A HISTORY OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 



elaborate projecting canopies with shafted jambs ; in 

 the piscina is a stone shelf. Immediately west of this 

 is a very remarkable three-light window, which looks 

 like 13th-century work reused and altered circa 1320. 

 The lights are uncusped, and have a square inner 

 reveal and stilted moulded rear arches resting on free- 

 standing shafts with octagonal moulded capitals ; there 

 are engaged shafts to the tracery orders also. Partly 

 under this window is a 14th-century tomb recess with 

 a sub-cusped cinquefoiled ogee head, and another like 

 it to the west ; both are now empty. Close to the 

 south door is a small plain much restored holy water 

 recess, and from this point to the sedile runs a string- 

 course on the level of the sill to the window last de- 

 scribed. The south door is of late 13th-century date, 

 with a deeply-moulded two-centred head and shafted 

 jambs with circular bases and capitals. West of the 

 south door is a window of three cinquefoiled lights, 

 repaired, but of 14th-century date, and there is a 

 contemporary moulded string-course forming its sill 

 and extending some distance on each side of it. Be- 

 low are two tomb recesses similar to those already 

 described, but having shafted jambs. 



The south porch is modern and has a small lancet 

 on either side. 



The new western tower is of three stages, with 

 a tall stone spire, and incorporates the old tower, 

 which has been refaced. 



The font is modern, with a plain octagonal bowl. 

 There are no monuments of interest in the church, 

 and the roofs and seating are modern. There is, 

 however, a 17th-century oak pulpit. 



There is only one bell, dated 1838, and a small 

 'ting-tang,' dated 1805. 



The church plate consists of a communion cup of 

 1752, given by Thomas Penn, rector ; a plated paten ; 

 and a flagon of 1629, given by Miss Mary Chibnall. 



The first book of the registers contains baptisms 

 and marriages from 1561 to 1695 and burials from 

 1561 to 1678. Burials are continued in a second 

 book from 1678 to 1727, and baptisms and marriages 

 in a third from 1695 to 1721. A fourth book 

 contains baptisms and marriages from 1721 to 1754; 

 a fifth and sixth burials from 1721 to 1786 and 

 from 178610 1812. Baptisms, after a gap, are con- 

 tinued from 1788 to 1812, and three books containing 

 marriages with banns run from 1754 to 1776, from 

 1776 to 1 803, and from 1803 to 1812. 



The church of Princes Risborough 

 ADVOWSON was granted by Walter Giffard to 

 Notley Abbey Is8 at its foundation, 

 with the tithes of his demesne lands there. A vicar- 

 age, however, was not ordained. In 1258 the abbot 

 obtained leave from the pope that the churches and 

 chapels belonging to his abbey should be served by 

 the canons or other priests, who should be answerable 

 to the abbot and convent. 139 This method of serving 

 the churches caused various complaints in the I4th 

 and I 5th centuries, 140 but the privilege was confirmed 

 by Boniface IX in I4O2. 141 The rectory belonged to 

 the abbey of Notley at the dissolution of the monas- 

 teries. 14 ' It was afterwards granted by Henry VIII 



to the Dean and Chapter of Oxford, 143 and was held 

 with the Abbot's Manor till the I9th century. A 

 vicarage is mentioned in the grants of Henry VII i 144 

 and Edward VI, 14S but this was probably a mistake. 

 The advowson of the church was granted with the 

 rectory to Thomas Crampton, 146 and the church was 

 served by a perpetual curate appointed by the impro- 

 priator of the rectory. The patronage was transferred 

 to the Bishop of Oxford in i86o, 147 and finally the 

 benefice was declared a rectory in i868. 148 



A chapel of St. John the Evangelist was built at 

 Lacey Green early in the igth century, 149 the plan 

 being mainly carried through by the exertions of the 

 Rev. Richard Meade, rector of Horsenden and per- 

 petual curate of Princes Risborough. It was conse- 

 crated by the Bishop of Lincoln in 1825. 



The hamlet, with Looseley Row and Speen, was, 

 however, formed into an ecclesiastical parish in 1 8 5 1 ; 1M 

 the living is a vicarage in the gift of the rector of 

 Princes Risborough. 



The Abbot of Notley, at the time of the Dissolu- 

 tion, was bound to distribute certain charities to 

 various poor persons at the church of Princes Risbo- 

 rough, to the value of 2O/. a year, for the benefit of 

 the souls of the Earl Walter Giffard and the Countess 

 Ermengarde. 141 An acre of land was also granted to 

 provide a light at Princes Risborough, presumably 

 within the church. 151 A Baptist chapel was built in 

 1707 in Bell Street, and a second chapel was opened 

 at Looseley Row in 1862. There is a branch of the 

 Bell Street chapel at Longwick, where there is also a 

 Wesleyan chapel. The Wesleyan Methodists have a 

 chapel in Princes Risborough, built in 1869. At 

 Speen there is a Baptist chapel opened in 1813, and 

 the Primitive Methodists have a chapel at Lacey 

 Green. 



For many years there was an ancient custom at 

 Princes Risborough by which the impropriator gave a 

 bull and a boar on Christmas Day for the use of his 

 parishioners. They were distributed ' in large pieces, 

 smoking hot from the copper at five o'clock in the 

 morning for breakfast on Christmas Day.' 1M Four 

 bushels of wheat and four bushels of malt were also 

 made into bread and beer and given away. The 

 custom however was given up before l847. 164 



In 1615-16 William Smith by his 

 CHARITIES will left 40 for the use of the poor. 

 The legacy was laid out in land, in 

 respect of which 3 a. 2 r. 3 6 p. in Near Side Field 

 were allotted on the inclosure in 1820. The land 

 is let in allotments, producing about j a year, which 

 is applied in the distribution of money, 2/. 6</. to 

 each recipient. 



An annual payment of 32 a year is made by Lord 

 Rothschild out of the Manor Farm, Tring, in respect 

 of Joan Chibnall's Charity, by will, 1 646, for provid- 

 ing gowns, &c., for poor widows or ancient ladies of 

 Princes Risborough, and other parishes in this county 

 and Oxford. In 1905 thirteen women of this parish 

 were provided with gowns at a cost of 8 ; 21. were 

 given to fifty-one recipients and lot. paid to the 

 rector for a sermon. 



188 Dugdale, Man. vi, 278 ; Cal. Rot. 

 Chart. (Rec. Com.}, i, 46. 



189 Cal. of Papal Letters, v, 508. 

 14 V.C.H. Bucks, i, 377. 



141 Cal. of Papal Letters, v, 509. 



l Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iv, 233. 



148 Pat. 34 Hen. VIII, pt. 6, m. 12. 

 Ibid. 



145 Ibid. I Edw. VI, pt. 5, m. 31-6. 



146 Ibid. 32 Eliz. pt. 9, m. 9. 

 * 4 7 Land. Gaz. jo Mar. 1860. 

 I* 8 Ibid. 25 Feb. 1868. 



266 



149 Lipscomb, Hist, of Bucks, ii, 441. 



150 Land. Gdx. I Aug. 1851. 



151 Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), iv, 233. 

 1M Chant. Cert. 5, Bucks, no. 71. 

 1M Lysons, Mag. Brit, i, 627. 



154 Lipscomb, Hist, of Bucks, ii, 435. 



