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The Parish of
Astley |
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Origins Some time
near the middle of the 11th century a Saxon noble called Alsi
owned the hamlet of Estleia which later became known as Astley. The Domesday book briefly mentions Estleia saying "The count himself holds 1 hide in Estleia, and Godric [holds] of
him. There is land for 2 ploughs." The
first mention of a church at Astley is in 1285 when Stephen Astley was appointed incumbent of the
Parish Church by Edith Astley. In
1338 Sir Thomas de Astley obtained
permission to found a chantry in the Lady chapel of the parish church of
Astley. That is to say, he provided funds for four secular priests , who should offer prayers and masses in the Lady Chapel of the then Parish Church, which
was already at that time an old building. One of these priests
was termed the warden. From the
episcopal register of the time we
learn that the authority of the Pope, as well as the consent of the chapters
of Lichfield and Coventry, had been obtained for this foundation.. Two years later (in 1340) Sir Thomas Astley increased the
number of these priests by three,
making seven altogether, and also provided them with
a clerk, providing the money for this by
setting apart certain
lands in the parishes of Withybrook, Hopsford, and Bedworth.
Eventually, in 1343, having obtained
the sanction of both
King Edward III and the
Bishop of Lichfield, Sir Thomas
changed this chantry into a
collegiate church, which he then built,
pulling down most, if not all,
of the old church in which was the
original chantry, and erecting a new building. |