Orton on the Hill
Encyclopedia
Orton on the Hill is a hamlet forming part of the Twycross civil parish
in the Hinckley and Bosworth
district of Leicestershire
, England
. It is furthermore located in the Sparkenhoe Hundred
. The name is derived from its high situation on a hill overlooking four counties, (also formerly called Wortone or Overtone). Orton adjoins Morebarne
, Sheepy
and Newhouse Grange on the south, Appleby
and Austrey
to the east.
(1086) records it in the possession of Henry the Earl Ferrers with six ploughs. This was one of the 35 lordships bestowed upon Henry de Ferrers
by William the Conqueror who later ceded Orton (Overton)and Morebarne to the Cistercian Abbey of Merevale
.
, according to John Nichols' survey, the manor belonged to the Bradshaw family, a citation of Robert Bradshaw being made in 1579. The diocesan census of 1564 records 31 families in the parish. In 1588 Robert Bradshaw owned the manor and the grange at Morebarne. The Knights Templar
and the manor of Warton also held lands in the parish.
Reverend Porter, the Vicar of Orton, appears to have harboured royalist
sympathies and faced ejection. According to John Walker
's chronicle of the Sufferings of the Clergy during the grand Rebellion, Porter was cited by the Committee for Compounding
and faced sequestration
. Mathew Mathews the new incumbent was appointed to administer the church, but when two sequestrators went to the vicarage house to take possession in July, 1647, Porter's mother denied them access. The key had also been taken from the church. Roger was imprisoned three times and plundered, later leaving him destitute with a wife and eleven children.
Orton was also visited by parliamentary
troops from the local parliamentary garrisons who made off with horses. Captain Ottaway's soldiers from Coventry
garrison took horses from Mr Robinson and John Orton. Soldiers from Tamworth
took a gelding and two mares from Mr Porter, the vicar, in November, 1643.
Twycross
Twycross is a small village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England on the A444 road. Parts of it are called Norton juxta — Latin for 'next to' — Twycross or Little Twycross...
in the Hinckley and Bosworth
Hinckley and Bosworth
Hinckley and Bosworth is a local government district with borough status in south-western Leicestershire, England, administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. Its only towns are Hinckley, Earl Shilton and Market Bosworth...
district of Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is furthermore located in the Sparkenhoe Hundred
Sparkenhoe
Sparkenhoe was a hundred of Leicestershire, England. It was in the south-west of the county, covering Market Bosworth and Hinckley, broadly corresponding to the modern districts of Blaby and Hinckley and Bosworth....
. The name is derived from its high situation on a hill overlooking four counties, (also formerly called Wortone or Overtone). Orton adjoins Morebarne
Morebarne Grange
Morebarne or Moore Barn is a grange originally belonging to the Abbey of Merevale, near Orton on the Hill in Sparkenhoe Hundred, Leicestershire, England. It is mentioned in possession of Robert Bradshaw in 1567, and as the 'capite' of Robert Bradshaw esq. the brother of John Bradshaw of Orton on...
, Sheepy
Sheepy
Sheepy is a civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, containing the villages of Sheepy Magna, Sheepy Parva, Sibson, Wellsborough, Upton, Pinwall and Cross Hands - a total of 449 homes...
and Newhouse Grange on the south, Appleby
Appleby Magna
Appleby Magna is a village and civil parish in the district of North West Leicestershire, England.The civil parish, as well as Appleby Magna, includes the small Hamlet of Appleby Parva and the Villages of Norton-Juxta-Twycross, Snarestone and Swepstone...
and Austrey
Austrey
Austrey is a village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. The village is at the northern extremity of the county, near Newton Regis and No Man's Heath, and close to the Leicestershire villages of Appleby Magna, Norton-juxta-Twycross and Orton on the...
to the east.
Domesday Book
Domesday BookDomesday 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...
(1086) records it in the possession of Henry the Earl Ferrers with six ploughs. This was one of the 35 lordships bestowed upon Henry de Ferrers
Henry de Ferrers
Henry de Ferrers was a Norman soldier from a noble family who took part in the conquest of England and is believed to have fought at the Battle of Hastings of 1066 and, in consequence, was rewarded with much land in the subdued nation.His elder brother William fell in the battle. William and Henri...
by William the Conqueror who later ceded Orton (Overton)and Morebarne to the Cistercian Abbey of Merevale
Merevale
Merevale is a Village and Civil Parish in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England. Located about one and a half miles west of Atherstone, it is the site of a medieval Cistercian Abbey and Merevale Hall, .-Merevale Abbey:An abbey was built in Merevale in 1148 by...
.
Tudor times
In the Tudor periodTudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
, according to John Nichols' survey, the manor belonged to the Bradshaw family, a citation of Robert Bradshaw being made in 1579. The diocesan census of 1564 records 31 families in the parish. In 1588 Robert Bradshaw owned the manor and the grange at Morebarne. The Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
and the manor of Warton also held lands in the parish.
English civil war
During the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
Reverend Porter, the Vicar of Orton, appears to have harboured royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
sympathies and faced ejection. According to John Walker
John Walker (clerical historian)
John Walker was an English clergyman and ecclesiastical historian, known for his biographical work on the Church of England priests during the English Civil War and Interregnum.-Life:...
's chronicle of the Sufferings of the Clergy during the grand Rebellion, Porter was cited by the Committee for Compounding
Committee for Compounding with Delinquents
In 1643, near the start of the English Civil War, Parliament set up two committees the Sequestration Committee which confiscated the estates of the Royalists who fought against Parliament, and the Committee for Compounding with Delinquents which allowed Royalists whose estates had been...
and faced sequestration
Sequestration (law)
Sequestration is the act of removing, separating, or seizing anything from the possession of its owner under process of law for the benefit of creditors or the state.-Etymology:...
. Mathew Mathews the new incumbent was appointed to administer the church, but when two sequestrators went to the vicarage house to take possession in July, 1647, Porter's mother denied them access. The key had also been taken from the church. Roger was imprisoned three times and plundered, later leaving him destitute with a wife and eleven children.
Orton was also visited by parliamentary
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
troops from the local parliamentary garrisons who made off with horses. Captain Ottaway's soldiers from Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
garrison took horses from Mr Robinson and John Orton. Soldiers from Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
took a gelding and two mares from Mr Porter, the vicar, in November, 1643.