STEEPLE CLAYDON
Claindon (xi cent.); Stepul Claydone (xiii cent.).
This parish is bounded on the north by the
Claydon Brook, and covers 3,329 acres, of which
2,610 are permanent grass, 217 arable, and 64 acres
woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The land rises from 265 ft.
above the ordnance datum at Hog Bridge at the
west end of the village to 342 ft. near Claydon Hill
Farm in the north-east of the parish. Both soil and
subsoil are clay. Crops of wheat and beans are
raised, but the land is principally used for grazing.
The Great Central railway passes through the southwest of the parish. The Oxford and Bletchley
branch of the London and North Western railway
crosses its south-east corner and has a station called
Claydon.
The Village, Steeple Claydon
Half a mile to the north-west of the station is the
village of Steeple Claydon, with the church standing
in the eastern and higher part. The Manor Farm
to the north-east of the church occupies the site of
the manor-house of the Chaloners, which was taken
down in the early 18th century. (fn. 2) West of the church
is the Camp, a modern house of brick, the residence
of Major Wilfred Woodcock. In the house which
formerly stood on the site Cromwell slept on the night
of 3 March 1644 before advancing to attack Hillesden
House. The earthworks from which the house takes
its name were probably thrown up at this time to
protect the Parliamentary forces.
The village contains several
17th-century brick and timber houses with thatched
roofs and original brick chimneys. The building which
contains the public library
has been formed by adding to
a school-house built by Thomas
Chaloner in 1656. The original portion is a rectangular
brick building with an old
bellcote at the east end. On
a stone rebuilt in the gable
of the modern porch are the
arms of Chaloner and the
inscription H. SCHOL. FUND.
T. C. MDCLVI.' The library
comprises a collection of
between 3,000 and 4,000
books, to the formation of
which Miss Florence Nightingale contributed, and her
cheque for £50 hangs on the
wall in a stone frame. The
present vicarage was built after the old vicarage was
destroyed by fire in 1899. (fn. 3) The west end of the
village lies in a deep hollow, and the cottages here
originally built on the waste belong to a number of
small owners, who are gradually replacing them by
better houses. There is a Wesleyan chapel in the
village. The principal house in the North End is
called the Moat. Windmill Hill Farm is in the
north-east of the parish. The name of Bull Lane
is due to bull-baiting days, and shows the route by
which the bulls entered the village. The sport
took place as late as 1827 in the Chaloner school
yard. (fn. 4)
Coins of Carausius and Allectus were found at
Steeple Claydon in 1620. (fn. 5)
This parish was inclosed in 1795. (fn. 6)
Manors
Steeple Claydon appears to have been
always held of the Crown in chief, (fn. 7) and
was not attached to any particular honour.
It later belonged to the group of Crown lands which
became queens' dower lands. (fn. 8)
STEEPLE CLAYDON MANOR, held at the
Conquest by Queen Edith, was assessed in 1086 at
20 hides, and held by Alric the cook. (fn. 9) Subsequently
it reverted to the Crown, and was given by Henry I
about 1120 in marriage with Edith Forne to Robert
Doyley the younger. (fn. 10) His grandson Henry Doyley
(see advowson) granted it to John Fitz Geoffrey (fn. 11)
about 1230, and his right in it was recognized by the
Crown in 1232 after the death of Henry Doyley. (fn. 12)
Steeple Claydon Manor descended with Whaddon to
Richard Earl of Ulster, (fn. 13) who was holding in 1302. (fn. 14)
He alienated it about 1308 to the elder Hugh le
Despencer, who soon afterwards granted it to John
de Handlo for life. (fn. 15) He was holding in 1316, (fn. 16) and
in 1318 free warren in the manor was granted to
Hugh le Despencer, John de Handlo, and the heirs
of Hugh. (fn. 17) After an inquisition in 1322 John de
Handlo was reinstated in Steeple Claydon Manor,
which had been besieged and taken by Roger Damory
and other opponents of Hugh le Despencer. (fn. 18) In
1346 John Mority was holding Steeple Claydon, (fn. 19)
apparently on lease, during the minority of Lionel
Duke of Clarence, who died seised in 1368 in right
of his wife Elizabeth (fn. 20) Countess of Ulster. This manor
must therefore have reverted to the Earls of Ulster
and descended with Bierton and Hulcott (fn. 21) (q.v.). In
1516 it was leased to John Giffard for sixty-one
years, and this lease was inspected and confirmed
in 1527. (fn. 22) The leasehold rights were granted in
1547 to William Paget, (fn. 23) but surrendered by him in
the following year to Ralph Giffard and Thomas
Damport. (fn. 24) Thomas Damport with Richard and
George Giffard surrendered rights in this manor to
the Crown in 1551, (fn. 25) and a fresh lease for forty years
was granted to Ralph Giffard in 1554. (fn. 26) In 1557
the reversion of the manor was granted in fee to Sir
Thomas Chaloner. (fn. 27) He died in October 1565,
leaving a son and heir Thomas, (fn. 28) afterwards Sir
Thomas Chaloner, kt., (fn. 29) who was in possession in
1585. (fn. 30) On his second marriage in 1604 he made
a settlement in tail-male on his sons William, Edward,
Thomas and James. (fn. 31) William Chaloner succeeded
in 1615, (fn. 32) and became a
baronet in 1620. (fn. 33) He settled
his estates in 1634 on his
surviving brothers Thomas
and James in trust for his
heir Edward Chaloner (son of
the second brother Edward),
who was still a minor in
1644. (fn. 34) Thomas and James
Chaloner appear to have renewed the trust of Steeple
Claydon Manor to the use of
Edward in 1647. (fn. 35) At the
Restoration, since both had
signed the death warrant of
King Charles, Thomas the survivor was attainted, (fn. 36)
and died soon afterwards. (fn. 37) In 1661 (fn. 38) Charles II
granted Steeple Claydon Manor to Sir Richard Lane,
who had helped him to escape after Worcester, (fn. 39) but
Edward Chaloner bought it from the grantee in
1662, (fn. 40) and his son William (fn. 41) had succeeded him
before 1683. (fn. 42) He made a declaration of his title (fn. 43)
in 1701, and conveyed the manor in 1704 to John
Verney, Viscount Fermanagh. (fn. 44) It has since descended with Middle Claydon (fn. 45) (q.v.), and Sir Harry
Calvert Verney, bart., is the present owner.
Chaloner. Sable a cheveron between three cherubs or.
Richard Fitz John claimed the right of view of
frankpledge in 1286. (fn. 46) It was included in the lease
of 1554, but no later reference to it has been found. (fn. 47)
Fishing rights appertained to the manor, (fn. 48) and were
protected under the Inclosure Act of 1795 with
express mention of Claydon Great Pond, or Ponds. (fn. 49)
A note is made in 1254 that Claydon Wood, which
had been wasted by Henry Doyley, should be
guarded well. (fn. 50)
A water-mill in Steeple Claydon is mentioned in
the 13th century (fn. 51) and again in 1556, together with
a windmill. (fn. 52) A reference to vineyards on the manor
occurs in 1297. (fn. 53)
Two and a half hides of land in Steeple Claydon
were granted with the church in free alms by Robert
Doyley to Oseney Abbey (see advowson). This land
became the RECTORY MANOR, and was retained
by the abbey (fn. 54) until its surrender in 1539. (fn. 55) Between
1542 and 1589 it was included in the same grants
as Abbot's Manor, Princes Risborough. (fn. 56) Leasehold
rights were obtained by Sir Thomas Chaloner, who
by his will dated 13 October 1565 left his 'lease of
Rectory and Buisshopps mannor of Steple Claydon'
to his son Thomas. (fn. 57) The latter had acquired the
freehold before 1604, when he settled the rectory
manor in jointure on his second wife Judith Gregory. (fn. 58)
He afterwards left it by will to their eldest son
Henry, and in tail-male to their other sons. (fn. 59) Henry
Chaloner was fined heavily in 1647 in composition
for the sequestration of his property by Parliament. (fn. 60)
In that year the Rectory Manor was included in
the trust to Thomas and James Chaloner. (fn. 61) On the
attainder of Thomas Chaloner the king in 1660
granted his rights in it to Sir Richard Lane, (fn. 62) who
shortly afterwards was also grantee of the principal
manor, with which the Rectory Manor afterwards
descended. Its identity as a manor had lapsed in
1795. (fn. 63)
Steeple Claydon Church From The South-west
Church
The church of ST. MICHAEL consists of a chancel, north vestry, nave,
north and south transepts, north aisle,
south porch, and west tower; the transepts are of
brick, while the other parts are built of stone rubble,
and the roofs are tiled.
The chancel dates from about 1380, but the
nave has no detail earlier than the 15th century,
when it was widened towards the south; all the other
parts of the building are modern.
In the east wall of the chancel is a three-light
traceried window of about 1380, and built into the
gable above is the head of a 15th-century cinquefoiled light. In the south wall are two 14th-century
windows, each of two trefoiled lights
with tracery under a pointed head;
there is a similar window at the east
end of the north wall, and at the west
end is a single light, mostly modern,
opening into the vestry. The sill of
the south-east window is carried down
to form a sedile, and near it is a pointed
piscina with a modern bowl; the doorway between the south windows was
probably inserted in 1631, the date
roughly cut on the head. There is a
plain locker with rebated edges in the
north wall, and at the south-west is a
blocked squint from the nave. The
lower part of an old window has been
re-used in the vestry.
The nave has been considerably
modernized and has a modern north
arcade. On the south are two squareheaded windows of two lights, dating
from the 15th century, and a pointed
doorway which is probably of the same
period. The clearstory windows on
the south are late square openings with
modern wood frames, and those on the
north are entirely modern.
The octagonal font dates from the
15th century and has a 17th-century
carved oak cover. The pulpit is made
up of early 17th-century panelling
reconstructed at a modern period, and
incorporated in the nave seating are
several 15th-century bench-ends and
moulded rails. There are some 18thcentury monuments to the Webb
family.
The tower contains a ring of five
bells: the treble is by Edward Hall,
1737; the second is inscribed, 'Phillip
Teler gave me, 1620'; the third is by Bartholomew
Atton, 1592; the fourth is inscribed, 'Hall made
me, 1754,' and is probably by William Hall; and
the tenor is by Taylor & Sons of Oxford, 1828.
The communion plate includes a cup and cover
paten of 1569, a stand paten of 1706, and a cup of
1806.
The registers begin in 1575.
Advowson
Steeple Claydon Church was
granted to Oseney Abbey by Robert
Deyley in 1129. (fn. 64) His grandson
Henry, son of Henry Doyley, confirmed the gift, (fn. 65)
and both charters were inspected and confirmed in
1320. (fn. 66) A vicarage had been ordained prior to
1357. (fn. 67) The advowson of the church descended
with the rectory manor. The advowson was alienated
for a period, when it appears to have passed
through several hands from the end of the 16th
century until before 1683, when William Chaloner
owned both. (fn. 68) Since 1704 both advowson (fn. 69) and
rectory have descended with Middle Claydon (q.v.),
and are at present owned by Sir Harry Calvert
Verney, bart.
In 1821 the vicarage of Steeple Claydon was
united to the vicarage of East Claydon (q.v.), but
separated from it in 1872. (fn. 70)
In 1548 a lamp was maintained in the church
from a parcel of meadow worth 3d. yearly. (fn. 71) This
land, then in the tenure of Robert Hybbote, was
granted with other concealed lands in 1571 to
Richard Hill and William James. (fn. 72)
Charities
A school was built in 1656 by
Thomas Chaloner upon land known
as the Lord's Waste. In 1901 the
school-house and teacher's residence was sold and
the proceeds invested in £272 14s. 6d. consols, the
annual dividends of which, amounting to £6 16s. 4d.,
are, under a scheme of the Board of Education of
16 September 1913, applicable in exhibitions and
prizes to children attending public elementary
schools.
The Female Sick Poor Society, which is understood to have been founded by the late Mrs.
Fremantle, the wife of a former Dean of Ripon, is
endowed with a sum of £114 19s. 8d. consols,
producing £2 17s. 4d. yearly, which is applied in
aid of the Claydon Maternity Society.
The sums of stock above-mentioned are held by
the official trustees.
This parish also participates in certain of the
charities mentioned in the parish of Middle Claydon. (fn. 73)