BRAUNSTON
Brantesdon, Brauntesdon, Braunston (xiii cent.).
Braunston War Memorial
The parish of Braunston comprises 1,577 acres and
adjoins Leicestershire on its western boundary. It
is on high land which falls from the north, where it
reaches a height of over 600 ft. above the Ordnance
datum, to the River Gwash in the south, which is some
200 ft. to 250 ft. lower. The soil is clay and the subsoil Middle and Lower Lias, and nearly the whole of
the parish is pasture land.
The village, which is crossed by the road from Oakham into Leicestershire with a branch to Brooke and
other places, lies on the north side of the Gwash near
its source and 2½ miles west-south-west of Oakham
Station on the London Midland and Scottish
Railway. As is frequently the case in the county,
the main part of the village is grouped in and around
a rough rectangular figure. The cottages are of stone
with thatch or stone roofs; a few are built of brick
with tiled roofs. There are several farm houses in
the village,
one with a
stone dated
1660, aother with a
modern
stone tablet
with the inscription
'Cheseldyne
Farm 1604.'
The church
and Manor
House,
which was
rebuilt in
1863, are in
the south of
the village.
Near the
Manor
House is a
small Georgian house,
possibly the
old manor house, which has a wing with a late 13th
or early 14th century two-light window in the gable.
An old sunken road, known as Old Leicester Lane,
crosses the parish, (fn. 1) while to the north of the Gwash,
not far from the village, there are traces of entrenchments. (fn. 2) Braunston parish was formerly within the
bounds of Leighfield Forest and gave its name to one
of the forest bailiwicks. (fn. 3) The parish was inclosed in
1801 by private Act of Parliament. (fn. 4) The Whisp, a
piece of land on the western boundary, is mentioned
in 1299 and contained, in 1584, 14 acres of wood
and pasture. It was settled on Bastin Burton of
Oakham, in trust for the freeholders of Braunston,
who had common in the parish, for certain charitable
purposes. (fn. 5)
Manors
The manor of BRAUNSTON is not
mentioned by name in 1086 in the
Domesday Survey, but was presumably
included amongst the berewicks dependent on the
manor of Hambleton, (fn. 6) since the chapelry of Braunston (q.v.) was later dependent on the church of
Hambleton. The manor, however, was afterwards
transferred to the Soke of Oakham, which consisted
of the Rutland manors and townships held of the
barony of Oakham. Walchelin de Ferrers was holding
it in 1167. (fn. 7) Braunston was held of the lords of
Oakham (fn. 8) by the service due from one knight's fee.
Chesilden. Argent a cheveron between three millrind crosses gules.
In the 12th century the greater part of Braunston
was subinfeudated and was known as the manor of
BRAUNSTON. The first sub-tenant whose name
appears is Nicholas Meynil, who in 1204 either
forfeited his lands or had died. The lands, valued at
8 librates, were granted by the king in that year
to Hamo Falconer (fn. 9) and in 1215 to William de Ferrers. (fn. 10)
These grants disseised Gilbert de Meynil, presumably
the heir of Nicholas, and in 1216 or 1217 he brought
an action against Hamo Falconer and recovered the
manor, (fn. 11) while Hamo was ordered to answer for his
action in deceiving the king as to the title to Braunston. Sir Gilbert de Meynil was living in 1248, (fn. 12)
but in 1261 the manor had passed to two Meynil
heiresses, probably his daughters, Isabel, the wife of
William de Rues, and Lucy de Meynil. William and
Isabel sold their moiety of the manor and all claim
to Lucy's land in Braunston to Peter de Nevill. (fn. 13)
Nevill presumably had seisin of Lucy's land also, since
he certainly obtained the whole manor. (fn. 14) In 1268
Richard, the king's brother, claimed certain lands in
Braunston, probably those of Lucy de Meynil, and
though Nevill resisted on the ground that Richard
had not been in seisin at the beginning of the war,
the decision went against him. (fn. 15) Lucy's lands appear
to have escheated to the lord of Oakham before 1284,
when they were in the hand of Robert de Typaco by
the king's grant. (fn. 16) Peter de Nevill gave the manor
of Braunston to his son Theobald in 1273, before his
outlawry. (fn. 17) He was dead in 1276, when the manor
was seized by the justices of the forest, but Theobald
recovered it (fn. 18) and held it till 1305, when he apparently
granted it to Walter Langton, Bishop of Coventry and
Lichfield. (fn. 19) The bishop also obtained a quitclaim of
his right in the manor from John, son of Stephen de
Nevill. (fn. 20) In 1305 Oliver la Zouche appears as the
tenant of the knight's fee in Braunston, (fn. 21) but by what
right he held it does not appear. By 1313 Theobald
de Nevill seems to have recovered the manor and
granted it in fee tail to Reginald de Warle and his
wife Alice (fn. 22) to hold of him for one rose yearly.
In 1316, however, he was returned as tenant, (fn. 23) but
he died in August of that year (fn. 24) and his manor passed
to John Hakluyt and his wife Alice, the daughter and
heir of Theobald. (fn. 25) It was settled on Hakluyt and his
wife in 1325. (fn. 26) Hakluyt died in 1358, leaving his son
William as his heir. (fn. 27) The manor remained in the
possession of Alice, who obtained a quitclaim in 1363
from her son William and his heirs of his right in it. (fn. 28)
Before 1366 she married John Wardedieu, (fn. 29) and in
1370 they settled the manor on themselves for life, and
the heirs of their bodies, with remainder to William
Hakluyt. (fn. 30) Alice died in 1371, (fn. 31)
John Wardedieu surviving. (fn. 32)
William Hakluyt seems to have
held the manor at his death in
1373, without direct heirs, (fn. 33)
but it passed before 1377 to
Wardedieu's daughter and heir
Elizabeth, then wife of Sir
Edward Dalyngrugge. (fn. 34) In
1382 Dalyngrugge and Elizabeth sold the manor to Sir
William de Burgh, one of the
judges who forfeited their
lands during the political disturbances of the reign, (fn. 35) and Theobald Warde, son of
Simon Warde, (fn. 36) who had married Sir William's
daughter and heir Amy. (fn. 37) In 1388 Theobald Warde
and Thomas de Ashby were granted the custody of de
Burgh's lands in Rutland. (fn. 38) Theobald died before
the autumn of 1392, (fn. 39) and on William de Burgh's
death Braunston passed to Amy, his widow Margery
holding a third in dower till her death in 1428. (fn. 40)
Amy was in 1392 the wife of Robert Chesilden, (fn. 41) and
in 1427 she and Robert made a settlement of Margery's
third part. (fn. 42) Robert Chesilden was tenant in 1428. (fn. 43)
Amy died seised of the manor in 1445 and was succeeded by her grandson John, son of John Chesilden, (fn. 44)
who is said to have been succeeded by three John
Chesildens in succession. (fn. 45) Edward Chesilden, son
of the fourth John, died seised of Braunston in 1549
and was succeeded by his son, George Chesilden, (fn. 46)
and grandson, Kenelm, who died in 1596. Edward
son of Kenelm died in 1642 (fn. 47) and was succeeded by
his son Kenelm, who owned the manor in 1655. (fn. 48)
Kenelm Chesilden and his son Thomas apparently
conveyed the manor in that year to William Whitby
or Welby, (fn. 49) who, with William Clark and Stephen
Chesilden, sold it in 1668 to Giles Burton. (fn. 50) In
1682 Burton and his son Giles sold it to Richard
Burneby. (fn. 51) In 1711, however, Gustavus Browne
and his wife quitclaimed a moiety of the manor to
Benjamin Browne, (fn. 52) and in 1713 Orlando Browne
and Gustavus and his wife quitclaimed the whole
manor to the heirs of Benjamin. (fn. 53) In 1742 the owner
was Orlando Browne, who seems to have had a son or
grandson of the same name, (fn. 54) described as of Braunston,
who died in 1794, aged 37. (fn. 55) In 1801 the manor was
in the possession of George (Finch), Earl of Winchilsea
and Nottingham, and his manorial rights were said to
extend over the whole parish. (fn. 56) Since this date the
manor has passed with that of Burley (q.v.), Mr.
Wilfred H. M. Finch being the present owner.
Richard de Braunston, living in 1166–7, (fn. 57) is the first
recorded tenant of another manor of BRAUNSTON.
Reginald, son of Robert de Braunston, and benefactor of Brooke Priory, (fn. 58) may be identified with
the Reginald who in 1202 recovered 3 virgates in
Braunston. (fn. 59) In 1313 Hugh de Braunston or
Bradewell and his wife Alice settled 5 virgates on
their son Hugh known as Hugh de Swaffield. (fn. 60) On
the death of the younger Hugh before 1365 his
estate passed to Hugh son of Hugh de Swaffield
(living 1332) and grandson of Hugh de Bradewell
who held lands in Braunston in 1311. (fn. 61)
It is uncertain if this was the manor known as
THE HALL which later belonged to the Swaffields.
In 1300 William atte Halle held 5 virgates of the
castle of Oakham at a rent of 28s. 8d., (fn. 62) and a
Hugh atte Hall was living in 1365. (fn. 63) William
Swaffield of Braunston, mentioned in 1394, was
one of the keepers of the peace in the county in
1434. (fn. 64) Thomas Swaffield died seised of the manor
in 1519 and was succeeded by his sons Simon
(d. 1537) and Robert. (fn. 65) In 1588 Augustus Swaffield
and his wife Philippa sold the manor to Sir Andrew
Noel, (fn. 66) to whom Augustus junior, his son, quitclaimed it ten years later. (fn. 67) Noel and Swaffield,
jun., sold it in 1607 to Augustine Burton, (fn. 68) a younger
son of William Burton, the lord of Brooke manor in
Braunston (fn. 69) (q.v.). Augustine Burton died in 1614
seised of the Hall and other tenements, formerly
in the possession of Thomas Swaffield. (fn. 70) By his will,
dated 8 March 1614, he left it to his nephew, Sir
Thomas Burton, son of his eldest brother John. (fn. 71)
Andrew Burton seems to have had the estate in
1689 (fn. 72) and William Burton in 1694. (fn. 73)
Burton of Braunston.Sable a cheveron between three owls argent crowned or.
The Priory of St. Mary of Brooke held lands in
Braunston, which were known as the manor of
BRAUNSTON or BROOKE manor. In the nth
century, the canons held a bovate of land at a yearly
rent of 12d. of Reginald son of Robert de Braunston,
lord of Braunston. (fn. 74) Reginald, who, as already stated,
was living in 1202, (fn. 75) granted this rent to the sacrist of
the priory on condition that the canons maintained
certain lamps and candles at specified services. (fn. 76) They
probably received other grants
of land in Braunston, and in
1316 the Prior of Kenilworth,
to which house Brooke was
subordinate, appears as one
of the lords of Braunston. (fn. 77)
After the dissolution of the
Priory of Brooke in 1534, (fn. 78)
their property in Braunston
was granted in 1536 to Anthony Cope to hold in chief
of the king. (fn. 79) He sold it in
1544, under the name of the
manor of Braunston, to John
Burton. (fn. 80) The same property
was given by Burton in 1545 to his son and heir
William Burton, at the time of the latter's marriage to Alice, daughter of Richard Peck. (fn. 81) Although
at the time of John's death in 1553 it was only
described as a messuage, with lands and tenements, (fn. 82) it seems clear that it was identical with the
manor, which William and Alice settled in 1575. (fn. 83)
In 1581 William Burton and his eldest son John
and his wife Anne gave the manor to Bartin, William's
second son. (fn. 84) Bartin obtained a new crown grant
of the manor in 1610, to be held with the rights and
liberties which the Priory of Brooke or Abbey of
Kenilworth had held. (fn. 85) He died seised of the
manor in 1612 and left the manor to his brother
Augustine for two and a half years until his son and
heir Andrew was of age. (fn. 86) Andrew settled the manor
in 1623 on his marriage with Anne, daughter of
William Fairmedow and grandchild of Cornelius
Fische of London. (fn. 87) In 1633 Andrew and his wife
Anne alienated it to Richard Warde and his wife
Bridget, Dabridgecourt Warde and Kenelm Fawkener, (fn. 88)
who sold it in 1636 to Edward, Viscount Campden. (fn. 89)
His descendant Henry, Earl of Gainsborough, held
the property in 1795, (fn. 90) but it is doubtful whether
any manorial rights then actually existed. In 1801,
at the time of the inclosure of the parish, Gerard
Noel Noel, who had inherited the property of the
Earl, appears as a landowner only, while the Earl of
Winchilsea claimed the manorial rights over the whole
parish. (fn. 91) In 1817, however, it was still called the
manor of Braunston in a settlement made by Sir
Gerard Noel Noel, bart., and Charles Noel Noel. (fn. 92)
The latter was created Earl of Gainsborough, (fn. 93) and
his successors held it in 1846 and 1862. (fn. 94)
In 1655 and 1668, in conveyances of the manor of
Braunston, rights of free warren, court-leet, courtbaron, view of frankpledge, waifs and strays, goods and
chattels of felons and deodands are enumerated as
appurtenant to the manor. (fn. 95) At no other time were
any such privileges claimed. The view of frankpledge
was apparently held by the lords of Oakham for the
whole soke and, in 1300, 20s. a year was exacted from
the soke for the view of frankpledge and 40s. for
sheriff's aid. (fn. 96)
A windmill and a horsemill were sold with the
manor of Braunston, alias the Hall (q.v.), in 1588
by Augustus Swaffield to Sir Andrew Noel (fn. 97) and were
bought with it in 1607 by Augustine Burton. (fn. 98)
Another windmill seems to have been bought by
Burton in 1613 (fn. 99) and was probably the same mill
which appears in conveyances in 1694 (fn. 100) and 1702. (fn. 101)
Church
The church of ALL SAINTS consists
of chancel 23 ft. by 17 ft. 6 in., with
vestry on the north side, clearstoried
nave 41 ft. 8 in. by 17 ft. 6 in., north aisle 9 ft. 6 in.
wide, south aisle about 8 ft. wide, (fn. 102) south porch, and
west tower 11 ft. square, all these measurements being
internal. The tower is surmounted by a short leadcovered spire. The width across nave and aisles is
40 ft. (fn. 103) All the roofs are leaded and of low pitch,
with overhanging eaves.
The building is generally of roughly coursed rubble,
but has been much restored. The vestry was added
about 1860, (fn. 104) and the restoration of the chancel took
place in 1887–8, (fn. 105) when its south wall was rebuilt.
The nave was restored in 1890, the old high closed
pews and a west gallery erected in 1791 being then
removed. The present seating dates from 1928. The
tower is said to have been taken down to its foundations and rebuilt in 1728–9, (fn. 106) but the old materials
appear to have been used again.
The earliest work in the building dates from c. 1150,
to which period the half-round responds of the chancel
arch belong: they have moulded bases and scalloped
capitals with square chamfered abaci or imposts
continued along the wall on the nave side. The
extent of the nave of the 12th century church was
probably the same as at present, but in the first half
of the 13th century a south aisle was added and the
chancel rebuilt as now existing. The south arcade
and chancel arch are of this period (c. 1225–30),
and the south doorway is also probably contemporary,
though in appearance rather earlier in style. At the
beginning of the 14th century a north aisle was
added to the nave, and about a century later the tower
appears to have been erected, followed shortly after
by the addition of the clearstory. New windows were
inserted in the chancel and south aisle, the east end
of the aisle refaced or rebuilt, and the porch added.
All this later work apparently extended over a considerable period towards the end of the 14th and the
beginning of the 15th century. All the walls are
plastered internally.
The chancel has a chamfered plinth, but is
without buttresses. At the east end of the north wall
is the only remaining 13th-century window, a single
lancet, (fn. 107) the hood of which has notch-stops. The fourcentred east window and one in the rebuilt south
wall are of three cinquefoiled lights, and there is a
square-headed window of two trefoiled lights west
of the modern priest's doorway. A round-headed
north doorway, now opening into the vestry, may
belong to the 12th-century church. The unmoulded
trefoiled piscina recess has a slot for a wooden shelf,
but the bowl is new; below the south-east window
is a rectangular aumbry. The chancel arch is of two
chamfered orders without hood-mould. The roof is
modern, with flat-boarded ceiling.
The nave arcades are of three bays, with pointed
arches of two chamfered orders, those of the 13thcentury south arcade springing from cylindrical
piers with circular moulded capitals and bases, and
from similar half-round responds. The arches have
plain hood-moulds on each side. The piers and
responds of the later north arcade are octagonal,
with deeper moulded capitals (fn. 108) and the hood-moulds
of the arches have head-stops.
The south doorway is a good example of early
13th-century work, with semicircular arch of two
orders, and hood-mould enriched on the underside
with a continuous line of dog-tooth. The inner
order has a keel-shaped moulding springing from plain
chamfered imposts on nook-shafts with moulded
bases, and simple water-leaf (west) and foliated
capitals. There are traces of colour on the wall on
either side the opening inside the porch, and a
scratch dial at the top of the west jamb. (fn. 109)
The south aisle is lighted by two windows in the
south wall, one on each side of the porch, that to
the east being of three lights similar to those in the
chancel, and the other a square-headed window of
two trefoiled lights. There is also a single-light
trefoiled window of c. 1350 in the west wall, but the
east wall is blank. In the north aisle are two 14thcentury square-headed windows respectively of
three (fn. 110) and two cinquefoiled lights, and west of the
blocked doorway a modern window of two lights. (fn. 111)
The end walls are blank.
There are three pointed clearstory windows on
each side, all of two cinquefoiled lights, with tracery
and hood-moulds, and above them a hollow-moulded
string. The low-pitched east gable has a modern
apex cross, and stands high above the chancel roof.
The tower is faced with ashlar, and is of three
stages, with moulded plinth and diagonal buttresses
the height of the lower stage. The pointed bellchamber windows are of two trefoiled lights with
quatrefoil in the head, and the tower terminates
with a plain moulded parapet behind which the tiny
spire is scarcely seen. There is no vice. The two
lower stages are blank on the north and south, but
on the west there is a square-topped doorway with
plain lintel, and above it a second lintelled opening
with wooden door; over this again is a glazed pointed
opening with central mullion, the whole arrangement
apparently dating from the 18th-century rebuilding.
There is no arch to the nave, the west wall of which is
pierced by a square-headed doorway.
The font is of 12th-century date, and consists of
a large rectangular bowl (fn. 112) with plain sides and shafted
angles with cushion capitals and moulded bases;
the capitals have a line of pellets at the angle.
The modern Gothic oak pulpit was formerly in
Wisbech parish church.
In the floor at the east end of the south aisle are the
brass effigies of Kenelme Cheseldyn of Uppingham
(d. 1596) and his wife Winefred, daughter of Francis
Say of Wilby, Northants, (fn. 113) and an armorial brass
plate to Edward Cheseldyn of Braunston (d. 1642). (fn. 114)
A large blue floor-slab in front of the chancel arch
has the indents of a single figure and an inscription.
There are considerable traces of mediæval paintings
on the east and south walls of the south aisle. In
the middle of the east wall is an image bracket about
6 ft. 6 in. above the floor, which probably supported a
figure of our Lady of Sorrows, of which the painting
formed the background. An angel with outstretched
wings is depicted on either side and on a medallion
at the north end are a cross and the instruments of
the Passion. On the south wall are portions of a text
and fragments of a painting in red and black of the
Mass of St. Gregory. It depicts an altar with chalice
and paten, and about the altar four candlesticks and
a patriarchal cross. (fn. 115)
There is a stone coffin in the south aisle, and in the
churchyard is preserved a grotesque stone figure (fn. 116)
of the type known in Ireland as 'Sheela-na-gigs,'
which was found in use, face downward, as a doorstep
into the church.
There are four bells in the tower: the treble is
by Thomas Newcombe (II) of Leicester (c. 1562–80),
inscribed 'S. Thoma,' the second dated 1710, the
third by Hugh Watts of Leicester (c. 1593–1615),
inscribed 'Praise the Lord,' and the tenor by Thomas
Norris of Stamford, 1660. (fn. 117)
The plate consists of a cup of 1570–71; a paten of
1640–41; an undated paten with makers' marks
'R-S' only, and a pewter flagon. (fn. 118)
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all
entries 1558–1632; (ii) 1655–1694; (iii) 1695–1721;
(iv) 1721–1753; (v) baptisms and burials 1754–1789;
(vi) marriages 1754–1789; (vii) baptisms, marriages
and burials 1790–1812; (viii) marriages 1802–1812. (fn. 119)
Advowson
The chapel of Braunston was dependent on the church of Hambleton
in the early 13th century, (fn. 120) and presumably this arrangement was made when the chapel
was first built. In the confirmation of the grant by
Edward the Confessor of the church of Hambleton
to the Abbey of Westminster, made by William the
Conqueror in 1067, there is no mention of the chapel. (fn. 121)
In 1086 the church was actually in the hands of
Albert, the King's clerk, and it is unlikely that the
abbey obtained it till the reign of William Rufus. (fn. 122)
The chapel existed in the 12th century, (fn. 123) and in
1227 it had a 'vicar' whose rights were reserved to
him at the institution of a new rector of Oakham. (fn. 124)
This suggests that the advowson still belonged to the
monks of Westminster, who were also owners of the
advowson of Oakham, but in 1232 it was in the hands
of Hugh of Welles, Bishop of Lincoln. (fn. 125) In that year
he granted to Hambleton church a pension in the
church of St. Peter's, Stamford, and the chapel of
Braunston to his successors in the see of Lincoln. (fn. 126)
Between 1268, when the Bishop collated, and 1274
it had been assigned to the Dean and Chapter of
Lincoln, (fn. 127) who owned the advowson of Hambleton
with Braunston until 1884. In that year Braunston
chapel was separated from Hambleton, and by Order
in Council formed into a separate vicarage, with the
chapelry of Brooke annexed. The Dean and Chapter
of Lincoln own the advowson of the new vicarage.
The rectorial estate at Braunston was leased in the
17th century to the lords of Brooke Manor (q.v.). (fn. 128)
In 1801, when the parish was inclosed, the Dean and
Chapter or their lessees were entitled to all tithes
except those belonging to the vicar of Hambleton.
Both rectorial and vicarial tithes were commuted for
land. The chapter also claimed a yearly custom of
7½d. from each yard-land, and the right to take payment of the tithe of hay in kind. (fn. 129)
Roger de St. John was vicar of the chapel in 1227,
but it is improbable that any vicarage had been permanently instituted at that time, though it was
already the custom to appoint a special chaplain to
serve Braunston, with a right to certain profits of the
church. (fn. 130) On the institution of the vicarage of Hambleton in 1274. by Bishop Gravesend, the patronage of
the chapel was assigned to the vicar, who was bound to
appoint a resident chaplain at Braunston. (fn. 131) This was
still the rule in the 16th century. (fn. 132) The small tithes of
Braunston were assigned to the vicarage of Hambleton. (fn. 133)
Charities
The Consolidated Charities are
regulated by a scheme of the Charity
Commissioners dated 25 September
1891, and comprise the following:
Augustine Burton Charity, founded by will proved
at Peterborough 12 November 1614 (an educational
charity).
The Whisp (or Wisp) Land Charity.—By an indenture dated 19 April 1636 a piece of land called the
Wisp was conveyed to certain persons, the rent to
be applied towards the maintenance of a preacher
to preach in the chapel at Braunston, or in default
thereof for and towards the repairs of the parish
church of Braunston and the bells therein, and for
repair and amendment of decayed bridges and highways and relief of the poor. The land is let for £25
per annum, which has been applied towards the
stipend of the vicar, coal for 14 poor recipients, and
repairs of the roads. (fn. 134)
The Church or Town Land Charity.—It is not
known by whom the land was given, and there
are no deeds relating to it. The land, situated in
Braunston, contains 11 acres 21 poles, and is let for
£20 per annum, which is applied towards the maintenance and repair of the fabric of the church.
Duke of Buckingham's Charity (see under
Belton).—The annual income, amounting to £10,
is applied for the general benefit of the poor. The
trustees of the charities are the vicar and churchwardens of Braunston (ex officio), two representative
trustees appointed by the vestry and six co-optative
trustees.