The Norman Period 1066-1154
The beginning of Sandon All Saints.
The defeat of Harold at the Battle of Hastings marked the beginning of the the end of the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain. Until then, Sandon had formed part of the land of the Saxon English Earl of Mercia. Following the Norman conquest, King William ensuered that his followers took over lands.
In 1086 the Sandon estate comprised a portion then held by the king in demesne, and previously by the earl of Mercia; and another, much smaller, held by Cadio of Robert de Stafford, which TRE had been held by three men, (It is notable that Sandon had dependencies attached to it) and gave them to his nephew, who he had made the the Earl of Chester. At some point after 1086, most probably at the gift of William Rufus, Earl Hugh of Chester acquired several manors in Staffordshire, among them Sandon, which was then subinfeudated to William Malbank; the latter seems to have held some estates in Pirehill hundred which were royal demesne in 1086. [ William Malbank (d.c.1109) was lord of Nantwich and his son and heir, Hugh Malbank, founded the Savignac abbey at Combermere in c. 1133. Malbank associated Ranulph II, earl of Chester, in the patronage of his foundation. The foundation charter is very probably spurious, but it mentions the gift by Hugh, of Sandon church and common pasture there (Monasticon, v, 324) as part of the endowment, and it was again referred to in a confirmation charter of c.1180 of Bishop Robert Peche which recalled this, with other churches, as grants of William Malbank with licence to appoint vicars when they fall vacant. Peche’s charter was effectively approving the appropriation of Sandon by Combermere; Acta, 21]. The date at which Sandon church was given to Combermere, while certainly before c.1180, is a little obscure; (this warrants further reflection]. (With thanks to Dr John Hunt, Department of History, University of Birmingham, for his comments and advice on the content of this website and on researching the church of Sandon in its context).'
Certainly, we know that Hugh de Malbanc founded the Cistercian Abbey of Combermere in Cheshire c. 1133, together with the gift of the three churches, namely St Mary’s Acton, All Saints Sandon and St Peter’s Alstonefield, and gifted with it " one plough-land in Sandon and The Church and common pastures with all my cattle in the Forest of Sandon."
Although the Charter imay well be spurious, (the content might well be valid) and was witnessed by Roger de Clinton Bishop of Coventry, Ranulph de Gerons (the 2nd), 4th Earl of Chester and William de Malbank, 3rd Baron Malbank, son of Hugh and this was later confirmed by Hugh’s son William de Malbanc. A 17th century copy of the original charter was found in Sandon Hall.
This would imply that a church at Sandon was in existence before c. 1133
The first Ecclesiastical valuation of the Abbey c.1291 noted rent payable from “The Archdeaconry of Stafford, The Church of Sandon appropriated to the abbot and convent of Comberemere, £8.0.0. Rents Sandon there in ordinary years £4.13.4.”
The vicarage is noted in 1313
Patronage by Combermere Abbey.
There were two settlements for Sandon listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, a great survey of England and parts of Wales ordered by the king. Great Sandon, in the area of the church, was noted as being the largest with a population of 26 households, while Little Sandon was far smaller with just 6 households.
As the first Lords of the Manor of Sandon, the Malbanc family have left quite a legacy behind them. William de Malbanc,1st Baron of Wich Malbank, founded the Hospital of St Nicholas in Nantwich in c.1100. Hospital Street in Nantwich is a prominent shopping area today.
Bishop Peche, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1161 – 82, licensed the monks to minister to the churches. There would likely have been a dwelling available near the church for their use. Later maps show a building, complete with well, in the north-east quadrant beside the churchyard, beside the bend in the lane. Subsequently the Bishop licensed the churches of Sandon, Alstonefield and Acton together with their chapels, probably in the early 1180’s.
Combermere Abbey was the Patron of All Saints, Sandon up until the Reformation in 1536 with attendent rights, such as advowson (the right to put forward a priest for installation). It is probable that the Sandon lords and community did also contribute to the fabric of the church. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII, future owners of the Sandon Estate became patrons of the church.
Things to see in the church.
Today, the Lady Chapel stands on the site of the original Norman church, but suggestions of the original building remain.
A recess inside the southwest corner marks the ancient entrance, and a stone, built into the tower, is marked with Norman zig zag work. The west window of the tower seems to have a rounded head. If you look closely, you can find a weather-beaten smiling head above the middle pillar of the south aisle, that is possibly a remnant of the ancient building.
Historical connections.
Great Sandon no longer exists, but the remnants of a medieval village, structures and pottery have been excavated to the east of the church. A church would have been built to serve the community.
