Kellys_Berks_Bucks&Oxon_1915_0599.jpg

d ir e c to r y

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BUCKING HAMSHIRE.

MENTMORE.

151

Francis Duffield esq. d. 1758, both of whom -were of ings consist, so far as they are genuine, of a block in
Medmenham Abbey, and each died in the month of the rear, lighted by mullioned windows; the ivy-covered
May a^ed 39; there also remains a brass to Richard tower and cloisters adjoining it facing the river are of
Levyng! ob. 1415, and Alicia, his wife, ob. 1419: the comparatively' modern erection: the abbey has been
church affords 170 sittings: in the churchyard, under restored, and is now the residence of Col. Sir Douglas
the southern window, is a monument to Ellen, wife of Rawdon Dawson G.C.V.O., C.M.G., J.P. Wittington,
Bransby William Powys esq. : Henry William Caslon, the seat of the Rt. Hon. Lord Devonport P.C. was
of the well-known family of typefounders of that name, built in 1898, in the Early Georgian style, on the
is also buried in the churchyard. The register dates cliff above Hurley Weir, and commands delightful
from the year 1654. The living is a vicarage, net views of the Thames Valley. This estate formerly
income ¿133, with residence and 3 acres of glebe, in belonged to the Pole family, of which Cardinal
the gift of Mrs. Hornby Lewis, and is at present (1915) Reynold Pole was a member; it finally passed to re­
vacant. Danesfield, the seat of Arthur Hornby Lewis mote relations, one of whom being convicted of piracy,
esq' D.L., J.P. is pleasantly seated on an eminence the estate was forfeited to the Crown. King Charles
commanding extensive views; contiguous is the Danish I. at the intercession of Archbishop Laud, gave it to
encampment which gave its name to the mansion, and the University of Oxford, from whom it was pur­
between the church and States House is another ancient chased by the present owner in 1898. The Manor
encampment. The remains of Medmenham Abbey, House, a'building of the 15th century, and formerly
founded by Hugh de Bolebec and colonised from Woburn the home of the Duffield family, was carefully restored
Abbey Beds, are beautifully situated on the north about 1903 by the present owner, Lord Devonport P.C.
bank of the Thames. King John, by a charter dated Mrs. Hornby Lewis, who is lady of the manor, and Lord
June 3rd, 1201, confirmed the foundation, and in 1204 Devonport P.C. are the principal landowners. The soil
some of the Cistercian monks of Woburn settled here, is chalk, flint and clay. The chief crops are wheat,
but did not long remain; in 1212 a new colonisation barley and oats. The area is 2,406 acres of land and
was effected by monks of the same order from Cis- 36 of water; rateable value, ¿4.478; the population in
teaux in the diocese of Chalons, in France. The abbey, 1911 was 390.
dedicated to the Virgin Mary, possessed revenues, which BOCKMER END, 1 mile north, and WOOD END, 2
at the Dissolution, were valued at ¿20 6s. 2d thebuild- north-east, are in this parish.
incr being then Tuinous. The Abbot of Medmenham
Parish Clerk and Sexton, Harry Carpenter.
was ex-officio epistolar of the Order of the Garter on Post, M. 0 . & T. Office.— Mrs. Charlotte Sartin, sub­
St. George’s Day at Windsor Castle. During the 18th
postmistress. Letters through Marlow arrive at 8
century the abbey- was tenanted by a band of men of a.m. & 12 noon; dispatched at 1.45 & 6.15 p.m.;
wit and fashion, under the designation of the “Monks
Sundays, arrive 8 a.m. ; dispatched 9.40 a.m
of St Francis,” whose habits they assumed, but better Letter Box, Bockmer, cleared at 9 a.m. & 5-45 P in-*
known as the “Hell Fire Club;” these, led by Sir Sundays, 9.15 a.m
Francis Dashwood bart. John Wilks and others, con.
verted the abbey into a convivial retreat, and here cele- Elementary School (mixed), built in r‘ “ for 150'
children; Miss Jane Forrester, mist s
brated their impious and immoral orgies. The build- I children:
H
il--lier Webster
, head garScutt George C. Bockmer house
—*
.. ... Richard.
P R IV A T E R ESID EN TS.
Talbot Maior-Gen. Hon. Sir Reginald! dener to A. H. Lewis esq. U.L
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Da,0..
nes
d gardens
(Marked thus * should be .addressed Arthur James
K.C.B.
State. s 1house ; J
Wood End, Marlow.)
& 12 Manchester square, London W Hobbs William, farm bailiff to John
Gardener, Lodge farm
White John, Lee cottage
Crocker Capt. John C. Weybrooke
Hutton Charles, gamekeeper to Lord
Dalton Misses, The Manor house
C O M M E R C IA L .
Devonport P.C
Dawson Col. Sir Douglas Frederick
*Keene Brookhouse,farmer,Wood End
Rawdon G.C.V.O., C.M.G., J.P. Aird James, head gardener to Col. Keene Robert, farmer, Westfield &
SirD. F. R. Dawson G.C.V.O.,
Medmenham abbey
Kingsbarn farms
Devonport Lord P.C., D.L., J.P. C.M.G
Dog k Badger P.H
-- -Reuben,
Wittington; & 4 1 Grosvenor place ♦Balkwell John, farmer, Wood End Pocock
Coulson
E
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t
,
head
gardener
t
o
S
a
r
tin Charlotte (Mrs.), grocer, Post
& Reform club. London S W
Lord Devonport P.C
j office
Lewis Arthur Hornby D.L., J.P Gardener
John, farmer, Lodge farm Scutt Geo. C. farmer, Bockmer house
Danesfield
Ea
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f
Rosebery
K
G., K.T., P.C., F.R.S., F.S.A. is a
M E N T M O R E is a village and parish 2 miles northnorth-west from Cheddington Junction station on the mansion in the Anglo-Italian style, erected in 1851 by
Bamn
Mayer
d
e
Rothschild
from designs by Sir Joseph
London and North Western railway and 4 south-west
from Leighton Buzzard, in the Mid division of the Paxton and Mr. G. H. Stokes; it is situated west of
t
h
e
v
i
l
l
a
g
e
and
commands
an extensive view of the
county, hundred of Cottesloe, Linslade petty sessional
division, union and county court district of Leighton Vale of Avlesburv, and contains a collection of pictures,
Buzzard, rural deanery of Ivinghoe, archdeaconry of chiefly of'the French school, but there are some fine
Buckingham and dio-eese of Oxford. The church of St. specimens of the Italian masters from the Manfrini
Mary is a building of chalk rubble, stuccoed, in various Gallery at Venice ; among the works of art here are
styles, and consists of modern chancel, clerestoried cabinets and marbles of great beauty ; tapestries and
nave, aisles, south porch, a vestry on the north side of other products of the needle and the loom, and a fine
the chancel, and an embattled western tower containing collection of Limoges enamels. The Earl of Rosebery
5 bells: all the roofs are open, of good oak, with is lord of the manor andthe principal landowner. The
carved figures: the nave is of three bays, the arches soil is stiff clay; subsoil,clay. The area is 1,5 75 acres,
rising from piers with embattled caps, but the bases consisting mainly of dairy and pasture land ; rateable
are in fact Early English capitals reversed : there is a value, ¿8,567; the population in 1 9 x 1 was 2 9 9 .
trefoil-headed piscina in the south aisle; and in the
church is a memorial to the Theed family: the chancel LEDBURN is a hamlet of Mentmore, i \ miles south­
was rebuilt and the church restored in the year 1858 west from Leighton Buzzard. Here is a Baptist chapel;
and re-opened ¿May nth in that year ; the cost of the built in 1840.
work, executed under the direction of Mr. E. Stokes, i Parish Clerk, Thomas Mercy.
architect being ¿ 1 , 5 0 0 : the organ was presented by
M
0. & T. Office— Mrs.Caroline Ward, post
the Earl of Rosebery: there are 1 5 0 sittings, ilie m
miViWW#
a’
istress. Letters thrnmrh
through Leurhton
Leighton Buzzard arrive a
t
register dates from the year 1685. The living is
7 a.m. & 4.50 p.m. ; S u n d a y s , 7.20 a.m.; dispatched
vicarage, net yearly value ¿140, with residence, in the . at 8.55 a.m. & 6.20 p.m.; Sundays, 9.10 a.m
cleared atV .5 a.m. k 6.45
$ 3°fbT the11Ä Ä Z - ' i . r ofoxtri w i n t e r Box.
University. The poor share with neighbouring p.m. week days; 9.40 a.m. sundays
parishes in Pratt’s charity. In the summer of 1862 Elementary School (mixed & infants), built with
mistress’s house by the late Baron & Baroness Mayer
a remarkably good mediaeval jug was discovered
here which has been assigned to the 14th or 15th de Rothschild, now taken over by County Council, for
157 children; Miss Sarah Hardwick, mistress
century. Mentmore, the seat of the Right Hon. the
Ward Caroline (Mrs.), shopkeeper.
C O M M E R C IA L .
MENTMORE.
A
l
d
r
i
d
g
e
Edward,
farm
bailiff to the Post office
Roseberv The Right Hon. the Earl of
K G., K.T., P.C., F.R.S., F.S.A., Earl of Rosebery
J.P. Mentmore; & 38 Berkeley sq. Brazier William, clerk of the works
LEDBURN.
McGregor James, head gardener to
London W
Edmunds Charles Claude, Ledburn
Lang Rev. Ernest D.D. (vicar), the Earl of Rosebery
Manor house
Rowland Ernest William, Stag inn
V ic a r a g e