AYLESBURY HUNDRED 



GREAT MISSENDFN 



when it was in the hands of the abbot, it was still 

 called the chapel of Lee. It is not certain whether 

 Lcc had become a separate parish at this time, but 

 the extraordinary position of the chapel was apparent 

 as early as 1537. In that year two churchwardens, 

 Richard Westwood and Thomas Newynt(on), appear 

 to have gone round the neighbouring parishes "ask ing 

 charity for their church. A curious story has been 

 preserved that on going to the house of Francis 

 Fongc of Little Missenden for this purpose, Alice his 

 wife asked them to come in to drink. In the house 

 Westwood saw a book of the gospels in English lying 

 open in the window. He read the opened pages and 

 shortly afterwards accused his hostess, who was there- 

 upon indicted for heresy." The result unfortunately 

 is not forthcoming. The efforts of the church wardens 

 to raise money probably enabled them to tide over 

 the difficulty caused by the dissolution of the monas- 

 tery, and the chapel may very likely have been con- 

 tinuously served by the ex-canon, John Slythurst, to 

 whom an extra pension of 8 a year was granted in 

 1539 to serve the cure at Lee ;** if he refused, the 

 pension was reduced to $ 6s. 8</. How long this 

 arrangement went on does not appear, but probably 

 the lords of the manor were forced to make some 

 reasonable provision for a curate at Lee Chapel. A 

 vicarage is spoken of in the grant of the manor and 



rectory to Lord Russell," and possibly some assign- 

 ment of land had already taken place. The lords of 

 the manor were the patrons and presented to the 

 chapel as a donative." The living at the present 

 day is a vicarage, the advowson belonging to Mr. 

 Lasenby Liberty. 



The Charity of Nicholas Almond, 

 CHARITIES founded by deed 1629, see under 

 Wcndover. The poor of this parish 

 receive IO/. a year from this chanty. 



In 1880 Miss Harriet Day by will proved at Lon- 

 don 4 June, left to the vicar and churchwardens 

 4,000 stock, now represented by 4,045 is. yd. 

 Corporation of Croydon 3 per cent, stock, producing 

 yearly 121 js., to be applied 8/. weekly to each of 

 five poor women, not under the age of sixty years, who 

 should have dwelt for ten years within a radius of 2 

 miles of Lee parish church and be communicants there ; 

 2 to vicar for making weekly payments aforesaid ; 

 residue to said women in coal at midsummer. The 

 widows receive 8/. a week according to the terms of 

 the will. 



In 1 88 1 Abraham Watson by will, proved at London 

 9 May, left to the vicar andchurchwardens 200 now 

 represented by 200 consols, dividends to be applied 

 in food and coals at Christmas amongst the poor. 



The sums of stock are held by the official trustees. 



GREAT MISSENDEN 



Missedene (xi cent.) Messenden, Mussenden. 



The parish of Great Missenden has an area of 

 5,8 1 9 acres. It attains an elevation of considerably 

 over 600 ft. along the centre of the parish, to which 

 an offshoot of the Chiltern Hills penetrates ; the 

 highest point, just north of Springfield Farm, being 

 a little over 650 ft. To the east the ground slopes 

 down slightly, but remains for the most part consider- 

 ably over 500 ft. To the west it falls away more, 

 but rises again to above 650 ft. on the western 

 boundary of the parish, where the village of Prest- 

 wooJ is situated. 



Three thousand one hundred and ninety-two acres 

 of the parish are arable land, 1,7 1 oj acres permanent 

 grass, and 513 acres wood. 1 



The River Misbourne flows through Great Missen- 

 den from north to south, the Metropolitan Extension 

 Railway and the main road from London to Wcndover 

 running parallel to it a little to the west. The large 

 village of Great Missenden is situated on this road, 

 Missenden Abbey and Park with its fine sycamore 

 trees lying at the south end. The village comprises 

 a number of modern houses of the better sort with a 

 few half-timbered, and others of brick of the Georgian 

 period. The railway station, on the Metropolitan 

 Extension Railway, is near the village. The road 

 leading past the church of St. Peter and St. Paul to 

 Chesham turns eastwards from the main road about 

 the centre of the village. Four roads branch off to 

 the west, leading to Prestwood and Hampden. 



In the north-east of the parish is Lee Common 

 and the greater part of the hamlet of Lee Clump ; 



in the north-west Woodlands Park, with Grim's 

 Ditch. Ballinger Common and h.imlct lie about 

 half-a-mile south of Lee Common, with Potter Row 

 to the east. At South Heath, about a mile east from 

 the village of Great Missenden, is a camp and moat. 

 Part of Hyde Heath is included in this parish in the 

 south-east, and Heath End is situated in the extreme 

 south-west. Peteriey Manor lies north of the latter, 

 with the straggling village of Prestwood to the west 

 and north of it. The soil is alluvial, with a chalk 

 base, abounding in the deposit of flint and shells. 

 The subsoil is chalk. There are disused chalk-pits to 

 the east of Prestwood and near Potter Row, and 

 another east of Hyde Heath, near which there is an 

 old gravel-pit. There arc extensive brickworks also 

 near Hyde Heath. 



The Inclosure Award was made in 1855 and is in 

 the custody of the Clerk of the Peace.' 



In the time of Edward the Confessor 

 MANORS the manor of GRE4T MISSENDEN 

 was held by a thcgn of the king, Sired, 

 the ion of Alveva. In 1086 it formed part of the 

 lands of Walter Giffard, and was then assessed at ten 

 hides.' This Walter was the son of Walter Giffard 

 de Longueville, who is said to have come to England 

 with William the Conqueror and died before 1085. 

 The son Walter was probably created Earl of Buck- 

 ingham by William II, and died in 1102, leaving an 

 only son, also named Walter, who died without issue 

 in 1164.' The family of Giffard thus became ex- 

 tinct, but their estates were known as the honour of 

 GifTard until about 1300. Great Missenden was 



* AVr Efd. (Rcc. Com.), ir, 147. 

 L. and P. Hn. fill, xii (i), ill. 

 Ibid. 

 Ibid. UT (i), 261. 



* Pat. i Edw. VI, pt. I. 



u Cf. Lytont, Magnti Brit, i, 594, 694 ; 

 I.ipicomb, Hal. of Bucks, ii, 356; Shea- 

 ban, Hist, and Tofcg. of Bucks. 169. 



347 



1 Inf. from Bd. of Agric. (190$). 



* Com. Incl. Awards, ii. 



y.C.H. Bucks, i, 247*. 



' G.E.C. Com flue Pttragr. 



