Hagworthingham is a considerable village, at a distance of 6 miles east
of Horncastle, and 4½ north-west of Spilsby, on the road from Horncastle,
_via_ High Toynton and Greetham, to Partney. Letters _via_ Spilsby,
arrive about 9 a.m. It has its own Post Office, Money Order Office, and
Savings Bank; the nearest telegraph office being at Spilsby. Of this
parish there are several notices in Domesday Book. It is described as
comprising six manors. These were owned, at the date of the Norman
Conquest, by Thanes named Sivert, Elric, Swen, Swave, Holinchetel, and
Adestan. The Conqueror apparently removed all these original
proprietors, to provide for his own followers. Few places shew to a
greater degree than this parish the insecurity of tenure which marked
those times of trouble, transition, and lawlessness, when might was
right. The survey of the country, made by order of the Conqueror, in
Lincolnshire in 1085, was called by the Saxons “Domesday Book,” because
it recorded their “doom,” or their almost universal expropriation from
their rights, in favour of the Normans, who flocked into the country with
William. But the “doom” was not confined to the Saxon. The Norman
intruder, in many cases, found his possessions even less secure than had
been that of those whom he superseded, and the Norman Lords of these
demesnes succeeded each other with such rapidity, that, at this distance
of time, it is beyond our power to trace their connection, in every case,
with each other, or the causes of the changes. Doubtless, in many
instances, having acquired possession through violence to others,
violence again led to the confiscation of what they had acquired. The
first-named of these is Alan, Earl of Britanny, on whom the Conqueror had
conferred his daughter Constance in marriage. Famed for his valour and
martial spirit, he had held an important command at the Battle of
Hastings; and for his services the Conqueror conferred upon him, firstly,
all the lands in the North Riding of Yorkshire, forming the district
called Richmondshire, which had belonged to the powerful Saxon Earl
Edwin, who was now dispossessed. From this gift he derived the title of
Earl of Richmond, as well as of Britanny. Dugdale tells us that,
altogether he held, by grant from the Conqueror, 450 Manors, 101 of these
being in Lincolnshire. He seems however, in himself, to have been not
unworthy of so great a position; since, though so great a warrior, the
Chronicler, Ordericus Vitalis, states, that he was “ever studious for
peace, a great lover of the poor, an especial honourer of the religious”;
and that “his death, without issue created no little sorrow to all good
people.” Such was one of the first Norman Lords of Hagworthingham. He
was succeeded by his brother, also named Alan. His chief residence,
probably, being in Yorkshire, when not in attendance on the King, he was
represented at Hagworthingham, by his vassal, Eudo, who occupied his land
here, to the extent of 3 carucates (or 360 acres), with dependents, in
whose hands were 5 carucates (or 600 acres) more. Before proceeding to
speak of other Norman Lords connected with this place, let us notice the
name itself of the parish. It has 3 elements: “Haugh,” (says
Streatfeild, “Lincolnshire and the Danes”), “is low, meadow land,
bordering on a stream, and frequently overflowed”; a kindred form, “Hagi”
he says also means a meadow. {73} Anyone standing in the churchyard at
Hagworthingham will see below him westward, just such a low-lying meadow,
traversed by a beck. The second element in the name is “Worthing.” Here
we seem to have the Saxon “Weorthig,” which enters into many a place-name
as “Worth”; (compare Waddingworth, and Benniworth in the neighbourhood);
which is derived from the old Saxon “Warian,” to ward or protect. Hence
these two elements mean the warded, or fenced, meadow, and “Ham,” the
last element, also is Saxon, and means a place _hem_med in; but
especially the residence, the “home,” or the collection gathered round
the one house, now forming the “hamlet.” What could give a more speaking
description of the locality? It is the homestead, and afterwards the
residences of the villagers gathered round it, whose position was on the
higher ground, because they wished to be above the low-lying enclosed
meadow, liable to be flooded by the brook, which runs through it, when
swollen by the rain. Even in these days of drainage universal, the
fox-hunter, in crossing that grassy valley, may still find his steed
“boggled” in the slough of quagmire. In connection with this we may
mention, that even in modern times, this dampness has not been forgotten.
In a note to Chap. ii. vol. i. of Smiles’ “Lives of Engineers,” it is
stated that, when Dr. Whalley was appointed to the Rectory of this
parish, it was with the singular proviso, that he should not reside in
it, as the air was fatal to any but a native (Letters and Correspondence
of T. S. Whalley, D.D.)
Another Norman soldier, named in Domesday as having a grant of land in
Hagworthingham from the Conqueror was Drogo de Bevere. He was a Fleming
by birth, and for his services in the cause of the King had many
lordships given him in Lincolnshire and other counties. Among others, he
had the lordship of all Holderness, in which was Beverley, whence he had
the title of “Terrius de Bevere.” He was however of a very grasping and
overbearing disposition. Not content with the lordship of Holderness, he
wished further to seize lands given by the King to the Church of St. John
at Beverley. Camden says that, as a mark of royal favour, he received in
marriage the Conqueror’s niece; but that he got rid of her by poison; and
then fled the country to escape the punishment he deserved. He was
succeeded (his estates being probably confiscated) by Odo, Lord of
Albemarle, in Normandy (Camden “Britannia” p. 742, Ed. 1695.)
To this Drogo was granted all the land in Hagworthingham, which at the
conquest had belonged to the Saxon Thane, Adestan, including “a hall,
with sac and soke” (or the right to hold a court of justice for the trial
of misdemeanours), with 8 villeins occupying considerable lands under
him, and a mill of the value of 18d. yearly. As his chief residence,
when not in attendance on the King, would probably be in Holderness, he
was here represented by one Robert, who was his vassal.
Another name mentioned as having property in this parish, is Gozlin, son
of Lambert, of whom little is known. This was one of the 222 parishes in
the county which had a church before the Conquest; and Domesday Book
states that he had the church here, as well as a mill; but as it is added
that “the soke” (or jurisdiction) belonged to Gilbert de Gaunt, the
latter was evidently the superior lord. Gozlin had lands in 39 parishes
in Lincolnshire, besides those in other counties; but Gilbert de Gaunt
had 113 Manors in this county, besides 41 in other counties.
It has been mentioned that, on the flight of Drogo de Bevere, after
poisoning the Conqueror’s niece, his estates were transferred to Odo,
Earl of Albemarle. {75} Accordingly we find the old record, Testa de
Nevill, p. 336. (_Circa_ 1213), stating, “the Earl of Albemarle” holds of
the King (land) in Hagworthingham, which Gilbert de Langton holds, as his
vassal.
About the same time the same old record states that the Earl of Chester,
besides other neighbouring possessions, held land of the King in
Hagworthingham, which the same Gilbert de Langton held under him, as his
vassal. This Earl was the only son of Hugh d’Abrincis (or Avranches),
one of the most important among the followers of the Conqueror, who was
his uncle. William gave to him numerous manors in this and other
counties, and especially the earldom of Chester. He was surnamed Lupus,
or the Wolf, for his daring deeds. It was supposed that he was granted
the county of Chester, that he might restrain the incursions of the
neighbouring Welsh people, the stubborn descendants of the old Britons;
and this he did with a vengeance, for, in conjunction with Hugh
Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, he took the Isle of Anglesey from the
Welsh. Later in life, to make up for his tyrannous proceedings, he
became a monk of the Abbey of St. Werberg, of his own establishment in
Chester, and died there, in 1101. The Earl of Chester held in
Lincolnshire about a score of manors, besides more than that number in
Leicester, 32 in Suffolk, many in other counties, and the whole of
Cheshire. At this stage the successive, or contemporary Lords of these
manors become too complicated a tissue to unravel here. Some of the
manors became merged in the superior manor of Richmond or Bolingbroke;
some, in that of Greetham. The Earl of Chester enfeoffed before his
death, William de Hardyshall, of certain land in Hagworthingham, where
his descendant resided in the 14th century. A Gilbert de Langton held
land here as a vassal of Alan de Mumby; his son John, held the same lands
under a de Quincy. Hawise de Quincy, Countess of Lincoln in her own
right, had a daughter Margaret, who married John de Lacy, and the de
Lacies thus became Earls of Lincoln. At one period, members of two
different families were at the same time Earls of Lincoln. After a
succession of steps, John of Gaunt became Earl of Lincoln, and ultimately
Duke of Lancaster, and held many of these manors.
Walter de Gant gave land in Hagworthingham to Bardney Abbey. The Abbot
of Bardney (“Placito de Warranto,” p. 409), claimed the right to have a
gallows in Hagworthingham, as well as in Edlington and other places.
Other owners were Laurence de Dikeby, who died 1270, Robert de Altomonte,
1274, William de Saxill, in 1280. Gilbert de Hagworthingham is named in
an Assize Roll (No. 478, John A.D. 1202), Walter de Hagworthingham and
his son Philip, are named in an Assize Roll, 5 Ed. III. 1331. In the
14th century the Cupledyke family had land in Hagworthingham, _viz._,
Roger de Cupledyke, who died 1324, and Alexander who died, 1335. In the
15 century, Thomas Blunt held a manor here, of the Duchy of Lancaster,
dying in 1468. {76} The great family of Welles, also connected with the
Dymokes, acquired lands here, which were forfeited after the battle of
Loose-coat field, when Sir Robert Welles was attainted and executed at
Doncaster, for espousing the Lancastrian cause, 1470. In the next
century the old county family of the Hansards held a manor here, by
Knight’s service, of the Honour of Bolingbroke. Sir William Hansard died
1520, leaving as his heir his granddaughter Elizabeth. Robert Marbury,
in 1545 died, seized of a third part of a manor in this parish, which he
left to his son William. Humphrey Littlebury, of East Kirkby, died Nov.
3rd, 1558, seized of a manor here, which was connected with the superior
manor of Herby (probably Hareby, and equivalent to the Honour of
Bolingbroke), which he held of the Queen (Elizabeth) by fealty. He also
held another manor here, of the Queen’s manor of Greenwich, which had
belonged to Bardney Abbey; the gift, as stated above, of Walter de Gaunt.
John Littlebury, of Hagworthingham, Esq., by will, dated 20 June, 1535,
requests that he may be buried in the parish Church “before our Lady of
the Rood.” He seems to have been a man of large property, for he
bequeaths “to my wife £40, due to me from Mr. John Hercy; £4 of land in
Somersby, Tetford, Skegness and Orby, to bring up my children in their
nonage.” This she is to have for life; and then Somersby and Tetford are
to go to his son George and his heirs male; Skegness and Orby to his son
Peter and heirs male, and failing them, to his son Humphrey, and his
heirs. “My sheep gate called Thorpe in the Mires (I leave) to my wife
for her life, and then to my son Humphrey and Ursulay his wife, according
to the indenture between me and Mr. Hercy. To my three daughters, my
brother Humphrey Myssendyne 10s. a year for life, out of my copyhold held
of Lord Willoughby.” His wife is to have the “putting in of the priests
at Langton,” _i.e._, the presentation to the benefice for her life, and
after her death, the “first avoidence of one priest” is to go to his son
Humphrey, the other to his son Thomas. To his son Thomas his lands in
Kealcotes. To his wife he leaves “my copyholds held of Lord Willoughby;
and the farm of my son Langton, as long as the lease lasteth.” Also “if
my wife be in decay in her widowhood, I will that she give no peny to her
daughters, of the £40 that is appointed to every of them, and if they be
not rewled by her in their marriage they are to have nothing. Item. I
will all my children be contente with the lands which was assigned to me
by my brother, and the feoffe of my father’s purchased lands; and if
they, or any of them, be interrupted of the parts assygned to them by my
neve Thomas, or his heires, I wyll they restate their tytyll of Richmonde
fee, wych is the moyty of 360 akers, as it apperyth by a customar booke
remaynyng with my wyfe, and a crosse set at the hede of it by Sir John
Lyttlebury my grandfader’s fader. I appoint my brother John Eland
supervisior, and my wyfe ex’x.” Witnesses, William Langton Gent, Sir
Malmaduke Myssendyne and Sir Richard Cheles, of Ashby Puerorum. Various
other wills show that Thomas Littlebury had lands at Hagworthingham in
1589, that Humphrey, of East Kirkby, held land in Hagg in 1568, and that
Margaret Littlebury, of Stainsby, held land there in 1582.
The will of John Gedney, of Bag Enderby, mentions his lands in Hagg in
1535. The Gedneys were an old family in this neighbourhood. In the
church at Bag Enderby, there is a stone mural monument, commemorating
Andrew Gedney and Dorothy his wife, with their two sons and two daughters
kneeling before prayer desks, date 1591. There is a slab of John Gedney
in the floor, date 1535. {78} Andrew Gedney married Dorothy, daughter of
Sir William Skipwith, of South Ormsby, in 1536. Within recent years
Arthur P. H. Gedney, a cousin of the writer, owned Candlesby Hall, near
here.
The will of John Gannock, of Boston, shews that he also was a landowner
here, in 1583.
In 1572, Francis Bountague, died seized of a manor in Hagworthingham,
which he held of the King, as of the manor of Greetham, of the Duchy of
Lancaster.
John Littlebury, gent., of Hagworthingham, by will dated 27th March,
1594, bequeaths to Mr. William Wray, “the ring that it pleased my lady,
his mother, to give me.” The Lady Wray, would be the wife of Lord Chief
Justice Wray (temp. Elizabeth), whose residence was at Glentworth—he died
in 1592; they were an old Durham family. The fine house at Glentworth
continued to be the family residence of the Wrays, until Sir Cecil Wray,
Bart., erected “Summer Castle” at Fillingham, in 1760, so called from
Esther Summers, Lady Wray. Mr. John Littlebury also leaves to Sir George
St. Poll, “my half part of the hawks,” with bequests to other relatives.
Sir G. St. Poll or St. Paul, or Simpole, was a member of a good
Lincolnshire family, their chief residence being at Snarford. Mr. John
Saintpole was compulsively mixed up with the Lincolnshire Rising in 1536.
The grandson, George, was created a Baronet in 1611. They were connected
with the Hansards, already mentioned as having land in Hagworthingham.
Yet one more will of a Littlebury concerns us. John Littleburye (28 Sep.
1611), requests to be buried in Hag church. He leaves to the poor 20s.;
to his son John, his land in Raithbye, for his life, and for his
“bringing up in learning.” £100 to his daughter Bridgett, “soe that shee
be ruled by mye wief her mother in marriage,” with £200 to be paid her
when married. “To my wief Anne the lease of Orbye from Mr Massingberd,
alsoe my stocke and cattle, with all my plate and furniture.” As the
children are young he confirms an indenture previously made with Richard
Gedney, and others, to act as trustees.
Sir John Langton, of Langton, by will dated 25 Sep. 1616, also left to
the poor of Hagworthingham 10s., and like bequests to other places.
(These particulars are taken from “Lincolnshire Wills,” by Canon
Maddison).
Among “Final Concords,” there are agreements about lands in
Hagworthingham, under date 26 Oct. 1208, between Thomas de Winceby and
Gilbert and Osbert of Hag, under date 20 Jan. 1213–14, between Mary, the
wife of Hugh, son of Robert, Ernald de Dunham acting for her and Hugh de
Harrington, appertaining to her “reasonable dowery;” and under the same
date between the same Mary, and John de Bardney, as to land called
“Sigwardes Croft,” in “Hacworthingeham, which Mary surrenders to John de
Bardney and his heirs,” he for this giving her 2 marks.
We have already mentioned that in the 14th century, Roger de Cupledyke
who died 1324, and Alexander, who died in 1335 had land in
Hagworthingham. We also find that John Copledyke of Harrington, by will
dated Palm Sunday, 1408, left to his sons lands in Hagworthingham, and
other places.
In the reigns of Elizabeth and James I. a certain John Parker of this
place became somewhat notorious as a religious and political turncoat.
He made a public declaration “of the manner in which he had been drawn
from the service of God to become a Papist,” dated 12 December, 1580; but
in 1605, evidence was taken against him at Enderby, as to his making
certain seditious speeches, and he was pronounced to be a Recusant
(“Domestic State Papers” James I. vol. xv. “Architect. S. Journal” 1865
p. 55).
At the present day the only one of the old families of proprietors in
this parish is the Rev. Alan Cheales above named, descended from Sir
Richard Cheales who lived as far back as 1535. At the present time Earl
Manvers is Lord of the Manor; Sir Henry D. Ingelby, Bart., the trustees
of the late Rev. W. A. Bathurst, and the Wingate family are the principal
landowners, the larger portion belonging to Mr. Cheales. We now proceed
to the Church. It is beautifully situated on the slope of a steep hill
commanding a view along a deep valley to the west, of fertile soil varied
by copse and whin; and it is surrounded by a beautifully kept God’s acre.
The Church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, consists of tower, nave, south
aisle and chancel. In the tower are 8 melodious bells. The Church was
carefully restored and largely rebuilt in 1859; but still retains several
of its original Early English features. The tower, of green sandstone,
being much decayed, had new belfry windows inserted, but still retains
its patched appearance by a mixture of brick: the green and red tints
blending harmoniously. Towards the west end of the north wall is one of
the old Early English pilaster buttresses; and at the east bay of the
same wall is an original low-side window. Within, the aisle arcade of
four bays is supported by circular-shafted pillars, having
rudely-designed caps; the arches above being not sufficiently massive to
correspond, and their junction clumsy. These low arches produce a sort
of “dim religious light.” The aisle itself is entirely new; as are also
the seats and fittings generally. The early English font has a plain
octagonal bowl, supported upon a central shaft, and unengaged subsidiary
shaftlets. The east windows are modern, but may be reproductions of the
old. That in the east end (of three lights) is filled with coloured
glass by Wailes, in memory of the Cheales family. There is a modern
brass on the north side of the chancel, commemorating the Rev. Henry
Cheales sometime Vicar of Burton Pedwardine, “and for sixty-six years a
landowner of this parish,” 1870.
N.B.—The Parish Registers contain a large numbers of names of this
family. The earliest mention of them is in the Church Book Topographical
Collection of Sir Joseph Banks, 1786, where Hugh Cheales is given as one
of the Churchwardens, 25 Henry VIII. (1534).
The window in the north wall is by Clayton and Bell, that in the south
wall by Powell. They commemorate the families of the late Rector the
Rev. F. Pickford, and his wife’s relatives, the Listers of Burwell Park;
one also being in memory of the late Prince Consort. “The whole effect,”
says the late Bishop Suffragan, Dr. E. Trollope, one of our greatest
authorities, “is most pleasing and appropriate.” Gervase Holles the
antiquarian says that, when he visited the Church (temp. Chas. I.) there
was in the Chancel this fragmentary inscription, “Hic jacet . . .
Redilston quondam Rector istius Ecclesiæ.” He says also, “on a
gravestone of blue marble in ye body of ye Church is pourtrayed in brasse
one in compleate armour, bearing upon ye manches of his coate of arms, on
either side, 2 crescents. Between his feet a right hand couped. The
rest is defaced.” (Harleian MSS., No. 6829.) The benefice was formerly
in the gift of the Bishop of Ely (see Ecton’s “Thesaurus” p. 188); the
patron is now the Bishop of Lincoln.
In the Registers were formerly some curious entries of “Briefs,” or Royal
Letters, issued for various charitable objects, among 65 which were
publicly read in Church in the 14 years from 1653 to 1667, 24 were for
relief in cases of loss by fire; others were for various purposes; one
being “For the Church of Lithuania being under persecution” (1661). {82}
Walter de Gaunt gave the manor, benefice, and six oxgangs of land, and “a
view of frankpledge” in this parish to Bardney Abbey (Dugdale’s
“Monasticon,” 1682, p. 143).
In sinking a well in 1897, on the property of Mr. Cheales in this parish,
there were found at a depth of about 45ft. fragments of “Brinkhill gold”
and fossilized wood. The gold has also been found in the churchyard. It
is pronounced, chemically, to be a form of silicate of aluminia. Iron
pyrite is also found, abounding in small fossils. The rectory is now
held by the Rev. G. R. Ekins. The rectory house was built in 1841, a
very commodious residence, at a cost of about £2000, by the late Rector
the Rev. F. Pickford, the memory of whose family still remains in the
parish, and many miles round it, as “a sweet smelling savour.”
There is a rent charge of £8 for the poor paid out of the estate, about
700 acres, of the Cheales family.
The Rev. William Dales also in 1667 left land, the rent of which was for
the poor and the bell-ringers.