Lyford, Oxfordshire
Encyclopedia
Lyford is a village and civil parish about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Wantage
. Historically it was part of the ecclesiastical parish of Hanney
. Lyford was part of Berkshire
until the 1974 boundary changes
transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire.
The manor
of Lyford dates from at least AD 944, when Edmund I granted six hides
of land there to one Ælfheah. The manor was enlarged by a grant of a further two hides of land by Canute the Great in 1034. Lyford is recorded in the Domesday Book
of 1086.
of Saint Mary the Virgin
was built as a chapelry of Hanney in the first half of the 13th century. The wooden bell-turret was added in the 15th century and has three bells. The Perpendicular Gothic clerestory
was added either at the same time or early in the 16th century. The church fabric was extensively restored in 1875. St. Mary's is now part of the United Benefice of Cherbury
with Gainfield
.
Rev. Michael Camilleri (circa 1814-1903), sometime vicar of Lyford, translated the New Testament into Maltese
.
s in 1611. The present quadrangle
of brick-built almshouses and a chapel appear to be 18th century. The quadrangle was completed as 20 houses but these have now been combined as eight larger units.
of Abingdon Abbey
built in a quadrangle.
During the reign of Elizabeth I
the Grange belonged to a recusant
, Francis Yate, who harboured a community of Bridgettine nuns
. In 1581 the property was searched, three priests were eventually found and arrested by the government agent, George Eliot
: Thomas Ford
, John Colleton
and the renowned Jesuit
, Edmund Campion
. They were subsequently tried and martyr
ed. A mass
is held annually in the village in commemoration of this event.
Wantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....
. Historically it was part of the ecclesiastical parish of Hanney
Hanney
Hanney was an ancient ecclesiastical parish about north of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. It included the villages of East Hanney and West Hanney and Lyford...
. Lyford was part of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
until the 1974 boundary changes
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire.
Manors
There were two manors in Lyford: Lyford Manor and Lyford Grange.The manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Lyford dates from at least AD 944, when Edmund I granted six hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
of land there to one Ælfheah. The manor was enlarged by a grant of a further two hides of land by Canute the Great in 1034. Lyford is recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Mary the Virgin
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
was built as a chapelry of Hanney in the first half of the 13th century. The wooden bell-turret was added in the 15th century and has three bells. The Perpendicular Gothic clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
was added either at the same time or early in the 16th century. The church fabric was extensively restored in 1875. St. Mary's is now part of the United Benefice of Cherbury
Cherbury Camp
Cherbury Camp is the name given to the 'multi-vallate' hill-fort-like earthworks, situated at , 1 mile to the north of Charney Bassett, in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire, England. It is joined to the village by a footpath....
with Gainfield
Gainfield
Gainfield is a small ribbon development in Buckland civil parish about east of Faringdon in the Vale of the White Horse District of England. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....
.
Rev. Michael Camilleri (circa 1814-1903), sometime vicar of Lyford, translated the New Testament into Maltese
Maltese language
Maltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
.
Almshouses
Oliver Ashcombe founded Lyford almshouseAlmshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s in 1611. The present quadrangle
Quadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
of brick-built almshouses and a chapel appear to be 18th century. The quadrangle was completed as 20 houses but these have now been combined as eight larger units.
Lyford Grange
Lyford Grange, just east of the village, was originally a moated manor houseManor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
of Abingdon Abbey
Abingdon Abbey
Abingdon Abbey was a Benedictine monastery also known as St Mary's Abbey located in Abingdon, historically in the county of Berkshire but now in Oxfordshire, England.-History:...
built in a quadrangle.
During the reign of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
the Grange belonged to a recusant
Recusancy
In the history of England and Wales, the recusancy was the state of those who refused to attend Anglican services. The individuals were known as "recusants"...
, Francis Yate, who harboured a community of Bridgettine nuns
Bridgettines
The Bridgettine or Birgittine Order is a monastic religious order of Augustinian nuns, Religious Sisters and monks founded by Saint Birgitta of Sweden in approximately 1350, and approved by Pope Urban V in 1370...
. In 1581 the property was searched, three priests were eventually found and arrested by the government agent, George Eliot
George Eliot (spy)
George Eliot was an English spy in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.George Eliot is reported to have been an unsavoury character. He earned his living as a confidence trickster, but was well-known as a rapist and suspected of being a murderer...
: Thomas Ford
Thomas Ford (martyr)
Blessed Thomas Ford , a Devonshire native, was a Catholic martyr executed during the reign of Elizabeth I.He received an MA at Trinity College, Oxford, on 24 July 1567, and became a fellow there...
, John Colleton
John Colleton (priest)
-Life:He was son of Edmund Colleton of Milverton, Somerset, where he was born. He was sent to the University of Oxford in 1565, and studied at Lincoln College. A convert to Catholicism when about twenty years of age, he went to Leuven with the intention of becoming a Carthusian monk, and entered...
and the renowned Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, Edmund Campion
Edmund Campion
Saint Edmund Campion, S.J. was an English Roman Catholic martyr and Jesuit priest. While conducting an underground ministry in officially Protestant England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted of high treason by a kangaroo court, he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn...
. They were subsequently tried and martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed. A mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
is held annually in the village in commemoration of this event.