HORTON
Horton (xi cent.); Hortun (xiii cent.).
The parish of Horton lies 6½ miles south-east from
Northampton on the road to Newport Pagnell, with a
station on the Northampton and Bedford branch of
the L.M.S. railway. The area is 1,930 acres of land
and 6 of water and the soil is clay and marl with subsoil
of stone. The chief crops are wheat, oats, and beans,
and there is some pasture. The land lies between about
300 ft. to 400 ft. above the ordnance datum. There
is a group of six cottages north of the church, and a
few scattered farms, but no real village. Horton
House, standing in a park of about 200 acres, in which
there is a long lake fed by several streams, was pulled
down in 1936. It was a large 18th-century stone mansion of two main stories and an attic, with an Ionic
portico, built by Lord Halifax. The park also contained
a building formerly used by Lord Halifax as a menagerie. To the south of the parish lie Horton wood
and Little Horton wood now (1936) being felled.
Little Horton House, a small Georgian house, stands
in its own grounds of about 30 acres off the HortonBrafield road.
In the early 18th century the parish was inclosed
and contained 8 or 9 families. By Local Government
Board Order of 24 March 1884, a detached part of
Great Houghton was added to this parish and Cheney
Brand's farm (fn. 1) transferred from Cogenhoe. The population in 1931 was 844 in the civil parish.
Manors
In 1066, 3 virgates in HORTON were
held by Turbern of the Bishop of Coutances, (fn. 2) 2 hides by Otbert of Walter the
Fleming, (fn. 3) and half a hide by Turbern of the Countess
Judith, who also held 1 hide of socland as a part of the
manor of Yardley Hastings. (fn. 4) In the 12th-century survey these three fees were described respectively as
6 virgates held by Walter fitz Winemar of the fee of
Olney; (fn. 5) 2 hides, 1 small virgate held by Alouf de
Merk, son of Otbert, of the fee of Wahull; (fn. 6) and 6
virgates held by Turgis de Quenton of King David,
who had 3 small virgates in addition. (fn. 7)
The holding of Walter fitz Winemar passed to his
descendants, the Prestons of Preston Deanery, and its
history can be traced under their part of Preston which
was held of the fee of Chester (q.v.). In 1235–6
William de Scrlingford (sic) was said to hold one
knight's fee in Horton of Olney. (fn. 8) This was possibly
an over-estimate, as his holding seems to correspond to
the 4½ virgates and other land there held by Sarah de
Scrimplingford of Gilbert de Preston in 1274, (fn. 9) and
Gilbert was said to hold of the king by service of one
eighth of a knight's fee, and in the following year his
heir held half a fee in Preston, Hackleton, and Horton
of the fee of Chester. (fn. 10) No more is heard of the Scnmplingford tenancy, but part, at least, of the lands may
have been acquired by Aubrey de Whittlebury. (fn. 11)
The history of the mesne tenures of the fee of King
David which passed to the honor of Huntingdon is
obscure because the land became attached to holdings
elsewhere. (fn. 12) In 1284 the tenants of John de Hastings
were Henry de Hackleton for one carucate and the
Abbot of St. James by Northampton for 2 virgates. (fn. 13)
The carucate probably represents part at least of the
former holding of Turgis de Quenton, as in 1246
Roger de Hackleton had acquired land here from John
Passelewe and Mabel his wife, (fn. 14) who seems to have
been the daughter of Sewal de Quenton. (fn. 15) Its subsequent descent is unknown.
The Wahull overlordship by 1235–6 had descended
to William fitz Warin in right of his wife Agnes the
daughter of John de Wahull. (fn. 16) He was then holding
half a knight's fee in Horton and 3½ fees in Evenley,
Horton, Charlton, and Astwick, (fn. 17) and his sub-tenant for at
least part of the land was Hugh son of Richard Gubion. (fn. 18)
In 1231 this Hugh had been impleaded in respect of
land in Horton, (fn. 19) and in 1242 he shared with John de
Shirington and Ralph Dayrel the one knight's fee in
Horton held of Saer de Wahull. (fn. 20) Land in Horton
had been acquired by John de Shirington in right of
his wife Joan from Ralf de Evenley in 1232. (fn. 21) Dayrel's
part was probably included in the 2 carucates, &c., in
Horton, Hackleton, and Quinton which passed to him
by fine from William de Horton in 1242, confirmed
by Nicholas de Horton three years later. (fn. 22)
In 1284 the mesne tenants of this fee were John
Morteyn and Laurence de Preston for half a knight's
fee, John Sherington for one carucate, and Aubrey de
Whittlebury for one carucate held of Laurence de
Preston. (fn. 23) In 1304, under Thomas de Wahull, ½ fee
was held by Ralf le Botiler, Henry de Sewelle and the
heirs of Richard Gubion, ¼ fee by John de Sheryngton
and ¼ fee by John de Whittlebury. (fn. 24) Henry de Sewelle
was probably tenant in right of his wife Joan, the widow
of John Morteyn. (fn. 25) Nothing more is known of the
Sheryngton tenure.
On the death of Sir Richard Gubion, son of Hugh
Gubion, in 1300, it was found that he held in Horton
10½ acres assart of the king, also 1/10 of a fee; his heirs
were his daughters Avice, wife of Ralf le Botiler of
Northbury, co. Stafford, and Elizabeth, aged 13, (fn. 26) and
in 1316 Ralf was returned as lord of Horton. (fn. 27) On the
death of his widow in 1361 his grandson Edward, son
of John Botiler, was the heir to 4 messuages and 4 halfvirgates of land in Horton. (fn. 28) He died without heirs, so
that the estate passed to Sir Philip Botiler of Woodhall,
co. Hertford, the grandson of Ralf, second son of Ralf
and Avice. (fn. 29) He died in 1420 leaving his son Philip a
minor, who was succeeded in 1453 by his son John,
aged 18. (fn. 30) The subsequent history of this estate is
obscure.
The portion of the Wahull fee held in 1284 by
Aubrey de Whittlebury seems to represent that held
by Ralph Dayrel in 1242, as in 1262 Sybil Dayrel
conveyed to Aubrey the reversion of 2 carucates in
Horton; (fn. 31) and this can be traced back to 1241, when
William de Horton conveyed the property to Ralph
Dayrel. (fn. 32) On the death of Aubrey de Whittlebury from
drowning in 1290 a capital messuage with 5 virgates
comprised ¼ fee held by him of John de Wodhull by
service including 18d. yearly for the castleguard of
Rockingham. (fn. 33) The John de Whittlebury named above
as tenant in 1304 (fn. 34) was later succeeded by his son
Aubrey. (fn. 35) In 1369 the Escheator was ordered not to
meddle with the manor of Horton with appurtenances
in Piddington which Joan, widow of Aubrey, held at
her death jointly with her husband. (fn. 36) Her heir was her
son John, whose proof of age had been taken in 1353
on the death of his brother Thomas. (fn. 37) This John died
in 1400 seised of the manor, called WYTTELBERYES
PLACE, worth £4, and said to be held of the king in
chief. (fn. 38) On the death of his son Aubrey six years later
the land was said to be held partly of the barony of
Wahull and partly of Reynold de Grey of Ruthin. (fn. 39)
His heir was his daughter Isabel, who later married
Sir Henry de Plessington, but there is no record that
they continued to hold land in Horton.
In 1452–3 the manor of HORTON was in the hands
of John Mortimer of Grendon; (fn. 40) and Roger Salisbury
of Grendon died seised of it in 1492, when it was said
to be held of George, Earl of Kent, as of the manor of
Cotton beside Northampton. (fn. 41) From Roger's son
William in 1511 it passed to his daughter Mary. (fn. 42) She
married Sir William Parr, who, being made chamberlain to his niece Queen Catherine, was created Baron
Parr of Horton in 1543. (fn. 43) The manor, including one
windmill and appurtenances in Piddington and Hackleton, was settled on them for life and afterwards on their
daughter Maud and her husband Sir Ralph Lane. (fn. 44)
Sir William Parr died in 1546 and his widow in 1555, (fn. 45)
when the estate passed to their grandson Sir Robert,
son of Maud and Sir Ralph Lane, (fn. 46) and he with his
wife Catherine was party to a fine concerning the manor
in 1557. (fn. 47) Their son Sir William Lane, who married
Mary daughter of Sir Thomas Andrew, in 1597 settled
the manor upon himself and his wife with remainder
to their son Robert and his wife Theodosia. (fn. 48) Robert
died before his father, and Theodosia then married
Edward Thynne, esquire, before 1616, when Sir
William Lane was succeeded by his grandson William,
aged 17. At this date the manor was still held of the
barony of Wahull by service of one knight's fee, suit
of court and 6s. yearly towards the castleguard of
Rockingham. (fn. 49)
Montagu. Argent a fesse indented of three points gules and a border sable, quartered with or an eagle vert.
Gunning. Gules a fesse sable ermined or between three doves with three crosses formy party gules and azure on the fesse.
At the beginning of the reign of Charles I William
Lane sold to Ralph Freeman, alderman of London,
all rights in the manor together with the rectory and
advowson. (fn. 50) This estate is said to have passed into the
possession of Sir Henry Montagu, (fn. 51) who was created
Earl of Manchester in 1626 (fn. 52) and died in 1642. (fn. 53)
Three years later a recovery relating to the property was
suffered between Edward, Lord Montagu, Margaret,
dowager Countess of Manchester, third wife of Sir
Henry Montagu, and his half-brother George Montagu,
esq., son of the said Margaret. (fn. 54) This George appears to have become lord of Horton and was buried
there in 1681. (fn. 55) His grandson George (fn. 56) was party to
settlements in 1712 and 1738. (fn. 57) George Montagu was
appointed auditor of the Exchequer in 1714 and in
the following year became Baron and then Earl of
Halifax as nephew and heir of Charles, the fourth
son of George Montagu of Horton. (fn. 58) His son
George Montagu, Earl of Halifax, succeeded him
in 1739 and died at Horton without issue male in
1771. (fn. 59) The estate was purchased by Sir Robert Gunning, K.B., minister plenipotentiary at the Courts of
Denmark, Berlin, and St. Petersburg, who was created
a baronet in 1778 and died at his seat at Horton in
1816. (fn. 60) This family owned the manor until 1887, when
it passed to Pickering Phipps, esq., J.P., brewer, of
Northampton. In 1899 Mr. George H. Winterbottom,
of Manchester, purchased the manor and estate and
resided at Horton House (fn. 61) until his death in 1935.
The property was then sold to Mr. W. Storey, of
Portsmouth, who resold most of the estate in small lots.
Church
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN consists of chancel, 25 ft. by
15 ft., nave, 33 ft. 6 in. by 17 ft. 3 in.;
south aisle, 8 ft. 6 in. wide; south porch, and west tower,
10 ft. 3 in. square, all these measurements being internal. The width across nave and aisle is 27 ft. 10 in.
With the exception of the nave arcade, and in a less
degree of the tower, which are of early-14th-century
date, the fabric retains very little ancient work. The
slated roofs are all new and without parapets, the roof
of the chancel being considerably higher and of steeper
pitch than that of the nave. The chancel is faced with
coursed roughly dressed stone, but in the nave, aisle,
and porch the walling is finely dressed and in alternating courses (three and two) of limestone and local ironstone.
Bridges, writing about 1720, states that 'the church
has been repaired by the Earl of Halifax, and is now
handsomely pewed with oak and paved with freestone', (fn. 62)
and though in 1862 the fabric underwent an extensive
restoration, amounting almost to a rebuilding, some
traces of this 18th-century 'repair' still remain. The
more recent work is in the style of the 14th century;
but the chief interest of the building lies in its monuments. Internally all the walls, except those of the
tower, are plastered, and the floors tiled.
The chancel has pairs of buttresses at the east end
and a modern pointed east window of three lights with
Decorated tracery. In the south wall are two modern
pointed windows of two trefoiled lights, but the north
wall is blank. No ancient features have survived. The
sanctuary floor is of marble, and there is a single marble
sedile in the south side. The chancel arch is modern:
there is no screen.
The early-14th-century nave arcade is of three bays,
with pointed arches of two chamfered orders springing
from octagonal pillars with moulded capitals and bases,
and from moulded corbels at the ends: the double roll
is used in the bases. The nave roof is of low pitch, and
the wall above the arcade is unpierced. All the windows
in the nave and aisle are modern, (fn. 63) of one or two lights,
and of Decorated character. The south doorway and
porch are modern. (fn. 64)
The tower is of rubble and is of three stages marked
by strings, with diagonal buttresses on the west to the
height of the lower part of the second stage only. On
the west side, near the top of the lower stage, is an
original pointed window of two uncusped lights, with
an elliptical opening in the head, the hood-mould of
which has been cut away. The tower retains the straight
moulded parapet of the 18th century, with short
pilasters at the angles, (fn. 65) and a lofty and elaborate iron
vane: in the middle stage there is a large circular opening on three sides, those to the south and west serving
for clock dials, the other glazed. The single-light
pointed bell-chamber windows are of very plain
character and apparently of late date, but they are
partly covered by the wooden frames of the louvre
boards. The pointed tower arch is of a single order,
chamfered on the edge and without hood-mould. There
is no vice. The ground story of the tower is used as
a vestry, separated from the nave by a low oak screen
erected in 1910.
The font in use is modern and of an elaborate Gothic
character: the 18th-century marble font, of good
design, is in the churchyard. The pulpit and other
fittings are modern.
The monument of Sir William Parr, Lord Parr of
Horton (d. 1546), and his wife Mary Salisbury has
already been described, (fn. 66) but other monuments in the
chancel are of scarcely less interest. Of these the earliest
are the fine brasses of Roger Salisbury (d. 1492) and
his two wives, now on the north wall, but in Bridges'
time 'within the altar rails on a large grey marble lying
on the ground'. (fn. 67) The figures are 2 ft. 4 in. high and
represent 'a man in armour and on each side of him a
woman in the habit of the times', below which are the
inscription and the indents of the figures of four
children. (fn. 68)
The monument to Sir William Lane (d. 1502) is
also on the north wall. (fn. 69) It bears the effigies of Sir
William and his wife kneeling opposite each other at
a desk, with their two sons (fn. 70) and five daughters. Above
are eight small shields of arms and the monument is
surmounted by a large shield of fourteen quarterings
with helm and crest. (fn. 71)
There is also a wall monument erected in 1756 by
the Earl of Halifax in memory of his brother Edward
Montagu and of his sister Henrietta, (fn. 72) together with
several brass and other tablets to members of the
Gunning family. (fn. 73)
There are three bells; the first by Thomas Newcombe of Leicester (c. 1567–8) inscribed '+ Iacobo',
the second inscribed 'Sancta Katerina ora pro nobis,'
probably by John Saunders of Reading (1539–59), and
the third by James Keene of Woodstock 1641. (fn. 74)
The silver plate consists only of a cup and paten of
1862 given, together with a brass flagon and alms dish,
by Mrs. Gunning Sutton in memory of Sir Robert
Gunning, bart. (fn. 75)
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all
entries 1605–23; (ii) baptisms 1612–1741–2 (Feb.),
marriages and burials 1626–1741–2; (iii) baptisms
and burials 1743–1812, marriages 1743–54; (iv)
marriages 1754–1812.
Advowson
Early in the 13th century Richard
Gubion granted to the Abbot of St.
James, Northampton, the church of
Horton with 'Presteswode' and the croft of 'Byrystede'. (fn. 76) The advowson of the vicarage was held by this
house until the Dissolution (fn. 77) and before 1535 the rectory of Piddington had been annexed to it. (fn. 78) In the 13th
century the rectory of Horton was valued at 6½ marks,
exclusive of a pension of ½ mark paid to the prior of
St. Andrew's, and in 1535 it was at farm for 60s. (fn. 79) In
1559 Elizabeth granted the rectory and advowson of
Horton with Piddington to John Doddington of London and John Jackson, (fn. 80) and from them it passed to Sir
William Lane who died seised of it in 1616. (fn. 81) It was
in the gift of the lord of the manor until 1924, when
Mr. Winterbottom gave it to the Bishop of Peterborough.