1 some monuments, with inscriptions to different persons of the Halford family. On one of these is an effigy of a knight in armour, laying on his side, and resting his head on his right hand, with the following inscription: "MS. Orimur, morimur, exorimur. Here lyeth the body of SIR RICHARD HALFord, Kt. and Baronnt, eldest sonn of Edward Halford, of Langham, in the covnty of Rvtland, Gent. He first married Isabel the daughter of George Bowman, of Medbourn, in the county of Leicester, Gent. by whom he had issue two sons, Andrew & George, & one daughter Joan. Afterwards he married Joan, the relict of Thomas Adams, of Walden, in the county of Essex, Esq. He departed this life August 30th, An’o Dn'i 1658, Aged 78 years. Here also lye ye bodies of Andrew Halford, of Kilby, Esq. who departed ys GUTHLAXTON HUNDRED assumes a wedge-like shape, with its narrow point running up nearly to the town of Leicester, and its broad end towards the south, abuting on the counties of Warwick and Northampton. Its western boundary is Sparkenhoe hundred, whilst the hundred of Gartre, bounds the eastern side. Mr. Nichols supposes that this hundred obtained its name from Saint Guthlac, a celebrated Anchorite, who resided at Croyland in Lincolnshire, and who acquired very eminent notoriety by pretended miracles, and other monkish impositions. This hundred formerly included that of Sparkenhoe, which was separated from it in the reign of King Edward the Third. It contains only one market town, Lutterworth, though, in the reign of King Henry the Third, a market was held at Ernesby (Arnesby). Parts of the two Roman roads, called Watling Street, and the Foss-Way, are attached to this hundred: the former constituting its boundary to the south west, and the latter divides it, for some distance, from the the hundred of Sparkenhoe to the west. At, or near High Cross, where these roads intersected each other, Camden, and some other authors, have affixed the Roman station of Venones, or Benones; and at Dowbridge was another station, or encampment. This hundred affords but little subject for the investigation and description of the antiquary and topographer. The hundred court for Guthlaxton is now annually held by the steward of the Lord Somers, at Kilby. This hundred is at present divided, as stated by Mr. Nichols, into the following townships, parishes, &c. "Arnesby, a vicarage. Brunting-thorpe, a rectory. rochial district. This is con- Cat-thorpe, a rectory. Gg 2 chapelry of Walton, and hamlet of Cotes-Devile. Knaptoft, a rectory, with the chapelries of Mousely and Shearsby, and the hamlet of Walton. Knighton, Knighton, a chapelry to the church of St. Margaret at Leicester. Leire, a rectory. Lutterworth, a rectory. Misterton, a rectory; including the chapelries of Poultney and Walcote. The Newark, and the South Fields, in and near the town of Leicester. Oadby, a vicarage. Peatling Magna, a vicarage. Peatling Parva, a rectory. Stanford, a vicarage, (partly in Stormsworth, a decayed village; At the southern extremity of this hundred is CAT-THORPE, village, which is situated on the side of a gentle eminence, and commands a view of a pleasant valley, through which the river Avon winds its course. Over this stream, about three-quarters of * a mile south-west of the village, is Dowbridge, or Dovebridge, near the Tripontium of Antoninus. Dr. Stukeley describes the bridge as "placed in a sweet little valley, with the sides pretty steep. The stream here divides into two, with a bridge over each; upon one a stone inscription, very laconic, shewing the three counties that repair it. Hard by antiquities have been found, both at Cat-thorpe and Lilburn, one on the north, the other on the south side of the river; so that the Roman city stood on both sides. Castle-hills, a place of Lilburn, where are some old walls +." Vestiges of encampments appear both on the Northamptonshire and on the Leicestershire sides. The Roman road passed through the middle of an encampment, which, Mr. Ireland says, "was indisputably the Roman station mentioned by Antoninus, in his journey from London to Lincoln, under the denomination Camden assigns this station to Towcester; Horsley places it at Buckley and Dr. Henry fixes it at Rugby. + Stukeley's Itinerary, Vol. I. p. 112. nomination of Tripontium. The circular tumulus, called by dif ferent writers the Prætorium Augurale, or Augustale, is sixty feet in height, having its base formed by a rampart or vallum, washed on the north side by the river Avon. This elevated spot, which commands a view of the whole encampment, was allotted to the general, the superior officers, and young men of rank who served as volunteers. On the eastern side of the Prætorium, and adjoining to it, is the upper camp, the north side of which is in like manner washed by the Avon. The northern side of the Prætorium, with that of the upper camp, form one line, two hundred and seventy-six feet in length. The inner vallum, or agger of the middle camp, is only twenty-eight feet in height, being defended by the river." South of this encampment is another of larger dimensions, which is separated from the former by a foss. Its southernmost outer vallum is about two hundred and fifty-eight feet in length, and the height of the inner vallum is fifty-seven feet t. SWINFORD, a village and parish adjoining that of Cat-thorpe, was originally a preceptory of the Knights Templars; and within the church was a chantry, founded by Nicholas Cowley, for one Priest to sing mass, &c. The gift of this chantry was in the king, in right of the late monastery of Leicester. The church here has a semicircular east end, which being without windows, renders the altar very dark and gloomy. In the church is a large circular font, standing on four short columns, and ornamented with a series of arches running all round. In the parish of Stanford is STANFORD-HALL, the seat of the Cave family, some of whom resided here for many generations; but the chief property in this place was purchased after the dissolution, by Thomas Cave, Esq. At that period the manor, rec * Picturesque Views on the Upper, or Warwickshire Avon, p. 32, &c. + As the principal part of this station is within Northamptonshire, I shall probably be induced to give some further account of it when describing that County. tory, and advowson, of the vicarage of Stanford, with all the messuages, lands, and tenements, in Stanford upon Avon, Downe, Stormesworth, and Boresworth, part of the possessions of Selby Abbey, were first transferred to this family, the principal branch of which had previously resided at Cave, in Yorkshire. Sir Thomas Cave, who died in 1778, was an active, liberal, and learned public character. He completed the family mansion at Stanford, and stored its library with a large and well-selected collection of books. Being partial to topographical literature, he contributed very materially towards the publication of Bridges's History of Northamptonshire, which was above fifty years in the press. He also made ample collections for the history of his own county; and though he did not live long enough to arrange these for publication, the proprietor of them has very liberally submitted the whole to the use and benefit of the present indefatigable historian of the county. Stanford Hall is now the property and residence of Henry Otway, Esq. in right of his wife, only sister to the last Sir Thomas Cave, and is a large convenient family mansion, seated in a fine park. In front of the house the river Avon is forced beyond its original banks, and constitutes a pleasant feature in the landscape. The whole of the village is within the county of Northampton; and in the church are some monumental memorials, with inscriptions to different persons of the Cave family. CLAYBROOK is a large parish, comprehending an area of about four miles in length, by nearly two miles and a half in breadth; and contains, according to estimation, 4000 acres of land. The parish is divided into two villages; the one indiscriminately called Great-Claybrook, Nether-Claybrook, or LowerClaybrook: the other Little-Claybrook, Over-Claybrook, or Upper-Claybrook. The church stands in the latter, which is situated on the great turnpike-road between Lutterworth and Hinckley. Though the two Claybrooks have separate poor-rates and overseers, yet they are subject to the jurisdiction of one constable; and the land-tax in both lordships is collected by the same asses sors. |