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Litchborough, Lichborough, or as it is called in Doomsday book Liceberge signifying a cemetery or burial place, is bounded on the north by Stowe, from which it is separated by Stow brook, on the east by Cold Higham, on the south by Blakesley and on the west by Maidford. It contains 1,580 acres, (exclusive of 54 acres belonging to it in the adjoining manor of Fawsley), of the rateable value of £2,638. 3s. 4d.; the amount of assessed property is £2,833 ; and the population in 1801, was 302; in 1831, 415 ; and in 1841, 408 souls. The soil varies from clay and loam to alight red land; about three-fourths of the lordship is in permanent pasture, and there are several springs, one of which, "Willpile spring, is slightly chalybeate. The principal owners are William Grant, Esq., William Blake, Esq., (lord of the manor), Mr. John Wait, John Manning, Esq., and Mr. Richard Linnell.
Manor.—Liceberge contained 4 hides of land at the time of the general survey, which were in the possession of the Abbey of Evesham in Worcestershire. Levenot was the Saxon proprietor, and they were valued in the Confessor's time at 40s, and now rated at the same valuation. In the reign of Henry II., these 4 hides were in the possession of Hugh le Poer or Poher, and were held by his successors of the fee of William de Stutevill. From Hugh lePoher, this estate descended to Hugh de Mortimer, and in the 3rd year of the reign of Edward I. (1275) Robert his son succeeded him. In the 9th of Edward II. (1316),
Richard Malore was lord of the manor of Litchborough; and dying in the 3rd of Edward III. (1330), he was succeeded by his only son, Peter, a minor, Sir William Patteshull, Knight, died seized of certain lands and tenements here in the 33rd of Edward 11I. (1300). and leaving no issue his sisters became his heirs, when his possessions in this parish were allotted to Thomas de Fauconberge the son of Maud his younger sister by Walter de Fauconberge. In the 7th of Henry VII. (1492) Roger Sallisburyt Esq., tiled possessed of 3 messuages 80 acres of arable land, 20 acres of meadow, and 10 acres of pasture in Litchborough, which were held of John Leeke, by fealty and the annual payment of a pepper corn. The manor seems to have continued in the possession of the Malores, till the 4th of Henry VII., when it was forfeited into the hands of the King, by John Malore, and restored upon his decease to Thomas Malore, Esq. in the 13th of Henry VIII. (1522). Prom this family it passed to Sir John Nedham, Knight, one of the Queen's gentlemen pensioners. Daniel Nedham, son of Sir John, sold it, in 1699, to George Smith, Gent, of Everdon, who conveyed it, in 1706, to the Rev. George Butler, the trustees under whose will sold it, in 1729, to Hannibel Roussey, Esq. From his daughters it passed by purchase, in 1768, to John Darker, Esq., of Gayton; whose grand-daughter Mary, daughter and heiress of John Nash, Esq., carried it in marriage to William Blake, Esq., of Welwyn, in Hertfordshire. St. James's Abbey, near Northampton, had possessions in this parish ; and the Priory of Canon's Ashby had 3 virgates and 20 acres in demesne from Hugh Rossell, on condition that a priest should say mass every day for his soul.
The Village of Litchborongh stands about 2 miles east of the Chester road, and 6 miles N.W. from Towcester, and 7 from Daventtry. " Lichborrow," says Bridges, " is now a village of 64 houses, but it is reported to have been formerly a place of greater consideration, "and was probably one of the four British garrisons said to have been taken by the Saxons in 571."
The Church, dedicated to St, Martin, stands near the centre of the village, on a slight elevation, and consists of a nave, south aisle, porch, and chancel and a tower containing three bells. The interior is well paved, and pewed with oak; in some of the windows are slight remains of painted glass; and Mr Grant placed the arms of Grant and Ives in the east window of the aisle some years since. There is a stone seat piscina and square looker in the chancel. The church was repaired and a gallery added in 1842. Amongst the monuments are an altar tomb bearing an alabaster figure of a knight in plate armour, for Sir John Nedham, who died in 1618; and a small monument of white marble with a black pyramidical background, to Edward and Jane Grant, who died in 1811 and 1812. The living is a rectory, in the deanery of Daventry, rated in the King’s books at £16. 9s. 7d., and now worth £570 a year. The rectorial land consists of 166a. 1r. 10p, and the rector is entitled to the tithes of 250 acres in Rodmore field, and 6s. 8d. for a portion of Foxley which is within this parish. These were commuted in 1845. The Rev Wm Addington Taylor, B.A., is the present patron and incumbent.
Litchborough House, the seat of William Grant, Esq., was formerly the residence of the family of Leeke, who had an estate here in the 15th century, stands near the village. On the staircase is a full-length portrait of Sir John Nedham in armour, holding his staff of office as Gentleman Pensioner.
The Rectory House is situate east of the church, adjoining the church-yard The Free-school is endowed with £25 a-year, left in 1670 by Lady Katherine Leveson, who also left to this parish the annual sums of £20 for two poor widows, £20 for apprenticing two poor boys, and £7. 8s. the rent of the school-house and garden, and also a third of the surplus rents of her estate, after pay ments of the several sums in her will. Here is a Sunday-school also supported by subscription. The other charities of the parish are, £20 a-year from the Lady Alicia Dudley's, or the Bidford Charity, which is expended in clothing-to the poor; and the church and town lands which yield about £15 a-year.
Bedford Isaac, coal dealer
Bown Joseph, beer retailer
Brown Mark, blacksmith
Grant William, Esq., Litchborough-house
Howard Eliz. and Isabella,milliners, &c.
Howard John, tailor
Howard Robert, carpenter
Howard Rt., vicy., Red Lion
Hutchins Henrick H.,carpntr
Jones Thomas, maltster
Jones William, saddler
Kirby Maria, schoolmistress
Minor Wm., grocer & beer ret.
Perry Wm., stonemason
Pittam Joseph, carpenter
Sheppard William, master of Free-school
Stanton Wm., shoemaker & shopkeeper
Taylor Rev. Wm. A., B.A.,rector
Wait Mr. John
Warren William, tailor
Farmers & Graziers.
Bird George
Chambers John (& butcher)
Chambers Jno.jun-(&butch)
Oliver Edward (yeoman) Oliver John (and miller)
Tennant Hy. Hopkinson
Wait Wm. Archibald
Wise John
Letters received through the Weedon office.
Carrier.—Wm. Brown to Daventry on Wednesdays, and Northampton on Saturdays.
(NOTE BY R W Kendell: William Archibald Wait is my 1st cousin 5 times removed and Mr John Wait my 4th great grand uncle)
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