STRETTON
Stratone, Stratune (xi cent.); Stratton (xiii-xvi
cent.); Strattun (xiii cent.); Stratthon, Stretton
bithe Strete (xiv cent.); Stretton in the Strete (xv
cent.); Stretton in le Strete (xvi–xvii cent.).
The parish of Stretton, which lies in the north of
the county, on the Lincolnshire border, contains 1,976
acres. The subsoil is composed of the Inferior and
Great Oolite series and the surface soil varies. The
land has a gradual fall from about 400 ft. above the
Ordnance datum in the west to 300 ft. in the east of
the parish. Only about a third of the parish is arable,
growing cereals and roots, the remainder being
generally pasture. About 70 acres of woodland,
including Stretton Wood and Lady Wood, remain
from the extensive forest area which once covered
most of the parish. In 1086 there was woodland for
pannage, one league by half a league; while a park is
mentioned in 1291 (fn. 1) and references to woodland are
frequent in medieval times. (fn. 2)
The village lies on the east side of the Ermine Street,
the Roman road which here forms the Great North
Road and is known as Horn Lane between Tickencote
and Greetham. (fn. 3) The church stands on high ground
to the south and the village of tiled and thatched
cottages is grouped around a rough square. The
rectory lies to the south-west of the church; the
rector in 1811 obtained a faculty to rebuild it (fn. 4) as
it was ruinous and dilapidated. Stocken Hall, the
residence of Major C. H. Fleetwood-Hesketh, lies
about 1½ miles north-east of Stretton village, close
to the Lincolnshire border. The house dates from
the first half of the 17th century and was probably
built by John Brown, (fn. 5) who is described as of
Stocken Hall at that time. Wright wrote in 1684
that 'the fair seat called Stockin Hall' was the
habitation of Samuel Brown, who was M.P. in 1660
and sheriff of Rutland in 1677. The house was
twice greatly altered and enlarged, on the first
occasion about 1774, (fn. 6) probably when Sir Gilbert
Heathcote, bart., acquired possession, and again in
1877 when, after it had been for a long time unoccupied, it was let to Lord and Lady Francis Cecil. After
the death of Lord Francis in 1889 his widow in 1892
married Admiral Tillard, who occupied the house
until 1907, when it was bought from Lord Ancaster
by Major Charles Hesketh Fleetwood-Hesketh, D.L.,
J.P., the present owner. Of the original house considerable portions remain on the north side, including
a gable with a three-light mullioned window, and there
are other mullioned windows of two lights in the two
stories below. The 18th-century south front is a
well-balanced design of two stories with entablature
and plain parapet, the middle portion slightly advanced
and flanked by Tuscan pilasters. There are three
windows on each side of and one above the central
doorway, all with blocked architraves, and barred
sashes: the doorway has a segmental pediment and
large keystones. The modern additions are in the
earlier style, with mullioned windows and curved
gables, but in part are of one story only. In a wood
near the house is a tombstone to 'Black Butcher,' a
favourite horse belonging to General Grosvenor, who
was a lessee in the 18th century. (fn. 7)
Stretton: The Village
The population has for a long time been decreasing,
being only 141 in 1921. (fn. 8) As early as 1636 there was
a suit brought against the lords of the manor, stating
that 'out of covetousness and malignity,' since the
beginning of Charles's reign, they had destroyed
twelve ancient farms, with land that had been arable
time out of mind, and depopulated them, thrusting
out all the ancient tenantry and farmers, their wives,
children and servants, enclosed the common ground
and turned the farm lands from tillage to pasture. (fn. 9)
A similar tale was told in most of the neighbouring
parishes.
On his return journey from Scotland on 11 Jan.
1299, (fn. 10) and again on his way there, 12 July 1306, (fn. 11)
Edward I stopped at Stretton; and Edward II was
here 2–3 August 1316. (fn. 12) A Stretton clergyman
offered the stoutest resistance to Laudian innovations
in 1640. (fn. 13) This was Jeremiah Whitaker (1599–1654),
rector of Stretton 1630–44. (fn. 14) Another notable
incumbent was Edward Bradley (1827–89), author of
Verdant Green, a celebrated story of Oxford life.
He was rector 1871–83 and carried out a restoration
of the church. (fn. 15)
The nearest railway station is South Witham, 3 miles
east on the London and North Eastern and London
Midland and Scottish Railways. Five and a half miles
east is Little Bytham station on the London and
North Eastern Railway and, 6½ miles west, Ashwell
Station on the London Midland and Scottish Railway.
St. Liz. Paly or and gules a bend sable.
Forz. Earl of Albemarle. Gules a cross paty vair.
Manors
The berewick of STRETTON was
parcel of the manor of Market Overton
(q.v.) in 1066 and 1086, although, unlike
that manor, it is only returned under Rutland, and
not under Lincolnshire. It is further recorded that
Alfred (Alwred) de Lincoln claimed a quarter of
Stretton. (fn. 16) As with Overton, Stretton was subsequently held of the Honour of Huntingdon, and
followed the descent of the Hastings purparty. (fn. 17)
The overlordship was somewhat overshadowed by
the under-tenancy being in the Honour of Albemarle,
which escheated to the Crown at the end of the 13th
century. In 1224 Simon de St. Liz, who held the
Honour of Huntingdon, (fn. 18) claimed the manor from
William Earl of Albemarle, who essoined himself as
ill. (fn. 19) Some hundred years later Andrew de St. Liz
in 1328 petitioned parliament for restoration of this
manor, which had been leased, he affirmed, by Simon
his great-grandfather to William Earl of Albemarle for
life, with reversion to himself and his heirs. Simon
died leaving an heir who was a minor, and on the
death of Earl William (in 1241) (fn. 20) the manor was seized
by the Crown. The petitioner showed the charter
of 'King Henry of that time' in support of his claim;
but, though order was given that right should be done
him, (fn. 21) the manor continued to be held of the Honour
of Albemarle. In 1235 Simon de St. Liz seems to
have granted 2 carucates of land here with their
appurtenances to the above mentioned William,
Earl of Albemarle, (fn. 22) whose son William had either
married or was just about to marry one of the coheiresses of the Honour of Huntingdon, just as his
overlord had done. With the assignment of their
share, the Hastings received in 1241 the services of
William for one knight's fee here. (fn. 23) William, who
married Christine, the Huntingdon co-heiress, granddaughter of David of Scotland, before April 1236, (fn. 24)
played a prominent part in the Mad Parliament and
died in 1260, leaving a son Thomas aged 7, heir to
Stretton. (fn. 25) He died in 1269, when his sister Aveline
was his heir. She married the King's son Edmund,
Earl of Lancaster, and died childless in 1274. The
only claimant to the Honour of Albemarle then
released his right to the Crown. (fn. 26) The Crown
retained this manor from 1260 (fn. 27) until 1324, either
leasing it for rent or granting it for life for good
service. It formed part of the dower of the queen
mother Eleanor in 1280; (fn. 28) and in 1291, as a reward
for his long service to her, Ralph de Rede received
custody of the park for life. (fn. 29) The queen mother
was still in possession of the manor in 1305–6; (fn. 30)
and on 1 March 1323 it was granted with the contiguous manor of Holywell, in South Bytham (co.
Linc.), to Roger Beler, one of the barons of the Exchequer. (fn. 31) Both manors were regranted to him in
tail male in 1324 by the service of a pair of gilt spurs. (fn. 32)
He died seised in 1326, leaving a son Roger, (fn. 33) whose
mother Alice had Stretton as dower during his
minority. (fn. 34) She died, however, in 1368, and Roger
succeeded, when the manor was said to be held of the
king in chief. (fn. 35) He died in 1380, leaving daughters,
Margaret, wife of Sir Robert de Swillington, kt.,
and a child Thomasine, whose custody was granted to
John de Pole. (fn. 36) The manors of Stretton and Holywell, however, being held in tail male, reverted to the
Crown and were granted in Feb. 1380–1 to the king's
esquire William de Harpele for life. (fn. 37) In 1393
Stretton was leased, for their lives, to the king's
servants John Wakerley and Joan, his wife, and in
1406 John Wakerley was holding the manor of Holywell and village of Stretton, with all rents, woods and
advowsons, by grant from the king, for life; and the
reversion was granted to the king's son Humphrey
in fee. (fn. 38) Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, with his
brother's licence, (fn. 39) made a settlement of the vill in
1415. (fn. 40) John Wakerley seems to have been still
living in 1428, (fn. 41) but the Duke of Gloucester was in
possession in 1439. (fn. 42) On his death it was granted in
Feb. 1446–7 to Thomas Pulford, yeoman of the Crown,
for life; (fn. 43) but the manors of Holywell and Stretton
had been granted by the Duke of Gloucester to John
Hemingburgh, the king's chief cook, for life, and in
1461 Hemingburgh received a similar grant from the
king, while William, Lord Hastings, was appointed
steward of these manors. (fn. 44) An annuity from the
manor was granted to the
king's servant, John Rogers,
in 1468; (fn. 45) and various grants
were made of the custody, (fn. 46)
John Hussey, esquire of the
king's body, receiving in 1494,
first a grant of the custody,
and then in 1495 a grant in
fee in tail male, with all advowsons and courts. (fn. 47) The new
owner, as John Hussey, kt.,
made a settlement in 1501. (fn. 48)
He was created a baron in
1529 and attainted and beheaded in 1537 for complicity in the Pilgrimage of Grace. His son, Sir
William, restored in blood, (fn. 49) in 1538–9 confirmed
to the king all his father's forfeited lands except
the manors of Stretton and Holywell. (fn. 50) William
held Stretton (fn. 51) until his death in Jan. 1555–6, when
he left two daughters—Margaret, wife of Richard
Disney of Norton Disney (co. Linc.), and Ann, who
married Francis Columbell of Darley (co. Derb.). (fn. 52)
Francis and Ann made a conveyance of half the manor
in 1558, (fn. 53) probably in favour of the Disneys. Richard
Disney and his son and heir, Daniel, dealt with the
manor in 1562. (fn. 54) Daniel succeeded his father and
was holding until 1570, when Sir James Harington
of Exton seems to have obtained possession. (fn. 55) As
concealed lands it was granted in 1591–2 to the fishing
grantees, William Typper and others. (fn. 56) Probably
Harington compounded for his title, as we find that
this manor and that of Stocken (fn. 57) appear among the
possessions of John late Lord Harington in 1613; (fn. 58)
but Robert Horsman and John Pickering and the heirs
of Robert received a quitclaim from Michael Ovys
and Prudence his wife in 1616; (fn. 59) and Sir John
Pickering, kt., and Robert Horsman presented to the
church in 1622. (fn. 60) Sir Henry Disney, kt., son of
Daniel, (fn. 61) vouched the manor and advowson to
Pickering and Horsman in 1627, (fn. 62) when Robert
Horsman alone presented to the church. (fn. 63) Charles I
made a further grant of the manor; (fn. 64) but a jury of
1636 affirmed that Robert Horsman, Roger Stacie
and [Samuel] Wentworth had been in possession for
many years and were inclosing the common land. (fn. 65)
Samuel Wentworth died seised of tenements here in
Jan. 1638; (fn. 66) and Robert Horsman was living here in
1647 and 1651, (fn. 67) while Edward Horsman's house
here was licensed as a Congregational chapel in
1672. (fn. 68) Another Edward Horsman, born in 1677,
presented to the church in 1699 and 1719. He died in
1720, leaving six daughters—namely, Margaret, wife
of Edward Smith, Dulcebella, wife of John Bedford,
and Alice, Anne (died an infant), Anne and Jane. (fn. 69)
In 1741 Edward Smith and
Margaret his wife and her
sisters presented, and in 1743
they and Samuel Horsman,
M.D., conveyed the manor to
Edward Lloyd. (fn. 70) From Edward Lloyd the advowson
passed before 1785 to Sir
Gilbert Heathcote, bart., of
Normanton (fn. 71) (q.v.), who died
in that year. His son, Sir
Gilbert, held both manor and
advowson in 1795 (fn. 72) and died in
1851. Sir Gilbert's son, Gilbert John Heathcote,
married Clementina, Lady Willoughby de Eresby,
and in 1856 was created Lord Aveland. His son
Gilbert, second baron, presented to the church in
1871 and 1883, but in 1907, as Lord Ancaster, he sold
the manor and advowson to Major Charles Hesketh
Fleetwood-Hesketh, the present owner.
Heathcote. Ermine three roundels vert each charged with a cross or.
In 1326 the manor had a capital messuage, windmill, common oven, and customs called landware,
maltselver and fenfother. (fn. 73) In 1439, at the request
of the Duke of Gloucester, exemption from the
payment of the tenths was granted to the Duke's
men of Stretton, their heirs and successors. Also
they were thereafter to be taxed for fifteenths with
the men of the geldable and not with the boroughs
or towns of ancient demesne as was their wont. (fn. 74)
This grant was annulled by Act of Parliament. By
a grant in 1452 the men, tenants, residents, inhabitants and commonalty of Stretton were not to
pay tenths, but with their men and geldable were
to contribute to fifteenths. (fn. 75)
Hussey. Or a cross vert.
Hesketh. Argent a bend sable with three sheaves or thereon and a chief azure charged with a double-headed eagle proper all within a border or ermined sable.
In 1308 lands here were granted with the manor of
Holywell to Nicholas de Segrave for life, (fn. 76) and later
he acquired a messuage and land in fee and granted
them to his son Nicholas by the service of a clove
gillyflower. The son died seised, leaving a daughter
and heir Maud, wife of
Edmund de Bohun. (fn. 77) Thomas,
Baron Segrave and first Duke
of Norfolk, enfeoffed Henry,
Earl of Derby, who, as Henry
IV, granted them as dower to
Elizabeth, the Duke's widow. (fn. 78)
His son's widow also had these
lands in dower. (fn. 79) All the
Mowbray property reverted
to the Crown in 1481, (fn. 80) and
these lands thereafter seem to
have followed the descent of
the chief manor.
Tenements in STOCKEN
are once called a manor. The
meadow called Stokkyng is
mentioned in 1326 among the lands of Roger Beler, (fn. 81)
but there are signs that the Stoke family, who also seem
to have given their name to Stoke Doyly, Northants, (fn. 82)
were enfeoffed here. In the latter half of the 12th
century Richard and Hugh de Stokes or Stoke are
referred to on the Pipe Rolls for Rutland. (fn. 83) In Northants the Stokes were followed by the Browns of
Stamford, and a branch of that family appears here.
Margaret Stoke, sister and one of the heirs of Thomas
Stoke, married William Brown of Stamford. Thomas
Stoke as his executor (fn. 84) had licence in 1494 to assign
tenements in Stretton to endow an almshouse in Stamford. (fn. 85) The Hospital of All Saints, Stamford, had
37s. 8d. rents of assize in Stretton in 1535, and paid
5s. 6d. rent to Lord Hussey. (fn. 86) Stocken Hall was probably built and the estate formed by John Brown in the
early part of the 17th century. In 1684 it was held
by Samuel Brown, the son of John Brown by Mary
daughter of Walter Wentworth and sister and heir
of Samuel Wentworth of Lillingstone Lovel (co.
Oxon). (fn. 87) This may explain the Wentworth share
of the manor of Stretton mentioned above. Samuel
Brown had a son John living in 1684, who is described
as of Stocken Hall on the monumental inscription to
Elizabeth his wife in 1714. Samuel their son died in
1707. (fn. 88) The property seems to have passed with
the chief manor to Sir Gilbert Heathcote before
1785 and has since descended with that manor (q.v.).
Church
The church of ST. NICHOLAS
consists of chancel 22 ft. 6 in. by
13 ft., north and south transeptal
chapels, nave 38 ft. by 18 ft. with bell-cote over the
west gable, north aisle 9 ft. 9 in. wide, and south porch
9 ft. 6 in. by 10 ft., all these measurements being
internal. The south transept is 12 ft. square, and
that on the north 12 ft. 6 in. by 13 ft., the width across
transepts and nave being 48 ft. 3 in.
With the exception of the south transept, which is
faced with dressed stone, the building is of rubble
throughout and all the roofs are covered with stone
slates. There are no parapets. All the walls are
plastered internally. There was an extensive restoration in 1881.
Of the original aisleless 12th-century church only
the south doorway and some portion of the walling
remain. The doorway has a moulded semicircular
arch on nook shafts with simple cushion capitals and
moulded bases. The capitals have chamfered abaci
(that on the east side enriched with double
billet) and cabled neck mouldings, but the
shafts are without ornament. The tympanum (fn. 89) is quite plain: on its upper part
is a scratch dial. (fn. 90) Early in the 13th century
a north aisle was added to the nave, the wall
being pierced for an arcade of two bays,
and at the same time, or shortly after, the
chancel was rebuilt in its present form, and
the porch and bell-cote erected. If the
round arch opening into the south transept
is the old chancel arch re-used, which is not
unlikely, it follows that a transeptal chapel
was constructed on this side when the chancel
was rebuilt, the width of the arch determining the width of the chapel, but when, probably c. 1290, a chapel was added on the north
side it was formed simply by returning the
wall of the aisle northwards and throwing
a transverse arch across the aisle from the
wall above the arcade. Its width corresponds roughly with that of the south
chapel, but has no correspondence with that of the
adjoining bay of the arcade. (fn. 91) Later changes were
the insertion of new windows in the chancel in the
14th and 15th centuries, and the south chapel appears
to have been rebuilt in its present form probably early
in the 17th century. Before the restoration, (fn. 92) the
church had fallen into a state of utter disrepair and
the work then done involved a considerable amount of
rebuilding, including the whole of the west wall from
within a few feet of the ground, the bell-turret, the
nave arcade, and the north and west walls of the aisle,
the width of which was slightly increased. New roofs
were erected throughout and new windows inserted
in the nave (fn. 93) and aisle.
Plan of Stretton Church
The chancel is without buttresses and has a stringcourse chamfered on each edge at sill level: it retains
two widely splayed lancet windows, one on the north
side (fn. 94) and the other at the west end of the south wall,
the sill of which is dropped and a transom inserted so
as to form a low-side window. (fn. 95) The 15th-century
east window is of three cinquefoiled lights and
Perpendicular tracery containing a short battlemented
transom, and near the east end of the south wall is a
square-headed 14th-century window of three trefoiled
lights, the hood-mould of which has head-stops. The
13th-century double-arched piscina (fn. 96) recess has chamfered jambs and an octagonal mid-shaft with moulded
capital and base: the bowl is rectangular in shape,
with a single orifice. There is a plain rectangular
aumbry in the north wall. Below the 14th-century
window is a contemporary pointed wall recess, with
richly moulded arch and hood-mould with head-stops. (fn. 97)
The 13th-century chancel arch is of two chamfered
orders, the inner order (fn. 98) springing from large halfoctagonal moulded corbels enriched with nail-head
and supported by heads: there is a hood-mould
towards the nave. North of the arch, in the angle of
the north transept, are the remains of the rood-loft
stair (fn. 99) and upper doorway.
The early 13th-century nave arcade consists of two
semicircular arches of two moulded orders (fn. 100) springing
from a pier consisting of a central shaft moulded at
the angles, in the hollow faces of which are four slender
shafts with foliated capitals and moulded bases. The
responds follow the same plan and design, though
the stiff-stalk foliage of the capitals is of an earlier
character than that of the pier, which is naturalistic
and outcurved; (fn. 101) the whole of the arcade, however, is
of one period and, though very much restored (fn. 102) at the
time of rebuilding, preserves all its original characteristics.
The nave retains a single lancet window in the
south wall, west of the porch, and a much-restored
lancet was re-used at the west end of the aisle. The
north doorway is also the old one re-used, but it
appears to have been a 15th-century insertion. (fn. 103) The
semicircular arch to the south transept is of a single
order with flat soffit and chamfer on each edge; it
springs from large square imposts, below which the
chamfer is continued down the jambs, stopping above
the floor. (fn. 104) The transept is lighted at the end by a
late square-headed window of four lights, (fn. 105) and in the
east wall is a small single-light pointed window which
is apparently an old one re-used. The north transept
has at the end a much-restored pointed window of
three uncusped lancet lights under a hood-mould
with foliated stops: the east window is squareheaded and of two rounded lights. In the south-east
angle, near the rood-loft stair, is a small pointed
piscina recess, the bowl of which is missing, and
above it an image bracket. There is a small rectangular
recess (fn. 106) at the north end of the west wall.
The porch has a pointed outer doorway of two
chamfered orders, the inner on half-octagonal responds
with moulded bases, and capitals enriched with nailheads. There are two steps down from the porch
to the nave. (fn. 107)
The bell-turret (fn. 108) has two openings with arches of
three chamfered orders, covered by a ridged roof
running north and south, ending in gablets with
crosses facing east and west, and surmounted by a
small spire and weather vane. The great west
buttress is of four main stages and is carried up nearly
the full height of the turret, ending in a gablet. Two
grotesque heads have been built into the west wall of
the nave near the angles.
The late 12th-century font has a rectangular bowl
with slightly curved sides and a round moulding at
each angle; (fn. 109) it stands on a modern stone base and has
a flat cover.
During the restoration traces of red colouring were
found on the walls, but no pattern except in the north
transept, the walls of which had been decorated with
a conventional design of foliage and tracery in two
shades. (fn. 110)
The former Jacobean altar rails are now in the
vestry at the west end of the aisle; (fn. 111) there is also an
oak chest dated 1662. The vestry is inclosed by an
oak screen made up from the former 17th-century
pulpit. (fn. 112)
The present pulpit and fittings are modern, but
there are two old benches, one in each transept, with
shaped ends and poppy heads. In the south transept
are tablets to Elizabeth, relict of John Brown of
Stocken Hall, who died in 1714, and her son Samuel
(d. 1707), and to Elizabeth Hunt (d. 1727), and in the
chancel to Edward Horsman (d. 1720) and the Rev.
John Lamb, rector (d. 1842); the glass in the west
windows of the nave is in memory of the Rev. Edward
Bradley (Cuthbert Bede), rector 1871–84, 'through
whose efforts this church was restored.' There is a
memorial tablet in the nave to three men of the parish
who lost their lives in the war of 1914–19.
The smaller of the two bells is by Henry Penn of
Peterborough, 1710, and the larger by Thomas Norris
of Stamford, 1663. (fn. 113)
The plate consists of a cup on which only the maker's
mark R.B. is visible, and a paten of 1682–3. There
is also a pewter plate. (fn. 114)
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms and burials 1631–1758, marriages 1631–1754;
(ii) baptisms and burials 1759–1812; (iii) marriages
1754 (fn. 115) –1812. The first volume contains memoranda of payments under the provisions of the Edward
Horsman charity, 1693–1725.
Advowson
In an inquisition of the lands of the
Templars in 1185, the church of
Stretton appears under Lincolnshire
as the gift of Robert de Brus (de Bruis). (fn. 116) In 1280
the charter of Robert de Brus was confirmed to the
Templars by the king. (fn. 117) The grantor was probably
Robert de Brus IV, who died before 1191, for he
married in 1183 Isabel, daughter of William the Lion, (fn. 118)
who for a time held the lands of the Honour of Huntingdon. It was said in 1276 that the church had belonged
to Henry I; and Queen Maud gave the advowson to a
certain chaplain, Albin, and he gave it to the Templars'
preceptory at Wytham to find him in necessities for
life; the Templars had ever since remained in possession, but had no other title. (fn. 119) Nevertheless they
appropriated the church (fn. 120) and appointed a vicar. (fn. 121)
After the dissolution of the order it was not included
in the grant of Wytham (fn. 122) to the Hospitallers, who,
however, held tenements here until the Dissolution
of the Monasteries. These were granted in 1543 to
Thomas Gray, the king's servant, in fee as attached
to Dingley preceptory. (fn. 123) There is no record of the
Hospitallers holding the advowson, which subsequently seems to have descended with the manor
to the present day. The living is now a rectory in the
gift of Major Fleetwood-Hesketh of Stocken Hall.
In 1619 Mr. Watkin taught a school in the
chancel and in 1640 a school was still held in the
church. (fn. 124) There is now a mixed public elementary
school in the parish.
Charity
Edward Horsman's charity for the
poor was founded in the year 1693. It
appears that the only record of the
charity is a tablet in the church. The endowment
consists of a sum of £17 14s. 11d. 2½ per cent. Consols
held by the Official Trustees, producing in dividends
8s. 8d. per annum. The charity is administered by the
rector of Stretton and one trustee appointed by the
parish meeting of Stretton.