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West Bridgford: then and now (3)

The Manor. The Luterels, whom Thoroton describes as " the  most eminent and ancient owners of Gamston that he had met with," after others previously named, got into trouble over the rebellion of Earl (afterwards King) John, against his brother, King Richard I., for most of the gentry of Notts, were misled, and aided John, but were let off with penalties. Galfr Luterel paid the Sheriff in 1195 34s. (equal to £34 now), and four years later he had to pay fifteen marks (£10—£200) to regain some land which was subject to the Clifton Court, and which he had forfeited by following Earl John. Andrew Luterel had in 1246 the right to keep and kill the ground game in his demesne, or manor lands in "Gameleston and Bruggeford," (Gamston and Bridgford). He would not give much for the right in Bridgford now, and he does not seem to have been a man of much use, for rather than be at the trouble to serve as a magistrate or sheriff, or to have charge, or responsibility of any office for the King, or to serve at the Assizes, or on Juries, he, in 1252, gave the King three marks of gold, equal to probably £40 now. He was like some moderns who shirk responsibility and duty, and refuse to make any sacrifice of ease, or pleasure, for the promotion of the public good.

When Andrew Loterel (so described) died in 1265, a jury met at Gamelston, of which Gervase de Wileford was foreman, to ascertain what land the deceased held. He held the manor Gameliston, with Brigeford, Basingefeld, and Keworth, and Normanton. "The advowson of the church of Bridgeford belongs to the said manor, and is worth twenty marks yearly (£13 6s. 8d.=£266 13s. 4d. now."

Robert Luterel died in 1297, an Inquisition was held, and the jury met at Gamelston, on the Sunday next after the feast of St. Peter. Among other matters they said that there were in Briggeford in demesne twelve oxgangs of land, each worth 5s. yearly;—that is land attached to the manor farm, the oxgangs each being probably fifteen acres, so 4d. per acre, but there was a pasture of two acres worth yearly 2s. There was a windmill worth yearly 13s. 4d. There was rent of free tenants payable at the feasts of St. Martin, and Pentecost, by equal portions, 68s. The tenancies of the bondsmen in Gamelston are described, and then of those in Briggeford "in bondage," was nineteen virgates of land, each rendering 3s. 2d. A virgate is an uncertain measure, varying from fifteen to forty acres, but often twenty-five acres. Each virgate owed to the lord of the manor one day's work at weeding, and the day's work was worth 1/2d.; one day's work at mowing, worth 2d. with food from the lord; one day at lifting hay worth 1/2d.; two days' work at reaping, without food from the lord, worth l1/2d.; four days' work at reaping, with food from the lord, worth £d.; one day's work at carrying corn, with food from the lord, worth 2d.; twelve cottagers in the two places who render yearly 24s., "Sum of this tenure £13 12s. 31/2d." "They say also that all the bondsmen aforesaid ought to carry the hay of the lord in common, and the carriage is worth yearly 2s. They say also that all the bondsmen aforesaid give for aid to the lord every year at the feast of St. Michael, 100s." An aid was a pecuniary tribute paid by a vassal to his lord on special occasions. Probably the rents and wages named may for present value be multiplied twenty times. Now let every Bridgford boy exclaim " Thank God I was not born 600 years ago. Thank God for liberty. These liberties, rights, and duties, I will do my utmost to preserve and discharge." (See Inq., Thoroton Society).

There was an Inquisition on the death of Edmund, the King's brother, made at "Brygeford ad Pontem" in 1297, as to the lands in Cotegrave, Holm, Basyngfeld, Gamelston, etc.

Geoffrey Luterel, Lord of Gamston, and his ancestors, had from of old times a pasture called the "the Stener," on the southern side of the Old Trent, which seems to have been a place abounding with gravel stones, the gravelly river bank, and probably the land to the east of the bridge. The Mayor in 1416 released all right to it, Geoffrey agreeing to pay an annual rental of six pence a year, for the repair of the bridge, for the souls of the ancestors of himself, the Mayor, Burgesses, and community, (B.R. 111). There used to be gravel pits east of the canal bridge. These however may not have been on the land referred to.

There was one of the Luterells who tried to be of use— the Rev. Robert Luterell, Parson of Irnham, in Lincolnshire, who about the year 1303 gave lands in Rutland, and at Stamford, to sustain chaplains at several places, who were to offer prayers for his soul, and to sustain scholars studying divinity and philosophy. Another of them, in 1320, settled the Manor of Gameleston and Brugeford, with the right to present the Rector to Bridgford church, on members of the family, and this was in succeeding generations many times repeated.

Walter Bec had in 1274 the right to fix the price of bread and ale sold in Bruggeford, and to regulate their quality and measure. The ale we have learned now to dispense with, but the bread is still the staff of life.

"The church of Bryggford," says Thoroton, "the parish whereof extended into Gamelston, Basingfield, and Adbolton."

The Lutterel family are said to have held land at Bridgford from 1194 to 1418, and several members of the family were buried here.

In his "History," Dr. Thoroton gives a table of the genealogy of the Luterels, or Lutterels, and of their marriages into the families of Hilton, Thymelby, etc., and various items as to contests for, or descent of the estates of Bridgford and Gamston, which are not of general interest. The advowson of the church—that is, the right of presentation of the priest on a vacancy occurring, accompanied the sale or settlement of the estate, which sometimes passed in free, or frank marriage— that is, in consideration of marriage, and subject to descent to the children of such marriage, or subject to the obligations to the sovereign, which an owner of such land must render. The names of the ladies mentioned in connection with the estate or its owners in the times named may be of interest. They include Frethesenta, Joana, Agnes, Guido, Beatrice, Hawisia, Maria, Johannes, Elizabeth, Margaret, Eleanora, Katherine, Constance, Philippa, Cecily, Alice, etc., and Blanche —the King's daughter.

In 1799 there is mentioned 40 messuages, 20 cottages, 40 gardens, 40 orchards, 600 acres of land, 500 acres of meadow, 400 acres of pastures and common pastures for all cattle, with the appurtenances in West Bridgford and Sneinton, the advowson of the church of West Bridgford, etc.

It is no part of the object of this paper to trace the descent of the lordship of the manor, but it may be noted that the estate is now vested in the Trustees of the late Alderman and Lieut.-Col. Sir Horatio Davies, K.C.M.G., a former Lord Mayor of London, and in 1905 M.P. for Chatham. He was little known in Bridgford, but was unwearied in his services in the City as a Magistrate, where he was regarded as just, but severe to wrong-doers, while tender-hearted for cases of distress. He died in 1912, aged 70.

The Stone Man.  "The Stone Man of Bridgford" has excited  much interest and comment. Captain Barker in his "Walks round Nottingham," 1835, tells that in the south-east corner of a triangular field on the right hand side of Melton Road, he found the remains of a sculptured form of a cross-legged knight miserably mutilated, part of the shield yet remaining on the left arm, the armour being of very early origin, the statue having no doubt been taken from some sepulchre, perhaps originally in Bridgford Church. He was told "it had been dug up from the earth when excavating a pond, close to where it stands, between thirty and forty years ago, and this proud memorial of ancient valour, perhaps designed to represent one of those who planted the banner of the cross upon the walls of the holy city, was now a rubbing-post for cattle." "To what base uses may he come at last." The field was known as the "Stoneman close." Part of the field still continues as such, south of Mr. W. Hall's, No. 91 Loughborough Road, and the statue stood about twenty yards north-east of a big willow tree, still vigorous.

Edward Hind, in his book of "Poems," 1853, has an "Ode to the Stone-man of West Bridgford," commencing:—

"Good mister stone-man, can you tell me who
The dickens you were made to represent? "

and then he proceeds with a multitude of questions:—

"What was his name, time, history, ancient figure,
How long since thou first challenged man's inspection,
How long did't lie imponded, ere a digger
Found thee en-graved and raised to resurrection ?
Oh mutilated statue antiquated !
Fifty years ago here excavated."

Mr. J. Henry Brown in 1907 wrote in a newspaper that he was taken to see the effigy by his grandfather, the late Mr. Thos. Bailey. It was then held to be the effigy of the founder of Flawford Church. He says, "the stone formed the southerly point of the Nottingham Manor Boundary, and the Mickletorn Jury in their perambulations had to touch it, or incur a forfeit." Messrs. Wright & Hurcombe bought the land where the statue stood, and at the request of Mr.W. H.Simons, who was then (1893) churchwarden, they consented to it being removed to the church, The old church had a founder's tomb, but the figure of the founder had been removed. The stones of the arch have been re-erected, stone for stone. It is said to be fourteenth century work. In the opinion of Mr. Harry Gill the effigy, or the Stone man, is that of a person who enlarged and beautified the church in the fourteenth century, and founded the chantry in the south aisle. "The incontrovertible facts about the effigy," says Mr. Gill, "are these: It is ecclesiastical, and was intended to be inside a church. The crossed legs indicate a benefactor to a church. It belongs to a date approximately a.d. 1300. West Bridgford church was re-built in 1320—1350. The stone used in the re-building and the stone of the effigy are from the same quarry." The figure here given is not of the stone as it is, but of the Luteral knight it is believed to have originally been intended to represent.

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