Lillingstone Lovell
Encyclopedia
Lillingstone Lovell is a village and civil parish about 4 miles (6.4 km) miles north of Buckingham
in Aylesbury Vale
the district of Buckinghamshire
. The parish adjoins the Northamptonshire
boundary and is about 5 miles (8 km) south of Towcester
in that county. Lillingstone Lovell is about 8 miles (12.9 km) west of Milton Keynes
. The parish adjoins that of Lillingstone Dayrell with Luffield Abbey.
The toponym
"Lillingstone" is derived from the Old English for "Lytel's boundary stone", referring to the proximity of both places to the Northamptonshire
boundary. At the time of the Domesday Book
in 1086 both settlements were recorded jointly as Lillingestan though already at that time there were two manors
owned respectively by the Dayrell and Lovell families. During the 13th century Lillingstone Lovell was known as Lillingstone Magna distinguishing it from its neighbour sometimes recorded as Lillingstone Parva. This is believed to refer more to administrative ascendancy rather than territorial size.
The adoption of the "Lovell" name came later probably in reference to the lordship of the manor
by the Lovell family line which died out in the early 14th century. Unlike its neighbour, Livingstone Lovell was a detached portion of Oxfordshire
under the control of the royal manor of Kirtlington
, valued for its woodland and hunting being part of the ancient Whittlewood Forest
. It was transferred to Buckinghamshire under the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844.
The Church of England parish church
of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
is believed to date from the 13th century but was rebuilt in the 14th century. By the middle part of the 18th century it had fallen into disrepair and was repaired and refurbished around 1777 retaining the original medieval tower.
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
in Aylesbury Vale
Aylesbury Vale
The Aylesbury Vale is a large area of flat land mostly in Buckinghamshire, England. Its boundary is marked by Milton Keynes to the north, Leighton Buzzard and the Chiltern Hills to the east and south, Thame to the south and Bicester and Brackley to the west.The vale is named after Aylesbury, the...
the district of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. The parish adjoins the Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
boundary and is about 5 miles (8 km) south of Towcester
Towcester
Towcester , the Roman town of Lactodorum, is a small town in south Northamptonshire, England.-Etymology:Towcester comes from the Old English Tófe-ceaster. Tófe refers to the River Tove; Bosworth and Toller compare it to the "Scandinavian proper names" Tófi and Tófa...
in that county. Lillingstone Lovell is about 8 miles (12.9 km) west of Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
. The parish adjoins that of Lillingstone Dayrell with Luffield Abbey.
The toponym
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
"Lillingstone" is derived from the Old English for "Lytel's boundary stone", referring to the proximity of both places to the Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
boundary. At the time of 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...
in 1086 both settlements were recorded jointly as Lillingestan though already at that time there were two manors
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...
owned respectively by the Dayrell and Lovell families. During the 13th century Lillingstone Lovell was known as Lillingstone Magna distinguishing it from its neighbour sometimes recorded as Lillingstone Parva. This is believed to refer more to administrative ascendancy rather than territorial size.
The adoption of the "Lovell" name came later probably in reference to the lordship of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
by the Lovell family line which died out in the early 14th century. Unlike its neighbour, Livingstone Lovell was a detached portion of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
under the control of the royal manor of Kirtlington
Kirtlington
Kirtlington is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire about west of Bicester.-Archaeology:The Portway is a pre-Roman road running parallel with the River Cherwell on high ground about east of the river. It bisects Kirtlington parish and passes through the village. A short stretch of it is now...
, valued for its woodland and hunting being part of the ancient Whittlewood Forest
Whittlewood Forest
Whittlewood Forest is a former medieval hunting forest in the south of the county of Northamptonshire in England. There are tracts of ancient woodland within the forest, and old ditch boundaries can be found at the edges of several of the individual woods...
. It was transferred to Buckinghamshire under the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844.
The Church of England parish church
Church 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 the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Assumption of Mary
According to the belief of Christians of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of the Anglican Communion and Continuing Anglicanism, the Assumption of Mary was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her life...
is believed to date from the 13th century but was rebuilt in the 14th century. By the middle part of the 18th century it had fallen into disrepair and was repaired and refurbished around 1777 retaining the original medieval tower.