A potted history of Belchamp Walter
Not much has been recorded for the history of Belchamp Walter and region that covers the period fron the Normal Conquest until the 17th Century.
If you visit the parish church of St. Mary's Belchamp Walter you will see many clues to the history of the village and it was where I started my research in that history. There are three main clues to this history, of course there are the 14th Century Medieval Wall Paintings and the remains of an ornate Chantry Chapel in the North Wall. Lastly, the influences from 1611 can be seen in the numerous memorials and stained glass that were the result of the Raymond Family residents from the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries.
Conquest and de Vere
Translations of the Domesday Book appear to attribute the region as "The Land of Aubrey de Vere". While this sounds entirely feasable due to the de Vere families associations to other communities in the area there is much debate on this subject. The Advowsen of the Manor of Belchamp Walter is almost certainly granted by the priors of Colne Priory which was founded by Aubrey de Vere and his wife Beatrice. The priory was a "cell" of Abingdon Abbey, in the modern county of Oxfordshire. This would explain the Earl's of Oxford title.
The earldom of Essex was granted to Geofrey de Mandeville who was granted the Manor in a dowry on his marriage to Rohse de Vere in about the year 1100.
Another misconception is that the chantry to a member of the de Botetourt family was that John de Botetourt was an underlord of the de Veres and lived in Belchamp Walter. The de Botetourt definitely had connections to the area and this was due to a marriage to a Fitz Otho, a relation of the influential de Beauchamp family.
Botetourt to Wentworth
The 14th and 15th Centuries saw a transition between a number of familes:
- The Botetourt years - 13?? - 1391
- The Swynbourne years 1391-1431
- The Helion Years - 1459-1491
- The Rolfe/Green years - The late 15th Century - leading to the Tyrell and Wentworth families
The Nave of the church was built and the wall paintings painted. Who commissioned them is not known.
16th Century