PRESTON DEANERY
Preston, Prestone (xi cent.); Preston iuxta Northampton (xiv cent.); Preston by Pedyngton (xvi cent.); Preston Deanery (xviii cent.).
The parish of Preston Deanery, so called from having
given its name to the deanery of Preston, lies 3½ miles
south-east from Northampton on the road to Newport
Pagnell. It contains 1,475 acres on a soil of marl and
clay with subsoil of stone. The chief crops are wheat
and barley and some land is pasture. The average
height is 300 ft. with higher land towards the north.
A winding stream flows from the south-west and ultimately through the centre of the parish where there is
a weir. Preston Hall stood immediately to the northwest of the church, and was a large stuccoed stone building erected originally in 1716 by Sir Richard Newman.
It was altered and extended several times, but after a
fire in 1872 was rebuilt. (fn. 1) The greater part of the house
was pulled down in 1933 and the remainder refashioned. There are small woods near Preston Lodges
in the north-east and Rookery farm in the south-east.
When Bridges wrote the lordship was inclosed, containing ten houses dispersed in the grounds and a wood
called Preston park adjoined Salcey forest in the south.
In 1935 the parish was absorbed into the newly
formed civil parish of Hackleton. (fn. 2)
Manor
In 1086 Winemar held in PRESTON
3 virgates and 3 acres of meadow of the
Countess Judith, of the soc of Yardley Hastings, (fn. 3) and 1 hide of the Bishop of Coutances, held under
King Edward by Wlwara the widow. (fn. 4) In the 12thcentury survey this appears as 1 hide 1 virgate of King
David's fee and a ½ hide of the fee of Olney, held by
Walter fitz Winemar. (fn. 5) King David's fee passed to the
Hastings family as part of the honor of Huntingdon. (fn. 6)
The fee of Olney became attached to the honor of
Chester (fn. 7) and after the death of Hugh d'Aubigny,
Earl of Arundel, in 1243, it was apparently assigned to
the pourparty of Cecily his fourth sister who married
Roger de Mohaut. (fn. 8) Their son Robert died seised of it
in 1275, (fn. 9) after which date it appears to have been confused with the Hastings' fee in Preston, (fn. 10) part of which
had come to Henry de Hastings from the Chester
honor as inheritance of his wife Ada, a sister and heir
of John, Earl of Chester. (fn. 11) Perhaps it was restored to
the possession of Edward, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of
Chester, after a complaint of usurpations of his fees in
1338. (fn. 12) On his death in 1377 he held a half fee in
Preston late of Gilbert de Preston worth 50s. yearly (fn. 13)
and this was assigned as dower of his widow Joan in
1381. (fn. 14) There is no clear reference to this fee again
until the 16th century. (fn. 15)
Hertwell. Sable a hart's head caboshed argent with a cross formy or between the horns.
Walter fitz Winemar who held both fees in the 12th
century was succeeded by Gilbert de Preston before
1167 (fn. 16) and Gilbert by Michael de Preston before
Michaelmas 1172. (fn. 17) He died in or before 1187 when
for two years the sheriff answered for £9 6s. from the
farm of Preston, in the king's hands together with the
heir of Michael. (fn. 18) Walter son of Michael became
sheriff in 1206 and in 1227 received a royal gift of six
does from Salcey forest to stock his park at Preston. (fn. 19)
On his death in 1230 (fn. 20) his son Gilbert paid 100s. relief
for his father's lands. (fn. 21) Between 1241 and 1243 2 fees
in Preston and neighbouring parishes were held by
Gilbert de Preston of Henry de Hastings as of his
honor of Huntingdon. (fn. 22) At the same time he was holding a half fee in Preston of Hugh d'Aubigny as of his
honor of Chester. (fn. 23) Gilbert de Preston 'le seneschal'
died in 1274 holding the manor of Preston including
a foreign wood called 'Arnho' through which he had
common and pannage in Salcey forest. (fn. 24) He was succeeded by Laurence son of Sir William de Preston his
brother. (fn. 25) In the next year the Chester fee was described
as a half fee in Preston, Hackleton, and Horton held
by the heirs of Gilbert. (fn. 26) In 1284 Laurence held one
fee in Preston and Wootton of John de Hastings (fn. 27) and
in 1301 he settled the manor on himself for life with
remainders to his sons Laurence and Thomas. (fn. 28) Either
he or his son Laurence in 1313 owed service for 2
knights' fees for land in Preston, Hackleton, Horton,
Piddington, Cjuinton, and Wootton, as of the manor of
Yardley Hastings, (fn. 29) and was named as lord of the vill
of Preston in 1316. (fn. 30) Laurence de Preston junior had
certainly succeeded by 1329 when he claimed view
of frankpledge and other rights by force of the 1301
settlement. (fn. 31) On his death in 1347 the jurors returned
that he held the manor by service of one knight's fee
and suit at the court called 'Barronesmot' at Barton or
Huntingdon each month and that Thomas de Preston,
knight, was his son and heir. (fn. 32) In this year Thomas
brought a suit against Sir George de Longueville and
Isabel his wife, the daughter of Laurence de Preston
and Joan de Moleton, (fn. 33) concerning 18 messuages of his
manor, and in 1348 George de Longueville was named
with Thomas de Preston as tenant of 1½ fees in Preston
and elsewhere. (fn. 34) From Thomas the manor descended
to his son Hugh and grandson Wynmer. (fn. 35) In 1429
Wynmer 'late lord of Preston' and his mother
Eleanor quitclaimed their right in the manor to John
Hertwelle of Hartwell and Henry
Hertwelle of Piddington. (fn. 36) Six
years later when Wynmer's goods
were extended for a debt of £500
to John and Henry Hertwelle he
was found to be seised of a rentcharge of 20 marks on the manor
of Preston. (fn. 37) John Hertwell was
succeeded by his son Thomas and
grandson Sir William who died in
1503 leaving Catherine his wife,
daughter of John Boughton of
Tiddmgton, co. Bedford, m possession. (fn. 38) From her it passed to
their son John in 1512. (fn. 39) Some years later an unsuccessful claim to the manor was made by Richard Rudhull, in
right of Sybil his wife, and John Brudenell as descendants
of Alice and Eleanor sisters of Wynmer de Preston, on
the plea that Wynmer was seised in fee tail and that
the right of John Hertwell was based solely on a debt
of £500 long since paid. (fn. 40) In 15 27 John Hertwell made
a settlement on his eldest son William at his marriage
with Elizabeth daughter of John Barber. (fn. 41) They were
both dead by 1545 when a marriage was arranged
between their son Jasper, a minor, and Martha
daughter of John Tregian whose dower of the lands in
Preston had to be assured by an Act of Parliament. (fn. 42)
The family of Lane held property in Preston at this
time and in 1569 Jasper Hertwell and his son Robert
assigned to Sir Robert Lane all the land north of a brook
running through the manor, but later this share was
acquired by Jasper in return for an annuity. (fn. 43) On the
death of Jasper in 1585 the jurors returned that the
manor was held of the Queen for 3 knights' fees, of
which 2 were held as of the honor of Huntingdon,
½ fee as of the honor of Chester and the remainder as
of Basset's fee. (fn. 44) In 1620 the property passed from Sir
Robert, son of Jasper, to Sir Clement Edmonds, a
clerk of the Council of James I, (fn. 45) who was succeeded in
1622 by his son Charles. (fn. 46) He married Elizabeth
daughter of Sir Henry Martyn and died in 1652 leaving his son Henry as his heir. (fn. 47) Eight years later William
Terringham, Lieutenant of Salcey forest, secured from Henry
Edmonds confirmation of hunting
rights in Preston park previously
held by Sir John Wake. (fn. 48) When
Henry Edmonds died in 1701
the estate descended to his grandson Sir Richard Newman, bart.,
in right of his mother Grace who
had married Richard Newman of
Evercreech Park, co. Somerset. (fn. 49)
Sir Richard died in 1721 and was
succeeded in turn by his son Sir
Samwell Newman who died unmarried in 1747 and his daughter
Frances who also died unmarried
in 1775. Her estates passed to
her cousin Charles Toll of Preston Deanery and his
brother the Rev. Ashburnham Philip Toll of Thornbury Park, co. Gloucester, the latter of
whom took the surname and arms of
Newman. (fn. 50) A Charles Newman presented to the living in 1798 (fn. 51) and in
1814 Charles Newman senior and junior
were vouchees in a recovery of the
manor and advowson to Giles Bleasdale. (fn. 52) He was perhaps a feoffee for
purposes of a conveyance to Langham
Christie who is named in a fine of
1815. (fn. 53) From him it had passed by
1854 to William Langham Christie,
esquire, J.P., and is still owned by this
family.
Newman. Quarterly sable and argent with three molets argent in the first and fourth quarters, and the augmentation of a scutcheon gules charged with a portcullis crowned or.
Church
The church of ST. PETER AND
ST. PAUL consists of chancel, 24 ft.
by 13 ft. 6 in.; nave, 29 ft. 3 in. by
19 ft. 3 in.; and west tower, 13 ft. 6 in.
square, all these measurements being
internal. The total inside length of the
building is 77 ft.
The walling throughout is of limestone rubble, with
ironstone dressings in chancel and nave. The roofs are
modern and covered with slates, (fn. 54) without parapets,
and internally (except in the tower) the walls are
plastered. The building is substantially of 12th-century
date, the tower, the walls of the nave, and the west part
of the chancel being of that period. The chancel
appears to have been extended to its present length in
the 13th century, and in the 14th century new windows
were inserted in the upper stage of the tower on three
sides and a new parapet added. Bridges states that in
the reigns of Elizabeth and James I the church lay in
a very ruinous condition, Jasper Hertwell and his son
Sir Robert having, 'as it is said', sold the lead and bells,
pulled down the body (fn. 55) and converted it to a profane
use, but it was afterwards repaired by Charles Edmonds, (fn. 56) son of Sir Clement. The 'repair', which must
have been of an extensive character, was probably
carried out soon after the death of Sir Clement in 1622,
and the present south doorway, the windows of the
nave, and that on the north side of the chancel are of
this period.
Plan of Preston Deanery Church
The chancel has a chamfered plinth and a single
buttress of two stages at the south-east angle. The east
window is a modern pointed one of three cinquefoiled
lights and vertical tracery, set within the opening of a
large round-headed window apparently inserted in
1808, that date together with the initials of Charles
Newman being on a panel above the keystone. At the
west end of the south wall is a tall late-13th-century
single-light window with trefoil head, divided nearly
at mid-height by a transom, the whole of which is now
blocked and on the inside completely concealed by the
plaster. (fn. 57) East of this is a blocked round-headed priest's
doorway, with chamfered jambs and head, (fn. 58) which
probably belongs to the original chancel. On the north
side the chancel is lighted by a square-headed 17thcentury window of two rounded lights placed high in
the wall, and on the south by a modern three-light
window of the same type. To the east of the latter are
traces of a former window and in the north wall a
blocked 17th-century doorway. No ancient ritual
arrangements now remain, but the 13th-century trefoilheaded piscina recess is inserted in the north wall of
the tower outside, at its east end, close to the ground.
The plain semicircular chancel arch is square on both
edges, but is completely covered with plaster. It springs
from chamfered and hatched impost mouldings, which
are continued along the east wall of the nave. The
opening is 8 ft. 6 in. wide. The floors of chancel and
nave are level.
The nave is lighted by a square-headed window of
four rounded lights in the middle of the north wall,
and by two windows of the same character, but of two
lights, on the south side, one on each side of the doorway. There are two steps down from the churchyard
at the doorway, which has a flat four-centred head and
straight hood-mould. (fn. 59) Like the chancel, the nave has
a modern open-timbered roof, but of four bays.
The 12th-century tower, which is about 50 ft. high,
is of massive construction, strengthened by a flat buttress (fn. 60) in the middle of each face stopping at the lower
part of the top stage (except on the east side) where it
weathers back. On the east side, where the two 12thcentury tall, round-headed, bell-chamber windows remain, the buttress is taken up between them, weathering
back level with their heads, as no doubt was the case
originally on all four sides, but late in the 14th century
pointed windows of two trefoiled lights with quatrefoil
in the head were substituted for the original windows
on the other faces. Elsewhere in the tower the 12thcentury windows remain: on the west side of the ground
stage there is one on each side of the buttress, the internal splay of each taken round the head; on the south
a similar window on the east of the buttress, and on the
north one on the west of the buttress. There is a
blocked round-headed doorway near the east end of the
north wall. These windows and the doorway are of
very plain character, without hood-moulds, their heads
in several stones, and with square jambs. On the east
face of the tower is the line of a former high-pitched
nave roof, the ridge of which was above the sills of
the bell-chamber windows. There is no vice. The
semicircular tower arch is obscured by plaster; it
springs from moulded imposts with bold edge rolls
and is apparently rather later than the arch of the
chancel. (fn. 61)
The original roof of the tower was at some time
replaced by a temporary slated covering fixed within
the walls below the bell-chamber windows, (fn. 62) and from
this and other causes the tower fell into disrepair. A
new roof was erected in 1927 and certain other repairs
effected, but the proper restoration of the tower was
unfortunately not undertaken at that time.
The font stands against the west wall of the nave;
it has an octagonal cup-shaped bowl and is apparently
of 18th-century date. The pulpit is modern.
In the floor of the chancel is a brass plate with
accompanying figures of Sir Clement Edmonds (d.
1622) and his wife, (fn. 63) but the alabaster monument mentioned by Bridges (fn. 64) no longer remains. There are also
grave-slabs to Charles Edmonds (d. 1661), and Henry
Edmonds (d. 1701), and to Richard Newman, aged
fifteen (d. 1711), son of Sir Richard Newman of Fifehead-Magdalen, Dorset; and marble wall memorials
in the chancel to Purbeck Langham (d. 1773) and his
wife Elizabeth Lawton (d. 1756), Daniel Beat Christie
(d. 1809) and other members of the Christie family,
and Charles Newman (d. 1821).
The tower contains one bell cast by Henry Penn of
Peterborough in 1710. (fn. 65)
The plate consists of a silver-gilt cup and paten of
1860 given in the following year by the Rev. J. H.
Brookes, rector. (fn. 66)
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all
entries 1676–1780; (ii) marriages 1754–1812;
(iii) baptisms and burials 1783–1812.
Advowson
The church of Preston was given
to the priory of St. Andrew in
Northampton by Gilbert de Preston
in the middle of the 12th century and confirmed by
his successors. (fn. 67) After the Dissolution the right of
patronage remained with the Crown until granted by
Elizabeth to John Doddington of London and John
Jackson in 1559. (fn. 68) On the death of Jasper Hartwell in
1584 it was found that he had purchased the rectory
and advowson from Sir Robert Lane who had bought
it from John, Stephen, and William Jeffrey and John
Basse. (fn. 69) Since that da'te it has been held by the owners
of the manor and it is at present in the gift of John
Christie, esquire.