CHOLESBURY
Chelwardisbyry (xiii cent.); Chelwoldesbery (xiv
cent.); Chollesbury (xvi cent.); Cholsbury (xvii
cent.).
Cholesbury is a small parish, covering an area of
178 acres, of which about 75 acres are arable land,
85 permanent grass, and 16 woods and plantations. (fn. 1)
The soil is clay, with a subsoil of chalk, which has
been worked in pits on Ray's Hill. The chief crops
are wheat and barley.
The village, consisting of a few cottages with one
or two outlying farms, stands near the centre of the
parish on high ground, rising to 613 ft. at the vicarage.
The manor-house is near the vicarage, and hard by is
a spring called Holy Well. (fn. 2) To the north-west of
the village is a large prehistoric plateau camp, on a
spur of the Chiltern Hills. Within the inclosure, to
the south-west, stand the church and churchyard, near
which are Berry Pond and Holly Pond. (fn. 3)
In 1833 the poor rates of Cholesbury are said to
have exceeded 30s. in the pound, so that all the land
was forced out of cultivation and parochial bankruptcy was caused.
MANOR
Cholesbury is not mentioned by name
in the Survey of 1086, but it is assumed
to be included under 'Draitone' (Drayton
Beauchamp), assessed at 6 hides, 3 virgates, and held
of Manno le Breton. (fn. 4) Like Drayton Beauchamp
(q.v.), it remained attached to the honour of
Wolverton. (fn. 5)
The sub-tenant in 1086 was Helgot, (fn. 6) and in 1248
the manor of CHOLESBURY, first so-called in that
year, was conveyed by William le Breton to Hugh
le Breton and his heirs for 1d. rent. (fn. 7) Hugh le Breton,
who in 1251 acquired further lands in Cholesbury
from Thomas le Breton, (fn. 8) may have been a member of
a younger branch of the Wolverton house. There is
no mention of the manor during the next hundred
years, but in 1362 it reappears, in conjunction with
Drayton Beauchamp, as the property of Mary the
Dowager Countess of Norfolk. (fn. 9) From this date until
1541 its descent is identical with that of Drayton
Beauchamp (q.v.), as a hamlet of which it is sometimes described. (fn. 10) In this year Robert Cheyne is
said to have sold the manor to Chief Justice Baldwin.
In 1618 John Baldwin conveyed it to Thomas
Stile, one of the attorneys of the Court of King's
Bench. (fn. 11) Thomas Stile afterwards acquired Holmer
Manor in Little Missenden, (fn. 12) with which Cholesbury
passed to the Hobys and Sayers, who were holding in
common in 1666. (fn. 13) The Hobys appear to have
renounced their right, (fn. 14) and
Mary Sayer probably married
as her second husband Loftus
Brightwell, with whom she
was holding Cholesbury in
1689. (fn. 15) By 1712 the manor
had passed to Richard Seare
of Great Missenden, (fn. 16) who
died in 1714, (fn. 17) and whose
eldest surviving son John alienated it in 1748 to Robert
Darell. (fn. 18) In 1813 it was the
property of Edward Darell,
who bequeathed it to his
nephew the Rev. John Jeffreys,
rector of Barnes, Surrey. (fn. 19) In
1862 the manor had passed to the son of the latter,
the Rev. H. A. Jeffreys, (fn. 20) rector of Hawkhurst, Kent. (fn. 21)
Upon his death in 1899 the lordship was bought
by Mr. Henry J. Turner, J.P., of Braziers End
House. (fn. 22)
Baldwin. Argent three pairs of oak leaves vert with their stalks sable.
CHURCH
The church of ST. LAWRENCE consists of a chancel measuring internally
23 ft. by 14 ft., south vestry, nave 33 ft.
by 14 ft., west bell turret and south porch. It is built
of flint, with stone dressings, and roofed with tiles.
The former nave and chancel dated respectively
from the 13th and 14th centuries, but, with the
exception of parts of the walls on the south side, the
whole building was rebuilt in 1872–3, largely of
re-used material. The porch, vestry and bell turret
are modern additions.
The east window of the chancel is of three lights,
the inner jambs with their angle shafts being of 14th-century stones. The doorway into the vestry and the
two-light window on the south side have each some
re-used material of the same date. Towards the east
on this side is a 14th-century piscina with a square
bowl. The other details, including the chancel arch,
are modern.
The two windows in the north and one on the
south side of the nave are of two lights and contain
some re-used 14th-century stones. The eastern
window in the north wall has inner angle shafts with
moulded capitals and bases. The similar window in
the south wall appears to have been brought from the
chancel, as its sill is carried down to form a sedile.
The window in the west wall is modern. The south
doorway, which dates from the 13th century, has a
pointed arch of two moulded orders, supported by
detached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The
dog-tooth label above is modern.
In the churchyard are the remains of the circular
bowl of a 13th-century font. The present font is
modern and the design has been based on this
fragment.
There is one 17th-century bell by an unknown
founder, inscribed 'Com and praye.'
With the plate is a cup of 1577.
The registers begin in 1583.
ADVOWSON
The advowson of the church at
Cholesbury belonged in 1230 to
Geoffrey le Breton. (fn. 23) In 1259 it
seems to have passed to the prior of the Hospital of
St. John of Jerusalem, (fn. 24) who possibly ordained a
vicarage. The prior probably possessed the advowson
until the hospital was dissolved, when it doubtless
passed to the Crown. In 1598 John Baldwin was
the patron, (fn. 25) and for many years the descent of the
advowson was the same as that of the manor. (fn. 26) By
1704 the advowson had passed to Richard Seare,
who in this year sold it to Joseph Neale of Gray's
Inn. (fn. 27) In 1705 the latter formed a trust of nine
members, to whom he conveyed it, at the same time
establishing a lectureship in the church. (fn. 28) This trust
still possesses the advowson.
It is a curious fact that no presentations were made
to the church after 1416 for more than a hundred
years. (fn. 29) The cure may have been served from Hawridge or, more probably, from Drayton Beauchamp,
as a report was current in later years that Cholesbury
had formerly been a chapel to Drayton. (fn. 30) The
rectory and vicarage are said to have been consolidated after the Dissolution, and only a small stipend
and a few acres of glebe were allotted to the minister. (fn. 31)
According to a survey of 1650 there was 'no minister,
for want of maintenance. Cholesbury is about one
mile distant from Hawridge, … and fit to be
united with it.' (fn. 32) The recommendation does not
seem to have been acted upon. Nevertheless, the
living has been known as a perpetual curacy since the
early 18th century. (fn. 33)
CHARITIES
The Neale Lectureship Trust,
founded by deeds of lease and release,
dated respectively 12 and 13 July
1705, is regulated by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 22 June 1906. The endowments consist
of £3,247 17s. 1d. consols with the official trustees,
arising from the sale of a farm in Cublington, and
producing £81 3s. 8d. a year; also the advowson of
the parish church. The income—subject to 20s.
yearly being distributed in Bibles, Prayer-books and
gifts among the poor of Cholesbury—is applicable as
to one-fourth to a lecturer or preacher for reading
afternoon service and catechizing children in the parish
church of Wigginton, Hertfordshire, and as to threefourths for the same purpose in the parish church of
Cholesbury.
An unknown donor's charity consists of £175 6s.
consols with the official trustees, arising from the sale
of land in 1877. The annual dividends, amounting
to £4 7s. 8d., are applied as a bonus for members
of a clothing club.
John Cheyne's Charity.
The annual sum of £1
is distributable among the poor in respect of this
charity. (See under Chesham Bois.)