Lyddington

LYDDINGTON (or Liddington) is a long, straggling village and parish, 2 miles south-by-east from Gretton Station on the Nottingham and Kettering branch of the London, Midland and Scottish railway, 2½ west-by-south from Seaton and Uppingham station, 3 north-west from Rockingham station on the London and North Eastern and London, Midland and Scottish railways and 2 south-south-east from Uppingham, in Wrangdike hundred, union of Uppingham, county court district of Oakham, rural deanery of Rutland (third portion), archdeaconry of Oakham and diocese of Peterborough. By Local Government Board Order a detached part of Thorpe-by-Water was in 1885 transferred to Lyddington. The church of St. Andrew is a building of stone in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave, aisles, and an embattled western tower with short spire, restored in 1902, and containing 5 bells: the oldest portions of the present church, viz., the tower and spire and the chancel, are of the 14th century: the latter has good Decorated windows, a piscina, triple sedilia and a low-side window: and in the upper part of the walls large earthen vessels have been built in at intervals, mouths outwards, possibly for acoustic reasons: the nave and aisles are Perpendicular and have lofty arcades of five arches: some fragments of old glass linger in the windows and there are traces of wall-painting; the rood screen, though incomplete, remains, and also the stairs thereto: the rails enclosing the communion table on three sides date from 1635: the font is probably Jacobean : the east stained window was erected by J. Crisp Clarke, to the memory of his parents, and there is also a mural brass to J. C. Clarke himself on the north wall of the chancel: there are also brasses to Edward Watson, ob. 1530, with figures of himself his wife and ten children, and to Heylen Hardy, ob. 1486, and at the west end are traces of a fine Norman doorway in addition to the modern door: the church was restored and a new roof provided in 1890, at a total cost of £2,000 : there are 350 sittings. The churchyard was enlarged and the additional ground consecrated in 1897 : the coping of the wall is largely composed of coffin shaped slabs, one of which exhibits a demi-effigy within a trefoil sunk panel. The register dates from the year 1678. The living is a vicarage with, the chapelry of Caldecott annexed, joint net yearly value £440, in the gift of the Bishop of Peterborough, and held since 1920 by the Rev Henry Brooke Brown B.A. of London University who resides at Caldecott. There is a small Wesleyan chapel, erected in 1849. John Moore's charity of £2 10s. yearly, left in 1813, is for bread. This is an ancient place and formerly had a weekly market, which was transferred to Uppingham, notwithstanding a writ was forwarded to the sheriff of the county in the reign of Henry III. complaining of the injury sustained by its removal. The Bishops of Lincoln had a palace here, embattled and fortified by Henry de Burghers ; bishop of Lincoln, 1320-42 ; but the present building, converted in 1602 into an hospital called "Jesus Hospital," for a warden, twelve men and two women, by Thomas, 2nd Baron Burghley and afterwards Earl of Exeter K.G. was apparently built by Bishop John Russell, 1480-96: the hospital was endowed with land at Kingscliffe, Northamptonshire, now producing £116 yearly ; the great hall of the palace still existing has a splendidly carved ceiling, a fine oriel, and an open fire-place, over which are the arms of Bishop Russell: the ceiling includes a deep cornice with richly moulded tracery : adjoining the hall is a withdrawing room and an antechamber, with another smaller apartment, and below the hall are remains of the kitchen buttery and other offices : there are also in the hall some painted windows with episcopal arms and badges : in the garden is a curious octagonal tower bearing the arms of Bishop Russell, and approached by steps. The custom of Borough English prevails here, by which the youngest son of a person dying intestate claims the real property instead of the eldest. The Marquess of Exeter C.M.G. who is lord of the manor, George Monckton esq. and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners are the principal landowners. The soil is strong loam, under grass ; subsoil, clay; red building stone is abundant in the lighter land. The parish contains 2,127 acres; the population in 1921 was 322.

Post & M.O. Office, Lyddington. Letters through Uppingham, which is the nearest T. office
Police Station

PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Blankley George H
Colwell Misses, Bay house
Dalton Thomas, The Hermitage
Day Thomas
Holloway Albert Jackson
Horn David Henry, Hillcrest
Kirkham John, The Elms
Masters Misses, Tower house
Middleton Miss
Neilson Rev. Henry Vere M.A. [curate], The Rockery
Neilson Mrs. The Rockery
Olarenshaw George, Lyddington house Wignall Miss, Knoll

COMMERCIAL.
Branston Mary Ann (Mrs.), laundry
Brewster Arthur, cycle agent
Bryan Geo. grazier
Challender John, grazier
Challender Thos. Wm. smallholder
Chapman Frank, beer retlr
Cheatle George, draper
Clark John, blacksmith
Clark Robert, builder
Clarke Arth. Wm. farmer
Clarke Harry, grazier
Colwell Abigail A. (Mrs.), Exeter Arms P.H
Colwell John Hugh, grazier
Dunn Bernard Fredk. farmer
Eaton Clara (Miss), laundress
Fowler Chas. H. White Hart P.H.
Freeman Annie (Mrs.), grazier
Garnham Horace, tobccnst
Goodwin John Thomas, baker
Jeffs William, wheelwright
Lyddington Women's Institute (Miss E. E. Glover, hon. sec)
McVarish Hugh, grazier
Manton Alfred Joseph, builder
Marvin John Edward, farmer
Muggleton Ellen (Mrs.), grocer
Reading Room (W. Jeffs, sec)
Ward George Henry, beer retailer
Webster Mary Alice (Mrs.),dress maker
Woods Caroline (Mrs.), laundry