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Canons Ashby (lost settlement)
Encyclopedia
The lost village of Canons Ashby is located in ground to the north of Canons Ashby House
in the English
county
of Northamptonshire
. Today there is still a small village around the house but this is located away from the original settlement, since the original settlement is now just field occupied by a herd of cows.
Ascebi is the name of the medieval village that is the lost settlement, Canons Ashby itself is currently not lost at all and people can easily find it on any map
was founded here at the southern end of the village. The priory soon became the owner of most of the parish. In 1301, 18 residents had paid the Lay Subsidy, which was a tax based on the value of lands and possessions and was used to raise money for the Crown to facilitate such things as payment of military forces and building of ships. In 1316 the village has an entry in the Nomina Villarum
, which was a list made of all cities, boroughs and townships, and the lords of them, which was carried out for King Edward III. In 1343 there were 41 houses in the village. In 1377 the Poll Tax
was paid by 82 people of the village. The prior
of the nearby priory enclosed
some land of the village depriving it of 100 acre (0.404686 km²) and destroying three houses. In 1492 the prior evicted another 24 people from their homes. By 1524 there were only 21 residents eligible for tax and by 1535 this number had dropped to nine. On the dissolution of the monasteries
in 1537 the village and the priory came into the ownership of Sir Francis Bryon who in turn sold it to Sir John Cope a year later. This probably saw the demise of the village as Cope is recorded as having 2,000 sheep upon the parish. The Hearth Tax returns of 1674 show only five tax-payers in the parish.
on the site are in good condition and indicate the large size of this lost village. The original main street was on the line of the north-south running lane that still leads past Canons Ashby House. There are hollow ways that cross the lane east to west indicating other village thoroughfares. To the east of this hollow way there are a series of embanked paddock
s and platforms of former buildings. Over the whole of the site there are the same sort of features and with close scrutiny the format of the village can almost be made out. Over the years several sherd
s of medieval pottery have been found, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries.
Canons Ashby House
Canons Ashby House is an Elizabethan manor house located in Canons Ashby, Daventry, Northamptonshire, England. It has been owned by the National Trust since 1981, although "The Tower" is in the care of the Landmark Trust and available for holiday lets....
in the English
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...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of 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,...
. Today there is still a small village around the house but this is located away from the original settlement, since the original settlement is now just field occupied by a herd of cows.
Ascebi is the name of the medieval village that is the lost settlement, Canons Ashby itself is currently not lost at all and people can easily find it on any map
History
The lost village of Canons Ashby is listed in the Domesday book of 1086 with a recorded population of 16. In 1105 an Augustinian prioryPriory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
was founded here at the southern end of the village. The priory soon became the owner of most of the parish. In 1301, 18 residents had paid the Lay Subsidy, which was a tax based on the value of lands and possessions and was used to raise money for the Crown to facilitate such things as payment of military forces and building of ships. In 1316 the village has an entry in the Nomina Villarum
Nomina Villarum
Nomina Villarum was a survey carried out in 1316 and contains a list of all cities, boroughs and townships in England and the Lords of them. The document was compiled for King Edward II...
, which was a list made of all cities, boroughs and townships, and the lords of them, which was carried out for King Edward III. In 1343 there were 41 houses in the village. In 1377 the Poll Tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
was paid by 82 people of the village. The prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of the nearby priory enclosed
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
some land of the village depriving it of 100 acre (0.404686 km²) and destroying three houses. In 1492 the prior evicted another 24 people from their homes. By 1524 there were only 21 residents eligible for tax and by 1535 this number had dropped to nine. On the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1537 the village and the priory came into the ownership of Sir Francis Bryon who in turn sold it to Sir John Cope a year later. This probably saw the demise of the village as Cope is recorded as having 2,000 sheep upon the parish. The Hearth Tax returns of 1674 show only five tax-payers in the parish.
Remains Today
The surviving earthworksEarthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
on the site are in good condition and indicate the large size of this lost village. The original main street was on the line of the north-south running lane that still leads past Canons Ashby House. There are hollow ways that cross the lane east to west indicating other village thoroughfares. To the east of this hollow way there are a series of embanked paddock
Paddock
A Paddock is an enclosure for horses. It may also refer to: People*Algernon Paddock , American politician*Charlie Paddock , American athlete and actor*Del Paddock , American baseball player...
s and platforms of former buildings. Over the whole of the site there are the same sort of features and with close scrutiny the format of the village can almost be made out. Over the years several sherd
Sherd
In archaeology, a sherd is commonly a historic or prehistoric fragment of pottery, although the term is occasionally used to refer to fragments of stone and glass vessels as well....
s of medieval pottery have been found, dating from the 13th and 14th centuries.