 with which since then they have again been held.
Lilford was one of the parishes which received an augmentation of its living under the Commonwealth. (fn. 70) About 1755 Thomas Powys, father of the first Lord Lilford (see above), pulled down such of his tenants' houses as were in Lilford, and built others in their place in Wigsthorpe; he then petitioned the Bishop of Peterborough (alleging as his reason that it was now necessary for the vicar to reside at Wigsthorpe in consequence of the removal thither of the inhabitants) for leave to obtain a conveyance to himself of the old vicarage house in Lilford, and to erect instead, before 1 January 1757, a substantial house of stone for a new vicarage upon a certain piece of land in Wigsthorpe. The bishop gave his consent in an instrument dated 27 March 1756, (fn. 71) but when Thomas Powys died on 2 April 1767, the old vicarage house and lands had not been conveyed to him. By indenture of 21 August 1767 the ground on which the old vicarage formerly stood was conveyed by the vicar and churchwardens of Lilford to his son, the fourth Thomas Powys of Lilford. (fn. 72) He completed the work his father had begun, by obtaining in 1778 an Act of Parliament (fn. 73) authorising the consolidation of the rectory of Achurch and vicarage of Lilford (he was lord of both manors and owner of the advowson in each parish), and the removal out of Lilford parish of both church and vicarage into Achurch. Lilford church was to be pulled down and the materials used for the repair of that of Achurch, the vicarage newly erected in Wigsthorpe to be exchanged for a house and 2 acres of land near the rectory lands in Achurch, and an acre added by him for a graveyard there; this was accordingly done. In this Act it was stated that the parish church of Lilford was falling into decay, and would be an expense to repair, (fn. 74) and it was enacted that as much of the building as Thomas Powys might require should be left as a private chapel to his mansion house, in which the rector of Lilford cum Achurch was to perform divine service, and the rest sold or otherwise applied to repairing Achurch church : the inhabitants of Wigsthorpe and Lilford to be in future rated for repairs with those of Achurch.
Before the passing of the Act the profits of the vicarage of Lilford, exclusive of the vicarage house and a small homestead thereto belonging, consisted in some small tithes and a right of common belonging to the vicarage house, for which the lord of the manor paid in 'nature of a composition' £65 yearly. Under the Act of 1778 it was agreed that 65 acres called Wigsthorpe Little Wold, and 46 acres, the east part of a piece of ground called Wigsthorpe Great Wold contiguous, should be vested in the rector of Achurch in lieu of all tithes. An exchange was also effected of the vicarage and land in Wigsthorpe already referred to for a house and lands in Achurch. (fn. 75)
A chapel was at one time in existence at Wigsthorpe, the presentation in 1347 being made to 'the church of Lilford with the chapel of Wygesthorp.' In Bridges' time no trace of this chapel remained. (fn. 76)
Richard Ragsdale by his will dated 30 Jan. 1711 charged his land and hereditaments in Bythorne and Thorpe Achurch with 20s. yearly for the poor of Lilford. 20s. is received yearly in respect of this charge and distributed by the churchwardens to the poor on St. Thomas's Day.
William Lassells by will dated 9 Sept. 1770 gave £100, owing to him on a mortgage of the tolls of the turnpike road between Market Harborough and Brampton to be applied in 'putting apprentice' poor children of Wigsthorpe. The principal sum has increased to £164 9s. 9d.