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.