his opposition to the suppression of religious establishments, was accused of a correspondence with Cardinal Poole, which was considered as tantamount to high treason; and accusation in that reign being only another word for conviction, both he and his marchioness were sentenced to death. The whole of his estates thus merging to the crown, these lands have since become the property of various individuals. In its present state, the village is clean and comfortable; not very lively, owing to its distance from a post road; but being in the midst of a fertile country, it possesses an appearance of plenty and comfort. The church is a very neat Gothic edifice, and is kept in good repair, and in very excellent order, much to the credit of those who have the charge of it. There are several antique looking mansions in the village, which mark the manners of ancient times; and the scenery around it being well wooded, the ground considerably broken so as to appear picturesque, and the views pleasing and extensive, the tourist will not find half a day ill spent at, and in the vicinity of, Market Overton. BARROW is a small hamlet which lies in a retired situation, a little to the west of the high road. It is not mentioned earlier than the year 1315, when it was called Berghdon, and was in the possession of the family of De Colville. Robert De Colville dying soon after without issue, it went by his sisters and coheiresses to Ralph Basset, and John de Gournou. From these it passed, through Wystan and Nicholas, to the Harrington family, who held it, in socage, of the manor of Bourne the property of the Earls of Exeter and it has since passed through several hands. COTESMORE, about one mile south from Barrow, is a small, and quite a rustic, village. In the Saxon times it appears to have been the property of Goda, being then valued at seven pounds, but was soon divided among the Norman chiefs. The Conqueror himself held three carucates here in demesne at the time of the Survey; and had also three socmen, with forty villeins, and six bordarii, occupying twenty carucates. It was then estimated in the whole at ten pounds; but there were, besides the twelve carucates, forty acres of meadow, and a wood one mile in length, and seven furlongs broad; also half a carucate held by one Goisfrid, who had eight villeins on his land. The crown appears soon after to have given up the manor; for, in the reign of King John, Waleran, Earl of Warwick, was lord of it; and it went, through an heiress, to the Beauchamps, along with the title and other estates; and with them and their heirs it remained until the reign of Elizabeth, when John Durant had two parts of the manor by fealty, and the rent of one pair of gloves. The ancient mansion, if not built by the Durants, had at least been their residence for several generations, but the family is now completely extinct in the county; for from them it went to the Harringtons, being held by them of the manor of Preston, an honour belonging to the Earl of Exeter, to whom Lord Harrington owed fealty and a pair of gilt spurs, or sixpence in lieu, to be paid yearly at the feast of St. Michael. This manor underwent the fate of the rest of the Harrington estates; but though sold after the decease of the last lord, yet Anne, Lady Harrington, who was then governess to the Princess Elizabeth daughter of James I. purchased a rent charge out of it, of the annual value of 1001. to be laid out in charitable and other purposes. By her schedule, she appropriated to the poor of Exton the sum of twenty-five pounds; for the repair of the Kelway monuments in Exton church, two pounds; to the poor of Burley, ten pounds; of Oakham, thirty-two pounds; of Hambledon, ten pounds; of Cotesmore, sixteen pounds; and to those of Market Overton, five pounds per annum. These sums were ordered to be paid on the four usual quarter days, in the south porch of Oakha church, to a certain number of trustees, who, in ten days afterwards, were to pay the same to the ministers and overseers of each respective place. In the partition and sale of the Harrington estates, this manor was purchased by Ambrose Crooke, Esq. whose heiress carried it to Sir Edward Heath, Knight of the Bath, in the reign of Charles I. Another heiress carried it to Sir Thomas Fanshawe, whose whose heiress marrying into the Noel family, it has become part and parcel of their extensive property. The old mansion-house has been for some years occupied by the Earl of Lonsdale as a hunting seat. It is repaired and modernized, and forms a very comfortable residence for that purpose, but otherwise has nothing deserving of notice. Greatham lies about three miles to the eastward of Cotesmere. It is a small, and completely rusticated village, consisting only of a few cottages; but the church is an object of some curiosity, having a very handsome light Gothic tower and spire, forming a fine object in the surrounding landscape, though its body is more modern. No part of it seems to be older than the fifteenth century; and the general simplicity of its style cannot fail to attract the tourist's notice, particularly as its situation is so extremely rural and sequestered: in fact, a misanthrope might sit down in Greatham, and fancy himself to have bid the world " adieu!" The ancient inhabitants of this simple spot seem to have affixed ideas of great sanctity to their church, if we are to judge from an inscription preserved in rather a grotesque style, and in most capital letters. "Avoid, profane man, come not here; Or he that groweth to be so, Into this porch but further goe!" In it is also a mural monument to Dame Margery Caryle, who died in 1632. She was relict of Sir Richard Caryle, of Harting, Knt. The yew-tree in the church-yard, which, as an agreeable tourist observed, was once extremely large, and extending its sable branches over the mouldering graves of departed generations, had long withstood the fury of the winter's blast, still remains a pleasing monument of antiquity; but seems, in some degree, shorn of its ancient honours. Though now so inconsiderable, yet Greatham was a place of VOL. XII. G some some consequence in Saxon times, being valued, in the reign of Edward the Confessor, at seven pounds, and consisting of eight carucates; it was then principally the property of Goda. But the Norman monarch seems to have taken a fancy to this place himself; for he held here, in demesne, two carucates, and had thirty-three villeins, together with four bordarii, who, altogether, occupied eight carucates, one mill, and seven acres of meadow. Its value must have improved after the Conquest; for in Domesday book it is stated to be worth ten pounds. A few years afterwards it appears to have been granted by the crown to the Newburghs, then Earls of Warwick; for Roger, the second Earl, in the reign of Stephen, gave eleven shillings yearly rent out of his mill here, to the Knights Templars, together with four bovates or oxgangs. From this family it followed the other estates and title to the Beauchamps, until the forfeiture of Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, in the reign of Richard II. when that monarch granted it to Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham. It then went to the Nevilles, and from them returned to the crown; after which it was granted by Edward VI. to his sister, Elizabeth, afterwards queen, being then valued at only 261. 11s. little more than double what it was rated at in Domesday book. But she did not hold it long, as it was soon after granted to Sir Thomas Cheyney, Knt. by knight's service, und alienated by him to Francis, Earl of Bedford, who again disposed of it to the Harringtons; from them by purchase to the Noels, who sold it to Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, and again sold by him to the ancestor of the present Earl of Winchelsea, The rectory of this church belonged to the priory of the Holy Sepulchre at Warwick; and in the reign of Edward VI. was farmed at 41. 6s. 8d. but afterwards passed along with the estates. The living of course is a vicarage, and that so very small, that a late Earl of Nottingham gave up great part of the tythes to the amount at that time of eight pounds per annum; and the benevolent Henry Foster, of Thistleton, gave up all his right to some ty thes in the parish, amounting then to fifteen pounds. |