Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round Horncastle

by J. Conway Walter

After the Reformation, the earliest presentation which we find to this benefice is that of William Clerke, by King Edward VI. (as Duke of Lancaster); he was instituted as rector, 4, Edwd. VI., A.D. 1550–1. (“Architect. S. Journal,” 1897, p. 23.)

Recent rectors have been the Rev. E. Repton, in the earlier years of the century; the Rev. W. Nevins, later; and the Rev. H. Caukwell, appointed in 1878. The register dates from 1688, earlier records being lost. The children have a right to go to the free school of East Kirkby.

There is a modern commodious house, occupied by the present rector, who has 170 acres of glebe; but it is remarkable that about 100 acres of glebe are missing; the award made by the commissioners in lieu of tithe being largely in excess of the land now attached to the benefice. This parish also contains about 100 acres of charity land belonging to Stamford school.

Oxcombe.

This parish is situated about 7 miles, in a north-easterly direction from Horncastle, and about the same distance south-west from Louth. It is interesting to notice that in the name of this parish we have one of the few survivals in the county of its former British inhabitants. The old writer, William Camden, Clarenceaux King of Arms, in his “Remaines concerning Britain,” p. 116, A.D. 1657, says “Combe, a word in use both in France and England, for a valley between high hills.” It is, in fact, the term still common in the south of England for a secluded valley, as in such names as Pyecombe, in Sussex, a village nestling in a hollow at the base of the south Downs; Combe Pyne, and Combe Martin, in Devonshire, and many another similar name, as well as in the old Welsh (or British) “cwm,” which occurs in many a name in Wales, of places situated in like hill-locked positions. And this exactly describes the situation of Oxcombe, a valley almost cup-shaped, surrounded by steep hills, the whole parish now forming one estate, of something over 1,000 acres in extent, lying in a ring fence.

In Domesday Book it is also called Oxetune, in which the suffix “tune,” or “ton,” is the later Saxon for inclosure, implying a secluded farmstead, where some Saxon Thane’s cattle were housed. In that record of the Norman Conqueror, of which the date for Lincolnshire is about 1085 A.D., this parish is mentioned twice, once, as connected with the manor of Fulletby, which was among the lands conferred by William the Conqueror, on the Bishop of Durham, William de Karilepho, a Norman, who was a favourite with that king, and was appointed by him Chief Justice of England; and once among the possessions of the Norman noble, Hugh de Abrinchis (or Avranches), who was nephew of the Conqueror, and, besides being endowed by him with the Barony of the whole county of Chester, held also nearly one hundred and fifty manors in this County and elsewhere. He was surnamed Lupus or “The Wolf” (as has been stated in other of these records) from the many deeds of violence, for which he was famed; and for which he endeavoured to atone in the closing years of his somewhat lawless life, by becoming a monk in the Abbey of St. Werberg, at Chester, which he had himself founded.

The part of this manor, held by the Bishop of Durham, was combined with Fulletby, the adjoining parish westward, and was, under the Bishop, farmed by socmen, or free tenants. The portion belonging to Lupus was held by him, as in the soke of Farforth, another adjoining parish eastward, and was also farmed by socmen.

Hugh de Abrincis left one son, who succeeded to his estates; but, as we have elsewhere observed, the tenure of land was, in those unsettled times, very precarious, and we have evidence that lands in Oxcombe, at an early date, passed into other hands. The land became in part the property of Bullington Priory, which was an off-shoot of the Gilbertine Priory, of Sempingham, famous for the severity of its monastic rules. Bullington Priory was founded by Simon Fitzwilliam, [145a] in the reign of Stephen, and endowed with various lands in the neighbourhood. These endowments were augmented by William de Kyme, a member of another powerful family in the county, who had also lands at Sotby, and elsewhere; and further additions were made by the Crevecœurs, [145b] a family of much importance from the time of the Norman Conquest, Sir Hamon de Crevecœur succeeding to the barony of the Abrincis, located in Kent, with the title of Barons of Folkstone; while in this immediate neighbourhood, they held the lands in Somersby and Bag Enderby. A few old records exist showing ownership in Oxcombe, at an early date, by several other parties.

By an agreement made under date, 15 June, 1202, between Matilda, wife of Richard de Ormsby, on the one part, and Walter Futenglaz, tenant of certain lands in Oxcombe, the said Walter, on his part, acknowledged the said lands to be the right and inheritance of Matilda; and in return Matilda granted them to Walter, to hold to him and his heirs, of the said Matilda, and her heirs for ever, by the service of 12d. by the year; and for this grant, the said Walter gave her ½ mark. (“Final Concords.”)

We next get a connection of this parish with the Priories of Sempringham and Bullington, already referred to. By an agreement, dated 20 April, 1203, between Roger, Prior of Sempringham, and William de Oxecumbe, touching lands in the parish, the said William “warranted to the said prior and his successors, the charters which the same prior had of William, father of the said William, and all the said lands; and he granted them to hold to the said prior and his successors, and to the church of the blessed Mary of Bulinton, and to the Nuns and the Brethren serving God there, in pure and perpetual alms, free of all secular service and exaction.” And for this grant and warrant, the prior gave the said William 2 marks.