UPPINGTON CHURCH.

Br Rev. W. A. LEIGHTON, B.A. CAMB., F.L.S., F.B.S., &c,

THIS village, small and insignificant in extent, has a curious and complicated history attached to it and to its successive possessors. It is situated in the Wellington division of the hundred of Bradford South, and was originally a portion of the great Saxon parish of Wroxeter, although always ecclesiastically distinct. There is no record of its pre-Reformation incumbents, being always served by one or other of the portioner rectors of Wroxeter. Its early history may be traced from Dugdale's Baronage and Eyton's Antiquities of Shropshire, Vol. VIII.

From Domesday, fo. 258, b. 2, we learn that "Gerard de Tornai holds Opetone. Godvin held it in Saxon times. Here are two hides, geldable. The arable land is enough for 5 oxteams. In demesne are 2 teams: & there are 6 neatherds, 5 Villains & 4 Boors, with 2 oxteams. Here is a wood, a league in length, & therein is one Haye. In K. Edward's time the manor was worth 25o. per annum. Now it is worth 318. Gerard found it waste."

Hamo Peverel, in right of his wife, Sibil de Tornai, daughter of Gerard, succeeded to the estates, including Uppington, of Gerard de Tornai.

Hamo Peverel's heir Walcheline Maminot exchanged Uppington with Shrewsbury Abbey for Crudgington. But Henry II. ignored the claims of Hamo Peverel's heirs to Sibil de Tornai's estates, and Uppington lapsed to the Crown.

Henry II. granted Uppington to Roger Mussun, rendering a sore sparrow-hawk yearly. Roger Mussun

VOL. V.

L

granted the Chapel of Uppington to Wombridge Priory, 1189. Galiena Mussun, his widow, and their nine daughters and coheiresses, confirm the grant to Wombridge. The complicated history of these nine coheiresses must be traced in Eyton's Antiquities.

In 1294 Philip Burnel (ob. 22 Edw. I.), heir to Bishop Burnel, was lord of Uppington, and in 1316 John de Hanlowe, the Baron of Holgate, was lord.

Maud, sister and sole heir of Edward Burnell, who ob. 9 Edw. II., s. p. (1315), married, first, John Lovell, and second, John Handelow, whose son Nicholas assumed the name of Burnell, and ob. 6 R. II. (1382). The fine Brass to his memory is in Acton Burnell Church, and is engraved in Boutell's Monumental Brasses, p. 54. It bears this inscription :-" Hic jacet d'ns Nich'us Burnell miles d'ns de Holgot qui obiit xix die Januarii Anno D'ni Mmo ccc lxxxijo Cuj' a'ie p'piciet d's Am',' and is considered as a characteristic example of what is designated the Camail-period of armour.

Sir Hugh Burnell, his son and heir, died 1417, seized of the manor of Uppington (Esc. 8 H. V., n. 116).

William, Lord Lovell and Holland, died 33 H. VI., 1454, seized of the manor of Uppington (Esc. 33 H. VI., n. 28).

John, Lord Lovell, died 4 Edw. IV., 1464, seized of manor of Uppington (Esc. 4 E. IV., n. 27).

Francis, Lord Lovel, was attainted for his adherence to Richard III., and his estates confiscated.

Henry VII., in 1485, granted Uppington to Jasper of Hatfield, Earl of Pembroke and Duke of Bedford (Pat. 1 H. VII., p. 2), on whose death it reverted to the Crown, and was granted by Henry VIII. to Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, in special tail (Pat. H. VIII., p. 27).

From them it descended through the Newports, Earls of Bradford, to the present possessor, the Duke of Cleveland, but by what gradations I am ignorant. The following notes describe the Church as it was on my visit in 1827.