Kellys_Berks_Bucks&Oxon_1911_0047.jpg

OIK EC TO R Y.]

B E R K S H IR E .

treme length of about 2,500 yards, and is almost com ­
pletely surrounded by swelling h ills ; the surface is
generally level, and m ostly covered with fine t u r f : there
are now some permanent buildings on the site, and a
series of butts with a range of over 1,000 y a rd s : in
1905 three new sets of butts were erected by the County
Rifle Range Com m ittee, and are in almost constant use :
the branch line from Didcot to Newbury and W inchester
runs along at the foot of the hills on the south, and has
a small temporary station with sidings here called
41 Churn,” erected for the purposes of the camp, which
is wholly within the parish of Blewbury.
A short distance from the village, eastward, is a re­
markable isolated hill called “ Blewburton ” (Bleobyrigdun), scarped on its western side into a series of
broad plateaux, rising one above another, and supposed
by some to be indications of a fortified position, but are
more probably remains of the method of cultivation by
means of “ linches ” or terraces pursued under the
“ open field ” sy stem ; sim ilar features are observable
on the hill to the south of Aston Upthorpe, and on the
high ground on the east of the linchwav at U pton:
many coins, from the tim e of the Romans to that of the
Stuarts, have been ploughed up in the locality, together
with bullets, weapons and other evidences of former
wars. D uring the Civil W ar th e neighbourhood was
frequently scoured by the Royalist and Parliam entary
forces. The parish is intersected by the B ritish road,
called the Ickleton or Icknield way, and by a mere or
defensive earthwork known as “ G rim sd itch ; ” the
former throws off a collateral branch called “ the Ridge­
way,” which runs along the downs and by Cuckham sley
(Cw ichelm ’s hlaewe), commonly known as “ Scutchamore Knob,” to W antage. A small bronze celt in good
preservation was found on W est Hagbourne H ill by a
shepherd, in the sum mer of 1893, and is now in the
possession of Mr. L. G. Slade, of Aston Upthorpe. A
valuable paper on this parish was contributed to the
volume of the Newbury Field Club for 1894. There are
three m anors, the G reat Manor, the Prebendal Manor,
and the manor or lib erty of Nottingham ’s Fee. Lady
W antage, of Lockinge Park, is lady of the G reat manor
and the principal landowner; the Prebendal manor is
held by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and th at of
N ottingham ’s Fee by Mr. Thomas H um frey; other
landowners are Mr. Morris E li Caudwell, and the
trustees of the late Mr. Thomas Franklin, of Stadhampton, Oxon. The soil is chalk and m arl; subsoil,
chalk, and the land chiefly arable, producing wheat,
barley, roots and beans, but within as well as imme-

BO U R TO N .

45

diately outside the village it is principally laid out as
apple and cherry orchards, and large quantities of fru it
are annually sent to the London and other m arkets.
W atercress is also extensively cultivated. The entire
area is 4,244 acres of land and 2 of w a te r; rateable
value, £3,095; the population in 1911 was 634.
Upton, with Aston Upthorpe, were form erly chapelries
in this parish, but, by Order in Council, 7 June, 1862,
were separated from Blewbury and formed into an
ecclesiastical parish and later into a civil parish.
Parish C lerk, John Gardner.
Post, M. 0 . k T. Office.— Mrs. Sarah Weston, subpostmistress. Letters through Didcot delivered 7.40
a.m. & 12 .10 p.m. ; sundays, 7.40 a.m. ; dispatched
at 9.15 a.m. & 1.25 & 6.30'p.m . ; Sunday, 10 a.m
Wall Letter Box, in London road, collections, 9 a.m. &
1.30 & 6 .3 0 p .m .; sunday, 10 a.m

School.
The Endowed School was erected in 1709 'by the trustees
of William Malthus esq. citizen of London, who be­
queathed lands at Noke, in Oxfordshire, for the edu­
cation & clothing of 30 boys & 30 g ir ls ; the endow­
m ent also providing prem ium s of £ 10 for the appren­
ticeship of the boys to various trades at the age of
14, & a certain sum to each girl on leaving the sch ool;
this charity at the return in 1808, produced a total
gross income of £725 yearly, of which £27 yearly
was available for apprenticing & the same sum for
distribution in blankets, sheets & coal on New Y ear’s
day; the property consists of 664 acres, but through
agricultural depression the endowment has failed, &
the only benefit the school at present derives from it
after payment of a first charge & the house occupied
rent free by the master, is a sum of about £50, which
by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners is applied
to the repairs of the building, gifts of clothing to
children on leaving & coal to deserving poor widows at
Christm as ; the school has been enlarged, & is capable
of holding 160 ch ild ren ; average attendance, boys &
girls, 70; infants, 27; it is controlled by a body of
m an agers; Rev. V . L. Whitechurch, correspondent;
Thomas Sm ith, m aster; Miss Eva Gallagher, assistant
mistress (certificated); Miss Kate Aldridge, assistant
infants’ mistress
Carriers.
George Green, to Wallingfcrd, tues. & fri. at 8 a.m
Edwin J Fry. to Abingdon, m o n .; to W allingford,
tues. & fri
Green John, fruiterer
P R IV A T E R E S ID E N T S .
Beesley Ezra, gardener
Green Joseph, mason
Billings Miss, Eastbrook cottage
Belcher Thomas, thatcher
Greenough Edwin, farmer
Bennett Thomas, baker & grocer
Butler Thomas, Gothic cottage
Hearn
James, watercress grower
Curtoys Alfred
Billson John, grocer
Dunlop J. Renton
| Caudwell Howard, farmer,Manor frm Johnson Herbert, blacksm ith
Graham Kenneth, Bohams
Caudwell Morris Eli, farmer, Ash- Lay James, farm er, Sheen croft
Lay Joseph, farm er, Boham’s farm
Hatton Miss
brook farm
Chapman W illiam , farm bailiff to Leach Henry, m altster & farmer
H uggins SamugT. Norrevs house
Martin Em ily (Miss), fancy dealer
Lane Misses, Brook cottage
Lady Wantage, Churn
Pepall George, watercress grower
Levy Alfred G
Corderoy Eustace, farmer
Prior Harry, Barley Mow P.H
Louselev Mrs. New'town house
Corderov Josiah, carriage builder
L yver Jack, Waylands
; C'orderoy Justus (exors. of), farmers Prior John, m iller (water)
Robinson Reginald, farm er, Great
& m illers (water)
Margetson W illiam H. Homestead
Tree farm
Middleton Harry, Vine cottage
Cricket Club (Ernest Porter, sec)
N ightingale W alter H. St. Michael’s Dunsden Jesse, assistant overseer k Robinson Wm . frm r. Parsonage frm
Saunders W illiam , Red Lion P.H
Pearce Miss, Cleave cottage
insurance agent
W hitechurch Rev. Victor Lorenzo Ebsworth Dennis, painter &c
Saunders Wm . farm er, Orchard Dene
(vicar), Vicarage
Street Abraham , beer retailer
Fry Edwin J. carrier, & New inn
Street Frank, grocer & baker
C O M M ER CIA L.
Gardner John, carpenter & builder
Upstone W alter, grocer & baker
Aldridge George, watercress grower Grace Joseph, blacksmith
Aldridge Tom, carpenter & builder
Grace Wm. J Catherine Wheel P.H W orking Men’s Club (John Billson,
sec. & treas)
Aldridge W illiam , coal agent
Green George. Load of Mischief P.H.
Andrews Charles, watercress grower
& carrier
BOTLEY,
N orth Hinksev.
B O A R S H I L L , see Wootton.
B O T J R T O N is a township and now a parish formed in Decorated style, consisting of chancel, nave, south
1867 out °f
civil parish of Shrivenham , situated on porch and a western bell-gable containing 2 b e lls : the
the W ilts border, three-quarters of a m ile south-by-west organ, presented by the first vicar, was opened May
from Shrivenham station on the Great W estern railway. 22nd, 1 381 : in 1907 a vestry was built on the north
6J miles north-east from Swindon and 7 south-west-by- side, and heating apparatus provided, at a cost of
south from Faringdon, in the Northern division of the about £300: the church was restored in 1878, and
county, hundred of Shrivenham , petty sessional d ivi­ affords 140 sittin gs: a churchyard, the gift of Mr. J.
sion, union and county court district of Faringdon, rural T. Painton Sm ith, was provided in 1897. The register
deanery of the Vale of W hite Horse, archdeaconry of dates from the year i860. The living is a vicarage,
Berks and diocese of Oxford. The W ilts and Berks net yearly value £98. with residence, in the gift of the
canal passes through. The parish is supplied with Lord Chancellor, and held since 1899 by the Rev. James
water from Ashbury. The Faringdon Rural District Bates. A new vicarage was built in 1897 at a cost of
Council have a storage tower erected in 1902-3. with a j £1,700. A Baptist chapel, built by the late Henry
tank capable of holding 10,000 gallons. The church Tucker esq. of Bourton House, and now (1911) the
of St. James, built by public subscription on a site property of C. K. Butler esq J.P . was opened
given by Thomas Tucker esq. who also contributed October 19th. 1851. by the late Hon. and Rev. Baptist
£500 to its erection, is an edifice of stone in the W. Noel M .A. and vv‘ll —at 150 persons. Six alms-