FARNHAM ROYAL WITH SEER GREEN
The parish of Farnham Royal included in 1831
the hamlets of Hedgerley Dean, Seer Green and
Salt Hill. (fn. 1) In 1847, however, Seer Green became
an ecclesiastical parish, and both it and Hedgerley
Dean were civil parishes in 1901. (fn. 2) Salt Hill in
1831 was partly in Upton and is now partly in this
parish and partly in Stoke Poges.
Farnham Royal covers an area of 1,664 acres, of
which 477 are arable land, 631 permanent grass and
91 woods and plantations. (fn. 3) The soil is gravel and
loam with a subsoil of gravel, loam and sand, producing crops of wheat, barley and oats.
The land lies low in the south where the Great
Western railway crosses the parish and rises from 70 ft.
to 259 ft. in the north. The village of Farnham is
scattered along three roads running north and consists principally of modern villa residences. The
older part of the village clusters round the church,
on the south of which is Farnham Court, of brick with
tiled roofs, originally built in the latter part of the
17th century, but except for the north-west corner
rebuilt in the two following centuries. It is the
residence of Mr. Henry Cantrell. The old inn
called the 'Duke's Head,' lying north-west of the
church. is an early 17th-century house refaced in brick.
The old rectory, about half a mile north-east of
the village, is of late 16th-century date. It was
orignally a timber-framed gabled house, but has
been considerably altered and partly refaced in brick.
It is of two stories with attics having dormer windows.
Though very much restored inside it retains a good
many original features, including some panelling and
three fireplaces. It is now occupied by Mr. Arthur
Crosby Lockwood. The house and 100 acres of glebe
were bought by Mr. Allhusen in 1893, and a new
house was at the same time acquired for the rector.
The Old Rectory, Farnham Royal.
Farnham Common is a short distance north of the
village, and has a Baptist chapel built in 1843 and a
United Methodist chapel built in 1867.
The rising land to the west of the parish is covered
by the beautiful woods of Burnham Beeches, and
part of Brockhurst Wood in Fulmer parish extends
into Farnham on the east.
About a mile to the south of Farnham Church is
the hamlet of Salt Hill, to the west of Slough, of
which it is partly a continuation. Here is the
famous hill called 'Montem,' to which the Eton boys
used annually to resort for a time-honoured custom
of mulcting the passer-by of money. One of the
boys, William Grimston, writhing on 4 July 1767 to
Sir Michael Fleming, refers to 'our Montem which
is just over. Mr. Brume was captain and cleared
£174 only, which was the poorest montem that ever
was in this century. Hulse and Topping were salt
bearers.' (fn. 4)
The civil parish of Hedgerley Dean is a continuation of that of Farnham and covers an area of
551 acres. There are 164 acres of arable land, 160
of grass and 129 acres of woods and plantations. (fn. 5)
The land in the south and north of the parish is
over 300 ft. above ordnance datum, but it falls away
to 200 ft. in the west.
The village, which lies on the eastern boundary
and forms one with that of Hedgerley, contains
several houses dating from the 16th and 17th centuries,
but a good deal altered and restored. The timber
and brick house, now three cottages, opposite Hedgerley rectory, is of the 16th century with a north-east
wing of somewhat later date. Among the original
features remaining are the projecting upper story, two
doorways, some mullioned and transomed windows, a
central chimney stack, and internally several doors and
a room with early 17th-century panelling and fireplace.
Mount Pleasant Farm, about half a mile northwest of the village, dates from the latter part of the
17th century.
There are one or two outlying farms, among them
Onepin Farm, near Holly Bush Corner, south of the
hamlet, and to the north of the hamlet is Slade Farm,
within a short distance of Wapsey's Cottages and
Wood, property owned by the Drurys in the 17th
century. (fn. 6)
The Lysons, writing at the beginning of the 19th
century, speak of a large and deep entrenchment at
Hedgerley Dean, from whence a ditch ran westward
to East Burnham; ascribed, as they say, by tradition
to the site of a battle between Danes and Saxons. (fn. 7)
The small parish of Seer Green lies north of
Hedgerley Dean and has an area of 889 acres, of
which 392 acres are arable land, 140 are grass, and
212 are woods and plantations. (fn. 8) The land rises from
246 ft. above ordnance datum in the south to 391 ft.
in the north, where Pond Farm, the residence of
Dr. Mitchell Bruce, Newbarn, Rawlings and Widmer
Farms are situated. The rising ground behind is
covered by the large Hodgemoor Wood, called
Hoddesmore in the 16th century. (fn. 9)
The village is in the south and is compact in form.
The church, built in 1846, stands on a triangular
green, round which the cottages are closely packed.
The Manor Farm is the chief building on the western
side, and the Three Horseshoes Inn and Baptist chapel
also front the green. On the south side, standing
back from the green, is Hall Place, and half a mile
south near the winding Long Bottom Lane is the
vicarage.
Farnham Royal was inclosed in 1821, when more
than half the parish was exonerated from tithes, over
327 acres, partly woodland, being allotted in compensation. Of these 105 acres have since been sold. (fn. 10)
The following place-names occur in documents
relating to Farnham: Derespath (xiv, (fn. 11) xv (fn. 12) and
xvi (fn. 13) cent.); Cuttythegge (fn. 14) (xv cent.); Marunden,
Spragotts Wood, Cropsale and Chilwick (fn. 15) (xvi cent.).
In the 16th and 17th centuries Gascons Grove, a
messuage in Leer called Pewes (fn. 16) ; in the 17th closes
called Leichboroughs, Philpots, Whaples, Silkenstreet,
Tallowes and Purtons, a small coppice called Wocfield
and a tenement called Chadwell House. (fn. 17) The Drurys
in the 17th century held a close here called Pipers,
3 acres in extent. (fn. 18)
MANORS
In 1086 the 10-hide manor of Farnham, afterwards known as FARNHAM
VERDON or FARNHAM ROYAL,
was held by Bertram de Verdon, who possessed no
other lands in Buckinghamshire. (fn. 19) It was held by
the grand serjeanty of standing at the king's right
hand at his coronation, supporting his right arm
while he held the royal wand or sceptre, and bringing one glove for his [Verdon's] right hand. (fn. 20) When
the Earl of Shrewsbury exchanged Farnham with
Henry VIII for the site of the priory of Worksop in
1541, (fn. 21) the serjeanty was transferred to the manor
of Worksop.
Bertram de Verdon was succeeded by Norman, (fn. 22)
whose son Bertram founded Croxden Abbey, Staffordshire, and died in 1192 at
Joppa. (fn. 23) His elder son
Thomas died without issue in
1199, when the manor passed
to the second son Nicholas. (fn. 24)
Eustace, the widow of Thomas
de Verdon, married as her
second husband Richard de
Kamvill, (fn. 25) with whom in 1204
she sued Nicholas de Verdon
for the manor of Farnham,
her dowry. (fn. 26) Nicholas joined
the rebellious barons and was
deprived of his lands, but
recovered them on submitting to Henry III. (fn. 27) On
his death in 1231 Farnham passed to his daughter
and heir Roesia wife of Theobald Butler. (fn. 28) Their son
John retained his mother's maiden name, and on her
death in 1247 succeeded to the property as John de
Verdon. (fn. 29) He received a grant of free warren in Farnham in 1258. (fn. 30) By his first wife Margaret daughter
of Gilbert de Lacy (fn. 31) he had a son Nicholas, who was
slain in Ireland in 1271, (fn. 32) and another son Theobald,
who inherited the property in 1274. (fn. 33) His second
wife Eleanor survived him and claimed one-third of
Farnham in dower, but was allotted manors in
Leicestershire. (fn. 34) In 1276 Theobald de Verdon
claimed to have return of writs in Farnham, (fn. 35) and
in 1284 mortgaged the manor to Thomas de Verdon
and Henry de Praers. (fn. 36) Theobald was often absent
in Ireland with his elder son John, whom in 1295 he
enfeoffed of Farnham Manor without the king's licence
and had some difficulty in obtaining pardon. (fn. 37) On
John's death in 1297 the manor reverted to his
father Theobald. (fn. 38) Theobald, the second son,
returned from Ireland in 1298, when he was knighted
by Edward I, (fn. 39) and was allowed to represent his
father in the Parliament of 1300. (fn. 40) He inherited
Farnham on his father's death in 1309, (fn. 41) and was
made justice and lieutenant of Ireland in 1313. (fn. 42)
He died shortly afterwards in 1316, (fn. 43) leaving by his
first wife Maud daughter of Edmund Mortimer (fn. 44)
three daughters all under age. By his second wife
Elizabeth de Clare, widow of John de Burgh, he had
a posthumous daughter Isabel, co-heiress with her
step-sisters. (fn. 45) Farnham Manor was at first granted
with the other Verdon estates to Roger Dammory
during the minority of the heirs, (fn. 46) but was obtained
in December 1316 by the widow Elizabeth de Burgh, (fn. 47)
who by June 1317 was the wife of Roger Dammory. (fn. 48)
In 1318 a division of the estate was made among
the four daughters of Theobald de Verdon, (fn. 49) and the
reversion of Farnham was allotted to Joan the eldest
daughter, now of age and wife of Thomas Furnival,
junior, (fn. 50) afterwards Lord Furnival. She died in
1334, (fn. 51) leaving a son Thomas, (fn. 52) who inherited the
property on the death of Elizabeth de Burgh in
1359. (fn. 53) Thomas Furnival died about 1364 without issue, and was succeeded by his brother William, (fn. 54)
who in 1379 settled the manor on his daughter Joan
and her husband Thomas Nevill. (fn. 55) On his death in
1383 his widow Thomasina recovered one-third of
the manor of Farnham in dower from Joan and
Thomas Nevill. (fn. 56) Part of the manor was seized by
the Crown and granted to Roger March in 1383 (fn. 57)
on the pretext that Thomas Furnival had alienated
it without licence, (fn. 58) but in 1390 Joan and Thomas
Nevill were able to recover it. (fn. 59) Joan died before
1401, (fn. 60) leaving a daughter Maud, who on Thomas
Nevill's death in 1407 inherited the manor. (fn. 61) She
married John Talbot, first Earl of Shrewsbury, and
dying before 1433 (fn. 62) left a son John, to whom the
manor descended on his father's death in 1453. (fn. 63)
The Earls of Shrewsbury continued to hold the
manor, (fn. 64) and on the death of John third Earl of
Shrewsbury in 1473 (fn. 65) it was granted in dower to
Katherine his widow. (fn. 66) She died in 1476, (fn. 67) when
the custody of the lands and
of her son George fourth
Earl of Shrewsbury was bestowed on William Lord
Hastings. (fn. 68) Francis fifth Earl
of Shrewsbury alienated Farnham Manor to Henry VIII
in 1541 in exchange for the
manor of Worksop and
£485 8s. 6d. (fn. 69) In 1550 it
was bestowed on Elizabeth, (fn. 70)
afterwards Queen of England,
and in 1603 it was assigned
to Queen Anne. (fn. 71) Prince
Charles obtained a grant of it
in 1619, (fn. 72) and in 1628 it was sold to Edward
Ditchfield and others, trustees for the city of
London, (fn. 73) of whom it was bought in 1630 by Sir
Edward Coke, the chief justice, (fn. 74) who had already
lands here in 1608 valued at 36s. 8d. yearly. (fn. 75) He
was Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 1628, (fn. 76) and was
succeeded in 1633 by his son Sir Robert Coke, (fn. 77) a
Royalist, whose lands in Farnham were stated in
1647 to have been worth £105 10s. before the war. (fn. 78)
Robert died childless in 1653, and the estate went to
his brother John of Holkham,
on whose death in 1661 it
passed to his son John, (fn. 79)
holding in 1663. (fn. 80) The latter
was succeeded by his cousin
and heir Robert, who died
in 1679, leaving a son
Edward, (fn. 81) on whose death in
1707 his son Thomas inherited the manor. Thomas
Coke was created Earl of
Leicester in 1744, (fn. 82) and in
1752 he and his son and
heir Edward alienated their
right in Farnham Royal to
Francis Godolphin, (fn. 83) who in 1766 succeeded his
cousin as second Lord Godolphin and died in 1785, (fn. 84)
leaving the manor to Francis Godolphin Osborne,
his great-grandson and second son of the fifth Duke
of Leeds. (fn. 85) In 1832 Francis Godolphin Osborne
was created Lord Godolphin of Farnham Royal, a
title which passed with the property on his death in
1850 to his son George. (fn. 86) The latter in 1859 succeeded his cousin as eighth Duke of Leeds, (fn. 87) and the
manorial rights are now vested in his grandson
George Godolphin Osborne, tenth Duke of Leeds.
Verdon. Or a fret gules.
Farnham Court
Talbot. Gules a lion and an engrailed border or.
Coke. Party azure and gules three eagles argent.
Godolphin. Gules an eagle with two heads between three fleurs de lis argent.
Osborne. Quarterly ermine and azure a cross or.
During the 16th and 17th centuries the site of
Farnham Manor was farmed by the Crown to various
tenants. (fn. 88)
The manor of SERE or LASERE was comprised in
the 10-hide manor of Farnham in 1086, and as such
was held by the Verdons, who had a capital messuage
here as well as at Farnham. (fn. 89) Lands in la Sere are
mentioned first in 1232, (fn. 90) and the estate in this part
of Farnham parish was not called a manor before
1275. (fn. 91) After 1309 it appears as the hamlet of
Sere, (fn. 92) and became absorbed in the principal manor
of Farnham, being mentioned separately for the last
time in 1361. (fn. 93)
At the survey of Farnham Manor made in 1608 the
common or waste consisted of Sere Green (3 acres),
Three Legged Cross land (4 acres), Farnham Heath
(120 acres) and le Common Plot (1 acre). (fn. 94) In 1821
Francis Godolphin Osborne claimed to have a rabbit
warren on the common. (fn. 95)
Towards the end of the 13th century Robert son
of Baldwin had land in Farnham Lee, (fn. 96) but there is
no further mention of any estate here until 1537,
when John Baldwin, chief justice of the Bench,
settled a capital messuage called Farnham Lee and its
appurtenant property on trustees. (fn. 97) A further settlement was made, one of the trustees being John Borlase,
who after John Baldwin's death alienated the estate
to William Umfraville in 1561. (fn. 98) The latter owned
property in Farnham in 1592, (fn. 99) but no later mention
of Farnham Lee has been found. Missenden Abbey
owned land in Farnham which included a wood
called 'Sampsons,' (fn. 100) and which was granted in 1540
to Robert Drury. (fn. 101)
In 1536 Eton College was said to hold a small
estate in Farnham and Hedgerley (Hedgerley Dean)
of the Earl of Shrewsbury at a rent of 12d. for
Farnham and 9s. 8d. for Hedgerley. (fn. 102) In 1555 the
estate in Hedgerley is given in more detail, and consisted of four closes called Symesdeane and land in
Meandeane with a house lately occupied by one
Crisp. (fn. 103)
In 1086 there was a mill attached to Farnham
Manor which had been placed there since the time of
Edward the Confessor by Ralph Tallebosc. (fn. 104) It is
mentioned first as a water-mill in 1309. (fn. 105) The Earl
of Shrewsbury in 1539 leased it and le Oysle Browne
Close to Nicholas Cowper alias Mousfraye for thirty
years, (fn. 106) and in 1560 Anthony Reade obtained a
twenty-one year's lease of the mill and Great and
Little Bounds Closes. (fn. 107) The reversion of this lease
was granted in 1569 to William Cox for twenty-one
years. (fn. 108) In 1572 commissioners were sent down to
Farnham to inquire into the damage done to the
Crown property by the raising of the mill pond. (fn. 109)
Anne Twiste, the royal laundress, and Thomas Twiste,
groom of the stable, received a grant in 1587 of the
water-mill and closes for twenty-one years from 1603, (fn. 110)
and they appear to have transferred their interest to
David Salter, who was in possession in 1608. (fn. 111) In
1609 a commission was appointed to inquire into the
lands attached to the mill, (fn. 112) which was obtained in
free socage that year by Sir Edward Coke, chief
justice, (fn. 113) and was afterwards held with the manor by
his descendants, passing to the Godolphin family, in
whose possession it is last mentioned in 1741. (fn. 114)
CHURCHES
The church of ST. MARY consists of a chancel with organ chamber
and vestry, nave with aisles, and
western tower, and is built of flint rubble with stone
quoins. The chancel dates from the 12th century,
but the nave was rebuilt in 1821, and the present
tower added in 1868.
The east window in the chancel is modern. On
the north side an arch opening into the organ chamber
and a doorway to the vestry are both modern. In
the same wall are a small 12th-century window, with
semicircular head and a 13th-century locker with
a shouldered head. The eastern window in the south
wall, dating from about the middle of the 14th
century, is pointed and of two lights under a traceried
head and has a sedile formed in the sill. The other
window, of late 14th-century date, is also of two
lights with a plain piercing in a pointed head. There
is a blocked 14th-century south doorway and above it
is a 12th-century window, also blocked, and near the
east is a mid-13th-century piscina with a trefoiled
head. The chancel arch is modern. The nave has
modern arcades of three bays on each side, and the
tower is of two stages.
On the east wall of the south aisle is the following broken brass inscription: 'Here lyeth buried
Eustas Mascoll (Ge)nt sometime clarke of the workes
of frisewide in oxford for Cardinall Woolsey and
after chefe clarke of acom[pts] for xvii yeares for all the
buildinges of kinge henry ye VIII his plasis wtin
xx myles of Lond[on] and dep[ar]ted this life pistell reder in
winsor Castell the xxxi day of january A°. MDLXVII.'
On the west respond of the south arcade there is a
tablet to Abigail wife of William Hickman and
mother of Charles Hickman, rector, who died in
1699.
There is a ring of eight bells: the treble, second,
fifth and sixth by Lester & Pack, 1752, and the third
and fourth by Mears & Stainbank, 1876. Two were
added in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee
of Queen Victoria.
The communion plate includes a cup and cover
paten of 1569 and a 17th-century Dutch spoon.
The registers begin in 1635.
The church of ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST,
Farnham Common, was built of brick with stone
dressings in 1908. It is served from the parish
church.
The church of HOLY TRINITY, Seer Green,
was built in 1846. It consists of chancel, nave and
a western turret, and is built of flint and stone. The
advowson is in the hands of the Provost and Fellows
of Eton College.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of Farnham
Church was appurtenant to the
manor of Farnham, whose descent
it follows until 1690. It was then bestowed by the
Crown on the Provost and Fellows of Eton College, (fn. 115)
who have continued to hold till the present day. (fn. 116)
The living, a rectory, is first mentioned in 1230 (fn. 117)
and was assessed at £16 in 1291 (fn. 118) and at £13 6s. 8d.
in 1535. (fn. 119) In the early years of Elizabeth a dispute
arose between the incumbent, John Rithe, 'a very
poore yong man,' and his predecessor John Dyer,
deprived of the living for non-payment of tithes, who
had carried away the glass of the 'Manysion House,'
benches and stands to the value of £10. He had
also dug out the head of the pond and taken away
'carpes, bremes' and other fish worth £5. (fn. 120) A
later rector was William Clagett, D.D., who took a
prominent part in the controversy between the
Roman Catholics and Protestants in the reign of
James II. (fn. 121)
In 1847 Seer Green hamlet was separated from
Farnham Royal and constituted a vicarage. (fn. 122)
CHARITIES
Eleemosynary Charities.
In 1664
David Salter by will devised 17s.
yearly out of a farm at Thredding
Green, to be applied in the purchase of bread and
watered herrings to be distributed to two poor men
and four poor women, and a pair of kid gloves to the
value of 2s. for the parson. The annuity was
redeemed in 1874 by the transfer of £28 12s. 6d.
consols to the official trustees. The dividends of
14s. 4d. a year are applied to the Sick and Needy
Fund.
Thomas Perryman of London, who died in or
about 1700, by his will devised an annuity of
£2 12s. issuing out of land known as 'Home Close'
in Dorney and Eton, to be distributed in bread.
In 1825 Thomas Perryman of Farnham Royal by
his will bequeathed a legacy of £70 for the same
purpose. The legacy, less duty, is now represented
by £60 8s. 8d. consols, producing £1 10s. a year.
In 1776 Elizabeth Hetherington, by will proved
9 December, bequeathed a legacy for educational
purposes and for the poor; the trust fund for the
latter purpose is represented by £34 19s. 1d. 2½
per cent. annuities, the annual dividends of 17s. 4d.
being applicable for the benefit of poor housekeepers.
Educational Charities.
Elizabeth Hetherington's
Foundation, trust fund, £163 2½ per cent. annuities,
set aside by order of the Charity Commissioners,
9 August 1904.
Jacob Bryant's Foundation, founded by will
proved 28 November 1804, trust fund, £300 consols.
The dividends on the two sums of stock amounting
to £11 11s. 8d. are applied towards the salaries of
the master and mistress of Farnham School. (fn. 123)
The Church Estate consists of the 'Duke's Head'
public-house let at £65 a year, cottage and ground
rents producing £4 a year, and a meadow let at
£5 14s. a year; also £407 2s. 5d. consols and
£1,031 2½ per cent. Midland Railway preference
stock, arising from sales of land in 1889 and 1904
respectively, the annual dividends amounting together
to £35 18s. 10d. The income is applied towards
the general church expenses.
In 1901 Alfred Reade, by his will proved at
London 23 December, bequeathed £500 for the
purposes of the Farnham Royal Dispensary and
Parish Nurses' Home, so long as the memorial stone
and vault in the churchyard are kept in order. The
legacy was invested in £506 6s. 7d. India 3 per
cent. stock, producing £15 3s. 8d. yearly. There is
also a sum of £50 on deposit at the bank. A sum
of 10s. a year is paid to the sexton, and the residue is
applied for the purposes of the Dispensary and Home.
The several sums of stock are held by the official
trustees.
Hamlet of Hedgerley Dean.
The Slade charity,
the gift of Miss Louisa Reid, was founded by
declaration of trust, 24 March 1873, and is regulated
by scheme of the Charity Commissioners, 16 January
1880. The trust fund consists of £893 5s. 2d.
consols, with the official trustees, and the dividends,
amounting to £22 6s. 5d. yearly, are applied for the
benefit of the poor in pensions, winter gifts, coal,
advancement in life, medical and other aid, and in
gifts in cash.