second part of the C12, and which indicates that there was a church in existence at this time. The church at Sproxton was not destined to remain an independent rectorate. In 1162 a house of Premonstratensian canons was established only 3 miles away at Croxton, and the abbey's foundation charter mentions a third part of Sproxton church being given to it by Hugh de Boby (who held a third part of the manor by this time). In King John's reign (1199-1216) the other two thirds of the manor were given to a knight called Achard, who took his surname from this place, and who gave the other two thirds of the church to St Andrew's Priory in Northampton. Relations between the de Bobys and the de Sproxtons must have been adverse, with the de Sproxtons enjoying royal favour, but the de Bobys coming out in support of Magna Carta and Simon De Montfort. In 1270 or thereabouts, Sir Achard de Sproxton's grandson, Sir John, was somehow able to renounce his grandfather's benefaction to St Andrew's Priory, and bestow it upon Croxton Abbey instead. He also acquired the lordship of Sproxton Boby by exchange of lands. These deeds gave the abbot and convent of Croxton full appropriation of Sproxton church and its possessions, which was eventually confirmed by a Papal Bull in 1310. The first vicar known by name was Theobald, and he was in possession of his office in 1208. We can be reasonably certain that he was probably the first of Croxton's appointees as vicar, under the terms of Hugh de Boby's gift to the abbey of one third of the church. Croxton Abbey and St Andrew's Priory would have taken it in turns to present the vicar until 1288, when the name Richard of Redmile occurs. Richard remained as vicar until 1320, and he was probably the first to be appointed under the terms of Croxton's full appropriation of Sproxton church. From this time until the suppression of the monasteries, the abbot and convent of Croxton presented vicars to Sproxton. After the surrender of the abbey on 8 September 1539. Sproxton church came into the possession of the Earls (Dukes from 1703) of Rutland, who thenceforth presented the vicars. Recently, the Tollemache family of Buckminster has shared patronage of the living with the Duke of Rutland. William Dand was appointed vicar of Sproxton in 1695, resigning his post in 1704 to become vicar of the neighbouring parish of Saltby. William Holden was made vicar of Sproxton four days after Dand's resignation, and he held this appointment until 1716 when Dand vacated the Salt by living. Holden was appointed as vicar of Salt by, a post he held in addition to that of Sproxton. Since 1716 the two livings have been joined, except for a short period a few years ago when Sproxton was temporarily united to Buckminster.