AYLESBURY HUNDRED 



EI,LESBOROUGH 



9 ft. wide, south porch, and a south-west tower 1 o ft. 

 6 in. square, all measurements being internal. 



The whole building seems to be of 15th-century 

 date, with modern additions and repairs, and has had 

 its outer surface entirely renewed, so that hardly a 

 trace of old work shows on the outside. 



The situation is an unusually fine one at the top of a 

 pur of the Chiltern Hills, 500 ft. above the Ordnance 

 datum and overlooking the Vale of Aylesbury. 



The east window of the chancel is completely 

 modern and of three cinquefoiled lights with tracery 

 over. The two windows in the north wall of the 

 chancel are also modern and of late 14th-century 

 detail, that to the east being of two lights, and that to the 

 west of three, while in the south wall is a two-light 

 window like that opposite to it on the north and 

 the door and arch to the vestry and organ chamber, all 

 modern and of plain detail. In this wall is a small 

 ith-century piscina with a shelf and a bracket, the 

 head of its recess being embattled. The chancel arch 

 is also much restored, but in the main of 1 5th-century 

 date. 



The nave is of five bays and is lit on the north by 

 three large three-light windows with modern tracery 

 of 15th-century detail in 15th-century openings. 

 The blocked north door is between the west pair of 

 windows and is of two moulded orders contemporary 

 with the rest ; it has a trefoiled recess for holy water 

 to the east. The south arcade is of four bays with 

 four-centred arches of two moulded orders, octagonal 

 pillars and capitals, the abaci of the capitals being 

 slightly concave in plan. 



West of the arcade is a single arch to the tower 

 which is built at the west end of the aisle. The arch 

 detail is identical with that in the nave arcade, while 

 the abacus of the west respond of the arcade is con- 

 tinued round the north-east pier of the tower and 

 runs into the capitals of the tower arches. The west 

 window of the nave is of three lights like those on 

 the north and, like them, has modern tracery in a 

 15th-century opening. The west door externally 

 is completely modern but the internal reveal and 

 moulded rear-arch are of 1 5th-century date. 



At the east end of the south wall of the aisle is a 

 two-light window similar in detail, date, and degree of 

 restoration to the north windows of the nave, but 

 somewhat broader in proportion. The south door 

 opposite the fourth bay of the arcade is continuously 

 moulded with a double ogee and, externally at least, 

 is quite modern. West of this is a modern single 

 cinquefoiled light with tracery over. 



The south porch is completely modern and has a 

 continuously moulded entrance arch of 14th-century 

 detail, over which are a pair of modern niches 

 containing figures of St. Peter and St. Paul. 



The south-west tower is of three stages with an 

 embattled parapet and a south-east octagonal turret 

 staircase, it is of considerable height with belfry 

 windowsof two cinquefoiled lights, single trefoiled lights 

 in the second stage, and a two-light west window on 

 the ground stage. 



The font has an octagonal 14th-century bowl upon 

 a modern base and stem. The bowl is moulded 

 and of ogee profile, its faces being panelled with 

 flowing tracery in relief. The roofs throughout are 

 modern. 



In a recess in the aisle is a handsome black and 

 white marble monument to Bridget Croke, 1638. 



On a moulded sarcophagus of black marble is the white 

 marble effigy of a woman in the costume of the period 

 of Charles I, an extremely well executed and well 

 preserved piece of work, the various details of the 

 costume being treated with the utmost care and exact- 

 ness. Above the effigy is a white marble semicircular 

 pediment springing from the cornice of a complete 

 entablature of the composite order, which is supported 

 on either hand by a free and an engaged black marble 

 column with white marble bases and capitals. The 

 soffit of the entablature is panelled, the panels having 

 alternately cherubs' heads and rosettes in relief. The 

 inscription is cut on a slate slab let into the white 



COKI. Cults a feat 

 btrwctn six martlets ar- 

 gent with a triseent tablt 

 on the feu* for dijftmct. 



HAWTHIT. Arftnl 

 four leopards fauant btnd- 

 vaays ktnottn doubli 

 totssis table. 



marble back and has no date. Above is Croke impaling 

 Hawtrey, between Croke and a lozenge with Hawtrey. 



In the north aisle on the wall is a brass with the 

 figures of Thomas Hawtrey, I 544, Sybil his wife, and 

 eleven sons and seven daughters, with the Hawtrey 

 shield, apparently engraved over another coat. Below 

 is the inscription of another brass to Mary, ' somtyme 

 the wyfe of Willm Hawtrey,' who died in 1 555. In 

 the floor of this aisle are slabs to the following : Henry 

 Croke, 1588, with the Croke arms quartering a fesse 

 nebuly between three rings ; Henry Croke, 1662, 

 with Croke quartering a shield bearing a chaplet ; 

 Sir Robert Croke, 1680, with Croke bearing the 

 last quartered shield in pretence, and Susannah 

 Croke, 1685. In the chancel is also a slab to 

 Robert Wallis, rector, 1666. In the windows of 

 the organ chamber are preserved a few fragments of 

 1 5th and I jth-century glass. There is no woodwork 

 of any interest in the church, but in the vestry is a 

 large chest with handsome brass hinges, lock-plate, &c. 

 of 1 7th-century date. 



The tower contains six bells, the treble cast by 

 Mean and Stainbank in 1870; the second, third, 

 fourth, and tenor by Thomas Mean, 1823, and the 

 fifth by G. Mean, 1863. 



The church plate consists of a large covered cup of 

 1 569, of extremely graceful design with a band of 

 typical Elizabethan ornament. The sacred monogram 

 and some of the Crucifixion emblems have been 

 engraved on it at a later date ; there are also a plated 

 flagon and salver. 



The first book of the registers contains all entries 

 between 1603 and 1663. The second book (over- 

 lapping the first) contains baptisms from 1659 to 1739 ; 

 burials from 1660 to 1739, with burials in woollen 

 from 1678 and marriages from 1662 to 1739. A 

 third book contains all entries from 1740, baptisms 

 and burials running to 1812, and marriages to 1753. 

 A fourth book contains the marriages and banns from 

 1754 to 1812. 



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