Beveridge House
AN ANCIENT house in a modern setting is often a forlorn and melancholy sight, even as an old gentleman who has out-lived, his generation and has lingered on in an atmosphere foreign find vaguely hostile.
An old house, be it castle or cottage, should be free and untrammelled and surrounded by nature which is eternal and has infinite understanding.
There is grievous need of a society for the prevention of cruelty to old houses, and years ago the sad case of the Beveridge House Barrow-on-Soar, could have been placed before its committee.
Alas! It is now too late, In the days of yore this house stood in ample grounds, which extended beyond the churchyard and included the hall orchard. Gradually it has been deprived of portion upon portion of its fair lands and now is encompassed on all sides; buildings have encroached up to its very walls and its outlook is sadly restricted.
On the northern side an extension to the Baptist Chapel was recently erected, which has almost entirely blocked the window of a small dressing room.
In the last year or two modern houses have rapidly materialised on the other side so that the old house is hemmed in, and there remains only a small plot of land at the back.
A Strange Fascination.
I have passed it hundreds of times, and always it exerts a strange fascination which is difficult to analyse.
With its tiny windows and massive weatherscarred walls it seems to reflect in large measure the spirit of the Middle Ages. Almost it would not surprise me to see a knight of old emerge from its gabled porch, with its rare stone seats, `And summon imperiously a troop of men at arms ; being a firm hater of broils, scuffles and the like, I should not hesitate to accelerate, and make off right speedily in the opposite direction on my iron steed.
There is much of the exterior of the house to interest the lover of antiquities. The buttresses on the South Eastern side are similar to those seen in churches of the Early English periods.
Very small are the windows, a reminder of those turbulent days when they were the most vulnerable part of a building.
The gable with the dormer window is picturesque, and the porch with the small iron gate is worthy of a close inspection.
There is a fine old oak staircase, and the heavy bedroom doors with the wooden latches are relics of a period when builders reckoned the quality of their work was very nigh as important as their profits.
It is difficult to judge with any degree of certainty when the Beveridge House was built, there being no records available, but in all probability it was erected towards the end of the fifteenth century.
Purchased the Living.
To this house there came in, the year 1617 a certain John Beveridge, vicar of Kibworth Beauchamp, who had recently purchased the living of Barrow-on-Soar.
He came of Lincolnshire stock, and evidently belonged to a family of good repute since he married the daughter of Ferdinand Fielding a brother of Sir William Fielding, an early ancestor of the Earls of Denbigh of Newnham Paddox.
In 1620 he handed over the living of Barrow to William, one of his ten sons, and in 1636 a grandson, William Beveridge was born at the family residence, who was destined to attain high rank in the Church.
He was educated at Oakham School, and at the age of seventeen was admitted to c St. Johns College, Cambridge. The typical
freshman, having joyfully cast off the restrictions of his public school, regarded study as an overrated pastime to be avoided us a horrid, pestilence. T’was not so with William Beveridge. Cock fighting, the chase, and other contemporary sports he left severely alone and with commendable industry he devoted his time to classical pursuits and oriental languages.
His character at college was established “not only for proficiency as a scholar, but for the depths of his `piety and the integrity of his life.” His industry soon began to bear fruit, and when eighteen years old he composed a Syriac grammar, a remarkable achievement at that age.
Ere long a further work was forthcoming from his pen entitled “Private Thoughts.” This was not actually published until after his death, when it was highly regarded.
A Zealous Cleric.
In 1660 young Beveridge was admitted to Holy Orders, and was presented to the living of Ealing.
In 1681 he was made Archdeacon of Colchester, and three years later he obtained a stall at Canterbury Cathedral. By this time his reputation as a zealous and outstanding cleric was firmly established, and his further promotion was confidently anticipated by his many admirers.
In those days advancement was greatly dependent upon political circumstances, and it is believed that during William and Mary’s reign he was not in high favour in Court circles.
It was not until 1704, two years after the accession of Queen Anne, that the long-expected step was forthcoming, and he was made Bishop of St. Asaph. For a short four years only did he enjoy his preferment. He died` in 1708 and was buried in St. Paul’s Church.
He did not forget his native place for he left many charitable bequests to the village of Barrow, including an estate then of the yearly value of £53.
The Beveridge House remained in the hands of the family until early in the eighteenth century, and during that period at least five of the Beveridge family held the living of Barrow-on-Soar.
For some years afterwards the history of the house is very obscure. At some unknown date it was divided into two portions, and thus it has remained to this day.
In the middle of last century half of the house was occupied by a certain Henry Howe, who had the reputation of being one of the most skilled, bricklayers
There are people still living who remember this expert craftsman, and they relate how his activities inspired the pen of a local versifier.
His effort suggests that Henry Howe’s high reputation in his profession was not sustained when he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits: “Henry Howe,
He went to plough, But when he got there, He didn’t know how!” The other half of the house in years gone by was jocularly known as “the pantry.”
At that time many people bore strange nicknames, and their legal patronymics were seldom used. Nan of the Pantry was a tenant for many years of a part of the Beveridge House.
Many years ago, parish relief, including bread and money was distributed here and the eager recipients would sit in the porch on the cold stone seats and patiently wait their turn.
There can be few houses in the district, still fit for habitation which have remained the same with practically no restoration for such a long period of time.
Truly they wrought well, those master builders and masons of the Tudor era. The beauty of their conceptions and the durable character of their structures will surely bear comparison with any other architectural history of this country.