History Page

The village of Pytchley is situated some three miles South of Kettering in Northamptonshire – the shire of “spires and squires” on the South side of the A14.

Pytchley village is mentioned in the Domesday Book, written in 1086 – 1087, when it was described as part of the land of Peterborough Abbey. It remains part of the Diocese of Peterborough to this day.

Just as surnames have evolved over time, Pytchley has not always been Pytchley. The name has evolved over the centuries. During the eleventh century, the name was Pihteslea; this became Pycseley or even Pyghtesley in the thirteenth century and evolved to Piseley in the sixteen hundreds.

The Hall that was…

Like all villages, Pytchley had its own great hall. Now no longer, it was situated South of the church and built (1580 – 1590) during the reign of Elizabeth I for Sir Euseby Isham.

Earl Spencer (Forbear of Diana Princess of Wales) took over the Hall in 1752 and started a hunting club that was to be the beginning of the Pytchley Hunt. The pack of hounds that he transferred from Althorp became the Pytchley Hounds. Three quarters of a century later, a great gambler George Payne, who was Master of the Pytchley Hounds, acquired the Hall. He had inherited Sulby Hall, an income of some £117,000 and capital of £300,000. Princely sums in those days!

The Hall was a magnificent four-storied building with an imposing gateway to the left of which was a small, square lodge house with a distinctive pyramid shaped roof.

Paynes gambling debts exceeded his income. So that he might meet his gambling debts, Payne had the Hall demolished and sold the estate to a Mr. Lewis Loyd, whose son Samuel became Baron Overstone in 1854 and acquired Overstone Park. He had the gateway removed to Overstone Park, where it can still be seen. The picture above depicts the gateway at its current location.

The lodge house, much changed, remains to this day with its distinctive roof. The Lady in the doorway is thought to be Mrs. Shrives

The Church…

The church of All Saints has been a focal point of the village since the 12^th century. Like the name of the village, it too has evolved over time.

The oldest part of the church dates from the 12^th century and includes the two arches and the pier between them at the end of the Nave and North aisle. There are some remnants of painted decoration on the more Westerly arch dating from this period. The tower dates the same period. Three stages of building are evident with the final stage being added around 1430.

During the thirteenth century, the church was substantially rebuilt. The Nave was extended to the East a Chancel and a South aisle were added (c.1240); The North aisle extension was completed in 1280. The Chancel was rebuilt substantially in the form we see today, in the 14^th century.

The font which has a circular bowl that is unusual in its form, was dug up in the churchyard and placed in the church in 1838. It is believed to be Norman.

The church has five bells in its tower that were re-hung in 1913. Rung regularly in the last century, local enthusiasts began the tradition again in preparation for the Millennium celebrations and still continue.

The school…

The school was established in 1661 by William Aylworth from Gumley in Leicestershire who left endowments in his will for the establishment of schools in Pytchley and Little Harrowden. A trust was established for the benefit of children from Pytchley, Isham and Broughton. In 1868 the income was less than £26 per annum of which £20 was a rent charge on the Gumley estate in Leicestershire.

The ship…

H.M.S. Pytchley L92 a Hunt class destroyer, built by Scotts of Greenock. The keel was laid in 1939 and she was launched 13^th February 1940

One of her most prominent roles was during her First Commission when she took part in the D-Day landings at Normandy on 6 June 1944. Operation Overlord had a huge Naval contingent that included two Battleships, 2 Monitors, 23 Cruisers, 105 Destroyers and over 1070 other warships (including Minesweepers and Anti Submarine Frigates). In addition, some 2,700 Merchant ships and 2,500 Landing craft took part. She was part of Task Force G, which comprised: HMS Ajax , HMS Orion, HMS Argonaut, HMS Emerald, HNMS Flores (Dutch), HMS Grenville, HMS Ursa, HMS Ulster, HMS Undaunted, HMS Urchin, HMS Jervis, HMS Undine, HMS Urania, HMS Ulysses, HMS Cattistock, HMS Cottesmore, ORP Krakowiak (Polish).

The Hunt…

The above photographs are by kind permission of Northamptonshire.co.uk. Further views can been seen HERE

No background of Pytchley would be complete without some history of the Hunt for which Pytchley is most famous.

The Pytchley Hunt is believed to be directly descended from the Royal Hunt maintained by the Plantaganets in Rockingham Forest and its history is well chronicled from the mid 17th century. Originally called the Althorp and Pytchley Hunt, with kennels at Althorp, its history is intertwined with that of the Earls Spencer. One of its most famous masters was the 'Red Earl', the 5th Earl.

Until the division of the country in the late 19th century, hounds, horses and Hunt servants travelled weekly by train from Althorp to Brigstock, to hunt what is now the Woodland Pytchley country.

The Padua red livery worn by the Masters and Hunt servants, although worn by servants in the 18th century, was re-introduced by Lord Annaly in 1902, being the colour of a bolt of cloth at Lowther Castle. The white collar, originally worn to protect the coat from the powdered wig, and now awarded by the Masters, is still highly prized.

Much later, in the twentieth century, Naseby House came to provide an interesting link with the Royal Family in that the late King George VI, when Duke of York, rented the house to hunt with the Pytchley Hounds during the seasons of 1928-29 and 1929-30. He, his Duchess (the Queen Mother) and the little princesses Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret Rose were popular figures in the neighbourhood during those years.

Ladies have ridden horses side-saddle for centuries; the art is depicted in early editions of The Canterbury Tales, while a recent find in the Isle of Man suggests that it was already practised before 1000 AD.

For many centuries, side-saddle was considered the only way for a lady to proceed 'properly' on horseback. The 1920's were its heyday in Britain, with the emphasis as much on elegance, style and 'propriety' as on technique, horsemanship and courage. Ladies were not alone in practising the art: their grooms rode side-saddle to train and keep their ladies' horses fit.

It had become fashionable for ladies to follow hounds, not merely as interested spectators out for a good gossip, but as active participants. One of its pioneers was H.I.M. The Empress of Austria, who rode regularly with the Pytchley Hunt. By her daring example she helped set the pace in saddle design, by demanding the same, or indeed greater, durability and security for the side-saddle rider, whether hacking in a London park or keeping up with hounds.

Whilst researching my own family history I came across some notes and information relating to the Goodall family and their association with Pytchley and fox hunting.

Stephen Goodall

In 1797 [2] Pytchley Hall was in a bad way and the then owner, Mr. Burghley, had let it decline so it need many repairs. Mr. Lane, the steward of Pytchley Hall resigned, complaining that he had lost money as many members of the hunt had ordered dinner and then did not turn up for it. Mr. Buller of Maidwell Hall was the master of Lord Spencer's hounds and he engaged Stephen Goodall who hunted successfully. Stephen Goodall was a patient, quiet and knowledgeable huntsman and this combined with a good scenting season, they had excellent sport. Stephen Goodall weighed at least twenty stone so the good sport was due more to the duke’s splendid hounds than to Stephen’s energies. Stephen Goodall was the ancestor of a long line of famous huntsmen who came from Shropshire.

William Goodall

Stephen’s grandson, William or Will as he was better known was a whipper in with the Belvoir hounds before he became huntsman. He married Francis Wellbourne and they both moved into a house at the Belvoir Kennels.[3] They had 11 children. Tragedy struck when Will died in 1858 as a result of a fall when his horse got it’s foot stuck in a rabbit hole. By the time of his death Will who was also known as Will-o-Belvoir had become famous for his natural way with the hounds. His widow, Francis was 40 when Will died, and with eight boys and three girls in the family and no pension life was a difficult. With the heyday of hunting there were many wealthy patrons who subscribed to a memorial fund and some patrons offered to educate individual sons. The Duke of Rutland offered accommodation in the redundant hunting lodge in Croxton Park. One of Will’s daughters called Francis or Fanny married a game keeper called Tom Dent. One of their daughters called Lizzie Goodall Dent married a farmer called Shipman and they farmed nearby at Croxton Lodge which is between Branston and Knipton. Will Goodall had a son also called Will who became known as Young Will and he followed his father’s footsteps in the hunting world and became a whipper-in at Belvoir followed by a move to the Pytchley Hunt. Young Will married Kate Crisp. Young Will and Kate had three children: Mary – a spinster; William who died in Canada and Reuben who also died in Canada).

Young Will Goodall

Young Will Goodall was the great grandson of Stephen Goodall and son of the famous Will-o-Belvoir who had hunted with the Duke of Rutland's hounds for over twenty years and was the acknowledged head of the profession. Young Will had been educated at Guilsborough Grammar School by Sir Thomas Whithcote of Aswarby who was a great friend and admirer of Will’s father. Will had been entered at Milton under George Carter after which he came to Brixworth and spent a very unhappy year under Colonel Thomson. Will was seen by Henry Chaplin, the squire, of Blankney who was hunting every day of the week with four packs of hounds in Lincolnshire. The squire was so impressed with the speed at which young Will counted hounds away from a covert that he begged him from Colonel Thomson. After a few years at Blankney young Will returned to Belvoir as first whipper-in 1870.

In 1874 on the advice of Henry (afterwards Viscount) Chaplin, Lord Spencer applied to the Duke of Rutland for his first whipper-in, Will Goodall. Young Will knew a bit about the Pytchley country having been whipper in for one season to Anstruther Thomson. Young Will Goodall was only twenty seven years old at this time, but the Duke of Rutland remembering the fathers great services and knowing that his present huntsman, Frank Gillard, had many more years service left in him, allowed Young Will Goodall to accept this chance. It proved a lucky strike.

Young Will was devoted to his hounds and his hounds to him. He treated it almost as a personal insult to them if he failed to kill his fox and would get off his horse and make a fuss of them. On the 4^th of December 1875 Young Will broke his leg and Lord Spencer hunted hounds for the rest of the season without him.

In 1884 and to mark Young Will Goodall’s twenty years service, a silver salver and £1,315 was subscribed by the members and farmers of the hunt. These were presented to him by Lord Spencer in October at Althorp Horse Show. Mr. Loder was honorary Secretary of this fund which limited each subscription to £25.

In June 1895, Young Will Goodall was struck down with a fatal illness and died on 17^th August 1895. Harry Bentley expressed the feelings of all in a poem he wrote:

In memoriam of Will Goodall

Harry Bentley did not exaggerate when he said that the whole country mourned for Will Goodall. Never in its whole history had the Pytchley a huntsman so universally popular. For twenty two years he had been the very spirit of the hunt. His clear ringing voice and horn seemed to put pace into the chase. He had a cheery word for high and low on horse or foot, on all occasions. He always said that you must trust your hounds, or they would not trust you – which in his case they did to a superlative degree. Trusting hounds could tell you more than anyone else, if you only had the sense to understand them.

Young Will was a real character as he said himself, “If hadn’t been he would not be huntsman of the Pytchley”. In the kennel he was equally as successful as he was in the field. He was fortunate in his masters for both Lord Spencer and Mr. Laughan were keen hounds men.

Young Will was good as a master as he was a servant. During twenty two years he had but four whipper-ins, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that Mr. Fernie induced Charles Isaac to leave Will and become his huntsman. Lord Spencer treated him all his life as a friend: in fact it was for Lord Spencer’s sake more than any other reason that induced Will to take the hounds in 1890 and to become Master, when conditions at Brixworth had become too impossible. Sir Herbert and Mr. Wroughton always spoke of him with the greatest affection as did all those who hunted with him. He will always go down in history as one of the Pytchley’s big five, (the other four were Dick Night, Charles King, Charles Payne and Frank Freeman). Will Goodall’s untimely death at the age of forty eight left the Pytchley for the third time running without a huntsman at the start of cub hunting.

Clearly Young Will and Lord Spencer had struck up an enduring friendship between master and man, which lasted all their lives, and even in death they were not divided – for Young Will Goodall lies only a few yards away from his beloved master in the Spencer's burial ground in Bridgeton churchyard.

[1] John Shipman, 3 Old Mill Close, Langford, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 9QY.

[2] Guy Paget, History of the Althorp and Pytchley Hunts

[3] Mollie Shipman

Overstone Arms

My interest in Pytchley Village started when I began to research my family history during 2003 and came across an entry for Thomas Wild (c1802-1870) and Elizabeth Edgeley (c1819-1871) who married in 1844 at Hanover Square London and from the census records it showed Elizabeth Edgeley was born in Northampton. Thomas & Elizabeth had the following children, Ann (1846) Thomas (1850) and Frances Rose (1852).

Frances Rose married Harry Edmund Ainsworth of Carshalton, Surrey who was a coachman residing at Hanover Square in 1875, they had a daughter named Rosa Louisa who was born 1875 at Kendall Mews, Marylebone.
Browsing through the census records I found that Harry, Frances and Louisa were recorded as being at The Overstone Arms, Pytchley. Further research showed that Louisa was mother to Oliver Edward Raymond Meacham Ainsworth, born 23rd July 1894 at Pytchley, his fathers name is not recorded on the birth certificate. Rose died on the 3rd October 1899 at Pytchley. Harry Edmund died in 1904 and Oliver married Gladys Ellen Elizabeth Gibson in the Parish of Walgrave in 1919, witness to this event were George Thomas Gibson & Frances Rose Ainsworth.

Frances Rose died 1925 at the Overstone Arms, Pytchley. Oliver died at the White Hart, Geddington August 1953.
Gladys Ellen Elizabeth Ainsworth died 25th March 1975, the informant of her death was their son Sydney George Edmund Ainsworth who died 27th June 1997. I found that Sydney’s wife Edna Marjorie was still living whom I contacted for further information for any possible photographs but she was unable to help me.

If anyone remembers the Ainsworth or have any information or photographs of them I would appreciate a copy as the only picture I have is what Tony Spearing sent to me of Oliver taken in his local football team during 1910.

Gary Wild
2004 Sittingbourne, Kent

[ Harry Ainsworth and Frances Rose Wild are recorded in both the 1891 & 1901 census as being the Licensed Victuallers for The Overstone Arms. Ed. ] Contact Gary Wild

PYTCHLEY HISTORY

Intro

PYTCHLEY VILLAGE