PENN
La Penne (xiii–xiv cent.).
The parish of Penn, containing Penn village and
the hamlets of Penn Street, Knotty Green and Forty
Green, covers an area of 3,991 acres, of which
1,664 acres are arable land, 722 laid down in permanent grass and 1,268 acres consist of woods and
plantations. (fn. 1) The soil is heavy and contains chalk
and flint, the former of which is worked in a pit in
the south of the parish. The land rises from 223 ft.
above ordnance datum in the extreme south of the
parish to 563 ft. at the village. North of the village
at Penn Bottom it drops to 372 ft., but rises again to
530 ft. at Penn Street, and in the north-west of the
parish a height of 572 ft. is reached.
The village, which is small but scattered, presents
a picturesque appearance, and contains some cottages
of 17th-century date but refaced with modern brickwork. Its high position is said to render it remarkably healthy. The church stands near the eastern
entrance, and there are several fine old yew trees in
the churchyard. The vicarage adjoining is a substantial brick building dating from the first quarter
of the 19th century. North-east of the church is
the Crown Inn, a 17th-century house, and opposite
are the Church schools, built by Lord Howe in 1837
and enlarged in 1909. Stonehouse, formerly Grove's
Plat, the residence of Mr. Walter Grove, J.P., has
for many generations belonged to his family. On
the north side of the road is the recently enlarged
Wesleyan chapel. At this end of the village is the
commencement of Tyler's Green, a hamlet of High
Wycombe, which stretches into Penn, with which it
forms practically one village. The Baptist chapel
built in the early 19th century on the top of Beacon
Hill is in Penn parish, the road being the boundary
between it and Tyler's Green. Near the pond stood
Tyler's Green House, pulled down about 1822, which
belonged to the Baker family in the early part of the
18th century and then to General William Haviland,
who served under Wolfe at the siege of Quebec. In
1796 Edmund Burke founded in this house a school,
which continued to 1820, for the children of those
Royalists who had fallen in the French Revolution. (fn. 2)
Putnam Place to the north of the village, now
divided into tenements, was probably built in the
15th century by one of the Puttenham family. The
original hall with its open timber roof remains, though
about 1600 it was much altered and divided into two
stories, while towards the end of the 17th century
the outside of the house was encased with brick and
other alterations were made. The house at the west
end of the roadway leading to Putnam Place, to
which it was probably the lodge, was built towards
the end of the 17th century and retains much of
the original work.
Penn Street, which is a hamlet of Penn and an
ecclesiastical parish formed in 1850 out of the civil
parishes of Penn and Little Missenden, (fn. 3) lies about
2 miles north of Penn and contains 1,900 acres.
The village is large and straggling and lies in one of
the beautiful beech woods which cover the surrounding
heights. These large woods are called Penn and the
Common Woods, and contain in addition to beech
many fine oak and ash trees. The church stands a
little distance from the road with the woods stretching
behind it. The vicarage, a modern building, lies
opposite. The road leads past a group of small
cottages, two of which, Ivy Cottage and the Forge,
formerly forming one house, are of the 17th century,
and turns south-east to Penn Street Farm and Penn
House, the seat of Isabella Countess Howe. The
house, which stands in a small wooded park, is an old
building of brick, the remains of a larger mansion
the greater part of which was pulled down about the
middle of the 18th century. (fn. 4) Little Inkerman and
Inkerman Farms lie to the north-west of Penn Street,
and south-east of the village is Glory Farm, which
probably derives its name from the Glory family,
lords of Glory Manor in Wooburn, who also held
lands in Penn in the 13th century. (fn. 5) This property
afterwards passed to the Penn family, who in the
17th century owned Tyler's Garden alias the Glory
Hop Garden (fn. 6) and a mansion-house called the Glory. (fn. 7)
South of Penn House is Pennhouse Farm, and beyond
this is Penbury Farm, which belonged to the Penns
in the 17th century. (fn. 8) Half a mile south is an old
gravel-pit.
Putnam Place, Penn
A road leads south from Penn Church down Gatemoor Hill to the Parsonage Farm, a brick and timber
house built late in the 16th or early in the 17th
century, and another property of the Penns in the
17th century. (fn. 9) The road continues to Forty Green
hamlet, where there are some 16th and 17th-century
cottages, passing Eghams Farm, the old house of which
is of about 1600, but now no longer
used for a dwelling, the recreation
ground and Hutching's Farm. The
hamlet of Knotty Green lies to the
north-east and contains Baylins or
Balins Farm, probably on the site of
the 16th-century Beelings Manor. (fn. 10)
The timber and brick house dates
probably from the early part of the
16th century with later additions and
alterations. Seagraves Farm on the
eastern border is doubtless on land
once part of Segraves Manor, and
may mark the site of the manor-house
described in the early 17th century
as 'an old awncyen farme house.' (fn. 11)
The 17th-century timber and brick
house is now converted into two
tenements.
The parish was inclosed under the
Act of 1845, and the award, dated
20 August 1855, is with the clerk of
the peace. (fn. 12)
Among the place-names in Penn
are Somlesmere in the 12th century, (fn. 13)
known as Singlesmere in the 13th century, (fn. 14) and
Conningbure Fields in the 17th century. (fn. 15)
MANORS
Penn is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey, but the whole of the parish
was attached to the honour of Leicester
by the 13th century, (fn. 16) and afterwards passed to the
duchy of Lancaster (fn. 17) as in Weston Turville (fn. 18) (q. v.),
a reference to which occurs as late as 1650. (fn. 19)
Holding under the honour of Leicester were the
Turvilles, of whom William de Turville and Isabel
his wife, 1197–1200, are the first mentioned in
connexion with Penn. (fn. 20) William was succeeded by
his son, another William, dead before 1222, in which
year his widow Maud and Isabel disputed as to their
respective dowries. (fn. 21) Neither seems to have obtained
PENN MANOR first so-called, which was divided
among the sisters and heirs of William, Cecily wife
of Roger Croft, Parnel wife of Simon de Creulton or
Turville, and Isabel wife of Walhamet le Poure. (fn. 22)
Isabel died without issue, (fn. 23) and in the same year (1222)
the Turvilles and in 1224 the Crofts subinfeudated
their lands in Penn, (fn. 24) the Turvilles retaining the
position of intermediary lords (fn. 25) until 1329, when they
transferred their rights to Sir Hugh de Turpleton, (fn. 26)
whose interest was represented in 1361 by Walter
de Turpleton. (fn. 27) The Crofts' rights at that date had
descended to Ella le Botiller. (fn. 28)
At the subinfeudation which took place in 1222
the manor was divided into two portions, that part
obtained by James Penn (fn. 29) retaining the name of
PENN MANOR without any distinguishing appellative. The manor has continued in the Penn family
and has come through the female line to their representative the present Earl Howe, but the links between
the members of this family holding from the 13th to
the 16th century have not been clearly established.
Mention is made in 1228 of
John son of David Penn and
Adam son of Nicholas Penn, (fn. 30)
and later in the century John
Penn was in possession. (fn. 31) Another John Penn was living
in 1329, (fn. 32) but died before
1339, in which year a settlement of the manor was made
between his widow Joan and
his son and heir John and
Agatha his wife. (fn. 33) By Agatha
John Penn had a daughter
Joan, who married Henry
Lingeyn, (fn. 34) but by his second
wife Margaret, whose name occurs in 1347, (fn. 35) he
appears to have had a son Thomas, against whom
Joan Lingeyn as daughter and heir claimed the
manor in 1376. (fn. 36) Thomas Penn must have established
his right, for the manor descended to John Penn, (fn. 37)
whose son David died seised of it in 1565. (fn. 38) David
and his wife Sibyl had received a grant in fee in 1553
of Beamond Manor in Little Missenden (q.v), where
the descent of the Penn family will be found. (fn. 39) Right
of taking timber in his Penn estate was bestowed
in 1618 on William Penn, (fn. 40) who was sheriff for the
county in 1624, (fn. 41) but was
said to have neglected his
service at the musters in
1631. (fn. 42) His grandson William
was also sheriff in 1656, (fn. 43) and
it was he who died in 1693, (fn. 44)
and not his son William, as
stated in Little Missenden. (fn. 45)
The latter, who was alive in
1686, (fn. 46) apparently predeceased
his father, as another son
Roger inherited the estates in
1693. (fn. 47) Roger Penn was
sheriff for the county in
1706, (fn. 48) and on his death unmarried in 1731 (fn. 49) Penn passed
as did Beamond Manor (q.v.)
to the Curzons of Kedleston (fn. 50)
(co. Derby), from whom it
has descended to the present Earl Howe. (fn. 51)
Penn. Argent a fesse sable with three bezants thereon.
Cuizon-Howe, Earl Howe. Or a fesse between three wolves' heads sable cut off at the neck, for HOWE, quartered with Argent a bend sable with three parrots or thereon, for CURZON.
The other portion of Penn was subinfeudated in
1222 to Stephen de Segrave, (fn. 52) from whose family it
afterwards acquired its distinctive name of SEGRAVES
MANOR. The subinfeudation extended over several
years and does not seem to have been complete till
after 1231. (fn. 53) Stephen, who was constable of Dover
and warden of the Cinque Ports in 1231, was appointed
chief justice of the King's Bench in 1232 (fn. 54) and died
about 1241. (fn. 55) His son and heir Gilbert (fn. 56) by his
first wife acknowledged in 1244 the right of the
second wife, Ida Hastings, to dower in Penn, (fn. 57) but in
1253 he obtained from her and her second husband
Hugh Pecche a renunciation of their claims in the
manor for £16 a year during Ida's life. (fn. 58) Gilbert was
succeeded in 1254 by his son and heir Nicholas, (fn. 59) who
was summoned to Parliament as a baron, but lost his
lands as ringleader of the rebellious barons. (fn. 60) On
the petition of his sons John, Nicholas and Henry
Penn Manor was restored for 22 marks in 1289
under the Edict of Kenilworth. (fn. 61) John de Segrave
succeeded his father in 1295 (fn. 62) and obtained a grant
of free warren in 1296. (fn. 63) He held Penn (fn. 64) until
his death in 1325, when it descended to his son
Stephen, (fn. 65) who died a few months later before
proving his claim, leaving a son John, aged ten years. (fn. 66)
The custody of the lands and heir was granted to
Thomas de Brotherton Earl of
Norfolk, (fn. 67) but a dispute arising
in 1327 between Christina
widow of John de Segrave
and Alice widow of Stephen,
his son, the manor of Penn
was assigned to the former. (fn. 68)
The Earl of Norfolk married
his ward John de Segrave
to his daughter and heir Margaret, (fn. 69) and these two held
Penn in 1344, when it was
settled on them in tail. (fn. 70) John
de Segrave held Penn (fn. 71) till his
death in 1353. (fn. 72) His widow Margaret obtained livery
of the manor (fn. 73) and a year later was the wife of Walter
de Manny, (fn. 74) who died seised of Penn in her right in
1372. (fn. 75) Margaret was created Duchess of Norfolk in
1397, (fn. 76) but died in 1400, when the right in Penn
Manor descended to her grandson Thomas Mowbray (fn. 77)
Earl of Nottingham, son of Elizabeth the wife of
John Mowbray and daughter and heir of Margaret
and her first husband John de Segrave. (fn. 78) Thomas
Earl of Nottingham survived his grandmother by a
few months only, and left a son Thomas, aged fourteen. (fn. 79) His widow Elizabeth, afterwards wife of
Sir Robert Gonshill, received in 1400 a grant of
Penn, then first called Segraves, (fn. 80) in dower. Segraves
henceforward descends with Wing Manor (q.v.), but
was alienated to Robert Dormer in 1519, (fn. 81) four years
after he had acquired Wing. It was purchased of
him in 1538 by William Gardiner and his wife
Cecily. (fn. 82) The Gardiners held Grove Place in
Chalfont St. Giles (fn. 83) (q.v.), with which Segraves now
descended. They had trouble with the copyholders
and inhabitants of Penn, who in 1554 sued William
Gardiner for trespassing on the common of pasture in
Segraves Woods. (fn. 84) His son John Gardiner, 'a gentleman of great abilitie,'was accused in 1585 by one
tenant of holding five courts within six months in
order to force the 'homage' to swear that the tenant
had forfeited his copyhold by felling timber. (fn. 85) This
John Gardiner alienated Segraves in 1596 to William
Glover, (fn. 86) by whom it was probably conveyed, together with Grove Place, to the Fleetwoods, for in
1604 Henry Fleetwood sold the manorial rights to
Thomas Waller and Dorothy his wife. (fn. 87) In 1607
Segraves was purchased of the Wallers by William
Penn, (fn. 88) lord of Penn Manor (q.v.), with which it
afterwards descended, though it does not appear to
have preserved its identity as a manor after the first
quarter of the 19th century. (fn. 89)
Segrave. Sable a lion argent crowned or.
There was a dovecot appurtenant to Segraves in
the 14th century. (fn. 90)
It was stated in the early 17th century that there
were fourteen copyholders who paid a fine and heriot
at death or change of tenants, the fine at the will of
the lord of Segraves; while the freeholders, of whom
there were thirty, paid rent for relief upon change
of tenancy. No one was to hunt, hawk or fish without licence under penalty of £10. (fn. 91)
Holding under the Turvilles of the honour of
Leicester in the 13th century was Osbert de Saunderton, (fn. 92) who had been succeeded by Alexander in 1316, (fn. 93)
still holding in 1329. (fn. 94) This holding may perhaps
be identical with the 16th-century HAMPDENS
MANOR first mentioned in 1538 as the possession of
Robert Dormer. (fn. 95) It descended with Segraves (q.v.)
until John Gardiner conveyed it in 1594 to Henry
Norton, (fn. 96) whose son Gregory, created a baronet in
1624, (fn. 97) sold the manor in 1650. (fn. 98) Gregory, who
died in 1652, was an ardent Parliamentarian and
signed Charles's death warrant. (fn. 99) He disinherited his
son Henry for his loyalty, and the Gosmeds, who
acquired Hampdens, obtained a renunciation of
Henry's rights in 1658. (fn. 100) The manor is mentioned for the last time in 1677 as the right of
John Cooker. (fn. 101)
BEELINGS MANOR, sometimes called Beelings
Farm, attached to the duchy of Lancaster, (fn. 102) was held
by William Lord Windsor at his death in 1558 (fn. 103) and
passed to his son and heir Edward Lord Windsor, (fn. 104)
who was in possession in 1568. (fn. 105) His son Henry
Lord Windsor alienated it in 1593 to John Penn. (fn. 106)
This manor, now known as Baylins Farm, descended
with the other Penn estates to the present Earl Howe, (fn. 107)
but it appears to have lost its manorial status, if it had
any, about the beginning of the 17th century. (fn. 108)
The so-called PUTTENHAM MANOR, held of
the honour of Leicester, (fn. 109) doubtless originated in land
held by the Puttenhams, of whom Roger and Alice
his wife were living in 1315. (fn. 110) On Roger's death
Alice married Thomas de la Hay, holding in her
right in 1340 with reversion to Roger's son Roger. (fn. 111)
Isabel Puttenham, widow, owed suit of court for
Puttenham in 1479. (fn. 112) Margaret widow of Nicholas
Puttenham was holding the manor in 1506, (fn. 113) and in
1535 there is mention of George Puttenham as a land
owner in Penn. (fn. 114) The present farm of Putnam Place
probably marks the site of this manor.
CHURCHES
The church of HOLY TRINITY
consists of a chancel 33 ft. by 13 ft. 6 in.,
south chapel 15 ft. 6 in. by 12 ft.,
nave 57 ft. 6 in. by 20 ft. 6 in., south aisle 9 ft. 6 in.
wide, west tower, north and south porches, and a
south-west vestry; these dimensions are internal. It
is built of flint and brick, the walls of the nave and
tower being coated with rough-cast, and the roofs are
tiled.
The nave, the west tower and probably the lower
part of the chancel date at least from the early part
of the 14th century, while some parts of the walling
may be of a more ancient period; the south aisle and
perhaps the south chapel were added about 1350, and
in the 15th century the north porch was built, a
clearstory added to the nave and the nave re-roofed.
In 1736 the chancel and chapel were rebuilt in brick
and of less thickness from the window level and
the present south porch erected, while in 1865 the
east wall of the chancel was again rebuilt in flint. (fn. 115)
The bell-chamber is modern, but probably replaced
one of the 15th century, of which there are fragments
in a garden near the church.
The details of the chancel and south chapel are of
the 1733 restoration, at which date the chancel arch
was rebuilt. (fn. 116) In the east wall is a modern three-light
window with head tracery. The windows throughout
the nave and its clearstory and the south aisle are
square-headed with trefoiled lights. The eastern
window in the north wall of the nave is modern and
the western of about 1500 is of two lights with
tracery. The south wall is pierced by an arcade of
three independent arches, each of two orders, which
die into the responds. The eastern arch was rebuilt
and widened on the west side during the 1733
restoration. Above the centre arch are indications of
the existence formerly of a cross gable. The south
aisle is lighted on the south by a 14th-century window
of two lights with tracery, on each side of which is a
two-light window of the 1733 restoration, having its
upper part formed in a dormer. The south doorway
here is probably of the same date as the dormer
windows. There are three windows on either side
of the clearstory, each of two lights. The clearstory
windows on the south side are blind, being inclosed
by the roof of the south aisle, which is made continuous with that of the nave. The western window
on the north side of the clearstory has been much
restored or is modern.
The tower, which is buttressed at the angles and
surmounted by a plain parapet, is of three stages,
undivided by external strings. The early 14thcentury tower arch is sharply pointed and of a single
plain order springing from square jambs with moulded
imposts. In the west wall is a blocked doorway,
probably of 1733, above which is an original lancet.
The second stage has a square-headed opening with a
wooden frame in the west wall, and the bell-chamber
is lighted by windows of two cinquefoiled lights
under square heads. A clock was inserted in 1715.
The walls of the north porch appear to be of a later
date than the timber framing. The entrance archway
which is of oak has a three-centred arch and traceried
spandrels in a square head, of the 15th century, and
in each side wall is a repaired rectangular opening.
Over the entrance to the present south porch is a
moulded beam, which may be a fragment from a
15th-century south porch. The roof of the nave is
of 15th-century date and is composed of six traceried
queen-post trusses with cambered tie-beams and
curved braces and plastered ceiling. Two of the
corbels supporting the trusses are carved with shields
charged with two bars in chief three scallops, and
the others are head corbels. The roof trusses in the
south aisle have been adapted to the pitch of the
present roof and the old timbers remain in the roof
of the north porch.
The bowl of the font, probably of the 17th
century, is covered with lead and is supported on a
12th-century Purbeck marble stem with base and a
circular plinth. The oak pulpit was brought from
Curzon Street Chapel in 1900. In the south chapel
are the following four brasses: to Elizabeth Rok, who
died in 1540, with an imperfect shrouded figure
and a prayer for her soul and 'the soules of all
trew bilevers departed'; to John Penn, who died
in 1597, and Ursula his wife, the date of whose death
is not given, with part of their figures, six sons and a
shield with the arms of Penn impaling Waleston; to
Susan wife of Sir Henry Drury (d. 1640), with her
figure, a shield and a lozenge charged with the arms
of Drury impaling Stewkley, and two mantled and
crested helms; and to John Penn, who died in
1641, represented in armour, and Sarah his wife,
daughter of Sir Henry Drury; with five sons and
five daughters, and the arms of Penn impaling Drury;
and at the east end of the south aisle is a brass to
William Penn, in armour, who died in 1638, and
Martha his wife, in 1635, with one son and two
daughters, and a shield with the arms of Penn
impaling Waleston. In the aisle is a stone coffin,
probably of the early 13th century, on the lid of
which is a defaced cross. On the north wall of
the chancel is a tablet to William Penn, who died
in 1693, with arms, and on the north wall of
the nave is a tablet to Daniel Baker, who died in
1700, (fn. 117) and one to Daniel Baker, who died in 1727,
and Martha his wife, who died in 1753, and on the
west wall of the south aisle is a monument to General
William Haviland, who died in 1784. There are
many other later monuments in the church to members
of the families of Penn, Curzon and Grove; also to
Sophia Lady Howe (d. 1835) and Countess Howe
(d. 1836), both by Sir Francis Chantrey.
The tower contains a ring of five bells: the treble
and second by Samuel Knight of Reading, 1702, are
inscribed 'I as trebell do beegin,' 'Feare God honour
the king'; the third is by Thomas Swain, 1780;
and the fourth and tenor by Samuel Knight, 1702,
are inscribed 'In Penn tour for too sing,' and 'Unto
the church I doo you call Deth to the grave will
summans all.' The fourth was replaced in 1894.
The communion plate includes a silver-gilt cup and
cover paten of 1597, with inscription 'Sacrum Deo
et Ecclesia de Penn C. F. 1617,' a silver paten
given by Rev. John Bennett, vicar, 1712, a silver
flagon and alms-plate, both given by Daniel Baker in
1714.
The registers begin in 1560.
The church of HOLY TRINITY, Penn Street,
erected in 1849, is a cruciform building of flint and
stone in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave,
transepts, south porch and central tower with spire
containing three bells. It was restored in 1900 at
the expense of Earl Howe. The living is a vicarage
in the gift of Earl Howe.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of Penn Church
was appurtenant to Segraves Manor
and reserved by the Turville heirs
in 1231 on the subinfeudation of the manor. (fn. 118)
Under the name of La Penne Chapel it was granted
by them before 1241 to the Prior of Chalcombe
(Northants), (fn. 119) by whom it was retained until the
Dissolution. The church was valued at £13 6s. 8d.
in 1291, (fn. 120) and in 1326 the prior gave 20 marks to
appropriate the churches of Barford and Penn. (fn. 121) The
appropriation cannot, however, have taken place, as
in 1344 the prior again petitioned for licence, (fn. 122) which
was duly obtained, (fn. 123) and the rectory and advowson of
the vicarage thus instituted have always followed the
same descent. (fn. 124) In 1535 the church was valued at
£10 4s., (fn. 125) and the farm of the rectory was £8 13s. 4d. (fn. 126)
In 1541 the advowson and rectory were granted for
life to Sibyl wife of David Penn in recognition of
her services as nurse to Prince Edward, (fn. 127) and in
1553 the grant was confirmed to her and her heirs in
fee simple. (fn. 128) The Penns were lords of Penn Manor
(q.v.), with which the advowson and rectory have
since descended, (fn. 129) being at the present day vested in
Earl Howe.
CHARITIES
In 1847 William Clarke, by will
proved at London 29 November,
bequeathed £100 consols, the income
to be applied in keeping certain tombs in repair and
the surplus in the distribution of bread.
In 1859 Shelomith Clarke, by will proved at
London 15 January, bequeathed £200 consols, the
income to be applied in keeping certain tombs in
repair and the residue applied in bread, clothing,
blankets and linen to poor of seventy years and
upwards.
The sum of £300 consols belonging to these
charities is standing in the names of the Rev. John
Grainger and two others; the dividend, amounting
to £7 10s., is distributed in sums of 6s. or thereabouts to each recipient.
The Curzon Charity.
In 1750 a sum of £1,000
was given by Sir Nathaniel and Mrs. Eleanor Curzon
for a school and other charitable purposes. This
sum was laid out in part purchase of Fragnal Farm.