PRESTON BISSETT
Prestone (xi cent.); Prestona (xii cent.); Preston
Byset (xiii cent.).
This parish covers 1,520 acres, of which 130 are
arable and 1,339 permanent grass. (fn. 1) The soil is clay
and gravel, the subsoil various. The parish is watered
by a tributary of the River Ouse. The west of the
parish lies low, but the land rises to 357 ft. above the
ordnance datum at Cowley in the south-east.
The picturesque village of Preston Bissett is situated
in the north of the parish, and is grouped round the
parish church, which stands in a churchyard on rising
ground. The cottages of which it is mainly composed are thatched, many of them dating from the
17th century, whilst the inn known as 'The Old
Hat,' which stands opposite the church, is an ancient
building of interest. A house on the south side of
the church dates probably from the 16th century,
and still retains some of its oak-mullioned windows.
The rectory, some little distance to the north of the
church, is a brick and stucco house built in the Gothic
style in 1840 by the rector. The National schools,
in the south of the village, were erected in 1858 and
the Methodist chapel in 1853. There are a few
modern residences in the east of the village.
The small hamlet of Cowley (Coveleg, Covele,
Couele, xiii cent.) lies to the south-east of Preston
Bissett, and consists of three farms and two or three
cottages. Foundations of the ancient chapel are still
to be seen in the field known as Parson's Close. (fn. 2)
Cowley Farm, built in 1604 according to a date on a
frieze inside the house, has been coated with roughcast. Casemore Farm occupies an isolated position in
the centre of the parish.
The water in this parish is strongly impregnated
with iron, and one spring has been found, although it
is not used. (fn. 3)
An Inclosure Award was granted to Preston Bissett
in 1781, when a field of 940 acres and a plot of land
of 60 acres (which had been granted from Tingewick
Common on the inclosure of that parish) were said to
be commonable. (fn. 4) The rector received an allotment
on inclosure in lieu of tithes on land in Preston
Bissett. (fn. 5) The tithe on the lands in Cowley was commuted at £200 a year, and still remains chargeable
on these lands.
The following place-names have been found in
records: Patrons Acre (fn. 6) (xvi cent.); Gamons Wood,
Poole Hooke Meade, and le Wyndmill Hill (fn. 7) (xvii
cent.).
Manors
Under the Confessor PRESTON alias
PRESTON BISSETT and COWLEY
MANOR was held by Wiluf, a man of
Earl Lewin, who had power to sell. (fn. 8) In 1086,
when it was assessed at 15 hides, it had passed to
the Bishop of Bayeux. (fn. 9) In the middle of the 13th
century the overlordship was attached to the honour
of 'Chelefeud,' (fn. 10) the manor being held by the
service of castle ward at Rochester Castle, later commuted to a money payment. (fn. 11) No reference to the
overlordship has been found after the year 1421.
Ansgot de Ros was the tenant of the Bishop of
Bayeux in 1086, (fn. 12) and the next owner of the manor
was William son of Helte, who held Preston in the
reign of Henry II. (fn. 13) He appears to have enfeoffed a
member of the Bissett family, probably Manasseh
Bissett, the well-known dapifer of Henry II, for we
find the name of Manasseh Bissett in the Pipe Roll of
Bedfordshire and Buckingham for the year 1158–9, (fn. 14)
and also for the year 1162–3 in connexion with
'Prestinton.' (fn. 15) Again he may be identified in all
probability with the 'Maness' who rendered account
of half a mark in Preston in 1166–7. (fn. 16) Manasseh's
successor was Anselm Bissett, whose name is first
found in connexion with Buckinghamshire in 1199, (fn. 17)
and with Preston Manor in 1205. (fn. 18) In that year,
and again in 1208, William de Ceriton preferred
rights in the manor against Anselm Bissett. His
claim was based on his relationship to William son of
Helte mentioned above, who had died without issue,
leaving three sisters as co-heirs. William de Ceriton
was the son of Sibyl, one of these sisters, the other
sisters Alice and Emma being represented by a son
Anfrid de Caney, and a grandson Robert de Setvans
(Septem Vannis) respectively. (fn. 19) William de Ceriton's
claim appears to have been one of overlordship only,
which was recognized in 1284–6. (fn. 20) Anselm was
succeeded in Preston by Ernald Bissett, who held
here in 1254, (fn. 21) or even earlier. (fn. 22) At the former
date his possessions in Preston were extended at 6½
hides. (fn. 23) Ernald Bissett appears to have alienated
the manor about this date to Laurence de Brok, (fn. 24)
whose death took place in or about the year 1275, (fn. 25)
when the executors of his will delivered goods in the
manor to his son and heir Hugh. (fn. 26) In 1284–6
Hugh de Brok is returned as lord of the vill of
Preston and half the hamlet of Cowley. (fn. 27) William
Bissett is here named as his intermediary lord, but
in 1290 Hugh received a final quitclaim from him
of the manor. (fn. 28) Laurence de Brok succeeded his
father Hugh, (fn. 29) but some time before 1299 the manor
was acquired by Walter, Bishop of Coventry and
Lichfield, who in that year received a grant of free
warren in this manor. (fn. 30) In the following year the
bishop alienated to William Tuchet, (fn. 31) to whom also
free warren was confirmed in Preston Bissett. (fn. 32) In
1312 William Tuchet entered into an arrangement
with Bartholomew de Badlesmere by which he,
William, was to hold Preston Bissett for life, with
reversion to Bartholomew if he should die without
heir male. (fn. 33) Both William Tuchet and Bartholomew
de Badlesmere took part in the Earl of Lancaster's
rebellion, (fn. 34) and in 1322, after Boroughbridge, were
executed, Preston Manor escheating to the Crown.
Laurence de Brok, its former owner, now claimed
possession on the ground that he had been unjustly
disseised by the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, (fn. 35)
and his widow Eleanor claimed and received dower
in the manor some years later, her right being last
mentioned in 1341. (fn. 36) On the other hand when
Giles son of Bartholomew de Badlesmere (who had
obtained the reversal of his father's attainder in
1328) (fn. 37) finally acquired livery of his father's lands
in 1333, (fn. 38) Preston Bissett was included among them. (fn. 39)
Giles de Badlesmere married Elizabeth daughter of
the Earl of Salisbury, and on his death without issue
in 1338 she received in dower two parts of the
manor of Preston Bissett. (fn. 40) Elizabeth de Badlesmere
subsequently married Hugh le Despencer and held
Preston with him till his death in February
1348–9. (fn. 41) She later married Guy Lord Bryan, (fn. 42)
retaining the ownership of this manor till her
death in 1359. (fn. 43) Preston Bissett then passed,
in accordance with the settlement made at the time
of her first husband's death, to Thomas de Ros de
Hamlake, younger surviving son of Margery, wife of
William de Ros and eldest sister of Giles de Badlesmere. (fn. 44) Thomas de Ros died in 1383, leaving a
son and heir John, aged eighteen, (fn. 45) but Preston was
held in dower for some years by his widow Beatrice, (fn. 46)
who married Richard de Burley some time previous
to 1386. (fn. 47) John de Ros predeceased his mother, dying
at Paphos in Cyprus on his way to the Holy Land
in 1393. (fn. 48) He left no issue, so that, on the death
of Beatrice de Burley in 1415,
Preston Manor passed to her
grandson and his nephew John
son of William de Ros. (fn. 49) John
de Ros was slain at Beaugé in
March 1420–1, (fn. 50) and Preston
Manor passed to his brother
Thomas, aged fourteen. (fn. 51) He
died in 1431, and was succeeded by his son Thomas de
Ros, a zealous Lancastrian,
who was attainted in 1461. (fn. 52)
In consequence Preston Manor
escheated to the Crown. In
1465 William son of Thomas Fowler had a grant
for life for good service, (fn. 53) and the reversion was given
to Richard Fowler and his heirs male in 1467. (fn. 54)
Richard Fowler died seised of his interest in the
reversion in 1477, (fn. 55) and in 1484 Thomas Fowler
(whose precise relationship to the preceding members of his family has not been established) and
Alice (Hulcote) his wife received a further royal
confirmation of the manor. (fn. 56) In the following year
Edmund de Ros obtained a reversal of Thomas's
attainder, (fn. 57) and Preston Manor, thus restored to his
family, was in 1541 in the possession of Thomas
Earl of Rutland, whose father was nephew and coheir of Edmund de Ros. (fn. 58) At that date the Earl of
Rutland conveyed the estate to Sir John Baldwin, at
whose death in 1545 Preston passed to his grandson
John, son of Parnel Borlase. (fn. 59) The Borlase family
(whose descent is given under Little Marlow, q.v.)
retained Preston for the next fifty years. (fn. 60) In 1594
William Borlase combined with Mary his wife to
make a settlement of the manor on John Freestone
and William Bridgewater, (fn. 61) but no further reference
has been found of them in connexion with Preston,
which according to Willis passed in 1630 to the
Cater family. (fn. 62) This is so far confirmed by documentary evidence that in 1631 John Cater is found
settling land in Preston Bissett. (fn. 63) The same authority
states that it next passed to the Gibbs family by the
marriage of Alice daughter of John Cater to Robert
Gibbs. (fn. 64) This statement also receives the confirmation of a fine levied on the manor in 1701–2 between
Thomas Gibbs combining with other members of
his family and Sir Edmund Denton of Hillesden, (fn. 65)
who had, however, held the manor for at least three
years previously. (fn. 66) Preston Bissett now followed the
same descent as Hillesden (q.v.) until the 19th
century, passing like that manor by descent to the
family of Coke, (fn. 67) whose representative, Thomas Coke,
Earl of Leicester, alienated Preston Bissett in 1824 to
John Farquhar. (fn. 68) From him it passed almost immediately to the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, (fn. 69)
whose descendant, Lady Kinloss, is at the present
day lady of the manor.
Ros. Gules three water-bougets argent.
On the partition of the property of Giles de Badlesmere in 1338 lands in COWLEY appear to have
been granted to his second sister and co-heir Maud
Countess of Oxford. (fn. 70) It was stated in 1392 that
Maud widow of Thomas de Vere, Earl of Oxford, son
of the above Maud de Badlesmere, (fn. 71) held the 'manor'
of Cowley. (fn. 72) In 1407, when Philippa, widow of
Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford and Duke of Ireland,
made a settlement of her property in Cowley, it is
described as a toft, 15 acres of land, 20 acres of
meadow and 20s. rent. (fn. 73) No further mention of it
has been found.
For more than 100 years previous to their acquisition of the advowson and manor of Preston Bissett
the Dentons owned a property in the parish. In
1552 Nicholas Michell and Jacomyne his wife appear
to have conveyed their farm or capital messuage in
Cowley to Thomas Denton. (fn. 74) When his descendant
Edmund Denton compounded as a delinquent in
1647 his estate in Preston is mentioned as fined, (fn. 75)
and is described as the manor of Cowley alias Coveley
in his will, dated 17 October 1657, empowering his
trustees to sell part thereof for the payment of his
debts. (fn. 76) His son Alexander Denton was stated in
1676 to hold the 'manor' of Cowley, (fn. 77) and likewise
gave directions to his trustees to sell the same in order
to raise money. (fn. 78)
A property in the hamlet of Cowley in this parish
appears to have included the mill which formed part
of Preston Bissett at Domesday. (fn. 79) It was attached to
Preston Bissett Manor, of which it was held by payment of 3s. towards the ward of Rochester Castle. (fn. 80)
First mention is found of it in 1252, when John son
of Mauger de Cowley received a life grant from John
son of John [Mauger] de Cowley (fn. 81) of a messuage and
lands. (fn. 82) In 1258 Mauger de Cowley combined with
Henry de Bayworth (who in 1252 had acquired a
carucate of land in Cowley from Roger de Gray (fn. 83) ) to
bring an action against the Archdeacon of Buckingham
and others regarding the chapel of Cowley. (fn. 84) In
1284–6 John de Cowley had succeeded to this property. (fn. 85) His name occurs in 1302–3, (fn. 86) and that of
a descendant, also John de Cowley, in 1346, (fn. 87) whilst
in 1368 Henry son of Henry de Cowley and Joan
his wife were disputing about his mother Agnes's
dower in Cowley and elsewhere. (fn. 88) No further trace
has been found of the name Cowley in connexion
with this parish, but the almost immediate appearance
of the name Major leads to the inference that the
'Mauger' of the 13th century had always been
perpetuated and that the Cowleys of the 13th and
14th centuries may be identified with the Majors,
who continued to hold down to the 17th century.
In 1377 John Major of Cowley was concerned in
an assault made on William la Zouche at Middle
Claydon. (fn. 89) Again, the water-mill in Preston was
held of John Major (Mager) by Thomas Giffard in
1469. (fn. 90) Towards the close of the same century
(c. 1493–1500) Thomas Benet brought a suit against
Thomas Major, who had seized deeds relating to his
(Benet's) lands in Preston and Cowley, and had
refused to give them up. (fn. 91) Thomas was followed by
John Major, whose son Richard Major died in 1570
seised of a cottage and 4½ virgates of arable land in
Cowley, which passed next to his son Edmund
Major. (fn. 92) The latter married Anne daughter of
Edward Ayleworth, whose memorial brass, dated
1613, the year of her death, is still to be seen in the
chancel of Preston Bissett Church. (fn. 93) Edmund Major
was still living in 1631, when with his son Edmund
and his grandson Ayleworth Major he made a settlement. (fn. 94) Edmund Major, jun., died in 1634, his
father surviving, and the 'capital messuage,' cottages
and lands in Cowley passed, in pursuance of a
previous settlement, to his son Ayleworth Major. (fn. 95)
Ayleworth Major continued to reside on the family
estate at Cowley and had a son Edmund, rector of
Turweston, whose death in 1685 is commemorated
by a tablet in the parish church. (fn. 96) The property,
which comprised closes in Cowley called Gibbs Perry
Croft and Sea Croft, was left by Edmund's widow
Susanna, by her will dated 30 July 1703, to her
daughter Susanna, wife of Peter Mourse, D.D. (fn. 97)
With her disappears the last trace of this family, who,
as has been shown above, had been connected with
Cowley for more than 400 years.
Preston Bissett Church From The South
The monastery of Nutley held lands and rents,
valued at 18s., in Preston, (fn. 98) which were granted in
1540 to William Risley and Alice his wife, (fn. 99) and
were still held by his family in 1603. (fn. 100)
Land in this parish also belonged to the gild of
St. Rumbald of Buckingham, as appears from an
inquisition of 1579 on Richard Major, who held a
messuage, 2 virgates of land in Cowley bought from
William Risley, and 1 virgate bought from Thomas
Moyle, all of which had formerly belonged to the
gild. (fn. 101)
Church
The church of ST. JOHN BAPTIST
consists of a chancel measuring internally
28 ft. by 16 ft., nave 33 ft. 6 in. by
17 ft. 6 in., north aisle 8 ft. wide, south aisle 7 ft.
6 in. wide, south porch, and west tower 11 ft. square;
it is built of squared limestone rubble, and all the
roofs, except that of the modern porch, are covered
with lead.
The chancel, nave and tower were built during
the early years of the 14th century, (fn. 102) probably on the
site of an early 12th-century church, fragments of
which, including round window heads and pillar
capitals, were found during a modern restoration, and
have been built into the east wall of the north aisle.
The aisles and the nave clearstory were added about
1350, while a mediaeval south porch and a vestry,
which stood on the north side of the chancel, have
since been destroyed. The building was considerably
restored at various periods during the 19th century,
particularly in 1873; an 18th-century gallery has
been removed, and the clearstory and the south porch
have been rebuilt.
The chancel, which is long in comparison with
the nave, has a large east window, inserted about
1350, of three cinquefoiled
lights with flowing tracery in
a pointed head, and in each
side wall are two original
two-light windows with tracery
in pointed heads, those at the
eastern ends being placed high
in the walls; the south-west
window has flowing tracery
in the head and a transom,
below which the lights doubtless served the purpose of a
low-side window. In the
window opposite are some
fragments of mediaeval glass.
Below the north-east window
is a blocked doorway which
led to the mediaeval vestry,
the roof weather-course of
which still remains on the
wall outside, and to the west
of this is an original moulded
doorway with a pointed head.
On the south side are two
14th-century sedilia with trefoiled heads, and a pointed
piscina with a modern bowl;
the sedilia have vaulted canopies and are further
enriched by crocketed labels with flanking pinnacles
and head-stops. The pointed chancel arch, dating
from the 14th century, is of two chamfered orders,
the outer continued down the responds and the inner
springing from corbels carved as crouching figures;
the figure on the south faces outward and has
both hands resting on his knees, and that on the
north, which is now headless, faces west, one hand
resting upon a knee, the other raised to support the
abacus.
The nave has 14th-century arcades of three bays
on either side with pointed arches, supported by
octagonal pillars and pilaster responds; the mouldings
of the capitals and bases of both arcades are somewhat
unrefined, though elaborate, but there is no evidence
of recutting, as the forms used have greater affinity to
the 14th century than to any subsequent period. The
arches have labels with head-stops of various designs.
In the west wall of the nave is a low two-centred drop
arch to the tower with a continuous outer order, and
an inner order springing from roughly-moulded head
corbels, the heads of which are defaced. The clearstory is lighted on either side by three windows,
all composed of a large modern octofoil set in an
original square framework. On the apex of the
gable above the chancel arch is a mediaeval sanctus
bellcote formed in a single block of stone and now
much weatherworn.
The east window of the north aisle, of three trefoiled lights, is a charming example of mid-14thcentury work with flowing tracery cut from a single
block of stone; near by, but to the south of the
respond pilaster of the north arcade, is a contemporary
trefoiled piscina, now without its bowl, which doubtless
served the altar here. There is a two-light window
of the same period on the north and another on the
west, both with flowing tracery in their heads, containing fragments of mediaeval glass. The original
north doorway, which has continuous wave mouldings and a label with crowned head-stops, is now
blocked. The windows of the south aisle are also of
the 14th century. On the east is a three-light window
with flowing tracery, near which in the south wall
is a trefoiled piscina without bowl; on the south is a
two-light window with quatrefoil tracery in the head,
and on the west a window of similar design, but
more richly moulded. The pointed south doorway,
also original, has a deep moulded splay and a label
with head-stops, now somewhat weatherworn. The
open timber roofs of the chancel and aisles retain
mediaeval beams and purlins.
The low tower is of two stages with a straight
parapet and string-courses between the stages and
below the parapet; at the western angles are diagonal
buttresses, which were added in the 15th century, and
rise to the height of the first stage only. The ground
stage has a small modern window on the west, and
the bell-chamber a single trefoiled light on the north,
twin trefoiled lights on the west and south, all of the
early 14th century, and a plain light on the east,
probably also original.
The font dates from the 15th century and has an
octagonal bowl and stem, and a square base with
broached stops. On the chancel floor are a mediaeval
coffin-lid with a plain cross, and a late 15th-century
slab with matrices for a brass figure and four shields.
The communion table is of the early 17th century.
In the tower are two old plain chests and a late
17th-century bier.
There is a bell, dated 1788, which is probably by
W. & T. Mears, and a saunce by Edward Hemins
of Bicester, 1728.
The communion plate consists of a cup, paten and
flagon, all of 1775.
The registers begin in 1662.
Advowson
The church of Preston Bissett does
not appear to have been attached in
the first instance to the principal
manor of Preston Bissett. The earliest patron of
whom mention has been found is Henry de Belesby,
who in 1252 acknowledged the services due from his
tenements in Cowley to Henry de Bayworth (cf.
Cowley Manor). (fn. 103) He presented to the church in
1262, (fn. 104) and was succeeded some time before 1307 by
Henry de Greynsby, whose name appears as patron
at the latter date. (fn. 105) From that time till 1403 the
family of Greynsby, called also Reyner de Greynsby,
continued to hold the advowson. (fn. 106) At the beginning
of the 15th century John Langston of Caversfield,
who according to Willis married an heiress of the
Greynsby family, acquired the right of presentation. (fn. 107)
The Langstons retained the advowson till the last
half of the 16th century, (fn. 108) when, like Caversfield
Manor (q.v.), it passed by female descent to the
Moyles, a member of whom, Walter Moyle, alienated
it in 1594 to Edmund Major. (fn. 109) He presented in
1604, (fn. 110) but in 1621 the advowson was once more
alienated, passing from Edmund Major to Walkden
Wood, who had held the living since 1604. (fn. 111)
Elizabeth, widow of Walkden Wood, presented in
1645, (fn. 112) and in 1656 the trustees or mortgagees of
the Woods, Edward Butterfield, Peter Paxton, and
others, (fn. 113) conveyed the advowson to John Kersey and
Richard Blagrave. (fn. 114) The Crown presented to Preston
Bissett Church in 1662 'per pravitatem Simonæ,' (fn. 115)
but John Kersey's name recurs as patron in 1674. (fn. 116)
Between this date and 1676 it was again alienated,
being acquired by Alexander Denton, (fn. 117) whose successor
Edmund Denton twenty years later acquired the
manor of Preston Bissett. It thus follows the same
descent as the manor until about the middle of the
last century, when it was separated by the assignees of
the late Duke of Buckingham (d. 1861) and sold to
the Rev. J. S. Bolden. (fn. 118) It is now in the gift of and
held by the Rev. Charles Bolden.
The church of Preston Bissett was endowed with a
messuage, a toft, lands and meadows in Preston, including a bovate and 6 acres of land in Cowley.
This endowment was the subject of a suit between
Henry de Greynsby, the patron, and William Tuchet,
then lord of Preston Bissett Manor, early in 1306. (fn. 119)
Henry de Greynsby had presented Robert de Tyrington or Westyrington to the living, and he had proceeded to enfeoff William Tuchet for life of the above
endowment. Henry de Greynsby then brought an
action for unlawful ingress against William Tuchet,
who was able to produce satisfactory evidence of his
right. (fn. 120) Further complications arose, however, on
the seizure of William Tuchet's lands for his felony in
1322, for the endowment fell into the possession of
the Crown and so remained for some years. It was,
however, ultimately proved to be frankalmoign of
the church, and accordingly restored to the incumbent. (fn. 121) Traces of this endowment are found in
1558, when John Langston was said to hold 16 acres
in Preston called Patron's Acre and the advowson of
the church appended to the said meadow. (fn. 122)
In the 13th century there was a chapel at Cowley
which was subject to the church at Preston and was
endowed with 1 virgate and 6 acres of land in the
hamlet. Divine service was celebrated here every
week. (fn. 123) This land was exchanged by the rector in
1847, under the powers of 'An Act for amending the
Acts for the commutation of Tithes,' for portions of
land in Preston Bissett and Tingewick, belonging to
Sir Edward East and Lord Leigh.
Charities
The Rev. William Pearse, a former
rector, who died in 1749, by his will
bequeathed £100, the interest to be
distributed among the poor for ever. The legacy is
represented by £106 16s. 2d. consols with the official
trustees, the annual dividends of which are paid to
the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, whereby benefits are
secured for the poor of the parish.