NORMANTON
Normanton (xii cent.); Northmanton, Normanton
(xiii, xiv cent.).
Heathcote. Ermine three roundels vert each charged with a cross or.
Normanton is a small parish of 720 acres of clay
land, and is divided from Hambleton on the west by
the river Gwash. The road from Hambleton to
Ketton passes near the southern boundary and, except
for the rectory and two or three houses on the road,
there are no habitations in the parish outside the Park.
The parish was depopulated
to form the Park about 1764
by Sir Gilbert Heathcote, who
demolished the church and
village, which stood on the
slope towards the river Gwash
where the present church
stands in the Park. (fn. 1)
The well-timbered Park of
400 acres covers a great part
of the parish. The house,
which was taken down in 1925
after the sale of the estate, was
built by the first Sir Gilbert
Heathcote between 1729, when he bought the estate,
and 1734, in the January of which year he died.
It was planned on the principle, then much in
vogue, of having a central block with low outlying
wings connected to it by curved passages. The
detail was plain and massive, but in some additions
or alterations made towards the end of the century
(under the superintendence, it would seem, of Sir
Robert Taylor, architect to the Bank of England)
the detail was of that delicate character associated
with the brothers Adam. Of this wide-spreading and
important building, of which the interior was as
handsomely designed as the exterior, nothing now
remains; it is not even possible to trace its outline, or
to grasp the fact that it was arranged on an imposing
plan. The stables, which are of no great architectural
interest, are still standing. On the east of the Park
are Normanton Works, formerly employing about
50 men for carrying out repairs on the estate.
Manors
NORMANTON is not mentioned in
Domesday Survey (1086), but it probably
formed one of the berewicks of the king's
manor of 'Hameldune Cherchesoch.' It was acquired
by the Umfravilles at an early date, and in 1183 the
sheriff rendered account of 25s. 8d. from Normanton,
the land of Odinell de Umfraville. (fn. 2) From this date the
overlordship of the manor followed the descent of
Hambleton (q.v.) until the death of Sir Giles de
Badlesmere in 1338, on whose death it was assigned
to Giles's sister and co-heir, Elizabeth, widow of
Edmund Mortimer, then the wife of William de
Bohun, Earl of Northampton. Normanton, after this
date, is said to have been held of Hambleton manor, (fn. 3)
which had also been assigned to Elizabeth Mortimer.
Daubeney. Or two cheverons and a border gules.
Fancourt. Azure billety or with a quarter ermine.
Early in the 13th century Normanton was subinfeudated. Robert Daubeney (Albiniaco), son of
William Daubeney, (fn. 4) presented to the church in 1227,
and he or his son Robert presented in 1234. (fn. 5) Probably both Robert the father and son died in that year,
as Isabel, widow of William de Hocton, (fn. 6) and a younger
sister Ascelina are described as daughters and heirs of
Robert and sisters of Robert son of Robert. The wardship of Ascelina was granted
to Emery de St. Amand, who
married her to his son Ralph. (fn. 7)
Eustachia, probably the second
wife of Robert, however, seems
to have held Normanton in
her own right. It may have
been she who, as Eustachia,
widow of Robert de Sancto
Albano, claimed a third of 20
virgates and 5 acres of land in
Normanton against Gilbert de
Umfraville in 1237, (fn. 8) and she
or probably a daughter of
the same christian name held Normanton in her
own right as wife of Gerard de Fancourt, one of the
king's justices. In 1271 Gerard de Fancourt and
Eustachia his wife granted a messuage and 8 virgates
of land in Normanton and the advowson of the church
to Thomas de Normanville to be held of them and the
heirs of Eustachia. (fn. 9) In the same year Gerard went
on the Crusade (fn. 10) and possibly did not return. Robert
Daubeney had granted land to
Belvoir Priory (co. Leic.) for
the soul of Eustachia his wife;
and Eustachia de Fancourt,
lady of Wywell, in her widowhood, granted other lands to
the priory in 1286 that she
might be buried there. (fn. 11)
Thomas de Normanville died
in 1295 holding a capital messuage and 15 bovates of land
in Normanton of Eustachia de
Fancourt, and left a son and
heir Edmund, then aged 4
years. (fn. 12) Eustachia as guardian and overlord of the
heir presented to the church in that year. (fn. 13) A
Roger Fancourt had lands in Normanton in or before
1292, (fn. 14) and may have been a son of Eustachia, but if so
he apparently predeceased her, as the mesne lordship
seems to have lapsed on her death at a great age, after
1295.
Edmund de Normanville was living in 1305, (fn. 15) but
was dead before 1315, when the manor was held by
William de Basings in right of his wife Margaret
daughter of Thomas de Normanville of Kenardington
(co. Kent) and of Empingham, who had died in
1282–3 and was probably a nephew of Thomas de
Normanville of Normanton. (fn. 16) From this date the
manor follows the descent of Empingham (q.v.).
A so-called manor of Normanton was held at the
beginning of the 16th century by the Swafelds of the
Mackworths. It may have originated in land concerning which several fines were levied in the 13th
and 14th centuries. In 1241 Geoffrey de Ketene
conveyed 12 virgates in Normanton to John Talbot. (fn. 17)
In 1293 Henry de Wakerle and his wife Ellen conveyed
100s. of rent to William son of John de Wakerle, (fn. 18)
and in 1301 they sold three messuages and 1 virgate
and 2 acres of land to Hugh de Bradewell and Alice his
wife. (fn. 19) The reversion of an estate in Normanton
comprising three messuages, land and a mill, held for
life by Isabel de Bokelond, was conveyed in 1329 by
Robert Luffewyke to Alfred de Broke, clerk, (fn. 20) possibly
for the purposes of some settlement, for in 1373
William Luffewyke of Manton died seised of land in
Normanton, leaving a daughter Elizabeth his heir. (fn. 21)
Land in Normanton, Manton and Exton was conveyed
in 1335 by John de Gretham and Margery his wife
to Richard de Marnham, (fn. 22) and in 1343 Hugh de
Swafeld and Margery his wife settled four messuages
and land in Normanton, Empingham, and Great and
Little Hambleton on their son Hugh and Joan his
wife. (fn. 23) Thomas Swafeld died in 1519 holding a socalled manor of Normanton, which he had settled on
his son and heir Simon and Isabel his wife. (fn. 24) Simon
died in 1537 without issue, when their manor passed
to his brother Robert. (fn. 25) This manor has not been
traced further.
Church
The church of ST. MATTHEW now
stands isolated in Normanton Park, to
the west of the site of the Hall, and is a
small modern structure in the style of the Classic
Renaissance. The mediæval church, which was
described in 1579 as being in a very ruinous condition,
was pulled down by Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 3rd baronet,
in 1764, and replaced by a plain building (fn. 26) consisting
of a chancel about 13 ft. square and aisleless nave
32 ft. by 18 ft. 6 in., the style of which is said to have
been 'Italian of the most unpretending character.' (fn. 27)
No view or representation of the mediæval church is
known to exist, but portions of tracery and other
fragments of stonework found in 1911 suggest that
it was of early 14th-century date, (fn. 28) and it appears to
have had a tower, or bell-turret, (fn. 29) which was left
standing till 1826, when the present western vestibule,
tower and portico were erected. (fn. 30) In 1911 the 18thcentury nave and chancel were in their turn pulled
down and rebuilt, as a memorial to the first Earl of
Ancaster, by his widow, (fn. 31) in a style conforming with
that of the 1826 additions.
The whole of the building is of ashlar and consists
of chancel and aisleless nave 19 ft. 6 in. wide under
one roof, and western vestibule 14 ft. by 16 ft. 6 in.
forming the base of the tower. The length of the
nave is 30 ft. and of the chancel and apse 20 ft., (fn. 32) all
these measurements being internal. When the vestibule was built in 1826 it not only formed the entrance
to the church but contained a double staircase leading
to a gallery at the west end of the 18th-century nave.
The vestibule is entered by a west doorway approached
by a semicircular flight of four steps under a portico,
the entablature of which is supported by four Ionic
columns, and it is lighted by round-headed windows.
Externally its north and south sides have Ionic
pilasters at the angles, and columns of the same order
flank the windows. The tower appears to have been
copied from the towers of St. John's Church, Westminster, (fn. 33) being circular in form (with four attached
Corinthian columns supporting an entablature), and
incurved roof surmounted by a pineapple finial. The
north and south sides of the tower between the
columns are entirely open, but on the east and west
are built solid and pierced with round-headed windows
flanked with Corinthian pilasters, and having small
circular openings above.
In the rebuilding of 1911 the west gallery and the
staircase were removed and the narrow doorway
between the vestibule and nave was superseded by a
wide archway on coupled Doric columns. The new
building is of three bays, marked externally by Ionic
pilasters, and has three segmental-headed windows on
each side, two of which serve the nave and one the
chancel; the windows have moulded architraves and
sills supported by consoles. The walls terminate with
a bold dentilled cornice and balustraded parapet. The
semicircle of the apse is broken externally by a rectangular projection in which is a round-headed niche,
or recess, there being no east window. Internally the
walls are faced with ashlar and the floor paved with
marble. There is a coved plaster ceiling, and the
pulpit, lectern, and altar rails are of wrought iron. The
classical stone font apparently belonged to the 18thcentury building.
All the mural tablets of the Heathcote family are
now in the vestibule and at the west end of the nave;
the oldest is that of Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st baronet,
who died in January 1733, aged 81, 'in his character
unblemished, in his extensive trade without a lawsuit.'
It bears a medallion bust by Rysbrack. A vault
opened in 1888 (fn. 34) was found to contain coffins of
seventeen members of the Heathcote family ranging
from 1710 to 1829. Wright, in 1684, records the
arms of Basing in one of the windows of the church. (fn. 35)
The tower contains one bell, cast by Thomas
Hedderly of Nottingham in 1749. (fn. 36)
The plate consists of a cup and cover paten, both
without marks, the cup inscribed 'May 30, 1620,'
and a breadholder. (fn. 37)
The registers begin in 1755. The first volume
contains baptisms and burials 1755–1800, and the
second marriages 1757–1800.
Advowson
The advowson of Normanton has
always belonged to the lords of the
manor, and the living, now held in
plurality with Whitwell, is in the gift of the Earl of
Ancaster. After the present rector's retirement or
decease, the living will be amalgamated with that of
Edith Weston, by an order in Council.
The visitations at the end of the 16th and early part
of the 17th centuries show a very unsatisfactory condition of the parish. Henry Tampion, rector from
1572 to 1629, was said to be a common gamester and
haunter of alehouses. He was suspended in 1590 for
having had a bastard child and another clerk was
licensed to the living, but on undergoing 'a 6 man
purgation' he was restored. In the following year the
curate was convicted of adultery with a married woman
and was suspended and ordered to do penance. The
rector would not preach; he had only one communion
a year, and in 1590 had not received the communion
for more than twelve months; his maidservant was a
lewd woman and not fit to be in his house; and he
allowed the chancel to fall into decay. In 1604 it
was said that he had no prayers on Sunday, but
'played at tables' with the schoolmaster of Hambleton. There was brawling in the church, and Thomas
Pope was presented for being a common swearer and
notorious sleeper in time of divine service. At the
visitation of 1605 the windows of the church were
daubed up with mortar; the communion table was in
a very bad condition; the Bible was of the Geneva
translation; the pulpit was unfit; and the seats were
broken and out of repair. (fn. 38)
There are no charities in this parish.