THE BARTON FAMILY
The Founder's will is still preserved in the Mediaeval Room of Nottingham Castle and sheds much light on him and his life. His house was a quarter of a mile south-west of the church on the site now occupied by a modern farmhouse. It is sad to relate that it was destroyed, with interesting stone carvings, towards the end of the nineteenth century.
After his death in 1491 his son Ralph succeeded him. A younger son, Robert, entered Shelford Priory. Ralph and his brother Thomas do not seem to have got on well together as the old man left particular injunctions as to their falling out. Both sons were executors, but if they could not keep the peace Ralph was to wind up the English estate, while Thomas did the like in France, and this was actually done.
Ralph's eldest son, after marrying and having four sons, made the dramatic move of becoming a Friar Minor in 1516, shortly after his father died. He was professed at Richmond,
Surrey, assumed the habit and lived in the friary at Newark. Possibly he did not desire to be burdened with the estates just left to him. His wife had died and his family was amply provided for.
Some generations later another Ralph was Warden of North Muskham in Armada year. He gave the bell to Holme in 1592 and was there buried. His great granddaughter Grace (last of the Bartons) married Henry Bellasis, M.P., son of Viscount Faulconberg and brother of Lord Bellasis the Royalist Governor of Newark. Her son married Cromwell's daughter Mary, so Grace had a foot in both camps.
REGISTERS
Tradition asserts that the registers (which began in 1569 and threw much light on the Founder's descendants, and which survived until between 1803-31), were then given by the sexton to children to convert into kites. This vandalism has lost for ever much information of importance about the church.
The present register commences in 1711.
PATRONS
In the beginning Holme was a chapel attached to North Muskham whose vicars served it. In 1854 this long connexion was severed by Order in Council and it was united to Lang- ford. There is little to commend in the union of benefices, but if they must be it is a pity that the long historical connexion with North Muskham was severed, for both churches received the beneficence of our Founder, whose arms and mark are still in glass and stone in the church over the water.
VILLAGE CROSS
At the cross roads beyond the church is the base of the village cross. Its companion is on the opposite river bank. Ours stands at the entrance to the grassy lane which once led to the water, and a few yards from the other end of which can be seen the tiny artificial basin, now dry and grassy, where the mediaeval ferry boat landed its passengers. The pair are also said to commemorate floods.
Still does the ferry ply between the banks of the river, which has changed its course slightly since the crosses were raised.
LOCAL CELEBRITIES
Dick Turpin is said to have found shelter in a cottage in the village during his famous ride to York from London. It was the last house on the way to Newark—a small low cottage pulled down about 1870. Up to about 1817 it contained a richly embroidered pistol holster. The occupier in Turpin's day received a severe sentence, thus proving he was judged to be an accomplice. Since Holme is only a mile off the Great North Road yet separated by the Trent, it made a good retreat specially as the house was secluded and near to an easy ford, and this tale of the famous highwayman has every probability.
Archbishop Secker. One does not easily connect a little village with an Archbishop of Canterbury, yet Thomas Secker, who sat on St. Augustine's throne for ten years from 1758, left by will considerable estates (including some at Holme) to charity. He should have known that this was invalid under the Statute of Mortmain. His heir, Mr. Frost, of Nottingham, disputed the will and secured the estates for himself, building the present Hall, or part of it.
An Elizabethan Benefactor. In 1575 Stephen Surflett, of Holme, husbandman, left 3s. 4d. to the Vicar for forgotten tithes, a peck of rye to every poor house in the village and some land for the maintenance of the 'Water bancke' for ever, directing it to be 'letten for the old rente, that is to say 20 pence yearly'. The rents are still used for this purpose. His will gives us a picture of him among his cows and ewes, wearing his 'russet cote and white stockings'.
General French, 1st Earl of Ypres, lived at the Hall for some years when a Captain in the 19th Hussars, and kept a large stable of hunters. Though a Roman Catholic he attended the church each Sunday.
Field Marshal Viscount Allenby who captured Jerusalem in World War I, visited the Hall during the tenure of his uncle Charles Cane.
VILLAGE FESTIVALS
The Patronal Festival is on 1st September, St. Giles' Day. The saint is said to be an Athenian noble who sailed to France where he lived as a hermit by the Rhone.
A prince discovered him when hunting a hind which took shelter at the saint's feet and he is always depicted in art with the hind. He founded a monastery and is patron of many churches in France, Belgium, Germany and Poland. Very appropriately he is the patron saint of farmers.
The Dedication Festival date is lost and to supply the defect the Bishop of Southwell has constituted 23rd May, to be observed in future as this feast. His charter is framed" and hung in the nave. This date was the day on which he dedicated the first part of the restored work in 1934, and will be observed annually.
THE COLLECT FOR ST. GILES' DAY (SEPTR 1)
Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that the prayers of thy holy Abbot St. Giles may commend us unto thee: that we, who have no power of ourselves to help ourselves, may by his advocacy find favour in thy sight.
THE DEDICATION FESTIVAL COLLECT (MAY 23)
O God who year by year renewest unto us the day of consecration of this thy holy temple, who dost likewise continually suffer us to draw near in safety unto thy Holy Mysteries; mercifully hear the prayers of us Thy servants; and grant that whosoever enter- eth this house to ask Thy blessing may rejoice in the obtaining of all that he desires.