Kellys_Berks_Bucks&Oxon_1911_0261.jpg

d i r e c t o r y .]

B E R K S H IR E .

coupled spire lights under triangular h e a d s: the chan­
cel, which is E arly English, has a vaulted roof of chalk
and sto n e: the reredos is of stone arcaded with shafts
of enamelled slate: the sedilia affords a good example
of the style peculiar to the reign of H enry III. and the
font is singular from its Norman form and Early English
details, the arcading by which it is surrounded pre­
senting evidence, as is supposed, of a Transitional
ch aracter: the piers of the north aisle are Early E n g­
lish and those of the south aisle are Decorated and the
tower arch Norman s ty le s : the organ was built in
1888, at a cost of £ 267: the stained east window is a
memorial to Mary Anne, wife of Charles Eyre, d. 1855,
and there is another to the latter, d. 1886: two other
stained windows in the chancel are also m em orials:
the church also contains a monumental slab, supposed
to be that of the founder, and an altar tomb to Anne,
daughter of Sir W illiam Read kt. 1585, wife, first to
Sir Adrian Fortescue (knighted 18th February, 1503),
and next to Sir Thomas Parry K.B. treasurer of the
Queen’s H ousehold; here are also m ural and other
monuments to the fam ilies of Mundy, Archer and
others: a small brass with effigy to John Westlake, a
former rector of Welford, ob. 1489, and another, c.
1530» with
°* a m an>
John Younge and several
ch ildren : on the south side of the Churchyard is an
ancient cross, consisting of an octagonal shaft on a
square base, surmounted by an ornamental rounded
head: there are 250 sittings. The register dates from
the year 1559. The living is a rectory, with the chapelrv
of Wick'ham annexed, net yearly value £500, including
189 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of John
H. Nicholson esq. of Balrath Burry, Kells, Ireland, and
held since 1909 by the Rev. Charles Edward Hardy
M.A. of Trinity College, Dublin. The rectory house,
called “ W ickham House,” was probably built early in
the last century, but extensively altered by a former
rector, who added a tower with spire 100 feet h ig h ;
it is Gothic in s ty le : attached is a very large conserva­
tory, in which are preserved some portions of stone
work taken from old Welford church. Thomas Sheaf,
rector here, who died in 1639, was the author of “ A
Plea for Old A ge .” There are, perhaps, few English
villages presenting an earlier or more continuous his­
tory than W elford; the Romans, it is evident from
the numerous coins and relics found here, frequented
it, even if they had no permanent settlem ent; and
there are extant various Saxon charters by successive
monarchs, the chief interest of which lies in theii
minute description of then existing boundaries. At
the time of the Domesday Survey, 1083-6, Welford,
then called “ W alliford,” was in the hundred of Roe
burg (Rowbury), w ith two churches, and seems to have
been a prosperous place. The manor belonged, from
the 7th century, to the abbot and convent of Abingdon.
Welford House is the property of Col. George Bramston
Archer-Houblon J.P. of 30 Cranley Gardens, London
S W, lord of the manor and principal landowner; the
park contains 200 acres and is stocked with d ee r; the
mansion is at present (1911) occupied by Major Ralph
P. Cobbold. The soil is light and gravel; subsoil,
chalk and gravel. The chief crops are wheat, barley,
oats and turnips. The area is 5,220 acres of land and
28 of w a ter; rateable value, £4,634; the population in
1901 was 791.
EASTON, three-quarters of a m ile south-east, and Hoe
Benham, 2 miles south, are hamlets.
WESTON is a hamlet half a mile north-west, and has
a Church of England Mission Room, erected in 1894-5

W ELFORD.

259

at a cost of over £200; divine service is held here on
Wednesday evenings throughout the winter. Here is a
Congregational chapel, erected in 1831, seating 100
persons. There is also a Prim itive M ethodist chapel,
built in 1864, with sittings for 100 persons. The manor
of Weston was purchased of Sir W illiam Percy by John
Aubrey, who conveyed it in 1364 to John de Cokkyng
and his h e irs; this manor, in Queen Elizabeth’s time,
was in the fam ily of Hungerford. Sir Francis Burdett
bart. of Ram sbury Manor, W ilts, who is lord of the
manor, and Col. George Bramston Archer-Houblon are
the principal landowners.
W ICKH AM is a chapelry, one mile and a half south­
west from the parish church, and is situated near the
great Roman highway connecting Gloucester and Silchester with London. The church of St. Swithin is a
building of squared flint, consisting of chancel, nave
of three bays, aisles, south porch and an em battled
western tower containing one bell, and, with the ex­
ception of the tower, was entirely rebu ilt in 1845-9,
from designs by Mr. Benjam in F errey, at the sole cost
of the Rev. W illiam Nicholson, a former rector, in a
kind of 14th century style, with a profusion of orna­
mental ca rv in g; in the chancel are two se d ilia; the
tower is the only portion of the ancient church now re­
m aining, and m ay possibly belong to the close of the
n t h century; it has a baluster«! belfry window and
quoins which appear like Saxon long and short w o rk ;
the walls are of great thickness and the masonry consists
of alternate layers of flint and m ortar about three inches
th ick: the new work has been executed in the most
sumptuous m anner, and the sculpture of the foliage on
the capitals and bosses is particularly good: a hand­
some font-cover, from the Exhibition of 1862, was pre­
sented to the church by Lieut.-Col. N icholson: the
stained east window was erected in 1890, and the T oof
was re-tiled in 1891: there are 150 sittings.
Hoe Benham sdhool-chapel is now used solely for
divine w orship: until 1875 it was m erely a small room,
but in th at year it was m uch altered, and is now a
very sm all and plain cruciform building, consisting of
chancel, nave, transepts, and a turret containing one
belh
Parish Clerks— Welford, James Brown; W ickham ,
George Goodall.
Post & T. Office, W ickham .— John W illiam Allee, subpostmaster. Letters arrive from Newbury at 8.30
a.m. & 1.15 p .m .; dispatched at 12.25 & 5 -3°_ P m No delivery on sundays. Kintbury, 5 m iles distant,
is the nearest money order office. W ickham Heath
Letter Box cleared at 12 noon & 5 p.m
Letters for Welford through Newbury arrive at 9 a —
& 1.45 p.m
Weston letters through Lambourn arrive at 8.45 a.m
Letters for Halfway are delivered from H ungerfora &
arrive at 8.30
Wall Boxes.— Easton, cleared at 12 noon & 5.30 p.m . ;
Halfway, at 8.50 a.m. & 5 -3° P m - *> sund?£’ 9 *°
a .m .; Weston, at 8.35 a.m. & 5-2° P-m - *» Bedford,
at 5.20 p.m

Schools.
Elem entary (mixed), at Wickham, erected in 1857, for
159 children; average attendance, 130; Owen P. Attewell, master
' The children from Elcot fc Clapton, in the parish ol
. Kintbury, attend this school
Birch Edwin, blacksm ith
WELFORD.
H ALFW AY.
n l l u xr •
-n 1 l -n
ntr 1 '(Letters for Halfway should be ad- Hamblin Wm. & Sons, m illers (water)
Plumb W illiam , bricklayer
Cobbold Major Ralph Patteson, Weidressed Hungerford.)
ford park
.
_
,
Sinallbone Robert, grocer
Hewitt William Joseph,Oakhanger
Lawrence John, Halfway
...
W illis Alfred, farm er, Elton farm
Brown Edwin, shopkeeper
Le M esuner John Cortlandt William Working Men’s Club (Charles GosButcher Moses, farmer, Welford farm
B.A. Milton lodge
well, sec)
Harris Alfred, estate carpenter
j Allen Albert, farmer, a way aim
W ICKH AM .
Ivatts W illiam , head gamekeeper to H allett George, Halfway House P.H
Attewell Owen P
Col. G. B. Archer Houblon
, Richens George & Alfred, farmers
Hardy
Rev.
Charles Edward M.A.
Perry Wm. head gardnr. Welford pk
HOE BENHAM.
W ickham house
! Batson Mrs
Adey Brothers, brick makers (Thomas
EASTO N.
Waldron A rth ur Frank
Wood Blake, manager)
IBurton Cassandra (Mrs.), ihopkeeper
Allee
Jn. W illiam , shopkpr. & post off
Archer-Houblon Col. George Bram- ! & beer retailer
Brooks Robert Henry, farm er. W ick­
stop J.P
Huzzey John, farmer
ham
farm
Burbidge Rev. Richard John A .K .C .L . Huzzey Shadracb, farmer
Froome James, poultry farmer
(curate)
¡Tucker William, baker
Honour W illiam Thomas, farmer
Masters Fredk. farmer, Easton farm
w r^ T O N
N u tt James, Five Bells P.H. & farmer
Moore Thomas, beer retailer
Batt Alfred Charles, beer retailer
Willis Alfred Thomas,farmer,Sole frm
Radbourne Edward, blacksmith
W H I S T D E Y - I N - H T J R S T , see Hurst
BERKS

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