Introduction
If Stoke Hammond merits a mention in any guide book of Bucks, it is usually a brief comment on the church, with reference to the early font and then to The Three Locks on the Grand Union canal which is actually in Soulbury Parish!
However
After the Conqust in 1066, the village was about 100 houses and among the lands of Manno the Breton, Prior of Bradwell, after which it passed to his grandson, Hamon, who gave his name to the hamlet. Stoke was a common prefix in this area, which means ‘of that place’.
In 1350 the church assumed its present cruciform plan. The chancel was rebuilt and enlarged and the central tower and transept added. The oldest bell dates from 1370.
St Luke’s Church
In more recent times (the 1920s - 1930s) the church hit the doldrums when there was national interest in the plight of Rev E.T. Bradley who had ‘endured the unhappiness and misery of slanders from parish to parish.’
In the 1920’s a violent thunderstorm raged and a ‘ball of fire’ hit the church shattering the east window and other windows. It was following this catastrophe that the present window was planned and is unique in that it depicts St Luke, the Evangelist alongside a scene depicting the village itself.
Major repairs were carried out about twenty-five years ago to the building and the roof, and sadly in 2007 the Church needs a further £80,000 spending on it.
A longer history of the church can be found in ‘A thousand years....’ a history of St Luke’s, written by the late Mrs Pamela Murphy. This may be obtained from inside the church for 25p.
Tyrells Manor
There is a legend and it is fact, that for over 600 years this estate has favoured the distaff side and has for much of that time passed through the female line, often as the dowry of heiresses, or been owned or farmed by women.
The first mention of it as a separate moiety (part) of the Manor of Stoke Hammond is in the 13th Century, when Reginald de Grey of Bletchley sold part to the Chastilltons of Thornton, a village near Buckingham, and passed as dowry of their daughter Mary to the Bartons, which gave the house its first name (source: Lipscombe: History of the County of Buckingham 1847). The name was changed to Ingletons on the passing again by dowry, to Geoffrey Ingleton in 1465, and when their daughter married Humphrey Tyrell, also of Thornton, who came from a noble Essex family and was an ancestor of the famous hanging Judge, Tyrell, the estate took its present name (source: Lysons Magna Britannia).
Sold to a family named Kirk, it passed to their sons, and then twice through the female line, coming in 1634 as part of the dowry of Francis, who married John Hillersden of Ampthill in whose family is remained for 150 years.
The records of Bucks give many snippets of information regarding the Hillersden family. John refused to pay Ship money in 1636, the year before he died. The land passed to his son Thomas and his wife Elizabeth, although his mother was the life tenant. Elizabeth and Thomas had six children, many of whom with their husbands and children, are buried in the village church and again these were four daughters and two sons.
By far the most interesting is John, born in 1635 and who died aged 84 in 1729, for he is undoubtedly the builder of the present house, probably about 1708, since the house is not mentioned in the Antiquities of the Historical Monuments of Bucks, which covers buildings before 1700, but with its thirty-six windows, many still blocked up, was certainly built before the penal window taxes of a few years later. Built to the four points of the compass, this typical Queen Anne house embodied all the fine craftsmanship of the time. The walls are 18” thick, oak beams twenty foot long and nearly two feet square throughout their length, the wattle and daub plaster that has stood the test of time for over 250 years.
The present house was undoubtedly built on the site of a previous house since the cellars are older than the existing one, as is the fire place in the room at the front of the house disclosed when a fire destroyed the hideous Victorian mantle in the 1960’s. It was in the 1960’s an ‘Angus Dei’ shield was found not far from this room’s windows, which the V&A Museum placed as late as the 14th Century, and was probably part of the decoration on an earlier house (this can be seen now on the windowsill to the left of the altar in St Luke’s church).
For more historical information on Tyrells Manor, please contact the parish clerk.
Schooling
John Hillersden was responsible for the first school in the village in 1707, conveying an annuity of 3 of his closes of meadow lands; £5.10 per year to be paid to such a schoolmaster as he should appoint, who must conform to the rites and practises of the Church of England, to instruct every male child in Stoke Hammond to read, write and cast accounts. he made a special proviso that one of his neighbours, Bernard Fountaine was NEVER to be the schoolmaster, OR a trustee. Village feuds existed even in those days! (Source: Charities of Bucks)
Mrs Hazel Turner inherited a list of admissions of Stoke Hammond School from Mr David Kessler.It contains the children’s names with the dates of birth from 1869 to the date of closure in 1987, when the children moved to High Ash School in Great Brickhill.
The Brook
John Hillersden seems to have been involved in a number of feuds, one with the parson, who somewhat unpleasantly complained to the Bucks Quarter Sessions that Mr Hillersden was underrated and another with Anthony Ruttley, who was brought before the justices ‘for not scouringe of a Brooke called Lead Mead Brooke soe that the water overfloes and drowns the meadow of John Hillersden, gentleman’.
This brook is first mentioned in 1198 when Owen de Stoke was given three acres of meadow in Levendade, next to the garden of said Owen, by William son of Hamon, who gave his name to the village.
The brook has continued to give trouble for many, many years, in the 1940’s and 50’s it overflowed and flooded a great deal until the Drainage Board widened it and dredged it. Nowadays, it is cleaned out regularly by hand to ensure the village is no longer flooded to the extent it used to be.
The Dolphin
Mr G.C Rooke, Director and Secretary of the Aylesbury Brewary company Ltd, did some research for Mr David Kessler back in 1985 into the origin of The Dolphin Public House. He found an early conveyance document dated 30th May 1695 when reference is made to two cottages. There are other deeds dated: 19th April 1738, and then an indenture dated 19th July 1709. On 25th February 1753 there was an assignment of mortgage. On 5th January 1756 (with enclosure) the two cottages were released and for tenement in trust for John Franklin of Leighton Buzzard. On 24th June 1817 several enclosures were added. A later indenture dated May 1823 refers to, ‘All that cottage or tenement for sometime past called or known by the name or sign of The Dolphin and Blacksmith’s shop’. One line of thought here is perhaps the owner had been a ship’s blacksmith and having left the sea, tried to keep his past alive by calling the cottage The Dolphin. On this date a one year lease at a peppercorn rate was conveyanced from Franklin and other to Joseph Lucas for what would have been then a huge sum of £600.
If Stoke Hammond merits a mention in any guide book of Bucks, it is usually a brief comment on the church, with reference to the early font and then to The Three Locks on the Grand Union canal which is actually in Soulbury Parish!
However
- 1,000 years ago a few inhabitants of ‘Stoke Hamon’ built a church (before the Domesday book)
- Population in the Doomsday book is given as 12 villagers, 4 smallholders and 6 slaves
- The earliest church was built by the Saxons, part of which may be seen at the eastern end of the South wall in St Luke’s.
- The reason there was a settlement in Stoke Hammond was due to a good water supply. It was on the edge of the Whaddon Chase forest and water was available at ‘Chaddle’(now Chadwell on the Bletchley to Drayton Parslow road, and at the Mill at Orchard Mill). Records show these were used well before the Norman Conquest.
After the Conqust in 1066, the village was about 100 houses and among the lands of Manno the Breton, Prior of Bradwell, after which it passed to his grandson, Hamon, who gave his name to the hamlet. Stoke was a common prefix in this area, which means ‘of that place’.
- The first recorded Rector of the Parish was Richard de Tinton in 1220, who was appointed by the Prior of Bradwell and who continued to hold the advowson (right of passage) until the reign of Henry III.
In 1350 the church assumed its present cruciform plan. The chancel was rebuilt and enlarged and the central tower and transept added. The oldest bell dates from 1370.
- Stoke Hammond has had rectors who became bishops. In 1318 Steven de Gravesend became Bishop of London
- In 1433 John Chedworth was appointed Archdeacon of Wilts, Prebendary of Salisbury and then in 1452 made Bishop of Lincoln
- During the next century two incumbents rose to be Dean of Hereford and Canterbury and another Bishop of Lichfield.
St Luke’s Church
In more recent times (the 1920s - 1930s) the church hit the doldrums when there was national interest in the plight of Rev E.T. Bradley who had ‘endured the unhappiness and misery of slanders from parish to parish.’
In the 1920’s a violent thunderstorm raged and a ‘ball of fire’ hit the church shattering the east window and other windows. It was following this catastrophe that the present window was planned and is unique in that it depicts St Luke, the Evangelist alongside a scene depicting the village itself.
Major repairs were carried out about twenty-five years ago to the building and the roof, and sadly in 2007 the Church needs a further £80,000 spending on it.
A longer history of the church can be found in ‘A thousand years....’ a history of St Luke’s, written by the late Mrs Pamela Murphy. This may be obtained from inside the church for 25p.
Tyrells Manor
There is a legend and it is fact, that for over 600 years this estate has favoured the distaff side and has for much of that time passed through the female line, often as the dowry of heiresses, or been owned or farmed by women.
The first mention of it as a separate moiety (part) of the Manor of Stoke Hammond is in the 13th Century, when Reginald de Grey of Bletchley sold part to the Chastilltons of Thornton, a village near Buckingham, and passed as dowry of their daughter Mary to the Bartons, which gave the house its first name (source: Lipscombe: History of the County of Buckingham 1847). The name was changed to Ingletons on the passing again by dowry, to Geoffrey Ingleton in 1465, and when their daughter married Humphrey Tyrell, also of Thornton, who came from a noble Essex family and was an ancestor of the famous hanging Judge, Tyrell, the estate took its present name (source: Lysons Magna Britannia).
Sold to a family named Kirk, it passed to their sons, and then twice through the female line, coming in 1634 as part of the dowry of Francis, who married John Hillersden of Ampthill in whose family is remained for 150 years.
The records of Bucks give many snippets of information regarding the Hillersden family. John refused to pay Ship money in 1636, the year before he died. The land passed to his son Thomas and his wife Elizabeth, although his mother was the life tenant. Elizabeth and Thomas had six children, many of whom with their husbands and children, are buried in the village church and again these were four daughters and two sons.
By far the most interesting is John, born in 1635 and who died aged 84 in 1729, for he is undoubtedly the builder of the present house, probably about 1708, since the house is not mentioned in the Antiquities of the Historical Monuments of Bucks, which covers buildings before 1700, but with its thirty-six windows, many still blocked up, was certainly built before the penal window taxes of a few years later. Built to the four points of the compass, this typical Queen Anne house embodied all the fine craftsmanship of the time. The walls are 18” thick, oak beams twenty foot long and nearly two feet square throughout their length, the wattle and daub plaster that has stood the test of time for over 250 years.
The present house was undoubtedly built on the site of a previous house since the cellars are older than the existing one, as is the fire place in the room at the front of the house disclosed when a fire destroyed the hideous Victorian mantle in the 1960’s. It was in the 1960’s an ‘Angus Dei’ shield was found not far from this room’s windows, which the V&A Museum placed as late as the 14th Century, and was probably part of the decoration on an earlier house (this can be seen now on the windowsill to the left of the altar in St Luke’s church).
For more historical information on Tyrells Manor, please contact the parish clerk.
Schooling
John Hillersden was responsible for the first school in the village in 1707, conveying an annuity of 3 of his closes of meadow lands; £5.10 per year to be paid to such a schoolmaster as he should appoint, who must conform to the rites and practises of the Church of England, to instruct every male child in Stoke Hammond to read, write and cast accounts. he made a special proviso that one of his neighbours, Bernard Fountaine was NEVER to be the schoolmaster, OR a trustee. Village feuds existed even in those days! (Source: Charities of Bucks)
Mrs Hazel Turner inherited a list of admissions of Stoke Hammond School from Mr David Kessler.It contains the children’s names with the dates of birth from 1869 to the date of closure in 1987, when the children moved to High Ash School in Great Brickhill.
The Brook
John Hillersden seems to have been involved in a number of feuds, one with the parson, who somewhat unpleasantly complained to the Bucks Quarter Sessions that Mr Hillersden was underrated and another with Anthony Ruttley, who was brought before the justices ‘for not scouringe of a Brooke called Lead Mead Brooke soe that the water overfloes and drowns the meadow of John Hillersden, gentleman’.
This brook is first mentioned in 1198 when Owen de Stoke was given three acres of meadow in Levendade, next to the garden of said Owen, by William son of Hamon, who gave his name to the village.
The brook has continued to give trouble for many, many years, in the 1940’s and 50’s it overflowed and flooded a great deal until the Drainage Board widened it and dredged it. Nowadays, it is cleaned out regularly by hand to ensure the village is no longer flooded to the extent it used to be.
The Dolphin
Mr G.C Rooke, Director and Secretary of the Aylesbury Brewary company Ltd, did some research for Mr David Kessler back in 1985 into the origin of The Dolphin Public House. He found an early conveyance document dated 30th May 1695 when reference is made to two cottages. There are other deeds dated: 19th April 1738, and then an indenture dated 19th July 1709. On 25th February 1753 there was an assignment of mortgage. On 5th January 1756 (with enclosure) the two cottages were released and for tenement in trust for John Franklin of Leighton Buzzard. On 24th June 1817 several enclosures were added. A later indenture dated May 1823 refers to, ‘All that cottage or tenement for sometime past called or known by the name or sign of The Dolphin and Blacksmith’s shop’. One line of thought here is perhaps the owner had been a ship’s blacksmith and having left the sea, tried to keep his past alive by calling the cottage The Dolphin. On this date a one year lease at a peppercorn rate was conveyanced from Franklin and other to Joseph Lucas for what would have been then a huge sum of £600.