rev.
John Mayhew Clarkson, rector, d. 1912; and floor
slab to I.C. 1706. In the nave, floor slab to John
[Aw]ecocke, almost worn out, but 17th century. In
the north aisle, to Henry Parratt, d. 1723, and
Dorothy (Leach) his wife [n.d.]; and John Parratt,
son of the last, d. 1768, and Eleanor (Parris) his wife,
d. 1783.
There are no ancient registers; they are said
to have dated from 1722, but are known to have
been damaged by damp and destroyed in recent
years.
The church plate consists of a coarse silver cup
inscribed 'Old Weston Com. Huntington, 1727' hallmarked for 1727–8; a silver paten inscribed 'Old
Weston. June 1900' hall-marked for 1900–1; a
silver-mounted glass flagon inscribed 'To the Glory
of God and in memory of George and Elizabeth
Bolton. 1929' hall-marked for 1928–9; a small
pewter plate.
Advowson
The church of Old Weston belonged to Ramsey Abbey in 1086, (fn. 72)
and Ailric, the priest, held half a
hide here freely in the time of Henry I. (fn. 73) The
church was confirmed to the abbey by the Pope in
1178. (fn. 74) About the middle of the 13th century it was
still mentioned as a mother church, (fn. 75) but soon after
it became a chapelry of Brington (q.v.), to which it
is still annexed.
Charities
Poor's Land.—This property consists of about 2 roods of land in the
parish. The land is let for about
£1 10s. per annum, which is expended in the purchase
of bread and distributed to the poor at Christmas.
The Clerk's Land.—A piece of land in the parish
containing about 1 rood, which by custom belongs to
the parish clerk for the time being.
Recreation Ground.—This consists of a piece of
land containing 4 acres 1 rood 15 poles approximately,
and let for about £5 15s. per annum. The rent is
distributed to the poor of the parish in bread.