CRANFORD ST. ANDREW
Craneford (xi cent.).
The parish of Cranford St. Andrew lies between
100 ft. and 300 ft. above the ordnance datum, the
subsoil being Great and Inferior Oolite. One of the
numerous streams of the district forms the southern
boundary. The little village lies about half a mile
to the north of the main road from Kettering to
Thrapston and Huntingdon. It consists only of
Cranford Hall and the church of St. Andrew, a few
cottages and an Institute founded by the Rev. Sir
George Robinson. There are various spinneys
in the parish. The nearest station is at Cranford
St. John, on the Kettering and Huntingdon branch
of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. Ironstone was extensively worked in the 19th century. (fn. 1)
The parish was inclosed in 1775 by a private Act of
Parliament, for dividing and inclosing certain common
and open fields and meadows in the parish of Cranford. (fn. 2)
Manors
In the early records of the manors in
CRANFORD no distinction is made
between the two parishes of Cranford
St. Andrew and Cranford St. John, so that it is
difficult to decide in which parish their lands were
situated. Probably the different estates spread into
both parishes, and certainly the same undertenants
held lands in Cranford of different overlords. In
Domesday Book, four separate holdings are mentioned,
of which two belonged to the fee of Peterborough
Abbey; the first of these was held by Robert and
consisted of 3 hides of land; the second contained
1½ hides, to which apparently no undertenant is
given, but there appears the ambiguous and difficult
passage that 'Godric holds (or held it) of the King.' (fn. 3)
The third holding contained only one virgate and
was held of the Bishop of Coutances by Robert. (fn. 4)
The fourth consisted of 3 virgates held of Guy de
Reinbuedcurt by Odelin. (fn. 5) In the 12th-century
survey more than double this amount of land is
assigned to Cranford, (fn. 6) and it is difficult to identify
the holdings, except in the case of the Reinbuedcurts.
Guy's son Richard had succeeded him and held a
hide, instead of 3 virgates, which was said to belong
to the fee of Peterborough, instead of being held of
the King. (fn. 7)
It seems clear, however, that the manor of CRANFORD ST. ANDREW, alias DAUNDELYNS or
DORLANDS MANOR, may be traced to the manor
held in 1086 by Robert as a mesne lord of the Abbey
and identified with the somewhat smaller holding of
Maurice Daundelyn in the 12th-century survey. (fn. 8)
Robert was presumably Robert D'Oyley who was
the tenant in 1125–28, (fn. 9) and
the manor continued to be
held of the fee of D'Oyley till
1253. (fn. 10) In 1284 John son of
Guy was the mesne lord, (fn. 11) but
afterwards the manor seems
to have been held immediately
of the Abbey. (fn. 12) In 1086 a
nameless knight was the subtenant of Robert D'Oyley, (fn. 13)
and early in the next century
the manor was in the hands of
Maurice Daundelyn. (fn. 14) It was
held by the service due from half a knight's fee. (fn. 15)
Maurice was succeeded in direct male succession (fn. 16) by
Ralph (living 1189), (fn. 17) Maurice (living temp. John), (fn. 18)
Ralph (living 1228), (fn. 19) Maurice (1261), Hugh (living
1280–1316), (fn. 20) John (living temp. Edward III) (fn. 21) and
John Daundelyn (living 1346). (fn. 22) The second John sold
the manor in 1360 to Henry Pyel, afterwards Archdeacon of Northampton, and Richard Bryan, chaplain,
presumably as trustees of John Pyel. (fn. 23) The manor
followed the descent of Pyel's manor in Woodford, (fn. 24) in
spite of attempts by John, son of William, son of the
last-named John Daundelyn (fn. 25) in 1403 and by his son
William (fn. 26) in 1469, to recover possession. In 1595,
William, Lord Vaux of Harrowden, who had been
empowered by Act of Parliament to alienate certain
manors, sold Cranford to Thomas Hensman, Owen
Prise and Thomas Conwaye, (fn. 27) who also obtained a
quitclaim of the manor from Sir Thomas Cecil and his
wife Dorothy. (fn. 28) It is said to have come before 1676
into the possession of a family named Coo, who were
lords of the manor of Cranford St. Johns (q.v.).
Dr. Christopher Coo, D.D., sold it in 1715 to Sir
James Robinson, bart., (fn. 29) and his descendant Sir
Frederick Robinson is now lord of the manor.
D'Oyley. Or two bends azure.
Godric's holding in Cranford mentioned in Domesday Book (fn. 30) may possibly be identified with CURZON'S
MANOR, which was held of the Abbey of Peterborough early in the 12th century by Bertram de
Verdun, whose holding, however, contained 2 hides and
1½ virgates of land, (fn. 31) instead of the 1½ hides held by
Godric. In the latter half of the
13th century John de Verdun,
Constable of Ireland, seems to
have held the overlordship. (fn. 32)
While the lands came into
his hands owing to the forfeiture for felony by an undertenant, he seems to have
enfeoffed John de Kirkby with
part of them, overriding the
rights of his intermediate
tenant, Sir Richard Curzon. (fn. 33)
No further mention is made
of the Verdun mesne lordship,
but lands, parcel of the manor of Cranford, were
held of the Curzons of Croxhall, in Staffordshire,
as late as 1638. (fn. 34)
Robinson. Vert a bart tripping in an orle of trefoils or.
Curzon of Croxhall. Azure a bend between two lions argent with three parrots vert on the bend.
Richard Curzon granted it to his son Thomas, (fn. 35)
whose son Robert was the tenant in 1278 and 1284, (fn. 36)
and who seems to have settled
at Cranford. (fn. 37) In 1300 and
1316 the tenant was John
Curzon, (fn. 38) who was probably
succeeded by Thomas Curzon
before 1329. (fn. 39) It passed before
1374 to Margaret Curzon,
who probably married John
Fossebrook. He was living in
1391, but seems to have died
before 1403. His son and heir,
John, died in 1418, and both
he and his wife Maud, who
was nurse to King Henry VI,
are buried at Cranford St. Andrew. She survived him
for many years, and apparently held the manor for
life. She was succeeded in direct succession by
Gerard, John and Robert Fossebrook, the last-named
dying seised of Curzon's manor in 1518. He was succeeded by his son John, (fn. 40) who died in less than a
year. The manor passed to Richard, John's brother and
heir, (fn. 41) whose direct descendants held it till 1639, (fn. 42)
when, after the death of John Fossebrook, leaving
several daughters as his heirs, it was sold to Lawrence
Maidwell, Arthur Bold and John Bland. (fn. 43) In 1654,
Arthur and John Bland sold it to Henry Hudson, (fn. 44)
who resold it in 1657 to Bernard Walcott. (fn. 45) In 1700,
his grandson William, son of another Bernard Walcott,
sold it to Sir James Robinson, bart., (fn. 46) who later
purchased Daundelyn's manor (q.v.).
Fossebrook. Azure a saltire between four cinqfoils argent.
The Earls of Gloucester claimed various privileges
in connection with their holding in Cranford, which
they presumably obtained after the forfeiture of the
Bishop of Coutances, but they
held more than the virgate assigned to the bishop in 1086. (fn. 47)
Both the Daundelyns (fn. 48) and
Fossebrooks (fn. 49) held land of the
honour of Gloucester. The
earls had a view of frankpledge, court leet, assize of
bread and ale, pillory, tumbril,
infangthief and outfangthief,
chattels of felons and fugitives,
waifs and strays, and the return and execution of all writs,
summons and orders of the
king, for their Cranford lands. (fn. 50) A mill belonged to
Godric's land in Cranford in 1086. It then paid 2s.
a year. (fn. 51)
Church
The church of ST. ANDREW stands
within the park of Cranford Hall, a
short distance south-west of the house,
and consists of chancel 24 ft. 6 in. by 13 ft., north and
south chapels, each 8 ft. 6 in. wide, clearstoried nave
of three bays 38 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft. 3 in., north aisle
8 ft. wide, north transept, south porch and west
tower 9 ft. 6 in. square, all these measurements being
internal. The width across the nave and aisle is
26 ft. 10 in. The transept was added in 1847 at the
eastern end of the north wall, and measures internally
11 ft. 8 in. square. (fn. 52)
The building generally is of rubble, with lowpitched leaded roofs. A former external coat of
plaster is now rapidly peeling away. There are
plain parapets to the nave, aisle and chapels, but the
chancel and porch are battlemented. The chapels
cover the chancel its full length, the walls being flush
at the east end.
The earliest part of the building is the nave arcade,
which is of late 12th-century date, and consists of three
round arches of two square orders springing from
cylindrical piers with plain circular capitals and roll
bases, and at either end from corbels. In the 13th
century the church appears to have been largely
reconstructed, the tower being then erected, the
nave probably rebuilt, (fn. 53) and a north chapel first
added. The 13th-century arch between the aisle
and chapel is of two chamfered orders on half-round
responds, with moulded capitals and bases, but the
chapel itself retains no original architectural features.
The tower consists of a lofty lower stage with coupled
buttresses of small projection and a bell-chamber
story which has been heightened at some later
period by the addition of plain masonry above the
windows, and an embattled parapet. The 13thcentury west doorway is of two moulded orders on
nook shafts with moulded capitals, but the bases are
gone, and the outer order is disfigured with plaster.
Above is a single wide lancet, and there is another
lancet on the south side high up in the lower stage,
the north side being blank. The bell-chamber
windows are c. 1280, of two trefoiled lights and cusped
circle in the head, except on the west side, where
there is simple trefoiled tracery above the lights and
a plain circle. The arch to the nave is a beautiful
piece of 13th-century work of four (fn. 54) chamfered orders,
the first or innermost springing from triple shafts
with moulded capitals and bases, the second and
outer continuous, while the third terminates with
tall 'extinguisher' stops above slender angle shafts
with moulded capitals and bases. (fn. 55)
In the first half of the 14th century the church
underwent a very extensive alteration, amounting
almost to a rebuilding, the clearstory and porch being
then added and new windows inserted. The aisle
may have been rebuilt at this time, but the south
wall, at any rate up to sill level, was retained. Further
alterations took place in the 15th century, when the
south chapel was added, and the chancel and north
chapel assumed their present aspect. The south
chapel was largely refaced with ashlar in 1674. (fn. 56)
The chancel has a four-centred east window of
three cinquefoiled lights, with vertical tracery, and
is open to the chapels by arches of two chamfered
orders, that on the south carried on corbels, the
other dying out. The piscina, reredos, and all the
fittings are modern: a screen was erected in 1893.
The 14th-century chancel arch is of two chamfered
orders, the inner springing from half-octagonal
responds with moulded capitals and bases. The
rood-loft stair remains on the north side, at the end
of the aisle, the steps ascending from the east in
front of the 13th-century arch to the chapel: the loft
doorway is blocked and covered with plaster.
The north chapel is now used as a vestry and orgar.
chamber and is lighted by 15th-century windows,
but both windows of the south chapel are modern.
The aisle retains a 14th-century square-headed twolight window, but its doorway has been transferred
to the transept: another window of the aisle is a
15th-century insertion. Both windows in the nave
are 14th century, that west of the porch squareheaded and of two trefoiled lights, the other a pointed
three-light window with curvilinear tracery: the
clearstory windows, four on each side, are trefoiled
openings similar to those at Barton Seagrave, within
curved triangular labels. There is a 14th-century
trefoiled piscina in the south wall of the nave, west
of the screen, but the south doorway is a 15th-century
insertion with four-centred head. The porch has
a continuous moulded outer arch and small windows
of two trefoiled lights on each side.
The font is ancient and consists of a plain octagonal
bowl on a four-sided modern panelled stem: it has
a flat 17th-century cover.
The pulpit is modern, but incorporates three
Renaissance oak panels with scenes from our Lord's
passion.
On the north wall of the aisle, grouped together,
are five small brasses formerly in the chancel floor,
representing (i) John Fossbrook, 1418, and Matilda
his wife 'que fuit sicca nutrix dño Regi Henrico
sexto,' and (ii) John Fossbrooke, March 1602–3, and
his two wives. (fn. 57)
In the south chapel are wall monuments to Bernard
Walcot (d. 1671), Sir William Robinson, kt. (d. March
1678–9), and George Robinson (d. 1753).
The upper lights of the east window are filled with
fragments of mediaeval English glass, and the lower
lights with pieces of German, French and Flemish
painted glass mostly in medallions of 17th-century
date, many of which bear inscriptions. (fn. 58)
There are four bells, the first dated 1718, the
second and tenor 1624, and the third by Tobie Norris
of Stamford 1683. (fn. 59)
The plate consists of a cup c. 1570, inscribed 'For
the town of Cranford Andre,' a paten of 1813 presented by the Rev. Sir George Robinson, bart.,
1833, and a flagon of 1835 presented by the same in
1836. (fn. 60)
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i)
baptisms and burials 1695–1718, marriages 1695–
1753; (ii) baptisms and burials 1719–1812; (iii)
marriages 1754–1812. There are churchwardens'
accounts from 1774 to 1868.
Advowson
The advowson of the church of
St. Andrew appears to have belonged to the lords of Curzon's
manor, although in 1240 or 1241 a presentation was
made by John de Courtenay. (fn. 61) Robert Curzon presented in 1279, (fn. 62) and the advowson passed with the
manor till the latter part of the 17th century. (fn. 63) It
was sold, probably by Bernard Walcott, and certainly
by one of his family to — Bullivant, from whom it
passed to his son, the Rev. John Bullivant, who was
also the rector. (fn. 64) The latter presented in 1742, (fn. 65)
but then apparently sold the advowson to the Rev.
John Poulton and the Rev. John Saunders, who presented in 1744. (fn. 66) In 1767 the Rev. Thomas Walker
presented, (fn. 67) but it was bought by the Robinsons before
1772, when Sir George Robinson, bart., (fn. 68) the lord
of both manors (q.v.), in Cranford St. Andrew, presented. The rectory is now consolidated with that
of Cranford St. John.
Charities
THE POOR'S LAND consists of
2 a. 2 r. 28 p. of land which has been
appropriated from ancient time to
the use of the poor. The land is let to Mr. W.
Robinson for £4 yearly which is distributed, by the
churchwardens and trustees appointed by Parish
Council, in coal to 10 recipients.