Parishes: Burton Latimer

BURTON LATIMER

Burtun (xiii cent.); Burton Latymer (xv cent.); Burton Lattimer (xvii cent.).

The parish of Burton Latimer, which was constituted an urban district in 1923, comprises 2,756 acres. (fn. 1) The soil is clay and limestone lying on Upper Lias, Great Oolite and Cornbrash beds. The land rises northward and eastward from the river Ise which forms a part of the western boundary and from a stream flowing into the Ise on the south, the height at the rivers being a little below 200 ft. and in the north-east of the parish about 300 ft. above the ordnance datum.

The village, which is fairly large, lies on the road from Higham Ferrers to Kettering, about 4 miles from the latter place. The church stands in the middle of the village. The rectory house is a 17th-century building with vaulted cellars of that period but was newly fronted in the style of the time in the 18th century and added to in more recent years. A house known as the Manor House, which lies immediately to the west of the church, probably stands on the site of the Plessey manor house. It is a two-story building with thatched roof, in a gable of which is a panel dated 1704 and with the initials, I^w M. The house has been modernised and none of the original windows remain. The school house is situated to the northwest of the church and is a rectangular 17th-century building of Weldon ragstone measuring internally 44 ft. 4 in. by 16 ft., with a fine oak roof of five bays, now covered with modern tiles. The front to the road has four mullioned windows and a good central doorway, above which is a curved gable breaking the roof-line and containing a panel inscribed:—this house was built 1622 the freschoole was founded by thomas burbanke and margaret his wife 1587 memoria. ivsti. benedicta. pro. 10. Over each of the windows is an inscription, as follows:—(i) 'Ex dono Johannis Michel' (ii) '16 Donum Johannis Barriffe 22' (iii) '16 Georgius Plowright me dedit 22' (iv) 'W. Carpes citius quam imitaberis. N.' (fn. 2) The larger three-light end windows have the middle light heightened. The school-house was renovated and additions made at the back about 1904.

To the north of the village is Burton Latimer Hall, which was the manor house of the Latimer manor. It is a picturesque, two-story gabled stone building of simple but attractive design, erected in the first half of the 17th century. It contains a fine oak staircase and some original oak doorways of unusual character. Alterations were made in the 18th century, including one or two new windows and a wing facing the main road, and the house was restored and additions made in 1872. The garden retains the spacious outline given to it in the 18th century, and near the house are stables of the same period and a rectangular dovecote with end gables and lantern, all this work being of a plain character. In the grounds are some ancient fishponds. A boot and shoe factory, large flour mills, and quarries give employment to the inhabitants. The parish was inclosed by Act of Parliament. (fn. 3)

Several of the rectors of the parish attained a certain degree of eminence or notoriety beyond its limits. Hugh Ashton, who owed his preferment to Lady Margaret Beaufort, was, like her, a generous benefactor of St. John's College, Cambridge. (fn. 4) Dr. Robert Sibthorpe was a royalist, who made his reputation by his advocacy of extreme obedience to the king in an assize sermon preached in 1627. (fn. 5) John Owen, who succeeded his father in 1608 in the rectory of Burton Latimer, became Bishop of St. Asaph, and was chiefly famous for his work as a Welsh bishop. (fn. 6) Thomas Grimthorpe is best known for his Life and Works of William Cowper, published in 1835, and Thomas Barlett for the Memoir of the Life, Character and Writings of Bishop Butler, published in 1839. (fn. 7)

Manors

In the reign of Edward the Confessor, Earl Ralph, probably the earl of Hereford, held 8½ hides of land, (fn. 8) which constituted, until the first half of the 13th century, the manor of Burton, and paid the service due from 1½ knights' fees. (fn. 9) In 1086, it was held of the king in chief by Guy de Reinbuedcurt, (fn. 10) whose son Richard was the tenant under Henry I. (fn. 11) Richard is said to have pledged the manor in payment of a gambling debt, to the King, (fn. 12) who granted it, to hold at pleasure, to Alan de Dinant, a Breton who defeated the champion of the King of France near Gisors. (fn. 13) This grant, which was continued to Alan's successors, evidently caused confusion as to the payment of scutage, and in 1173–74 an inquiry was ordered as to the fee which Roland de Dinant held of the King. (fn. 14) Margery, the daughter and heir of Richard de Reinbuedcurt, married Robert Foliot and their descendants continued to return Burton amongst their fees. (fn. 15) Margery, the granddaughter of Robert Foliot, brought their rights in the manor to her husband Wischard Ledet, who answered for the Foliot barony in 1210–12. (fn. 16) In 1215, his lands were seized by King John, and his Northamptonshire holdings were granted to Hugh Neville. (fn. 17) Ledet, however, recovered Burton, which escheated to the Crown at his death, about 1221. (fn. 18) It seems clear, however, that at this time, or a few years later, a division of the manor was made between the heir of Wischard Ledet and the successors of Alan de Dinant. The former relinquished the overlordship of the whole manor and obtained a third of the township of Burton, which formed a separate manor, held in chief of the King in demesne as half a knight's fee. (fn. 19) It was known as AYLESFORD'S MANOR (fn. 20) or BURTON LATIMER. (fn. 21) Wischard Ledet's heir was his daughter Christina, the wife first of Henry de Braybroc (fn. 22) and then of Gerard de Furnival. (fn. 23) She outlived both her eldest son Wischard, who took the name of Ledet, and his son Walter, so that on her death between 1266 and 1270, (fn. 24) her heirs were Walter's daughters Alice and Christina, the wives of the brothers William and John Latimer, and Burton was apparently assigned to Alice. (fn. 25) In the meantime, the manor had been subinfeudated. In 1242 it was held by Henry de Aldwinkle, probably only for life, (fn. 26) since it was given, possibly in the lifetime of Christina, (fn. 27) to her younger son Gerard de Furnival. (fn. 28) He gave it to his elder daughter Christina, the wife of William de Aylesford or Eylesford, (fn. 29) and it was held of the Latimers for the rent of 1 oz. of silk or 12d. a year. (fn. 30) The younger Christina, as a widow, apparently granted it both to Gerard de Furnival and to John Devereux and, though an ensuing lawsuit in 1283 was decided in favour of Furnival, (fn. 31) Devereux evidently obtained a further grant of it for life as he died seised in 1316. (fn. 32) It reverted to Christina's son, Gerard de Aylesford (fn. 33) and passed in direct succession to Edmund, (fn. 34) John (fn. 35) and John de Aylesford. The last granted all his right in the manor in 1369 to his overlord William, Lord Latimer, the greatgrandson of Alice Ledet. (fn. 36) On the death of Lord Latimer's widow in 1389 it passed to their daughter Elizabeth and by her marriage to the Nevilles, (fn. 37) who held it till the death of John Neville, Lord Latimer, in 1577. (fn. 38) It was inherited by Catherine, the eldest of his four daughters and heirs, and wife of Henry, Earl of Northumberland. (fn. 39) Her son sold it in 1605 to Francis and George Mulsho, (fn. 40) from whom it passed to Edward Bacon. (fn. 41) He died seised of the manor of Burton Latimer in 1627 (fn. 42) and was succeeded by his son Thomas, a vigorous opponent of the levy of ship-money. (fn. 43) Thomas's son Edmund inherited it in 1642 (fn. 44) and was living in 1670. Early in the 18th century, Dr. Perkins, who had married the widow of Edmund or his successor, was lord of the manor. (fn. 45)

About 1760 the manor was purchased by John Harpur, on whose death it passed to his cousin Joseph Harpur, of Chilvers Coton (co. Warwick). His son, Henry Richard Harpur, was succeeded in 1870 by his brother, the Rev. Latimer Harpur, who died in 1872. His son and heir, the Rev. Henry Harpur, died in 1904, and was succeeded by his son, Thomas Wilfred Harpur, the present owner. (fn. 46)

The two-thirds of the township of Burton which in the 13th century were assigned to the successors of Alan de Dinant became known as the manor of BURTON by THINGDEN (fn. 47) or BURTON PLESSY or PLACY (fn. 48). Alan, the grantee of Henry I, was succeeded as tenant at will in the whole of Burton by Roland de Dinant, who was holding it in 1166 and 1173. (fn. 49) Before 1190, it had passed to his nephew and heir Alan, the son of his sister Emma and Robert de Vitry. (fn. 50) He seems to have died shortly and Burton passed to his mother and Robert de Vitry, but before 1196 it escheated to the King. (fn. 51) Burton passed to Thomas Malemains, the husband of Joan, a granddaughter of Emma de Vitry, and one of the daughters of Eleanor de Vitry by her second husband, Gilbert de Tellieres. (fn. 52) Malemains went to Germany in 1209, (fn. 53) and apparently during his absence, King John gave Burton to Fulk de Cantilupe to hold at will. (fn. 54) Malemains on his return joined the king's party, and recovered the manor of Burton in 1216, as part of his wife's inheritance. (fn. 55) In 1217, it was again granted to Cantilupe, (fn. 56) but presumably he obtained other compensation, since on the death of Thomas Malemains, it was granted during pleasure in 1219 to his widow Joan. (fn. 57) She died in 1221, and the custody of her lands and heir was granted to William Longsword, Earl of Salisbury and his wife Ela, her half-sister. (fn. 58) Nicholas Malemains obtained livery of the manor before 1225 (fn. 59) and it was probably during his life time that the division of the manor of Burton already mentioned was made. In 1236, Nicholas apparently held the whole of the 1½ knight's fees. (fn. 60) Before 1225, he leased the manor (fn. 61) and then forfeited it. In 1228 it was granted to William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, on behalf of his brother Richard Marshall, (fn. 62) on whose death in 1233, it was granted, during the king's pleasure, to Gilbert de Segrave. (fn. 63) In 1234, however, Nicholas Malemains obtained restitution of the manor. (fn. 64) He died before 1240 (fn. 65) and his widow apparently only held the smaller manor for her life. (fn. 66) His heir, presumably his daughter, was Ela, the granddaughter of Thomas Malemains and wife of Robert de Plessy. (fn. 67) On the death of Nicholas's widow, Beatrice, after 1284, (fn. 68) the manor was held in direct descent by John, son of Robert and Ela (d. 1313), Edmund (d. 1327), Nicholas (d. 1356), and John who was succeeded by his brother Nicholas Plessy, a minor, who died in 1362. (fn. 69) It passed to his sister Joan, the wife of John Hamely. (fn. 70) Their son John died without issue, and after the death of John Hamely in 1399, the reversion of the manor belonged to Joan's uncle, Peter Plessy, (fn. 71) who had granted it to John Plessy of Shapwick (co. Dorset), whose son John came into possession. (fn. 72) In 1406, (fn. 73) another John succeeded, and on his death in 1417, it passed to John Cammell, son of Joan, the sister of the first John Plessy of Shapwick. (fn. 74) His son Robert and grandson William succeeded him, (fn. 75) but William sold Burton Plessy in 1496 to feoffees apparently to the use of Nicholas Boughton, who died seised in 1519. (fn. 76) His son Edward presumably sold it to Sir Nicholas Vaux, who died seised in 1523. (fn. 77) The Vaux family held it till the death of Edward, Lord Vaux of Harrowden, (fn. 78) when it passed under a settlement of 1646 to Nicholas Knollys, Earl of Banbury. (fn. 79) His son Charles sold it to Christopher Cratford and John Kenricke in 1687. (fn. 80) It changed hands frequently at this time. Early in the 18th century, John Whiting was lord of the manor, (fn. 81) but in 1738 Mrs. Anne Dickinson, a widow, sold it to Arthur Brooke. (fn. 82) In 1764, William Steer and his wife Anne sold it to George Udny, (fn. 83) who, in turn, sold it in the same year to John Harpur, (fn. 84) who already had the manor of Burton Latimer (q.v.)

The Priory of Bradstoke held the NETHER manor or PRIOR'S manor in BURTON in frankalmoin of the lords of the manor of Burton Plessy. (fn. 85) In 1221 Henry de Braibroc and his wife Christina Ledet granted one virgate of land to the Prior, (fn. 86) but the greater part of the manor must have been formed from the land which Nicholas Malemains granted to his sister Hillary in marriage. After the death of her husband, Walter de Godarville, she granted it in frankalmoin to the Priory, and further charters were obtained from her daughter Joan, the wife of Geoffrey Gacelyn. (fn. 87) The Priory held the manor till the early 16th century, (fn. 88) but it had been granted to under-tenants at fee-farm. (fn. 89) In 1502, it was held by John Ashby (fn. 90) in right of his wife Letitia, and they sold it to Sir Richard Empson. (fn. 91) It was forfeited on Empson's attainder in 1509, (fn. 92) and in 1512 Henry VIII granted it to Sir William Compton. (fn. 93) In some way, however, Thomas Empson regained pos- session of the manor. (fn. 94) He seems to have sold it to Richard Fermor, a merchant of the Staple of Calais who was attainted under Henry VIII, but when pardoned in 1550, only tenements in Burton Latimer are mentioned among the lands restored to him. (fn. 95) The Prior's manor was apparently included amongst them, since his son, Sir John Fermor, together with his wife, sold it in 1555 to Richard Humphrey. (fn. 96) The latter died seised of it in 1557, (fn. 97) but its later history does not appear. In 1803 William King claimed to have a manor in Burton Latimer, which may have been the Nether manor. (fn. 98)

The Abbey of Croxton held a manor, called THINGDEN and BURTON LATIMER, with lands in both townships. Its history appears under Fineden. (fn. 99)

The lords of the manor of Burton Plessy held a view of frankpledge, to which, in 1285, the tenants of the Prior of Bradstock did suit. (fn. 100) The Earls of Gloucester also held a view of frankpledge for the township of Burton, withdrawing suitors from the Abbot of Peterborough's court for the Hundred of Huxloe. (fn. 101) It passed by inheritance to the Earls of Stafford, (fn. 102) and came into the hands of the king. (fn. 103)

In 1803, Henry, Duke of Buccleuch and his wife Elizabeth owned the Honour of Gloucester Fee in Northants, to which the view probably belonged. They also claimed to own a manor in Burton Latimer. (fn. 104)

Two mills were attached to the manor in 1086, paying 16s. a year. (fn. 105) One mill is mentioned in 1220 as part of the inheritance of Margery Foliot, (fn. 106) and presumably passed with the manor of Burton Latimer. The second mill seems to have been assigned to the Malemains, whose sister Hillary granted it to the Priory of Bradstock. (fn. 107) The Priory of Bushmede also had a mill in Burton Latimer at the time of its dissolution. (fn. 108)

Church

The church of ST. MARY THE VIRGIN consists of chancel 41 ft. 6 in. by 18 ft., with modern south vestry, clearstoried nave 71 ft. by 17 ft. 6 in., north and south aisles 11 ft. wide, north porch, and west tower and spire. The width across nave and aisles is 44 ft. 6 in., and the tower is 13 ft. square, all these measurements being internal.

The church throughout is built of rubble, with leaded roofs to nave and aisles, and high-pitched modern tiled roof to the chancel. The aisle parapets are plain, and those of the clearstory battlemented. The church was extensively restored in 1866–68, when the tower and spire were taken down and rebuilt with the old materials, and the flat roof of the chancel removed. In 1882, the porch was restored, the vestry (fn. 109) rebuilt, an organ recess constructed on the north side of the chancel, and the nave reseated. All the walls are plastered internally.

A pre-Conquest stone with plait-work upon it was re-used in the rebuilding of the tower, but no part of the present building is older than the 12th century, in the early part of which there was an aisleless church, the nave occupying at least the existing three west bays and probably a fourth farther west, of which only half now remains. (fn. 110) The south wall of this building was pierced c. 1130 by an arcade of four round arches, three of which, with a half arch at the west end, and three piers still remain. The eastern arch has a chevron moulding on the nave side, the second a roll, while the others are unmoulded, and all are plain facing the aisle. The cylindrical piers have moulded bases and scalloped capitals, the square abaci of which, in two of the piers, have incised carving on the north face. No north aisle was made at this time, but a transeptal chapel was added on the north side at its east end, entered through a round arch, one of the jambshafts of which remains in the compound pier of the north arcade. This arch, which is equal in height to the opposite arch in the south arcade, was originally lower, and is now stilted on the west side: it has an edge-roll towards the nave, and its impost blocks remain on both sides.

A north aisle was added c. 1200, an arcade of three bays with pointed arches of two chamfered orders being cut through the wall west of the transept, two and a half bays of which remain. The eastern pier is a small square with large attached shafts, and the western pier is cylindrical, both having moulded bases and capitals with good stiff leaf foliage. The half-round east respond, which forms part of the compound pier of the transept, has also a stiff-leaf capital and square abacus, and the pier has also shafts at the angles with foliated capitals and moulded bases above a chamfered plinth. From the north aisle an arch (now destroyed) was made into the transept, springing from short angle-shafts in the wall and from the back of the compound pier, some 2 ft. below the arches of the nave. (fn. 111)

The great west tower was built in the second quarter of the 13th century, and intruded on the west end of the 12th-century nave, cutting it short by half a bay, and shortly after, about 1250, the nave was lengthened to the east by three bays, the old arches immediately adjoining the new work being adapted to it—on the south side by leaving a portion of the 12th-century respond capital above the capital of the new pier, and on the north by the retention of the impost block, new piers taking the place of the original east responds. The aisle walls appear to have been rebuilt at the same time, except, perhaps, in the western bay, and the chancel was completed in its present form c. 1270–80. A keel-shaped stringcourse runs round the whole of the chancel below the windows, and along the aisles to within about 20 ft. from the west end.

About the middle of the 15th century, the clearstory was added, the porch built, and new windows inserted in the aisles, the walls of which were heightened. The spire is approximately of the same date, perhaps immediately following the clearstory, and the church then assumed its present aspect.

The chancel has been much restored. (fn. 112) It has two-stage buttresses of small projection, and a modern five-light east window with geometrical tracery, but the other windows, three on each side, are c. 1280 of two trefoiled lights, with pointed trefoils and cusped circles differing in detail in the heads. There is a scroll string at sill level inside, but no ancient ritual arrangements remain. The 13th century chancel arch is of two chamfered orders, the inner springing from half-octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases, the capitals being cut back for a much restored and painted 15th-century screen. (fn. 113)

The arches of the three 13th-century eastern bays of the nave are of two chamfered orders springing from piers of four clustered shafts and from half-octagonal responds, all with moulded capitals and bases. The 13th-century north doorway is of a single continuous chamfered order with hood, and retains a 15thcentury oak door on which are inscribed the names of 'Ihon Campyon and Ihoan hys wyf.' The lofty porch is open to the roof and has a moulded outer arch with canopied niche above breaking the parapet of the gable. The south doorway is of late 12thcentury date with round head of two moulded orders, the outer on nook shafts with carved capitals and with smaller attached shafts at the angles. The west windows of the aisles are modern copies of late 13th-century two-light openings, but all the other windows north and south are four-centred 15th-century insertions of three cinquefoiled lights. The clearstory windows, six on each side, are threecentred, and of two trefoiled lights.

The tower is of three stages, with good coupled buttresses and moulded plinth. The old stones having been used in the rebuilding, it has lost little or nothing of its original appearance. The doorway on the north side reproduces a 14th-century opening in the same position; the entrance to the vice-turret in the southwest angle, with its beautiful trefoiled head, has been blocked and an external doorway made. The west window is a widely splayed single lancet with rear arch, and the lower stage is open to the nave by an arch of three chamfered orders springing from clustered shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The middle stage has plain arcading of three pointed arches on the north, south and west sides, the middle arch on the west being pierced by a lancet. The double twolight bell-chamber windows were originally without tracery, but the lights were afterwards trefoiled and a quatrefoil inserted in the head. The battlemented parapet is the same date as the spire, which has two sets of crocketed gabled lights.

The roofs of the nave and aisles are in the main ancient, with moulded principals and carved bosses, but all the rafters are new.

The font is ancient and consists of a plain octagonal bowl and stem on a chamfered base: on the west the stem has a solid projection bringing it in line with the bowl.

The north aisle wall had formerly a painting, perhaps of the 14th century, representing the story of St. Katharine, within a border, but only a fragment now remains. A series of late Elizabethan paintings of the twelve patriarchs in strapwork frames occupy the spandrels of the nave arcades and are in a fair state of preservation, though two have perished. (fn. 114)

There is a good Jacobean oak poor box: a large ironbound chest is dated 1629.

Below the tower is a marble wall monument with brass figure, shields and inscription to Margaret Bacon a 'chrisom' child (d. Jan. 1626–7), and at the east end of the nave and in the chancel are two grave slabs with indents of brasses, one of which retains a group of nine daughters and a shield, and the other a shield only.

There is a ring of eight bells. The treble and second are by Taylor & Co. of Loughborough 1920, the third by the same founders 1903, the fourth dated 1620, the fifth by T. and J. Eayre of Kettering 1718, the sixth and seventh dated 1619, and the tenor by Thomas Eayre of Kettering 1749. (fn. 115)

The plate consists of a silver cup and cover patent of 1569, the paten inscribed '1571' on the foot; a paten of c 1682, and a flagon and almsdish of 1774. (fn. 116)

The registers begin in 1538, but the earlier entries are on two parchment rolls. The first roll contains baptisms to 1559, marriages to 1561 and burials to 1560, and the second, baptisms and burials to 1569 and marriages to 1567. The contents of the books before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1558–1700, marriages 1558–1718, burials 1558–1678, (fn. 117) (ii) burials 1678–1735, (iii) baptisms 1700–1812, (iv) marriages 1719–1757, (v) marriages 1754–1812, (vi) burials 1736– 1812. The first book contains lists of churchwardens and overseers from 1668 to 1757 and of constables from 1679 to 1757. There are churchwardens' accounts beginning in 1559 but not continuous, and a book of briefs 1670–1753.

Advowson

The Foliots held the advowson of the church of Burton Latimer in the 12th century, but Richard Foliot seems to have made some kind of grant of it to the abbot of Beaulieu in Brittany, since, in 1220, the abbot quitclaimed it to Richard's daughter and heir Margery and Wischard Ledet. (fn. 118) Thomas Malemains presented to the church between 1216 and 1219 (fn. 119) and in 1263 his granddaughter Ela and her husband claimed the advowson against Christina Ledet, but they lost their case (fn. 120) and Christina gave it to her son Gerard de Furnival. (fn. 121) When he went to the Holy Land he entrusted the advowson and an acre of land to the rector, Master John Fleming, on condition that if Gerard did not return they should be granted to Christina de Aylesford, with remainder to her son Gerard de Aylesford. (fn. 122) Fleming presented in 1290, (fn. 123) but in a lawsuit of 1368 it appears he did not carry out Furnival's stipulations. (fn. 124)

Prior to 1316, Sir Walter de Neville recovered the advowson from Robert Fleming and Gerard de Aylesford (fn. 125) and granted it to Philip de la Beche. (fn. 126) Philip's heir was his brother John who died before he obtained seisin (fn. 127) and his two sons died childless, so that the advowson was inherited in 1348 by his three daughters. (fn. 128) In the meantime, however, Thomas Fytling, who presented in 1348, (fn. 129) and his wife Alice seem to have obtained the advowson, but it was recovered in 1349 by Andrew de Sackville and his wife Joan, the eldest of the de la Beche heiresses. (fn. 130) The heiresses and their husbands granted it to Edmund de la Beche, Archdeacon of Berkshire, (fn. 131) who died seised of it before 1364. (fn. 132) He was said in 1369 to have granted it to Roger de Elmerugge, who successfully defended his right in it against Sir William Latimer. (fn. 133) In 1369 Latimer obtained a grant of the advowson, which was held by John de Aylesford and in some way ousted John de Elmerugge, and from this time the advowson was held by the lords of Burton Latimer manor (fn. 134) (q.v.) until after 1676, when Edmund Bacon presented. (fn. 135) It was sold by him or his successor to Sir Gilbert Dolben bart., (fn. 136) whose family retained it till 1805. (fn. 137) In 1809 John Grimshaw presented (fn. 138) and in 1874 it belonged to the Rev. Francis Brown Newman. (fn. 139) At the present day Mrs. Jaques is the owner of the advowson.

A considerable amount of land was attached to the rectory and in 1330 the rector was said to hold two carucates. He and his predecessors held a view of frank-pledge, waifs and strays, the assize of bread and beer, and certain amercements. The right to hold the view was disputed by the crown officials, but the rector recovered it on payment of a fine. (fn. 140)

About 1239, the rector of Burton Latimer presented Walter, a chaplain, to the vicarage of Burton, but apparently no vicarage was permanently ordained. (fn. 141) A Baptist Chapel here dates from 1744; there is also a Wesleyan Chapel in the village.

Charities

An allotment of 10 acres was set out on an inclosure of the lands in this parish in 1804 in lieu of land formerly appropriated to the repairs of the church. This land was sold in 1919 and the proceeds invested in £517 10s. 7d. 5 per cent. War Stock, producing £25 17s. 6d. yearly in dividends. The income is applied by the churchwardens towards church repairs.

Another allotment containing about 2¾ acres was set out in lieu of land formerly called the Bell Land or Bell Close. This land was also sold in 1919 and the proceeds invested in £171 16s. 1d. 5 per cent. War Stock, producing £8 11s. 10d. yearly in dividends. This is also applied by the churchwardens towards church repairs.

The charities of William and Agnes Scott are regulated by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners dated 28 January 1881. In 1514 William and Agnes Scott gave £10 for the relief of the poor, and this with a further sum of £40 arising from rents of some of the Charity Estates was laid out in land for which, on the inclosure of the parish, an allotment known as the 40 acre allotments was awarded. This property was sold in 1919 and the proceeds invested in £2,500 4 per cent. Funding Stock, producing £100 yearly, which is distributed in coal by the rector and 15 other trustees.

By his will, date unknown, Richard Hopkins gave a piece of land in Burton Latimer containing about 1 a. 3 r. to the churchwardens for the poor. The land has been sold and the endowment now consists of £246 7s. 8d. Consols producing £6 3s. yearly, which is applied in the distribution of six 2 lb. loaves weekly to the poor.

An allotment of 70 acres was awarded for the benefit of the poor upon the inclosure of the parish. The charity is administered by the lord of the manors of Burton Latimer, the rector of St. Mary and 4 other trustees in compliance with a scheme of the Charity Commissioners dated 23 May 1919. The land was sold for £2,500 in 1919. Owing to the insolvency of the solicitor acting for the trustees the deposit money of £250 was lost. The residue of £2,250 was invested in £2,812 10s. 4 per cent. Funding Stock. Of this £500 has been placed to an Investment Account in the books of the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds to replace the sum of £250. The income from the residue, amounting to £92 10s., is distributed in coal and clothing.

By his will dated 3 July 1546 William Luck gave 6s. yearly for the poor. This charge which issued out of a house and premises in Burton Latimer was redeemed in 1924 by the transfer of £12 Consols to the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds. The income is applied by the trustees of the charities of William and Agnes Scott in the distribution of coal.

The same trustees administer the charity of George Plowright who by deed in 1633 gave a similar sum for the poor. This charge, which issued out of the same premises as William Luck's rentcharge, was also redeemed by the transfer of £12 Consols to the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds in 1924 and the income is applied in the distribution of coal.

By his will dated in 1727 William Dickenson gave £60 for the poor not receiving parochial relief. This fund was placed out on mortgage, but was afterwards applied in defraying inclosure expenses concerning allotments set out in lieu of some of the Charity estates.

By his will proved in P.R. 22 August 1921 Thomas Ambler gave £1 yearly for the Old People's Treat. The charge has been redeemed by the transfer of £40 Consols to the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds. The charity is managed by a committee.

By her will proved 19 Sept. 1856 Elizabeth Dopping Arnold gave £100 Consols to the rector and churchwardens for the poor. The dividends amounting to £2 10s. yearly are applied in April for the relief of the poor.

The several sums of stock are with the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds.