Thorpe Constantine
Encyclopedia
Thorpe Constantine is a small village and civil parish
in Staffordshire
, England. It lies about 6 miles (10 km) north-east of Tamworth
and 6 miles south-west of Measham
. The nucleus of the parish is the Thorpe estate
.
word thorp
with the meaning outlying farm, indicative of the village's location within the Danelaw
. The second element comes from the name of the family that was in possession of the land in the 13th century.
The population of the estate parish is given as 42 in 1848, the land covering 953 acres (386 ha). In 1870 it is given as 54, living in 5 houses.
. In 1894
it became a civil parish within the newly-constituted Tamworth Rural District
. During the boundary changes
of 1934 the civil parish was enlarged with the addition of Statfold
and Syerscote, and became part of Lichfield Rural District
.
In 1974
it became part of the new non-metropolitan district
of Lichfield
. The parish council meets jointly with Clifton Campville
.
Electorally the parish is part of Mease and Tame ward of Lichfield District, and lies within the parliamentary constituency of Tamworth
.
William Ives, a successful Leicestershire vintner, bought Thorpe in 1631. His daughter and co-heir Jane married Richard Inge of Leicester, and the house became the Inge family home. The Inges were a prominent local family, five members of which served as High Sheriff of Staffordshire
. Family members were Rectors of Netherseal
and of Thorpe Constantine.
Ives had built a three storey five bayed mansion at Thorpe in 1651. In 1790 when another Inge family seat at Drakelow
, Derbyshire was abandoned, Thorpe Hall was enlarged and improved. Two three bayed two storeyed wings were added, and the main central block was decorated with ballustrading and an entrance porch.
The 1881 census discloses Rev George Inge and his family in residence with a staff of twenty one. The family remained in occupation until at least 1925. Following the death of Hilda Mary Inge in 1953 the estate passed to the Lillingston family of Localsh. George David Inge-Innes-Lillingston was High Sheriff
of Staffordshire in 1966.
The property is now occupied by Hugh Inge-Innes-Lillingston and his wife Catherine.
The church is in the grounds of the Hall, and has been an "estate church" since the 18th century, the parish being owned by the estate. These days it is only occasionally used for services. It is, however, a substantial building, with separate nave and chancel. Extensively rebuilt in 1883, and prior to that in the 18th century, parts of it may go back to the 14th century, including the tower with spire.
The Inge family, owners of the estate, often supplied the rectors too.
and Syerscote, both of which settlements go back to early mediaeval times, though these days must be counted as former settlements
.
, of which little trace now remains, though the listed manor house and church are still extant. Nowadays, the church has the status of a chapel; it is listed Grade II*.
and 3 miles west of Thorpe, is a former township
of the parish of St Editha, Tamworth. In 1836 it became part of Tamworth Poor Law Union; in 1866 it became an independent civil parish within the union. In 1894 it entered Tamworth Rural District
and in 1934 became part of Thorpe Constantine civil parish. In 1848 the poulation was 46, on 480 acres (194.2 ha). The farmhouse of Syerscote Manor is listed Grade II.
The name is believed to derive from Old English, with the meaning of Sigerics cottages. In the Middle Ages Syerscote was a prebend that funded one of 5 canon
s to the then collegiate
Church of St Editha, Tamworth
. In 1291 this income was valued at £4 a year. These days Syerscote is within the Church of England parish of St Leonard, Wigginton
.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England. It lies about 6 miles (10 km) north-east of 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...
and 6 miles south-west of Measham
Measham
Measham is a village in Leicestershire, near the Staffordshire and Derbyshire border, located just off the A42 just south of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and within the National Forest...
. The nucleus of the parish is the Thorpe estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
.
History
The first part of the name is believed to be the Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
word thorp
Thorp
Thorp is a Middle English word for a hamlet or small village, from Old English /Old Norse þorp . There are many place names in England with the suffix "-thorp" or "-thorpe". Most are in East Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk but some are in Surrey.Old English þorp is cognate...
with the meaning outlying farm, indicative of the village's location within the Danelaw
Danelaw
The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to...
. The second element comes from the name of the family that was in possession of the land in the 13th century.
The population of the estate parish is given as 42 in 1848, the land covering 953 acres (386 ha). In 1870 it is given as 54, living in 5 houses.
Governance
The parish of Thorpe Constantine became part of Tamworth Poor Law Union in 1836Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, sometimes abbreviated to PLAA, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Lord Melbourne that reformed the country's poverty relief system . It was an Amendment Act that completely replaced earlier legislation based on the...
. In 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
it became a civil parish within the newly-constituted Tamworth Rural District
Tamworth Rural District
Tamworth was a rural district in the English Midlands from 1894 to 1965.It was created under the Local Government Act 1894 from Tamworth rural sanitary district, and was one of a handful of rural districts to cross county boundaries, with part in Staffordshire and part in Warwickshire...
. During the boundary changes
Local Government Act 1929
The Local Government Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made changes to the Poor Law and local government in England and Wales....
of 1934 the civil parish was enlarged with the addition of Statfold
Statfold
Statfold is a former village in Staffordshire, England, about north-east of Tamworth. These days little remains of the village itself, but the Norman parish church, and the Tudor manor house of Statfold Hall still exist, as do a few scattered farms and houses.The Statfold Barn Railway is on the...
and Syerscote, and became part of Lichfield Rural District
Lichfield Rural District
Lichfield was a rural district in the county of Staffordshire, England from 1894 to 1974.It was enlarged in 1934 by gaining part of Staffordshire that has been administered since 1894 as part of Tamworth Rural District, which was otherwise in Warwickshire....
.
In 1974
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....
it became part of the new non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of Lichfield
Lichfield (district)
Lichfield is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. It is administered by Lichfield District Council, based in Lichfield.The dignity and privileges of the City of Lichfield are vested in the parish council of the 14 km² Lichfield civil parish...
. The parish council meets jointly with Clifton Campville
Clifton Campville
Clifton Campville is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the River Mease, about east of the City of Lichfield, west of Measham and north of Tamworth. In 2001 the parish had a population of 764....
.
Electorally the parish is part of Mease and Tame ward of Lichfield District, and lies within the parliamentary constituency of Tamworth
Tamworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Tamworth is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :...
.
Thorpe Hall
The manor house of Thorpe Hall is a privately owned Georgian style country mansion, and a Grade II listed building.William Ives, a successful Leicestershire vintner, bought Thorpe in 1631. His daughter and co-heir Jane married Richard Inge of Leicester, and the house became the Inge family home. The Inges were a prominent local family, five members of which served as High Sheriff of Staffordshire
High Sheriff of Staffordshire
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of Staffordshire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
. Family members were Rectors of Netherseal
Netherseal
Netherseal is the southernmost village of the English county of Derbyshire, less than 2 miles from the neighbouring county of Leicestershire, and is close to the A444 and the important M42 motorway, on the banks of the River Mease.It is the final resting place of Sir Nigel Gresley and the...
and of Thorpe Constantine.
Ives had built a three storey five bayed mansion at Thorpe in 1651. In 1790 when another Inge family seat at Drakelow
Drakelow
Drakelow is a hamlet in the parish of Church Gresley in South Derbyshire, England. It is two and a half miles south-west of Burton on Trent. It is pleasantly situated on the east bank of the River Trent. Drakelowe Hall was the principal residence of the Gresley Baronets, but this has been replaced...
, Derbyshire was abandoned, Thorpe Hall was enlarged and improved. Two three bayed two storeyed wings were added, and the main central block was decorated with ballustrading and an entrance porch.
The 1881 census discloses Rev George Inge and his family in residence with a staff of twenty one. The family remained in occupation until at least 1925. Following the death of Hilda Mary Inge in 1953 the estate passed to the Lillingston family of Localsh. George David Inge-Innes-Lillingston was High Sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
of Staffordshire in 1966.
The property is now occupied by Hugh Inge-Innes-Lillingston and his wife Catherine.
Church of St Constantine
The parish church, dedicated to St Constantine, is a Grade II listed building.The church is in the grounds of the Hall, and has been an "estate church" since the 18th century, the parish being owned by the estate. These days it is only occasionally used for services. It is, however, a substantial building, with separate nave and chancel. Extensively rebuilt in 1883, and prior to that in the 18th century, parts of it may go back to the 14th century, including the tower with spire.
The Inge family, owners of the estate, often supplied the rectors too.
Other settlements
The expansion of the civil parish in 1934 incorporated the civil parishes of StatfoldStatfold
Statfold is a former village in Staffordshire, England, about north-east of Tamworth. These days little remains of the village itself, but the Norman parish church, and the Tudor manor house of Statfold Hall still exist, as do a few scattered farms and houses.The Statfold Barn Railway is on the...
and Syerscote, both of which settlements go back to early mediaeval times, though these days must be counted as former settlements
Abandoned village
An abandoned village is a village that has, for some reason, been deserted. In many countries, and throughout history, thousands of villages were deserted for a variety of causes...
.
Statfold
Statfold is an abandoned villageAbandoned village
An abandoned village is a village that has, for some reason, been deserted. In many countries, and throughout history, thousands of villages were deserted for a variety of causes...
, of which little trace now remains, though the listed manor house and church are still extant. Nowadays, the church has the status of a chapel; it is listed Grade II*.
Syerscote
Syerscote 52°39′55"N 1°40′20"W, roughly 3 miles (5 km) north-east of TamworthTamworth
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...
and 3 miles west of Thorpe, is a former township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
of the parish of St Editha, Tamworth. In 1836 it became part of Tamworth Poor Law Union; in 1866 it became an independent civil parish within the union. In 1894 it entered Tamworth Rural District
Tamworth Rural District
Tamworth was a rural district in the English Midlands from 1894 to 1965.It was created under the Local Government Act 1894 from Tamworth rural sanitary district, and was one of a handful of rural districts to cross county boundaries, with part in Staffordshire and part in Warwickshire...
and in 1934 became part of Thorpe Constantine civil parish. In 1848 the poulation was 46, on 480 acres (194.2 ha). The farmhouse of Syerscote Manor is listed Grade II.
The name is believed to derive from Old English, with the meaning of Sigerics cottages. In the Middle Ages Syerscote was a prebend that funded one of 5 canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s to the then collegiate
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
Church of St Editha, Tamworth
Church of St Editha, Tamworth
The Church of St Editha is an Anglican parish church and Grade I listed building in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England.-History:The church of St. Editha is the largest medieval parish church in Staffordshire...
. In 1291 this income was valued at £4 a year. These days Syerscote is within the Church of England parish of St Leonard, Wigginton
Wigginton, Staffordshire
Wigginton is a village in the district of Lichfield, in Staffordshire, England. It lies about north of Tamworth.-History:The name Wigginton is believed to come from Old English, and to mean Wicga's farm...
.
Other sources
- Inge family papers at Staffordshire County Record Office reference D878 3211
- 1881 census records