Parishes: Slipton

SLIPTON

Sliptone (xii cent.); Sclipton (xiv cent.); Slypton (xvi cent.).

The small parish of Slipton formerly comprised only 768 acres, but in 1885 a detached part of Twywell, called Curtley, was added to it, bringing up the area to 825 acres. (fn. 1) The ground rises east and west from a stream flowing through the parish to the Nene. The soil is clay and the subsoil ironstone and lias. The crops are chiefly corn and roots. There is a considerable amount of scattered woodland in the northern part of the parish. Between Long Lown Wood and Ekins Copse is a moat, probably representing the site of a manor house. The Islip Iron Company have extensive mines of ironstone, and tramways connect the quarries with the London Midland and Scottish Railway.

The village stands on rising ground along the branch road to Sudborough, the church being on the east side. An Inclosure Act was passed for the parish in 1770, when 560 acres were inclosed. (fn. 2)

The population was 85 in 1921.

Manors

In 1086 the abbey of Peterborough held one hide and one virgate in Slipton. (fn. 3) In the survey of the time of Henry I a hide and a virgate in Slipton was of the fee of William de Curcy, Richard Fitz Hugh had two-thirds of a hide of the abbot of Peterborough, and Roger, nephew of the abbot, held one-third of a hide. (fn. 4) The Curcy honour extended into many counties, and was held by four successive tenants of the name of William de Curcy, the last of whom died in 1194. His sister Alice married firstly Hugh de Nevill, the forester, and secondly Warin Fitz Gerold. John, son of Hugh Nevill, died in 1235, leaving a son Hugh. The honour passed later to the Lisles. (fn. 5) The Curcy manor in Slipton, a member of Brixworth, the head of the honour in Northampton, was, it would appear, held in demesne by Simon, son of Simon of Brixworth and Cranford (q.v.), who held the advowson of the church of Slipton. There were five successive Simons son of Simon, the last of whom died in 1280 without issue. In the early part of the 13th century, however, the Simon son of Simon interest seems to have passed to the Veres, when William, son of Robert, son of Aubrey [de Vere] gave to the Master of the Hospital of St. John of Northampton 3 virgates of land in Slipton which Ralph de Stanhern and Leza his wife, who was the daughter of Wyberd, had held. This gift was confirmed by Baldwin de Vere, brother of William, and Hawise, his wife, and in 1227 by Walter de Drayton. (fn. 6)

In 1235–6, the Hospital of St. John of Northampton was holding a quarter of a fee in Slipton direct of Margery de Rivers, heir of the Curcy honour. (fn. 7) From Walter de Drayton the principal manor of Slipton passed with the manor of Drayton in Lowick (q.v.) to the present day.

Richard Fitz Hugh, who held two-thirds of a hide of Peterborough, has been identified with Richard, son of Hugh de Waterville, (fn. 8) whose mesne lordship under the abbot of Peterborough went to the Bassingbournes of Benefield (q.v.). The Daundelyns, of Cranford St. Andrew (q.v.), held under the Bassingbournes seven-eighths of a fee in Addington, and oneeighth in Slipton. (fn. 9) In 1346 John Lewkenor was the sub-tenant under John Daundelyn, (fn. 10) and in 1359 John de Lewkenor and Elizabeth his wife conveyed lands here to Simon Simeon and another, (fn. 11) which in 1380 were apparently included among the fees formerly held by Geoffrey Lewkenor, and at that date by Simon Simeon. (fn. 12) This holding is lost sight of, but probably became absorbed by the chief manor.

The third of a hide held by Roger, nephew of the abbot of Peterborough, ancestor of the Torpel family, has not been identified. It may have become the small mesne fee held by the Fauvel family of Peterborough Abbey. In 1167 lands in Slipton are said to have belonged to the Fauvel fee, and are so returned in 1215 and 1346, the under-tenant being the Master of the Hospital of St. John of Northampton. (fn. 13)

A portion of the fee held by the Veres of Addington of the honour of Huntingdon, in Twywell, which extended into Slipton, has been dealt with under Twywell (q.v.).

Church

The church of ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST stands amongst fields on the east side of the village, and is a small stone building consisting of chancel 24 ft. by 13 ft. 3 in., nave 38 ft. 6 in. by 17 ft. 6 in., with bell-cote over the west gable, and south porch 8 ft. square, all these measurements being internal.

A single-light window on the north side of the chancel and the chancel arch are of 13th-century date, and the main part of the fabric is probably of that period, but it appears to have been largely reconstructed in the 14th century, when the porch was added and new windows inserted. At some time not known the chancel was shortened by about 10 ft., but the foundations being uncovered in 1910 the east end was rebuilt in accordance with the original plan. (fn. 14) The building is of rubble throughout, and the roofs are low pitched. Both roofs are modern, the chancel slated, the nave leaded.

The modern east end of the chancel reproduces no known ancient features, but the windows are in the style of the 14th century. At the west end of the south wall is an original square-headed window of two trefoiled lights, and opposite it on the north the lancet already mentioned, the head of which is in two stones, and without a hoodmould. (fn. 15) The chancel arch is of two chamfered orders, the inner springing from half-round responds with moulded capitals and bases.

The nave has north and south doorways opposite each other, and two windows on each side, those east of the doorways being of three lights, the others of two. The windows and the south doorway are of 14th-century date, but the north doorway, now blocked, has a four-centred arch, and is a 15th-century insertion or replacement. The west wall is thickened out in the middle to carry the bell-cote, and is pierced at about half height by a restored quatrefoil opening within a circle. The bell-cote appears to have been rebuilt in the 18th century, or perhaps later. Internally the walls are plastered, and the floor is flagged. The porch has diagonal buttresses, moulded outer arch, and a niche in the gable with a modern (1917) figure of St. John the Baptist.

The font is ancient, and consists of a plain octagonal bowl and stem. The pulpit and fittings are modern.

In the chancel is a floor slab to Samuel Deacon, rector (d. 1707), and a mural tablet to Thomas Scriven, rector of Twywell and vicar of Slipton (d. 1737).

The bell was cast by John Taylor and Co., of Loughborough, in 1846.

In 1843 the church possessed a small silver cup, a pewter flagon, and two pewter plates, but there is now only a modern silver-plated paten and almsdish. (fn. 16)

The registers begin in 1670; all the entries to 1812 are in one book. (fn. 17)

The War Memorial cross in the churchyard is fitted into the socket stone of an ancient churchyard cross.

Advowson

The advowson probably belonged, in the 12th century, to Simon, son of Simon, lord of the Curcy fee of Brixworth, of which Slipton was a member. He seems to have granted it to Cirencester Abbey. A dispute as to the advowson arose between them in 1199. (fn. 18) In the following year it was held by the abbey of Cirencester, (fn. 19) but that abbey, which in 1291 was receiving a pension of 10s. from the church, (fn. 20) had parted with the advowson before 1251 to the Hospital of St. John of Northampton, who made the presentation in that year. (fn. 21) The hospital retained the advowson until the Dissolution, when it came into the hands of Francis Morgan and Ann his wife, by whom it was conveyed in 1553 to John Lord Mordaunt, (fn. 22) lord of the manor, since when it has continued to be held with the manor.

In 1614 the next presentation was granted to Twyford Wathe, (fn. 23) member of a family in Slipton. In 1557 Twyford Wathe, of Slipton, was dealing with land here, (fn. 24) and in 1640 Twyford Wathe, of St. Albans, made a composition with John, Earl of Peterborough, for afforestation chargeable on lands in Slipton, Lowick, Cranford, and Twywell, within the ancient perambulation of the Forest of Rockingham. (fn. 25) In 1705 John Laughton was holding the advowson. (fn. 26)

Charities

Church Lands. By an Inclosure Award in 1771 land was set out for the church. The land was sold and the endowment now consists of £500 10s. 8d. India 3 per cent. Stock with the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds producing £15 0s. 4d. yearly in dividends, which is applied by the rector and churchwardens for church repairs.