HUNDRED OF AYLESBURY
ASTON CLINTON
Estone, xi cent.; Aston, Eston, xiii cent.; Aston
Clynton, xiv cent.
Aston Clinton is a large parish, very long and
narrow in shape, lying on the northern slopes of the
Chiltern Hills. The highest point, 817 ft. above
the Ordnance datum, (fn. 1) is near the most northerly of
the two Chiverey Farms. The hamlet of St. Leonards
in the extreme south-east corner of the parish lies
over 700 ft. above the Ordnance datum, but the
village of Aston Clinton and a large part of the parish
lies in the Vale of Aylesbury, its height varying from
200 ft. to 300 ft. (fn. 2) The subsoil is Upper Greensand
and Gault and the surface stiff loam. (fn. 3) The population is mainly occupied in agriculture, and the parish
contains 1,257½ acres of arable land (fn. 4) and 1,621½
of permanent grass. The parish is not well timbered
except at the Park and about the village. Strawplaiting used to be an important industry in the
village, but there is now but little demand for the
plait and the industry is gradually dying out. The
Aylesbury branch of the Grand Junction Canal passes
through the parish, along the south-east boundary of
Aston Clinton Park, where there is a spring of water
and an ornamental lake. One of the many streams
that water the Vale flows through the north of the
parish and forms the moat at Vaches or Vatches
Farm. Another branch of the Grand Junction Canal
crosses the parish, but is now disused.
In the Chiltern Hills the Chiltern Hills Water
Company has its waterworks, and there is a large
reservoir near Aston Hill. The high road from
Aylesbury to Tring, following the course of Akeman
Street, runs through the parish and forms the main
street of the village of Aston Clinton, the houses being
mostly modern. The Lower Icknield Way runs
from Weston Turville to the village and the Upper
Icknield Way also crosses the parish; a branch road
connecting with Akeman Street and the Upper Icknield Way runs south-east through the length of the
parish, by St. Leonards hamlet and on to Cholesbury. No line of railway passes through the parish,
and the nearest station is 3¼ miles away at Stoke
Mandeville on the Metropolitan Extension Railway.
The common fields of Aston Clinton were inclosed
by Act of Parliament, the award being dated 14 November 1816. (fn. 5) There is a common to the north of
the hamlet of St. Leonards. A few houses, two
farms and an inn form the hamlet of Chiverey, preserving the name of an ancient manorial division of
Aston Clinton. Various archaeological discoveries
have been made in the parish; miscellaneous neolithic
instruments have been dug up as well as late Celtic
pottery and a Roman amphora. Aston Clinton
House, the only house of importance in the parish,
the residence of the Dowager Lady de Rothschild,
is modern, and is surrounded by finely-timbered
grounds. The church stands on the edge of the Park
in an ample churchyard at the entrance to which is
a counterpoise lichgate.
Manors
Before the Norman Conquest, the
manor of ASTON CLINTON was
held by Wlwen, a 'man' of King
Edward. (fn. 6) Wlwen is a woman's name, and she
seems to have been the predecessor of Edward de
Salisbury, the Domesday tenant, in all his lands in Buckinghamshire. (fn. 7) He was the
standard-bearer of Henry I
at the battle of Brenville in
1100, (fn. 8) and was made Earl of
Salisbury. (fn. 9) Whether he alienated it during his lifetime or
whether it descended to his
heir Walter de Salisbury does
not appear, but at the end of
the 12th century it belonged
to the family of Clinton, who
held it by grand serjeanty. In
1193 and 1194 William de Clinton rendered account
of 10 marks for having seisin of his land at Aston (fn. 10)
until the king's return to England, so that he was
probably waiting to do homage to the king for lands
of inheritance. In this case they had been held presumably by his father Jordan de Clinton. (fn. 11) William
died before 1196, (fn. 12) and the sheriff of the county rendered account for his lands in Aston. In 1200 King
John granted to Hugh de Haversham the custody of
his lands and heir and the marriage of the heir, (fn. 13) but
the next year this was cancelled, since Isabella de
Clinton gave 300 marks for the same privileges. (fn. 14)
She answered for Aston for several years, and was probably the widow of William de Clinton. (fn. 15) His heir
was his son, another William de Clinton, (fn. 16) who is
mentioned in a list of tenants in chief in 1210–12. (fn. 17)
In 1216, however, the manor was in the hands of
the king, (fn. 18) although Isabella was still alive, and while
William de Clinton was still a minor. (fn. 19) The manor
of Aston was granted in that year by King John to
Walerand Teutonicus for the support of the castle of
Berkhampstead. (fn. 20) Before 1219 William de Clinton
appears to have come of age and obtained possession
of Aston. (fn. 21) His name appears for the last time in
1228, (fn. 22) and the next tenant of the manor seems to
have been Nicia de Clinton, who was holding it in
1240–1. (fn. 23) Her relationship to William de Clinton
does not appear; but it seems probable that she was
his widow, and having been jointly seised with him,
held the whole manor for her life. (fn. 24) She died in or
before 1246, (fn. 25) when she was succeeded by her son
William de Clinton, (fn. 26) more usually called de Paris,
who did homage for the manor in 1247. (fn. 27) About
1252 he alienated the manor of Aston Clinton to
William de Montagu for his homage and service. (fn. 28)
The new tenant in 1268 made an exchange with Philip
Basset and Lady Ella his wife, (fn. 29) who obtained it for
their lives, holding by fealty and the yearly rental of
1d. Lady Ella, who was the daughter of William
Longespee, Earl of Salisbury, (fn. 30) and Countess of Warwick in right of her first husband, survived Philip
Basset and held the manor till her death. (fn. 31) William
de Montagu died in or before 1271, and his son and
heir Simon, who was a minor, surrendered all his
lands into the hands of the king. (fn. 32) In 1290, (fn. 33) however, he obtained a new charter from Edward I,
granting him the manor of Aston Clinton to hold in
fee-tail, and two years later the Countess of Warwick
was ordered by the king to do fealty and service to
Simon for the manor. (fn. 34) The Montagus held the
manor without interruption until the death of Thomas
Montagu, Earl of Salisbury. (fn. 35) He left an only
daughter and heiress Alice, (fn. 36) who married Richard
Nevill, Earl of Warwick, (fn. 37) who was recognized as
Earl of Salisbury on the death of his father. (fn. 38) He
and his wife granted the manor of Aston Clinton for
life to Richard Hertcombe, (fn. 39) who died in 1435, (fn. 40) and
it reverted to the Earl and Countess. (fn. 41) Their lands
passed to their son Richard Nevill, the king-maker, (fn. 42)
and after his death at the battle of Barnet in 1471
his lands were divided between his two sons-in-law,
the Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester. Aston Clinton must have been assigned to Clarence and his wife
Isabel, since it passed to their son Edward, Earl of
Warwick, (fn. 43) who was attainted and executed in 1499. (fn. 44)
The manor remained in the hands of the Crown
until Margaret, the sister of the last Earl of Warwick,
was restored in lands and blood in 1513. (fn. 45) She was
also created Countess of Salisbury (fn. 46) and married Sir
Richard Pole. (fn. 47) She held the manor until 1539, (fn. 48)
when, falling under the suspicion of Henry VIII as
a possible heir to the throne, she was attainted and
executed two years later. (fn. 49) Henry VIII retained
Aston Clinton in his own hands, but Edward VI
granted it to his sister, the Lady Mary, in 1549. (fn. 50)
Soon after her accession to the throne, however, she
restored it (fn. 51) to Sir Thomas Hastings and his wife
Winifred, one of the granddaughters and heiresses
of the Countess of Salisbury. After the death of
Hastings (fn. 52) his widow married Sir Thomas Barrington, (fn. 53) who was in seisin of the manor of Aston Clinton in 1579. (fn. 54) The reversion of the manor was
granted by Elizabeth to Lord Burghley, Sir William
Mildmay, and Gilbert Gerrard, (fn. 55) and by James I to
Sir Francis Barrington. (fn. 56) The latter was the son of
Sir Thomas Barrington and his wife Winifred, and
afterwards succeeded them in the manor. In 1614
Sir Francis and his wife Joan obtained licence (fn. 57) to
alienate the manor of Aston Clinton to Gilbert Gerrard, (fn. 58) who married the daughter of Sir Francis
Barrington. (fn. 59)
Clinton. Argent six crosslets fitchy sable and a chief azure with two pierced molets or therein.
Montagu. Argent a fesse indented gules having three points.
Nevill. Gules a saltire argent and a label gobony argent and azure.
The Gerrards held the manor without interruption (fn. 60) until Elizabeth, the heiress of Sir Charles
Gerrard, who died in 1701, married Warwick Lake. (fn. 61)
The manor descended to her heirs, (fn. 62) and in 1765 (fn. 63)
her grandson Gerard Lake, Baron Lake of Delhi, &c.,
and of Aston Clinton, was lord of the manor. He
was raised to the peerage as a reward for distinguished
services in India during the Mahratta War. He had
previously served in Germany, France, and America,
and had been second in command of the forces in
the north of Ireland during the rebellion of 1797–8,
defeating the French force that landed there. He
was commander-in-chief in India from 1800 to 1805,
and won the battles of Delhi and Leswarzi in 1803.
He represented the borough of Aylesbury in Parliament from 1790 to 1802, although during part of the
time he was absent from England. He died in 1808,
and was succeeded in his titles by his two sons in
succession. (fn. 64) The third Viscount Lake died in 1848,
leaving two daughters as his heiresses, and all his titles
became extinct. The manorial rights in Aston Clinton were extinguished by the Inclosure Act of 1814,
in return for several acres of land, but the estate was
in the possession of the Lakes till shortly after the
death of the last Lord Lake. In 1851 it was purchased by Sir Anthony de Rothschild, bart., (fn. 65) and is
now held by his widow Louisa, Dowager Lady de
Rothschild.
Gerrard. Argent a saltire gules.
Lake. Sable a bend between six crosslets fitchy argent.
The manor of Aston Clinton was held by grand
serjeanty, but the exact service is differently described
at different times. In 1210–12 William de Clinton
held it by the serjeanty of the larderer. (fn. 66) Some years
later, however, Nicia de Clinton was bound to provide a serjeant, with horse and arms to serve in the
king's army at her own cost for forty days. (fn. 67) The
different lords of the manor, however, and especially
the elder William de Clinton, (fn. 68) had alienated part of
the serjeanty without the king's consent. (fn. 69) This
appears to have passed unnoticed, until many of
the services due from the serjeanties in Bedfordshire
and Buckinghamshire were commuted by Robert
Passelewe, (fn. 70) probably between 1246 and 1255. (fn. 71)
William de Paris received over £15 a year for the
alienated land, but under the pressure of the royal
officials an agreement was made as between William
and his tenants. (fn. 72) The latter were to answer to him
for the third part of the value of his tenement, and
to pay 111s. a year, which he paid to the king. (fn. 73)
His own service, for the land that remained in his
own hands, was changed from serjeanty to the military service due from one knight's fee. (fn. 74) The rent
from the tenants was paid through all the changes of
the lords of the manor. (fn. 75) It is mentioned in a rental,
made in the reign of Edward III, (fn. 76) and again when
the manor of Aston Chiverey (q.v.) was in the hands
of Henry VI. (fn. 77) The rent was finally purchased in
1671 (fn. 78) from the trustees for the sale of the fee-farm
rents payable to the Crown by Sir Francis Gerrard,
who then held the manor. The rents, however, had
then been settled or were about to be settled on the
queen for her life as part of her jointure, and therefore she was entitled to take the rents during her life,
the reversion being vested in Sir Francis. (fn. 79)
A court leet, a court baron and view of frankpledge
were held for the manor. (fn. 80)
At the end of the 12th century William de
Clinton alienated 40 librates of land, which afterwards formed the manor of ASTON CHIVEREY, to
Reginald de Mohun in frank-marriage with Alice,
probably the daughter of William de Clinton. (fn. 81)
After the death of Reginald Alice held the manor
herself, (fn. 82) but before 1215 she married Robert de
Beauchamp, (fn. 83) and they held the manor jointly. (fn. 84)
Between 1247 and 1261–2 the manor of Chiverey
was granted at ferm to James de Audley, who afterwards became possessed of the
fee-simple. (fn. 85) Alice de Audley,
the widow of James de Audley,
or his son of the same name,
held the manor of Aston Chiverey in the 14th century.
She died in 1342, and was
succeeded by William de Audley, the grandson of James de
Audley. (fn. 86) He claimed to hold
it by descent from the original
feoffees of William de Clinton. (fn. 87) William de Audley
settled the manor of Chiverey on himself, his wife
Joan, and their heirs. (fn. 88) He died in 1367, and his
widow held it till 1382, (fn. 89) when it passed to Elizabeth the niece of William de Audley and daughter
of Thomas de Audley. (fn. 90) Elizabeth married John
Rose, an esquire of Richard II. (fn. 91) She seems to
have predeceased her husband, (fn. 92) who held the
manor for life, according to a settlement made in
1387, (fn. 93) and by agreement with Philip St. Clair, (fn. 94)
who seems to have been the heir of Elizabeth Rose.
His only relationship to Elizabeth was apparently
through the mother of William de Audley, who was
one of the sisters and co-heiresses of Edmund de Bereford. (fn. 95) Another sister married John St. Clair the
grandfather of Philip. (fn. 96) Philip St. Clair never was
in seisin of the manor, since John Rose outlived
him. (fn. 97) The latter died in 1410, and Aston Chiverey
was seized into the king's hands during the minority
of John son and heir of Philip. (fn. 98) John died before
coming of age, (fn. 99) and the manor passed to his brother
Thomas, who twice in a very short time tried to
evade the rights of wardship of the king. In 1424
he was fined £200 for having married Margaret Hoo
without the king's consent, while he was still a ward
of Henry V, (fn. 100) and in 1425 (fn. 101) he made a settlement
of the manor of Aston Chiverey with the intent to
defraud the king of the wardship of his heirs, and
was fined £60. (fn. 102) He died in 1435, (fn. 103) leaving three
daughters, the eldest of whom was then thirteen years
old. In the partition of his lands the manor was
assigned to Eleanor, the second daughter, who married
John Gage. (fn. 104) They held it jointly till the death of
Eleanor, and then John held it for life. (fn. 105) He died
in 1476, (fn. 106) and was succeeded by his son William
Gage and grandson Sir John Gage. (fn. 107) The latter,
together with his wife Philippa and Edmund and
John Gage, sold the manor of Aston Chiverey in
1532 to Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, Reginald
Pole, clerk, and others, (fn. 108) and from this time it was
held with the manor of Aston Clinton (fn. 109) (q.v.).
Audley. Gules fretty or.
Another manor, known as VACHES MANOR, in
Aston Clinton, appears to have been held by Richard
de Turri in the early part
of the 13th century. He
obtained licence to build a
chapel in his land in Aston
from Bishop Grosteste (1235–53). (fn. 110) He died before 1271,
but his manor did not pass to
his son and heir Richard, but
to Richard de la Vache. (fn. 111)
The latter obtained a quitclaim from the younger de
Turri, who acknowledged the
manor to be the right of
Richard de la Vache. (fn. 112) There
were suits between them as to land and messuages (fn. 113) in
Aston Clinton, but Richard de la Vache remained in
undisturbed possession of the manor. (fn. 114) Before 1302–3
he was succeeded by Matthew de la Vache, (fn. 115) who
was followed by another Richard de la Vache, (fn. 116) his
son. The latter obtained a grant of free warren in
his demesne lands in Aston Clinton in 1364. (fn. 117) He
was succeeded by his son Philip de la Vache, who was
certified of full age in 1371. (fn. 118) Philip was made a
knight of the Garter, receiving the honour after
February 1398–9. (fn. 119) He was keeper of the royal park
at Chiltern Langley, (fn. 120) and was a knight of the shire
in the Parliament of 1387. (fn. 121) He married Elizabeth
daughter of Sir Lewis Clifford, (fn. 122) and various settlements were made of Vaches Manor which appears
to have been held by a John de la Vache and his
wife Elizabeth for life. (fn. 123) Philip also granted it to
several feoffees, presumably to the use, after his own
death, of his wife and heir. (fn. 124) Sir Philip de la Vache
died in 1407 or 1408, (fn. 125) and his widow held the
manor for life in 1410; (fn. 126) she enfeoffed John Kirkham and his wife Anna to hold during her life. After
her death Kirkham refused to give up the manor to
the feoffees of Sir Philip, represented by John Buktoft,
and a lawsuit ensued, the result of which does not
appear. (fn. 127) The heir of Philip de la Vache is said to
have been his daughter Blanche, (fn. 128) the first wife of
Richard Grey de Wilton, who certainly obtained
Vaches Manor. (fn. 129) He had a further claim on it,
since his grandmother had been Matilda, the sister of
Matthew de la Vache. (fn. 130) He granted the manor (fn. 131)
to Richard Henbarowe, John Clubbewell, and Richard
Koppe, but some years afterwards, in 1442, (fn. 132) the lastnamed feoffee regranted it to Richard and his second
wife Margaret in fee-tail. Reginald Grey was the
son and heir of Richard, (fn. 133) but Margaret held the
manor for her life. (fn. 134) Edmund, Lord Grey de Wilton,
and his wife Florence held it in 1506, (fn. 135) but in that
year they sold it to Thomas Craford, William Lynne,
Nicholas Shelton, Richard Lee, and the heirs of
Shelton. Vaches Manor afterwards passed to John
Colet, Dean of St. Paul's, (fn. 136) and formed part of the
endowment of St. Paul's School. (fn. 137) The trustees of
the school, the Mercers Company of London, still
own Vaches Farm in Aston Clinton.
De La Vache. Gules three lions argent having crowns or.
At the close of the 12th century the manor of
DUNDRIDGE was held by Henry de Crokesley of
William de Clinton. (fn. 138) Henry granted land with
the consent of his heir from his tenement in Dundridge to the abbey of Missenden in the time of
Robert de Braybroc, who was under-sheriff of the
county in 1197 and 1199 and sheriff in 1204 and
1205. (fn. 139) The grant was confirmed by William de
Crokesley, the nephew and heir of Henry, when in
possession of Dundridge, and also by a Roger and a
second Henry de Crokesley. (fn. 140) The manor was afterwards held by Richard de Crokesley in the 13th
century, (fn. 141) certainly between 1240–1 (fn. 142) and 1286. (fn. 143)
After the grant of Aston Clinton Manor by William de Paris to William de Montagu, Richard de
Crokesley brought an action in 1261 (fn. 144) against the
latter, to recover reasonable estover in a wood at
Aston, appertaining to his manor of Dundridge.
John de Crokesley is mentioned in 1275, (fn. 145) but
whether he ever held the manor does not appear.
Shortly afterwards the subtenancy must have lapsed,
since William de Montagu, Earl of Salisbury, died
seised, c. 1320, (fn. 146) of lands and messuages at Dundridge, and in a survey of the manor made in the
reign of Edward III, (fn. 147) Crokesley's land is mentioned
among the free tenements held of Isabella de Montagu.
Thomas, Earl of Salisbury, died seised of the manor
of Dundridge in 1428, (fn. 148) and it was held with the
manor of Aston Clinton (fn. 149) until it passed into the
hands of Henry VIII on the attainder of Margaret,
Countess of Salisbury. In 1544 the king sold the
manor of Dundridge to Sir John Baldwin, (fn. 150) who
died seised of the manor. (fn. 151) It then passed to his
grandson Sir Thomas Pakington, and in 1578 it
was sold by John Pakington to Henry and Richard
Baldwin. (fn. 152) Henry Baldwin obtained a grant of free
warren in his lands in Aston Clinton from James I (fn. 153)
in 1620. Before 1628 (fn. 154) the manor passed to Richard,
presumably the son of Henry Baldwin, and he settled
it on his wife Christian and his own heirs male, on
his brother Silvester, and the four sons of Silvester. (fn. 155)
Richard died in 1636, (fn. 156) and although his widow
survived him, (fn. 157) Dundridge seems to have come into
the possession of Henry Baldwin, his nephew. (fn. 158)
Before 1670 it passed to Edward Baldwin, who sold
it to Thomas Baldwin. (fn. 159) Another Edward Baldwin
appears to have succeeded to the manor before 1689, (fn. 160)
and his family held it till 1768, when Robert Monteith
Baldwin sold it to the father of Edward Darell, who
owned Dundridge in 1813. (fn. 161) His daughter Elizabeth married John Jeffrey, and her grandson, the
Rev. John Jeffrey, rector of Barnes, inherited it. (fn. 162) In
1900, on the death of Canon Jeffrey of Hawkhurst,
Kent, his trustees sold his estate at Dundridge. The
house and 150 acres of land are owned and occupied by
Mr. Robert T. Green; about 130 acres were sold to
Mr. Frederick Butcher of Tring and the remaining 50
acres were purchased in three separate divisions. (fn. 163)
The manor of Dundridge formed part of the
serjeanty of Aston Clinton, and like the main manor
its service was commuted by Robert Passelewe in the
reign of Henry III. (fn. 164) The Crokesleys had, like the
lords of Aston Clinton, alienated part of their land,
and Richard de Crokesley's tenants also answered by
agreement for a third part of his holding, (fn. 165) paying
the annual rent of 11s. 9d. (fn. 166) This rent was bought
in 1671 by Sir Francis Gerrard at the same time that
he obtained the rent due from his own manor. (fn. 167)
The service from the land retained by Richard de
Crokesley in his own hands was changed from serjeanty to military service, and his whole fee answered
for the thirtieth part of a knight's fee. (fn. 168) In 1254
he paid half a mark yearly to the king, to be quit of
suit of court, and 10s. yearly for the right to hold the
view of frankpledge for his tenants. (fn. 169)
Henry de Crokesley alienated part of his land in
Dundridge to the abbey of Missenden, with the
consent of William de Clinton. (fn. 170) He granted them
'13 solidatae' of land, with the tenants living there,
and a third part of his demesne land, excepting the
land previously granted to the chapel of St. Leonard. (fn. 171) In 1254 the Abbot of Missenden was said
to hold in chief of the king, paying 13s. a year by
an agreement with his tenants, (fn. 172) but previously he
had held of the serjeanty of William de Paris. (fn. 173)
The possessions of the abbey were confirmed by the
Popes Innocent IV and Boniface IX, and rents and
services in Dundridge are mentioned. (fn. 174) The abbey
held the lands in Dundridge until the Dissolution.
In 1540 Henry VIII granted land in Aston Clinton
to Michael Dormer, that had formerly belonged to
the abbey of Missenden, (fn. 175) but it is not said to be at
Dundridge, and four years later he gave two messuages
called Brunes and Brownes, respectively, and certain
demesne lands at Dundridge to Henry Bradshawe. (fn. 176)
The tenement called Brownes passed into the hands
of John Ginger, yeoman, before 1607, when he sold
it to his son Michael for £300. (fn. 177)
The manor of MONTJOY in Aston Clinton was
held by the Montagus in demesne. Of its earlier
history there seems to be no record, but in 1397
William de Montagu, Earl of Salisbury, died seised of
lands and tenements in Montjoy held of the king by
fealty. (fn. 178) He had granted them in fee to Sir William
Farendon, who obtained a regrant from the king on
the death of the earl. (fn. 179) The manor is mentioned
for the last time in an inquisition on the lands of
Edward Earl of Warwick, taken in 1513 (fn. 180) some
years after his attainder.
The manor of OKE was apparently in the parish
of Aston Clinton, but it is only mentioned twice in
the 14th and 15th centuries. John Rose and his
wife Elizabeth held the manors of Chiverey and Oke
in 1389. (fn. 181) Thomas St. Clare also held the manor of
Oke in 1424, (fn. 182) but it is not mentioned again in the
descent of the manor of Aston Chiverey.
In Domesday Book there was one mill at Aston
Clinton of the yearly value of five 'ores' of silver. (fn. 183)
In the 13th century Robert son of Martin held the
mill, with land and wood, from William de Paris, (fn. 184)
and a water-mill is mentioned as appurtenant to
the manor, when it was held by the Earls of Salisbury. (fn. 185) In the first years of the 16th century, it
was in such a complete state of disrepair that no
tenant could be found to take it, (fn. 186) but by 1520 this
had been remedied, and a new tenant was in possession. (fn. 187) There is no water-mill in Aston Clinton
parish at the present day.
Churches
The church of ST. MICHAEL
AND ALL ANGELS consists of a
chancel 34 ft. 9 in. by 16 ft. 4 in., a
nave 51 ft. 8 in. by 17 ft. 6 in., north and south
aisles, 7 ft. 6 in. and 8 ft. 1 in. wide respectively, a
west tower 13 ft. 5 in. by 12 ft. 2 in., and north and
south porches. The church probably consisted of
an aisleless nave and chancel up to the latter half of
the 13th century. Towards the end of that century
the south aisle, and about the middle of the 14th
the north aisle, were added. It is impossible to say
when the original tower was built, for this part of
the church was completely rebuilt about 1800. The
chancel was also rebuilt in the 14th century, and at
the same time and in the century following windows
were inserted at various points. The original clearstory probably belonged to the latter date.
The east window of the chancel is modern and of
three trefoiled lights with tracery of 14th-century
detail and elaborately shafted jambs and moulded rear
arch. On either side of it are modern niches with
trefoiled heads and finialed canopies. In the north
wall is a much-restored niche of late 14th-century
work with a trefoiled head and an elaborate finialed
and crocketed canopy on modern corbels carved into
heads in mail hoods. This niche, possibly an Easter
sepulchre, is engraved in the Gentleman's Magazine for
1796, p. 841 that is previous to its restoration, and
is shown without the carved corbels but with small
side buttresses surmounted by figures. At the back
of this, externally, is a small square recess, now glazed.
West of this is a blocked 14th-century door continuously moulded on its internal jambs, but not showing
on the outer face of the wall; it once led into a
vestry, which is now destroyed, and of which the
recess was one of the fittings. Between this door
and the west wall are two mid-14th-century windows
with geometrical tracery of two trefoiled lights
with two trefoils and a quatrefoil over, a moulded
rear arch and internal and external labels. At the
south-east of the chancel are three beautiful mid14th-century sedilia and a piscina, divided from
each other by small buttresses with richly crocketed
pinnacles. The heads are cinquefoiled, in the case of
the sedilia sub-cusped, and of ogee form with richly
moulded crocketed and finialed labels, while the backs
of the sedilia are concave, and there is a shelf to the
piscina. The seats are at one level throughout.
Above is a blocked 14th-century window, and
west of it a small priest's door of 14th-century
date, and two 14th-century windows similar in
every respect to those on the north except that the
western one has its western light continued downwards to form a low side window, the sill of
the window above forming a square transom head.
The chancel arch, belonging to the first half of
the 14th century, is of two wave-moulded orders,
the jambs having half-round shafts with moulded
capitals.
The nave is of four bays. The north arcade has
two-centred arches of two wave-moulded orders and
an ogee label with carved drips. The east responds,
the first and the third columns are octagonal, the
second column and the west respond are round, while
all have moulded capitals and bases. The south
arcade, c. 1280, has two-centred arches of two
hollow-chamfered orders, broach stopped, and an
undercut label mitred over the piers, with buckle drips
over the responds. The columns and responds are
round and octagonal, arranged in the same way as in
the north arcade, and have moulded capitals of rather
plain section and plain chamfered bases. At the east end
are doors on either side to the rood loft. There are
three much-restored clearstory lights on either hand;
the first and third are quatrefoils, the second a circle
with eight cusps. The tower arch is modern and of
the same detail as the north arcade, but there are a
few old stones in the jambs, which suggest a 14thcentury date for the original tower.
The north aisle has an east window of 15th-century
date with three cinquefoiled lights and cusped spandrels under a square head, and with a moulded rear
arch and external jambs of two moulded orders. In
the south wall are three two-light windows of the
same date and of similar general design. All of these
have external labels and have been much restored.
To the west are two modern trefoiled lights in an old
opening. The north door, between the western pair
of windows, is of 15th-century date with a blunt
two-centred head and spandrel sinkings. The porch
is modern.
The east window of the south aisle is of three
cinquefoiled lights with tracery and of early 15thcentury date, but is an insertion in an older opening,
which it does not fit. At the east end of the south
wall is a late 13th-century piscina with a moulded
two-centred head and a curiously crude label, which
is carried completely round the piscina, forming a sort
of frame. There are three two-light windows to the
south. All are very much restored, the westernmost
is almost entirely modern but the openings are old.
The lights are cinquefoiled, with cusped spandrellights over under a square head, and are of 15thcentury style. Sufficient old stone remains, particularly in the easternmost, to make it appear probable that their tracery is a faithful copy of former
work. The sill of the first window is carried down to
form sedilia, and both this and the one next it have
shafted jambs, and all have moulded rear arches
and external jambs with square labels. The west
window of the aisle is also of 14th-century date,
with two trefoiled lights and two quatrefoils over
in a square head. The south door, between the
westernmost pair of windows, of late 14th-century
date though much restored, is of two double ogee
orders separated by a deep hollow, and has an external label.
The south porch of 15th-century date is of two
stages, but the upper part has been completely rebuilt
in recent years with the use of a great deal of new
material. In the north-west corner is the door to
the staircase, and the upper story is lighted by a
modern square-headed south window. The porch
entrance is of two orders and much restored.
The tower, which was completely rebuilt in 1800
and restored since then, is of three stages, the lower
two of which are rough cast, the upper and the embattled parapet being faced with flint rubble. The
belfry openings are modern and of two cinquefoiled
lights with a square label. The west window is
modern, of 14th-century detail with two trefoiled
lights with tracery over.
The octagonal font is modern and of early 15thcentury detail, but in the south aisle is preserved
the basin of a 12th-century font of crude workmanship ornamented with alternate raised and sunk
rosettes. The chancel roof is modern and of steep
pitch. The roofs of nave and aisles are of low pitch
and modern.
There is little woodwork of any interest, but a 17thcentury table remains, and a couple of chairs of the
same date stand within the sanctuary rails.
The tower contains six bells cast by Thomas Mears
& Sons 1806, and a sanctus dated 1778.
The church plate consists of a modern chalice, a
standing paten of 1715, and a plated flagon.
The first book of the registers contains marriages
from 1560 to 1721, baptisms from 1567 to 1722, and
burials from 1560 to 1722. The second book
contains all entries from 1723, marriages running to
1754 and the rest to 1752. A third book contains all
entries from 1754 to 1812.
The church of ST. LEONARD is a small plain
plastered building with a nave and chancel of equal
width, 16 ft. 3 in., and without any structural division,
the chancel being 24 ft. 3 in. long and the nave 25 ft.
3 in. The latter is continued 10 ft. further west to
inclose a bell turret. There is a north porch to the
chancel and a south-west porch to the nave. Little
can be said of the history of the church. The earliest
remains are a piscina and one sedile in the chancel
which apparently date from the middle of the 14th
century and may not be in their original position, as
there is evidence that a second seat adjoined the
single one which remains. The nave roof looks like
15th-century work, but can hardly be older than
the repairs made by Cornelius Wood late in the
17th century. The windows are all modern or so
much altered that their date is matter for conjecture only, and the chancel roof and the porches
are modern.
The east window of the chancel is of three cinquefoiled lights under a four-centred head, and on its
sill is set an embattled cornice, which is all that
remains of a 15th-century reredos. On the north
of the chancel is a pointed doorway which has been
reset inside out and plastered so that its date is doubtful. At the east end of the south wall of the chancel
is a cinquefoiled piscina ranging with a single sedile
of the same detail, both having moulded labels;
the start of the label of a second seat is to be seen.
The bowl of the piscina projected from the wall
face, but has been cut back. West of this is a
window of two cinquefoiled lights under a fourcentred head.
The nave is lit by three windows, two on the
north and one on the south. The latter, towards
the east, is of two cinquefoiled lights under a fourcentred head and opposite to it in the north wall
is a similar window. The second north window is
a single three-centred uncusped light under a square
head. The south door, very plain, is modern of
14th-century detail.
West of the nave is the bell-cot around which a
thin wall in continuation of the nave walls has been
built, the old west wall being destroyed and a modern
window set in the new west wall.
The fittings are modern including the font which is
octagonal in form, with a slender stem and traceried
bowl. On the north wall of the nave is a marble monument with a pilastered entablature surmounted by a
skull set up in memory of Mr. Seth Wood
and Elizabeth his wife by their eldest son Cornelius
Wood in 1707; it bears a note to the effect
that another son John Wood was minister at
St. Leonard's for 30 years. The arms of Wood are:
crusilly three demi-woodhouses proper; crest an oak
tree. On the south wall is a large florid monument
to Cornelius Wood, who died 1712 aged seventy-five,
and was colonel of a regiment of horse and lieutenantgeneral in the army of Queen Anne. On the tomb is
an armed bust surrounded by warlike trophies and
flanked by cherubs blowing trumpets. Over it are
hung a funeral helmet, gauntlets, and crest. In the
chancel is a small monument to Samuel Baldwin, 1760,
and another to Mary Willis 1704, daughter of
Joseph Willis, minister, bearing the arms: a cheveron
between three mullets.
The bell-cot contains one bell.
The church plate consists of a communion cup and
cover paten of 1612, a second cup of 1814, and a
standing paten inscribed as the gift of R. Penn, esq.,
and hall-marked for 1775.
Only one book of registers exists, which contains
baptisms and burials from 1738 and marriages from
1739, all entries running to 1812. This book contains a few sheets stamped for the threepenny duty
imposed on entries in registers from 1783 to 1794.
Advowson
The church of Aston Clinton is
a rectory, and till the 18th century
the advowson was presumably held
by the lords of the chief manor in Aston Clinton. It
is not, however, mentioned in any document during
the Clinton tenure of the manor, nor in the regrant
made by Edward I to Simon de Montagu in 1290. (fn. 188)
His grandson William de Montagu, Earl of Salisbury,
diel seised of the advowson of the church of Aston
Clinton in 1397, (fn. 189) but there seems to have been
some question whether the right of presentation did
not belong to the Crown. This may have arisen,
however, after the forfeiture of the lands of John,
Earl of Salisbury, who opposed the accession of
Henry IV to the throne. (fn. 190) Henry IV presented
Thomas Tuttebury as if the church was in his gift, (fn. 191)
and on the resignation of Tuttebury he again in 1402
presented to the benefice. (fn. 192) On the petition of
Thomas de Montagu, Earl of Salisbury, however, the
letter of presentation was revoked, and the advowson was recognized to be the right of the earl. (fn. 193)
After the attainder of Edward Earl of Warwick, the
advowson, together with the manor, came into the
possession of the Crown, and Henry VIII presented
several rectors to the church. (fn. 194) Edward VI granted
the advowson to Lady Mary, (fn. 195) and it afterwards
passed with the manor to the
Barringtons and the Gerrards. (fn. 196)
In 1727 the Lakes sold it to
the Principal and Fellows of
Jesus College, Oxford, (fn. 197) who
are still the patrons of the
living.
Jesus College, Oxford. Argent three harts tripping gules.
The chapel of St. Leonard
is first mentioned in a charter
of Henry de Crokesley, granting land to the abbey of Missenden, in which he excepted
from the gift of a third part
of his demesne lands at Dundridge, 13 acres of land that he had granted to the chapel
of St. Leonard. (fn. 198) Henry de Crokesley died before
1193, and probably granted this land to the chapel
during the reign of Henry II. (fn. 199) It was called
in the 13th century the chapel of St. Leonard of
Blakmere, and more land does not then seem to have
been attached to it. (fn. 200) Another account, by Lipscomb, gives 1278 as the date of the foundation of the
chapel, (fn. 201) when Bishop Gravesend of Lincoln, during
a visitation, granted to William de Clinton, patron of
the church of Aston, a chapel within the same parish. (fn. 202)
He apparently took a confirmation of an old grant
for the foundation itself, since the chapel was in
existence many years before, and the last William de
Clinton had been dead more than fifty years. (fn. 203) The
Montagus presented to the chapel after they had obtained the manor of Aston Clinton, the king presenting in 1403, during the minority of Thomas, Earl of
Salisbury. (fn. 204) It was served by a stipendiary priest,
and at the time of the dissolution of the chantries
the messuage and land attached to the chapel were
worth 23s. a year. (fn. 205) There were at that time about
thirty-five 'houseling' people living in the hamlet of
St. Leonards, (fn. 206) about 3 or 4 miles away from the
parish church, and the chapel seems to have escaped
dissolution since it thus served as a chapel of ease.
An inquisition was taken in 1570 to show why the
land had been unlawfully detained from the hands of
the Crown, (fn. 207) but the tenants of the house and land,
Henry and Silvester Baldwin, successfully brought
forward the plea that the chapel was a necessity for
the hamlet. (fn. 208) The land was then worth 30s. a year,
and this was used for the repair of the chapel and the
support of the services there, (fn. 209) and for the repair of
the highways. A grant was made to William Tipper
and Robert Dawe, the noted fishing grantees, of the
chapel and Chapel Farm. (fn. 210) It is mentioned in 1640, (fn. 211)
but after the Civil War the building was in ruins, only
the bare walls remaining. It was rebuilt by a loyalist,
Cornelius Wood, who endowed it with provision for
a minister exempt from the jurisdiction of the bishop
and archdeacon, and receiving his appointment solely
from the patron, without institution or induction. (fn. 212)
He placed the chapel and land in the hands of trustees, who are also the patrons of the benefice. The
chapelry was formed in 1860 into a separate ecclesiastical parish, and the living is a vicarage in the gift
of the trustees.
There is a Baptist chapel, built in 1830 and
rebuilt in 1846, and again in 1897.
Charities
The Poor's Land, devised by will
of Mrs. — Turpin, widow, an extract
from whose will was contained on a
tablet in the church, came into the possession of the
parish in 1736. The trust property consists of meadow land containing 3 acres or thereabouts, let at
£10 15s. a year, and thirteen plots of garden allotments producing £2 10s. a year. The income is
applied, in accordance with the trust, in the distribution of loaves of bread.
The Church Estate, which it is understood was
originally derived under the will of Sir Gilbert Gerrard, bart., now consists of 7 a. 2 r. 4 p. at Broughton
near Aylesbury, known as Mepham's Land, let at
£16 16s. a year, and a moiety of a field in College
Road, Aston Clinton, let at £10 15s. a year. The
net rents are carried to the church expenses.
Ecclesiastical District of St. Leonards.—The Parliamentary returns of 1786 mention that a rent-charge
of £1 per annum was given to the poor by an unknown donor. The annuity is regularly paid by the
owner of Dundridge Farm in this parish, and distributed in sums of 1s. each to twenty poor persons
on St. Thomas's Day.
The Church Trust, founded by Thomas Plaistowe
by feoffment dated 1 September, 23 Hen. VII, is
regulated by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners
of 15 December 1896. The real estate consists of
the Chapel Farm, containing 119 acres or there abouts,
and 27 a. 3 r. 21 p. at Whitchurch (Buckinghamshire)
let at £145 a year, 23 acres of woodland at Mentmore (Buckinghamshire) in hand, and 3 cottages at
St. Leonards, let at £12 a year. The personal
estate (including a legacy of £100 bequeathed by
will of Robert Fox, proved in 1869) consists of
£2,667 15s. 6d. Canada 3½ per cent. stock, and
£2,694 4s. 1d. South Australian 3½ per cent. stock,
the rents and dividends making a gross income of
£344 a year. The stock is held by the official trustees. By the scheme the net income is applicable in
the payment to the churchwardens of any proper
charges for the maintenance and repair of the fabric
of the church, and the residue—subject to the payment of £10 a year for any public purpose for the
benefit of the inhabitants, and £10 a year to the
official trustees towards the formation of a 'Fabric
Fund' of not less than £200 consols—is received by
the incumbent.