ASTON ABBOTS
Estuna, Eastun, Estone (xi cent.); Abbodes Aston,
Aston Abbatis (xiii cent.).
The parish of Aston Abbots, containing the village
of the same name and hamlet of Burston, covers an
area of 2,198 acres, of which 263 acres are arable
land producing crops of wheat, 1,814 acres are laid
down in grass, and there are 17 acres of woods and
plantations. (fn. 1) The soil is of sand and gravel, with a
subsoil of sand.
The land is high, rising to 468 ft. above the
ordnance datum at a point north of the village,
whence extensive views can be obtained of the
surrounding country. The village, which includes
several buildings of the 16th and 17th centuries,
is small and compact, with a small green in the
centre, on the north side of which is the church.
Near by is the vicarage, a substantial building dating
from c. 1830. The present school was built in 1874,
the former one together with five ancient cottages
having been pulled down. There is an Independent
chapel, built about 1839, and a Primitive Methodist
chapel dating from 1862.
Slightly to the west of the village is the site of the
ancient country house of the Abbots of St. Albans,
from whom the parish derived its distinctive name.
The present house, known as the Abbey, is a modern
building of brick covered with stucco, having been
practically rebuilt in the 19th century. Some of the
walls, however, are of exceptional thickness, and may
be part of the original building. The house stands
in grounds containing a sheet of water, with a view
over the town and vale of Aylesbury. It was once
occupied by Sir James Clark Ross, discoverer of the
Magnetic Pole in 1831, who died here in 1862. It
is now the property and residence of Lieut.-Col.
Henry Mitchell Sholto Douglas.
To the south-west of the Abbey is Windmill Hill,
an elevation of 440 ft. The hamlet of Burston lies
about a mile south-west of Aston Abbots, and consists
of Lower Burston and Upper Burston, the farms
respectively of Mr. W. H. Denchfield and Mr.
Pargeter. Burston House, once the seat of the Lees,
stands at the foot of a hill and is a plain solid building, for many years tenanted as a farm by the
Denchfield family. It is at present the residence of
Mrs. Denchfield. Leland tells us that in his time at
Burston 'Mr. Leigh hath a goodly House with
Orchardes and a Parke. This Birdstaine is almost in
the Midle of the Vale of Aylesbury.' (fn. 2)
The Inclosure Award, under an Act of 1795, is
enrolled upon a Plea Roll dated 12 March 1796, at
the Public Record Office. (fn. 3)
MANORS
In the time of Edward the Confessor
a certain Danish chief called Tolf, (fn. 4) or
Wulf, held 'land which is called Eastun'
from the king. This land he gave, with the king's
consent, 'to the holy church of Alban the Martyr,'
where he wished to be buried. At the Domesday
Survey (fn. 5) 'Estone' was assessed at 10 hides and was
held by the Abbot of St. Albans as one manor, which
remained in the possession of the abbey until the
Dissolution. (fn. 6) Its tenure was, however, marked by
several disturbances, for in 1267 Geoffrey Lucy and
others, on a pretext that the abbot held of them,
entered his manor of Aston and carried away flocks
and goods in distraint. (fn. 7) The abbey's privileges were,
moreover, encroached upon by the sheriff, to whom
a writ was directed by the king in 1306, ordering
him to desist. (fn. 8) In 1381 there were further
troubles, and the tenants at
Aston, encouraged by the example of the rioters at St.
Albans, extorted a charter of
liberty from the abbot. (fn. 9)
St. Albans Abbey. Azure a saltire or.
Between 1396 and 1401
Abbot John V made several
improvements in the manor,
restoring the house, the stone
and timber of which was falling into ruin, and making
three sheepfolds. (fn. 10) Several of
the bondmen on the Aston
estate were freed by the
abbots, (fn. 11) and the language in the manumission deed
of William Jurdon by John Whethamstede between
1421 and 1440 shows that the abbot was considerably in advance of his age in liberality of thought. (fn. 12)
After the dissolution of St. Albans Abbey in 1539 (fn. 13)
ASTON ABBOTS was granted in the following year
to John Lord Russell, (fn. 14) by whom it was alienated
two months later to Sir Robert Dormer. (fn. 15) Sir
Robert afterwards obtained Grove Manor (q.v.), with
which Aston Abbots has since been held, (fn. 16) the
manorial rights of both being at present vested in
Lady Wantage.
In 1616 Lord Dormer was granted free warren in
Aston Abbots. (fn. 17)
In the time of Edward the Confessor 2 hides
of land in BURSTON (Bricstoch, xi cent.; Bridelesthon, xiii cent.; Briddestorn, Brydesthorne, xiv
cent.; Birstorn, Brudesthorne, xvi cent.; Berdesthorne, xvii cent.) were held by three thegns, of
whom 'one was a man of Earl Lewin, the second a
man of Goduin Cilt, Abbot of Westminster, the
third a man of Alverad of Withunga (Wing).' (fn. 18) In
the same place one virgate of land was held by
Siward, 'a man of Earl Harold.' In 1086 all this
land belonged to the Count of Mortain, the 2
hides being held of him by Alan and the virgate by
Almaer. Burston remained attached to the 'small
fee of Mortain,' known in this district as the honour
of Berkhampstead, (fn. 19) but by 1487 was held of the
king in chief, (fn. 20) and afterwards as of his honour of
Ewelme, (fn. 21) the overlordship being last mentioned in
1611. (fn. 22)
By 1284 the ownership in fee of the manor was
vested in William de Lyngyure, (fn. 23) but had passed
before the end of the reign of Edward I to Adam
de Welton. (fn. 24) He, or his successor John de Welton,
subinfeudated the manor for the service of one clove
gillyflower, but the intermediary lordship so created
lapsed after 1328. (fn. 25)
In 1302 Walter Wallop and his tenants held
Burston in fee, but Walter died some time before
1314, in which year his widow Philippa, then wife
of Thomas Gorges, claimed a third of the manor
in dower against Margaret Blacket and her husband
John Blacket. (fn. 26) Margaret declared that she held the
manor for life as the widow of Martin de Rokele, and
that the reversion belonged to his brother and heir
Humphrey de Rokele. (fn. 27) John Blacket, for an annual
pension of 20 marks, conveyed his interest in the
manor to Peter Carbonel, (fn. 28) against whom Philippa
brought an action in 1323 (fn. 29) and 1324, (fn. 30) without
success, however, as Peter Carbonel died seised of
Burston about 1328. (fn. 31) His son John was in possession in 1346, (fn. 32) but shortly afterwards the Carbonel
family appears to have ended in three female heirs.
Of these, Alice, who was probably a daughter of the
last male Carbonel, married Nicholas Barun, to whom
she brought the reversion of a moiety of the manor,
then held for life by Alice wife of John Kentwood,
and doubtless the mother of Alice Barun. (fn. 33) In 1364
the Baruns granted the reversion of the manor to
John Kentwood for life for the rent of a rose, (fn. 34) and
in 1375 Alice Barun, then a widow, conveyed the
remainder to William Barton. (fn. 35) Four years later
William Barton quitclaimed his interest in Burston
to John and Alice Kentwood and their heirs. (fn. 36)
The second moiety of the manor had been divided
between Joan and Isabella, the wives respectively of
Roger Smale and Henry Marston, (fn. 37) and probably
granddaughters of the last Carbonel. In 1368 the
Smales conveyed their quarter of Burston to John and
Alice Kentwood, and the Marstons similarly dealt with
their share in 1376, (fn. 38) so that the Kentwoods thus
acquired the whole manor in fee. John Kentwood
appears to have died shortly after 1392, (fn. 39) but Alice
Kentwood was still in possession in 1404, (fn. 40) and in
1422 and 1436 Reynold Kentwood is mentioned. (fn. 41)
He appears to have been succeeded by Nicholas
Kentwood and his wife Maud, daughter of Thomas
Sackville. (fn. 42) Their son Robert having predeceased
them, Burston passed to his son and heir John, who
died in 1487, when a claim to the manor was put in
by Thomas Rokes as cousin and heir male. (fn. 43) John
Kentwood, however, had left two daughters, Elizabeth
wife of John Swafield and
Frideswide wife of Richard
Fettiplace, who were successful in enforcing their right
against Thomas Rokes in
1492. (fn. 44) The Swafields alienated their moiety of the
manor to Thomas Cartwright
in 1508, (fn. 45) who settled it on
himself and wife Joan, but on
his death without issue it
passed to his brother and heir,
John Cartwright, (fn. 46) from whom
it was purchased in 1516 by
Robert Lee. (fn. 47)
Kentwood. Argent a bend between three crosslets fitchy sable with three cinqfoils or on the bend.
The moiety of the manor
belonging to Richard Fettiplace had passed by 1508
to William Fettiplace, (fn. 48) in possession in 1516, (fn. 49) and
was alienated by him in 1524 to Robert Lee, (fn. 50) who
thus acquired the whole of Burston. Lee's trustees,
acting on his behalf, in 1526 received the royal
licence to impark lands in the manor of Burston and
to have free warren and a several fishing in all the
water. (fn. 51)
On the death of Sir Robert Lee in 1539, (fn. 52) his
widow Lettice wrote to Thomas Cromwell in view of
his great goodness to her husband and children, asking
for his protection if anyone should wrong her, and
reminding him that Sir Robert had made him master
of the game at Burston. She sent with the letter
'as a token £10 to buy an ambling nag to hunt with
in summer.' (fn. 53)
The Lees held Quarrendon Manor (q.v.), at which
place they resided and with which Burston was held
until Viscount Dillon sold Burston House to William
Leader in 1802. (fn. 54) William Leader was succeeded by
his son John Temple Leader, M.P. for Westminster,
who was in possession in 1847 and 1862. (fn. 55) Burston
has since passed to Mr. Lionel de Rothschild, the
present owner.
In 1373 Edmund Mordaunt of Turvey held rent
in Burston of Sir John Kentwood. (fn. 56) His greatgrandson Sir John Mordaunt is mentioned in connexion with Burston in 1500, (fn. 57) and on his death in
1504 was succeeded by his son William, who died
without issue shortly afterwards, leaving as heir his
brother John, afterwards Lord Mordaunt. (fn. 58) Lord
Mordaunt was seised of two closes in Burston, one
called 'The Manor Place,' which he let to Sir Robert
Lee, against whose grandson Sir Henry Lee he
brought an action in 1559 for wrongfully detaining
the premises. (fn. 59) No mention of the Mordaunts in
Burston is found after 1608, when Henry Lord
Mordaunt held land here. (fn. 60)
Before the Conquest Osulf, 'a man of Brictric,'
held 3 virgates of land in Burston. (fn. 61) In 1086 this
was held of Miles Crispin, whose lands afterwards
became known as the honour of Wallingford, (fn. 62) to
which this property in Burston was still attached in
1300. (fn. 63) The under-tenant in 1086 was William, (fn. 64)
and in the 13th century Adam de Welton was in
possession, (fn. 65) but the holding has not been traced later.
Other lands in Burston amounting to one hide,
held in the reign of Edward the Confessor by a certain
woman under Siward, by 1086 formed part of the
fief of Walter Giffard, of whom they were held by
Turstin. (fn. 66)
CHURCH
The church of ST. JAMES consists
of a chancel 22 ft. by 14 ft., north vestry
and organ chamber 11 ft. 6 in. by
10 ft. 6 in., nave 47 ft. 6 in. by 17 ft., south porch
and a west tower 8 ft. 9 in. by 6 ft. It has walls of
aced rubble with limestone dressings except those of
the tower, which are of ashlar. The roofs are tiled.
Aston Abbots Church from the South
The church was apparently entirely rebuilt in 1866
with the exception of the west tower, some old
materials being used in the walling of the chancel
and nave. The tower is probably of early 16th-century
date, and the vestry and south porch are both
modern; the organ chamber was added in 1890.
The chancel has some 14th-century features re-used,
including the inner jambs, rear arch and label of the
east window. The north and south walls each have
a 14th-century window of two trefoiled lights with a
quatrefoil in a two-centred head; the sill of the south
window is lowered to form a sedile, and to the east
of it is a 14th-century piscina with continuously
moulded jambs and a pointed head.
The west tower is of one tall stage with a modern
embattled parapet. It has diagonal buttresses and a
south-east projecting stair-turret. The tower arch is
two-centred and of three orders on the east side and
two on the west, all of which are chamfered and die
into the tower walls. The west doorway has a plain
four-centred head and the west window has three
trefoiled lights in a four-centred head; above it is a
small loop which lights the ringing chamber. The
belfry is lighted by single-light windows with four-centred heads on the north and south and by pairs
of similar windows on the east and west. The staircase has one small loop. On the south side is the
dial of the clock.
The roof of the nave contains some old timbers
re-used.
The font is possibly of 16th-century date and has
an octagonal bowl and hollow tapering stem brought
to a square with broached stops. In the nave there
is a polished oak chest with a panelled front, a bolection moulded curved lid, iron strap hinges, and three
locks, which is dated 1695, and in the
tower is another plain chest with two
locks, probably also of the 17th century.
There are five bells, which are hung
in an old framework: the first, second
and fourth are inscribed '1652.
Chandler made me,' and the third and
fifth, 'Edward Hall made me 1740.'
The plate consists of a silver cup
with cover of 1562, a silver paten presented in 1898 and a plated alms-dish
and flagon.
The registers begin in 1559.
ADVOWSON
The church of
Aston Abbots is first
mentioned in 1291,
when £3 from the tithes was the
portion of the kitchener of St. Albans
Abbey. (fn. 67) A vicarage was ordained
before 1349 (fn. 68) and the right of presentation belonged to St. Albans Abbey, (fn. 69)
whose pension in the church was £2 in 1535, the
net value of the vicarage being £6 7s. 8d. (fn. 70)
The advowson was afterwards granted to John
Lord Russell with the manor (q.v.), with which it
has since descended, (fn. 71) Lady Wantage being the present patron.
CHARITY
The charity known as the Church
Land, the origin of which is unknown, consists of land of the annual
letting value of £10, which with the interest on
£63 1s. 5d. consols, held by the official trustees,
arising from the sale of land on which stood the
original school and five cottages, is applied towards
the church expenses.