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ABTHORPE PARISH.
Abtborpe was originally a chapelry, in the parish of Towcester; but was constituted a distinct parish, with the hamlets of Charlock and Foxcote, now called Foscote, in the tenth of George II. (1736). It is bounded by Towcester on the north, east, and south-east; on the south by Silverstone, and on the west and north-west by the river Sow, which divides it from Slapton and Bradden, and on reaching Towcester, changes its name to the Towe. The lordship, with its hamlets, contains 1889 acres; and its population in 1801, was 393; in 1831, 477; in 1841, 449; in 1851 500; in 1861, 541 ;and in 1871, 558. Its rateable value is £2662; and the gross estimated rental is £2892. The soil varies from a red loam to a strong clay, and gravelly land; the lordship is well supplied with springs, and the principal proprietors are the Duke of Grafton (the lord of the manor), Messrs David and Thomas Gibbins, Mr William Pittam, Mrs Elliott, Charles John Hare, and Mr Thomas Amos, M.D. Manor.- Abthorpe, with Foxcote and Charlock, were anciently members of the manor of Towcester. In the seventeenth year of the reign of Edward II. (1324), Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, died seized of them, and left them withh the manor of Towcester, to John de Hastings, his nephew; and in the reign of Edward III. they were in the hands of William de Clynton, Earl of Huntingdon, in right of his wife. In 1759; George, the second Earl of Pomfret, sold all his estates here, including Bucknell Wood and Challock, to Ralph, second Earl of Verney in Ireland, after whose decease, in 1791, a portion of it was sold to the Rev Thomas Coker, of Deynton, in Gloucestershire, with whose family it continued (the manor being afterwards purchased by John Coker, Esq., of Bicester, nephew to the said Rev. Thomas Coker) until 1822, when it was purchased of the trustees of Thomas Lewis Coker, Esq., by John Malsbury Kirby Gent of Towcester. He died in 1824, and the manor of Abthorpe was sold by his daughter Sarah, the wife of Henry Elhott, Gent., of Greens-Norton, in 1827, to the trustees of George Henry, fourth Duke of Grafton, K.G., from whom it descended, in 1844, to Henry Fitz-Roy, the fifth Duke, and from him it passed in 1863, to his eldest son, William Henry Fitz-Roy, the present duke.
The Village of Abthorpe stands on an eminence about 3 miles W.S.W. from Towcester. Silk stockings were formerly manufactured here to a considerable extent, but the trade has greatly declined of late years. Most of the inhabitants are now employed in the shoe trade, and lace-making is carried on extensively.
The Church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, is a handsome stone structure in the Early English style, consisting of nave, chancel, north and south aisles, south porch, and a square tower, containing four bells, and surmounted by a handsome spire. The church was restored and partly rebuilt and enlarged in 1870, at a cost of over £2000, raised by voluntary contributions, when the south aisle, organ chamber, vestry, and the tower and spire were added, together with a new oak pulpit, lectern, altar-rails, and open deal sittings; an organ has lately been added, and the two ancient piscinas in the chancel have been retained. The living is a vicarage in the deanery of Erackley, rated in the Parliamentary returns at £60 per annum, and now valued at £320. The Bishop of Peterborough and the feoffers of Mrs Leeson's charity alternately are the patrons, and the Rev. Serocold Clarke Skeels, M.A., is the vicar. The vicarage has been four times augmented with £200, Queen Anne's bounty, also with, £200 from Thomas Nicholl, Gent., £200 from Mr Marshall's trustees, and by a legacy from the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. In addition to the glebe land, the Commissioners of Enclosure allotted 17a. 30p. in lieu of vicarial tithes. The vicar holds a perpetual lease of the Leeson Charity Estate, at a fixed yearly rent of £57, 17s. 4d., and the amount of the several augmentations have been expended in the purchase of land. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are the impropriators, the parish being still part and parcel of the rectory of Towcester.
Leeson's Charity.-Mrs Jane Leeson, of Abthorpe, a native of Frankton, in Warwickshire, by will, dated 27th May 1646, devised her capital, messuage, and lands, in Abthorpe, subject to a fee-farm rent to the crown, of £9. 17s. 4d-yearly, to certain feoffees, upon trust that they should receive the rents and profits thereof, and therewith yearly pay the sum of £30 towards the relief of the poor for the time being, of certain towns and villages, in the following proportions-
Abthorpe and village of Foxcote £3 0
Towcester and Wood Burcote 2 0
Brackley 2 0
Morton Pinkeney 1 0
Paulspury 1 10
Whittlebury 1 0
Silverstone 1 0
Siresham 1 0
Wappenham ... 1 10
Helmdon 1 0
Western and Weedon 1 0
Adson 0 10
Slapton 1 0
Bradden 0 10
Greens-Norton 1 10
Blakesley 1 10
Easton and Hulcot 1 0
Cold Higham and Grimscote 1 0
Pattishall 1 10
Tiffield 0 10
Whitfield 0 10
Alderton 1 0
Blisworth 1 10
Plumpton 0 10
Frankton (Warwickshire). 2 0
She also built the School near her dwelling-house here in 1642, and it with £8 a year; it with a year and willed £4 a year to the feoffees "for their pains in performing her will, " and 40s. to be expended upon them at their annual meeting. The school buildings, which are among the best in the county, have been restored and a new wing added. The estate comprises a dwelling-house, now the Vicarage with 60a. 28p of old' enclosed land, and an allotment of 61a. 3r. 24p. awarded at the enclosure. In 1737, when Abthorpe was constituted a parish, this charity and school were united to the living, to which the schoolmaster, Robert Porter, was presented. The vicarage, which was formerly the manor-house has been renovated at great expense by the late vicar.
In pursuance of the directions of the Act, the trustees demised to the succcssive vicars of Abthorpe the messuage and lands devised by the will, at the yearly
let to Mr Porter at the time the Act passed, and which, after the payment of the specific allowances mentioned in the will-namely, £9, 17s. 4d. for the fee-farm rent, £30 for the poor of the different towns and villages, £8 for the schoolmaster, and £2 and £4 to the trusteesâ€"leaves the sum of £4 for contingent expenses, such as new trust-deeds, repairs of the school, and of the room reserved for the use of the trustees.
Nichol's Charity,-Thomas Nichoil, Gent., by will dated 15th of August 1726, bequeathed -£700 (as stated above), towards procuring --£200 more from Queen Anne's bounty for the augmentation of the living, and 20 guineas towards the purchase of communion plate. He also left --£2, l0s. per annum for bread for the poor of this parish, and -£2, l0s. per annum to the parish clerk, as long as divine service should be continued in the church there on Wednesdays, Fridays, and holidays, and certain other duties performed according to the terms of the Act of Parliament; but as these parochial duties have long since been discontinued, the owners of the land charged with these sums have refused to pay them any longer.
The other Charities are -£5, left by Captain Sheppard and Mr Robert Porter, the interest of which (10s.) is given in bread to the poor.
CHALLOCK, or CHARLOCK, is a hamlet on the southern extremity of this parish, about one mile south-east of Abthorpe Church. The estate consists of about 200 acres, which anciently formed part of the possessions of the priory of Luffield, and is now united with the manor of Abthorpe.
Charlock House, the residence of Mr William Chadwick Amos, is the only house in the hamlet
FOXCOTE, or FOSCOTE, is another hamlet in this pariah, which contains two houses, and nearly 400 acres of land, situate between Abthorpe and Towcester, This was formerly a separate manor, but is now associated with Abthorpe as a member of the manor of Towcester. The Duke of Grafton is the proprietor.
Letters arrive through the Towcester Post-Office.
Barrett John butcherCapern John, stocking weaver
Dillow Thomas, parish ckr
Goodill Alf. mas nat. sch
Henson Samuel, shoe agent
Hayward Edw.butchcr& farmer
Hindes Wm. baker and grocer
Hinsen Jas.wheelwright, brick and tilemaker, and victualler, Stocking frame
Kendall Robert, grocer and beer retailer
Matthews Charles, blacksmith, shopkeeper, & vict. New Inn
Middleton Samuel, shopkeeper
Needham Jno.framewrk.knittr.
Rainbird George, shopkeeper
Rainbow William, tailor
Ratledge Nathan, bricklayer
Sewell William, shoemaker
Skeels Rev. Serocold Clarke, M.A., vicar
Stevens Joseph, shoe agent
Timms Benjamin, glazier
Timms Miss Elizabeth,lace sch.
Timms John, shopkeeper
Farmers and Graziers.
Amos William, The Hayes
Amos William Chadwick,Charlock House
Barford John, Foscote Hill
Barford Valentine, Foscote
Gibbins David (yeoman)
Gibbins Thomas (yeoman)
Hindes William
Shepherd Richard
Tomlin William
Carriers.-John Middleton, to Northampton, on Saturday.
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