HAWRIDGE
Aucrug, Hauerigge (xiii cent.); Hauregge (xiv
cent.); Hawryg, Harridge (xvi cent.).
Hawridge is a small parish of 696 acres, of which
442 are arable land, on which crops of wheat, oats,
and barley are grown, while 133 are laid down in
permanent grass and 5 consist of woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The soil is clay with a subsoil of clay and
chalk, which has been worked in pits, now disused.
The land lies high and has an average altitude of
588 ft. above the ordnance datum.
The village stands 3 miles north-west of Chesham
station, the road to which passes through Chesham
Vale. At the southern entrance to the village is
St. Mary's Church, which stands back from the road
close to the site of an ancient ring-work surrounding
Hawridge Court, (fn. 2) the seat of Mr. W. Holzapfel.
The area inclosed covers four-fifths of an acre, and is
strongly fortified by a rampart 16 ft. high and a ditch,
still wet on the south-west half, 4 ft. deep; there are
gateways on the north, east and west, where the ditch
is spanned by causeways. The farm, standing on the
north, has a timber and brick barn, which probably
dates from the 16th century.
About half a mile along the road in a northwesterly direction are two groups of cottages of 17thcentury date, and a little further on is a house dated
1571, which is built of heavy timbers, and has a projecting upper story and a 17th-century addition at
the north-west. Botchmore Farm, on the same
road, is a timber-framed house of about 1600 with
17th-century additions, and, like all the foregoing
buildings, has been much altered and restored in later
times.
The road continues uphill to Hawridge Common,
on the edge of which are the cottages and smithy with
the school and a mission hall. Another road leads
south-east across the common to Vale Farm and the
rectory house beyond and finally reaches Heath End,
which is chiefly in Hertfordshire. In the east of the
parish is Hadden's Plantation with Geary's Wood
adjoining, the latter probably taking its name from
the family of Jasper Geary, yeoman, who held tenements in Hawridge in the early part of the 17th
century. (fn. 3) A bronze sword has been found here. (fn. 4)
MANOR
The manor of HAWRIDGE is not
mentioned in the Survey of 1086, and is
first referred to in the 13th century, when
it was held of the honour of Wallingford, (fn. 5) to which
it remained attached as late as 1507. (fn. 6) In 1560,
however, it was said to be held in free socage of
Sir Francis Knollys as of his manor of Wingrave. (fn. 7)
Hawridge must have been included among the
possessions of which Thurstan Basset died seised
c. 1223 and passed to his daughter Isabel, widow of
Robert Mauduit. (fn. 8) Their son William Mauduit (fn. 9) held
here in 1235, (fn. 10) and was succeeded at his death about
1257 by his son Sir William Mauduit, afterwards
Earl of Warwick. (fn. 11) On his death without issue about
1268 his estates passed to his nephew and heir William
Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, (fn. 12) who in 1284 occupied
the position of mesne lord. (fn. 13) This intermediary lordship is last heard of in 1300, when it was held by
Guy his son and heir. (fn. 14)
The John Beauchamp who was holding the manor
in fee in 1284 (fn. 15) was probably the brother of the ninth
Earl of Warwick. (fn. 16) He died some time after 1316 (fn. 17)
and was succeeded by his son Richard, who died in
1327 leaving a son John, (fn. 18) who held Hawridge in
1346. (fn. 19) By 1379 the manor had passed to Edward
or Edmund Cook, (fn. 20) who appears to have been in
financial difficulties about 1384. (fn. 21) From this date all
trace of the descent of this manor disappears for more
than a century. Towards the beginning of the 15th
century it reappears in the possession of John Penyston,
who presented to the church in 1410. (fn. 22) It afterwards
descended to Richard Penyston, who settled it on his
wife Margaret for life, with remainder to his son and
heir Thomas, Elizabeth his wife and the issue of
Thomas. After the death of Richard, Margaret married
Robert Bulstrode, who presented to the church in
1465 and 1478. (fn. 23) Margaret died in 1506, and was
succeeded by her grandson Thomas Penyston. (fn. 24) The
latter died in 1557, (fn. 25) leaving a son and heir Anthony, (fn. 26)
on whose death in 1560 he was succeeded by his son,
another Thomas. (fn. 27) Anthony's widow Jane married
Anthony Aylesworth, in conjunction with whom she
brought an action in 1563 against her son Thomas
Penyston, alleging that Hawridge had been settled
on her and her first husband
for life and that her son had
only a reversionary interest. (fn. 28)
By 1565 Thomas Penyston
had obtained the manor, (fn. 29)
which he conveyed in 1574
to John Wolmer and John
Davy (fn. 30) as a preliminary to
its alienation to Thomas Tasburgh and Dorothy his wife. (fn. 31)
Dorothy was the widow of Sir
Thomas Packington and had
acquired some notoriety by
her interference in elections
at Aylesbury. (fn. 32) She died in
1577, (fn. 33) and her husband
Thomas Tasburgh some years later, when Hawridge
passed to Thomas Tasburgh, who with his wife Jane
alienated the manor in 1597 to John Tasburgh, jun.,
on the occasion of his marriage with Lettice daughter
of Jane by a former husband. (fn. 34) John Tasburgh, sen.,
his father, had agreed to pay an annuity to Thomas
and Jane and was sued by them for default. (fn. 35)
Mauduit. Argent two bars gules.
Beauchamp. Gules a fesse between six crosslets or.
Tasburgh of Hawridge. Argent a cheveron between three plamer's staves
with their scrips sable.
In 1606 Sir John Tasburgh, kt., and Lettice his
wife conveyed the manor to Thomas Dell, (fn. 36) who in
1617 quitclaimed it to John Blackwell. (fn. 37) Five years
later John Blackwell, sen., and Mary his wife and
John Blackwell, jun., and Julia his wife conveyed the
manor to Edmund Wright. (fn. 38) The manor is said to
have been sold in 1650 to John Seare, (fn. 39) who died in
March, 1682–3. (fn. 40) His son Richard Seare owned
Cholesbury at the beginning of the 18th century. (fn. 41) Since
then the descent of Hawridge is identical with that of
Cholesbury (fn. 42) (q.v.), with which it is now held by
Mr. H. J. Turner, J.P., of Braziers End, Cholesbury.
CHURCH
The church of ST. MARY consists of
a chancel and nave with transept, western
bell turret and south porch. It was
rebuilt in the 13th-century style in 1855–6, a few of
the old stones being re-used. The font, which dates
from the 13th century, is circular, the bowl being
carved with flowers and leaves.
In the nave is a slab which now retains only the
brass of a shield with the arms of Kitson impaling
Donington, but there are indents for two other shields
which bore the arms of Packington and Kitson and
Tasburgh and Kitson. (fn. 43) The names of the families
whose arms are impaled are inscribed above each
shield. The brass inscription belonging to this slab
is affixed to the south wall of the church, close by,
and commemorates Dame Dorothy Packington,
daughter of Sir Thomas Kitson and wife of Sir
Thomas Packington and afterwards of Thomas
Tasburgh. She died in 1577. There is also an
incised floor slab to John Seare, who died in 1682,
Mary his wife who died in 1685, Mary his daughter
who died in 1687, and John son of Richard and Elizabeth Seare, his grandson, who died in 1699.
There are two bells, the first by John Warner &
Sons, 1856, and the second recast in 1914. The
original second bell was by Richard Chandler, and
bore the date 1676.
The plate consists of a silver chalice and paten and
a silver-mounted flagon presented to the church in
1856.
The registers begin in 1725.
ADVOWSON
The church of St. Mary, Hawridge,
is first mentioned in 1227, when
William Mauduit was the patron. (fn. 44)
The right of presentation descended with the manor
(q.v.), but was sold by John Seare in 1750 to Rachael
Sandby, widow of Josiah Sandby. (fn. 45) By 1775 it had
passed to George Sandby, (fn. 46) and continued in this family
until 1850. (fn. 47) By 1851 it was the property of John
Merry, (fn. 48) and had passed three years later to the Du
Cane family, (fn. 49) in whose possession it continued for the
next thirty years. (fn. 50) Between 1883 and 1887 the
right of presentation passed from the Rev. Henry Du
Cane to the Bishop of Oxford, who still possesses it.
The living is a rectory.
There do not appear to be any endowed charities
in this parish.