RISBOROUGH HUNDRED 



Horsenden Manor was held by military service, as 

 one knight's fee of the honour of Mortain.' 1 It is 

 also described, however, as two-thirds of a fee or half 

 a fee,' 1 but this was only in feudal assessments, when 

 the fees of the honour were privileged to pay less 

 than the full amount due. 



When the manor passed from John de Horsenden 

 to Robert de Braybrook, the latter was to pay John 

 21. a year for all service, except forinsec service." 

 This rent does not seem to have been continued, and 

 the elder branch of the Braybrooks held in chief of 

 the king.' 1 The younger branch also held by mili- 

 tary service.' 4 The Cottons, however, held of the 

 king in chief as of his honour of Wallingford by fealty 

 and suit of court at the honour. 7 * In the 14.1(1 cen- 

 tury the free tenants of the lord of the manor of 

 Horsenden had pannage rights for their pigs in a wood 

 belonging to the manor of Princes Risborough." In 

 1 5 74 John Cotton, who then held Horsenden, took 

 estovers in the wood of Hellworke in Princes Ris- 

 borough ; " he also paid 1 Ib. of pepper as rent to the 

 lord of Princes Risborough Manor," but whether this 

 was for his manor or for the right to take the estovers 

 is not certain. 



Gerard de Braybrook, in 1333, obtained a grant of 

 free warren * to himself and his heirs in their de- 

 mesne lands of Horsenden." In 1285 or iz86 

 Gerard de Braybrook claimed the view of frank- 

 pledge in Horsenden " as part of his inheritance. It 

 had, however, then been demised for a term of years, 

 together with the manor, to Henry de Shenholt. 81 

 Gerard answered, however, to the Quo Warrant! in- 

 quiries himself and also claimed the right to have 

 tumbrels. He paid nothing to the king for these 

 rights. At the time of the Domesday Survey one 

 mill belonged to the Count of Mortain's manor in 

 Horsenden, but it was of no value in lo86. M It is 

 not mentioned again for many centuries, but when 

 the Cottons were lords of the manor there was a 

 water-mill appurtenant to it ; M in 1813 two water- 

 mills are mentioned in connexion with the manors of 

 Horsenden and Princes Risborough, one of which 

 was probably in Horsenden. 8 * 



The church of ST. M1CH4EL hav- 

 CHURCH ing fallen into disrepair in 1765 the old 

 nave was pulled down, with the western 

 tower, leaving only the chancel standing. The pre- 

 sent church consists of the mutilated remains of the 



HORSENDEN 



chancel 45 ft. by 20 ft., with a western tower built 

 from the old material of the nave. It is lighted by 

 five windows, all of the same design and of 15th- 

 century date, though somewhat restored. They are 

 of three cinquefoiled lights with smaller trefoiled 

 lights over and two-centred heads. At the west end 

 of the south wall is the blocked opening of a squint, 

 at one time opening into the south aisle of the old 

 church. A description of this church is preserved in 

 a letter addressed by Dr. Browne Willis to Mr. John 

 Grubbe," as having consisted, in 1 728, of a chancel, a 

 nave with a blocked south arcade, and an embattled 

 tower ; it extended to about as far west as the present 

 stables of Horsenden House. 



The tower is of two stages with an embattled 

 parapet. The belfry openings are square-headed, and 

 there is a west window of two trefoiled lights, with a 

 plain chamfered west doorway beneath. The font is 

 modern, octagonal, and of 15th-century detail. 



The roof is modern, and also all the fittings, with 

 the exception of the upper part of a 15th-century 

 screen, which is planted against the west wall. It is 

 divided into rather narrow trefoiled openings by stout 

 chamfered mullions, and the spandrels are filled with 

 alternating rosettes and leopards' faces. 



On the walls are a number of memoria's of the 

 Grubbe family, the earliest to Bathewell Grubbe, 

 1666, the wife of John Grubbe, who died in 1700, 

 and to whom there is another tablet. 



There is one bell in the tower dated 1582. 



The church plate consists of a cup of 1 66 1 and 

 a small 18th-century standing paten, of which the 

 hall-marks are illegible. 



There is only one old book of the registers, which 

 contains baptisms from 1663 to 1809, burials from 

 1637, and marriages from 1707 to 1754, the latter 

 entries being continued in a printed book from 1754 

 to 1841. 



The advowson of the church has 

 JDfOfrSON been held by the lords of the manor 

 since 1210, when it passed from 

 John de Horsenden to Robert de Braybrook. 88 In 

 1660, however, the Bishop of Salisbury collated to 

 the rectory, presumably during the forfeiture of Sir 

 John Denham's lands." 



The living is a rectory, and the present patron is 

 Mrs. Leonard Jaqucs, the lady of the manor. 



There are no endowed charities in this parish. 



n Tea* di Kevill (Rec. Com.), 254. 



" Ftud. Aidt, i, 85. 



"' Feet of F. Buclu, 12 John ; Pipe R. 

 12 John, m. id. 



1* Feud. Aidt, i, 85. 



75 Ibid. ; Chan. Inq. p.m. 33 Edw. Ill 

 (lit not.), no. 31. 



'* Chan. lacj. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccxcvii, no. 

 162. 



fl Ibid. 28 Edw. I, no. 44. 



'* Exch. Dep. by Com. Eait. 16 Eliz. 

 no. i. 



' Chan. Inq. p.m. (Scr. 2), cccixxvi, 

 no. 40. 



"> Chart R. 7 Edw. Ill, m. 7, no. 



11 Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccxcvii, no. 

 162. 



"* Plac. dt Qua War. (Rec. Com.), 98. 

 Ibid. 



* y.C.H. Buck,, i, 243*. 

 " Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccxcvii, no. 

 162 ; cccixxvi, no. 40. 



* Recov. R. Trin. 5.3 Ceo. III. 

 * Ree. of Bucki. iv, 75. 

 88 Feet of F. Bucki. 12 John. 

 " P.R.O. Init. Bki. 1660. 



255 



