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Mr. URBAN, Towcester, Jan. 1. WITH this I send a view of the Church and Parsonage of Barton Segrave, in Huxlow Hundred, co. Northampton (see Plate I.), which I have selected from a collection of drawings, by myself, of all the Churches in the County, out of respect to the memory of Mr. Bridges the Historian, who lies buried within its walls.

How much the County of Northampton is indebted to him, his valuable History evinces, though he did not survive the completion of his labours; and much also is the County obliged to the Committee who superintended the publication of the Work; among whom Sir T. Cave, bart. Sir G. Robinson, bart. Sir W. Dolben, bart. and Rev. Peter Whalley, should particularly be noticed.

A slight sketch of the early history of this parish, as given by Bridges, may sulfice.

The village is situate on a gentle ascent, and bounded by Warkton on the North, on the West by Kettering, from which it is divided by the rivulet Ise, on the South by Burton Latimer, and on the East by Cranford. In Bridges's time it contained 19 families; but before the inclosure, which was early in the seventeenth century, the town was considerably larger. The village derived its additional name from the family of Segrave, the most eminent member of which was Nicholas de Segrave, who 1 Edward IV. was Marshal of Eng

· 1.

land, and obtained license to make a castle of his manor-house at Barton.

At the time Mr. Bridges wrote his History, he held this manor, with a considerable estate here, which his father had purchased about 1665. The Duke of Montague was then lord paramount.

"The Church, dedicated to St. Botolph, consists of a body and South aile leaded, and chancel covered with slate. At the upper end of the South aile is the burial-place of the Bridges family. Between the church and chancel is a low broad embattled tower (built on four spacious Saxon arches) in which are four bells. The Church and Chancel, including the Tower, are 314 feet long, the body and aile 148 feet broad. The tower and body of the Church, except the upper part, which by the difference of the stone appears to have been raised, are very old. The South aile is more mo

dern. The window of the North side has been apparently altered, to answer

the window of the South aile. To the

South are plain marks of a cross aile.”

The Porch was rebuilt in 1804, un-
der the direction of the Hon. and
Rev. R. B. Stopford. When forming
the paved way to that entrance, a
stone coffin was discovered, with a
cross, &c. on its lid, which has been
placed in the Church. The North
door-way of the Church, inside the
Porch, is of Saxon workmanship,
with a curious sculpture over it,
worthy the attention of the Antiquary.
The following monumental inscrip-
tions are not in Bridges's History:
Johannem Bridges, Armig.
Literarum et Literatorum
amantissimum,
ingenti Librorum supellectile
superbientem,

et quædam de Patriis Antiquitatibus
cogitantem,
placuit D. O. M.

in pulverem et terram

diruere,

ubi omnia ista

pereunt.

rerumque reconditarum indagatoris studiosissimi,
(post Patris mortem)
Patruelis Hæres.

Matrem sortitus est ex antiquâ de Hart stirpe,
apud Brill in Agro Buckingamiæ olim commorante.
Uxorem duxit Margaretam consobrinam,
filiam Johannis & Margarettæ Horton,
quæ de natis fuerat Johannis Bridges armigeri,
qui primus suæ gentis

in hoc vico rustico sedes collocavit.
In tricesimo quarto suæ ætatis anno
Patruis quæ reliqua fuerant bonis successit ;
sed iis parum diu potitus est,

Patri vix semianno supersces.

Nam eodem anno febre correptus acutâ,
sine liberis mortem præmaturam obiit;
dignus tamen

(si hodierna exoptanda esset vita)
diuturniori ejus curriculo,

quippe qui propter pectoris integritatem,
morum urbanitatem,

et placidissimum ingenii obsequium,
in quo præ cæteris enituit, & spectatus fuit,
et sibi suisque vixit utilis,

et ab omnibus desideratus obiit
decimo sexto die Julii 1741.

In memoriam charissimi conjugis,
cui se optima & plurima debere fatetur,
Lapidem hunc sepulchralem poni curavit
Conjux amantissima."

3.

M. S.

Near this tablet,

under the initial letters

of their names,

lie buried Catherine and Jane, daughter
of Jeffery Ekins, Rector of this church,
by Susannah his wife.

They both died in the month of March,
1754,
being cut off in the prime of their youth
by a malignant fever,

which appearing in various shapes,
and eluding every method of cure,
seemed to threaten destruction

to the whole family, till its progress was effectually stopt. by the hand of God alone. In thankfull remembrance of so great a mercy,

and to the memory of his dear children,

this stone is inscribed by their affectionate father. Jeffery Ekins, the Father, having been almost 50 years, Rector of this church, died Aug. 26, 1773, and lyes buried near the remains of his children.

Susannah Ekins, Widow, died June 15, 1790, aged 89. Interred at G. Berksd, Hants.

4. In memory of the Rev. Joshua Stephenson, A. M. 24 years Rector of this parish, who died on Easter Sunday,

April 8, 1798,
aged 68 years.

5.

In the same grave
are deposited the remains
of Ann his wife,

daughter of Sir John Robinson,
of Cranford, in this county, bart.
who died at Northampton, on Sunday
Aug. 12, 1810, in the 83d year of her age:
they left two sons to deplore their loss.
Near to this place lyeth the
body of Thomas Brudenell,
Gent. son of Edmund Brudenell,
late of this town, esq.
He dyed June the 8th, A. D. 1754,
in the 76th year of his age.
Patrons since Bridges wrote:-
Duke of Montagu; Duchess of Buc-
cleuch and Queensberry. The incum-
bents: Rev. G. Ekins, died 1723;
succeeded by Rev. J. Ekins, who was
rector 50 years, and died 1773; Rev.
Joshua Stephenson, buried April 14,
1798; when he was succeeded by the
present rector, the Hon. and Rev.
R. B. Stopford.

The worthy Historian, John Bridges, esq. was buried March 25, 1724. He left 101. to the poor of this parish.

Mr. Wilcox left a legacy, by will, to the poor of Barton, to continue for 12 years from his death: the last payment was made in 1806. A legacy of 17. 10s. left by Capt. Ekins to the poor of Barton, is paid to the rector, for their use, by Mr. Morer, of Twywell.

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