HUNDRED OF RISBOROUGH
BLEDLOW
Bledelai (xi cent.); Bledelaw (xiii cent.).
Bledlow parish lies on the western boundary of
Buckinghamshire. It is nearly separated from the
other parishes in the Three Hundreds of Aylesbury by
a piece of Desborough Hundred, which lies between
the parishes of Bledlow and Horsenden. The southern
end of the parish lies on the Chiltern Hills, and is
called Bledlow Ridge, being between 600 ft. and
800 ft. (fn. 1) above the Ordnance datum. The lower
Icknield Way runs parallel to the line of the high
ground from north-east to south-west, along the north
and west sides of the parish, and the village and
church stand back from it about half a mile on the
lower slopes of the hills. Close to the east end of
the church is a steep wooded combe called the Lyde,
in which several springs break out from the chalk and
form a small pool. The nearness of the church to
the steep banks of the combe has suggested a local
rhyme—
They that live and do abide
Shall see the church fall in the Lyde,
but fortunately this disaster does not seem very
imminent. The brook running from the pool is
called the Lyde Brook, and is used for two papermills, Bledlow Mill and North Mill. The western
boundary of the parish is formed by Cuttle Brook,
which runs south to the River Thame.
The higher slopes of the hills are in parts well
wooded, and in one of the open spaces, on the north
slope of Wain Hill, is the Bledlow Cross, cut in the
turf, and visible for miles as a landmark. (fn. 2)
The village is picturesque, its small houses, surrounded by gardens, lying for the most part along the
side of the hill, but there are outlying houses in the
lower ground on the side roads which join the
Icknield Way.
The subsoil on the hills is chalk, and in the northern
part of the parish Upper Greensand and Gault. (fn. 3) The
surface soil is partly chalk loam, and partly stiff clay.
The inhabitants are mainly engaged in arable farming,
the parish containing 2,694¼ acres of arable land, and
963 acres of permanent grass. (fn. 4) There are several
popultry farms, and in the Lyde there are watercress
beds. The paper-mills of Mr. A. H. James provide
occupation for part of the population. Both the
Upper and Lower Icknield Ways pass across the parish,
and the Wycombe branch of the Great Western Railway runs through it, with a station one mile to the
north of Bledlow village. There are six hamlets in
the parish. Of these Bledlow Ridge has been formed
into a separate ecclesiastical parish since 1868. The
other hamlets are Pitch Green, Rout's Green, Forty
Green, Skittle Green, Holly Green. The whole civil
parish contains 4,168½ acres. (fn. 5)
Amongst the vicars of Bledlow the name of Timothy
Hall (1637?–90) occurs. He held the livings of
Horsenden, Princes Risborough, and Bledlow in succession, being presented to the last named in 1674.
Three years later he became rector of Allhallows
Barking. He published the Royal Declaration for
Liberty of Conscience in 1687, and the next year became
titular Bishop of Oxford. He was consecrated, but
the canons of Christ Church refused to install him.
On the accession of William of Orange he refused to
take the oaths, but yielding at the last moment retained
his titular bishopric until his death. (fn. 6)
Manors
In the time of King Edward the
Confessor, Edmer Atule, one of the
royal thegns, held the manor of BLEDLOW, and could sell it at will. (fn. 7) William the Conqueror, however, granted it to his half-brother, Robert,
Count of Mortain, who held it in 1086. (fn. 8) William
the son of Count Robert joined the rebellion of Robert
of Bellesme against Henry I, and in consequence forfeited his lands in 1104. (fn. 9) The honour of Mortain
was known in Buckinghamshire and the neighbouring
counties as the honour of Berkhampstead, (fn. 10) but it
seems probable that Bledlow was separated from the
honour, since it was held, at least from the time of
Henry II, from the king in chief, (fn. 11) and not from the
various grantees of Berkhampstead. (fn. 12)
The privileges attaching to the honour of Mortain
however still continued in Bledlow. (fn. 13) Henry II appears to have granted the manor to Hugh de Gurnay
before 1177, (fn. 14) but in 1198 Hugh made an exchange (fn. 15)
with the monks of Bec Hellouin in Normandy, by
which the manor passed to that alien abbey, and was
held in frankalmoign (fn. 16) in chief of the king. (fn. 17)
The priory of Ogbourne was an English cell of the
abbey of Bec, and the prior seems to have answered
for its English lands, and at times was described as
lord of the manor. (fn. 18)
During the French wars of the 14th and 15th centuries the lands of the alien priories were seized by
the king, and Ogbourne was ultimately dissolved by
Henry V. He granted the manor of Bledlow to his
brother John, Duke of Bedford, (fn. 19) who died in 1435, (fn. 20)
when it passed to Henry VI as his nephew and heir.
In 1462 the king granted it to his new foundation,
the College of St. Mary, Eton, (fn. 21) the provost and
fellows of which college are at the present day the
lords of the manor.
In the 15th century the Hampdens, of Great
Hampden, held CORHAMS MANOR in Bledlow
under the provost and fellows of Eton College. (fn. 22)
Thomas Hampden died seised of the manor in 1485. (fn. 23)
His grandson John Hampden settled it on his younger
daughter and co-heiress Barbara, the wife of Sir
George Paulet, (fn. 24) who obtained various confirmations
of the grant from the members of the Hampden
family. (fn. 25)
In 1585 Hampden Paulet (fn. 26) sold this manor to
Roger Corham, and in 1624. it was held by William
Corham and his wife Jane. (fn. 27) They sold it in the
same year to Alban Pigott and Ralph Pigott of Colwich, (fn. 28) in the parish of Waddesdon. Alban Pigott
apparently left three daughters, (fn. 29) but which of them
inherited Corham's manor does not appear. Daniel
Cox, jun., held the manor in 1703, (fn. 30) but some years
later he sold it to Richard Badcock. (fn. 31) The last mention of the Badcocks is in 1823, when John Lovell
Badcock, with Anne and Susannah, probably his
sisters, made a settlement of the manor. (fn. 32) The family
of Spiers also seems to have had some interest at this
time in Corham's manor. William Spiers, lessee of
the manor, (fn. 33) subscribed to the building fund of the
chapel at Bledlow Ridge. In 1823 Thomas Spiers
was a party to the settlement made by the Badcocks. (fn. 34)
It seems probable, however, that he was only a lessee
under the Badcocks, though he may have owned other
land in the parish. About 1826 the manor was sold,
possibly by the Badcocks, to Captain Wood, who
seems to have held it for more than thirty years. (fn. 35)
The present owner of the manor is Mr. Robert
White, of Chinnor, Oxon, but the land is for the
most part enfranchised. (fn. 36)
Hampden. Argent a saltire gules between four eagles azure.
Paulet. Sable three swords set pilewise with their hilts or.
Hugh de Gurnay appears to have kept certain
tenements in Bledlow after the exchange made with
the Abbot of Bec, since Juliana, the heiress of the
Gurnays, was summoned, when still a minor, to give
warranty for certain lands in the parish. (fn. 37) She married
William Bardolf, and in 1285–6 she and her husband
attempted to recover the manor from the Abbot of
Bec. (fn. 38) She claimed all the manor with its appurtenances except 5 messuages, 1 mill, and 2 carucates of
land, which presumably she already held. Finally the
abbot obtained a quit-claim from Juliana and William
Bardolf for 200 marks sterling. Her descendants held
rents in Bledlow without interruption till the beginning of the 15th century, when Sir Thomas Bardolf
held the tenements above alluded to. (fn. 39) The lands
retained by Hugh de Gurnay were the fees of Odo
of Bramoster and of John de Turri, who presumably
were military tenants. (fn. 40) In 1180, before the grant
to Bec, John de Turri paid 10 marks for confirmation of his land in Bledlow. (fn. 41) In 1228 Richard de
Turri, together with the Prior of Ogbourne, brought
an action with regard to common rights over their
lands in Bledlow. (fn. 42)
The whole manor of Bledlow, which was granted
to the Count of Mortain by the Conqueror, does not
seem to have been included in the grant to Hugh de
Gurnay. (fn. 43) The family of de Rual or Druel held
certain land, afterwards known as MESLES or
DRUELS, in Bledlow, of the honour of Mortain in
the 13th century. Simon de Rual paid scutage for
land in Bledlow in 1236. (fn. 44) This tenement seems to
have been the hamlet of Mosleye or Mesle, which
John Druel held in 1284–6 (fn. 45) and in 1302–3. (fn. 46) His
son John Druel made a settlement in 1333 of the
messuage and rents in Bledlow, (fn. 47) by which there were
remainders to Giles son of John Druel, and his wife
Amabel daughter of Thomas de Reynes and their
issue, and in default to William brother of Giles and his
wife, another daughter of Thomas de Reynes. It is
not clear whether Giles and William were the sons or
brothers of John son of John Druel. In 1346 this
John and Roger Puttenham held the fee formerly
held by John Druel, (fn. 48) but after this date the name of
Druel disappears. Like the manor of Horsenden, (fn. 49)
this land has a complicated history during the Wars of
the Roses. The manor of Mesles or Druels, as it was
called in the 15th century, appears to have come into
the possession of Edmund Hampden and John
Brekenoke. (fn. 50) They demised it in 1458–9 to Sir
John Fray and William Brown, (fn. 51) who in turn granted
it to John Leynham or Plomer and his wife Margaret. (fn. 52) Various releases and sales were afterwards
made, (fn. 53) and in 1528 the manor had passed into the
possession of Sir Edward Don. (fn. 54) He left an only
daughter and heiress who married Sir Thomas Jones, (fn. 55)
and his lands descended to his two granddaughters
Frances and Anne. In the division of their shares of
their property the manor of Druels came to Frances,
the wife of Ralph Lee. (fn. 56) Together with their son
and heir Edward Donne Lee they settled the manor
on Thomas Lee, (fn. 57) who died seised in 1572. (fn. 58) It
then reverted to Edward Donne Lee, who sold it
to William Quarendon. (fn. 59) In 1583 Quarendon and
his wife Margaret held the manor. (fn. 60) Afterwards
it was divided, presumably between two heiresses,
since John Franklyn in 1640 died seised of half the
manor or farm of Mesles or Druels. (fn. 61) The only trace
of this manor to be found in recent times was a wood
named Druels Wood, near Bledlow Ridge, which
has now been grubbed up.
In the 14th century the family of Fresel held an
estate known as FRAYSELLES in Bledlow. James
Fresel in 1316–17 made a settlement, by which he
settled this on himself for life, with remainder to
James his son and his issue; in default with remainder
to another son, Thomas. (fn. 62) This James Fresel was a
man of some importance in the county, being a
knight of the shire in 1329. (fn. 63)
He also obtained an indult from Pope John XXII,
that his confessor should give him plenary remission
at the hour of death, (fn. 64) and by his will left valuable
bequests to the church of Bledlow. (fn. 65) His father's
name was Robert, but he does not appear as tenant
of land in Bledlow. (fn. 66) In his will dated 1341 James
Fresel named only two sons, Edmund and James, (fn. 67)
but Thomas appears in the settlement mentioned
before, and was probably his father's heir, since he
succeeded to the greater part of the estates before
1343. (fn. 68)
Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Fresel claimed
various tenements that her father had held in neighbouring parishes in 1364 or 1365, and presumably
was his heiress. (fn. 69) Some years later Richard ap Yenan
held lands and tenements called 'Freselles,' in Bledlow, (fn. 70) but it does not appear how he obtained them.
In 1524 Walter Curzon died seised of the manor of
Frayselles, (fn. 71) which afterwards came into the possession
of George, Earl of Huntingdon, who sold it to Sir
Michael Dormer and John Goodwyn in 1537. (fn. 72)
The Dormers held the manor (fn. 73) till 1584–5, when a
sale took place of the site of the manor of Frayselles,
which came into the hands of Edward East. (fn. 74) This
sale probably included the whole manor, which was
held from this time by the lord of the Rectory Manor
(q.v.), and was apparently united with it. (fn. 75) In the
15th century the manor was held of the Rector of
Bledlow, (fn. 76) at that time the Dean and Chapter of the
Free Chapel of St. Stephen, Westminster. (fn. 77) After
the Dissolution, however, it was apparently separated
from the rectory, and held, in Queen Elizabeth's
reign, of the honour of Ewelme by fealty and
rent. (fn. 78)
There seems to have been a RECTORY MANOR
of considerable size in Bledlow. There is no specific
mention of it until after the Restoration, though the
Fresels' property was said to be held of the rector in
the 15th and 16th centuries. (fn. 79) It evidently belonged
first to the abbey of Grestein, and subsequently to the
Free Chapel of St. Stephen, Westminster. (fn. 80) After the
Dissolution the Rectory was granted to Thomas East
and Henry Hoblethorne, who, however, surrendered
their lease in 1552. (fn. 81)
Edward VI then gave a lease for twenty-one years
to Thomas Forster, (fn. 82) but in 1562 or 1563 Queen
Elizabeth granted the Rectory to William Revett and
Thomas Bright and their heirs to hold in chief. (fn. 83)
The following year, however, they had licence to
alienate it to Edward East. (fn. 84) He made a settlement
in 1609, (fn. 85) by which it was held by him for his own
life, then to the use of Cecilia his wife for her life,
then to the use of the executors of his will for one
year, and then to the use of Edward Fitz Herbert. (fn. 86)
Fitz Herbert predeceased Edward East and Brigit
Fitz Herbert, (fn. 87) probably his widow. She seems to
have married Sir Edmund Windsor, and to have held
the Rectory in 1630. (fn. 88) William Fitz Herbert is mentioned at the same date, (fn. 89) and he and his wife Anne
held it afterwards. He was sequestered during the
Civil War as a recusant, and compounded for Bledlow Parsonage for £200 in 1647. (fn. 90) He seems, however, to have sold it to William Brereton and James
Blanks. (fn. 91) The former was one of the trustees of Sir
John Fitz Herbert, father of William Fitz Herbert. (fn. 92)
Great efforts seem to have been made by William
Fitz Herbert to preserve his lands by various sales, (fn. 93)
but William Starbuck, minister of Bledlow and his
parishioners made complaints against him for compounding for his estates in the parish at an undervaluation. (fn. 94)
Their object seems to have been to obtain possession themselves, for they offered to pay £300 for the
Rectory. (fn. 95) After many inquiries Brereton and Blanks
succeeded in establishing their claim, and their lease
was judged good by Chief Justice St. John at the
Assizes. They were, therefore, discharged by the
Committee for Compounding. (fn. 96) John Blanks retained possession of the Rectory after the Restoration, (fn. 97)
when the estate was called 'the manor of the Rectory of
Bledlowe.' (fn. 98) His granddaughter and heiress married
Johnshall Crosse. (fn. 99) She was succeeded by her son
Henry, (fn. 100) who married Elizabeth Jodrell, (fn. 101) and their
fourth son Thomas held the manor in 1745. (fn. 102) He
died without children, his heir being his sister, the
wife of William Hayton. (fn. 103) Her daughter married
Samuel Whitbread, who succeeded to the estate on
the death of his mother-in-law. (fn. 104) Their son, another
Samuel, sold the manor in 1801 to Lord Carrington, (fn. 105) whose successor holds it at the present day.
At the time of the Domesday Survey there was
one mill in the parish, which yearly yielded to the
lord of the manor twenty-four loads of malt. (fn. 106) It
was presumably the same mill that Hugh de Gurnay
excepted from the grant of the manor to the abbey
of Bec, and which at that date, 1198, was held by
Simon Hochede. (fn. 107) In 1240–1 Alice, widow of
Simon, sued William Neirnuit for the third part of
certain tenements, a mill with its appurtenances being
specified. (fn. 108) A second Simon, the heir, was in wardship and Juliana de Gurnay, also a minor, was the
overlord of the tenements in question. (fn. 109) Some years
later Nicholas Hochedee appears in a suit as to land
in Bledlow, but the mill is not mentioned; (fn. 110) in
1304, at the death of Hugh Bardolf, the rent of a
water-mill was held by Christiana, daughter of Reginald de Hampden. (fn. 111)
Whitbread. Argent a cheveron between three hinds' heads razed gules.
Carrington. Or a cheveron coupleclosed sable between three demigriffons sable, the two in the chief face to face, with a molet gules for difference.
In the 13th century the Abbot of Bec claimed to
hold view of frankpledge, gallows, waifs, and other
regalia in the manor of Bledlow, basing his right on
the grant of Hugh de Gurnay, his feoffor, and its
confirmation by Henry II. (fn. 112)
Churches
The church of THE HOLY TRINITY consists of a chancel 31 ft. by
16 ft. 6 in., a nave 44 ft. 11 in. by
15ft. 11 in., north and south aisles respectively
8 ft. 9½ in. and 10 ft. 10 in. wide, a western tower
13 ft. 6 in. by 13 ft. 4 in., and a south porch.
There is evidence of the existence at the east end
of the present north
aisle of a late 12thcentury transept, parts
of its north and east
walls remaining; to the
east of it there seems
to have been a chapel,
entered through an
archway, the south respond of which is still
in position. At this
time the church was
probably cruciform in
plan, consisting of a
chancel, central tower,
transepts, and a nave
about thirty feet by
fourteen feet, the
western wall of which
coincided with the
position of the east wall of the present tower.
During the course of the 13th century almost the
whole structure was rebuilt, the first work undertaken
being the north arcade and aisle of the nave. The
south arcade and aisle were probably added immediately afterwards, the central tower being destroyed
and a new tower begun at the west. Towards the
end of the 13th century the chancel was rebuilt and
enlarged to its present size, and the present tower was
completed, the aisles being extended to its western wall.
After this there were no further additions to the plan
except that of a south porch in the 14th century, but
windows were inserted at various points. The old
high-pitched roof was removed, probably at a late
date, and the existing roof substituted for it. The
present clearstory windows appear to be completely
modern, but the walls in which they are inserted
belong to the 13th century, and the windows themselves may have had prototypes of that date.
The east window of the chancel is of 13thcentury date, and consists of three shafted lancets
with an internal reveal, the shafts having moulded
circular capitals and bases. The lancets are of two
chamfered orders, and stilted. In the north and
south walls are small niches, with trefoiled heads, of
15th-century date, though much restored. That to
the south is a piscina, and the other now contains the
brass of William Herne, priest, 1525. Of the three
windows in this wall, the eastern is a single trefoiled
light and the second of two trefoiled lights with a
sixfoil over, both probably of the date of the wall.
That to the west is continued as a recess below its sill,
and pierced for a low side window. A scroll-moulded
string runs along the wall, and is broken downwards
just west of the middle window, at which point is inserted a crocketed and finialled pinnacle of later date.
The westernmost window of the south wall is of the
same general design and date as the middle window
of the north, but differs in having a moulded rear arch
and shafted jambs to its inner reveal, with circular
moulded capitals and bases. Further to the east is a
window of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil over,
of somewhat earlier type than the others, and between
the windows is a blocked priest's door, which is hidden by the organ, but externally is of 18th-century
date, with white marble shafted jambs and moulded
two-centred head of poor imitation Gothic detail.
Below the window there is the same string-course as
on the north, with an inserted pinnacle opposite to
that in the north wall. Their intention is not clear,
as they are so near to the west of the chancel.
Plan of Holy Trinity Church, Bledlow
The chancel arch is of mid-13th-century date, of
rather blunt two-centred form and two square orders,
with a plain roll label on the west side. Just above
the haunches of the arch are two early 15th-century
head corbels as supports to a rood beam which ran
across the top of the arch, the label being cut away to
allow for this. At the spring the label is also cut away
to allow for the rood loft, here supported upon plainer
corbels. The jambs of the arch are plain, with a
stopped chamfer, and the inner order is supported on
moulded half-octagonal capitals with corbels under,
carved into a face.
The nave is of four bays, and though the south
arcade is a trifle later than the north, the detail
throughout is the same. The arches are two-centred,
of two square orders, with a plain roll label towards
the nave. The columns are round, with circular
moulded bases on square plinths, and bell-shaped
capitals enriched with beautiful cinquefoiled and
trefoiled leaves in relief, and with octagonal abaci
square edged above. The capitals are all of the same
general style, but in some the leaves lie close to the
bell and in others are undercut. There are no responds, but the arches at the ends of the arcades
spring from corbels with semi-octagonal capitals. The
corbels on the north are plain, but on the south are
foliated in the same way as the capitals.
The clearstory windows are modern, of three trefoiled lights under a flat lintel, but the openings are old.
They are six in number, three on either side of the nave.
In the external angle between the north aisle and
chancel is the south respond of a 12th-century opening to a chapel east of the transept of the earlier
church, with a chamfered and beaded abacus. The
arch has completely disappeared, but a straight joint
in the east wall of the aisle on the outside suggests
the line of the north wall of this chapel, while a
partly built-up recess on the inside is evidently the
opening from the transept to the chapel. In this
recess has been inserted a late 14th-century window
of two trefoiled lights, with a square head and trefoiled spandrels. To the north of this window is a
rich but mutilated canopied niche of early 15th-century date. In the north wall are three two-light
windows. The first and last are of similar design and
date to the south-east window in the chancel. Between them is a mid-14th-century window of two
trefoiled lights with flowing tracery and a quatrefoil
over. A little west of this is a small north doorway
of early 13th-century date, with a semicircular head
of one square order and rather roughly-moulded
abaci. At the west end of the aisle is a half-arch
buttressing the east tower arch, so much restored as
to appear modern.
The south aisle has a blocked east window, which
was apparently a late insertion; externally the wall
has been refaced. At the east end of the south wall
is a piscina with a plain two-centred chamfered head,
and in the same wall are three windows. The first
from the east is a very fine example of early-14thcentury date. It is of four lancet lights, with trefoiled
subheads and oval quatrefoils in the lancets, the jambs,
head, mullions, and tracery being moulded internally
and externally, and there is an external label. Partly
under it is a mid-14th-century tomb recess with
jambs and a low pointed arch of two wave-moulded
orders. The second window is of the same design
and date as the window opposite to it in the north
aisle. The south door, immediately west of this
window, is of the same date as the arcade, with a
two-centred head of three moulded orders, the inner
being continuous and the outer pair resting upon
detached circular shafts with moulded capitals and
bases. The third window is of two uncusped lights,
much restored, and is a 13th-century opening. At
the west end of the original aisle is a half-arch similar
to that on the north, but all of late-13th-century date.
It is of two chamfered orders, and springs from a
carved corbel capital.
The tower is of three stages, with a plain coped
parapet resting on a fine corbel table with grotesque
and mask corbels. The belfry openings, four in number, are of two uncusped lancet lights with a quatrefoil over, set in a moulded reveal with a two-centred
head and a scroll label. In the second stage are
three small lancets of two chamfered orders, and on
the east face appears the steep weathering of the 13thcentury roof, the ridge of which reaches to the sill of
the belfry openings. In the north, south, and east
walls of the ground stage of the tower are arches
opening respectively into prolongations of the aisles
and to the nave. These arches are of two chamfered
orders, the outer continuous and the inner resting
upon half-octagonal pilasters with moulded capitals
and bases. The west window in this stage is of two
cinquefoiled lights, with cusped tracery over; the
cusping has been mutilated, but the window is apparently of 14th-century date. The west door, of somewhat later date, has continuous wave-mouldings of
two orders, with an external label.
The part of the north aisle flanking the tower is lit
by a small 14th-century trefoiled light in the west
wall. The corresponding space on the south of the
tower is used as a baptistery, and is lit on the south
by a modern window of two trefoiled lights, and on
the west by a small, much-restored round-headed
window of doubtful date.
The south porch has a wide outer arch of two
moulded orders, of good 14th-century detail, and the
porch has stone benches on the east and west, and at
the north-east a small square holy water stone.
The font is of late 12th-century date, of local type,
with a circular scalloped bowl on a square base formed
like an inverted cushion capital and ornamented with
foliage in lunette panels, and the short stem is circular,
with cable mouldings. The roofs throughout are
very plain, of low pitch, covered with lead, and may
possibly be of 15th-century date. There are no pews,
the nave and aisles being filled with chairs, and the
chancel stalls, rood screen, and pulpit are modern. At
the east end of the south aisle is a 17th-century altar
table and a late carved wood eagle lectern. In the
same place is preserved a curious 18th-century carved
wooden candle and candlestick. The candle is
painted, and the candlestick with its clawed foot and
the candle-flame are gilt. (fn. 113)
The brass already referred to in the chancel bears
the figure of a priest in mass vestments and the inscription: 'Hic jacet dñs Willm Herñ in artibus
baculari' nuper vicarius istius ecclie qui obiit anno dni
millmo quingetesimo xxv. cuius aĩe propicietur deus
amen.'
There are considerable traces of painting throughout the church. Over the chancel arch was a painting of the Doom, and on the walls of the nave are
traces of an early vine design and a masonry pattern.
On the north wall of the north aisle is a large figure
of St. Christopher. There is very little painted
glass, but the quatrefoil in the head of the window to
the south-west in the chancel is complete in 14thcentury glass of conventional design.
The tower contains five bells, the treble dated
1636, and the second, third, and fourth 1683, the
last bearing the inscription 'Richard Keene cast this
ring.' The fifth was cast by W. & J. Taylor in 1842.
The church plate comprises an Elizabethan cup of
1569; a salver, the gift of John Cross in 1693, hallmarked for 1689; a small standing paten of which
the date letter is almost illegible, but appears to be
that for 1668; a flagon inscribed as the gift of John
Blankes in 1672, and hall-marked for the same date;
and a plated cup.
The first book of the registers contains all entries
between 1592 and 1706 except in the case of burials,
which run to 1705. The second contains all entries
between 1707 and 1755 excepting marriages, which
run to 1752. A third book has marriages between
1754 and 1787; a fourth baptisms and burials
between 1756 and 1812, and a fifth marriages between
1787 and 1812.
The church of St Paul, Bledlow Ridge, is built of
flint with Bath stone dressings in the 13th-century
style. It consists of chancel and nave with south
porch and western bell-turret containing one bell.
It was consecrated in 1868, but the register dates
from 1861.
Advowson
The church of the Holy Spirit is
mentioned in 1284, (fn. 114) and the same
invocation appears in James Fresel's
will in 1341, (fn. 115) but at the present day it has been
changed to the church of the Holy Trinity. It was
granted to the abbey of Grestein in Normandy in the
time of Robert Count of Mortain. (fn. 116) As lord of the
manor of Bledlow he granted certain tithes from his
demesne lands to the abbey, then the patron of the
church. The English possessions of this house were
held by the Prior of Wilmington, and were seized by
Edward III as part of the temporalities of an alien
house before 1338 during the French War. (fn. 117) The
Abbot of Grestein, however, in 1358 or 1359 granted
to John Taleworth, burgess of Wycombe, and his heirs
an annuity of £50 and the advowson of Bledlow
Church. (fn. 118) This grant can only have been enjoyed
for a short time, if indeed at all, since in 1361
Edward III granted the church to the Free Chapel of
St. Stephen, Westminster. The vicarage was ordained
in 1405 under Bishop Repingdon, and appropriated
to St. Stephen's. (fn. 119)
After the dissolution of the Free Chapel the
rectory and advowson of the church were granted to
Thomas East and Henry Hoblethorne, (fn. 120) since which
time the advowson has always been held by the lay
rectors.
James Fresel in 1341 bequeathed £20 for covering
the chapel of St. Margaret at Bledlow with lead, and
various smaller sums for the maintenance of lights
there in the church of Bledlow. (fn. 121) No further mention of this chapel is found, but in 1590 a chapel at
Bledlow Ridge, with a close called the 'chappel
yard,' was granted to 'fishing grantees,' so that
apparently it had fallen into disuse before that date. (fn. 122)
No mention of it occurs in the Buckinghamshire Chantry Certificates, so that it was apparently not merely a
chantry chapel. A chapel was built in 1834 for the
inhabitants of the hamlet of Bledlow Ridge. It was
formed into the separate ecclesiastical parish of
St. Paul's, and was endowed out of the Common
Fund in 1868 and 1870. (fn. 123) The living is a vicarage
in the gift of the Peache trustees.
There are two Wesleyan chapels in the parish, one
at Bledlow and the other at Bledlow Ridge.
Charities
In 1618 Henry East by his will,
proved in the Archdeaconry Court of
Buckingham, charged his tenement
and close, called Picked Close, with an annuity of
20s. for four poor widows at Lady Day and Michaelmas. The annuity is paid by Mrs. Saunders of
Maidenhead, the owner of the property charged, and
5s. a year is given to each of four poor widows.
This parish is entitled to share in Henry Smith's
General Charity. In 1906 the sum of £9 was
allotted from the Thurlaston estate, Leicestershire,
and applied in the distribution of seventeen pairs of
blankets.
In 1671 John Blanks by will demised certain lands
in the parish, the rents after payment of 10s. to the
vicar for a sermon on 27 December yearly, and
2s. 6d. to the parish clerk, to be distributed in bread.
The property now consists of 3 a. or. 38 p., known
as Ford's Close, let at £4 10s. a year, and 2 a. 1 r. 17 p.
adjoining the workhouse school gardens, known as
the Poor's Piece, let to twenty-two allotment holders,
producing £7 3s. a year. The distribution in bread
is made in conjunction with the income of Edmund
Slaughter's Charity mentioned below.
In 1672 Margaret Babham by will directed that
£100 should be laid out in land, and that out of the
profits 40s. a year should be applied in providing two
poor men and two poor women with coats to be
marked with her initials M. and B., and 10s. to the
vicar for a sermon on the anniversary of her burial,
30 April 1672 (old style) and 2s. to the parish clerk
for keeping her tomb clean. The principal sum
became a charge on a farm in the parish known as
Sand-pit Farm, now belonging to Mr. R. White, who
pays the fixed sum of £2 12s. a year. By an order
of the Charity Commissioners made under the Local
Government Act, 1894, the endowments of this and
the preceding charity for ecclesiastical purposes were
separated from the charities for the poor, and trustees
appointed for their respective administration. In
1905 the sum of 40s. was applied in the distribution
of flannel to twelve poor people, chiefly women.
In 1831 Edmund Slaughter by his will, proved in
the P.C.C. on the 26 July, directed his executors to
invest £100 in the public funds, the income to be
applied in the distribution of bread. The trust fund
consists of £119 6s. 8d. consols, with the official
trustees, and the annual dividends, amounting to
£2 19s. 8d., were in 1906 applied, with the net income of John Blanks' Charity mentioned above, in
the distribution of 639 loaves.
Charity of Elizabeth Eustace.—See under Princes
Risborough. The sum of £1 3s. is received yearly
from the trustees, of which £1 is applied in the distribution of four sheets at 5s. each, and 1s. is retained by each of the three local trustees in pursuance
of the directions in the deed.
The Coal Charity, otherwise the Poor's Land, consists of about 26 acres, including five cottages known
as the Colony Cottages, awarded to the poor in
1812 under the Bledlow Inclosure Act, producing
about £30 a year. In 1906 a distribution of 30 tons
of coal was made.