THE HUNDRED OF STOKE
COLNBROOK
Colebroc (xi cent.); Colebroke, Colbrook (xiv–
xvi cent.).
Colnbrook is a small town lying in the civil
parishes of Horton, Langley Marish and Iver in
Buckinghamshire and of Stanwell in Middlesex. (fn. 1)
From the middle of the 14th century it was a
chapelry attached to the parish of Horton, (fn. 2) and was
made into an ecclesiastical parish in 1853. (fn. 3) The
parish boundary was altered in 1873 to include parts
of Iver parish. (fn. 4) With the exception of these the
north side of Colnbrook forms a detached part of
Langley Marish, divided from Horton by a gutter.
The town stands on four channels of the River
Colne, over each of which there is a small bridge, one
being an old county bridge between Buckinghamshire
and Middlesex.
There are several old houses and cottages on either
side of the long, narrow street which forms the town.
Most of them are of the 17th century, and of timber
and brick, but have been much restored. The most
noticeable is the Ostrich Inn, which with the two
shops adjoining formed an old inn built probably
about 1500. It is of timber and plaster with a tiled
roof and has a projecting upper story with gables at
either end, and a gateway in the middle to the yard
behind, the doors to which still remain. Inside there
is a good deal of 17th-century panelling and a staircase of the same date. In a room on the first floor
are the remains of a curious arrangement whereby a
flap could be let down from the window to enable
passengers to enter the room directly from the top of
a coach. In a room on the first floor of one of the
shops there is a shield above the fireplace with the
arms: Argent a fesse dancetty sable. In a book
written by Thowe of Reading, and quoted by
Lipscomb, (fn. 5) there is a description of the murder of
thirteen persons by the landlord of the Ostrich Inn
and his associates and the circumstances which led to
their apprehension. (fn. 6) In 1624 (fn. 7) and 1666 this inn
belonged to Maud wife of Thomas Langley, and was
valued at £4 yearly. (fn. 8) It is called Eastridge or
Ostridge in 1682. (fn. 9) There is preserved in the inn
a pistol said to have belonged to Dick Turpin who
used the house. The George Inn, which still has
remains of 16th-century work, is said to have derived
its name from a statue of St. George carved in wood
which a clothier removed from the porch of the parish
church of Dursley, Gloucestershire, and dropped from
his wagon at Colnbrook on his way to London. (fn. 10) The
Princess Elizabeth stayed a night there in 1558, on
her removal from Woodstock to Hampton Court as a
prisoner. (fn. 11) The 'Catherine Wheel,' where Henry VIII
is said to have stayed in 1516, (fn. 12) is named in a letter
to Cromwell in 1536. (fn. 13) Over a century later Prince
Rupert put up there for the night. (fn. 14) Another inn,
the 'Talbot,' was valued at £3 yearly in 1624. (fn. 15)
Many deaths from plague are recorded as having taken
place there in the following year, (fn. 16) when the town of
Colnbrook was decimated, whereas in 1665 it passed
unscathed. (fn. 17) Another inn, the 'King's Arms,' also
dates from the 17th century.
The Ostrich Inn, Colnbrook
The station is on a branch line connecting the
South Western railway with the Great Western at
West Drayton. The parish church of St. Thomas
stands near Richings Park, on an acre of land purchased from Mr. Sullivan in 1847. (fn. 18) Near it is the
vicarage with 4 acres of glebe. The approach from
Colnbrook is through a pleasant avenue of lime trees
called Church Road. There is a Baptist chapel in
Colnbrook and also a Primitive Methodist chapel.
The first mention of Colnbrook occurs in 1106 in
connexion with an inn kept there by Ægelward on
the London road. (fn. 19) In recognition of the skill of
Abbot Faricius as a physician, Miles Crispin then
gave the inn with the adjacent land in alms to
Abingdon Abbey. (fn. 20) It has not been found possible
to trace the history of this property further, but its
site may be connected with the Spitel Bridge mentioned in 1443, (fn. 21) and with Spital or le Spittle House,
to which there are references in 1605 (fn. 22) and 1635. (fn. 23)
The name survives in Spittle Farm. On the site of
the 'Golden Cross' near Spittle Farm formerly stood
a home for cripples called Cripple House, founded by
David Salter.
The name of Colnbrook is associated with various
events in national history. The conspirators against
Henry IV in 1400, whose names are familiar through
Shakespeare's tragedy of Richard II, met at Colnbrook. (fn. 24) It is named in connexion with Queen
Jane's funeral in 1537. (fn. 25) After the battle of Edgehill in 1642 the petition of the Lords and Commons
for proposals of peace was presented to the king at
Colnbrook. (fn. 26) Soon afterwards Prince Rupert is said
to have plundered the town and imprisoned 'all the
well-affected to King and Parliament.' (fn. 27) This
incident took place after the battle of Brentford and
the withdrawal of the king's troops to Oxford. (fn. 28)
Constant mention is found of troops in the neighbourhood of Colnbrook during the Civil War. (fn. 29)
BOROUGH
Colnbrook is on the main road to
Windsor by way of Slough, and was
thus a convenient halting-place for
travellers before the introduction of railways. Taking
this into consideration, with its situation on the
Colne when that river was navigable, its temporary
rise to importance as a borough in the 16th century
can be understood. In the charter of 1543, by which
Colnbrook was incorporated as a borough, it is expressly stated that such charter was granted to ensure
the highway and three bridges. (fn. 30) In 1635 an
additional charter of incorporation was granted to
remedy certain defects in the previous charter, which
it recites. (fn. 31) The new charter enacted that the town
should be incorporated under the title of bailiff,
burgesses and commonalty of Colnbrook. Twelve
chief burgesses, of whom the bailiff was to be one,
were to form the common council, appoint a councilhouse and hold a court for the government of the
town, with power to acquire lands not exceeding
£20 in value and to make laws. The names of
the members of the first council are given, and of
them David Salter was to be the first bailiff. The
bailiff held office for a year and the common councillors for life. The retiring bailiff nominated two
chief burgesses, from whom the bailiff for the following year was chosen by the common council. If he
died during the year his place was to be filled by the
chief burgesses from their number. When a chief
burgess died or resigned one of the inhabitants was
to be elected in his place by the council. The
bailiff and commonalty were also to elect a steward,
to continue in office during their pleasure. In
1636 Andrew Meale succeeded David Salter, and
was instructed to enforce the plague regulations of his
predecessor, (fn. 32) but the Civil War proved disastrous to
the new corporation. According to Lipscomb, in
1653 there was no bailiff, and the causeways and
bridges were out of repair. (fn. 33) Thomas Burcomb
was appointed by two former burgesses to receive tolls
in order to defray the expense of necessary repairs. (fn. 34)
The corporation was never revived, but local matters
were transacted by the chapel-wardens, overseers and
bridge-wardens, who were elected annually by the
inhabitants. (fn. 35) The accounts and elections of the
wardens, interspersed with various local items, were
jotted down indiscriminately from time to time in a
volume called the Old Town Book, which was bought
by a Colnbrook butcher from a lawyer at Windsor,
and was said in 1862 to have been preserved since
1810 in the Town Box. (fn. 36) The first date in it is
1612 and the last 1821. (fn. 37) It contains copies of the
two charters of incorporation, but does not record
any meetings or accounts of the corporation as such. (fn. 38)
Gaps in the entries occur between the years 1635
and 1655, from 1738 to 1745 and in 1770. (fn. 39) In
1667 the houses were rebuilt on the Horton side
of the town, (fn. 40) and in 1699 the highway from the
bridge, near the Angel Inn to the west end of the
'Ostrich,' was paved by public subscription. (fn. 41) In
1833 James Lawrence, chapel-warden, gave the dates
of incorporation, but reported that Colnbrook was
not in possession of the charters, and that the corporation seal was lost, though an impression had
been found. (fn. 42) The seal was a fine oblong silver seal,
on which was a representation of the old chapel, (fn. 43)
with the inscription: 'Sigill' Comune Burgi de
Colebroke in Com. Bucks. et Midd.' (fn. 44) It had been
entrusted to the care of Thomas Burcomb mentioned
above, and in 1773 was in the hands of his grandson,
who lived near the George Inn. (fn. 45) It was sold
later by one of his descendants, and in 1847 an
impression of it belonged to Mr. Ashton of Colnbrook. (fn. 46) The municipal borough of Colnbrook never
returned members to Parliament, and was dissolved
under the Reform Act of 1832, as it contained less
than 2,000 inhabitants.
The boundaries of the town (with which those of
the borough were conterminous) are run every twenty
years, and are given as follows in 1635: 'From a
bridge called Madbridge, in Stanwell on the east of
the town, to another bridge called Graybridge, also
in Stanwell on the south of the town; from there
by a certain stream or gutter, called Horton Allowance
in the parish of Horton, to a house called le Spittle
House on the west of the town, and from there by
another stream or gutter called le Shire on the north
of the town to Madbridge.' (fn. 47)
Under the charter of incorporation of 1543 a
grant was made to the inhabitants of Colnbrook of a
weekly market on Tuesdays and of two annual fairs,
one on the eve of St. Mark and the two following
days (24, 25, 26 April) and the other on the eve of
St. Simon and St. Jude and the two days following
(27, 28, 29 October). (fn. 48) The grant of 1635 included
a market every Thursday and two additional fairs on
the day and morrow of the Annunciation (25, 26
March) and of St. James the Apostle (25, 26 July),
with toll, stallage and other similar rights, and a
court of pie-powder. (fn. 49) Later in the 17th century
the profits of the fairs and the market tolls were
leased and realized from £10 to £20 yearly. (fn. 50) In
1773 a small market was still held on Tuesdays. (fn. 51)
In 1799 the recognized fair days were 5 April and
3 May (fn. 52) ; in the 19th century 16 October had been
substituted for 3 May. (fn. 53) This latter fair has been
discontinued, but a small cattle fair is still held on
5 April.
Colnbrook has no separate manorial history of its
own. Colnbrook in Horton was included under
Horton Manor (fn. 54) (q.v.). Colnbrook in Langley was
appurtenant to Langley Marish Manor (fn. 55) (q.v.), and
follows the same descent, the present owner being
Sir Robert Grenville Harvey, bart. The extension
of the manorial rights of Stanwell, Middlesex, into
Colnbrook is mentioned in connexion with the overlordship of Horton (q.v.).
A mill in Colnbrook is named in 1274. (fn. 56) In the
16th and 17th centuries two water-mills and the
Tanhouse there belonged to the Bulstrodes. (fn. 57) In
1697 John Lee of Wyrardisbury, who had purchased
them from Thomas Berenger, (fn. 58) sold or leased them
to John Midgley and Thomas Gilbert. (fn. 59) The old
flour-mill at the end of Mill Street belonged to
Mr. Mark Westaway in 1862, (fn. 60) but has since been
burnt down.
CHURCH AND ADVOWSON
Thomas Purchaceour, or Purchase, obtained a licence in 1340
to build a chapel at Colnbrook, (fn. 61)
which was consecrated in 1342. (fn. 62)
It is usually called the free chapel of St. Mary
Colnbrook, and several institutions to it are recorded
in the 15th century. (fn. 63) In 1442 a grant was made
in free alms of 12 ft. of land at the eastern end
of the chapel in order to enlarge it. (fn. 64) At the end
of the 15th century the advowson was appurtenant
to Parlaunt Manor, Langley Marish (q.v.), and
follows the same descent until 1547, when the chapel
lost its endowment, (fn. 65) which was stated to be of the
gross yearly value of £7 6s. 1d. (fn. 66) The town then
maintained the chapel, supplied the incense and wax,
and owned the ornaments, (fn. 67) and allotted some of the
profits of the markets and fairs to its maintenance. (fn. 68)
The money thus obtained was not sufficient to keep
it in proper repair, and since the wardens had no
power to levy a church rate the chapel was constantly in a state of dilapidation. Private benefactors,
including Sir John Kidderminster (Kedermister) of
Langley Park, also contributed to its upkeep during
the 17th century. (fn. 69) It had been pulled down some
years prior to 1773, (fn. 70) and another chapel dedicated
to St. Mary was built on a different site in Horton
Parish (fn. 71) by Thomas Fennel of Colnbrook and consecrated in 1794. (fn. 72)
The building was still in existence in 1862, (fn. 73) but
has since been demolished. The donative from 1683
was vested in the trustees of the Townshend Lectureship at Pembroke College, Oxford, (fn. 74) in accordance
with the will of George Townshend of Lincoln's
Inn, who endowed it with half the profits of some
tenements in Drury Lane. (fn. 75)
The church of ST. THOMAS, erected in 1849, (fn. 76)
became the parish church in 1853, when Colnbrook
was ecclesiastically separated from Horton. (fn. 77) The
advowson belongs to the diocese of Oxford, and the
stipend of the present vicar is supplemented by the
income, £90 yearly, at the disposal of the Townshend
trustees. The building is of flint, and consists of a
chancel, nave, north aisle and west porch and bellcote, in which is an old clock brought from the
former church.
The plate is modern and consists of a modern
silver gilt chalice and paten and a silver flagon. 'A
large silver cup' was stolen by the clerk in 1692.
The registers begin in 1760.
In 1340 licence was granted to Thomas Purchase
to found a chantry in the chapel of Colnbrook (q.v.).
In 1548 the lands for its endowment were worth
£8 3s. 8d. yearly. (fn. 78) Land in Iver and Horton was
given by John Fenwick for an obit for ninety-nine
years and there was a sum of money for the maintenance
of a light. (fn. 79) A general grant of the chantry lands was
made in 1549 to Richard Hall and Edward Barbor
of London. (fn. 80) George Bulstrode, one of the tenants of
the chantry lands in 1547, (fn. 81) appears to have acquired
them, transferring them to Elizabeth Bowser, (fn. 82) who
at her death in 1558 (fn. 83) left them to her younger
son John. (fn. 84) He died in 1608, when they consisted
of eleven cottages and two barns. (fn. 85)
CHARITIES
The Chapel Land, comprised in an
indenture of 2 April 1604, consists
of 2 a. 3 r. or thereabouts, producing
£10 a year, which is applied towards the maintenance
of the chapel or church.
In 1623 Richard Goade, as appeared from a
tablet in the chapel, gave 2 a. 3 r. 4 p., the rents to
be applied as to one-third to the vicar for a sermon
on Good Friday and two-thirds in the distribution
of bread to the poor on the same day. The land is
let at £10 a year, which is duly applied. In 1909
there were about 150 recipients.
The Town Houses.
In 1657 Thomas Pitt
conveyed to trustees certain cottages with the lands,
buildings and appurtenances thereto to the only
proper use and behoof of the poor of Colnbrook
within the two several parishes of Horton and
Langley Marish to be equally divided between the two
parishes. The trust property now consists of 3 a. 3 p.,
let at £3 5s. a year, a house let at £13 a year and
£720 10s. 7d. consols with the official trustees,
producing £18 yearly, arising in part from sale of
land in 1865 and of five cottages in Mill Street in
1869. The charity is regulated by a scheme of the
Charity Commissioners of 19 June 1888. In 1909
the net income was distributed on Christmas Eve in
sums varying from 1s. 6d. to 10s. each.
In 1870 Henry Hickman, by his will proved at
London 15 August, bequeathed £120 consols, the
annual dividends, amounting to £3, to be applied
towards the annual expenses of the church of St.
Thomas. The same testator likewise bequeathed
£120 consols, the dividends to be applied for the
benefit of poor members of the congregation of the
same church residing between the White Hart Inn
and Golden Cross Inn at Colnbrook. The income
of £3 a year is distributed in coals.
The George Townshend Lectureship, founded in
connexion with Pembroke College, Oxford, is endowed with a sum of £9,866 13s. 4d. consols with
the official trustees, producing £246 13s. 4d. yearly,
which is applicable as to one-third to the vicar of
Colnbrook, one-third to the vicar of Uxbridge and
one-third to Pembroke College.