MILTON MALZOR
Midleton (xi cent.); Middleton Malsores (xiv
cent.); Milton alias Middleton Malsor (xviii cent.).
The parish of Milton Malzor covers an area of
1,479 acres. The subsoil is of clay and sand, while the
soil varies in different parts of the parish. Towards
the south-east and south-west it is of a light red sandy
nature, at the extremity of the south it is strong, deep,
and rich, the north side is loamy. The parish is well
timbered with elm and ash, and a part of it is devoted
to pasture. The chief crops produced are wheat and
barley. The Northampton Canal, connecting the River
Nene with the Grand Junction Canal, borders the
north-west part of the parish.
Many 17th- and early-18thcentury stone cottages with highpitched thatched roofs and coped
gable ends remain in the village,
though in most cases the windows
have been modernized. One of
these houses, in the middle of the
village, bears a tablet inscribed
'1638, S.M., I.M.'; another near
the north end has '1654, a.p.,
t.p.', and a third is dated 1701.
Of the two manor-houses that
of the manor of Peverel, known
simply as The Manor, (fn. 1) is a
gabled building with mullioned
windows, probably of early-16thcentury date, with a two-story
bay window on its west side, but
the east front was rebuilt in the
18th century. To the northwest of the house is a rectangular stone dovecote with tiled
roof, one of the gables of which
has been rebuilt in brick. The other manor-house
(Mantell's) is on the west side of the village and is
now known as Milton Manor. Its south front, facing
the road, was rebuilt in the 18th century and is a simple
stuccoed composition of two stories, with cornice, sash
windows, and pedimented doorway. (fn. 2) The older part
of the house contains a good 17th-century oak staircase. (fn. 3)
'Milton House', which stands a
little to the west of the Manor,
was enlarged in 1777 by the
addition of a south wing faced
with Duston stone. (fn. 4) The house
known as 'Mortimers', on the
south side of the village, is a
long, plain two-story building of
18th-century date.
Bardolf. Azure three cinq foils or.
Manors
In 1086 William
held of Geoffrey
Alselin 3½ hides in
MILTON. To the manor pertained 2 hides less a virgate in Collingtree which were let to two socmen, and ½
hide in Rothersthorpe. (fn. 5) At the time of the Northamptonshire Survey (12th cent.) these 5¼ hides in Milton
and Collingtree were held by Robert de Causho and
Geoffrey. (fn. 6) The lands of Geoffrey Alselin descended
to Ralph Hauselyn who died without male heirs, leaving his property to Thomas Bardolf, husband of his
grand-daughter Rose. (fn. 7) William son of Doun son of
Thomas Bardolf held the overlordship of 1 knight's fee
in Milton and Collingtree of the honor of Peverel, about
1236. (fn. 8) He survived until late in 1275, (fn. 9) being succeeded by his son William, who held the overlordship
in 1284, (fn. 10) which passed on his death in 1290 (fn. 11) to his son
Hugh, who died in 1304, (fn. 12) and from him to his son
Thomas. He died in 1330, (fn. 13) leaving 1 knight's fee in
Milton to his wife Agnes who held it until her death
on 12 December 1357. (fn. 14) Her son John, who was 30
years old at the time of her death, died before October
1361 when his son William was a ward of the king. (fn. 15)
William died before 1389–90 seised of ¾ of a knight's
fee in Milton and Collingtree, which was probably forfeited with his other property when his son Thomas was
convicted of treason. (fn. 16)
Milton Malzor: The Manor
Malesoures. Party azure and gules three crescents argent.
The family of Malesoures
from which Milton took its distinctive name was settled there
from an early date, the first
recorded member being William
Malesoures who sued Richard
son of Reynold in 1208 for a
virgate of land in Collingtree,
first in the court of Doun Bardolf and later in the king's
court. (fn. 17) John Malesoures held
a knight's fee in Milton and
Collingtree of William Bardolf in 1235 and 1242. (fn. 18)
The fee descended to William Malesoures who held it
in 1284, (fn. 19) from whom it passed to his son William and
the latter's son John Malesoures, who had possession of
it in 1316 (fn. 20) and was succeeded by his son Ralph. (fn. 21)
Thomas son of Ralph Malesoures died in October 1361
seised of the manor, which he held jointly with his
brother Hugh who survived him, with remainder to his
daughter Amice, then aged nine, and Hugh's heirs. (fn. 22)
Amice married Sir Roger Parwick, (fn. 23) who was involved
in 1387 in a lawsuit over the presentation to the churches
of Milton and Collingtree. (fn. 24) In 1412 William Parwick
held land in the two parishes to the value of £22, (fn. 25) and
in 1428 the heirs of John Parwick were in possession
of the lands formerly held there by Thomas Josep
and Philip Malesoures. (fn. 26)
Milton Malzor: Dovecote
In 1481 the manor of Milton and Collingtree was
held by Richard Parwick who on 20 June of that year
settled it on his son William and Godith his wife. They
settled the manor on their daughter Rose, wife of
William Digby, in 1506, but she died before her mother,
on whose death in 1518 it passed to Rose's son John
Digby then a minor of eleven years. (fn. 27) John married
Mary daughter of William, Lord Parr, by whom he had
one son William Digby. Mary survived her husband
and then married Henry Brook, to whom William sold
the manor in December 1552. Their son Roger Brook
married Mary daughter of Sir Thomas Fullchurch and
died on 22 November 1558, leaving a young daughter
Mary (fn. 28) who died in June 1564. The manor descended
under her grandfather's will to Basil Brook, son of his
nephew Andrew. (fn. 29) He conveyed it to William Goodere in 1581, (fn. 30) from whom it passed to Sir William
Samwell of Upton in 1595. (fn. 31) He settled the manor
on his daughter Jane on her marriage with Sir Sapcotes
Harrington of Rand, who sold it to Francis Harvey,
serjeant-at-law, in 1621. (fn. 32) On the marriage of his son
Stephen with Mary Murden he settled the manor on
him. Stephen predeceased his father in March 1630
leaving a son Francis aged 7 years. (fn. 33) Francis died in
September 1643, his heir being his brother Richard
who was then nineteen. (fn. 34) From Richard Harvey the
manor passed to Richard Gleed and his son Edmund,
who survived him and bequeathed it to his son Richard
by his will of 25 April 1679. By 1720 Elizabeth the
only daughter of Richard Gleed and widow of Richard
Dodwellwas lady of the manor. (fn. 35) At the time of the
inclosure John Darker held the manor, which passed
on his death in February 1784 (fn. 36) to his grand-daughter,
Mary Nash, who married William Blake of Danesbury,
near Welwyn. The manor remained in the possession
of the family until the latter part of the 19th century
when Col. A. Blake sold it to Mr. James Asplin,
who remained lord of the manor until his death in
1923.
The heirs of Robert de Causho kept the overlordship of his lands in Milton and Collingtree, as of the
fee of Cauz, until 1235, (fn. 37) but by 1242 it had passed
to Robert de Everingham who held of the honor
of Lexington. (fn. 38) In 1284 Philip de Quenton held
a mesne lordship of one fee of Robert de Everingham, (fn. 39) which he conveyed to Philip de Gayton by
fine in 1292–3. (fn. 40) Philip died without issue in
1316, (fn. 41) being succeeded by his brother Theobald
who died childless a few days after him, (fn. 42) his heirs
being his two sisters, Juliana, who was later burnt
for the murder of her husband, Thomas Murdak, (fn. 43)
and Scholastica widow of Geoffrey de Meaux.
Theobald's wife held a third of his lands in Milton
and Collingtree in dower, (fn. 44) but by 1322 Scholastica
had possession of the whole of the knight's fee
formerly held by her brothers. (fn. 45) She died in 1354,
her son John, then aged 40 years, succeeding her. (fn. 46)
Sir John de Meaux died without heirs some time after
1377, (fn. 47) and the fee evidently passed with the manor
of Gayton to the Trussell family. The last mention
of the overlordship occurs in 1504 when William
Tanfeld of Gayton is named as the overlord. (fn. 48)
Pateshull. Argent a fesse sable between three crescents gules.
At the end of the 12th century
William de le Fremont owned
land in Milton and Collingtree
which he conveyed to Simon de
Pateshull together with half the
advowson of the churches of
Milton and Collingtree in 1201. (fn. 49)
William died without issue and
his lands here were divided
among his sisters, one of whom,
Emma, wife of William de Gatesbury, conveyed her sixth share to
William de Pateshull in 1224. (fn. 50)
Hugh de Pateshull, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield
and younger son of Simon, held 1½ fees in Milton and
Collingtree in 1235–6 of the fee of Cauz, (fn. 51) which his
nephew Simon, son of his elder brother Walter, held in
1242–3 of Robert de Everingham. (fn. 52) He was succeeded
by his son John who held a fee of Philip de Quenton in
1284. (fn. 53) From him the manor passed to his son Simon
who died in 1295 holding the manor of Philip de Gayton
by service of a knight's fee and a rent of £10. (fn. 54) His son
John, who was only four years old at the time of his
father's death, was returned as one of the tenants of
Milton and Collingtree in 1316, (fn. 55) and died in 1349
holding the land of Scholastica de Meaux by service
of 22s. yearly. It was rented at £27 8s. 3½d. and rents
of 4 capons, 6 hens, and 6 horseshoes with nails from
divers tenements arrented of old. (fn. 56) His son William
died without issue ten years later and, on the division
of his property among his four sisters, (fn. 57) the 2 virgates
in Milton and Collingtree were assigned to Alice, the
wife of Thomas Wake of Blisworth. (fn. 58) On her death
in 1398 (fn. 59) she was succeeded by her grandson Thomas,
whose son Thomas held ½ fee in Milton and Collingtree in 1428. (fn. 60) He died on 10 September 1458
holding the manor jointly with his wife Agnes, his heir
being his son Thomas who was born about 1434. (fn. 61)
Roger Wake succeeded his father on his death in May
1476. (fn. 62) He was attainted as a follower of Richard III
in 1485, his manor of Milton and Collingtree being
granted to Sir Charles de Somerset, (fn. 63) but he subsequently
obtained a pardon and restitution of his lands. (fn. 64) By deed
of 10 March 1496 he conveyed the manor to feoffees
appointed as executors of his will. He died on 16
March 1504, leaving to his brother William an annual
rent of £15 from the manors, and land worth £12
yearly there to be amortized to the use of the chaplain
of the chantry he founded at Blisworth. (fn. 65) His heir
Thomas Wake subsequently sold the manors to Oliver
Wood, who by his will of 21 May 1520 left them to his
daughter Margaret, wife of Sir Walter Mantell, with
remainder to their sons John, Walter, and Thomas in
tail male. (fn. 66) From this ill-starred family the manors
became known as MANTELL'S MANOR.
The eldest son of John Mantell was convicted of
felony and put to death, leaving a son Walter who later
suffered the same fate on being convicted of treason.
Walter Mantell, the second son, was also attainted on
a charge of treason, and on the death of Margaret, then
the widow of Sir James Hales, in 1567, the manor
passed to Walter's eldest son Matthew who was aged
21 years. (fn. 67) The property was at this time described as
the manors of Milton next Collingtree, Milton Malzor,
and Collingtree. Matthew Mantell conveyed the
manors to Francis Foxley in 1589, (fn. 68) from whom they
passed to William Dry in 1610. (fn. 69) He died in 1637,
being buried in Milton Malzor Church, where an
inscription describes him as 'Yeoman, Lord of a Manor
in this towne called Mantell's-Manor'. (fn. 70) He was succeeded by his son William who was living in 1666, (fn. 71)
but had been succeeded in 1686 by his son Edward
Dry, (fn. 72) who died on 19 November 1707. (fn. 73) By the marriage of Anne daughter of Edward Dry, the manor
came to Edward Price, who presented to the church of
Milton Malzor in 1745. (fn. 74) At the time of the inclosure
in 1779 James King was the lord of the manor, but
he sold it soon after to Joseph Dent, whose descendant,
Sir W. Ryland Dent Adkins, K.C., held it till his death
in 1925.
Church
The church of THE HOLY CROSS (fn. 75)
consists of chancel 30 ft. 6 in. by 15 ft. 4 in.
with north and south chapels each 18 ft.
6 in. by 16 ft. 6 in., clerestoried nave 42 ft. 3 in. by
18 ft. 9 in., north and south aisles 14 ft. 6 in. wide, south
porch, and west tower 7 ft. 6 in. by 8 ft. 6 in., all these
measurements being internal. The width across nave
and aisles is 53 ft. The chapels are continuous eastward of the aisles and cover the chancel for more than
half its length.
The building generally is of roughly coursed limestone, with straight parapets to the chancel, nave, and
aisles. The roofs are all modern, those of the chancel, (fn. 76)
nave and porch slated, the aisles leaded. All the walls
are plastered internally, and the floors, except in the
sanctuary, flagged. A gallery, since removed, was
erected at the west end of the nave in 1817, and in
1824 the church was completely reseated. (fn. 77) The chancel was restored in 1874, and the remainder of the
fabric in 1876–7, (fn. 78) when it was again reseated, the wall
of the north aisle heightened, and the porch rebuilt.
In 1904 St. Katharine's chapel, at the east end of the
south aisle, was restored to its original purpose.
The building underwent a very considerable reconstruction in the 14th century, but the oldest parts
of the present structure are the cylindrical pillars of
the north arcade, which are c. 1180–90 and have circular moulded bases on square chamfered plinths, but
they have been heightened and the capitals are later.
The arcade is of four bays with half-round responds,
but the bases of the responds are chamfered and their
plinths are half-octagons. The base mouldings of the
pillars (fn. 79) indicate a late-r 2th-century aisled church of some
importance, no other architectural features of which
have survived. That a rebuilding of the aisles took place
at a fairly early date is suggested by the pointed threelight windows in their west walls, which are of three
sharply pointed uncusped lights, of c. 1270. The
tower is without buttresses and has so few architectural features in its lower stage that it is difficult to date.
Its plinth, however, is continuous with that of the aisles
and the pointed west doorway is of three continuous
chamfered orders. The round relieving arch above it
is too high and too wide to have been the arch of an
earlier doorway, and nothing indicates that the doorway is an insertion. The great width of the aisles
would suggest their having been rebuilt during the
14th-century reconstruction, when perhaps they were
extended eastward to provide chapels, the old masonry
being re-used and the west windows retained. The
changes in the building during the 14th century included the rebuilding of the south arcade, the heightening of the north arcade, the erection of the present
chancel, and of the upper part of the tower. The octagonal lantern, which is so conspicuous a feature of the
church, was probably a 15th-century addition.
Plan of Milton Malzor Church
The chancel has diagonal angle buttresses and a
chamfered plinth along the east wall. The pointed
east window is of five trefoiled lights (fn. 80) with reticulated
tracery and hood-mould, and there is a modern threelight window of the same character at the east end of
the south wall. (fn. 81) The piscina has a round-headed trefoiled arch and plain circular projecting bowl, but it is
much restored. In the north wall is a pointed aumbry,
with wide chamfer, fitted with a modern door. There
are no sedilia. At its west end the chancel opens on
each side to the chapels, by pointed arches of two chamfered orders, the inner order on half-round responds
with moulded capitals and chamfered bases; the arch
to the nave is similar. These arches are without hoodmoulds and the capitals are half-octagonal. There are
no screens. The floor of the chancel was raised a step
in 1874, (fn. 82) and three small quatrefoil clerestory windows
were introduced on each side when the new roof was
erected. The reredos and oak panelling date from
1930.
The south chapel (St. Katharine's) is lighted from
the east by a large and beautiful 14th-century traceried
wheel window set within a plain deeply recessed opening (fn. 83) high in the wall. (fn. 84) A copy of this window, which is
the outstanding architectural feature of the church,
was inserted in the north chapel in 1856, in the place
of a then existing window of two lights, but the authority
for such 'restoration' is doubtful. (fn. 85) There are piscinas
in both chapels; that in the north chapel has a plain
trefoiled chamfered head and circular bowl, but the
larger one in St. Katharine's chapel has a pointed arch
with cinquefoil cusping, hollow-chamfered jambs and
fluted bowl. (fn. 86) At the north end of the east wall of the
south chapel is a narrow priest's doorway, now blocked,
and the chapel is lighted on the south by a pointed window of three tall cinquefoiled lights. The corresponding window in the north chapel is of three trefoiled
lights with good 14th-century quatrefoil tracery. The
floors of the chapels are two steps above the aisles, but
there are no dividing arches (fn. 87) and the roofs are continuous.
The south arcade of the nave consists of four pointed
arches of two chamfered orders springing from circular
pillars and half-round responds, with moulded capitals
like those of the chancel arch. The bases of the responds
also correspond with those in the chancel, but the bases
of the pillars are moulded and on square plinths. (fn. 88) The
arches are without hood-moulds. In the north arcade
the older pillars, as already stated, were heightened in
the 14th-century reconstruction, new capitals introduced and pointed arches like those opposite built
upon them. (fn. 89)
The pointed south doorway is of two continuous
chamfered orders with hood-mould, and the north
doorway is also of two continuous orders, the outer
moulded and the inner with a hollow chamfer. In the
south aisle there is a pointed 14th-century window of
two trefoiled lights and quatrefoil in the head on each
side of the doorway, and the north aisle is lighted by
three square-headed windows of two trefoiled lights in
the north wall. (fn. 90) The west windows of the aisles have
already been noted. In the north wall of the north
aisle, short of the chapel, is a pointed window of two
trefoiled lights, the sill of which is carried down, possibly to serve as a low-side window. (fn. 91)
The four clerestory windows date from 1877. They
occur only on the south side and are small trefoil openings in triangular frames. (fn. 92)
The tower is of three stages marked externally by
strings, the two lower stages having a slight batter. The
west doorway has already been described. In the middle
stage there is a single-light pointed window on each
side, and the tall pointed bell-chamber windows are
of two trefoiled lights with quatrefoil in the head. The
tower terminates in a battlemented parapet with angle
pinnacles. There is no vice. The pointed tower arch
is of three chamfered orders, the two outer dying into
the wall, the inner on half-round responds with capitals
and bases like those of the responds of the nave arcades.
The octagon has a window in each of its cardinal faces;
on the east side a single trefoiled opening, on the south
and west a pointed window of two trefoiled lights with
quatrefoil in the head, and on the north a four-centred
single-light moulded window. The short spire has
crocketed angles and openings on four sides.
The font is apparently of late-12th-century date and
consists of a plain circular curved bowl, slightly chamfered round the top, on a short modern stem and base. (fn. 93)
The pulpit dates from 1874, (fn. 94) and all the fittings are
modern. An organ was first introduced in 1852. (fn. 95)
In the chancel and south chapel are marble wall
monuments to Jane, wife of Sir Sapcotes Harrington
and daughter of Sir William Samwell, who died in
1619, and to Richard Dodwell (d. 1726). In the north
chapel is a tablet to William Dry, yeoman (d. 1637).
There is a memorial in the north aisle to thirteen men
of the parish killed or missing in the war of 1914–19.
There is a ring of five bells by Henry Bagley II
of Chacombe 1686. (fn. 96)
The silver plate consists of a cup of 1570, a paten of
1700, and a flagon of 1772; there is also a plated alms
dish. (fn. 97)
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all
entries 1558–1742; (ii) 1742–85; (iii) baptisms and
burials 1786–1813 on parchment; (iv) baptisms September 1785–December 1795 on paper; (v) marriages
1754–1812. (fn. 98)
The churchyard was extended to the north-east in
1912 by the inclusion of a square piece of land known
as the 'Hempland'. (fn. 99)
Advowson
From an early date the churches of
Milton and Collingtree were united,
presentations being made to the moieties of the two churches. Simon de Pateshull obtained
the advowson of one moiety by the gift of William de le
Fremont in 1201, (fn. 100) and his grandson held both moieties
by the middle of the century. (fn. 101) At the death of Sir
William de Pateshull in 1359, one moiety went to his
sister Alice Wake, (fn. 102) and the other to Thomas Fauconberg, son of his sister Maud, then deceased. In 1386
he forfeited his property as an adherent of the King of
France. (fn. 103) Sir Roger Parwick claimed the advowson
but was defeated. (fn. 104)
During the year 1441 the last presentation to a moiety
of the two churches appears to have been made. (fn. 105) They
were subsequently separated and Thomas Wake died
in 1459 seised of the advowson of Collingtree. (fn. 106) It
seems probable that the Parwick family did eventually
regain the advowson of Milton Malzor church, for in
1552 William Digby sold it with the manor to Henry
Brook. The advowson followed the same descent as
the manor until sold by Francis Harvey in 1659 to
Sir John Potts and others. (fn. 107) It subsequently changed
hands several times, and in 1925 the legatees of Mr.
Pickering Phipps of Collingtree gave it to the Bishop
of Peterborough.
The Baptists and Methodists have chapels in the
village.
Charities
Mark Bailey by will proved 11 May
1888 gave to the vicar and churchwardens £10 to be invested and the
proceeds to be given away in bread to the needy and
necessitous poor. The endowment is now represented
by £9 5s. 11d. Consols producing 4s. 8d. yearly in
dividend which is distributed in kind to the poor.
Richard Dodwell by will proved 1 July 1726 charged
certain premises in Milton with a yearly rent-charge of
£2 12s. to be distributed in loaves among the poor. The
rent-charge has been redeemed and the endowment is
represented by £104 Consols. Under a Scheme of the
Charity Commissioners dated 4 February 1898 a body
of 4 trustees was appointed. The Scheme provides for
the income to be distributed in kind to the deserving
and necessitous poor of the parish.
Poor Estate. The endowment of this charity of
which the origin is unknown consists of 2 cottages and
1 acre of land. The land and cottages are let and the
rent amounting to £10 5s. annually is distributed by
3 trustees to the poor in loaves of bread.
Church or Town Estate. This charity comprises an
allotment of about 19 acres of land and 4 cottages. The
land and cottages are let and the rent is received by the
churchwardens and applied towards church expenses.
William Underwood in about 1799 bequeathed
£100 for providing bread for the poor. The endowment now consists of £184 5s. 10d. Consols producing
an income of £4. 12s. 4d. which is distributed by 3
trustees to the poor in loaves of bread.
Miss Frances Montgomery by will proved 25
September 1888 gave £50 to the rector to be applied
annually in the purchase of coal to be distributed
amongst the poor inhabitants; the income amounts to
£1 5s. 8d.