Seagrave rectory, glebe, etc., p. 1/5
25/06/2007 Robert Hill
Seagrave rectory, glebe, charities, etc.
The advowson and patronage of the parish church of All Saints.
The advowson, the right to present a clergyman to the parish subject to the Bishop’s approval,
was held by the heads of the Segrave family in the 13th century but appears to have descended to
the lords Berkeley in the 14th century after Elizabeth baroness Seagrave married John de
Mowbray, 4th baron Mowbray (d.1368) and they still held it 1550.1 The 1667 & 1670 Seagrave
surveys, already mentioned, valued the Rectory at £100 a year, presumably meaning the rental
value of the house & glebe. Lord Berkeley sold the advowson to John Rogers, rector of
Seagrave, in 1684 and his widow Sarah held it in 1715.2 In 1727, Richard Benskin of Rearsby,
gent., presented Richard Benskin junior BA to Seagrave Rectory on the death of Thomas Royle,
rector of Seagrave.3 The reverend Richard Benskin (d.1767) left his ‘Rectoridge and the
Presentation’ to his son John forever.4 In 1768, John Benskin, then curate of Prestwold, obtained
the consent of the bishop of Lincoln by the following petition.
John Benskin’s petition to be admitted as rector of Seagrave. 5
To the Right Reverend Father in God John by divine permission Lord Bishop of Lincoln.
The humble Petition of John Benskin, Clerk, Batchelor of Arts and Curate of Prestwould in the
County of Leicester and your Lordships Diocese of Lincoln.
Sheweth That Richard Benskin, Clerk, late Rector of Seagrave in the County and Diocese
aforesaid deceased had a right to the perpetual Advowson and was the true and undoubted
patron of the said Rectory and parish Church of Seagrave and that the same became vacant by
the Death of the said Richard Benskin and so continues. That the said Richard Benskin in his
life time rightly and duly made and executed his last Will and Testament and thereof constituted
and appointed your petitioner Sole Executor, and amongst other Things did by the said Will
give and bequeath unto your Petitioner the said Rectory and the presentation thereto forever.
That your Petitioner has proved and taken upon himself the Execution of the said Will, has a
right to the Advowson, is the true and undoubted Patron of the said Rectory, in full right and is
in Priests Orders.
Wherefore your Petitioner most humbly offers himself to your Lordship and prays to be
admitted and instituted in and to the said Rectory and parish Church of Seagrave, to be invested
with all and singular the Rights Members and Appurtenances thereunto belonging and to be
inducted into the same.
And your Petitioner shall ever pray etc.
[signed] John Benskin, 21 April 1768 [witnessed by] Jn. Hodgson, Henry Andrew
The patronage after 1768.
John Benskin, rector of Seagrave, also the patron of Queen’s College, Cambridge, died in 1776 and the
Master & fellows of Queen’s College, Cambridge, were thereafter the patrons.6 Queens College,
Cambridge, was patron when Thomas Thwaites became rector in 1777, also when Robert Gutch became
rector in 1809, and when James Edward Dalton became rector in 1852.7 In 1881 Seagrave was in the
rural deanery of East Goscote, archdeaconry of Leicester and diocese of Peterborough. 8 In 1889 James
Edward Dalton was succeeded as rector by his nephew William Henry Dalton who appears to have left
the ‘gift of the rectory’ to trustees.9 The rectory was the ‘gift’ of the Bishop of Peterborough in 1920 but
by 1927 was transferred to the Diocese of Leicester, created in 1926.10 The benefice of Seagrave was
combined with that of Cossington c.1986 and with Cossington and Sileby from 1989.11 In April 2005,
under the Pastoral Measure 1983, the Bishop of Leicester issued a ‘Notice of suspension of the right of
presentation to the freehold living’ of the benefice of Sileby, Cossington and Seagrave. 12
A list of ministers of All Saints parish church is in appendices 29.
Seagrave glebe etc. p. 2/5
The Rectory and Glebe land 1760-1825.
Most of the glebe land belonging to the church was dispersed across the open fields before the
Seagrave enclosure awards of 1761. There are seven Seagrave glebe terriers at Leics. Record
Office for the years 1638 to 1751.13 Others at Lincolnshire Achives (for the years 1602, 1625
and 1709) have not been examined.14 The glebe terriers are lengthy documents which list all the
pieces of land but only the 1679 terrier states the amount of land: 48 acres of arable, five acres of
meadow on the Olds, a close of about one acre, and common of pasture for 12 cows and 120
sheep according to the old stint [a rota for taking common at certain times of year].
Summary of glebe terriers 1638-1751.15
Year
1638
1674
1697
17241751
Ansley field
Standard f.
Brink field
Nether field
The Oldes
Totals
items
pieces
items
pieces
items
pieces
items
pieces
items
pieces
items
pieces
39
40
33
35
65
66
57
73
35
31
24
22
38
34
26
26
31
31
28
31
37
37
37
39
17
17
16
22
24
24
24
34
9
8
9
11
122
128
109
110
164
170
155
172
Rectory descriptions in the glebe terriers 1638-1751.
1638 Rectory description.
First a hall and kitchin of two bayes with a convenient parlar and a buttrye about the same a larder milkhouse
bakehouse and brewhouse over the parlar and buttrye three chambars over the hall and kitchin larder
milkhouse bakehouse and brewhouse necessarye chambers and garners A kilne of three bayes with a
Cesterne? and floares, three? lodg--? ---- with a woolehouse and three bayes for stables, A greate barn of sixe
bayes and a haye barne of three bayes one hovell for kine, a folde yarde two small garden places [adjoining the
church yard].
1674 Rectory description.
Edifices Belonging to ye sayd parsonage of Seagrave in ye sayd Countie of Leicester viz.
First An hall & Kitchin of two Bayes with a convenient parler & a closet to ye same.
Itm A larder, milkehouse & Butterie neare thereto.
Itm Over ye sayd roumes three chambers, a studdy, and a corne loft & two garretts.
Itm Over ye Kitchin a [smudged] place for a man servant & two Garners for corne.
Itm behinde ye Kitchin a place for cookes & a maltmill & beyond those a wash:house & little stable
Itm In ye yard one lesser barne of three Bayes & a grea[t] [*Barne] of [blank = sixe] large high bayes
Itm. There is by ye house a little orchard & two garde[n] places adjoyning to ye church yard.
1697 Rectory description.
One tithe Barne of Six Bease [bays]
One Barne And Stable of Three Bease
A Brewhouse A halle & a Kitchin
One parlor Three Chambers
All in Good Repare
Two Gardins a Litle oachard
A foold yard and a well
1745 Rectory description.
First the Parsonage House of five Bays A Hall two Parlours and Buttery A Kitchen Milk
House and Brewhouse over the Hall parlours and Buttery three Lodging Chambers and other Necessary
Chambers over the Kitchen and Brewhouse; A great Barn of six bays Three Bays for Stables Two Hovels and
a French Hovel, A fold yard a small garden plot
with a Little orchad. Arrable Land haveing a Balk on the Ridge at each end.
1751 Rectory description.
The Parsonage House of five bays A hall two parlers Buttery Kitchin Milkhouse and Brewhouse over the Hall,
Parlers, and Buttery, three Lodging Chambers, and other Necesaary Chamber over Kitchin and Brewhouse, a
barn of six bays, a stable of three bays, two Hovels, and a French House, a Foldyard, a garden, with a little
orchard.
Seagrave rectory, glebe, etc., p. 3/5
From 1761 there were 378 acres of glebe land, all but 54 acres of it allotted in lieu of tithes by the
1761 Seagrave enclosure awards. The Visitation of 1777 states that the rectory house was to be
new built according to the Act of Parliament but there seems to be no surviving record of when it
was built.16
Reverend Wm. Lewin vacated a farm in Seagrave in 1802.17
Reverend William Lewin, curate of Seagrave 1786-1802, advertised his growing crops for sale in
the Leicester Journal in August 1802, prior to vacating at Michaelmas (30 September), as
follows.
Very fine growing crops etc. in the parish of Seagrave to be sold by auction by Mr. Davis, at 2
o’clock in the afternoon on Friday August 20th 1802, at the house of Mr. T. Harriman, the sign
of the Black Swan in Seagrave. The following lots of growing crops etc. the property of the
Rev. W. Lewin (who is to leave his farm at Michaelmas next). Lot 1: about 13 acres of wheat
in the Fifth or Far Close. Lot 2: about 12 acres of ditto in the Third. Lot 3: about 5 acres of
ditto in Old Dunsmore. Lot 4: about 10 acres of beans in the First Close. Lot 5: about 5.5 acres
of oats in the Upper Hall Leys. Lot 6: about 2.5 acres of oats in the Little Close between Upper
Hall Leys and Old Dunsmore. Lot 7: part of a large old hay stack in the Stack Yard. Lot 8:
stack of old seeds in ditto. Lot 9: a large quantity of prime well-got new clover in lots, in ditto
and Barn. Lot 10: a large quantity of new hay, equally well-got, in lots. Lot 11: a quantity of
very good oat straw. Lot 12: a quantity of beans and pease straw. Lot 13: a small old hay stack
in Nether Dunsmore. For a view of the same apply to T. Harriman at the Black Swan in
Seagrave aforesaid. The whole must be cleared by Michaelmas next.
Reverend Ingram sold his livestock & farming equipment in 1804.18
The reverend Robert A. Ingram, rector of Seagrave 1802-1809, having let the greater part of his
land, advertised his livestock and farming equipment in the Leicester Journal in March 1804 as
follows.
Seagrave. To be sold by auction by Mr. Boott, on the premises, on Friday the 6th day of April
1804 at 10 o’clock. The valuable stock of neat cattle, sheep, horses, implements of husbandry
and some hay, the property of the Rev. Mr. Ingram, of Seagrave in the county of Leicester,
who has let the greater part of his land. Consisting of 5 Scotch beasts, 39 ewes and theaves,
with their lambs, 30 shearing wethers, 4 cart horses, a stack of hay, a stack of clover, 2
waggons, one nearly new, 2 carts, 2 ploughs, 2 pair of harrows, gearing for 4 horses, and other
implements of husbandry. Catalogues may be had the day preceding the sale, on the premises;
and of Mr. Boott in Loughborough.
The Rectory house & glebe land 1826-1910
White’s Leics. directories of 1846 & 1863 state the glebe as 284 acres but the White’s 1877
directory puts it at 381 acres; the earlier amount seems to be a mistake.19 Kelly’s Leics.
directories state the glebe as 381 acres in 1881 and 382 acres in 1908. The increase from 378
acres at enclosure in 1761 to 382 acres in 1908 may represent an increase through donation
and/or re-assessment. The net yearly value of the rectory (the living) derived from the glebe was
£275. A new façade was added to the rectory house c.1852, with other improvements, at a cost
of £708 financed by a mortgage from the Queen Anne Bounty secured by the income of the
rector James Edward Dalton.20 The builders survey of 1752 reported as follows.
Some parts of the House are in a tolerable state of repair but several settlements have taken
place in consequence of bad foundations and the whole being slightly built. The principal
rooms are small. The work proposed to be done is almost entirely in the way of addition,
alteration and repair.21
Seagrave glebe etc. p. 4/5
The Rectory house (1.2 acres) and Sundial cottage sold in 1921
The Rectory house, containing one acre & 33 perches (1.2 acres) was sold freehold in 1921
together with the cottage, containing one rood and 13 perches (0.33 acre), on the opposite side of
the road; latterly known as Sundial cottage from the sundial which was once mounted on the
front wall. An existing house at the corner of Pond Street & Swan Street became the new rectory
and the old rectory is now known as Seagrave Hall.22
A list of Seagrave rectors is given in appendix 29.
Charities
Robert Burton’s £10 charity.
In his will dated 15 Aug. 1639, Robert Burton, ‘student of Christchurch, Oxon.’ included the
following: Item, I give to the parish of Segrave, Leics., where I am now rector, ten pounds, to be
given to certain Feoffees, to the perpetual good of the said parish.23 Robert Burton lived in
Oxford but visited Seagrave occasionally when rector, as already mentioned.
John Hickling’s charity land.
By his will of 15 July 1677, John Hickling of Loughborough gave all his lands in Seagrave and
two acres in Loughborough to his brother Bartholomew Hickling in trust to pay 10s. yearly
forever to the poor of Seagrave out of the Seagrave land. This land became entrusted to the
Feoffees of Loughborough, otherwise known as the Loughborough bridgemasters, being the
elected townsmen who ran Loughborough.24 The Seagrave land appears in the 1761 Seagrave
enclosure awards, items 64 & 65, which are respectively 10 acres and 51.5 acres, but 12.5 % was
usually deducted in lieu of tithes so the original gift was probably 70 acres of dispersed lands in
the open fields & commons of Seagrave. The land appears in the Land Tax Assessments 17731832 initially as ‘Bridge land’ (meaning Bridgemasters land, not a bridge) but later a ‘Charity
land’ let to the Sharpe family.
William Richards’ charity.
William Richards (d.1799) of Seagrave bequeathed £100 to be invested by three named trustees,
the income from which sum was to be used to pay or augment the salary of a suitable person to
teach reading, writing and accounts when a school was opened in Seagrave; until a school was
opened, or if there was no suitable teacher, the interest was to be added to the capital sum of
£100; four years after his death, no school was established in Seagrave and the accumulated sum
was used by the surviving trustees, William Brownsord and William Ward, to purchase £210 3%
Reduced Annuities; in 1838, the stock was still invested in their names and produced £6/6s. in
dividends, in consideration of which Thomas Sharp was teaching six children appointed by the
vicar and churchwardens.25 In 1784, William Richards married Ann Preston (d.1791) of
Seagrave; in 1793 the same William Richards, widower, grazier of Seagrave, married Elizabeth
Measures, aged 41, spinster of Seagrave; and William Richards died 29 June 1799 aged 67
years.26
Seagrave rectory, glebe, etc., p. 5/5
Schools & Methodist chapel.
Schools, Primitive Methodist chapel, & cemetery. 27
The first National School was erected in 1820 at the expense of the rector, aided by a donation
from the Leicester National School Society, and is now a private dwelling opposite the parish
church of All Saints on Church Street.
A Primitive Methodist chapel, built in 1845 and seating 100, is now a private dwelling on Green
Lane. The Sharp & Draycott families seem to have been mainstays.28
The Public Elementary School (mixed), erected in 1877 for 70 children, is now Seagrave First
School. A history of this will be found on the CD. A civic cemetery of half an acre was
established in 1889, the site being given by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners; it is under the
control of the Parish Council. The burial ground at the church was closed soon after the opening
of the cemetery, except for those who already had plots. An index of burials 1682-1910 will be
found on the CD.
Abbreviations used in the notes below:
Leics.
Leicester, Leics. & Rutland Record Office.
R.O.
Nichols
History & Antiquities of the county of Leicester (publ. c.1800) by John Nichols (in 4
volumes). Copies at Leics. R.O. and Leicester Reference Library.
1
Nichols vol. iii p. 414. Notes by John Smith of Nybley in British Library 33,588 folios 23-27, now numbered 967976. Kelly’s 1912 directory of Leics. Lincolnshire Archives PD/1550/48.
2
Lincolnshire Archives PD/1715/23. WAM CC 145578/18. Nichols vol. iii, p. 414.
3
Lincolnshire Archives PD/105/18.
4
Leics. R.O. Wills PR/T/1768/27.
5
Lincolnshire Archives PD/125/30.
6
Nichols vol. iii, p. 414.
7
Lincolnshire Archives PD/133/2 (1777); PD/165/17 (1809); Whites 1877 Leics. directory.
8
Kelly’s 1881 directory of Leics.
9
Kelly’s 1895 & 1908 Leics. directories.
10
Kelly’s 1922 & 1828 Leics. directories.
11
Crockfords Clerical Directory 1985-6.
12
Notice posted in Seagrave All Saints church.
13
Leics. R.O. 1D41/2/571 (1638); /572 (1674); /573 (1679); /576 (1730). Leics. R.O. MF261 (about 50% through
reel) for 1724, 1745 & 1751.
14
Lincolnshire Archives TER/5 folio 186 (1602); TER/8 folio 661 (1625); TER/18/19 (undated); TER/23 p. 842
(1709).
15
Leics. R.O. 1D41/571 (1638), 572 (1674), & 574 (1697). Leics. R.O. MF261 (about 50% through) for 1724, 1745,
& 1751.
16
Leics. R.O. ref. ID/41/18/21 p.223, the Visitation by reverend James Bickham, Archdeacon of Leicester.
17
Leicester Journal 13 August 1802 (p. 3, col. 2, item 8)
18
Leicester Journal 23 March 1804 (p. 2, col. 5, item 4).
19
Leics. R.O. Leicstershire directories White’s 1846 p. 452-3; White’s 1863 p. 624; White’s 1877 p. 587-8.
20
Leics. R.O. 1D69/26/1-4.
21
Leics. R.O. 1D69/26/1-4, document A.
22
From sight of deed dated 21 March 1921. The property was sold under the Parsonage Acts 1839-1911 for £1750.
23
Nichols vol. iii, p. 557-8.
24
Elizabethan Loughborough p. 38-40 (1992) by Anne Richmond (Leics. R.O. L914.2 LOU).
25
Report of the Charity Commissioners 1838, copy at Leics. R. O. L361.7 p.488-9. Also plaque on west wall of All
Saints church, Seagrave, dated 29 June 1799.
26
Parish records, marriage licence, and gravestones around the altar of All Saints church, Seagrave.
27
See Leics. directories.
28
Leics. R.O. N/M/207/182 (baptism records 1853-1876). DE2148/221(newspaper 1961).