East Hendred Museum at Champs Chapel, Oxfordshire and Berkshire Heritage

CHAPTER IV CHURCH AND CHURCHYARD

Spark’s Farm stands at the lowest point in the main village street. The stream which flows from the pond by the A.E.R.E. buildings at Harwell by way of Lyde Bank and through the grounds on the south of Hendred House seems to have been a problem for a long time. It is believed that the flooding of this stream was the difficulty advanced as a reason for building St. Amand’s chapel at the House. Some notion that it was a moat got about and this accounts for the name of Moat Farm and Moat Cottage; there was certainly enough water to float a boat. The R.D.C. has now overcome, we hope, the flooding by the installation of pipes which carry the stream under the road. (This is shown on a broken line on the sketch maps)

There is certainly plenty of water about. Opposite Spark’s Farm we can still see the pump from which water was obtained before the mains reached the village in 1938. Farmers used to bring their water carts here to provide for their stock in dry times, and houses in the vicinity depended on it.

Just beyond the stream, on rising ground, stands the parish church. On this first quick tour of the village we shall take little more than a look inside. On considering the development of the village there are two points of special significance.

In the floor of the north transept is a brass commemorating two brothers. The inscription is in Latin. In English it would read: Here lie Henry Eldysley and Roger his brother former merchants of this town. Which Roger died 27th August, 1439 A.D. May God have mercy on their souls.

Unfortunately one of the effigies is missing; but both merchants’ marks are still clearly incised.

In the east wall of the north transept is a narrow brass slip with an inscription which, in English, would read: Here lies William Whitwey cloth and wool merchant who died 25th September, 1479 A.D. May God have mercy on his soul.

During troubled times and during renovations, brasses were sometimes moved about, defaced, or stolen. The Whitwey brass certainly did not at first occupy its present position. It may be all that is left of a full memorial with its own effigy.

These brasses remind us of Hendred's part in the wool trade of North Berkshire, as do also references in court rolls and other documents. It appears that the villages of East and West Hendred and Steventon, all on the Ginge brook, finished, by dyeing and fulling, much more wool than could have been produced by local flocks and that men grew rich by the trade. There is exact evidence in the returns of the royal officials called aulnager who were responsible for the measurement, and for the registration and taxation of the cloths. Their returns for the years 1394-5 are at the Record Office, and we have the names of the principal producers. The Arches were much concerned with this official business.

The other main point of interest from the point of view of the village is the Eyston chapel, which stands in the angle between the south porch and the chancel. It was built by the Eystons soon after they came to Hendred in that chequered style of ashlar and flint which one sees in many fifteenth century churches in this part of England. (There is a wonderful example of a church built entirely in this style at Ewelme.)

The Eystons had a chapel (St. Amand's) at the House itself, so one must assume that this addit-ional chapel was built either as a sign of the importance of the newcomers or to the greater glory of God, - perhaps something of both. When Roman Catholicism was outlawed, the Eystons as Catholics continued to use this chapel, - their freehold property, - as a memorial chapel until Catholics were permitted to provide their own burial grounds.

It is possible from the memorials in this chapel to follow the history of the Eystons. The one I find most affecting is to the William Eyston who remained faithful to James II, served in his army here, and followed him into France and Ireland. Although he and two of his brothers fought in the French army against the British and their allies, he was able to return to this country and died at East Hendred. His memorial includes the words: ob fidem Catholicam et fidelitatem erga Regem aliquando Miles at exul. - (for the Catholic faith and fidelity to the former King, soldier and exile.) Whatever one’s attitude towards the Catholic faith and the fugitive king, it is difficult not to be glad that a gallant member of our community was allowed to return to his native village and to end his days here.

In this chapel one cannot but think of the long struggle between rival Christian churches which sought to defend or restore their establishment as the official church of the country and which had such a marked effect on the life of East Hendred. Though the Eyston family was allowed to keep and to increase its land holdings in East Hendred (for example, in 1623, they bought Abbey Manor), it was on occasion subjected to such oppresive measures as that in 1715, when a tax levied to cover the expenses incurred by the revolt of James Edward Stuart was doubled in the case of Catholic land-owners, including the Eystons.

It was not until the failure of Charles Edward Stuart to restore his family and religion by force of arms with French support, that toleration made rapid progress. George 111 prevented the acceptance of Catholics as full citizens until after his death; but in 1829, Catholics were allowed to sit in Parliament and the full and free exercise of their religion led to the building of St. Mary’s church. It takes a very long time to recover from three centuries of tension: but relations between the religious communities in the village are now excellent.

It has been very important for the village that the virtual exclusion of the Eyston family from national affairs has meant the continuous presence of one landowning family in the village.

In 1860, a faculty was obtained which gave powers "to restore the whole Fabric of the Church (with the exception of the Roofs); to take down the present Pews and Sittings, and to erect new and open Sittings throughout the whole Church, to take down the present Chancel and rebuild the same on an extended site, with the addition of a north side Aisle theret; to take down such walls of the South Arcade as may be requisite, and to make an extension thereof towards the West, to newly pave the Church, as enlarged throughout…" Authority was also given "to take away… or carefully disturb any tablets, etc."

The restoration was thorough, but unwanted items were applied to uses we would hardly expect. Mr. Baden Stone has a photograph showing spectators at a cricket match sitting on oak pews which were thrown out, and part of beautifully carved pew, after having been used to fence a pig sty, now adorns the porch of King's Manor, having been rescued from the sty by Mr. Billyeald.

There is much else of interest in the church, which is dedicated to St. Augustine of Canterbury. The clock, which has no face, not only strikes the hours and quarters, but also on the six unusually heavy bells, plays a hymn tune every three hours. Mrs. Watts tells me that when she was young, children used to sing the following words to it:

The leaves are green,
The nuts are brown;
They are so high,
They won’t come down.

Leave them alone
Till frosty weather,
And they’ll all
Come down together.

The clock was made by Seymour of Wantage in 1525: that it is now in working order is due to the devotion and skill of Mr. Arthur Harrison who, during the first years of his retirement, repaired and reconditioned the mechanism. The tower which houses the clock is of the fifteenth century with a west window in perpendicular style.

Apart from the Eyston Chapel and the wool merchants’ brasses there are points a visitor might well return to study more carefully: the lectern, - probably of the fourteenth century, -the pulpit which commemorates the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and many more. It is interesting to examine the screen which was erected in 1860 and compare nineteenth century-work with that of older times. A visitor will realise on entering the church that generous interest is taken in its maintenance.

After this first quick glance into the church, it is well to walk round the churchyard and read some of the tombstones. The names will mean more on a later visit and should be kept in mind.

If we turn left on entering by the south gate we almost immediately come to the family grave of the Allins, of whom we shall hear more. Then two Bradfield stones, one of which commemorates Margaret Bradfield, wife of Robert Bradfield with her son John aged 12, and a daughter who died in infancy: a reminder of what we owe to recent developments in medicine. The Bradfields were farmers and millers.

The Robey vault reminds us of the Charles Robey who built Orchard House. Then comes the name of Ellaway, soon to be heard again. William Dearlove belonged to the family of which Miss Dearlove is the surviving representative in the village. There are stones bearing the inscription Requiescat in Pace to remind us of the time before the provision of the Catholic burial ground at St. Mary's church.

Then in the north eastern area we find a whole settlement of Besleys. I have counted twenty clearly legible: there may be more. I first come across the name Besley in a court roll of Abbey Manor for 1767 when Richard Ellaway was sworn in as Hayward, John Hunt as Tythingman, and William Besley as Constable. Then in 1801 under the Westmanside enclosure award, Thomas Besley was an allottee and is described as a cordwainer (shoemaker). It was probably this Thomas Besley who is commemorated on the stone which shows a Thomas Besley as dying in 1829 at the age of 78.

The Besleys were therefore an established village family by the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is likely that the William Besley of 1767 had a good many sons, for several of the Besleys buried here seem to have been contemporaries. It is difficult otherwise to account for the relationship between all the Besleys who permeated the life of the village until recently. They were shoemakers, maltsters, shopkeepers, publicans, wheelwrights, blacksmiths, carpenters, undertakers, and also constables, bell ringers, overseers, churchwardens. Without the Besleys, the village must have been a much less vital community.

My impression is, however, that Isaac Besley, who died in 1863 aged 82, was one of the most important of them, and I have formed the impression that it was he who established or extended his workshops and forges in Church Street, and acquired the two houses, now owned by Mr. England and Mr. K. Harrison close by.

The only person in the village now bearing the name of Besley is the widow of George Besley; but Joseph Besley, himself childless, passed on the business in Church Street to Arthur Harrison, his sister's son, and it is now conducted by Kenneth and Stanley Harrison, Arthur’s sons. Arthur Harrison took over the business about 1910, and there is a very practical memorial to the Besley-Harrison connection in the gates to the path across Snells: the lower gate bears the name of Joseph Besley, and the upper gate that of Harrison and the date 1912.

We shall hear more of the Besleys: but there has been an unfortunate obstacle to a study of this very interesting family. Mrs. Tinson (herself a Besley) tells me her mother had a "big black box full of deeds" and that as a child she used to look with admiration at the complicated lettering of the headings. This has completely disappeared, - I hope it will turn up. It would provide material for a study of an exceptional kind, - that of a family of village aristocrats, who worked hard, earned a sound living, and played a full part in local life.

As we return to the south gate, we come to the most delightful memorial in the churchyard, - a cross with a delicate shaft mounted on steps. It commemorates William Harris. The Besleys are well remembered in the village; but the name of Harris has almost died out of popular recollection. The William Harris who died in 1883 was the last of the family to bear the name; but it stands out boldly in brick-encircled plaques on cottages below Hill Farm and on Mount Pleasant; for the Harrises were not men to hide their light under a bushel. I have come across them time and time again in compiling this account of the village. We shall hear more about them later.

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Home About Museum Museum History Disabled Access Heritage Trust Fire Pump Local History Places to Visit Photo Gallery Audio-Visuals Getting Here Events Diary How You Can Help? Contact Us Links	CHAPTER IV CHURCH AND CHURCHYARD Spark’s Farm stands at the lowest point in the main village street. The stream which flows from the pond by the A.E.R.E. buildings at Harwell by way of Lyde Bank and through the grounds on the south of Hendred House seems to have been a problem for a long time. It is believed that the flooding of this stream was the difficulty advanced as a reason for building St. Amand’s chapel at the House. Some notion that it was a moat got about and this accounts for the name of Moat Farm and Moat Cottage; there was certainly enough water to float a boat. The R.D.C. has now overcome, we hope, the flooding by the installation of pipes which carry the stream under the road. (This is shown on a broken line on the sketch maps) There is certainly plenty of water about. Opposite Spark’s Farm we can still see the pump from which water was obtained before the mains reached the village in 1938. Farmers used to bring their water carts here to provide for their stock in dry times, and houses in the vicinity depended on it. Just beyond the stream, on rising ground, stands the parish church. On this first quick tour of the village we shall take little more than a look inside. On considering the development of the village there are two points of special significance. In the floor of the north transept is a brass commemorating two brothers. The inscription is in Latin. In English it would read: Here lie Henry Eldysley and Roger his brother former merchants of this town. Which Roger died 27th August, 1439 A.D. May God have mercy on their souls. Unfortunately one of the effigies is missing; but both merchants’ marks are still clearly incised. In the east wall of the north transept is a narrow brass slip with an inscription which, in English, would read: Here lies William Whitwey cloth and wool merchant who died 25th September, 1479 A.D. May God have mercy on his soul. During troubled times and during renovations, brasses were sometimes moved about, defaced, or stolen. The Whitwey brass certainly did not at first occupy its present position. It may be all that is left of a full memorial with its own effigy. These brasses remind us of Hendred's part in the wool trade of North Berkshire, as do also references in court rolls and other documents. It appears that the villages of East and West Hendred and Steventon, all on the Ginge brook, finished, by dyeing and fulling, much more wool than could have been produced by local flocks and that men grew rich by the trade. There is exact evidence in the returns of the royal officials called aulnager who were responsible for the measurement, and for the registration and taxation of the cloths. Their returns for the years 1394-5 are at the Record Office, and we have the names of the principal producers. The Arches were much concerned with this official business. The other main point of interest from the point of view of the village is the Eyston chapel, which stands in the angle between the south porch and the chancel. It was built by the Eystons soon after they came to Hendred in that chequered style of ashlar and flint which one sees in many fifteenth century churches in this part of England. (There is a wonderful example of a church built entirely in this style at Ewelme.) The Eystons had a chapel (St. Amand's) at the House itself, so one must assume that this addit-ional chapel was built either as a sign of the importance of the newcomers or to the greater glory of God, - perhaps something of both. When Roman Catholicism was outlawed, the Eystons as Catholics continued to use this chapel, - their freehold property, - as a memorial chapel until Catholics were permitted to provide their own burial grounds. It is possible from the memorials in this chapel to follow the history of the Eystons. The one I find most affecting is to the William Eyston who remained faithful to James II, served in his army here, and followed him into France and Ireland. Although he and two of his brothers fought in the French army against the British and their allies, he was able to return to this country and died at East Hendred. His memorial includes the words: ob fidem Catholicam et fidelitatem erga Regem aliquando Miles at exul. - (for the Catholic faith and fidelity to the former King, soldier and exile.) Whatever one’s attitude towards the Catholic faith and the fugitive king, it is difficult not to be glad that a gallant member of our community was allowed to return to his native village and to end his days here. In this chapel one cannot but think of the long struggle between rival Christian churches which sought to defend or restore their establishment as the official church of the country and which had such a marked effect on the life of East Hendred. Though the Eyston family was allowed to keep and to increase its land holdings in East Hendred (for example, in 1623, they bought Abbey Manor), it was on occasion subjected to such oppresive measures as that in 1715, when a tax levied to cover the expenses incurred by the revolt of James Edward Stuart was doubled in the case of Catholic land-owners, including the Eystons. It was not until the failure of Charles Edward Stuart to restore his family and religion by force of arms with French support, that toleration made rapid progress. George 111 prevented the acceptance of Catholics as full citizens until after his death; but in 1829, Catholics were allowed to sit in Parliament and the full and free exercise of their religion led to the building of St. Mary’s church. It takes a very long time to recover from three centuries of tension: but relations between the religious communities in the village are now excellent. It has been very important for the village that the virtual exclusion of the Eyston family from national affairs has meant the continuous presence of one landowning family in the village. In 1860, a faculty was obtained which gave powers "to restore the whole Fabric of the Church (with the exception of the Roofs); to take down the present Pews and Sittings, and to erect new and open Sittings throughout the whole Church, to take down the present Chancel and rebuild the same on an extended site, with the addition of a north side Aisle theret; to take down such walls of the South Arcade as may be requisite, and to make an extension thereof towards the West, to newly pave the Church, as enlarged throughout…" Authority was also given "to take away… or carefully disturb any tablets, etc." The restoration was thorough, but unwanted items were applied to uses we would hardly expect. Mr. Baden Stone has a photograph showing spectators at a cricket match sitting on oak pews which were thrown out, and part of beautifully carved pew, after having been used to fence a pig sty, now adorns the porch of King's Manor, having been rescued from the sty by Mr. Billyeald. There is much else of interest in the church, which is dedicated to St. Augustine of Canterbury. The clock, which has no face, not only strikes the hours and quarters, but also on the six unusually heavy bells, plays a hymn tune every three hours. Mrs. Watts tells me that when she was young, children used to sing the following words to it: The leaves are green, The nuts are brown; They are so high, They won’t come down. Leave them alone Till frosty weather, And they’ll all Come down together. The clock was made by Seymour of Wantage in 1525: that it is now in working order is due to the devotion and skill of Mr. Arthur Harrison who, during the first years of his retirement, repaired and reconditioned the mechanism. The tower which houses the clock is of the fifteenth century with a west window in perpendicular style. Apart from the Eyston Chapel and the wool merchants’ brasses there are points a visitor might well return to study more carefully: the lectern, - probably of the fourteenth century, -the pulpit which commemorates the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and many more. It is interesting to examine the screen which was erected in 1860 and compare nineteenth century-work with that of older times. A visitor will realise on entering the church that generous interest is taken in its maintenance. After this first quick glance into the church, it is well to walk round the churchyard and read some of the tombstones. The names will mean more on a later visit and should be kept in mind. If we turn left on entering by the south gate we almost immediately come to the family grave of the Allins, of whom we shall hear more. Then two Bradfield stones, one of which commemorates Margaret Bradfield, wife of Robert Bradfield with her son John aged 12, and a daughter who died in infancy: a reminder of what we owe to recent developments in medicine. The Bradfields were farmers and millers. The Robey vault reminds us of the Charles Robey who built Orchard House. Then comes the name of Ellaway, soon to be heard again. William Dearlove belonged to the family of which Miss Dearlove is the surviving representative in the village. There are stones bearing the inscription Requiescat in Pace to remind us of the time before the provision of the Catholic burial ground at St. Mary's church. Then in the north eastern area we find a whole settlement of Besleys. I have counted twenty clearly legible: there may be more. I first come across the name Besley in a court roll of Abbey Manor for 1767 when Richard Ellaway was sworn in as Hayward, John Hunt as Tythingman, and William Besley as Constable. Then in 1801 under the Westmanside enclosure award, Thomas Besley was an allottee and is described as a cordwainer (shoemaker). It was probably this Thomas Besley who is commemorated on the stone which shows a Thomas Besley as dying in 1829 at the age of 78. The Besleys were therefore an established village family by the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is likely that the William Besley of 1767 had a good many sons, for several of the Besleys buried here seem to have been contemporaries. It is difficult otherwise to account for the relationship between all the Besleys who permeated the life of the village until recently. They were shoemakers, maltsters, shopkeepers, publicans, wheelwrights, blacksmiths, carpenters, undertakers, and also constables, bell ringers, overseers, churchwardens. Without the Besleys, the village must have been a much less vital community. My impression is, however, that Isaac Besley, who died in 1863 aged 82, was one of the most important of them, and I have formed the impression that it was he who established or extended his workshops and forges in Church Street, and acquired the two houses, now owned by Mr. England and Mr. K. Harrison close by. The only person in the village now bearing the name of Besley is the widow of George Besley; but Joseph Besley, himself childless, passed on the business in Church Street to Arthur Harrison, his sister's son, and it is now conducted by Kenneth and Stanley Harrison, Arthur’s sons. Arthur Harrison took over the business about 1910, and there is a very practical memorial to the Besley-Harrison connection in the gates to the path across Snells: the lower gate bears the name of Joseph Besley, and the upper gate that of Harrison and the date 1912. We shall hear more of the Besleys: but there has been an unfortunate obstacle to a study of this very interesting family. Mrs. Tinson (herself a Besley) tells me her mother had a "big black box full of deeds" and that as a child she used to look with admiration at the complicated lettering of the headings. This has completely disappeared, - I hope it will turn up. It would provide material for a study of an exceptional kind, - that of a family of village aristocrats, who worked hard, earned a sound living, and played a full part in local life. As we return to the south gate, we come to the most delightful memorial in the churchyard, - a cross with a delicate shaft mounted on steps. It commemorates William Harris. The Besleys are well remembered in the village; but the name of Harris has almost died out of popular recollection. The William Harris who died in 1883 was the last of the family to bear the name; but it stands out boldly in brick-encircled plaques on cottages below Hill Farm and on Mount Pleasant; for the Harrises were not men to hide their light under a bushel. I have come across them time and time again in compiling this account of the village. We shall hear more about them later. [Back to the Table of Contents]
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