Nassington would have been viewed as a strategic place to settle. The
close proximity to Ermine Street and other minor Roman roads and the
river Nene, which was navigable to the sea, would have provided benefits
to the earlier settlers.
By the ninth century Nassington may have been a royal estate with a
church which had Minster status.(2) The later ecclesiastical-dependant settlements of
Yarwell, Woodnewton, Apethorpe and Hale may provide the evidence of
the earlier estate. There appears to be no evidence of soul-scot being
paid to the Minster but the dependencies of these surrounding
villages were still evident in the fourteenth centuries, although less so
than in the earlier periods.
The base of an Anglo-Saxon dated to the late ninth century
was discovered when the church was restored in the 19th century.
The influence for the decoration derives from Northumbria.
The two surviving Anglo-Saxon features in the church appear to be of
different dates and it is suggested that the tower may be dated earlier
than the nave with its surviving long and short quoins, which possibly
replaced an earlier nave. The Saxon tower which, was encased by outer
facing in the late 12th century, is dated to the 11th
century. (3)
During the 1984 excavations within the grounds of the Prebendal Manor, and
directly opposite the church, a stone quarry was uncovered which was dated
to the 10th century. The quarry probably provided the stone,
either for the repair of an existing church, or for the first stone
built church in Nassington. (Report forthcoming).
During the 1986 excavations a Late Saxon single aisle timber building,
with a central hearth, was recorded beneath the Prebendal Manor and was
dated 950 AD to 1000 AD. (4) When King Cnut visited Nassington some
time after 1017 he was accompanied by Aetheric, the bishop of Dorchester
on Thames and large entourage. However,
the smallness of the accommodation caused many of his retinue to find
lodgings in the neighbouring settlements. Aetheric is recorded as having
stayed in the Dane’s house in Elton, Cambridgeshire.
(5)
At Domesday, Nassington was still under the ownership of the King and is
recorded as having 6 hides – enough “land for 16 ploughs” and
“ in lordship two” . There were 24 villagers and
a priest. The two small holders had 14 ploughs. The two 2 mills
were valued at 30s 8d; There was also 40 acres of meadow land; woodland
which was “one league long and ½ league wide”. “It paid £26, 13s at
face value”, and at Domesday was valued at £30.
One of the mills may have been in Yarwell which, although not mentioned in
the Domesday survey, was probably included with Nassington.
Between 1107 and 1123 Henry I granted to St Mary’s of Lincoln, and
Bishop Robert the churches of Nassington, Woodnewton, Tansor, and
Southwick "in prebendam and the church and bishop shall hold them as
Leving, the kings’ scribe, best held them." (6) Leving was
the rector of Nassington at this time.
Simon Earl of Northampton granted the Prebend an augmentation of lands in
Tansor in about 1150. The augmentation could have come from lands
belonging to the church in Tansor. (7) The grant of Henry I was finally
confirmed in 1163 by Pope Alexander III at Tours.
This long delay may have been caused by feudal anarchy which
occurred in England during Stephan and Matilda’s reign.
Ranulf de Nassington, a canon and the cathedral Presentor at Lincoln, was
appointed in about 1160. Ranulf
would have occupied the Late Saxon hall and may have instigated the
replacement of the earlier annex building of the Saxon hall with a more
substantial timber building.
A further grant to the Prebend was made by Richard Fitz-Urse to Ranulf,
the canon in 1169, of the fee of Robert Marmiun, with the tithes and
possessions and of the lands belonging to the properties of Cobbe, Thedric
and the nephew of Wlueua. (8) Ranulf is recorded as having
died some time before 1188.
In 1200 King John granted land in Nassington to the sum of a hundred marks
to David, the earl of Huntingdon, who also owned Fotheringhay,
Northamptonshire. (9)
During the reign of Edward IV all the lands in Yarwell and some of the
lands in Nassington, except the Prebend’s, were let to tenants the
remaining lands stayed in the hands of the crown until the reign of
Elizabeth I.
When the church was set fire in 1299 the bishop of Lincoln issued an
injunction to the prebendary of Nassington insisting that culprits must be
excommunicated. (10) A great deal of damage was done to the south
aisle which required extensive rebuilding.
Edward II granted the privileges of a weekly market in 1308 and in 1377
Richard II the privilege was increased with yearly fair on the eve day of
the morrow of St Michael, the 28th September.
(11)
Nassington benefited from its royal ownership with the privileges of
markets, of the freedom of a wodes halfmarc tax and of the rights of
commonage in Sulhay during Edward IV reign. (12) The Prebend provided
benefits in other ways by granting patrimony for one or two inhabitants of
Nassington. (13) Henry of Nassington, a clerk in minor orders in
1283, later became Bishop Oliver’s Official and eventually the
Bishop’s Principle which entitled him to act on all legal matters. He is
therefore named on countless
occasions, witnessing wills, dealing with disputes in the Bishop’s
absence and giving various presentations to the church.
John of Nassington became Rector of Curtenhale in 1287 and later a Canon
of York.
Thomas Board was appointed as an unbeneficial Deacon in 1290 and paid by
the patrimony of 40s from the Prebend. (14)
The average value of patrimony was 50s and the minimum acceptable
stipend of a vicar was fixed at 5 marks.
Guy Daffyn of Nassington was examined for the priesthood in St Michael’s
Priory, Stamford in 1298. Guy of Nassington, who became an unbeneficed sub
deacon, was examined for holy orders at Brampton, Huntington in 1299.
(15) Thomas de Nassington became an Oxford graduate in 1309.
(16)
William of Nassington became an advocate in the Ecclesiastical court of
York and translated various theological works into English.
(17)
A similar situation occurs in the fourteenth century where Nassington men
receive benefit from the Prebend. Although only one person is mentioned as
receiving Patrimony some may have first acquired skills as clerks to the
Prebend. Prebendaries were often absent and some never visited the
Nassington Prebend preferring to remain in Rome, or as the King’s
clerks, working for him
elsewhere. It was therefore probably necessary to have a clerk living at
the Prebend to deal with all ecclesiastical
matters during the prebendaries’ absence.
In 1286 the Prebend is listed as vacant and remained so for three years.
In 1290 documents concerning the Prebend were sent to Rome.
In 1291 the Prebend was valued at £100 per annum.
(18)
Probably because of its wealth the Pope tried to annex the Prebend
to Rome but failed. However, in that same year 160 marks, described as the
“fruits of the manor”, were paid to Pope Nicholas IV.
(19)
The Pope may have been entitled to the income from the Prebend
on this occasion since in 1286 the manor is listed as vacant.
The pope had probably appointed John le Romeyn, the previous incumbent of the
Prebend. On the occasions when there was a vacancy, the appointee of the
most recent incumbent was entitled to the income arising from the Prebend
during the vacancy. This rule applied to the Pope and the King. Certainly the pope took a
great deal of interest in the manor at this time.
The 1551 village survey provides a detailed description of the village and
the fields. Each cottager was entitled to have 3 beasts and 10 sheep.
The cattle were allowed to graze in Rockingham forest provided that
they were marked with a crown. The cattle
were also allowed to use the nearby woods for pannage at no cost.
This freedom from payment probably reflects a much earlier grant.
(20)
In 1553 prebendary William Nittern let the Prebendal farmland for £24 per
annum for 24 years. Some of the income provided a pension for the Dean and
Chapter of Lincoln. (21)
During the Civil War, Cromwell’s men “violently dispossessed the
Prebendary and the vicar, and the Prebend was sold to Mr. Bellamy and his
family “for ever". (22) However with the restoration of the monarchy
in 1660 came the return of a prebendary to Nassington.
A change of ownership in Nassington occurred during the reign of Elizabeth
I. All the lands she held in
Nassington and Fotheringhay were sold to Alexander Kinge who then sold it
to Sir Anthony Mildmay of Apethope in 1616. Mildmay died in the following
year and the land passed to his daughter Lady Fane, who later became the
Countess of Westmorland. (23) Elizabeth I’s decision to sell land in
Nassington and Fotheringhay may have happened because she needed to
distance herself from the locality after the beheading of Mary Queen of
Scotland in Fotheringhay castle.
When Nassington was enclosed in 1778, James Ibbotson, the Prebendary at
that time, vigorously protested in the hope of halting the land changes
however he failed but a consequence of the enclosure released him from the requirement to
keep a bull, or boar for the inhabitants of Nassington, and the surrounding
villages, within the benefice. (24) Although this is the first time this custom is mentioned it was probably a
practice that had been in place for many years.
The Prebend was dissolved by an Act of Parliament in 1836. In 1840 the
lands were passed to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and the Prebendal
Manor was sold into private ownership thus ending hundreds of years of
church ownership. (25)
Bibliography
1.
E.T Leeds and R.J.C Atkinson, An Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Nassington,
Antiquaries
Journal, 224,100-128.
2. M. J. Franklin. The Identification of
Ministers in the Midlands, Anglo-Norman Studies 1984,
Vol., 7, P. 69-88.
3. RCHM, 1984, An Inventory of Architectural
Monuments in Northamptonshire, p. 120-121.Vol. II.
4. Foster, Johnston, Baile, Archaeological
Journal ,Vol. 146, for 1989.
5. Chronicon Abbatiae Ramseiensis, (75),
Ed., D. Marcy,1886, p,135.
6. Registrum Antiquistrum of the Cathedral
Church of Lincoln, Vol., II., Ed C.W. Foster, & K. Major, 1931-73.
7. ibid.
8. ibid.
9. Pipe R. 1 John, m,2.
10. Rolls and Register of Bishop Oliver Sutton 1280-1299,
Vol., VI. Vol. II 1 Ed., R. Hill, 1950.
11. J. Bridges. The History and Antiquities of
Northamptonshire, Vol .,III, P., 451
Ed., Rev. P. Whalley,
London, 1791.
12. ibid.
13. Rolls and Register of Bishop Oliver Sutton 1280-1299,
Vol., I, Ed., R. Hill, 1984
Lin, Rec, Soc, Vol. I.
14. ibid.
15. The Rolls and Register of Bishop Oliver Sutton
1280-1299, Vol., VI, Ed., R. Hill, 1984
Lin. Rec. Soc, Vol. 1.
16. The Rolls and Register of Bishop Oliver Sutton
1280-1299 Vol. VII, Ed., R. Hill, 1984.
17. The Register of Richard Burstall, Lin., Rec., Soc.
18. John Le Neve Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300
III Lincoln Ed., D. E. Greenway.
19. Rolls and Register of Bishop Oliver Sutton 1280-1299
Vol. III Ed R. Hill, 1954 Lin. Rec. Soc.
20. NPRO W (A) 4.xvi.5.
21. C. J. Gordon, The Parish & Manor of Nassington
Cum Yarwell , pub. King, 1890.
22. ibid.
23. ibid.
24. An Act for Dividing and Enclosing the Common and
Open Fields,
W (A), Box 4 Parcel XI, 3, NPRO.
25. C. J. Gordon, The Parish & Manor of Nassington
Cum Yarwell, Pub, King, 1890.
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