by Madeleine Joyce van der Graaf-Loosley

8, Lion's Wood,

St. Leonards,

Ringwood, Hants

U3K

BH24 2LU

The work on Canada and USA done by Elizabeth Davies,

daughter of above.

Table of Contents *

PART I : Some Early History *

PART II: TRACING Names in the Records. *

PART III: SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS *

The following is a continuation of an earlier text which I filed at the Bucks Family History Society in the early eighties, under the title The Tithings of Risborough, which has, I believe, been of some value to members of the Society researching family names found in it. My interest began when with assistance from the Buckinghamshire Record Office and the Bucks Family History Society, I discovered that many documents, including the Manor Court Rolls of Princes Risborough from 1443 to the 1700s, were archived nearby in Winchester. The Hampshire Record Office there provided me with access to the vellum rolls. These were all in Latin; the help of Mr. Rex Kidd, of Princes Risborough, who translated them, was invaluable.

My interest grew rapidly when I discovered that my family name, Loosley, was mentioned repeatedly over the centuries. Documents and maps refer to the hamlet of Alscot, where the Loosleys certainly lived from at least as early as 1502 and as late as 1837. Up on the hills, overlooking the wide Vale of Aylesbury, is another hamlet, Loosley Row, where another branch of the family lived. One member of this family left a Will dated 1493. Other families originate in Longwick, Speen, and other nearby places, including Long Crendon and Thame.The hamlet of Summerleys was the home of one branch of the family from 1662 to 1895.

In reading these Manor Court Rolls, I discovered that members of these branches of the family were often jurymen in the Manor Courts of Frankpledge and Court Baron. In this capacity they represented the part of the Manor in which they lived, which was divided into the Upper, Middle and Lower Tithings. The roots of the word "tithing" go back to Anglo-Saxon times, and described a group of ten households. Each male member over the age of twelve had to be enrolled as a member of a tithing, and was responsible for every other member of the group, in a system later called Frankpledge. This word had the Teutonic root "frith" or "fri", as in friend, and connotations of a feeling of peace, and freedom from molestation. A "frith guild" maintained the peace; a "frith stool" was a seat, usually of stone, near the altar in a church, which offered the priviledge of sanctuary. After the Norman conquest, Frankpledge became known by its Latin translation, "Visum franci plegii."{See also page 15)

It was at the View of Frankpledge Court, usually held twice a year, that the head man of the Tithing was elected. This person was called the Tithingman, and his duty was to report on the state of law and order in a "vill." Attendance at the View was compulsory. Those who shirked this duty were fined, unless they could offer a satisfactory excuse, an "essoin." The twelve members of the Court Jury of presentment "presented" information which would be written down on the vellum court Rolls, in Latin.

A map of Princes Risborough, printed in 1810 before the Enclosures, shows the Parish, which is long and narrow, divided into these Tithings: the Upper Tithing takes in the area from Speen in the south east down to the Upper Icknield Way, near the edge of the Chiltern Hills; the Middle Tithing is that part between the Upper and Lower Icknield Ways; while the Lower Tithing continues to the north western boundary of the Parish, in the Vale of Aylesbury, near Ilmer.

We can trace the history of Risborough through many centuries because of the Tithings and the system of Frankpledge.

By 1999 I have been able to glean these hundred pages, from my, by now, twenty odd A4 ring binders of information.

Having felt all along that my public spirited ancestors would have liked others to have access to the story the Manor Court Rolls tell, I asked my computor-friendly neighbours, Neil and Annette Pringle, if they would be able to Scan all the Rolls and various chosen pages. This proved more difficult than at first thought " … because of the twopences over their heads", but is now complete, and a compact disc will be made and sent to the Aylesbury Record Office to be checked for Copyright, and ,if passed, a disc would be sent to the Bucks Record Society and the Bucks Family History Society, and print-outs can be made.Members would be able to trace their family names as they are mentioned through the centuries in the Rolls. I can remember my surprise when the Society produced for me a computer list of marriages in Bucks "..with one name sounding like Loosley."

And then, following the Custom of the Tithingmen, who reported after they had made their presentments, I shall be able to say:-

All is well.

Princes Risborough, and the surrounding hamlets of Alscot, Longwick, Horsenden, Saunderton, Loosley Row, Lacey Green, and Speen, are to be found in a gap in the Chiltern Hills, which are part of the chalk and limestone uplands stretching across England from the Wash on the east coast of England to the coast of Dorset to the south.

Ancient tracks follow the line of these uplands. They are sometimes called the Ridgeway. However, the middle section, from the Thames to the area beyond Risborough, is called the Icknield Way, and was part of a track which came from East Anglia. The name is said to be derived from the ancient tribe the Icene. Near their tribal homeland is a famous site with extensive flint mines at Grimes Graves, near Hockham Mere in Norfolk. Many hundreds of red deer antlers have been recovered there. These were used as picks. Archaelogical evidence indicates that during the Neolithic period more people lived in this region, south of the Wash, than in any other part of Britain. The light sandy soil would have been easy to till, and once the fertility of the soil was exhausted, the early farmers would have moved on to make another clearing in the forest.

There are Neolithic and Bronze Age barrows on both sides of the Risborough gap, at Bledlow to the south west, and above the steep slope of the hill at White Leaf, or White Cliff, to the north east. Both groups of barrows are near large crosses cut into the chalk.

It has often been suggested that, over the centuries, people have travelled along these ancient tracks from the North Sea and the coast of Europe, and from Scandinavia, to escape turmoil in their own countries.

An article on The Tribal Hidage by Cyril Hart tells how England was divided into Hides at the time of Offa, towards the end of the 8^th Century. Offa was a Mercian, and the list of 35 tribes forms the Mercian Kingdom, and dependencies, extending from the Humber to the English Channel and from East Anglia across to Wales. Hides were units of assessment for taxation and other burdens. Some of the tribal names have, because of these divisions, been maintained in the names of counties or other geographical parts such as Sussex, Essex, Wessex, East Anglia, Kent. One tribe is noted as Ciltern Saetan. This was a Middle Anglian people inhabiting the high ground of the Chilterns and land down to the Thames, having penetrated thus far from the Wash.

Feudalism had developed in Europe towards the end of the 8th century A.D.,.when Charlemagne needed mounted fighting men. He gave land to some so that they could support themselves and their families, and so provide the horse, arms and equipment needed when they were called upon to fight for him. For this land they swore allegiance, kneeling and placing their hands between the hands of their lord, a sign of humility. He, in return, promised to protect them if attacked by an enemy. This was homage, the feudal bond between man and master. Some nobles became vassals of others more powerful than themselves. Later the larger landholders would claim the dues and services which had earlier been the exclusive right of the king. Each one owed military service to the lord above him in time of war.

In England also, all land had originally been considered as belonging to the king, but he could grant estates to his vassals if they swore homage and fealty to him in a special ceremony which bound them to fight at his side when called upon to do so. This ownership of land, in feudal times, was called knight-service tenure. Sometimes the tenure of the land was for the lifetime of the holder, but later these feudal fiefs or fees, as they were called, could be passed from father to son.

Under the feudal system, land was also granted for services other than as a fighting man, or to the Church. Personal services were repaid by the king in this way. In England such estates were said to be held by tenure of sergeanty. These estates were soon considered to be inheritable, but they could not be sold by the owners, nor divided between heirs.

A peasant would be able to plough, sow, and reap between twenty and thirty acres of land in a year to support himself and his family. This amount of land was called a Virgate, so twenty acres, on good ground, was the amount of land a villager, a villein, would be given in a manor. Four virgates were called a Hide, and a hundred Hides were called a Hundred. In Anglo-Saxon times, and later, when administrative or other decisions had to be made, an assembly would be called of the Hundred, or Shire, a Folkmoot.

The Old English Hide of village arable, divided into four virgates or yardlands, was replaced in East Anglia, where early Norsemen from Scandinavia had settled, by units called Caracutes or ploughlands, said to be the holding of a man who could contribute one ox to a co-operative 8 ox team. There was less slavery in the Danelaw, as it was called, than in other parts, rather a predominance of what may be called a peasant aristocracy, whose members had not been absorbed into the routine of manorial discipline. Each was certainly the man of some lord, but with obligations which were not heavy nor humiliating, he was bound to help at busy seasons, to attend his lord’s Court and pay him annually a small sum of money. He was his own master, owned his land and could alienate it (he could transfer it to another person). He paid directly to the king the taxes it was expected to yield. In 1086 peasant proprietors of this kind were to be found in every Danelaw county under the name of sokemen, literally a man who owed suit to a Court. But suit to some form of Court was the duty of all land holders. (See page 5.)

Several codes of law existed, that of the West Saxons, the Mercians, and the Danes. The sphere of West Saxon law comprised the southern counties from Kent to Devon. The Mercian sphere covered Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire. Whereas Buckinghamshire, Middlesex and the counties of Essex up to Yorkshire formed the Danelaw. This is important, for the "customary laws" observed in the shire courts of these eastern counties had been influenced by the large number of Danes who had settled there, and who had developed what they remembered of their law. Canute, a Dane who became king of England, Denmark and Norway in the beginning of the 11th century, stated that all freemen over 12 years old must be enrolled in a Hundred or Tithing to ensure good behaviour and to claim their legal rights. Also that Lords were to stand surety for their households. No sale of goods worth more than 4 pence was to take place without four witnesses. The king's hunting was to be respected. Kings must govern with the advice of the Witan, a group of advisors. Canute also set out a table of Heriots (see p. *). Heriots are like a death duty, to be paid to the lord before an heir might inherit a property. Heriots were to be paid according to rank. Some paid a horse and armour, others paid 10 shillings, or other amount. In Doomsday Book there are variations in the payment of Heriots according to Custom.

One of the kings of the West Saxons, called Ine, a contemporary of Charles Martel in France, towards the end of the 7th century, had made a written code of laws, a copy of which was later added to that made by King Alfred the Great of England. One law stated that if a nobleman, who owned land, did not respond to a call to arms, he forfeited his land and must pay a heavy fine. The grant of land was the great reward for a loyal subject.

Another of King Ine's laws says:- "If a man takes and ploughs a yard of land or more at an agreed rent, and his lord wishes to exact both work and rent from him for that land, he need not take it unless his lord has given him a house, but in that case he must forfeit his crops." In this passage the "yard of land", the quarter hide, or virgate, which becomes the normal holding for a medieval villein, makes its first appearance in an English document.

In the 8th and 9th centuries, Charters, or Books, were granted by kings to some individuals, thus creating a form of landed property, free from demands other than fyrd (army) service and bridge building, land which could be disposed of, and this gave a sound title of land ownership. "Folkland" meant land from which the king drew food rents and customary services. "Bookland" was land exempted from them by royal charter. "No one but the King can turn folkland into bookland with consent of the king's council", stated the Witan.

To the end of the Old English period, Fyrd (service) and bridge and fortress building were exemptions hardly ever granted, they remained as survivals of the various obligations which ALL land had once carried. The folkland of the 9th century is land which is still subject to all the burdens which had once been common to the whole people. Bookland could be given to the Church, assuring the health of the donor's soul. The Church became a great land-owner.

Monks Risborough, the parish next to Princes Risborough, has a Charter dated from 903 AD, which tells of an original Charter deed which had been destroyed by fire:

This had been for a grant of land which is now Monks Risborough in Buckinghamshire, and gives the estate boundaries, which are the present parish boundaries. It mentions Icknield Way, and also the Black Hedge, the ancient hedge which is part of the boundary between the two Risboroughs, and which is thus over a thousand years old. This land was in Mercia, an Anglo-Saxon kingdom. There were 25 witnesses to a new Charter, including King Edward, and Aethelflaed, King Alfred's daughter. There were also Bishops, and witnesses from the neighbouring kingdom of Wessex.

Another charter, dated 925 AD, is a grant of liberties, customs and privileges by King Athelstan, a grandson of King Alfred, to the Church and Chapter of Ripon. He grants "…that piece of Ripon on each side of the Church a mile", also a sanctuary stone, a peace stone, in the church. They will also have the right to "Tol Tem Sok and Sak." Soke and Sack, or SACU SOCN, is a phrase meaning that the king was granting the church of Ripon the privilege of holding a Court to judge misdeeds, the kind of judicial authority which generally belonged to a great lord. This was evidently a phrase used by common men, and described the kind of private justice which they knew. The Church of Ripon was thus given the right of holding a Court which their tenants were required to attend. TOLL implied the right to take payment on the sale of cattle or other goods within an estate, and TEAM the right to hold a court in which men accused of wrongfully having goods or cattle in their possession, could prove their rights by testimony of witnesses who had seen the payment of TOLL.

Another Charter granted in the same year, this time to the Church of St John of Beverley, York, tells:- "That I the King Athelstan have giuen and yatten to St John of Beverley that say I yow Toll Theam that witt ye now Soke and Sacke ouer all that land that is giuen into his hand." Athelstan was king of the English from 924-940 AD. He extended the kingdom of his father, Edward the Elder, by conquering Northumbria in 925, the year of these Charters. Ripon and York are in that part of the country.

Now we can understand more about what King Athelstan was granting to the Church of Ripon in 925AD. TOL TEM SOK AND SAK. His Charter finishes:- "I will that each one shall have freedom and in all things be as free as heart may think and eye may see.. the power of a king may make free anything And my SEAL have I set hereto For I will that no one this gift undo."

The right to hold a private Court was one of the features of feudalism, which was nearing its height in western Europe by 1066. It was one of the Privileges which a Lord was granted.

Local courts of justice, or Folk Moots, were the repositories of local Custom.An accuser had to

swear a preliminary oath that he bore no malice, and, in set terms, accused the defendant. The latter, similarly on oath, rebutted the accusation. The accuser had to produce "oath helpers".The populations were small, so everybody knew everybody else…They believed that if they lied after swearing to tell the truth holding the Bible, they risked eternal damnation. Justice could be done. Thus the local court could deal with the smaller misdemeanors in the community, or pass the matter to a higher court.

Many misunderstandings might have arisen from circumstances such as, for instance, a small landholder, having been called up to serve in the Fyrd, returned to find his harvest lost. He might ask for assistance from a powerful neighbour, but that neighbour might want something in return for his help, perhaps seeds, or tools, or perhaps protection from others claiming the land. Possibly the powerful neighbour would claim part of the land for himself. It was found that local people knew more about the facts of the case than the king's Justices. The Sheriff, shire reeve, would be required to summon twelve free and lawful men of the neighbourhood to be available before the King, or his Justices, to answer certain questions on oath. Records were made of some of these decisions taken at the King's Court. Later Courts were set up in connection with the Shire, the Church and Feudal matters. Here local knowledge was valuable, and local people were called upon to play their part in justice.

The village community would become by 1086 what Doomsday Book calls a Manor, a Norman term, "manerium". Many of the lords of these manors exercised their own jurisdiction and other rights, called soca or soke. These local Manor Court assemblies gave men a voice, and some share in their common affairs, which became a valuable training in self-government, and also kept alive the spirit of freedom. By 1086, a type of estate had developed where sokemen, villeins and other villagers were permanently attached to a central manor for Suit of Court, which they must attend, and render such payments and services as Custom prescribed. The inhabitants of a village regarded themselves as tenants of a particular manor, rather than as villagers or parishioners. It was through justice done in the Court of the Manor that estates of this kind were held together, and many were named "sokes"in later records.The Manor Court Jury, usually of 12 men, were chosen from among the tenants of the Manor. They formed a group who would know the local situation and the responsibilities of other tenants. In later years, they chose a Constable for various parts of the parish, an Aletaster to check on the quality and price of the beer brewed in the village, a Hayward to be in charge of the hay and the harvest, and to see that no stray animals were unlawfully eating it. Sometimes they "presented" some of the tenants because the stream which flowed through or beside their land was "unscoured". It must be kept flowing, to keep the land well drained. They looked after the piles of dung which accumulated, and ordered that this be removed, made sure that the roads were kept in repair, that the trees and hedges were kept lopped, and they amerced any offenders. Sometimes a group would go round the fields to see that the markers were in place, and to say which of the Common Fields should lie fallow and when the animals of the villagers might be allowed onto the fields after harvest. Sometimes a chimney was declared dangerous, a fire hazard. Or, perhaps, a pond needed a fence around it.

The Customs of the Manor, the rules that had developed over many years, were accepted as the best way to run the estate. As we noted earlier, every land-holder in the Manor "Owed suit of Court" to the Lord of the Manor. The Lord himself had duties as well as rights under these long established Customs. Any tenant-landholder in the Manor who did not make an appearance at these periodical Courts, if he "defaulted", the members of the Manor Court Jury would "present" him, and he would be named in the "Court Rolls". These vellum sheets, written in latin, and archived in rolls, last for hundreds of years, if well kept, as I found in Winchester.

One of the Customary Tenants would be chosen to serve for a period as an Affeeror at the Manor Court. His duty was to set the amount of the fine when someone was amerced. He would be chosen because he would know how much each would be able to afford. The fines went usually to the Lord, they formed part of his income. But sometimes the Jury would say that half should go to the Lord of the Manor and half to the poor of the parish, and this would also be written up in the Rolls.

When a tenant wanted to surrender his land, either because of a death, or because he wanted to "alienate" it, which meant he wanted to sell it to someone else, or let it for a period, he must do that at the Manor Court with the help of two other Customary Tenants. They would know exactly where the land in question lay, and could consult previous Court Rolls, if necessary, to see if any special conditions had to be fulfilled.

The tenants of the Manor could claim their rights there, but, if they offended in any way, they were "amerced", which meant "put at the mercy of" the Court, and were fined. The Court Leet, usually with View of Frankpledge, dealt with matters of law and order. The Court Baron was one where a change of property was recorded. When one of the Customary Tenants died, the death was recorded, and the heir was obliged to attend and pay what was called a "Herriot" and a Fine or Relief.(See Glossary, page 98,99) This was all written in the Rolls, and the heir was entitled to "hold by Copyhold".

After 1086, there were three ways in which a Norman tenant-in-chief could make use of his manor. He could put the land "out to farm," which meant that he received an annual payment, or rent, from its "farmer." Or he could allow a clerical community to hold the land by "free alms," or it could be held by knights service or sargeanty. H.e could also hold it in his own hands "in demesne," which meant that a resident reeve or bailiff was employed to look after the cultivation on the demesne, to store the farm produce, or send it where it was required.

The historian, Sir Frank Stenton, describes how the land which had belonged to Edward the Confessor, and to Harold, and which was taken over by William the Conqueror, was the "ancient demesne of the Crown", and stood apart from other estates. Some were estates of great antiquity. They seem to have been assessed very lightly towards Danegeld and other public burdens.

The men who lived there enjoyed these privileges because, unlike men of other lords, they were still required by Custom to support the royal household with farm goods for a single day or days. To be able to do this, the villagers had been given strips of land, scattered in the surrounding common Open Fields, strips which they ploughed with their 8 ox plough teams. Some strips would be in good arable land, and some beside a stream, so divided that each man was fairly treated. But sometimes the village was unable to supply the communal food rent which its lord had the right to demand. It became easier to supply labour, and so, in time, a system developed by which each of the regular holdings in the Open Fields, the half hides and virgates, supplied labour for the king's demesne on a definite number of days in every week, instead of providing farm goods for the king as he travelled round his kingdom.

Tenants who held land under these conditions, "tenants in ancient demesne", were required to surrender their holdings to the lord of the manor, and received them back again from his hands, acknowledging themselves to be his men, and placing themselves under his protection. Thus they paid homage for their land, and there were duties involved which formed the "Customs". Since it was the village community as a whole which had owed the "food rent", when some families fell on bad times, one can imagine that the tithing group of ten households would be the first to try to help. Only when the group was unable to provide what was needed, did the community have to ask for help from the powerful overlord, or the bailiff of the King's demesne.

We are tol;d that Risborough was "terra regis", "ancient demesne of the Crown" or "Royal Demesne", the Norman-French words being Anciennes demeynes. The villagers, or villeins, who lived on these royal estates, which became known as royal manors after the conquest, enjoyed privileged tenure as "villeins of ancient demesne." This was a new form of tenure, comparable to the Burgage tenure in the towns, which had been developed during the reign of Henry I. The King had a special interest in the well-being and prosperity of the peasants on lands which he held "in socage." These peasants paid him by tallage, that is a feudal due paid by a tenant to his lord on their demesne lands and royal boroughs. This "Royal Demesne tenure" became known later as "tenure in ancient demesne". These tenants enjoyed certain immunities from other taxes, freedom from suit of Shire and Hundred Court, freedom from trial by combat outside the manor, and later, freedom from contributing to the cost of knights of the Shire sent to Parliament, freedom from the Sheriff's jurisdiction, also "Freedom from Toll" wherever they went. So the villein sokemen of the royal manors had a legal form of tenure superior to that of other villeins.

In a walled town, Burgesses might have to help defend the burg’s walls. They held their property by what became known as Burgage Tenure, a special kind of sokage tenure, and enjoyed various privileges. Most burgesses in a normal borough were the king’s men, but, long before the Conquest, Churchmen and noblemen had been acquiring borough plots to build a town house. For this the king would retain an interest in the rents, dues and service, the Customs, which the plot had formerly rendered. Borough Courts developed.

By the mid 13^th century, the law courts confirmed "Ancient Demesne tenure" by reference to "What had been King William’s on the day on which King Edward was alive and dead", according to Doomsday Book. The term "Ancient Demesne" was of special interest only to those tenants who held land by it, and because it confirmed their legal status and rights.

In the second half of the 13^th century, the villein tenants on these royal estates, villein sokemen, as Bracton called them , were also protected by the royal courts both against ejection from their holdings and against increase in their services.

The privilege whereby a villein could gain his freedom by remaining unmolested for a year and a day in privileged urban areas in the 12^th century, was extended to rural royal demesne in the 13^th century.

London, with a population of about 20,000, within the old Roman walls, had its Folk Moot. Three times a year, when the bells of St Pauls were rung, all the freemen of the borough of London had the duty to gather. Many people living in boroughs were engaged in trade or industry. The surrounding fields were cultivated, but usually did not produce enough for all. So a market was needed, and the king might grant to a town the privilege of holding a market, and sometimes a mint. The burgesses were free men, holding their residence, a plot surrounded by a hedge, on heritable or alienable tenure, at moderate or low rents. Some burgesses could be called thegns, if they had "crossed the sea three times at their own charge." London, the largest town, also had a "husting" (hus ding), an indoor court every Monday. The husding was probably to settle disputes between English and Scandinavian traders. Trading must have been very difficult, for it must be done before witnesses, and toll paid on each sale, generally by the purchaser, sometimes by the vendor, and sometimes by both. King Edgar (958-) introduced official weights and measures, for which fees were paid. Tolls were usually paid to the king, but he could grant them to someone else, like other rights. Earls were entitled to receive, by Custom, one third of the profits of most borough Courts. Coins of Ethelred , found in Sweden, came from mints in London, York, Lincoln and Winchester. This freedom to trade, and the comparative freedom from attack, made the burgs attractive.

The burgesses of Dover had won the privilege that they were exempt from Tolls throughout England. To be free of Toll was a much valued privilege. Tem was the right to adjudicate in cases of warranty, a guarantee about a thing sold, and its ownership.

Each Hundred had a court which administered Customary law, and they seem to have met twice a year to determine the contributions of each local community to public charges, such as the king's "Feorm," or calling out the Fyrd. In the 11th century a number of Hundreds were annexed financially to ancient manors at which the king's feorm must once have been paid.

The Hundred's "moot" would be held at a traditional site, often in the open air, at a natural feature, such as a hill, or perhaps near a group of barrows, the burial ground of ancient tribal chieftains.

Towards the east of the country, where early Norsemen had settled, a Hundred was named a Wapentake. The larger division of the country was a Shire. In the Scandinavian Wapentake, the people would help to decide by brandishing their weapons to show they approved a decision. From this we get our expression "a moot point", something to be decided by discussion and vote.

Sir Frank Stenton, in his book called "Anglo Saxon England", describes how in the Court of the Wapentake, the twelve leading thegns swore on relics, taken into their hands, that they would neither accuse any innocent person nor protect any guilty one. Scholars have decided that the twelve leading thegns derives from the jury of 12, familiar in the Scandinavian north. The sworn jury was unknown to pure Old English law. Their duty in the Wapentake Court was to "present" suspected persons. The fate of the suspect was settled by ordeal and not by the judgement of the thegns, though, a later passage runs "Let the judgement stand on which the thegns are agreed, if they differ, let that stand which eight of them have pronounced and let those who are outvoted each pay 6 half marks." "The opinion of the majority must prevail". There is another Scandinavian phrase which gives protection to the heirs of a man who has lived and died on his land "uncontested and unchallenged". An Icelandic word, festerman, was also used, meaning surety, security.

Doomsday Book's free men (Liberi homines) and sokemen (sochemanni) seem to form one group. Both owned their land and paid their geld direct to the king's officers. We say they owned it, but they really only "held" it, though it could be passed to an heir. Their combined total for the whole area of England covered by Doomsday is 37,000 odd, of whom 34,000 were in the Eastern Counties which consisted of the part of the kingdom most densely populated by the Danes. Besides "suit of court", sokemen and some freemen might be liable for money-payments to their lords and sometimes "boon work" on their demesne.

The personal and economic independence of the sokeman must have made him important in the Court to which he owed attendance, and probably led to the name which became attached to him. Leicestershire in Doomsday Book has nearly 2000 sokemen, while Warwickshire, a county nearby, had nine. Roman Watling Street probably divided Mercian Warwick from Danish Leicestershire. In Leicestershire a Danish army had settled and grouped themselves under leaders who had brought them to England in the 9th century. Few possessed more than 2 ox gangs. It is suggested that the sokemen were the original free warriors of the Danish army. A sokeman's lord had jurisdiction over him.

Visum franci plegii, the View of Frankpledge, was a Privilege or right granted in mediaeval times. The unit of the Frankpledge system was the Tithing, in which all males in the Manor above the age of 12 years must be enrolled. Attendance at the View was compulsory. Those who shirked this duty were fined, unless satisfactory excuses could be made. (essoins) Exempted would be the local Lord of the Manor and his household, the Vicar of the Parish, and possibly those who held land by free tenure. At first it had been the duty of the Sheriff to hold View of Frankpledge, to see that the Tithings were doing their duties. They must produce any of their members accused of crime, and give testimony before the King's Justices in Eyre. At the View of Frankpledge, the head man of a Tithing was chosen, the "Tithingman". Later the privilege of holding a View of Frankpledge, usually twice a year, passed from the Sheriff to the Lord of the Manor. The twelve members of the Jury of Presentment "presented" information which would be written in the Court Rolls. The Tithingmen reported upon the state of law and order. Sometimes, perhaps, a tenant would complain that the Lord of the Manor wanted to dispossess him of his land in the Common Fields or Woods, and the Lord would explain that the tenant, a Customary Tenant, had been cutting down trees, which he was not entitled to do according to the Customs of the Manor, and some solution had to be found.

Any freeman ejected from his holding, could obtain a writ instructing the sheriff to summon a Jury of twelve men to declare before the King's Justices whether he had been disseised or not. If the result was affirmative, he would be put back in possession, and receive damages.

It is interesting to look back to see how all this evolved. Henry II, the first Plantagenet King, reigned from 1154-1189. As he travelled round his kingdom, he heard from his royal Justices of the difficulties deciding who owned, or held, land. Holdings combining villein, burgage and military tenure occurred on many estates. Intermarriage between free and unfree were frequent. So many people were ignorant of their legal status. Enquiries into the manorial Customs and detailed services owed by tenants of different types became common from the early years of his reign. On some estates, the information, partly provided by the tenants themselves, was confirmed by sworn testimony of juries drawn from a cross section of the peasantry. Later in the reign, the Royal Justices decided that anyone claiming to hold a tenement in villeinage had to sue for his customary right in the Court of his lord, but he still had a Customary right protected by that Court.

Henry II was prepared to accept money in lieu of knight's service. This was called "scutage", or shield money. So knights took more and more part in the judicial system in the 12th century, and went on to take part in Parliament in the 13th century. It took two centuries for Customary tenure to emerge, and another two hundred for it to be recognised as falling within the scope of Common Law.

The collection of Customary privileges spread from borough to borough as the centuries passed, and more and more people were involved. One of Henry II's Charters, in 1155, states that "They and the citizens of London are of one and the same Custom, Law and Liberty". He granted the town of Wallingford freedom from Toll as a reward for its loyalty to his cause "In acquisition of his hereditary right in England." During Fairs, merchants were protected from molestation by the king's special peace. The fair of St Ives in Cornwall, was granted in 1110, like any other privileged property "..with sake and soke and tol and team and infrangenetheof and with all customs just as any fair in England better than them". This all led to freer trading throughout the country.

Henry II's mother was Empress Matilda, Henry I's daughter. She was the daughter of the Queen of Scots, whose father was Edward, son of Edmund, son of Ethelred and so back to King Alfred. When she heard that her son was sending official documents to the monasteries, and other places, defining his work of government, she is said to have remarked "Written down! Never by my predecessors!" But he did, and much of English law has developed from the judicial changes between the times of William the Conqueror and Henry II.

It has been calculated that at the time of Doomsday Book the population was about one and a quarter million, of which only one tenth lived in boroughs, originally walled towns. In times of danger, during the Danish troubles, country people had flocked to these burgs for safety. They found also that they could sell their surplus farm goods, and in this way, merchants settled there. In most boroughs the land enclosed by the fortifications had belonged wholly or mainly to the king. Oxford and Wallingford, at important fords, were founded on compact blocks of royal land. Plots were obtained from the king at a money rent by merchants. The men who thus became the king's tenants were personally free.

In feudal times, the land had been held on certain conditions of food-rent and service to an overlord. Some men felt that they owned freely, others that they owned because of work done in the service of farming the estate, others that they could now pay rent in money. Some could sell their land, or leave it to their heirs, others had to prove their rights. Because of this, as the King moved around the country, his Justices were consulted, and a code of common law was gradually developed. He "wore his crown" in Westminster at Whitsun, at Winchester at Easter and at Gloucester at Christmas. All his most important subjects were expected to attend him.

In return for their fiefs, or honours received from William the Conqueror, the tenant-in-chief, including bishops and abbots, had to swear to support the crown with a fixed number of mounted and armed knights, to pay dues, and attend royal courts and councils. It was the duty of each royal estate to supply this royal court for a certain number of days, the unit being "the farm of one night".

William the Conqueror took over many of the English institutions and laws, and ways of assessing where he could obtain fighting men. He would be able to use the old records which had originally been made to supply men for the "fyrd.". This was the ancient, locally raised, defence force, called up in time of war, or to build defences. All free land-holding subjects, noble and not noble, had the duty to serve in the King's Fyrd.

One of the aims professed by William I was to allow the different peoples under his rule to keep their own customs as far as possible. Customs had developed over the centuries, and were jealously guarded. The King said that he would restore any rights which could be proved in the King's Court to have "been enjoyed by long tenure or granted by a Duke." Customs and liberties which had been traditionally enjoyed by the Church in Normandy became the foundation for the Bishop's Courts in England.

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William the Conqueror also took over some of Edward the Confessor's servants and officials for the first few years of his reign, and so learned about the administrative arrangements of the Shires and Hundreds. After those few years, Norman Earls replaced Englishmen in positions of authority, and they served as Sheriffs, collecting moneys, such as Feudal Dues, Tolls, Fines, Food rents, due to the king from his land, and money from coinage. The Sheriff would also call up the Shire Fyrd groups when necessary. All free landholding Englishmen were obliged to build and maintain bridges and fortresses without pay, so, over the years, many castles were built, up and down the country, especially where the Conqueror felt threatened, and these could be used as collecting places for money and produce. The Sheriff would also know how much had formerly been collected to pay off the Danes, "Danegeld", by various communities during some 200 years.

William the First also found that the Church was rich, and that it had been prepared to raise vast sums of money, for instance to prevent Canterbury Cathedral from being burnt down, as the Danes threatened. About a quarter of the land, after the Conquest, belonged to the Church, often scattered in demesnes in larger properties belonging to other landowners, sometimes acquired as a gift before a death, with the understanding that many prayers would be said and chants sung for the soul of the donor. Bishops and Archbishops were also great men of the realm, and the Conqueror brought over many able Churchmen from France. Lanfranc, a Norman ecclesiastic, was made Archbishop of Canterbury, and he reorganized and reformed the English Church, replacing English bishops by Normans.

To support the Church, a tax or offering of a tenth of all agricultural produce was paid, the tithe. The Church had control of schools where clerks could be trained to read and write, reckon accounts, and keep the necessary records. The church supported the King's authority, and in return the King guarded Church property.

We have seen that the counties, or shires, were divided into Hundreds. Near the East coast there were Carucates. A Carucage was an early form of Land Tax, based on the carucate or ploughland of a (long) hundred acres (that is 120 acres) or on a ploughteam of eight oxen. The rate in 1220 was 2 shillings from each ploughteam. The Sheriff was responsible for the levy in his County, the money being received by two knights and the Bailiff. The Bucks Hundreds were administered in groups of three, so that we have the Three Hundreds of Chiltern, the Three Hundreds of Aylesbury, of which the Hundred of Risborough was one, and there were six groups of Three Hundreds in the county. The money raised was then sent to the Exchequer to be checked and written up for the Bishops, Abbots and Barons dealing with the matter.

William the Conqueror claimed all the royal estates, as he did the land of all those who had fought against him. So he divided the country, after 1066, keeping one fifth for himself and his family. To the Church he gave a quarter, and nearly a half to the 170 chief knights who had come over from Normandy to fight with him. Many of the nobles were related to him and to one another, and had come, not as a feudal levy, but expecting to be rewarded with English estates.

Walter Giffard, of Longville, Normandy, one of his kinsmen, was one of these men who received land from William the Conqueror. The Victorian History of Buckinghamshire explains that the lands of Walter Giffard constituted the most important fief in the county. It was of 300 Hides, which was one sixth or one seventh of the whole county. He was a Doomsday Commissioner. The land of Walter Giffard extended over ten counties before 1086, and he had to supply the King with 100 knights.

It is interesting to consider the land which was given to him in Buckinghamshire. This we can do by using the Doomsday Survey of Buckinghamshire, which lists the new landholders in the county in 1086, with their properties.

But the first three manors listed in the Buckinghamshire Doomsday Survey are all Terra Regis, Land of the King:

The first, a household manor of the king, is Aylesbury. "In total value it pays 56 Pounds and from tolls ten Pounds at face value. In this Manor there was and is one Freeman who has one virgate of land which he could grant or sell to whom he would. However he always serves the king's Sheriff. The Bishop of Lincoln holds the Church of this Manor."

The second Manor belonging to the King is at Wendover. "It answers for 24 Hides". The number of ploughs and villagers and smallholders are given, and meadow and woodland are noted; also "2000 pigs."

The third Manor was Risborough, in the Risborough Hundred, the smallest Hundred in the County..We are told that (Princes) "Risborough was a village of Earl Harold. It always answered for 30 Hides. Land for 24 ploughs; in lordship 20 Hides; 4 ploughs there. 30 villagers with 12 householders have 20 ploughs. 3 slaves; 2 mills at 14 shillings 8 pence; meadow for 7 ploughs; woodland, 1000 pigs. In total it pays 47 Pounds a year in white silver less 16 pence; before 1066 it paid 10 Pounds at face value. In this Manor there lie and lay (the dues of) a Burgess of Oxford who pays two shillings; further a saltboiler of Droitwich pays..tax loads of salt; in the same manor was and is a freeman who holds three virgates; although he could sell he nevertheless served the Sheriff."

So (Monks) Risborough , for the Archbishop, and (Princes) Risborough were each of 30 Hides. (When we consider the two 19th century parishes of Princes and Monks Risborough and their boundaries, we come to the conclusion that they must each correspond to the Doomsday Survey estates.)

As explained above, the Doomsday Book shows that Risborough was taken by William the Conqueror to be one of his manors, when the country finally acknowledged defeat, by the Normans, at Berkhamsted. Also that Risborough had belonged to Earl Harold, the last Saxon King just before the Battle of Hastings.

NUTLEY ABBEY DEMESNE. In the 12th century, perhaps in 1162, a Walter Giffard, and Ermengarde his wife, founded the Abbey of Nutley in Crendon Park. It was a religious house of the Austin Canons, under the rule of Augustine of Hippo, and was dedicated to St Mary and St John the Baptist. It became one of the richest monasteries in Buckinghamshire. It had the patronage of 11 churches. One of these was the church of (Princes) Risborough. In the original endowment, Nutley Abbey included the demesne lands called Crendon Park. Walter also granted a wood called Lullested (or Lulleslede) in its foundation. This wood was held by the Abbey in Frankalmoign. This was confirmed by King Henry II, King John and Edward III. Also granted was (Princes) Risborough Church with its Tithes of the Giffard demesne lands there. The Victorian County History states that "Early, the land in Risborough was held by the second Earl Walter Giffard, who made grants from these lands to the Abbey of Nutley. From 1162 to 1180 the property is called The Honour of Giffard, but on the death of the Earl, without an heir, it reverted to the Crown, and was reckoned as being "land of the Normans".

Nutley Abbey had chartered liberties in Bucks forests. The Canons could "Use two carts at pleasure to fetch fuel wood from Bernwood forest" in 1288, a grant rescinded by Edward the Third, 1312-1377. Very little of its history is known. It was in the diocese of Lincoln, but was seldom visited by churchmen from there. The diocese seems to have allowed some of its churches to become ruinous and badly served. In the 1300s the monastery reported that it had suffered severely by the Black Death, and was unable to maintain its accustomed hospitality.

The fact that Nutley Abbey had been granted the (Princes) Risborough church, "with its tithes of (the Giffard) demesne lands there" is important. On 6th July 1305, a document was made out in Canterbury:

Some years later, on 27th October 1324, from The Tower, another document was written, it is in the Close Rolls (to be found now in Volume 4, 1323-1327( page 233):-

Volume 3 of the Close Rolls, 1333-1337, page 6-7, shows another, similar advice, dated 20 November 1336 ,from Stirling:-

Edward the Black Prince was born in 1330. His father, Edward III, had come to the throne in 1327, at the age of 15, and inheriting a claim to the French throne from his mother, the daughter of the French king, Philip VI. Edward III married Phillipa of Hainault in 1328 in York Minster. In the conflict between 1337 and 1453, the Hundred Years War, the English had successes at first.

Their son, Edward, the Black Prince, was born when his father was 17 and his mother almost 16. At the age of 10, Edward was regent in England during the time that his parents were in Europe. He had been the Duke of Cornwall and later became the Prince of Wales. He "won his spurs" at the Battle of Crecy in 1346. It was a great victory against the French forces and their allies, who had certainly three times as many men in their army as the 20,000 which had crossed over from England,( including 7,000 mounted knights). The Prince had many Welsh archers fighting with him, and, at a dangerous point of the battle, he was thrown from his horse, but saved by his standard bearer standing over him with the standard of Wales.

In 1349, King Edward III chose 25 knights to be members of his new Order of the Garter, still today the highest order of English knighthood. The Order of the Garter was founded on St George's Day 23rd of April 1348.( This was the year the Black Death reached England after passing through Europe.) One member was the Black Prince, who, as Edward, Prince of Wales, had inherited the Manor of Rysebergh when he was 13 years old.

Besides Princes Risborough, as it had come to be called at this time, the Prince had estates at Chester and in Wales.

From "Records", volume XVI page 165, we find from the Register of Edward the Black Prince, dated 20.11.1351 (folio 21):

Also in 1351 (folio 9) May 18, 1351:

1353 Folio53:

In 1354 Folio 67d:

1357 folio 116:

folio 146d:

1358 folio 154:

In the Calendars of Inquisition Post Mortem, Volume 10 1350-1360, number 511:

The Black Prince married a cousin in 1361, after the death of her first husband. They lived happily, we are told, at Berkhamsted castle, then went to Bordeaux. He became ill in Spain, after a battle there, and, being unable to pay his men, he brought them back over the Pyrenees to Bordeaux. But he was ill, and returned to England, and to his home at Berkhamstead Castle, where he died in 1376, a much mourned national hero. In his Will, there is mention of "... our house at Ashridge, which is of our foundation." Also "... within our castle of Wallyngford."

His father, Edward III, died the following year. The Black Prince's son, Richard, became king at the age of ten. Until he was 16, the government was in the hands of his uncle, John of Gaunt, second son to Edward III.

Some most interesting letters referring to the time of Edward II and III (1325-1348) tell how the villein tenants of Monks Risborough were trying to throw off their bondage, and be like those in the other part of Risborough, claiming to be not villeins but freeholders, and that the manor was an "ancient demesne of the Crown", and that they held their land as freemen. The case was considered so grave that the Prior of Canterbury, Prior Oxendon, came himself to the Monks Risborough Manor Courts to hear the arguments. The Court decided that the self-called freemen were in fact "nativi", and bondmen of the monks of Canterbury. When the tenants refused to submit to this decision, ten of the most active in the rebellion, were arrested. The arrested tenants afterwards brought an action in the king's court against the Prior, charging him with assault and false imprisonment. The case dragged on for several years. The rebellious tenants were put out of their land for seven years, when they gave in, in 1352. The Church maintained that the parish was held by them "by pure and perpetual alms as granted by kings and by the confirmation of kings, and that we had it in our seizin and possession before the Conquest, that is to say in times so far distant that the king can not demand anything for this kind of talliage but only for his demesnes which were in the seizin of his ancestors of his own blood..." etc.

We have considered the land held by the Giffards and Notley Abbey, and also how the Black Prince was connected with Princes Risborough. Now I would like to describe the life of the farming peasants. We are told that in the middle of the 13th century the population of England was probably between 2 and 3 million. Nine tenths lived in the countryside. Forest law offences were very strict. Thus, if a freeman was caught chasing a stag "..until it panted for breath," he would be imprisoned for a year; if a villein did this.. ..for two years; a serf would be outlawed. For killing a stag a freeman lost his freedom and was downgraded to villein; a villein was put in prison, but a bondsman was executed.

But in the 14th century, the Black Death raged through Europe, reducing the population of the kingdom by a third or a half. There were not enough workers to plough the land nor to get in the harvest. Because of this, workers became very valuable. They could claim more rights. After the Black Death, because of the shortage of labour, cash was paid for some work, and other services could be commuted for cash, and, once granted, this became a Custom of the manor. Surplus farm produce could be sold in the town market. Even the king was glad to receive money instead of "service", so that he could employ mercenaries, or pay for boys from the towns to serve as soldiers.

Walter of Henley was a 13th century authority on Open Field agriculture. He wrote a treatise on the best way to manage an estate. He compared the two-field system of farming, one field planted half winter-wheat and half spring-barley, the other field left fallow, with the three-field system, one with winter-wheat, one spring barley and the other fallow. It is full of words of wisdom. The monastery of Glastonbury had a copy of this book. (I know that the richest of the Glastonbury manors was that at Damerham, near Ringwood. )

The introduction explains that in the C13th, one can say, there were only two economic classes, the Landlords with their demesnes, and the peasants who worked the land for them. The demesne, old French = domain or Home Farm, was the chief source of income of the landlord. This was cultivated by the labour of the villeins, who were required, at that time, to spend on it so many days each week, according to the season of the year, and who had to discharge certain other services as well. In return, the lord supplied them with smallholdings which they could cultivate on their own account on any days when they were not obliged to work on the domain lands. The villein, or villan, when he entered on his holding, received an outfit from the lord of the stock which was required to work his holding. The villein may thus be regarded as a labourer working on the home farm for regular days of labour, "week work," and times of special employment, "boon work." These were accurately defined, but he had the rest of the time to himself, and his chief maintenance came from his holding. He was not paid wages. His lord would probably have stocked the holding with a yoke of oxen and half a dozen sheep when the villan first entered on his tenancy.

The " strips" of the tenants in the common fields were about a half to four fifths of an acre. The number of strips was based on status. Tenants holding a Virgate of land, a quarter Hide, might receive two strips, one for a half Virgate. For a person living in the 13^th century , the mention of a virgate would as much suggest the status and obligations of a tenant as the extent of his tenement. A wooden plough, drawn by oxen, ploughed about three quarters of an acre a day.

The obligations which originally attached to the villans personally, came to be connected with the land-holding they enjoyed. We thus get the whole of the villan's virgates spoken of as servile land, and the obligation of work on the domain land can be regarded as incident to the tenure of a piece of servile land. We might, therefore, have a freeman who was not personally of villan status, but who had undertaken to work a plot of servile land and was therefore obliged to carry out his quota of villan services. He can be regarded as a tenant who received a certain area of land, ready stocked, and who, in return, paid a rent in the form of service.

The main element of success of a land-holding depended on the labour available. It was a necessity. So, a fundamental principle of rural management was that the persons of the labourers should be retained on the estate, and that their progeny should not be permitted to avoid becoming liable to the same obligations in turn. From this arose the social restrictions on villains putting their children to school, or letting them be apprenticed in a town, or to be ordained. There MUST be available labour for the home farm. This was so well known that Walter Henley does not allude to it, but he lays stress on the COMMUNAL obligations of the villains.

The Landlord's main object was to render the estate self-sufficient. However, money was needed, - and metals and salt could only be obtained with money.

Monastic estates were often far from the monastery, and in that case, it was more convenient to sell a large proportion of the produce, and send the money obtained to the abbey.

During the C12th there had been a gradual move to hired-labourers receiving wages. Some villains were able to free themselves from the obligation of doing "customary" work by paying a Quit Rent.(see page 98). Even in Doomsday Book the estimate of the value of an estate, dependant on the villan's obligations, is stated in terms of money.

Certainly after the Black Death, the villain was gradually able to become his own master. It was, perhaps, also easier for the lord to receive money, rather than organizing and supervising the work done.

Because of this, we get at this time regular written accounts, and the idea that, if good rules were kept, it would be possible for the lord "to live on his means, and keep himself and those belonging to him." "How the lord can husband his resources and manage thriftily." The Bailiff on the estate would be required to keep accounts, and these could be checked.

It has been suggested that Walter of Henley had himself been a Bailiff. He wrote down the previously unwritten wisdom of the time. His treatise had a wide circulation. As well as Glastonbury Monastery, Oxford and Cambridge Colleges and the Cathedral Library of Canterbury had copies. We know that Monks Risborough was a Canterbury Manor.

There is in the Aylesbury Record Office a document B1/6, which refers to a Virgate of land in Riseberwe which had been held by Reginald de Rudinga's father Ralph. ..."Grant to Reginald, and his descendants, of freedom from all servitude and villeinage in perpetuity. For this grant, release of servitude and villeinage and warrenty, Walter de Henl' has given 7 marks of silver as a gressum. Warrenty against all men and women. The witnesses are:- Walter de Henl' Hugh de Culverdon, Richard de la Forde, Geoffrey de Losel', William Bulle, Richard de Lithe." (dated "early C13th.")

It has been suggested that Walter of Henley lived in Great Kimble, which is very near Princes Risborough.

Walter writing about the Common Fields, and comparing those cultivated in the two-field system and the three-field system, explained that in the two field system, one field would be sown half with wheat or rye, and half with barley or oats. Each field would be of eighty acres. 40 acres would have to be ploughed before the wheat was sown, and 40 acres more before the barley was sown. 80 acres would have to be ploughed twice over in June, ".. to cut the thistles", when the stubble of the second field was broken up, and left fallow.:- 40 plus 40 plus (80 X 2)= 240 acres.

The three-field system would have 60 acres to plough before the wheat was sown, 60 acres before the barley was sown and 60 acres to plough twice when the stubble was broken in June,..60 plus 60 plus (60 X 2 )= 240 acres. (Winter wheat and spring Barley).

The following quotation, from another source, provides a vivid description of the countryside:- "Crowds would be working in the fields. At harvest time, the men with their reaping hooks would be busy on their strips; the women and children were gathering the stalks, tying them in sheaves and stooking them to dry. The parson would be there, taking his tenth sheaf. In the great fields the lord of the manor had his many strips in addition to his enclosed demesne, and his foreman and serfs and those freemen who owed him time might be clearing away the last sheaves, while the poor women were gleaning. On the third great field, left fallow during the last summer, some ploughs would be preparing it for wheat, while watched-cattle and sheep still grazed in the rest of the field."

It will also help to picture the country at this time if I quote from Walter of Henley's ‘Treatise on Husbandry."

"The sheepfold should be marled every fortnight. Manure mixed with good earth or the cleansing-out of ditches, and then strew it over sandy ground,if you have it."

(Provost = Praepositusa or reeve.) "Have provosts elected by your tenants."

(Clerk = Seneschal.)

"40 turns of the plough can be made to the acre, which would give 80 furlongs."

"The Provost must cause hair of the avers to be gathered to make ropes for which he shall have need, and he must cause hemp to be sown in the court to make ropes for the waggons for harness and other necessary things."

"Barley ought to yield to the 8th grain. A quarter sown should yield 8 quarters. Rye to the 7th grain. Beans and peas to the 6th. Wheat, by right, to yield to the 5th grain and oats to the 4th."

"You can well have three acres weeded for a penny, an acre of meadow mown for 4d, and an acre of waste-meadow for three pence half penny. And know that 5 men can well reap and bind 2 acres a day of each kind of corn, more or less." "25 men can reap and bind 10 acres a day, working all day, in 10 days 100 acres. See then how many acres there are to reap and see if they agree with the days, and pay them then,- if they take more days, do not pay more, it is their fault."

"Who provides for the future enjoys himself in the present. Why? I will tell you. When they have wasted their goods, they can only live from hand to mouth." "Who has a good neighbour has a good morrow."

"....and free tenants, know how much each holds and by what service, and Customary Tenants, how much each holds and by what services, and let customs be put to money."

"A furlong ought to be 40 perches long and 4 wide, and the king's perch is 16 and a half feet. Then an acre is 66 ft wide." (16.5X4 = 66 ft.) "Then go 36 times round, to make the ridge narrower, and when the acre is ploughed then you have 72 furlongs,= 6 leagues.",(12 furlongs = a league)."A horse or ox can go 3 leagues from start till 3 o'clock." "Plough with little furrows, well laid together, that the seed may fall evenly. If you plough a large furrow to be quick, you will do harm. How? I will tell you....."

"Change your seed at Michaelmas, for seed sown on other ground will bring more profit than that which is sown on your own."

"A horse to be in condition to do his daily work should have every night a bushel of oats, price one halfpenny, and 12 d. of grass in summer, and each week more or less a penny of shoeing, if he must be shod on all four feet. = 12/5 a year."

"...and change your horses before they are old and worn out or maimed, for with little money you can rear good and young ones, if you sell and buy in season."

"52 weeks, with 8 weeks for holy days, and other hindrances, = 44 working weeks left."

"And let your cows have enough food that the milk may not be lessened."

"Blessed is the penny that saves two."

"A mare is in foal 49 weeks, a cow in calf 40 weeks, a ewe goes with lamb 21 weeks and a sow can furrow 5 times in 2 years and no more. A goose will hatch once a year if she is good, but she will not do this every year, nor can she be made to, but according as they are well kept they will yield more or less."

"Sort out your swine once a year, and if any are not sound take it away. Have a good breed. It is a good thing for swine to lie long in the morning, and to lie dry. Let your sucking pigs be well kept and they will grow the better."

"Each cow a calf a year, each ewe a lamb, two and a half gallons of milk per cow. A sow 7 pigs. For geese take one gander, for 5 hens, a cock."

"The swine should be kept where there is forest or woods or waste. When the sows have furrowed, let them be driven with the feeble swine to the manors and kept with leavings as long as the hard frost and the bad weather last, and then driven back to the others where a pigsty was made for the time of the hard frost. Do not keep swine if no wood, or you will lose twice as much as you gain." (The swineherd looked after his pigs in the woods. The beech-mast season is 14th September to 18th November.)

"The Hayward should be an active man. Early and late. To make all the boon tenants and customary tenants who are bound and accustomed to come, do so, and to do the work they ought to do. In haytime to be over the mowers, and be over the ploughers and harrowers and sowers, and in August assemble the reapers and the boon tenants and see that the corn is properly and cleanly gathered, early and late, watch that nothing be stolen or eaten by beasts or spoilt, and tally with the provost throughout the year."

"And the Lord ought to love God and Justice and be faithful and true."

"The waggoner should know his trade, and use his horses without great stress. No waggoner shall carry fire or candle into the stables unless the candle be in a lantern, and this for great need, and carried and watched by another than himself. He shall sleep with his horses, and the oxherd with his oxen."

"No shepherd ought to leave his sheep to go to fairs, markets or wrestling matches or wakes or to the tavern without taking leave or asking it or without putting a good keeper in his place."

"The lord's sheep shall be marked with one mark."

"You can take 4s 6d clear for each cow and acquit the tithe and save for yourself the cow and calf, and for a sheep 6d and acquit the tithe and keep the sheep and lamb. A sow SIX SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE a year and acquit the tithe and save for yourself the sow. A goose sevenpence halfpenny and save the goose. A hen 9d...etc. 10 quarters of apples and pears give 7 tuns of cider. A quarter of nuts, 4 gallons of oil... Each hive of bees ought to yield 2 hives a year, one with another, for some yield 0 and others 3 or 4 a year in some places given nothing to eat all winter. Where fed, you can feed 8 hives all winter with a gallon of honey, and if you only collect the honey every two years, you should have 2 gallons of honey from each hive."

"Those who have the goods of others in their keeping ought to keep well four things. To love their lord and respect him, and as to making profit, they ought to look on the business as their own, and as to outlays, they ought to think that the business is anothers, but there are few servants and provosts who keep these four things altogether."

In the 14^th Century, what are called Lay Subsidies were granted to the king. These were called Fifteenths or Tenths, being a tax of a Fifteenth part of the "moveables" of all classes liable to pay it in rural areas, and a Tenth part of those living in cities, boroughs and lands known as rural ancient demesne of the Crown. As we have seen the latter were lands that had belonged to the Crown at the time of the Doomsday Survey. Tools of trade were exempt by custom. The landholders paid no tax on their demesne equipment. The husbandmen and peasant were not assessed on their household goods, clothing or things like ploughs, carts and farm tools. All paid on moveables which could be sold in the local market. Those whose total assessment was less than ten shillings paid no tax. The local assessors made a house to house valuation on some named day, usually Michaelmas, when the crops were in and the local value could be ascertained. To give just one example:- Thomas de Orchard had 1 beast 3s 4d., oine cow 6s 8d, one steer 5s, 1 quarter of wheat 3s 4d, 1 quarter of barley 3s, 1 quarter of beans 3s,1 cart 8d, hay and fodder 20d. Sum 20s. Hence 20s. Thence 15^th = 16d.

It is said that in 1500,.."Five pounds is a fair living for a yeoman" A man with freehold land worth 40 shillings annually could vote. With over 40 Pounds he could sit in Parliament. "Those only who rent, are, properly speaking farmers. Those who till their own land are yeomen." In the 14^th century, a yeoman was "An attendant below the rank of sergeant". In the 15^th century, "a freeholder below the rank of gentleman", hence, "a man of good standing". (From Middle English (y)ongman= youngman, with the phonetic development of ngm to m.) "A small farmer, owning his own land, a man important enough to sit on Juries and cast his vote for a member of Parliament."

In 1653 the Customs state:- A Freeholder payeth upon or at his comminge inn after a death A Relieffe( = a payment made to an overlord on taking possession. C 14^th.) which is one yeres quitrent." (rent paid in lieu of services. C 15^th.) By the 15^th century the peasant holding land under Customary Tenure, saw the development of what came to be called Copyhold Tenure, by which a peasant possessed a Copy of Court Roll, which defined his rights and obligations. This was the most common form of land-holding in early modern England. One man might hold land, some freehold, some Copyhold and some leasehold. Freehold in Anglo Norman is franc tenement, and is the tenure of real property, an estate of inheritance, held in fee simple or fee tail or for life. Leaseholders, especially if the lease was for a limited period, such as for 7 or 10 years, were vulnerable. The rent might be raised each time. The Copyholder’s determination to keep his tenancy was understandable.

I have noticed that there are some family names which recur often in the records. The holdings of the Customary Tenants were inheritable, and, at a death, when a son had been born to receive the surrendered land, it is easy to follow the names of the families. However favorite names, such as John, Robert, William, complicate matters, especially when they are mentioned as first junior and then senior, and we do not know from which branch of the family they come.

But, when the family comes from a very small hamlet, such as Alscot, Princes Risborough, we can assume that the family concerned is descended from the family of the same name appearing in the Court Rolls as "of Alscot" in the early 1500s. This is the case with the name Loosley, even though the word is sometimes spelt Lowsley, Lusley, Loslee, Looseley or Lauseley. Another valuable source of information is from the Wills, of which there are many available.

The origin of this name is said to be "The pigsty clearing" .(hlose=pigsty, ley=clearing.) Perhaps it has to do with the pigsty built in the woods to protect the pigs in bad weather, as described by Walter of Henley. There is certainly woodland, both Kings' Wood and Abbots' Wood, up on the Chiltern Hills, near Speen. In 1540 the woods on the Chiltern Hills were "..full of enclosures". South east of Loosley Row farms is what was always called the Hillock, or Hillwork, common land, where "the tenants had free common without stint."(1574). They had the right to collect brushwood and bracken, and some animals could be kept there. In fact, the town Risborough owes its name to the word for brush wood.

One part of the Upper Tithing is called Parslow's Hillock. The Parslow name originally was Passe l'eau. In 1331 it was Passelewe. I did notice the name Overthewater, and wondered.- - There was also, long ago, somebody called Abovethetown.

Another of the early tenant families in the hamlet of Alscot were the Petipas, or Petypas, or later known as Petipace-Blick, and finally Blick, then living in Longwick.

The Hawes, Goodchilds, Cokers, all yeomen, lived in Alscot, over many years, as did the Bristows. One Thomas Bristow was a Loosley grandchild.

Other names, which appear in a book of Early Taxation Returns for Buckinghamshire,from 1332, by A. C. Chibnall, in the Bucks Record Society collection, include the names Shepherd, Carpenter, Fisher, Glover, Alice le bakeress, le panier (basket maker), le stamere (stammerer), le Waleys (Welshman), Kentys, Somesatte and Dorset.

King Ethelred, the elder brother of Alfred the Great, had decreed, already in the C 9th, that everyone must contribute to Danegeld, and must defend the land in wartime. But new people were coming into the country, and the Manor Courts would have to see that they were put into a Tithing group. They would be asked "What is your name?" I expect they would reply, perhaps, John, or William, or Robert. "Where do you come from?" "What work do you do?" And they would try to reply, and the clerk would write down something. Perhaps they lived "atte chapele", or "atte well", one was "atte horcharde", another was "atte cnolle" (at the hilltop). Other names in Buckinghamshire were William de Herdewyke, Robert de Holond, Robert Janekyn, Alice de reuewyf =the rough woman, Lotgersal =partner in the venture, le schereman (my book says: shearer of woollen cloth, but it might be the man who shears sheep). Scerewowe,(? Shears wool), Kyttebrugg, (goat bridge,) Janekynys =little Jan's child, Weylond =meadow, de Nodaris =lawyer, Wykende =end of village. And what about Borewelim =Farmer William, Melkwhyt =milkwhite, and Bygges =pigs. (They are all "almost Dutch words"). Others, when asked all those questions might have said KNAWAT! (now what!) or Hemel! (Heavens!). and that was put down as their name. Did they come into the country from their fishing boats in the North Sea, when there was trouble in Europe, and walk along the Icknield Way, as others had done over the centuries, until they found a fertile, and friendly, place to stop? Or perhaps Richard Hostage's name tells the story?

There were also Daubeney, and Deudoney. Possibly French churchmen originally? (Dieubeni, Dieudonné)

Others were called Cheval, and Palfreyman.

Were they Spanish brothers who were called William Sulees (S.E.) and Richard Sulueston (S.W.)?

All these names appear in the 1332 taxation list.

As I have explained, many of the Manor Court Rolls, of Princes Risborough, written in latin on vellum, have been archived in Winchester since 1700. They had come into the hands of Henry Penton, a lawyer, who had become Lord of the Manor of Princes Risborough after a law suit... "...June 1700...to Henry Penton..the great uncle of the late Mr Penton who purchased the same under a decree in Chancery 19.11.1686, for payment of the creditors of Thomas Adeane." Henry Penton was a lawyer of Lincolns Inn, who lived in Winchester.

The first Manor Court Roll (15M50/1377/1) in his possession, and later archived in Winchester, was dated 12 March 1443, and there are 125 other dates of Courts, and hundreds of rolled vellum, called "membranes", of parchment. (See Supporting Documents page 83)..There are what are called "Estreat Rolls", often lists of names, and hundreds of Deeds and Leases, and, towards the end, mortgages, and "A judgment in the Court of Common Pleas...for £8000 and costs"...leading to "Manor and Rectory of Princes Risborough, Bucks.,..which came into the hands of Henry Penton by Bargain and Sale in 1700 ".

(This is a document from the Buckinghamshire Record Office, Aylesbury)

(this is one of the Mildway/Penton papers from the Record Office of Hampshire at Winchester, and now on microfiche in Aylesbury Record Office.)

(Mildmay/Penton Papers, Winchester, perhaps made at that date for the lawyer, Henry Penton.)

There are, on the list, "112 coppyhold tenants" divided into those from Princes Risborough (town), Alscott, Longwick, Speene Laceys Green, Loosley Row, and Culverton.

Richard Loseley takes over the holding in Alscot when his father William dies. This is a messuage and a virgate and a cottage and a virgate, called Pallgrave(?) . (See more fully under Alscot on pages 45-48).

Thomas Loosley is Tithingman of Alscot, but further on we learn that Richard Loseley who had held the messuage a cottage and one virgate of land in Alscot has died, a William is next of kin. (small tear, end of page, does not continue on next)

We saw earlier that Walter Giffard, the third, died without an heir in 1164. Because of this, the land which William the Conqueror had given to the family, "reverted to the Crown". For many years the combined property, held by the Abbey and the King, are dealt with as one Manor.

From the Winchester Archives, the previously mentioned number 15M50/1377/1 ,with membranes from 1443-54, one, dated 26.8.1450, View of Frankpledge, we learn for instance that the 18 men of the Jury, the Homage, present among other things, that:- "...the ditch of Henry Oldcastle, Knyghtbrygge, the ditch of the Abbot of Notley, the ditch of Ralph Petipas, at Mensherd, are obstructed to the (common) hurt, therefore they are amerced" (fined) . 3 pence is written over the names of Henry Oldcastle and the Abbot, and 2 pence over Ralph Petipas. Also ",,,that a lane called Canon Lane is broken by default of the Abbot of Notley. (6 pence to pay). And it is ordered that the said lane be repaired before the feast of St Michael next coming under penalty of 40 shillings." I notice that two of the jurymen have the name Ovyot, a William and a Richard. At the time of the Black Prince, a William Ovyot was reeve of the town. Two other jurymen are noted as William Lusley and John Lusley. The jury present that they are paying the usual 20 shillings Cert money, which they do instead, perhaps, of inspecting the tithing members. They amerce 11 people who have not come to the Court. So Henry Oldcastle is fined another 3d, as is Thomas Hautre. (In 1356..."to allow William de Autrif (Hautrive, in margin) to have respite of his homage until the prince's return to England." And in 1357, "...inasmuch as it has been found by a search of the ancient rentals and other evidence relating to the prince's manor of Risebergh that William Hautreve of Risbergh holds 4 virgates of land of the prince, as of the said manor, by service of 1 pound of pepper and by doing suit to the prince's Court there every three weeks--to supersede altogether the demand which is being made against William for homage and relief, and for payment of the said 4 virgates, and to release any distress already taken from him on that account, provided he holds no lands of the prince except the four virgates. By testimony of the Bishop of Wyncestre." (Folio 116 Records of Bucks XVI part 3).

The name de Autrif becomes Hautrive, and later Hawtry, owners of Chequers.

The next "membrane" is "View of Frankpledge at Rysbergh on the 16th day of September in the 31st year of the reign of Henry the Sixth after the Conquest (1452)"...The Abbot of Notley has allowed Canon Lane to be obstructed to the common hurt therefore he is amerced (3 s. 4d. "above his head"). Various people who..did not come, therefore they are" amerced",included Thomas Hautre 3d, and Henry Oldcastle 3d. William Petypas has to pay 3d this time. Others have baked bread under weight. Fined 2d. Or "Took Toll in excess" 4d. Or brewed ale and broken the Assize of Ale 7d. etc etc.

Register Quire 24. Public Record Office, London. PCC Wills.

He leaves money to the church of Risborowe, and "...to the mother church of Lincoln 4d." "to the high aulter 20d.", to 6 named lights in the church, "to the sustentation of the torches 12d.", "to the sustentation of the belles 12d.,"..20d. to bey a box for to bere the oyle for to anele sick folks withall", "..8 shillings for to help bey a cope to the said church", "..unto Isabelle Loseley, my wif, 20 marcs and 20 quarters of whete and 40 quarters of malt and 6 horse and horse gere a plow and plow gere carte and carte gere And all the croppe that I have sown this year that is to say Whete barley beanes peays and wots ...to Richard Loseley my son 20 marcs and 100 shepe and 6 bests that is to say kyen and heyfers. And if so be the said Richard dey I will that an abill prest do sing to the sume of 18 marcs. And the Residue of the said 20 marcs shalbe put to the sustentation of the fraternite of Jhu" (Jesus) ...to Daughters Agnes and Isabell 40 sheep each and 4 beasts. "To each (eche) of my godchildren an new (sic) shepe and a lambe" etc etc. Brother John...Father (fadre)John,... Mother(moder) Margery...."I bequeath unto a prest for to sing for me in Riseborough church a hole yere 8 marcs." "The residue of all my goods not given nor bequeathed I give hole unto Isabell Loseley my Wif that she may dispose them to the pleasure of God and to the helth of my soule And I make myn executors my wif Isabell Loseley and my fadre John Loseley and William Clerk. And I give to the said William Clerk 10 shillings. And I will that my fadre.....have the 20 marcs of the said Richard Loseley for to dispose it to such personnes that shall encrece it to the most behove to the said Richard Loseley."

(Mildmay\Penton Papers, see also on page 75)

"...in the fourteenth year of the reign of Henry VII"...the Homage,of 12 men, included John Loseley snr., Richard Loseley, William Loseley and a William Coker. The Court Roll gives an idea of how land was surrendered and a new owner was admitted:- "To the Court came Henry Crempe and surrendered into the hand of the DP(Domine Principe) (Lord of the Manor) by means of William Clerke, a half virgate of land with the appurtenances in Loseley Rew which the same Henry held under rent of 5s. yearly, to the benefit and use of Joan Darvold, whereby there falls due to the DP of a Heriot seven and a half pence. On this came the aforesaid Joan and took from the D P the said half virgate of land with the appurtenances which the lord by the Steward granted thereby in fee to hold to herself and to her heirs at the will of the lord according to the customs of the Manor by rendering of the services and customs that were previously owed and customary And she gave to the DP as a Fine for all services thereby 2 shillings. And she did fealty and was admitted thereby into the Tenement."

Further....,"And that none of the cottagers in old times collected the customary payment called LESYNG CORNE until Autumn on pain for every offence of 20 pence daily from those who are guilty." This is gleaning. etc etc. Afferors :- Henry Wendover and John Loseley. The Afferors would know what people could afford to pay as a fine and the Customs regulations.

John, Richard, and William Loseley are again Jurors for the King, plus 9 more. Similarly on 3.10.1499.

Thomas Coker is Tithingman of Alliscot, William Dorvall is Tithingman of Loseley Row. (Somebody) "..with swords sticks and knives broke into the Close of Thomas Coker at Risburgh and entered, and a pig value 14d. of the goods and chattels of him the said Thomas there found took and abducted contrary to the King's peace." "And that a hive of Bees value (blank) is now fully the DP's because it has remained for a year and a day within the custody of John London."

A John Loseley is a Tithingman of the town. A John and William are Jurors. The Abbot of Notley is amerced for not coming, as are ten others, but he, evidently, is not asked to pay a fine. Where he is named, I do not see an amount "over his head".

Re 1502 and 1505 see pages 36,47,48,75 and 76.

The Subsidy Roll for 1522 has Thomas Lowesley £10 pounds, John Lowesley £2 pounds, William Lowesley £2.

The Subsidy Roll for 1525 has Thomas Lowsley £10, William Lousley £3, John Lowesley £3, John Lowseley £3, out of a total of 70 assessed persons in the town.

In the 1522 Muster Roll the Abbot of Nutley was assessed at £100.

In 1529 Henry VIII stayed at Nutley,while he was making a "progress" through the Midland Counties.

This included Nutley Abbey. .At the Dissolution, Nutley Abbey held the Princes Risborough Manor and Rectory at the value of 40 pounds per annum (and 10 other churches), Henry VIII granted this Manor, known as ABBOT'S MANOR, to the Dean and Chapter of Oxford, in 1542. During the reign of Edward VI, 1547-53, (Henry VIII's son), the Manor was held on the same tenure, but Robert King, Bishop of Oxford, also paid rent for it.

At the time of the Dissolution, the Abbot of Nutley was bound to distribute 20 shillings a year to poor persons for the benefit of the souls of Earl Walter Giffard and the countess Ermengarde. An acre of land was granted to provide a light at Princes Risborough, presumably within the church.

"..Descent of MANOR AND RECTORY of Princes Risborough. Memorandum by Thomas Nelson that: Richard, Abbot of the Monastery of our Blessed Lady and St John the Baptist of Noteley, Bucks and the Convent of the same place leased to Nicholas Carter of Bucks by deed dated 31 August 26 Henry VIII, 1534, all their manor and lordship in Princes Risborough with the appurtenances, and all profits of Leets and Courts; also the Rectory and parsonage of Princes Risborough and all tithes, etc; also a mansion place called Brookehouse in Rysborow. ... to be held of the Abbot and Convent for 60 years from Lady day preceding the date of the lease at a yearly rent of £40 etc".

This next available Court Roll is dated 25 September. John Tey and John Childe are noted as Tithingmen, being sworn, present that they give to the chief lord a common Fine of 20 shillings at this day (Cert money). John Temple is elected Tithingman in place of William Welhed, and is sworn. A case of assault committed by Thomas Hodeson on William Boller, the Constable..., judgement... in the stocks for 2 days and thereafter exiled from the township as a common disturber of the peace of the lord the lord King etc. An Aletaster is sworn, and various people are presented as brewers of ale, and are amerced 2d each (to allow them to brew, but to keep tabs on them). Two Victual Tasters are sworn, and the Jury "present several butchers and bakers who make profit therefrom -" amerced 2d each (same reason).

Loosley Row: Nicholas Whittock, Tithingman there, being sworn, presents that they give suit to the Court in Risborough and all other things are well.

Speen: Robert Lacy, Tithingman (as above). Henry Lowselly and Robert Welhed are sworn as affeerors of the Lord King.

Culverton. John Wade, Tithingman there (as above).

Alscot: Richard Trippe, Tithingman there (as above).

Longwick: Henry Hebbe, Tithingman there (as above)

and William Buttler there (as above) ... present (that they) are of the Fine (paid) at the Court as above and that all other things are well.

Jurors for the lord King: 20 names, the last three being Thomas Lowseley, John Lowseley snr and John Lowseley jnr.

1539 and 1542 see under "Alscot" from page 48.

During the war with France, in 1545, Henry VIII's finest ship, the Mary Rose, sank in the Solent. The war had taken most of his money.

Mildway document number 15M/50/1391 is: "Abstract of the Title of the Rectory of Princes Risborough .... (after other dates) 20 May 1545 Grant, by Dean and Chapter of Oxford, of Rectory back to the King. 13 Sept 1547 Grant by Edward VI of Rectory to Bishop of Oxford and his successors. 30 December 1589 Grant by the Bishop of Oxford to the Queen Elizabeth, 5th January 1590, Confirmation by Dean and Chapter. 4th January 1590 Grant by Queen Elizabeth by letters patent to Crumpton et al. 9th March 1590 Release by Gilley Wright and Merricke to Crumpton. 20 February 1594 (36th year of Queen Elizabeth's reign), Crumpton to Jackman, with a Fine. 24 November 1624 (22nd year of King James' reign) Jackman.

Copy of Lease by Queen Elizabeth to Robert Wake citizen and mercer, London, of ... Manor and Lordship of Princes Risborough and Rectory ... once property of monastery of Notley, and now of the Bishopric of Oxford, with mansion house (of) Brokehouse excepting always great trees and underwoods, wards, marriages, mines, quarries, advowsons, goods of felons, etc to hold ... for 21 years, if the Bishopric of Oxford remains in the hands of the Crown for so long, £40 per annum. Provisions, payments towards stipend and to poor of parish and for wood for repairs." etc.

This is an Indenture signed by the Earl of Essex etc, and dated 5th March 1590. = grant by Queen Elizabeth to Thomas Crompton... "to hold in capite by the farm of 20th part of a knight's fee."

... to alienate to John Jackman, Henry Jackman and William Jackman, gents, the manor of Risborough ... with appurtenances and 6 messuages, 2 cottages, 2 tofts, one mill, one dovecote, 6 gardens, 6 orchards, 60 acres land, 20 acres meadow, 30 acres pasture, 60 acres wood etc and 10/- rent in (Princes Risborough) and the Rectory of Risborough ... and all tithes etc, and the advowson of the church of (P. R.) in Bucks which is held in chief. etc (13/2/1594 - 36th year of Queen Elizabeth's reign).

John, Henry and William Jackman, plaintiffs Thomas Crompton Esq and Mary his wife, defendants.

"Manor of Risborough...and 6 messuages, 2 cottages, 2 tofts, 1 mill, 2 dovecotes, 6 gardens,6 orchards, 60 acres arable, 20 acres meadow, 30 acres pasture, 60 acres wood, 20 acres brushwood and furze, and 10/- rent with appurtenances in Risborough...and also the Advowson of the church of Risboroughe. Easter.36 (year of ) Elizabeth". (=1594).

This has all referred to the land which had been part of the holding of Notley Abbey, and is called the ABBOTS HOLD.

Bundle of 11 documents on descent of the manor and rectory of Princes Risborough, Bucks, and the Mansion house called Brokehouse (P.R) (and land in Stukeley, Bucks) in the Jackman family. 1600-1621. Various names mentioned. In 1618 a note re a mortgage.

15M50/1425 " Property conveyed in deed of 20.7.1612 from Jackman to John Bennell:- 2 closes of arable and wood ground containing by estimation 43 acres in (P.R.) called CANEFIELD and BEWLEYES and WOODS" ...20.3.1618." (If JACKMAN, this must be ABBOTS HOLD ).

15M50/1426 1)Joan Chibnall, Chepinge Wicombe, Bucks, widow. Executrix of Richard Chibnall, gent, decd. 2)Joseph Mayne, John Mayne, John Jackman and Thomas Bastian. Covenant by 1) that if 2) pay her (£478 7s 8d) on the 24th November next several bonds and debts will be held to be void. 20.6.1621.

15M50/1427 1) John Jackman....2) Thomas Adeane, Chalgrove, Oxford, gent. Reciting Mortgage lease by 1) to Eleanor Marsh...of... 1618 (she is one of those named in /1414-1424 above) of ground called CANNONS in Pr. Ris., and certain Arable lands, PARCEL OF THE RECTORY of Risborough. Assignment by 1) to 2) of lands for remainder of term. 16.12.1624.

15M50/1428 1) John Jackman..and Alice his wife, Jane Jackman, widow. 2)Joan Chibnall, Wickham, Bucks., widow and Vincent Barrye, Grays Inn, Middlesex. " Bargain , Sale and feoffment by 1) to 2) in consideration of £2800 :- THE MANOR, RECTORY OR PARSONAGE of (P.R.)...,a tenement called BROOKHOUSE in P.R. and 2 other tenements in P.R. and a messuage, excepting always Canefield and Bewleys. (see /1425 above) dated 24.11.1624.

15M25/1429...acknowledgment by Vincent Barrye that the "premisses are to be held to the use of JOAN CHIBNALL. 1.12.1624." Similarly 15M25/1430 same date.

15M50/1432 1)Joan Chibnall. Lease to 2) William Lucye, Sherborne, Oxford, of Rectory and Manor of P.R. for 99 years, Reciting that in Trinity Term 1621, 1) recovered £800 in an action for debt against John Jackman gent, and £8 costs, and that at the time of the judgement JACKMAN was seised of: THE RECTORY AND MANOR of P.R. worth £160 p.a.,A MESSUAGE CALLED BROOKHOUSE...,the ADVOWSON of the VICARAGE of Risborough;....of which the Manor and Rectory of Risborough were delivered up to 1) UNTIL SHE SHOULD HAVE RECOVERED THE DEBT. 12.11.1624. And same date:- "..appointment by 1) of attorney to give livery of seisin to 2) "in premisses".

15M25/1435 Inquisition post mortem, Aylesbury,...16.4.1621 after the DEATH of John Jackman, gent....After the death...a Commission:- "It was found by good and sufficient Jury of the said County of Bucks that he was seised in his demesne as of freehold for the terme of his natural life....the sonne of his body lawfully begotten...parcel of the said Bishopric of Oxford,...houses... ..meadow...wood etc. Court Leet or View of Frankpledge and hereditament whatsoever...there appertaining to the said Rectory and Manor of Risborough als. Princes Risborough, or the messuage or MANOR HOUSE called BROKE... with advowson etc etc of.. AND IN ALL THE MESSUAGES, LANDS etc which Thomas Crompton sometime had....etc etc."

In the map of the parish of Princes Risborough mentioned in the Preface, there is a large plot near the church called CANNONS. This is adjacent to the caput, BROKE HOUSE, THE MANSION HOUSE of the ABBOTS HOLD.

Joan Chibnall was, at this time, the widow of Richard Chibnall of Owleswick and Crendon, Bucks. Her previous name had been Quatremayn, a widow...Her maiden name had been Deane. She had two brothers, John and Thomas. Her first husband, John Quatremayn, "late of Chawgrove, Oxon, decd"., had three brothers, who... "In consideration of £190 , release all claims and title to Chalgrove Farm and ground called Luxe," 12.4.1624...and one of Joan Chibnall's brothers goes to live there.

Joan Chibnall had three nephews: Ralph, Thomas and Simon Adeane. Thomas was a merchant in London, and succeeded her as Lord of the Manor.

15M50/1448-50 MORTGAGE Leases.."..called ABBOTTES HOLDE. Acknowledgement by 1) Thomas Adeane that all the premisses were purchased with money of 2)Joan Chibnall, and that he is interested only as a trustee"...30.1.1625.

/1451 1) Joan Chibnall to 2) Robert Richards, West Wicumbe, yeoman. Lease by 1) to 2) of "ALL TITHES AND OTHER CHURCH DUES ARISING FROM MESSUAGES AND TENEMENTS in Speene, Waters Ashe, Lacies Green and Smalden, PART OF THE RECTORY OR PARSONAGE of Princes Risborough, with certain exceptions, 20.12.1626 for 10 years, £20 p.a. for first 5 years, and £21 for 2nd 5 years.

In 1631 Thomas Adeane of Chalgrove acquires from four Citizens of London the OTHER MANOR of Princes Risborough "...to hold of the KING...in consideration of 10 shillings and £583 6s. 9d. farthing and at an annual rent of £82 4s. 7d farthing" (18.11.1631).

On the same date, "Grant and assignment from the citizens of London, and in consideration of £1540 to Joan Chibnall of the Manor of Princes Risborough with appurtenances for remainder of a term of 99 years."

(/1479 Thomas Adeane of Chalgrove has died, 1641, Elizabeth Adeane, widow, is executrix 26.2.1644.)

But note:-/1475 28.2.1644.

1) Joan Chibnall etc and 2) Elizabeth Adeane, widow. Lease by 1) to 2) of ground called CANNONS in P.R. by estimation 20 acres and arable lands belonging to the Rectory or Parsonage of P.R. containing 80 acres, and ALL TITHES WITHIN THE HAMLET OF ALSCOTT for 99 years or the life of Elizabeth Adeane. BUT on 1st March 1644 (next day?) 1) Elizabeth Adeane, widow, Chalgrave 2) Joan Chibnall, widow. Leases by 1) to 2) Parcel of meadow and pasture ground called Cannons...adjoining the capital messuage of the Rectory...by estimation 20 acres and all arable lands belonging to the rectory...containing 80 acres, and ALL TITHES ARISING FROM THE HAMLET OF ALSCOT, parcel of the said Rectory for 88 years at an annual rent of £53. 1s. 3d.(1644) ("19th year of Charles 1st").

/1479 (again)...mentions the mansion place or dwelling house where John Jackman then lived in P.R. called Abbotts Hold, with scite, and the Manor, Church..etc. from Joan Chibnall and Elizabeth Adeane, widows, to Roger Wiggin, Chalgrove and Simon Adeane...for remainder of term in trust for Joan Chibnall 26.2.1644.

/1480...the sale to Joan Chibnall, 18.11.1631 of the Manor of Risborough PRINCIPIS, parcel of the possessions of the late Queen Elizabeth before her coming to the throne...and by her will dated 22.1.1646/7 Joan Chibnall made Ralph Adeane sole executor. (This is Royal Demesne, Risborough Principis, see 1631.)

It is sometimes difficult to separate the two manors. But, when it says, as in document 15M50/1465, that Sir Jerome Horsey, Kymbell, has a lease on Stocking, 60 acres, from Queen Anne within the Manor of Risborough PRINCIPIS, on 17 11.1610, we know that, at that time, it was, and therefore had been, in the Royal Demesne. However, numbers /1469-73 are 6 Deeds re Stockings which show it belonged in 1623 to Horsey, then to Sir John Dormer till 1629,..William Wydmer till 1632, when it came to....Joan Chibnall, as we have seen above from /1480, "Sale to Joan Chibnall...18,11.1631.." She leases Stockings for 6 years to Edward Stone, yeoman, at £12 p.a. in March 1649.

The Pipe Roll of 17 Edward II (Public Record Office E372\169 contains the account of Brother John of Redmere,Keeper of the King's Manor of Risborough for the year ending Michaelmas 1324. The receipts total £90 17s 6d three farthings). The principal items are £13 12s 11d half penny from rents of free tenants, £39 7s. 6d from rents of customary tenants and £26 12s 11d half penny from the farm of the demesne lands. Sales of livestock account for £4 2s. 4d, pleas of court for £4 6s. 5d. and fines of lands for £2 7s 6d three farthings. There is no revenue from pasture in the park, it being stated that the park has been depastured because of the establishment of the king's stud there. Expenses £5 0s 8d.

Fine Rolls. Volume 14. 29.12.1421. Commission for collection of 15ths and 10ths. The like to the following, John Clerk of Culverdon...

Other dates:- 15M50/1381 Fee Farm of Princes Risborough. Parcell of Honor of Ewelme. Fee Farm Rent, 1655, to Queen Henrietta Maria. (Queen Consort of Charles I of England, who was beheaded in 1649.) Joan Chibnall, widow, five years and a half rent ended 1649 and Ralph Adeane is charged for the same rent for one year ended at the Annunciation (of the Blessed Virgin) 1650.

Enclosed were a number of pieces of cream paper, each with similar wording, dated 1644, 1645, 1646, 1647, 1648, 1649. "Paid 1648 £41 2s 3d half penny farthings half farthings, due to the Queen's Majesty for one half year's rent." Signed Edm. Wingate. 1647 Charles Mjt same amount "to the Queen's Mjte one half years rent ended at the ffeast of St Michael Sharchangell (= Archangel) last past...for the use of his Mjte and the Comonwealth Edm. Wingate." Another year was signed by Phi Darell, Auditor, 1649, for the use of his Maj (crossed out) the Commonwealth (put in). Ralph Dean, gent, £41 2s. 3d half and quarter pence and half a farthing to the use of the Comonwealth of England one half year's rent ending at the Lady Day lst 15 May 1650 Signed: Wingate. "I say recd to the use of the said Common Wealth".

The Commonwealth lasted from 1649 till 1660, when Charles II was restored as king.

15M 50 /1485 Leases to John Loosley jnr. Alscot. Yeoman 1650.

and John Loosley snr. Alscot. Yeoman. 1650

and William Goodchild. Alscot. Yeoman. 1650 by Ralph Adeane.

30.4.1658 Lease by 1) Ralph Adeane, Greys Inn, to 2) Robert Loosley, Speene. Princes Risborough and in the tenure of Ralph Hatchman, Sibell Wright and Elizabeth Cooke, widow, in the Liberty or Tithing of Speene. /1487.

And leases to other yeomen in Speen and Loosley Row.

15M50/1496 1) Sir William Turner, Kt., Alderman of City of London.

2) George Pelham, Greys Inn, executor of Will of Thomas Adeane, alias Deane, of London, merchant, decd.

3) Sir William Ellis, Nockton, Lincs. Bt.

Reciting that in the Michaelmas Term....1683, 1) obtained a judgment in the Court of Common Pleas against Thomas Adeane for £8000 besides costs of suit. Assignment by 1) to 3) in consideration of £4600 paid by the direction of 2) in full of all money owing upon the judgment....

/1497 "...in pleas of debt.ie. £8000

Thomas Adeane died in 1684.

There was a mortgage on both Manors.

/1508 Bundle of 7 Deeds = records of transfer of mortgage for £5000 and of the freehold of Manor and Rectory of Princes Risborough ....which came into the hands of HENRY PENTON by bargain and sale in 1700. High Court of Chancery.

Because of these records, and the names they contain, it is possible to follow a family through many years, sometimes generations, sometimes centuries-, as I have been able to do with my family, the Loosleys. Part of that family lived in the hamlet of Alscot, which had about five houses. In View of Frankpledge held on 20 July 1502, a Richard Loseley takes over the holding in Alscot when his father William dies. This ,we are told, is a messuage and a virgate with the appurtenances and a cottage with the appurtenances in Alscot. A Heriot of a horse, value 12/- was paid, also he held freely a virgate of land with the appurtenances in Alscot called Pallgrave(?) by rent per annum " By Custom he gave to the chief lord for Relief as is shown.". In the margin is "Relief 8 shillings and 6 pence". On the same Court Roll, we read, "Also they present that John Loseley who of the lord held a messuage and a virgate of land in Alscot has died." A Heriot of a beast value 10/- is paid. On the day he died, John Loseley held a messuage and a virgate of land in Loseley Row, "whereby there falls due to the lord for heriot 15 pence and on this came John Loosley...and sought his admission into the aforesaid and that the said John held freely" (see also page 49).

Another View of Frankpledge, dated 26 July 1505, notes a Thomas Loosley as Tithingman of Alscot, but further on we learn that Richard Loseley who had held the messuage a cottage and one virgate of land in Alscot has died "whereby there falls due...for heriot a black horse value 13 shillings and four pence, and that the said Richard on the said day that he died held of the chief lord freely."

There are 20 Wills of members of the Loosley family in various archives. We note that from 1584 they start to call themselves Yeomen in their Wills.

With the aid of further Manor Court Rolls from Winchester and from the Buckinghamshire Record Office in Aylesbury and the Public Record Office in London, and the many Wills, Poll Tax lists, Hearth Tax, the Posse Comitatus of 1798 (a list of people and what work they did), and the Enclosure Act of 1823 for Princes Risborough, we learn much more about the family.

In the 1823 Enclosure list in the Bucks Record Office, I see under the name of William Loosley, the younger, and beside the list of land he held, "14 allotments of land next described, in lieu of Copyhold and Common Rights."

A Manor Court Roll of the town dated 8.6.1829 notes "..that Customary Messuage with the appurtenances wherein William Goodchild formerly dwelt, since then in the occupation of Thomas Jarvis and then lately of Richard Looseley situate in Alscott..."

The Census for Princes Risborough for the year 1831 (PR 175/28/4) gives for Alscot :- Richard Loosley Farmer 1st class

William Loosley Farmer 1^st class

James Loosley

"Summary of Alscott village, inhabited houses 4, families 5, uninhabited houses 1."

This small hamlet of ALSCOT is situated about half a mile to the north of the town of Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire. The hamlet seems never to have had more than seven houses. Alscot Lane is a turning to the north east of the main road to Longwick and Thame. The farthest plot along the lane is called Collins Mead on various maps, including the Enclosure Map of 1820.The hamlet is bordered on the north west by a brook. The boundary between Monks Risborough and Princes Risborough follows this border of Collins Mead and the stream at this point.

A Charter, dated 903 AD, gives the extent of an estate of 30 Hides of land in "East Risborough". The western boundary was roughly the present boundary between the two parishes of Princes and Monks Risborough. In fact, the description in the Charter of 903 tells of the boundary going along a stream to an ash tree on the bank and then turning away to continue towards what is now Longwick.

There are Manor Court Rolls of the town which mention Short Borrough Ash and Long Borrough Ash. These are names of fields not far from the Alscot stream, and are parts of a large Common Field called Cross Field, which stretches down on either side of the Longwick Road to the Lower Icknield Way about half a mile from Alscot.

There is a feoffment mentioning the hamlet of Alscot in 11.6.1357. This feoffment (=a mode of conveying freehold land) tells of the grant of a messuage (= a dwelling house, with its outbuildings and land. Anglo French) in Alscot in the Parish of Princes Risborough..."with three houses built on it of which one is weak, with enclosures surrounding and common in the fields and woods to the said messuage partaining, which said messuage is situated beside the highway at Alscot on one side and the messuage of Henry Petipas on the other". The feoffment, from three named chaplains, was to" Hold for the three lives of Robert of Sotesbruck, his wife and son. Rendering annually 5s for all services and secular demands. Warranty Clause:- Trees may be used for repair of messuage."

While studying these Manor Court Rolls of Princes Risborough, I have noted that the Manor was divided into Tithings. For instance, the Jurymen at the Manor Court which took place on 5.6.1500 included two Tithingmen from the town of Princes Risborough, two Tithingmen from Longwick, two from Loseley Row, one from Culverdon and one from "Alliscot", and also the two elected Constables. A Tithing, in English history, is an administrative division of ten householders. (Old English:- teothung). As we saw earlier , the Tithingmen represented their part of the town in the Manor Court proceedings called the View of Frankpledge. (= a system in Anglo Saxon Law by which each male member of a tithing was responsible for the good behaviour of every other member). I noted that the Tithingmen in all the Court Rolls which were available for study, paid into the Court a sum of money, usually 20 shillings, instead of naming all the members of their tithing. This was called Certainty Money.

At a View of Frankpledge in the reign of Henry the sixth, on 26 August 1450 Henry Gomme of Alscot is one of the 19 men "presenting" twenty shillings Certainty Money. Two others are William Lusley and John Lusley. Henry Gomme is one of the two Affeerors, (the men who would know how much an offender should be fined). There is also a Henry Gomme of Risborough.

On 26.5.1499 Thomas Cokyr is Tithingman of Alscote.

On 5.6.1500 Thomas Coker is Tithingman of Alliscot.

The early reference to Loosleys in Alscott in a Manor Court Roll is dated 20.7.1502 (ref 15M50/1377/2) which is View of Frankpledge in the 17th year of King Henry VII of England. The Homage (the Jury) "present" the information to the Court, among other things, that:- WILLIAM LOSELEY who of the chief lord held a messuage and a virgate, with the appurtenances, and a cottage with the appurtenances in Alscot on the day that he died, whereby there falls due to the chief lord for heriot a horse value 12 shillings And on this came Richard LOSELEY, son and heir of the aforesaid William by his attorney and sought admission to the said virgate and cottage aforesaid. Also they present that on the said day that he died he held of the chief lord freely a virgate of land with the appurtenances in Alscot called PALLGRAVE (?) by rent per annum And that RICHARD is his son and nearest heir and is of full age -by Custom he gave to the chief lord for Relief as is shown. In the margin of vellum roll " Relief 8/6 Heriot 12/-."...

"Also they present that JOHN LOSELEY who of the chief lord held a messuage and one virgate of land with the appurtenances in ALSCOT on the day that he died whereby there falls due to the lord for heriot a beast value 10/- s. And on this .... (blank) " (Margin 10/-)…. other information .. then:- "Also they present that JOHN LOSELEY who of the lord held a messuage and a virgate of land in LOSELEY ROW on the day that he died whereby there falls due to the lord for heriot 15 pence and on this came JOHN LOSELEY and sought his admission into the aforesaid And that the said JOHN held freely."

(At the top of this roll, by the notes of the Certainty Money paid by the Tithingmen 20/-.."..and that the Tithingman of Alscot is not willing that he therefore he is amerced as is shown over his head"

Four pence was written over his name.)(See the corroborating transcriptions of all these Court Rolls.)

In the Court Roll, View of Frankpledge, dated 26.7.1505 (ref. 15M50/1377/2 as above) a THOMAS LOSELEY is Tithingman of ALSCOT, and one of the Jurors. The Jurors present, among other things, that RICHARD LOSELEY held of the chief lord on the day he died a cottage with 2 acres of land with the appurtenances in Horsendon under rent per annum of six shillings eight pence whereby nothing falls due to the chief lord by custom. And they say that WILLIAM LOSELEY is next of kin and the nearest heir.

Also they present that the said RICHARD LOSELEY who of the chief lord held according to the Customs of the Manor a messuage a cottage and one virgate of land with the appurtenances in ALSCOT under rent of 17 shillings per annum on the day that he died whereby there falls due to the chief lord for heriot a black horse value 13 shillings and 4 pence and that the said RICHARD on the said day that he died held of the chief lord freely." (small tear - end of page. Does not continue on next page.)(Checked with Archivist.)

On 25.9.1538 The various Tithingmen report that they "give (suit) to the chief lord at the Court in Risborough and all other things are well"... "Alscot... Richard Trippe Tithingman there being sworn presents as above and all other things are well". (See above, in 1502 the tithingman was fined 4 pence. He evidently did not wish to say that All was well, because of the deaths.)

The Court Roll dated 30.4.1539 under Alscot, "The Tithingman at the same being sworn presents that all is well".

From the London Public Record Office, Court Roll dated 19.8.1542:- "William Lowesley came to the Court and gave back into the hands of the lord king a messuage and a virgate of land with appurtenances in Alscote to the use of Thomas Lowesley, by which there fell to the lord as a heriot one horse worth 12/-. And thereupon the said Thomas Lowesley came and asked for the said messuage and land from the lord's hands. The lord's Court, through his steward, granted seisin of and in the same by the rod, according to the custom of the manor, and to hold to him and his heirs by the lord's will according to the custom of the said manor". (William also surrendered a messuage and a virgate of land....in Alscote for Thomas's use,...heriot of 15 pence, and Thomas came and asked for it.)

NOTE that a horse is included in each heriot for the non-free land, and 15 pence is for the freely-held land.

We can see from these extracts from the Court Rolls that the Loosley land in Alscot was held by Copyhold Tenure, they were copyholders. They held their land as "tenants in ancient demesne." They held copies of the Manor Court Rolls which defined and confirmed their legal status and rights and obligations. One of the" obligations"was to "give suit" at the Manor Court. These were held twice a year. It was a duty of a Copyholder to be present, to "pay suit of court", or produce a good excuse,= essoin. . .

Some Copyholders held some of their land Freehold. Freehold in Anglo Norman is franc tenement, and is tenure of real property, an estate of inheritance. The extent of the land, the rent they paid, and the Customs of the Manor, were all known and written onto the vellum scrolls. Tenure in Ancient Demesne of the Crown enjoyed certain immunities and privileges which became known as customary privileges.= Customary Tenure. We can see from the Court Roll of 1542 that William Lowesley "gave back (his holding) into the hands of the lord king = he "surrendered it". But it would be handed back again to the rightful heir, by Custom of the Manor.The heir would be "admitted." If there was no heir, the holding "reverted to the chief lord." In this case the property would cease to be Copyhold. Copyhold was never recreated.

15M50/1515 is the list on page 35 showing "The Names of the Copyholders of the Towne and parish of Princes Risborough....and the yearely value of their Copyhold Estates" and shows a John Loosley jnr and a John Loosley snr in Alscot in 1700. Said to be at the same time, there is a list of "The Antient Coppyhold Tenements within the Towne and parish of Princes Risborough." Under the heading Alscott, I can see five names, including John Loosley. Another name is Coker. Evidently that family had remained in the hamlet since the 1400s, as a Thomas Coker was the Tithingman there in 1499. Another family which had remained was the family known as Petipas/Blicke. They have two houses in the hamlet. The fifth name is Goodchild. I know that a John Loosley jnr, in 1600, "surrendered" a cottage called Collins, by the hands of Wm Beddall and Joseph Dosset, two Customary Tenants, to the use of William Goodchild jnr. who asked to be admitted. We encounter these names in documents all through the centuries.

It was through justice done in the Court of the Manor that estates of this kind were held together. .

So we can follow the Loosley family as they continued to live in Alscot., which is about a mile to the north of the town of Princes Risborough, just off the A 4129, on the road to Longwick and Thame. .

It is because of the names of ALSCOTT and SUMMERLEYS, in the parish of Princes Risborough, that I have been able to trace my ancestors.

In another Manor Court Roll, dated 21.3.1548, View of Frankpledge (P.R.O.) a JOHN LAUSELEY is Tithingman of SPEEN Fee, JOHN DORVALL is Tithingman of Loosley Row, and RICHARD LOWSELEY is Tithingman of ALSCOT. A THOMAS LAUSELEY was one of the Jurors "for the Lord King". (= in the Royal Demesne.)

(1538 Surrender of Notley Abbey Monastery). Dissolution of Monasteries.

15M50/1396 Letters Patent 8.10.1589. County of Bucks. Rectory of Risborough. "The Rectory of Risborough alias Princes Risborough and the Manor of Risborough... and a Manor House called Broke Howse in Risborough and all the lands held and hereditary to the same Rectory belonging or pertaining before with the demesne lands of the same Rectory rented or occupied together with the advowson of the vicarage (sic) of Risborough... to the same existing worth of the true clear annual value after all charges and deductions £25-11-8d."

Elizabethan Charter for Princes Risborough 1597 (see p.60 and documents)

WILLS:- 1542 Thomas Lowsley of Alscot (see p. *)

1546 Wyllem Lousley of Alscot (see p. *)

1561/2 Thomas Lowsley of Alscot (see p. *)

1584 Thomas Lowsley of Princes Risborough, yeoman (see p. *)

1585 Richard Looseley of Princes Risborough (Alscot) yeoman.(see p.*)

1609 Richard Looseley the younger of Alscot. Husbandman. (see p.86)

1636 Richard Lowsley of Alscot yeoman (see p.88)

15M50/1377/8 Manor Court Roll, View of Frankpledge dated 13.10.1630:- They present that RICHARD LOOSLYE who holds of the lord of the manor to himself and his heirs by copy of court roll following the custom of the manor aforesaid 2 messuages and 2½ virgates of land in Alscot... Rent 33s.4d. per year and suit of court and herriot when it happens...surrendered by hands of William Wade and William Pettipace als Blick...to benefit and use of John Looslye jnr and his heirs. Heriot 3s 1½d- Fine £14....and he makes fealty and is admitted thence as tenant. (=Pettipace alias Blick)

Commonwealth, after Charles I was beheaded in 1649.

1650 Ralph Adeane, Lord of the Manor. Indenture. Lease agreement between Ralph Adeane and John Loosley snr. 7½ acres arable and "all the tythe corn that shall grow and arise on it and also all the privy tythes he hath within the parish of Princes Risborough for 3 years from 1st of April last past. At a yearly rent of 20 shillings on 1st July and 1st January in even and equal parts. If not paid by 10 days after those dates he shall forfeit the sum of 40 shillings for any such default". Similarly between John the younger.."every tythe from the 50 acres of arable land in the common fields of Alscot...for 3 years for £6 10s. per year. 1st July..1st January etc..in Brooke House, which was of late the dwelling house of Mrs. Joan Chibnall. If found to have more land, to pay 2s. 6d. for every acre above the said quantity of land". Note:- John the Elder (b. 1578) son of Richard, died 1652. John the Younger died in 1651.

John the Elder (d. 1652) had no children. He left to John the Younger (b. 1624), son of his brother Andrew.

In the 1662 Hearth Tax one of the Loosley houses in Alscot is "emty". John has married Ann Dorrell (A15 and A16) and they go to live at Summerleas. Their son Richard (A21) is born in 1664. See 15M50/20 Frankpledge and Court Baron 1669. Richard Loosley son of John Loosley of Summerleas does not have to do fealty as he is an "Infant" (5 years old) when land is surrendered "to his use".

POLL TAX 1665 Alscot John Loosley jnr £1 17s. 3d.

John Loosley sen. 11s. 1d.

Speen Robert Loosley 5s. 4½d.

POLL TAX 1668 Alscot John Looselly jun £2 4s. 3d.

John Looseley sen. 13s. 9d.

Speen Robert Loosely 5s. 9d.

POLL TAX 1673:- ..."being ye first quarter of the six quarterly payments granted to his Majesty by an act of Parliament" (Charles II reigned 1660-85).

Alscot John Loosley jnr 12s. 10d.

John Loosley sen. 3s. 9d.

Speen Robert and Joseph Loosley 1s. 10d.

Monks Risborough John Loosley snr 9d.

John Loosley jnr 1s. 2d.

John the Younger (A15) appears to be the one who left a cottage (called Collins) in Alcott and moved to Summerleys, where his son Richard (A21) was born. The Collins cottage was later acquired by the Goodchilds.

In 1700, at another change of Lord of the Manor, there is the list of all the Customary Tenants. Copyholders. The yearly value of their Copyhold Estates, gives for Alscot:- John Loosley jnr £40 p.a. Thomas Bristowe and his son Cornelius £20, William Goodchild and his son John £20, Thomas Blicke £10, John Coker £8, John Loosley snr £2, Richard Walton £4, Henry Andrew and his wife's land £3. ( So 7 or 8 houses at this time?)

In an "Overseers Account Book 1682-1788". Princes Risborough:- There are Loosleys as Overseers of the Poor. Church Wardens. Aleman. Wheelwright. Constable. Hayward.

Voters in 1713. Princes Risborough. Richard Louseley (A21) (= son of John Loosley of Summerleys). John Louseley of Longwick.

Voters in 1718. Richard Louseley jnr of Somerleys. John Lousely, Longwick. 1798 Posse Comitatus (a list of people, and what they do). Princes Risborough:- Shopkeepers: - Joseph Loosley and William Loosley. Lower Hamlet:- George Loosley, Richard Loosley, William Loosley jnr. farmer's men. Upper Hamlet:- Wm Loosley, Constable.

1823 (1 R 87 Q)(= Inland Revenue) Princes Risborough Enclosure Book. A large brass-clasped book in Bucks Record Office. The owners of land are to be found in alphabetical order. Under Loosley there are 34 "number on the plan" plots noted, and to which member of the Loosley family they belong, and if they are Freehold or Copyhold or Leasehold, and the acreage of each plot. The largest plot is in Foxhill and Paulins Mead of 18 acres and 15 roods, Freehold. This is in the column "New allotments and old enclosures given up to be allotted". Further on it is noted as "by allotment to John Grubb". It had belonged to William Loosley the younger ,A42. Other land which he had evidently inherited at this time was of 16 acres in Great Fords Hill and 10 acres called Sargeants Close, in Longwick, near the lower Icknield Way. These are in the column headed "Old enclosures not allotted", and we are told that the ownership of these plots remained unchanged by the Award. Other land which was retained by William Loosley the younger, were the 5 acres of Summerleys Homestead, cottages, garden and three closes. Leasehold. We also learn that William Loosley the younger received 14 allotments of land "in lieu of Copyhold and Common rights held of the Manor of Princes Risborough". These allotments adjoined his other land to consolidate his property, and make it easier to farm. William Loosley the elder held a small plot in Westeye Park, Freehold, Copyhold just over 1 acre. And Richard Loosley, A46, held two plots, Freehold and Copyhold, just over 8 acres and 1 acre. These will be at Alscot.

Extract from T. Tindal's letter on 29.9.1831 (he is Steward, from the heading of a letter), "I have no regular Table of Customs of .. Manor. They are to be collected from the general inspection of the Court Rolls........that the Lord can only take the 2nd best clovenfooted Beast as a Heriot on the death of a Copyholder in respect of each tenement-...that the Lord must assign sufficient Beech timber for studs and rafters from his wood called Kingswood for a Copyholder to repair his Buildings".

Census Princes Risborough 1831 (ref PR 175/28/4):-

Alscott, Loosley Wm, Farmer 1st class. 1 male, 2 females.A71

Richard Loosley, 3 males, 2 females.A69

James Loosley, 3 males, 4 females.A76.

Summerleys William Loosley farmer 1st class, 5 males, 6 females.A42.

George Loosley ditto, 1 male, 2 females.A55.

Summary of Alscot village, inhabited houses 4, families 5, uninhabited houses 1 NOTE 5 houses..

Summary of Summerlies 7 houses, 7 families.

Upper hamlet:- no Loosleys in Speen or Loosley Row (1831 Census still) but at Lacey Green is Jabez Loosley, Shepherd,A73. Ben Loosley, shopkeeper,?A82., and Charles and George Loosley.

In the 1841 Census, seen in the London Census Office (then in Portugal Street) London, I found George Loosley aged 6 years in Princes Risborough, eldest son of James Loosley, husbandman... This George WAS MY GRANDFATHER born 1834. His sister was born in Alscot on 15.1.1837.

Their father was JAMES LOOSLEY,A76, whose marriage is written in the Princes Risborough parish register as:- James Loosley of this parish and of ALSCOTT, bachelor, and SARAH DARVILL of this parish and some place, spinster, married in the parish church by Banns this 26th day of April 1834. James was born on 9.10.1811, the youngest son of RICHARD AND SARAH LOOSLEY (née Carpenter) of SUMMERLEYS, Princes Risborough.

Poll of Electors of the Borough of Aylesbury 1835:- Richard Loosley (A46), Princes Risborough, Farmer, Alscott. George Loosley (A55), Summerleys. William Loosley (A53), Farmer, Summerleys. (Died 1839).

Electors 1839:- George Loosley (A55). Princes Risborough. Summerleys. Richard Loosley (A46), grazier. Longwick. (Died 4.7.1840). Richard Loosley jnr (A69) Longwick. Baker (eldest brother of my great grandfather James. Richard jnr (born 1802) emigrated to America in 1849).

Bucks Burials:- 1.3.1836 Sarah (A46) (Carpenter) wife of Richard Loosley (A46), yeoman, Alscot (aged 68) Princes Risborough.

8.7.1840 Richard Loosley (A46), yeoman, Longwick (74), husband of Sarah Carpenter (and grandfather of my grandfather). See above. He must have left Alscot to live with his eldest son Richard (A69) the Baker, and his wife Jane (A70) (née Rogers), and, by then, 8 grandchildren, in Longwick sometime between 1837 and 1839. He died there in 1840. When Richard and his family emigrated, in 1849, we know that the two youngest, the two-year-old twins, and their mother Jane, died of cholera in New Orleans. The father, Richard, went on up the Mississippi River with his eleven children, ranging from 21 to 4 years of age. They stopped at Rock Island, Moline, Illinois.

From all these records we can declare that the Loosleys lived in Alscot certainly from 1502 until 1837, when my grandfather's sister Eliza was born, 335 years.

From Manor Court Roll dated 8.6.1829 in Bucks Record Office;- John East Dix receives from J. E. Tarrant (and see Deeds no. 150) £250, in consideration of which he would surrender land in Cross Field, a Customary Messuage in occupation of Richard Looseley situate in Alscott and all the appurtenances and the orchard or Close or Meadow containing by estimation 2½ acres. Also Coles Cottage and land in Cross Field". Five pieces of property are mentioned in Cross Field, with the acreage and perches. We are told that this is John East Dix's "undivided moiety".

In Manor Court Roll dated 11.6.1832, we are told that John Woods..and Elizabeth Kezia Bristow his wife, Relict (= widow) of John Franklin Bristow...deceased, and Charles Penny of Bow Lane, Cheapside...this (said) married lady having been first separately examined etc, in consideration of £440 to them paid by J. E. Tarrant of etc...did surrender all that their undivided moiety of:- Here follows a list of exactly the same property as was mentioned in the 1829 Manor Court Roll, quoted above, and with the same rents. Total acreage 26 acres 7 roods, rents £1 17s. 10½d. Cole's Cottage is at £5 per year. Loosley's messuage is at £10 per year. Deeds 3/155/7 Fines on admission to moiety on surrender of J. E. Dix ... etc. etc. on admission to Bristow's moiety. Paid in Court.

Mr. J. E. Tarrant bought property from John East Dix. The Deeds/Estate Papers no.146/2-3 show this title to a moiety of freehold and copyhold estate in Princes Risborough AND Monks Risborough called Alscott Farm (formerly Shadd) dated c. 1820.

Estate Papers 148/9 shows Copy release of moiety of freehold and copyhold estate in Princes Risborough and Monks Risborough. Devisees in trust of J. E. Tarrant dated 17.3.1831. This was, "the undivided moiety", so one of two halves. In the WILL of Richard Looseley of Princes Risborough, yeoman, dated 1585, DAWF10/121 we read that he leaves land to "Thomas Bristowe the sonne of Thomas Bristow the elder". It is a most interesting will. In the Deeds:- Manor Court Roll dated 1588 Deeds no. 80, we read:- "Admission of Joan Bristow, wife of Thomas Bristowe to a messuage and yard land in Ascott (sic) as daughter and heir of Richard Lowsley decd". There is a Will of Thomas Bristow DAWf 14/20 27.10.1598 (copy).

Deeds no. 83, on 29.12.1615 "Admission of Thomas Bristow to a messuage and yardland and a quarter of a yardland as heir to Joan Bristow, widow, decd." (A yardland is a virgate, about 20 acres). We suspect that Richard Lowsley had only one living daughter when he was making his will. This daughter, Joan, had married Thomas Bristow. He also lived in Alscot. They had a son, Thomas, who will have been the grandson of the Richard Lowsley of the 1585 WILL. We hear of the Bristows in many of the records. In 1653 "Thomas Bristow ye elder of Alscot dyed seized of freehold. Thomas son heir, one year's rent due". In 1709 a William Bristow is a vintner living at an expensive address near St. Martins in the Fields, London, and another is referred to as Francis Bristow of Reading, Berks., gent. They acquired more land over the years, but got into financial difficulties, and had to mortgage land. In 1729 Deeds 140 tells of a "prenuptual settlement in consideration of the intended marriage between Martha Bristow, one of the daughters of Francis Bristow gent. decd. to Thomas Shad of Honey Lane Market, London. Butcher". But in 1742 we read, in Deed 111, the Court Roll tells that "Thomas Shadd and wife Martha surrender a messuage in Alscott etc. etc. to secure £306". The story continues until Enclosure time when Mr. Tarrant bought the property. See page *

There is a map entitled The Tarrant Estate, in Bucks. Record Office (B.R.O.). This is after the Enclosures, and shows Alscot in the middle of land in Princes and Monks Risborough. At the side are two tables of reference, showing black numbers and red numbers on the map. Under the black number 9 is the reference "Home Close (Loosley Tenant)", and on the map a black 9 shows Home Close, part marked "Free" and part "Copy", bordering onto Alscot brook to the north. The part marked "free" is that part called Collins Mead on an early Named Fields Map and also on the 1820 map of the parish of Princes Risborough. Nearer the main road, Mr. Tarrant built a house at Home Close, marked number 14 on the estate map.

Manor Court Roll 15M50/1377/16 dated 1651, during the Commonwealth, we read: View of Frankpledge, with A. Deane, Lord of the Manor, and Vincent Barry, Steward:-..."That John Loosley the Younger of Alscot..who holds by coppie...Collins...dyed there.. John Loosley heir...was granted seisin by the rod." = granted possession. We had heard that the father, John Loosley the younger, had surrendered to the Lord of the Manor.."all that messuage wherein he then dwelt and all other his copyhold lands in the said Manor, except the cottage or tenement in Alscot wherein John Loosley the elder then dwelt, to the behoofe (use) of Henry and Thomas Costard upon this condition. If John the younger should live until the next Court to be holden for this Manor, then this surrender should be void. But if (he) should dye before the next Court...then the said Henry and Thomas Costard should be admitted to the premisses"...upon this trust and confidence in them reposed, that..."they should have provided and payd and satisfied the debts and children's portions"...as he had expressed himself to them"..etc. etc. As John the Younger did die, all the formalities had to be carried out to admit the Costards to the premises. A heriot, a mare, was paid. They did fealty, paid the Fine of £40 and were admitted tenants, and evidently undertook to look after the three children, Joan, Elizabeth and John. (Family K). (John son of John).

The same Manor Court Roll, 1651, tells us that John Loosley the Elder (my A10) obtained from one of the other Customary Tenants a "plot of grasse ground lying at Summer Leyes being Mid Summer ground". He died next year, leaving his land to John Loosley (A15) the son of his brother Andrew. This John, and his descendants, are called "of Summerleys".

From the Grubb Estate Papers in B.R.O. number D42.D3/155 Copyhold Alscot:- An Indenture, dated 1839, between George Robert Hobart Hampden, Earl of Bucks, Lord of the Manor of Monks Risborough, and John Evans Tarrant of Dean Street, Westminster, AND OF ALSCOT, SEVERAL ½ ACRES of land etc. etc. all IN MONKS Risborough, formerly of Henry Penton (Lord of the Manor of Princes Risborough in 1686-1700 Henry Penton of Lincolns Inn).

The Penton Estate had been sold to Mr Thomas Grace, Banker of Aylesbury, but he was bankrupt in 1817. Lord George Augustus Henry Cavendish (later Earl of Burlington) bought 1560 acres between the Icknield Ways in 1813. Included in the Grace land was a messuage or farm house wherein John Goodchild sometime dwelt at Alscot, Home Close.

1816 Thomas Shadd had "sometime since departed this life seized of 4 acres adjoining Alscot brook on west." (This is Home Close, Loosley Tenant, on the Tarrant Estate map .See above). Francis Shadd was his only son, and he died before being "admitted". It was left to James Lindsey and to John Franklin BRISTOW, late of Great Marlow, then Henley.

John Grubb was the Lord of the Manor of Horsendon, near Princes Risborough. He had many interesting documents among his "muniments". Sir Gerard Braybrook had been Lord of this Manor from 1264-1412. The Braybrooke's were also Sheriffs of the Counties of Bucks and Beds. Horsendon may have something to do with Hengist and Horsa, brothers, mercenaries brought in by ? Vortigen (Anglo Saxon Chronicle). Gerard de Braybrok, who was given land in Horsendon by Sir William Latimer, also "holds land of the Prince" measured in Caracutes, which is a Danish measure. We remember that the county of Bucks was in the Danelaw.

A John Grubb purchased the two Manors, the Kings and Abbot's Hold from Henry Penton at a sum of £9350 "for 2000 years".."to John Grubb and his heirs". Henry Penton died 2.9.1762. This John Grubb's WILL is dated 1782. There is another John Grubb at Enclosure time. An Edward Grubb was Barrister at Law in 1796. Also in the Grubb Documents in Aylesbury is a large, grey paper ABSTRACT of TITLE of Sir Wm Foster, who seems to have had possession of the property in 1853. The paper adds "Duke to pay £28,000 to Sir Wm Foster, also all Court Books to 8.1.1853".

Having been told that the houses in Alscot were on the Preserved list, I went to the Aylesbury Reference Library, looked it up and got some photo copies. These give "S/125 Alscot Farmhouse C17th, altered C18th and C19th. Timber frame with C17th brick infill to right gable etc. etc...Interior shows timber framing in original rear wall and partitions and has chamfered spine beams in right bays etc. etc. Old winder staircase in line with chimney. Fireplace in right bay has shallow depressed arch of chamfered brick". (= to bevel off a square edge).

S/124 Alscot Lodge was built "circa 1830", porch probably added c. 1850. SO NOTHING EARLIER. It must have been built by ? Tarrant after he had acquired the land, after the Inclosures.

S/126 Alscot Lane, Barn and dairy adjacent, to WEST of Alscot Farmhouse.

S/127 Alscot Lane barn c. 40 metres to west of Alscot farmhouse, and S/128 Alscot Lane Stable and attached wall adjacent to SW of Alscot farmhouse.

We know where the barns and old wall are. They are before one comes to the old cottages as one walks along the Alscot Lane from the main road, so the ones to the West and SW.

S/129 "End Cottage", Alscot Lane. House C17th altered. Left gable shows timber frame with brick infill, partly herringbone etc. etc. ...external brick chimney to left, another between right bays. In two maps this part of Alscot is marked COLLINS. So this was where John the younger "dyed" in 1651.

In the Manor Court Roll dated 23.4.1631 (15M50/1377/8), we read that Andrew Looseley had earlier sold a messuage in Princes Risborough "with courtyard barn and a certain structure called a HEYHOUSE and GATE WAYE" to James Henn snr...but it does not say where it was in Princes Risborough.(It has been suggested that this was The Gables in the town, near the Market house.)

There is a Valuation Book 1909/10. This gives Land Values.

On what I call my "Little map" of Alscot, received from Aylesbury Record Office, and being part of the huge after-the-Inclosures numbered map of Assessment plots, I see number 1044:- "Occupier Wm Muckle, owner Horace Brooke TARRANT of 10 Dunstable Road, Luton. Homestead and premises, Allscott Lodge Farm 5 acres 0/27 roods. Gross value £40. Rateable value £30. Land 111 acres 1/31 roods, £100. Rateable value £95. On the same little map can be seen plot 537 Wm Muckle, Orchard, Allscott. (This plot is on the right hand side of the Alscot road, coming from the main road, and opposite the Tarrant house, "Alscot Lodge"). Owner:- J.H. Brooks. 2 acres + 3/17. Value £8 8s rateable £8.

Plot 15 Horsenden House, 11 acres. Value £120, rateable value £96. Land 7 acres £17 17s. Rateable £17 Owner R. Coninsby DISRAELI. ( Gerard de Braybrok was Lord of the Manor in 1273 in Horsenden ).

Plot in Monks Risborough, called Stockwell Lane Farm where Mr. Little used to live, near Owlswick. Value £120 14s. Land 146 acres, OWNER LORD ROTHSCHILD

Plot 712 Brimmers Farm Land, 242 acres, Merton College, Oxford.

Plot 713 OLD HOUSE 0/10 £3 10s. Rateable £2.10. Merton College, Oxford.

In Speen there is a plot no. 985 belonging to another Thomas Bristow, cottage, premises and bakehouse. Also 989, Albert Bristow, House.

Mr. Muckle, the occupier of Allscott Lodge Farm, also had a plot no. 70 of 27 acres in Crossfield, one of the Common Fields where the Customary Tenants of Alscot had their land.

Plot 783 belonged to Owen Loosley in Loosley Row, cottage and garden. Value £4.10s. Rateable £3.10.

Another plot of land is called "Station View". Evidently the railway had arrived.

Plot 1043 Albert Pauling. The Place Farm, Monks Risborough. Land, situation Alscott Farm 3 acres 2/7 r. Value £4 4s. Rateable £4. Valued with plot 220, PLACE FARM Homestead, 0/33 roods. Value £21. Rateable £15 15s. Land:- 86 acres 1/19 £86, rateable £81 14s. CUT Mill 20 acres 1/14 £30 rateable £28 10s. A Henry Paulin was a witness to a property feoffment in 1372, and a Nicholas Paylyn in 1322 and 1313. A Paulin lived in Alscot at one time. There is a Pollins Mead between Cross Field and the stream that passes Alscot. Place Farm was "the farm next door" to Alscot for the brothers Richard and William Loosley of Alscot who married the sisters Jane and Ann Rogers who lived there in the early 1800s. A Bridle Way is marked on the Ordnance Survey between the two farms.

Plot 539 Albert Gomme, Buildings and garden Alscot 0/25. Value £11 10s. Rateable £9 5s. He also had decided to "return" to Alscot after the Inclosure changes. I have a John Gomm sitting on the twelve man jury of the Manor Court with a Richard, William and John Loseley, in Henry VII's reign, 10 December 1498. (N.B.-Vasco da Gama to India, and Columbus to America).

On 26 August 1450, in Henry VIth reign, a William Lusley and John Lusley are members of the Jury with Henry Gomme of Alscot and Henry Gomme of Risborough. ( I saw a sign painted on the wall of a mill in Longwick, Princes Risborough, recently. Gomme,- I think it was for "animal feed".)

There are several plots belonging to the Bowlers. At the Manor Court on 25th September 1538 a Henry Boller and John Boller are Jurymen with Thomas and John Lowseley snr. and John Lowseley junior. Jurors for the Lord King in the Royal Manor. A William Boller and a John Boller were each elected Constable at about this time. They may be from the same family as the Bollers of the Loosley WILL in 1493.

In Longwick there is a plot, number 1136 in the Valuation Book of 1909, belonging to Charlotte Rogers, Beerhouse, Buildings and premises, called "The Pigeons". I wonder if she had once lived in the Place Farm, Monks Risborough, the "farm-next-door" to Alscot, where there was a large, flint medieval pigeon house and that is why she called the pub by that name. We saw it, recently, but now surrounded by railings, in the middle of a playing field. I have an old post card showing it, near the farm.

The Rogers also have other plots, as do the Goodchilds and the Janes and the Darvills and the Dorrells, all of whom have at some time married into the Loosley family.

My grandpa George Loosley was, perhaps, one of the few who moved away. I know that he and his cousin Edwin, a few weeks younger, went to the then recently opened British and Foreign Bible Society School in Princes Risborough. George had to come in from Longwick, some time after 1837, the family having moved there from Alscot. Longwick village is about 2 miles out of town on the road to Thame. Sometimes he came in on the woodman's cart. I have been able to trace him in the Censuses of 1841, 1851 and 1861. In the latter census he is noted as the unmarried lodger, British Schoolmaster, at a village called Lee Common, East of Princes Risborough and North of Great Missendon. Next year he married Charlotte Jane Kerry, aged 22 years, he was 27 years old, and by then a school master at Great Missendon. They married at Brook Street Chapel, Tottenham on 10.4.1862, according to the Certificate. The first child, James S, was born in Great Missendon in 1862. Then came my father, George William born 28.9.1864, born in Amersham, then Mary E. born in Great Berkhamsted. These names are shown on the 1871 Census when they lived at 59, High Street, Berkhamsted. Here Grandpa George was aged 36 and "Schoolmaster". He evidently had moved from village to town to town in that capacity. The 1881 Census shows that they lived in Castle Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, (Berkhamsted has the ruins of an ancient castle), where there is a Newsagent and Stationer's shop, with my father noted as "Assistant in shop". There is no mention of James. (He later went to South Africa as a representative for Cooper's Sheep Dip, and also for Dickinson's Paper. Perhaps at 19 years he was working for one of the firms in England at this time). There are additions to the family, after Mary Elizabeth aged 11 Scholar, we have Albert Edward aged 9, Scholar. (This is my Uncle Bert, my cousin Raymond's father.) Then comes Edward Livingstone, aged 7, Scholar. This is Uncle Ted who we met in Rhodesia on our trip. He went to Rhodesia with the railways. Then there are the two sisters, Annie Alice aged 4, "Auntie Annie", and Nellie aged 1. "Auntie Nellie". Neither married, they looked after the parents. They also had an Arts and Crafts shop in the High Street, which I loved to visit. The first daughter, Mary, had died in 1906.

Grandpa had made his way to Berkhamsted, with his family, and in Castle Street was Berkhamsted School, a well-known school founded in the time of Queen Elizabeth 1st, and he sent his boys there. When the Girls High School was opened, I understand that Auntie Annie was one of the first ten pupils.

My cousin Raymond remembers that at some time Grandpa was the Headmaster of a school called Park View Road in Berkhamsted. Sometime between the 1881 Census and the 1920s the family lived in a large house, called Bay House, at the corner of Charles Street and Drs. Commons Road. I can remember going there for Christmas once and being told that Auntie Gussie was going to have a baby, and saying "For Christmas! How lovely!". That was Raymond. Uncle Bert, his father, had the Cowper Printing Works. This was behind the Loosleys' Booksellers and Stationers shop in the High Street. They did all sorts of printing, including The Berkhamstedian. The Berkhamsted Gazette was printed in Hemel Hempstead. On Saturday nights, Raymond says, the papers would arrive from Hemel Hempstead, and he would help stamp the Football Results on each paper before they were sold or delivered. The Evening News came by rail from London. In the printing works, a Mr. Norris, a deaf and dumb man, was the printer.

Grandpa Loosley often "wrote to the newspapers". Because of this, the family have a number of interesting paper-cuttings. There is one from the South Bucks Free Press, dated 5th October 1894. In this he mentions a Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Loosley, two of the oldest inhabitants of Princes Risborough, "who can look back, one on the vicissitudes of more than 80, and the other of more than 90 years of local life". They had lived at Summerleys Farm (Joseph's wife was a Sarah Parslow, born 1805 and died 1895). My A 87 and A 88. "Adjoining Summerleys, and also on the lower side of the Railway, near the Station, is Allscot, which was sold by a Mr. Richard Loosley to the late Mr. Tarrant, who built the present residence, and formed the ornamental water to be seen from the London Road, between Longwick and Risborough." "Mr. Joseph Loosley may be remembered as a friend of the famous Risborough Fire Brigade, to whom he for many years gave an annual dinner".

Another letter to the Editor of the South Bucks Free Press, dated 16 November 1901, tells much of the church history of Princes Risborough. How in 1850 the Baptist Chapel was then the centre of the religious activity of the locality, and "its activity was considerably beyond the average of that period". Service was held at the Baptist Chapel on Sunday afternoons. He is reminded of this because of an announcement of the departure of a Mr. Kirby for the Congo Mission. " I happen to have been a contemporary of his father, who may be congratulated on having two sons in the Christian ministry". "Mr. Kirby's grandfather... used to hold earnest prayer meetings at the (Baptist) Chapel at Longwick... From Risborough there used to come the Ex President of the Bucks Baptist Association, Mr. Eustace Little, who was my Sunday School teacher at Risborough". etc. etc. "The children of that day attended Risborough British School from a wide area, Illmire, Kimble Wick, Bledlow, Speen, Lacey Green, Loosley Row and even Bledlow Ridge". ... "There were no schools in the villages then. Writing "large hand" in a copy book, one soon got through it, and it cost 4d". ... Some children went to the National School, recently opened . This was connected with the Church of England, rather than Nonconformist. The Baptist, British School, was the school where he and his cousins were educated.

He remembers all this, and is interested, because he went as a 27 year old teacher to the village school at Lee Common. (Aylesbury Record Office has a copy of a letter he wrote from there about teetotal matters and village education).

I realize now that the letter, written in 1901,and quoted above, was when my grandpa was 67. Perhaps he had recently retired. He had also, evidently, read an announcement in the Times of the death of the former vicar of Princes Risborough and Justice of the Peace, C.E. Grey. He had read in the Princes Risborough Parish Magazine of the activities of the Parish Church, and compared it with fifty years before, when he lived in the town. He had himself been baptized in the Parish Church, but was married in a Chapel. The Nonconformist, British and Foreign Bible Society School, which he had attended, and his Sunday School teacher, Mr. Little, evidently had an important influence upon him.

During Queen Victoria's reign, 1837-1901, which covered most of Grandpa George's lifetime, so much was altering. Britain was going through a period of rapid industrialization. There was a growth of national wealth. Charles Darwin, after his voyage on the Beagle, was writing about the Origin of Species. Queen Victoria became Empress of India in 1877. Her Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 1897. At the beginning of her reign, a transatlantic passenger service by steamship was established. Railways were being built all through her reign. Perhaps one of the greatest changes was the increased literacy of the people. This, with the growing rail network, made it possible to send a letter for a penny to anywhere in the realm.

Thomas Hardy was cycling around his native Dorset, which he calls Wessex, and writing stories about the countryside, and its inhabitants. One of his friends took photographs. Hardy was also baptized in the church of England and educated in a British and Foreign Bible Society school.

The new railways brought millions of visitors to Hyde Park in London to see the Great Exhibition, which was opened in 1851, and showed some of the great advances in industrialization. In 1855, the first London penny newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, was published. The explorer and missionary, David Livingstone, discovered a huge waterfall in Africa, and called it the Victoria Falls. He pleaded for more missionary work in Africa. In America, after the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, in the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared that... "Government of the people, for the people, by the people shall not perish from the earth". In 1876 Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated his first telephone. By 1895 people in Britain were using coal gas for lighting and cooking. There were also petrol-driven horseless carriages. In 1901, an Italian inventor sent a message across the Atlantic by wireless transmission.

These were some of the advances in technology which grandpa George might have pondered upon as he remembered his life as a boy and young man in Princes Risborough, and wrote about it, perhaps nostalgically, to the Editor of the South Bucks Free Press.

Longwick is a village which lies to the north west of Princes Risborough, on the road towards Thame, Aylesbury and Oxford. The village stretches along this road, which makes it a long village. It must always have been like this, for its name means long village or built-up-area.( The word Wick was formerly wijk, = a Dutch word for English quarter or district. A Dorset village called Shapwick was originally schaapwijk, the district/ area important for sheep.)

Many of the Common Fields of the Manor of Princes Risborough were in this area, called the Lower Tithing. Here again we should refer to the Winchester Documents.

Longwick is situated on the far side of the Lower Icknield Way in the Vale of Aylesbury.. Marsh Field is shown on the Enclosure Map of 1820. It is to the north east, bordering on Icknield Way, with Cross Field and Alscot on the other side of the Way. To the south west, one of the fields is named Fulling Mill Field, with furlongs named Fords Hill, Lambourn's Piece and Chalkage, Broad How and Short and Long Stoney. To the north west is Hays End Field, with furlongs called Long and Short Minched, and Stert Field, with furlongs called Green Stert and Near Stert. Beyond these fields are Lower Fields and Ilmer Fields. In Lower Fields, near Longwick village, Lake Furlong is marked, also Sixteen Acres, Mug Pits, Mare Furlong and others. All these names are shown on the above mentioned map.

Queen Elizabeth Ist, who reigned from 1558 to 1603, had inherited the Risborough Manor when she was a princess. Evidently she had been shown many old documents connected with the Royal Manor of Princes Risborough, and also with what was called the Abbott's Manor. The latter had belonged to the Nutley Abbey Monastery, which was Dissolved with many other Monasteries , by her father, Henry Vlll, in 1534.

One of our references, 15M50/1459, quotes another Indenture, dated 15.1.1578, which is a "Lease by Queen Elizabeth to Thomas Cornwallis, one of her Maj. Gentlemen pensioners, -A lease for one and twenty years reserving therefore the ancient yearly rent of £16 11s 7d and a half penny", and with a "Fyne of threescore pounds" of "All those the Demesne lands meadows feedings pastures and commons commonly called the Demesne of Risborough." The holdings mentioned are now, therefore, in the Royal Demesne. The Royal Manor.

Henry VIII had granted the Abbott's Manor to the Dean and Chapter of Oxford in 1542. The Bishop later paid rent for it. In 1589 the Bishop returned the Manor to Queen Elizabeth. She, in 1590, granted the Manor to Thomas Crompton. In 1594 the Manor became the property of John, Henry and William Jackman:- " The Manor of Risborough with appurtenances and 6 messuages,2 cottages, 2 tofts, one mill, 2 dovecotes, 6 gardens, 6 orchards, 60 acres arable, 20 acres meadow, 30 acres pasture, 60 acres wood, 20 acres brushwood and furze, and 10/- rent with appurtenances in Risborough...also the advowson of the church of Risborough..and all tithes.(ref.:15M50/1404 and 1406.)

There is a Queen Elizabeth CHARTER for Princes Risborough, dated 12.6.1597. This document "recites" old Charters granted to the Manors collectively known as the Honours of Wallingford and Berkhamsted, which included Princes Risborough. Queen Elizabeth cites:

On a separate document (Bucks Manorial 10/53/5) are found explanations of some of the Customs mentioned:- " Sacha socken Soke, Royalty or Privilege touching(?)Plea or Correction of Trespass of men within a manor and Soc an old law term. A Power or Liberty of Jurisdiction. Treasure Trove. Money found which has no owner. Dane Geld. A Tax of one shilling, afterwards of two shillings for every Hide of land in the realm..(etc). Estrayes. A tame Beast found having no owner known which if not claimed in a Year and a Day falls to the Lord of the Manor. Pannage, (law form) the feeding of swine upon the Mast in the woods, also money paid for such a liberty.

from Public Record Office. Seven pages of photo copies, and the writing "translated" = "A Survey made by John Hercy jnr Esq. and Richard Guppy gent. by virtue of a Commission...King James...Queen Anne..from out of his Exchequer to them and others directed on the oath of the tenants there". Has names and acreage of land in the Royal Demesne.

At the end is a list of 19 Jurors: -"In witness of which matters the Jurors aforesaid of this Survey have put their names or marks the day and year first above mentioned." The first name is Richard Lowsley. (I think this may be my Richard Lowsley A1)

The Longwick Common Fields are of especial interest in an Indenture dated 24.10.1611.

This Indenture of 1611 followed the Survey. It goes into detail, and tells of holdings "containing by estimation"..."three quarter of land",..."half virgate land" etc...One large holding is of Charles Bowler with "Three virgates of arable land...in Longwickfields viz. 42 acres". "Two virgates in Longwickfields...of... William Blake...29 acres."... "Two virgates...in Longwickfields of ...William Slater...29 acres." Also three other " Virgates in Longwick fields" are noted, each of "14 acres 2 roods". Elsewhere I have record of "the 10 Yard lands" in Longwick.Ref. 15M50/1483. Usually a yardland is a virgate. In other parts of the Manor of Princes Risborough the Virgate was of 20 acres. But apparently these smaller holdings in the Royal Demesne were also looked upon as virgates. (Elsewhere however: - " A half-yard land, containing a close and 16 acres of land. " Vol 3. p 20. Proceedings of Chancery...Queen Elizabeth.) Other holdings are also mentioned in the Royal Demesne:- in Purtwell, White land, Sheppernhill field, The Hyde, Mill Close, Copfield. Also there are 3 Virgates held by Thomas Boller of Culverdon, "Walnut Tree Close near the Common", Burrenfield, Beadmeade, Breameares. The latter words can be recognised as Buryen/Berrian field, Bedmead and Brimmers,which are names of fields noted in other maps and documents. NO mention is made here of the Common Fields around Alscot, nor of the Copyholders of the Abbot's Hold.

However, we know that members of the Loosley family did hold some land in Longwick, as did members of the Petipace/Blick family, - as well as the land they held in Alscot. In 1687, a document, ref. Bucks 184/50, tells of a William Loosley surrendering 1 acre of land in Hayesend Field, furlong Long Minshard, for the use of Samuel Bowler. In 1689 William Loosley jnr. surrenders " 2 acres of arable land...in the Common Field called Fulling Mill Field....half an acre...adjoining the land of Robert Blicke on the north side...half an acre in the furlong called Chalkedge...half an acre in the furlong called Short Stoney Furlong abutting on Ford's Hill,...another rood lies in the furlong or place called Le Slashes adjoining the land of the aforementioned Robert Blicke on the north and the land of John Coker on the south. To the benefit and use of Samuel Bowler of Longwick

In 1691, ref.15M50/1377/36, William Loosley jnr. Customary Tenant, surrendered 2 acres arable in Hayesendfield...Long Minshard...and...Fulling Mill Field...to use of Francis Mildmay of Western Turvil. Admitted. (Later transferred to Frederick Nash, Longwick.)

In the same Court Roll of 1691, William Loosley jnr surrenders 4 acres arable in Longwick, - 1 acre in Lower Field called 16 acres near land of Thomas Coker defunct NW and Francis Blick defunct SE one acre in Lake furlong...one acre in Northfield Broad furlong near Thomas Coker defunct NE and Samuel Blick SW etc etc to use of Willi Coker snr. of Longwick. Yeoman. Admitted.

NOTE that the Loosley, Coker and Petipace/Blick families are neighbours in Alscot. Here their "strips" of 1 acre are arranged in the order of Coker, Loosley, Blick each time.

Earlier, in 1658, there is a note that William Loosley snr. and jnr."residents", defaulted. In the Hearth Tax list, where the other Loosleys have two or three hearths, a William in Longwick has none...perhaps his house is one of the older ones, with the fireplace on tiles in the middle of the house, the smoke going up through the thatch.

In the Overseers Accounts for 1709, I see "Paid in charges when William Loosley had the Smallpox".(Introduction of inoculation was in 1718).

On 30.11.1735 there is noted a burial of William Loosely, "a poor old man of Longwick". On 11.3.1724, the burial of Elizabeth, wife of William Loosely. There were births of Elizabeth in 1687, Mary in 1689, John in 1692 and another Mary in 1698, children of William and Elizabeth Loosely. In 1688 a John Loosely had died, a Customary Tenant with 8 acres in the Common Fields of Princes Risborough, his brother William Loosely was his heir. In 1689 " William Looseley snr. of Longwick is a fit man and accepted to be Hayward in Longwick."

But that word Minsherd, Minched, Minshard in 1687 and 1691 - I had come across something similar in earlier Court Rolls. For instance:-

In one dated 1449, the ditch of Ralph Petipas has become "obstructed in Mensherd." In the Minister's Accounts of the Earldom of Cornwall 1296/7, I note the name William of Mengysterde, and William of Menyngstherd. This must have been a difficult word for the scribes. Possibly it was an Anglo Saxon word. I have tried to imagine a similar word in Dutch. The first part might be" menig", pronounced mainich (with the ch of Scots loch.) If the last part of the word was "steende" (pronounced staind) instead of sterde, I would say the whole word was the many- stoned- furlong...It is not far from Short Stoney and Long Stoney furlongs...and Chalkedge. But the letters s t e r d are in each attempt at spelling the word. Could it be a really ancient word, and have something to do with the many s t a r s to be seen over the barrows on the hill tops? The Dutch word for star is ster, pronounced stair, with a D to make the adjective…

In 1417 ...30 acres of land and 4 acres of wood (in Princes Risborough) were held to farm by Wm Petipas..."held in socage".

Court Roll 1618, the Jury present that "Henry Blick als Pettypace...copyhold...a Messuage and 3 separate Closes called Jefferyes Field..30 acres...surrendered...half of the messuage on the south side and all three closes to benefit and use of said Henry Blick als Pettypace and Lettice his wife..."

In the same Court Roll:-Robert Blick als Pettipace surrenders a messuage and virgate of land in Alscot.

The Court Roll dated 5.6.1500 stated that William Pettipace had died, so a messuage and half a virgate land in Longwick and a Close called Percyvales had been surrendered and Thomas Chylde and Aliora his wife sought admission.Heriot, a cow. As far back as in the Minister's Accounts of the Earldom of Cornwall 1296/7, I read Geoffrey Petypas is fined 6d.

Two Grubb Documents, B1/20 and B1/21, dated 1346 and 1357, tell of a messuage in Alscot being given to Geoffrey Petipas by Sir Gerard Braybrok, lord of Horsendon. (The Braybrooke's were Lords of the Manor of Horsendon from 1264 to 1412). (In 1359 Gerard de Braybrok the elder, knight, held a carucate of land of the Prince (Black Prince) by fealty and suit of court and service of 1 lb of pepper at Martinmas).

In the list of twelve "Jurors for the King" in the Manor Court Roll, View of Frankpledge, dated 26.5.1499, there is a William Petypas and a Richard, William and John Loseley.The Constables and Tithingmen "present the 20 shillings Fixed Payment" (=Cert Money). John Loseley is one of the two Tithingmen of the town, Thomas Cokyr is Tithingman of Alscote and William Dorvall and John Loseley are the two Tithingmen of Longwick.

In the next Court Roll, dated 3.10.1499, there are 16 sworn jurors. These include William Petypas, John Loseley sen.,Richard Loseley and William Loseley sen. A William Darvall is amerced 2d, with others, because they defaulted.

In the next Roll, View of Frankpledge, dated 5.6.1500, John Loseley is one of two Tithingmen for the town of Princes Risborough, and William Dorvall is one of the two Tithingmen of Loseley Row. Thomas Coker is Tithingman of Alliscot. Of the twelve Tithingmen, John Loseley and William Loseley are named, also William Darvall and Thomas Cokar. This is the Roll telling of the death of William Pettipace, who held "according to the customs of the Manor a messuage and half a virgate land...in Longwyke and a Close called Percyvales with the Heriot of a cow value 5/-. Thomas Chylde and Aliora his wife sought admittance." I note that at the end of the Court Roll the two sworn Afferors are Thomas Cokar and William Loseley.

In another Roll, in 1502, "Thomas Coker is elected to the office of Constable, and took the oath."

We note the various ways of spelling the names of the tenants. This may also be one of the reasons for the changes in spelling of the names of fields and furlongs, each scribe tried to write down what he heard.

In the Enclosure Book of Princes Risborough in 1823, I found William Loosley the younger, with land in Longwick, and in a column marked "old enclosures, not allotted", Sergeants Close, 10 acres 2 roods 16 perches, Great Fords Hill, 16 acres 2 roods 8 perches, Fords Hill Meadows, 7 acres 3 roods 10 perches. There were many other plots of ground around the town mentioned, belonging to him, - Copyhold, Freehold or Leasehold. Some plots he was evidently prepared "to give up to be allotted other land," possibly to make his arable land more compact and easier to farm. But I did note that the properties he had decided to retain were those above mentioned large plots in Longwick, just north of the Lower Icknield Way, near the southern end of the village of Longwick.

They must always have formed a prime site.

On the other side of the Lower Icknield Way was one road, West Eye Road, which passed Summerleys, - and a few hundred yards along the Way, to the north east, the continuation of the Longwick Road, passing Alscot, on its way to Princes Risborough and Wycombe. Both roads would make their way through the Wycombe Gap, the largest and easiest pass through the Chilterns between the Vale of Aylesbury and London.

We know that the Loosleys had a house and a cottage, and some land, in the hamlet of Alscot. They had also strips and arable acres in the Common Fields of Risborough and Alscot. We know that they had arable land in Crossfield, in Shade Field, Horsendon Hill field, and Longwick. They also had smaller pieces in Wren Eye (sometimes called Runney) and West Eye. The latter are said to be Saxon names of fields.

Here also they were Customary Tenants, Copyholders in the Ancient Demesne of the Crown.

This can only mean that the Copyhold pieces of land which were held by them had been inherited by members of the Loosley family "from the time when King Edward was alive and dead." This is Edward the Confessor, so before the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

No new Copyhold PROPERTY was ever created. The "Copy" was telling of land which all the other Copyholders knew about, and which, at a death, was handed back, "surrendered", to the landlord, to be then accepted back by an heir on payment of a Fine and Relief. The Relief was a payment made instead of the obligation to do service, week - work and boon work on the main piece of property, belonging to the Lord of the Manor, on his Demesne. Fine, paid at a final agreement.

We read of heirs doing homage for their property. This was the promise of a man to his lord, to serve and fight for him.

If there was no heir, male or female, to inherit the land, the property reverted to the Lord of the Manor, as had happened with the Giffard family. Their property had reverted to the Crown. Evidently the Loosleys had always had an heir to whom the land could be assigned.

From this information we can assume that the Loosleys had held the land since the time when villeins were obliged to work on the lord's demesne, in this case the Royal Demesne. This is demonstrated by the fact that they paid a Relief to the lord instead. As Walter of Henley says:-

"...and free tenants, know how much each holds and by what service, and Customary Tenants, how much each holds and by what services, and let customs be put to money."

They held some land Freehold. So, I imagine, this must have been granted to them for "other services rendered." They held some Freehold land in Alscot and Loosley Row.

The Summerley land was Leasehold,obtained in 1651. The West Eye land, which was feehold, was near Summerleys.

So we know that the family had land at Leasehold, Freehold, and Copyhold Tenure, at Enclosure time,and earlier.

This must have been the case with many of the 112 tenants mentioned in the Mildmay/Penton document of 1700, who were "Copyholders of the Towne and parish of Princes Risborough". And of the 88 Antient Coppyhold Tenements owners. "Of this number, 26 of them within the parish have ffarme houses with Barnes and Outhouses belonging to them" and "need wood for repairs to Cow houses, Hogstyes and such like." There are 5 names in the hamlet of Alscot, including John Loosley, among these 26 Copyholders.

This holding of land under various tenures had been the cause of the development of Copyhold Tenure in the first place, as we saw earlier..

The local Manor court was the only Court of Law for hundreds of years where the local people were able to swear that a certain piece of land had always belonged to a certain village family.

The Coronation of Richard I on 3.9.1189 was the "limit of legal memory". If it could be proved that franchises had been enjoyed since then, people had a right to them.

This was about the time that the Giffard land was returned to the Crown in 1164, and the Tithingmen in Princes Risborough would remember which land had formerly belonged to the Giffards.

Already in the C17th it was held that Copyhold, like the Manor itself, could not be newly created. Any change of tenure- to leasehold or to freehold- extinguished the Copyhold for ever. The land could never be held in Copyhold again, so Copyhold land could only get smaller with passage of time.

In a book called "The Life and Times of Alfred the Great" by Douglas Woodruff, I read that the word THANE or THEGN, (a man who held land by military service), which had meant so much in Anglo-Saxon England, entirely disappeared from social usage in the Middle Ages. I can guess why! William the Conqueror took away the land of all who had fought against him at the Battle of Hastings, so the Thanes' land would have been taken from them. It was the thane who called up the FYRD. I read also about the CEORLs or CHURLs, Anglo-Saxon freemen of the lowest status, or freemen without rank, a word derived from Old Frisian, German and Dutch. The word VILLAIN/VILLEIN = implies the tenure of land by bond service.

Since the Ceorls had to fight in the Fyrd with their THANE, I suppose they lost their land too. Perhaps later they were able to prove that they had held their land before the coronation of Richard I, or before the Conquest, and that it was held by Ancient Demesne Tenure. Can we therefore say that those who "held freely" were descended from ceorls, and those who had to do boon work were descended from villeins?

As one can imagine, the churls might make it pretty obvious that they were not too keen on doing what their, possibly high-handed, new Norman landlords wanted them to do. Probably they sometimes said and did things which the Norman overlords decided were churlish. And the villeins? I wonder what they did to cause the origin of another new word after the Conquest ... villainous?

We learn that the Thane was supplanted after the Norman Conquest by titles which we still use, baron and knight. Knight from Germany and Baron from France. Jarl or Earl came from the Danes... These would be fighting men, who held large estates, and in return came themselves and brought their dependants to serve in war under the king and his ealdormen of the shires. They had also to play a part in the administration of justice.

So it seems that the Loosleys were ... churls, the ones who "held freely". They had a wergild one sixth of that of a Thane. (wergild = price set upon a man according to rank.)

One of the Winchester archived documents, 15M50/1388 dated 10.9.1569, tells of a messuage or house being given to Andrew Edmonds, one of William Wyndesore's servants, "in consideration of faithful service ... a house in Princes Risborough in which Christopher Hen' now dwells ... at a yearly rent of two fat capons". "Tenants to pay suit of court to the manor of Princes Risborough for the premises", - "for the Abbotts Hold".

I have another View of "Frankpledge with Court Baron of William Wyndesore Esquire Farmer there as Lord of the Manor...", dated 26.9.1569. He found his former servant was one of the twelve sworn Jurymen, Andrew Edmundes. Among the many things which the Jurymen "presented" was "that Simon Darvall removed one LE CRABBTRE STOCK outside his Close called Bonetts therefore he is ordered to place another Le Crabbtre Stock there ... etc ... under pain of forfeiting to the lord 3s 4d." (= Young crab-apple tree used as a stock to graft upon.)

Another Winchester document, 15M50/1377/3, is dated 27.7.1585, and contains a list of the tenants of tenements belonging to the Abbotts Hold, their annual rent, and what various persons have been amerced (fined). Here I noticed again the name of Andrew Edmonds "for a tenement per annum, two capons". From the 12 other tenements the "Sum Total" received by Sir Leonell Duckett at his View of Frankpledge and Court Baron was £4 3s 4d. He did, however, receive, I imagine, "the monies fined", for his Bayliff is "greeted and commanded ... to Leavie or cause to be levied the severall Somes underwritten." "Firste of the goods and cattalles of William Smithe for an assalte and bludshed by hym made of one John Neale contrarie to the peace 5 shillings. of Thomas Newe for the life assalte and fray made uppon one Griffith Blicke 3s 4d. of Andrew Edmonds victualler for selling of unholsome victualles 6d..." (Oh dear, ... perhaps he had been keeping his chickens too long?).

Then comes a list of 10 tenants, well known to me from other Court Rolls, who are fined one penny "eche of them for not wearing their cappes uppon the Saboth daye". This part was in English not Latin ... ".. and forget not that there be Stockes made before the next Courte". (= Stocks that are sat in.) John Bristowe and John Buller had sent their excuses for not appearing, but there is 1d "above their heads". Were the Affeerors not convinced?

I think these people live in or near Speen, in the extreme South of the Parish/Manor. Speen village lies beside what is marked on the 1820 Enclosure map as Abbots Wood. It is not far from Loosleys Row.

The Mildmay/Penton papers from Winchester, help us separate, for the first time, some of the Giffard land in the Abbots Hold from the original Royal Demesne of the Crown in Risborough. Because the church of Risborough was one of those belonging to Notley Abbey, with the Tithes of its heritable demesne, and the woods which were given to Nutley Abbey in perpetual alms, in Frankalmoign, we begin to be able to separate the two original properties, even though the two manors were treated as one royal manor until the time of Queen Elizabeth I.

During the reign of Henry VIII, at the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the Nutley Monastery was given to the Bishop of Oxford. But after Queen Elizabeth had studied her letters patent, she and her advisors decided that the land belonged to the Crown, but the promises to the Church must be maintained. So the Tithes are due from the Giffard demesne land, as are any other Church dues, and should be paid to the lord of the Manor, who could use the money as the original donors had desired, as charity to the poor and to support the Church of Princes Risborough. "Twenty shillings a year to poor persons at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, for the benefit of the souls of Earl Walter Giffard and the Countess Ermengarde."

Since we are told in several places that the Tithes in Alscot are involved, and also some Church Dues in Speen, Waters Ash, Lacies Green and Smalden, these evidently still belonged to the Church of Princes Risborough.

However, 15M50\1404 and 1406 state:- "...and all tithes, and the advowson of the church which "is held in chief" 1594." But here Queen Elizabeth is giving her Royal License for the alienation of this property to Thomas Crompton. These documents list some more of the property involved :- 6 messuages, 2 cottages, 2 tofts, 1 mill, 2 dovecotes, 6 gardens, 6 orchards, 60 acres land, 20 acres meadow, 30 acres pasture, 60 acres wood and 10 shillings rent and the Rectory of Risborough." From Thomas Crompton the property of the Church and the advowson of the Church of Princes Risborough came to Mrs Joan Chibnall. She became Lady of the Manor in 1624, and lived in the Manor House of Broke, adjoining the 20 acres called Cannons. She had acquired the other, Royal Manor, by 1631.

In 1644, 15M50/1475, we learn that the 20 acres of Cannons, 80 acres arable land belonging to the Rectory and all tithes arising from the hamlet of Alscot, parcel of the said Rectory, are leased for 88 years......in trust for Joan Chibnall.

Joan Chibnall's Will is dated 21.1.1646/7. Her nephew, Ralph Adean was her executor, and he became Lord of the Manor after her. Ralph Adean leased, in 1650, the land in Alscot to John Loosley snr. and John Loosley jnr. "with the tithes on the corn growing on their demesnes."

If Mrs Chibnall and her nephews had property in both the Princes Risborough Manors, why did they make a point of mentioning "all tithes within the hamlet of Alscot, and all tithes and church dues arising from the messuages and tenements in Speene, Waters Ash, Lacey Green and Smalden, part of the Rectory or Parsonage of Princes Risborough," ...AND NOWHERE ELSE?

Can it mean that Alscot also was part of the demesne of the Risborough church, and had belonged to Notley Abbey and the Giffard family? I can think of no other solution.

I have naturally sought out the Loosley family in my investigations, and, as I have noted, have found them often as Tithingmen in the areas of their formerly allotted virgates, and as Jurymen in the Manor Court, taking their turn in organizing the establishment of a just and practical Manor and Parish.

Perhaps we have been able to show that the peasant members of the Tithings of Risborough proved themselves not useless citizens, but citizens taking an active part in the life of their community.

As I studied the old documents, the other Customary Tenants became, as it were, shadowy neighbours of mine, and I was able to follow part of their lives, as from a distance, watching how these were woven into the pattern of life which became the community of Princes Risborough.

But gradually everything changed. The Enclosures had become necessary for progress in agriculture. Between 1702 and 1844 some 6 million acres were enclosed by Act of Parliament. The poor land holders could not survive the extra expense of fencing and agricultural machinery. In the 1870s cheap grain started to come from America, and refrigerated meat from other parts of the world, leading to a long agricultural depression and rural poverty. The land passed into the hands of big landowners, who had, perhaps, made their money in the new factories. There was nothing to keep the poor on the land. They left if they could. The railways and steamships scattered them far and wide. The village community disintegrated.

The Tithings became little more than words on a map.

Looking again at the maps of the southern part of the parish, and Manor of Princes Risborough, I see that Abbott's Wood is just to the north of Speen village. Cane Field Woods is south west of Speen, Darvill's Hill Wood is west of Speen, Hughendon is southeast. Wades Grove farm is to the west, as is Stocking Farm and Lacey's Green. North west of Lacey Green is a road to Loosley Row. This road may have been made after the Enclosures,for the 1820 map shows, by Loosley Row, two "discontinued roads", one called Wycombe Road and one called Speen Road. From Loosley Row, roughly west towards Culverton, a road called Wood Way Road is marked, which crosses the Upper Icknield Way, and continues to Saunderton and the original Royal Deer Park. Here one branch of the road goes north east to the town of Princes Risborough, while the road from Saunderton continues north west past West Eye, Summerleys, Horsendon Hill, to the Lower Icknield Way, the Longwick Common Fields and the northern part of the Manor, in the Vale of Aylesbury.

I note again about the Ancient Copyhold Tenements in Princes Risborough,"88 of them, of which there are but 26 which have farm houses (entitled) to free beech wood to repair Cow houses, Hogstyes and suchlike outhouses". The names of the tenants of these 26 tenements are given. They come from Alscot Culverton, Lacey Green, Loosley Row and Longwick. The names include Reading, (Petipas)/Blicke, Bowler, Wade, Darvall, Hawes, Coker, Cleydon and Loosley.(15M50/1515)Page 34-36.

I have looked through my notes to see what land these Copyholders held also in this part of the Manor. Reading/Ryding in 1498 held two virgates in Culverdon. William Pettipas had a half virgate in Longwick and a Close called Percyvalls in 1499. Between William Pettipas/Blicke and Thomas Boller there was a ditch "unscoured". When William Pettipas died in 1500, Thomas Childe and Aliora his wife, inherited. But there was mention of Geoffrey Petypas as early as 1322 and 1346.In 1357 Henry Petipas held a messuage in Alscot. In 1399 William Petipas was given by Gerald Braybrook the elder,knight, moiety of messuage called Bouveslond...Newelane path on west and land of Richard DORESAL called WELSSHESLOND on north. In 1449 a Ralph Petipas had land at Mensherd (Longwick). In 1623 Henry Blick alias Pettipace held Copyhold a messuage at Lowsley Rowe and a virgate and three quarters of a virgate of land which he surrendered...to the use of Thomas Umfrevile gent, to whom money was owed.

We saw that two of the Bowler family were mentioned in the Queen Elizabeth Charter. In 1641 Thomas Bowler surrendered part of a large holding at Brimmers. In 1499 there was a messuage and virgate in Longwick, and a cottage and virgate called Wests and a tenement in Risborough etc of this family. In the Loosley WILL of 1493, two are mentioned. Four are in the subsidy Roll of 1522.

In 1502 a William Wade had a Virgate in Culverdon and two virgates in Loosley Row.

In 1618 at a Court Baron..it was reported that Thomas Darvolde cut down two beech trees on the Demesne land of the Lady Queen called Kingswood on a certain part called Darvolds Hill,..amerced 3s 4d..The name is spelt Dorvald in 1449, Darvold in 1498, Dorvall 1499, Darvall 1500, Dorvall in the1525 Subsidy,(five members of the family are assessed), Darvall 1539, Dorvall Tithingman of Loosley Row in 1548. In 1597 Simon Darvall surrenders a messuage and a close of ground in Speen called Bonnetts. In 1618 Thomas Darvolde is fined 6d as a free tenant who owes suit to the Court. They must have been virgate holders. On the Copyholder list of 1700 there are Edward, John and Anthony Darvall in Loosley Row.

The Hawes family are also on this Ancient Copyhold list of 1700 for Loosley Row and Lacey Green. A John Hawes was amerced 1d, as was William Lusley, in the first available Manor Court Roll, that of 12.3.1443. In 1452 John Hawes held a messuage and 6 acres freely. 1590 Richard Hawes of Alscot. In 1662 Ed. Hawes had two Hearths in Loosley Row. Henery Hawes paid Poll Tax in Speen. In 1784 Assessments for Rates 2/- in pound for Relief of Poor, " Mr Hawes £40". (Richard Loosley (A25) £26 10/-.

The Cokers we have often heard of in connection with Alscot.They were witnesses of early Loosley WILLS. During the Commonwealth a John Coker of Alscot surrendered " one messuage ..in Alscot with the barne,outhouses yard orchard and close thereinto adioyning..and 8 acres of arable and..two and a half acres grasse ground to the use of Thomas Coker of Alscot." DEED 47 recites the WILL of John Coker, late of Alscott, yeoman,..a Copyhold messuage in Longwick and 32 acres arable..and 2 acres grassland in Midsummer Close etc. Thomas Coker in 1684."a messuage and virgate etc."

The Cleydons are mentioned in 1452, 1502 etc,and paid Poll Tax in Longwick.

The Loosleys we have seen had four virgates, and see pages 75-76.

Other names among those "only 26 of them" needing wood for repair of hogstyes and such like, were the Goodchilds and Dossetts. The Goodchilds came from Monks Risborough,Saunderton and Longwick, but after 1662,(the date of the Hearth Tax) which was after John Loosley jnr (Family K) had died, the cottage,Collins, in Alscot, was acquired by William Goodchild. Richard Loosley,(A25) married Mary Goodchild in 1729. They married in Hughendon, but lived in Summerleys, Pr. Ris., as had his father (A21). DEED 118,in 1748, surrender of William Goodchild of Alscot, yeoman, of 16 acres and 2 acres in Pr. Ris, fields. (I have a very full Goodchild Tree from Jeff Goodchild, back to 1559.(With several Jeffreys.., and I see there are 6 Williams as eldest son in various branches of the family). There is a William Goodchild of Alscot, born 1706, married first to an Elizabeth who died in 1747. He married for the second time, to Catherine Collis. William and Elizabeth seem to have had five children, one being a Jane, born 1736, who married a John Looseley in Whitechapel,London, in 1760. (1.1.1761..)

The Dossett family were also connected with the Loosley family. K. John Loosley the younger, who died in Collins, Alscot, in 1651, had a daughter Joan and a son John. Joan is the one who had married Joseph Dossett on 30.6.1633. In 1680 2 acres arable land is surrendered on Purtwell Field to the use of William Dossett, son of Joan, widow.

Another name on the list of 26 Copyholders was Newell. In 1618 there was a" William Newell, clerk, freehold." In 1660, the family had land in Culverdon.

The Hill and Saunders families had small holdings in Loosley Row. The Stone family were in Speen and the Neeles in Longwick.

We can maintain that the majority of the Copyholders entitled to claim wood "for repair of their hogstyes.." were holders of virgates. One wonders, of course,when they were made land holders.

When I referred to William Petypas being granted land by Sir Gerard Braybrook in 1399, I remarked that the description of the land was "bouveslond...and land of Richard Doresal was called Welssheslond on North". The word land would be pronounced lond by the basically-German speaking Anglo Saxons. So I imagine they might call the land of the original,"foreign speaking" villagers,"Welssheslond"= the land of the Welsh men.- the native British population,- as opposed to the Anglo Saxons.

In a book by David Harrison,"England before the Norman Conquest", I read one of King Ine's laws, in Wessex, towards the end of the 7th century AD, which said:-"If a man takes and ploughs a yard of land or more at an agreed rent, and his lord wishes to exact both work and rent from him for that land, he need not take it unless his lord has given him a house, but in that case he must forfeit his crops". The yard of land is the quarter hide, or virgate. As we looked at the holdings of the 26 Copyholders,their Ancient Copyhold tenements seem to comprise a messuage and a virgate = a yard land and a house. The book tells also of enslaved Britons, foreigners, wealhs. There are records of the freeing of slaves, manumission, entered in church books.

I will now refer to an article in Volume 25 of the Records of Bucks by Mr Arnold Baines. He writes of the WILL of the Lady Elgiva (Aelfgyfu), of the royal house of Wessex. She was a great landowner. Her "honour" centred on Wing, Bucks, and included Princes Risborough, Bledlow, Chesham, Berkhamsted and other Manors. Her mother, Aethelgyfu, was descended from King Alfred's elder brother King Ethelred. Mr Baines explains that in her WILL, made between 966 and 975, Elgiva beseeches her liege lord, King Edgar, to permit her to dispose of her estates by WILL.She wishes to give land at (Princes) Risborough to the Old Minster at Winchester. Her friend Aethelwold was Bishop there. She wishes also "that they free in every hamlet every penally enslaved man who was enslaved by her." She grants to the New Minster (at Winchester) the land at Bledlow. The article explains that the liberation of penal slaves in every "tun" on her estate comprised the hamlets around Princes Risborough ( Longwick, Alscot, Meadle, Culverton, Loosley Row, Speen and Lacey Green.)

Among the upland hamlets of Risborough, Loosley Row (hlos-leah= pigsty-clearing) was probably settled by Elgiva's swineherds. It has been suggested that servi= slaves, and that these were often used as swineherds. When liberated they would probably remain where they were as freedmen (coliberti), and their descendants would be bordars or cottars.

Both Bledlow and (Princes)Risborough were assessed at 30 Hides, and each had woodland for 1000 swine in the Doomsday statistics. Bledlow had 8 servi and 3 bordars, while Risborough had 3 servi and 12 bordars. Wing, especially privileged by the Crown, and where Lady Elgiva, formerly Queen Consort of England, may have spent her retirement, had 20 bordars and no slaves in 1086. In others of her Manors there was woodland to feed several hundred swine, with bordars and servi to deal with them. We are told that she "actively encouraged development of her manors."

The manumission = freeing of slaves, was a pious act, encouraged by her friend, Bishop Aethelwold, but it needed the permission of the King. Almost at the end of her will, Elgiva beseeches her "royal lord for God's love that (he will) not forsake my men who seek him, and are worthy of him."

The Manor House of the Abbott's Manor was Brooke / or Broke House. This was near the Princes Risborough parish church, as was a plot called Cannons of 20 acres.

After the death of John Jackman in 1621, Joan Chibnall became the owner in 1624. (15M50/1451 Joan Chibnall leases "All Tithes and other Church Dues arising from messuages and tenements in Speene, Waters Ashe, Lacies Green and Smalden, part of the rectory or parsonage of Princes Risborough..20.12.1626 for ten years, £20 per annum for first five years and £21 for second five years."

15M50/1475 28.2.1644 . "Ground called Cannons, by estimation 20 acres and arable lands belonging to the Rectory or Parsonage of Princes Risborough containing 80 acres and all Tithes within the hamlet of Alscot, parcel of the said Rectory."

We have been told of Tithes that are due from Alscot, and other church dues from messuages and tenements in Speen, Waters Ash and Lacey Green, and the advowson of the parish church of (Princes)Risborough, belonging to the Abbott's Manor, which was part of the demesne of the Nutley Abbey monastery. Surely this leads one to the assumption that the Virgates of the Copyholders of this part of the Manor of Princes Risborough had something to do with the Church.

It is interesting to note that the names of the original Virgate holders appear repeatedly in the lists of Churchwardens, Overseers of the Poor, and Town and Parish Constables. They also carried out their duties as Customary Tenants at the Manor Courts all through the centuries of which we have records.

Could it be that the 26 Copyholder families who have" hog styes," for which they can claim wood from the King’s Wood, for the repairs in 1700, and who seem to have something to do with the Church, are from the same families who looked after Lady Elgiva’s pigs?

The list of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials of Princes Risborough begins only in 1561. At this early date, all genealogists struggle with the problem of the limited number of male first names. Seldom was a boy child given any other name than Richard, John, Thomas or William. Sometimes in the Baptism list it states "...of Alscot" or "..of the towne", or something like "...son of Robert and Sibell" Or they say "son of Thomas" or "..son of Richard", and I do not know which Thomas or Richard is meant. There is, for instance, a Thomas Lowsley baptised in 1563, another in 1572, also one on 19.8.1575, who is said to be "Thomas Lowsley son of Richard", and one baptised in 23.9.1581 also "Thomas Lowsley son of Richard."

I am trying to continue my TREE back beyond the Richard Lowsley married to Elizabeth Smith on 17.8.1573. We have a WILL dated March 1636 of Richard Lowsley of Alscott, yeoman. (Prob 11/180) (see p. 88)

The "eldest son John" died during the Commonweath. He is not in the list of Burials for Princes Risborough. However, we have his Will, from 1652, with Probate 23,5.1661, (which is after the "Restoration of the Monarchy.") He has no children. (see p. *)

Four years after the beginning of the list of marriages, is, dated 29.12.1564, Margery Loosley marriage to Andrew Hawes. There was a family of Hawes in Alscot.

There is a Will of Andrew Lowsely evidently, but the index card at the Aylesbury Record Office said the Will was not to be produced (? damaged) but it mentions Elizabeth wife of Thomas Clarke, and Ann wife of Wm Penbrace, and John.

During the Commonwealth, in 1650, there are indentures, agreements, between Ralph Adeane, Lord of the Manor of Pr. Ris. and John Looseley sen. and John Looseley the younger, both of Alscott. John Looseley snr has 7½ acres arable. He is to pay ".. a yearly rent of 20/- on 1st of July and 1st of January in even and equal parts. If not paid by 10 days after those dates he shall forfeit the sum of 40/- for any such default." For this Ralph Adeane "agrees to pmitt and suffer him the said John Loosley sen, his heirs etc..to have hold and enjoy All the Tythe Corne that shall growe and Arise upon seven acreas and a halfe of arrable land for three years from 1st April last past." Similarly for John Looseley the younger who holds 50 acres of arable land in the common fields of Alscot...for three years..the rent is £6 10s.

I am going to divide up my information into "families", and, perhaps, by elimination, I shall be able to sort out the Richards, Johns, Thomases, Roberts and so on.

15M50/1377/1 is the first reference in the Winchester documents which I have been studying.

The Index states that it contains 4 membranes (=four vellum sheets). The dates of the Court Rolls are 1443, 1449, 1450 , 1452 and 1454.

A Court Baron deals with the surrendering of land, the paying of a heriot at a death, and the payment of a fine at the entry into a Holding.

There are no Rolls available for the reigns of Edward IV, Edward V or Richard III. Henry VII came to the throne in 1486.

15M50/ 1377/2 This is a Roll of 5 membranes. The first is dated 10.12.1498, Court Baron. "..in the 14th year of the reign of Henry VII". The Homage are :- Henry Wendover, John Loseley snr, Richard Loseley, William Loseley, William Wade, Thomas Child, Thomas Coker, Henry Sargent, John Gomm, Richard Nash, William Boller, William Hythe..charged on the articles of the Court came and presented that the Abbot of Notley, John Dormer knight (8d), Henry Marney knight, Edmund Hampden, Edward de la Hay, Thomas Skytwell (3d), John Est (2d), and Henry Crempe (2d) owe suit every three weeks have defaulted therefore they are amerced.

Various Court Baron business. The sworn Afferors were Henry Wendover and John Loseley.

The View of Frankpledge dated 26.5.1499 has , as "Jurors for the King" , among the twelve names Richard Loseley, William Loseley, and John Loseley Thomas Calle and Robert Adam Constables, John Loseley and John Gome Tithingmen, Thomas White and Robert Halle Aletasters, Thomas Cokyr Tithingman of Alscote, John Rydyng Tithingman of Colverdown, William Dorvall and John Loseley Tithingmen of Longwyke came and presented that they give to the DP(Lord of the Manor)as a Fixed Payment at this Court day 20 s. Various people are amerced. William Clarke is the Bailiff of the D.P. Edmund Claydon wrongly carried away a wooden cart of the goods of John Loseley jnr therefore he is amerced. And that John Loseley made waste in the wood of the DP there...amerced...make good under pain for default of paying to the DP 6/8d... Land surrendered. Fines paid. Fealty done. Afferors William Loseley and William Nassh.

Court Baron 3.10.1499 The Homage again includes John Loseley sen, Richard Loseley and William Loseley snr. The Constables, Tithingmen and Aletasters , Bakers, Butchers are named in 5.6.1500 (See enclosed transciption.) The list gives : - John Gome and John Loseley snr. as Tithingmen "there"(= in Princes Risborough town). John Price and William Dorvall Tithingmen of Loseley Row, Thomas Coker Tithingman of Alliscot, John Rydyng Tithingman of Culverdon, William Bollar and William Nashe Tithingmen of Longwick came..paying the (.Fixed payment of) 20 s. (I have the photo copy of this Court Roll.)

The Homage on 5.6.1500 include John Loseley and William Loseley, Thomas Cokar, William Darvall in the 12 names. Thomas Cokar and William Loseley are the Afferors.

Above we have had Richard, William and John Loseley.

View of Frankpledge dated 20.7.1502 There are no Loseleys on the Jury. The 20/- Certainty Money is paid, and a note is made:- "And that the Tithingman of Alscot is not willing that he (space).. therefore he is amerced as is shown over his head." (4d) Various fines and amercements. Election of two tithingmen. "Election of Thomas Coker to the office of Constable and took the oath." Several freeholders who owe suit have made default , and are amerced.

"Also they present that William Loseley who of the chief lord held a messuage and a virgate with the appurtenances and a cottage with appurtenances in Alscot on the day that he died whereby there falls due to the chief lord for heriot a horse value 12/- And on this came Richard Loseley son and heir of the aforesaid William by his attorney and sought admission to the said virgate and cottage aforesaid. Also they present that on the said day that he died he held of the chief lord freely a virgate of land with appurtenances in Alscot called Pallgrave(?) by rent per annum And that Richard is his son and nearest heir and is of full age by custom he gave to the chief lord for Relief as is shown. In margin Heriot 12/- Relief 8/6

Also they present that John Loseley who of the chief lord held a messuage and one virgate of land with the appurtenances in Alscot on the day that he died whereby there falls due to the lord for heriot a beast value 10/- And on this (blank)

More admissions etc

Also they present that John Loseley who of the lord held a messuage and a virgate of land in Loseley Row on the day that he died whereby there falls due to the lord for heriot 15d And on this came John Loseley and sought his admission into the aforesaid And that the said John held freely

View of Frankpledge dated 26.7.1505 The Constable and Tithingmen are named and pay the 20/- Certainly Money. There are 2 Tithingmen for the town, 2 for Longwick, one for Speen, one for Loseley Row, one for Culverdon, and one for Alscot. (This is Thomas Loseley.) Various amercements Also the Tithingmen present on their oath that (eight names) are "common players at Lez Bowlys, contrary to the form of the Statue thence published and provided, therefore they are amerced" 6d each. One is John Loseley. (Allowed to play. To keep the peace.) Various ditches are unscoured. etc. "Also they present that Richard Loseley held of the chief lord on the day he died a cottage with 2 acres of land with the appurtenances in Horsendon under rent per annum 6/8 whereby nothing falls due to the chief lord by custom And they say that William Loseley is next of kin and the nearest heir Also they present that the said Richard Loseley (etc) held a messuage a cottage and one virgate of land (etc) in Alscot under rent of 17/- per annum on the day that he died, (etc) for heriot a black horse value 13/4. And that the said Richard on the said day that he died held of the chief lord freely. (Small tear,end of page. Does not continue on the next))

So the Richard Loseley who took over the holding in Alscot in 1502 is dead by the next Court Roll in 1505.

Possibly the two Johns mentioned in the WILL of 1493 are the two Johns mentioned in the Court Rolls.

There is a Thomas still alive. He is Tithingman of Alscot in 1505.

Henry VII died April 1509. The next available Court Roll is from the 30th regnal year of Henry VIII. 1538.

In 1515 Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, becomes Cardinal and Lord Chancellor. His Subsidy Rolls of 1522 and 1525 were "a direct assessment of each man’s income and possessions. £1 a year in wages, or goods worth £2 were the minimum taxable. On this basis +- one third or a half were exempt. Wolsey was very unpopular

The 1522 Subsidy Roll for Princes Risborough has John Lowesley £2 Thomas Lowesley £10 William Lowesley £2.

The 1525 Subsidy Roll has (ditto) Thomas Lowslay £10 William Lousley £3 John Lowselay £3 John Lowselay £2.

Thomas Wolsey died 1534. 1534 Thomas Cromwell was made chief secretary. Henry VIII was excommunicated by the Pope. He was made supreme head of Church of England. Thomas Cromwell was to report on the state of the Monasteries. 1534 Act of Suppression of the Monasteries. This included Nutley Abbey. See more fully "The Tithings of Risborough."

The View of Frankpledge in the 30th year of the reign of Henry VIII, 25 Sept. 1538. Richard Trippe is the Tithingman of Alscot. Henry Lowesley and Robert Welhed are the Affeerors. There are 19 Jurors for the Lord King , and "sworn". These include Thomas Lowesley, John Lowesley snr. and John Lowesley jnr. (I think Henry Lowesley is of Speen.)

The View of Frankpledge 30.4.1539 14 Jurors for the Lord King include Thomas Lowseley, John Lowseley and William Lowseley.

The View of Frankpledge 21.3.1548 The Tithingmen include John Lauseley for Speen Fee. and Richard Loweley for Alscot. The Jury present that Thomas Lauseley and John Lauseley defaulted, and are amerced 2d each. Another Thomas Lauseley is a Juror.

But between these two Court Rolls we have three WILLS.

The first of these is of John Lousley of Princes Risborough dated 11.6.1540 with sons Richard and John. Wife Elizabeth. Robert Coker is the "supervisour" of the WILL. Witnesses are Thomas Lowesley and William Louseley.

The second is of Thomas Lowsley of Allscote dated 10.1.1541 He has sons Rychard and Thomas. A brother ?Dey. He knows a Robert.

He has two daughters, a Jone and a "Dorhter boller" . A Willm Lowsley is one of the witnesses, and John Gold.

The third is of Wyllem Lousley of Alscot dated 1546 , with Katheryn wife, sons Robert and John. Thomas his "cosyn" to be overseer of WILL.

Witnesses Robert Coker and John ?Guld. Margyt daughter. (See page 84 re WILLS, more fully.)

In the Court Roll of 21.3.1548, above mentioned :-The Richard Lowesley, Tithingman of Alscot, could be the son of Thomas of Alscot (WILL 1541)

There is a gap in the Court Rolls between 1548 and 1569 (the 12th year of Queen Elizabeth) = see later 15M50/1377/3.

WILL of "William Loseley of Loseley Rowe in the parish of Risborough Principis Lincoln Dioc. "dated 10.4.1493 (PRO. PCC Wills PROB/11/9)

WILL of Thomas Bristow dated 1598

The WILL of Thomas Lowseley of Alskott dated 1561.

WILL of Thomas Lowsley of Princes Risborough, Yeoman, dated 1584

WILL is of Richard the Younger of Alscot, Husbandman, dated 1609, (Loosely)..

Note:- 6 Loosley WILLS have a Coker as a witness. The Cokers lived in Alscot.

There is a Court Roll dated 26.9.1569. 15M50/1377/3. It is of Abbot’s Manor, and another 26.5.1597 ( same number) of Abbot’s Manor for John Jackman, Lord of the Manor. Also similarly 5.10.1599 No Loosleys mentioned.

See the WILL of Thomas Lowsley of Princes Risborough, yeoman, 1584. He leaves to his son Rychard Lowsley when he shall be 21 years...also to him is bequeathed "my half acre of free land in West Stye fild".

So that is one Richard. He died young. He had no male heir. He is "Richard the younger of Alscot" His father was "Thomas Lowsley of Princes Risborough". His father had given him the "house in Princes Risborough" (1561). His mother Anne later marries Henry Board in 1610.

There is another Richard of Alscot with no male heirs. He married Isabel Hare on 21.1.1582/3. There are baptisms of Mary daughter of Richard of Alscot 6.1. 1586 (died 15.2.1616,) and Isabel, daughter of Isabel , bap. 1.4.1599 (died 15.4.1600)

There are three Richard Lowsleys in the Pr. Ris. Marriage list. The one mentioned above, another dated 23.4.1563 to Elizabeth Atles, and another 17.8.1573 to Elizabeth Smith. (There are no Baptisms, Marriages or Deaths before 1561.) There is a Thomas Lowsley bap. 4.12.1563, another Thomas Lowsley bap, 1.7.1572, another bap. 19.8.1575 as Thomas Lowsle son of Richard, and on 23.9.1581 Thomas Lowsley son of Richard. Further down the list, is on 27.4.1600 John Lowsley son of Thomas, and there is an Elizabeth Lowsley daughter of Thomas, bap. 11.3.1599. (This John and Elizabeth will not be children of the Thomas Lowsley born in 1581, I imagine. He might be too young.)

There are other John Lowsleys to think about. 1548 John Lauseley Tithingman of Speen. (In 1578 "Robert son of John" is 17. Sent to be an "apprentice carpenter".) 1578 John Lowsley born, is son of Richard. ( 1600 John son of Thomas.(above)).

1624 John son of Andrew (born 1583) 1629 John son of Robert 1639 John son of John (so likely to be the John son of Thomas mentioned in the 1584 WILL of Thomas Lowsley of Princes Risborough, with Margaret Bowler as wife.) 1658 Darckas daughter of John and Elizabeth (Bowler) This John was son of Robert Lowsley (B15)

See my Top of Tree Richard married to Elizabeth Smith on 17.8.1573, and his WILL in 1636 Yeoman of Alscot with "eldest son John" born 1578, Andrew born 1583 (with a son John born 7.11.1624) and a Richard born 6.8.1592. Which, at least seems to sort out my Loosley family "of Alscot."

from Speen, Loosley Row and Lacey Green.

There was a John (Lauseley) Tithingman in Speen Fee on March 1548, at the same time as there was a Richard Lowseley, Tithingman of Alscot, and a Thomas Lauseley was one of the 12 Jurors of the Manor Court, Pr, Ris. At the same Court, evidently another Thomas Lauseley and John Lauseley were both fined 2d because they defaulted.

In the Records of the Carpenters Company. Vol. 6 page 31. 17.9.1574, Lawrence Puddle is admitted to have as his apprentice Robert Lowsley of the age of 16 years, the son of John Lowsley of Pr. Ris... for 8 years.... So a Robert born 1558, finishing 1582.

In the WILL of Thomas Lowseley of Alskott dated 1561, he leaves to son Robert his house in Speene.

A feoffment, dated 1600 +-,= to give in possession, Richard Lowseley of Alscott, husbandman, to Robert Lowseley of Pr. Ris., wheelwright, his brother..the house in Spene in which Robert dwells

July 1610. Richard Looseley son of (blank) of Prs. Ris. wheelwright, for 8 years apprentice to Thomas Payce weaver, Kingston on Thames. etc.

Loosley, family K (see Tree, with Descendency Tree, p. *)

At a View of Frankpledge dated 13.10.1630, a Richard Looslye - Copyholder- surrendered 2 Messuages and two virgates of land and half of one virgate of land in Alscot,Rent 33s 4d..Suit and Heriot..to the Benefit and Use of John Looslye junior and his heirs.Heriot three shillings and one and a half pence.Fine £14.

So, here, a John Looslye is inheriting the larger Alscot Copyhold estate. He is the one I have called "John of family K."

In the Marriage list there is one which is dated 16.2.1597 for Thomas Lowsley to Catharine Davison. In the Births List, there is John Lowsley, son of Thomas, on 27.4.1600. Earlier, there was on 17.3.1599 Elizabeth Lowsley, daughter of Thomas, on 8.11.1607 Alice Lowsley daughter of Thomas, and on 7.9.1611,Ellen Looselie daughter of Thomas and Katharin.

Family of Ryk (WILL 1585) (see Tree, with Descendency Tree, p. *)

There is a WILL of Thomas Lowsley of Allscote dated 10.1.1541. He had a son Thomas and a son Rychard,.. etc etc. A William Lowsley was one of the witnesses.

Under Ref.SC2/212/20 from the Public Record Office, dated 19.8.1542:- "William Lowesley came to the Court and gave back into the hands of the lord king a messuage and a virgate of land..in Alscote to the use of Thomas Lowseley...Heriot a horse worth 12/-...granted seisin...by the rod, according to the custom of the Manor." William also surrendered a messuage and a virgate of land...in Alscote. Heriot 15 pence. Thomas came and asked for it.

We note here the holding of the two houses in Alscot, and the Heriot of a horse, as before. Probably the William Lowesley, above, is the William Loseley, who was next of kin of the Richard who died in 1505.

Apparently this William dies in 1546, for there is a WILL for Wyllem Lousley of Alscot.

On 21.3.1548 a Thomas Lauseley and John Lauseley are each fined 2d for defaulting at the Court. (One John has a WILL in 1558, and a Thomas has a WILL in 1561.(see Supporting Documents,) However, another John Lauseley is noted as Tithingman of Speen Fee, and a Richard Lowsley is Tithingman of Alscot, and John Dorvall Tithingman of Loosley Row. A Thomas Lauseley was a Juryman.

17.9.1574 " Lawrence Puddle, Carpenter, takes as his apprentice Robert Lowsley at the age of 16 years, the son of John Lowsley of Princes Risborough...for 8 years." (So born 1558.) See previous page.

It gets very difficult to differentiate between the Johns, Thomases, Williams and Richards at this time. There are no Manor Court Rolls available to tell of Surrendering of land between 1548 and 1597.

We do know, however, that the WILL of a John Lowsley of Princes Risborough, of 1558, tells of sons Thomas, John, Wyllem and Richard. But the WILL of Thomas Lowseley of Alscott, dated 1561, is of the son of the Thomas with the WILL of 10.1.1541. He leaves to sons Robard, Thomas, John, and Richard in 1561.

This WILL (1561) of Thomas, tells that he has a brother "Ryc" (Richard), who is "to have the guydyng of his children."

These children, Robard,Thomas,John and Richard,are bequeathed,.. "..Robart,my house in Spene".."Thomas, my house in Princes Risborough,..and Culverhouse acre".."John,£10..because I have no land to give him..beside his part it shall follow hereafter".."Richard..4 horses,2 oxen, plows and plow gere cart and cart gere 3 kyne 20 shepe.."(He is not yet "of age")

I think it is this son Thomas who calls himself Yeoman of Princes Risborough in his WILL dated 1584. He dies young. His heir(? a Thomas) has already died. He leaves to "Rychard my sonne my half acre of free land...in the fild called West Stye." (This Rychard (son) dies apparently in 1609. He "bequeaths his half acre freehold land in West Stye to his daughter Marie.")

There is also a Richard the younger of Allskett, husbandman. We know also that a "Richard Lowseley of Alscott, husbandman (gives) Robert Lowseley of Princes Risborough, WHEELWRIGHT, his brother, the house in Speene in which Robert dwells."(= Robard, brother of Richard). (Date .in Queen Elizabeth's reign ie.1559- 1603.)( Note above the feoffment of 1600) This surely must have something to do with the Robert Lowsley who, in 1574, commenced his apprenticeship as a Carpenter, - and the Robard Lowsley, son of Thomas of Alskott .."I give to Robard Lowsley my son my house in Spene."(1561)

These seem to be the sons Robard and Richard of Thomas, son of Thomas, of Alscot, above. (see 1561)

I suggest that "Ryc", brother of Thomas Lowesley of Alscot, who was to have the "guydyng of the children", made the WILL, dated in the following year, 1585. See page 85.

There are three marriages of Richard Lowsleys.

23.4.1563 Richard Lowsley to Elizabeth Atles.

17.8.1573 Richard Lowsley to Elizabeth Smith.(A1 and A2)

21.1.1582 Richard Lowsley to Isabel Hare.

In the list of Baptisms,the first one noted is dated

4.12.1563, Thomas Lowsley. Then on

1.7.1572, Thomas Lowsley, then on

19.8.1575, Thomas Lowsley, "son of Richard."

23.9.1581, Thomas Lowsley "son of Richard".

After this last date, comes the baptism on 3.3. 1583 of Andrew Lowsley, son of Richard. This is the only Andrew at this time. I have put him as my A5, son of A1 and A2, Richard Lowsley and Elizabeth Smith.

But we know that this Andrew had an elder brother called John from the WILL of Richard of Alscot in 1636. =" John the elder of Alscot. Yeoman." Born 9.9.1578. My A10.

Was there another brother, Thomas, born 23.9.1581, between John and Andrew? This is most improbable. No mention of another son is made in this WILL of Richard of Alscot, in 1636.

On 6.1.1586 there is a baptism of Mary, daughter of Richard Looseley and Isabel his wife. This must have been Isabel Hare. Note above the marriage dated 21.1.1582. There is also, on 1.4.1599 the baptism of Isabel Lowsley daughter of Isabel. She died 15.4.1600.

The name Thomas, having been so popular up to 1581,does not seem to be used again.

In the WILL of Thomas of Alscot, dated 1561,(see above),the son Robart was given the house in Spene. There is a "spoken will" of Denise Loosley, dated 23.3.1635. She leaves .." to William, Robert,Doro,Jane,Sibell and Joane Loosley, to be equally divided between them." These are the children of Robert and Denise Loosley, baptised between 1595 and 1603, according to the Baptism list. Her husband Robert (B1) was buried 1.6.1633, and Denise,"widow of Speene"(B2), was buried on 21.12.1635.

We remember again the"feoffment" (= to put in possession of) dated Novembro (no date)..reign of Elizabeth, in which "Richard Lowsley of Alscott, husbandman, gives to Robert Lowsley, HIS BROTHER, wheelwright, the house in Speene in which Robert dwells." (Elizabeth reigned from 1558-1603).(See 1600 above.)

I think the only Lowsley family which has a Robart/Robert and a Richard, brothers, is the family of the Thomas of Alscot with the WILL of 1561....with Thomas's "brother RYC" to look after the children.

Our Tree shows that Robert (B1) and Denise had a son Robert who was baptised on 24,6,1598.(B4). His elder brother was William, (B3) born in 1595, who married Margaret Pelter on 17.5.1625.They had a son, William on 9.7.1626. (I suggest that these two Williams are the ones mentioned in my file about Longwick. Did they inherit the Loosley Row/Speen Virgate? I don't think that these Williams were Carpenters/Wheelwrights, as were most of the Family B men. Did they look after the Copyhold?

Robert(B4) born 24.6.1598, married Dorcas ffellows in Hughendon, but they lived in Speen. He was a wheelwright. They had four sons, all wheelwrights, who lived in Lacies Green and Loosley Row. Their grandfather, Robert (B1), died on 1.5.1633. He had "held freely".

Looking back to the "Family K" John Lowsley, born 27.4.1600, son of Thomas and Catharine, and wondering why one of the Richard Lowsleys surrendered the two and a half Virgates to "his use.":-

In the WILL of John Lowsley (DAWF 4/211) of 1558, there is,evidently, an elder son called Thomas,executor with "Jone my wyffe".This John had also a son John, who was to receive a quarter of barley and a (? brass pott),"to Cateryne my daughter a quarter of barley, to Jone my daughter a quarter of barley,to Wyllem my son a quarter of barley and a ? panne, to Wyllem my son the elder a q o.b.To Elizabeth my daughter a q.o.b.to Richard my son a q.o.b.Item I give to John and Catyrine my (?) godchildren a load of whette (=wheat) sowne...Thomas my sonne to grind...I give to every godchild 6d....Richard Koker my overseer...Wyttnys to thys wyll Richard Koker,John Lowsley and Wyllem Gold." (Indistinct.)

Note that Richard Koker is of Alscot, and the Wyllem Gold may be from the same family as the John Gold who witnessed the WILL of Thomas Lowsley of Alscot in 1541, and witnessed, with Robert Coker, the WILL of Willem Lousley of Alscot, in 1546.

"Cateryne" may even have been his daughter IN LAW...and the John and Catyrine his "?godchildren", may be grandchildren. So possibly this is the Family K. In that case, Thomas, the eldest son of John Lowsley,( who died in 1558),married Catherine Davison in 1597. and they had three daughters, and a son John who was born 27.4.1600.

This latter John will be "John the younger", of my " Family K", while "John the elder", of "Family A", is my A10, born 9.9.1578. There are twenty odd years between them.

In 1641, at a Court Baron for Joan Chibnall, a John Looseley is excused for non appearance, and John Looseley jnr is a Juror. A William Looseley is fined 6d for default.

During the next few years, the two John Loosleys," John the elder" and "John the younger", take part in the activities of the Manor Court, as members of the Jury or as Customary Tenants assisting in the surrender of property. Here and there are also mentions of Robert Loosley and Andrew Loosley.

In 1642 there is a list called "Contributions for Ireland".Here I see John Loosley jnr 2/6, John Loosley snr 1/- and Robert Loosley 2/6.

In 1649 there is a WILL of Joan Chibnall. (Lady of the Manor.)

The Commonwealth is between January 1649 and May 1660.

Ralph Adeane, a nephew of Joan Chibnall, became Lord of the Manor.

In 1650 there is an Agreement between Ralph Adeane and John Looseley snr" for seven and a half acres arable and all the tythe corn that shall grow and arise on it, and all the privy tithes he hath within the parish of Princes Risborough for 3 years from 1st of April last past. Yearly rent of 20/- on 1st of July and 1st of January even and equal parts. If not paid by 10 days after those dates he shall forfeit the sum of 40/- for any such default."

On 28.5.1650 an "Indenture between Ralph Adeane and John Looseley the younger of Alscot....from the 50 acres of arable land in the common fields of Alscot...for 3 years for £6 10s, first July..first January..even and equal parts in Brooke House, which was late the dwelling house of Mrs Joan Chibnall. If found to have more land, to pay 2/6 for every acre above the same quantity of land."

I have never encountered anything as severe as this in previous documents.

Court Roll 15M50/1377/16, of 1651, has John Looseley jnr as a Juror. The Jury present a list of "residents" who are all amerced 2d. These include John Looseley the elder, Robert Looseley and another John Looseley.

The John Looseley the elder will be our John the elder of Alscot,A10, and the "another John Looseley" may be John the son of Andrew,( the second son of Richard (A1) and Elizabeth.)

John the elder had no children. He left land in his WILL to this John, born in 1624, the son of his brother, Andrew.

John the younger (born 1600) had a son, John, who was born in !639. So the latter was also "the younger,"of Family K.

The two Johns who made the agreements with Ralph Adeane in 1650, both died soon after, John the younger in 1651 and John the elder in 1652.(See Alscot file notes.)

John(A15)(son of Andrew) and John son of John,"Family K", continued to play their part in the Manor activities.

On the first membrane, after 3 names of men excused from common suit, we read:- "The Homage there being charged and sworn present that Henry Oldecastell (2d), John Wendore (2d), John Wade (2d), John Nayssh (2d), William Lusley (1d), Richard Ovyot (1d), and John Hawes (1d) who owe suit have made default therefore they are amerced." (they are to pay the fine marked "over their heads")

Mr. Kidd, who did the transcription, notes that the View of Frankpledge which follows, dated 18 July 1443, continues on the same membrane. The bottom of this membrane is missing.

The Homage, or Jurymen, "Present for Certainty Money" 66s 8d." This is most unusual. It is thereafter, and all through the centuries, 20s.

Because the page is damaged, we do not know the names of some of the Homage, but I see the names Ovyot, then, John Lusley, John Poulyn, Henry Gomme, John Gomme among the 12 names. A William Clerk of Twychyn was amerced 2d for allowing his ditch to become obstructed.

The View of Frankpledge dated 26.8.1450 , 28th year of Henry VI follows in which various men are named for default, and were amerced. I note 12 names of which I recognise, Walter Ryding (1d), Thomas Dorvald (1d), John Hawes (1d), Nicholas Cheddesley (1d), William Petipas. 19 men are named who "present for Certainty Money this day 20s." This Homage includes William Lusley and John Lusley. Other names are Thomas Wade, William and Richard Ovyot, Thomas Dorvald, Henry Gomme of Alscot and Henry Gomme of Risborough, William Cocar, John Boller and Richard Cleydon.etc.

I don’t see the Lusley name mentioned again in the Henry VI Rolls available.

There is also a View of Frankpledge for 1454, the 32nd year. The Court Rolls are all in Latin.

Dioc. Dated 10.4.1493 (PRO. PCC Wills PROB/11/9) He leaves money to the church of Risborough. To his wife Isabelle, to son Richard XX marks, to daughters Anges and Isabel, to his brother John. To both John Boller and Henry Boller "a cowe". To his father John Loseley and his "moder Margaret". "And I mak myn executors my wif Isabell Loseley and my fadre John Loseley and William Clerk And I give to the said William Clerk Xs And I Will that my fadre John Loseley have the XX marks of the said Richard Loseley for to dispose it to such personnes rhat will encrese it to the most behove to the said Richard Loseley."

1502 etc see on page 75.

there was a John Lowesley assessed at £2, Thomas Lowesley assessed at £10, and William Lowesley at £2.

The 1525 Subsidy Roll has Thomas Lowslay £10, next to William Lousley £3, whereas John Lowselay and John Lowselay are further down the list, near three John Dorvalls and a John Layce. The Darvall and Lacey families had their virgates up on the hills. In this part of the list is John Wade, who in 1538 is Tithingman of Culverton,and Robert Lacy is Tithingman of Speen. Perhaps the Subsidy list was made with the part of the Manor in mind from which the landholders came. A John Boller is assessed at £16, another John Boller at £18, and a Henry Boller at £12, and a John Boller jnr at £2. A William Redyng £6. William Pettypace £10. Thomas Chylde £13 6 8. (=Pettypace family.) Thomas Claydon £6. Robert Howys £5. William Dorvall had the highest assessment, £20.

Three WILLS, see also page 77, and here:-

WILL: 1540 John Lousely of Princes Risborough, sons Richard and John,

Thomas son of John. Witnesses Thomas Lowseley, William Louseley etc.

see Will Witnesses 4, plus Willm Lowsley.

sons Robert and John. "Overseer of WILL (=) Thomas Lousley my cosyn."

(" 5 yards of material from London to make Willem a coat.")

He had a son Robert and a son John. "Item I Wyll yt Thomas Lousley my cosyn to be overseer to thys my wyll.""..and to the sed Margyt ( my daught) a kyrtyll that yt was sent from London to make the sed Wyllem a cote of v yarde..."

He also seems to have a sonne Wyllem the elder. Several daughters ?? godchildren. His wife is Jone. Richard Koker is the overseer.The witnesses are :- Richard Koker, John Lowsley and Wyllem Gold.

Sons Robart, to have "my house at Spene etc", Thomas Lowsley to have "my house at Pr. Ris. and one acre of land called Coulverhouse acre", John, "because I have no land to give him, X pounds in money besyde his part it shall follow hereafter". Richard, 4 horses, 2 oxen, plows and plow gere cart and cart gere 3 kyne 30 sheep etc"…. "Item I wyll yt Ryc Lowsley my brother shall have ye guyding of my chyldren tyll they come to lawfull age etc etc. " Witnesses Robert Coker, John Lowsley, Thomas Brystow, and Wyllm G...N.B. This Ryc and Thomas must be the sons of Thomas Lowsley of Alscot with the WILL dated 1541 above.

the son of John Lowsley of Pr. Ris, for 8 years. = (Carpenters' Records.) So born 1558, to finish 1582. But, which John?

To son Rychard, not yet 21, "my half acre of free land in the fild called West Stye". John, son. Overseers "My brother" (in law) "Thomas Bowler of Culverton" and Robert Coker. - He starts listing his bequeaths:- "Item I bequeath unto my heir's daughter, Agnes, fyve quarters of barley...." etc. HE has a daughter Agnes also. Perhaps his son John is the eldest now. Perhaps ALL the children are young. (See the WILL of 1561 of Thomas Lowseley of Alscot, his son Thomas inherits the house in Pr. Ris. This Thomas of the WILL calls himself Yeoman of Pr. Ris.) Surely his heir would have been called THOMAS. Right at the beginning of the Pr. Ris. Births list there IS a Thomas Lowsley born 4.12.1563, and a marriage between Richard Lowsley and Elizabeth Atles on 23.4.1563. There is no record of the burial of a son / heir Thomas.

Overseers "my brother Thomas Bowler of Culverton and Robert Coker." (His wife Margaret was a Bowler.). I note that Robert Coker, who lived in Alscot, is a witness of members of both the Alscot and Princes Risborough Families.) Is this, perhaps, the Thomas Lowseley of Alscot’s son Thomas, who was given the house in Pr. Ris.?(WILL:1561) West Stye to his son Richard ,who dies 1609.

This is "Ryc". He leaves all his FREE land to Thomas Bristow the son of Thomas Bristow the elder. Richard's daughter Joan had married Thomas Bristow the elder.Their son,Thomas, would be the grandson of "Ryc", and almost everything is left to that family, except "6d to Richard Loosley, my godson".

We note that he says he is Yeoman of Princes Risborough, but he mentions giving "the corn of an acre of land lying in the towne field of Alscot called Foxhill." He "bequeaths unto Thomas Bristowe the sonne of Thomas Bristowe the elder all my free lands to him and his heirs for ever, this provided the revenue of all the aforesaid free land shall be given unto the four sisters of the said Thomas Bristowe the younger until the said Thomas Bristowe come to his lawfull age. Item I give to the said T.B one ewe and a lamb." etc etc . Thomas Bristowe the younger is obviously a small child.

Thomas Bristowe is made the"lawfull executor, and Richard Loosley and Robert Coker my overseers".The witnesses were Richard Loosley, Robert Coker and Richard Loosley, the younger. Document D3/80 is the Admission of Joan Bristowe, wife of Thomas Bristowe to a Messuage and one yard land ,in Ascott(sic) as daughter and heir of Richard Lowsley deceased. (Another record is :- 1615 Admission of Thomas Bristow to messuage and yardland and quarter yardland as heir to Joan Bristow, widow, decd.)

So, I would suggest that "Ryc" was the elder son of Thomas of Alscot. (see 1541 WILL) . He bequeathed one of the Alscot messuages and a yardland (a virgate)..and a quarter.. to the son of his daughter Joan who had married Thomas Bristowe.

This is the "undivided moity" which we hear about at the time of the Enclosures. I discovered that our Richard Loosley,A46, and the Bristow family , surrender their two halves of the holding of the Copyhold in Alscot, which was later acquired by Mr J.E.Tarrant.

has as witnesses:- Richard Lowesley snr .John Lowesley and Richard Lowesley the younger.

The Hawes family also lived in Alscot. This Richard Hawes had as overseer and executor of his WILL Richard Lowsley the younger.

to a messuage and yard land in Ascott (sic) as daughter and heir of Richard Lowsley decd" and Deed 1615:- "Admission of Thomas Bristow to a messuage and yardland and a quarter of a yardland as heir to Joan Bristow, widow, decd." See above, this Richard Looseley left his land to his daughter’s son He had no other living children when he made his will. This WILL is of Richard or RYC, the brother of Thomas of Alscot (1561 WILL), who were sons of Thomas of Alscot (Will of 1541) When Thomas died in 1561, he did not know that his elder brother would give the Alscot land to his grandchild, Thomas Bristow. He had thought, perhaps, that some land would come to his children, and had said in his Will... "to son John £10 in money..his part it shall follow hereafter."

"Thomas Boler of Longwick" and "Thomas Boler of Culverdon", Thomas and John Wade, Henry Claydon,John Darvold, and Edward and Ralph Hawes are among those named. All are Copyholders.

"Allso it is a grede between Jone my wife and Thomas my sone that they shall hold occopie and enioye all the landes equally betwene them both... and farder mor that Jone Bristow my wife dothe consent unto that Thomas Bristo my son shall have hold ocupy @ in joye halfe the copye holde that Jone Bristow my wife dother holde of her on inheritance etc etc." Robert Coker is a witness. (Attached is a deposition by Robert Coker of Alscot. )

1609 WILL is of Richard the Younger of Alscot, Husbandman, , (Loosely)..(dated 9.9.1609)

"being sick and weak of body.. to daughter Marie when..16 years, to daughter Jane 5 pounds when 21 years. All residue to wife Anne..full executrix. His good frend and neighbour Richard Hawes and Thomas Bristow..overseers. His half acre freehold land in a ffeilde called West Stye to daughter Marie and heirs. Witnesses Richard Loosely the elder, Robert Coker and Willm Sparhawk(?)

This Richard will be the son of Thomas of the WILL in 1584.

from Public Record Office. Described on page 62. Has names and acreage in the Royal Demesne.

At the end is a list of 19 Jurors: -"In witness of which matters the Jurors aforesaid of this Survey have put their names or marks the day and year first above mentioned." The first name is Richard Lowsley, perhaps Richard Lowsley A1.

Same tenants' names.

This is dealt with more fully on page 62.,with names and acreage, many with 16 acres or 30/32 acres, mostly in Longwick, Purtwell, Copland, Burren / Burrien field, Whiteland, and small pieces of meadow in Bedmead.

There are no Loosleys/Lowsleys in this Royal Demesne.

12 of the 19 tenant witnesses "make their marks", including Richard Lowsley.

29.12.1615 Admission of Thomas Bristow to a messuage and yardland and quarter of a yardland as heir to Joan Bristow, widow, dec'd. During the next years Thomas Bristow acquires various plots of grass ground and arable.).

26.9.1622 View of Frankpledge and Court Baron.

There are no Loosley Jurors, but a John Lowsley snr. is amerced 2 pence as a "resident", as is Robert Lowsley jnr aad 27 others who absented themselves. Jane Lowsley is amerced 4 pence with 15 others who are said to be " Tenants" of the Manor. They had all "defaulted."

I note that John Lowsley snr is probably my A10, who was born in 1578. He was the eldest son of Richard Lowsley of Alscot yeoman, and Elizabeth Smith, who married on 17.8.1573 .All their children, including this John snr, are mentioned in the father's WILL dated 1636. But this John Lowsley snr. A10. had no children. There was a John Lowsley born on 27.4.1600, son of Thomas. He is the one called .".the younger", at this time..

has a Robert Lowsley as a Juror (?B4).A Jane Lowsley was amerced 3d. for non-appearance at the Court.(John Jackman gent. was amerced 3s 4d..he "made affray and drew blood on the body of Edward Smith within the precincts of the Leet.") .. One acre of arable land lying on Acknell Way next the LONG HEDGE was surrendered.... On 10.6.1623 the Jury consist of 6 men, Richard Lowsley, Edmund Clinkard, William Wade, John Hill, Thomas Bristow and Thomas Cooker.

.

(A Thomas Hawes is surrendering 3 roods arable land abutting against " WHITLEFE next LE DEMAYNE LAND in LE BOTTOM of BERRYFIELD.")

…to the Use of the Mayor Corporation and Citizens of the City of London. A Robert Lowsley is one of the 14 names of Jurors and Homage. And "Robert Lowsley is elected in the sd office in place of Stephen Lacey and is sworn". (At the side Tithingman of Lowsley Row ?) There are other Courts held in 1629, 1630 and 1631 for the City of London.

there are three Wades, Thomas Bristowe and John Hawes on the list of 14 Jurors and Homage. "The Homage on their oath present:- ...various freehold and Copyhold business...including-

"Also Richard Looslye. who holds by copy of Court Roll...2 Messuages and two and a half virgates of land in Alscot - Rent 33s 4d a year and suit of court and heriot...surrendered by the hands of William Wade and William Pettipace als Blick...to the Benefit and Use of John Looslye junior and his heirs....Heriot of three shillings and one and a half pence...John Looslye seeks to be admitted to the said premisses which the said lord through his seneschal grants to him by the jurisdiction of the court...and he gives to the lord of fine £14 and makes fealty and is admitted thence as tenant".

This gives some idea of how the Copyhold business was carried out at the Manor Courts. The surrendering was done "through the hands of" two Customary Tenants. So this is the John Looslye junior being admitted to the two and a half virgate holding in Alscot.

in Pr. Ris. A William Currier is surrendering 5 acres arable, one rood of which is in Shard Field with the land of William Pettipace als Blick on the east and land of Richard Lowsley on the west.

1.5.1633 A View of Frankpledge,

for the Abbot's Manor has Joan Chibnall, widow, as Lady of the Manor.

My A 1. He bequeaths 2 acres of lease hold land in Monks Risborough to his eldest son John (A 10) and £10 each to his son Andrew (A 5) and daughter Elizabeth (Mrs Dover). To his son Richard,(born 1592,) £5, and £12 to daughter Denisse (White). £5 each to Andrew's two daughters (A13 and A17). Whatever unbequeathed to go to son John (A10), = Executor. To Wife Elizabeth the use of all goods during the term of her life. Note: This Richard calls himself Yeoman of Alscot, but he does not leave any Copyhold land to his sons. Was it this Richard who surrendered the Alscot land to John Looslye junior in 1630?

This WILL is useful because we can find on the Baptism, Marriage and Burial lists the people he mentions in the WILL. He leaves to his "eldest son John all my 2 acres of leasehold land in Monks Risborough". (The first John listed in the Baptisms is 9.9.1578) "Unto my sonne Andrew Lowsley tenn pounds to be payed unto him one moneth after my decease." (The only "Andrew son of Richard" was baptised 3.3.1583). "Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Dover tenn pounds"(I found a marriage of an Elizabeth Lowsley to Thomas Dover 17.10.1602 at Gt. Kimble) "Item I give unto each of my son Andrew’s daughters five pounds apeece. The only "daughters of Andrew" mentioned in the baptisms are Susan Loosley on 2.4.1620, and Elizabeth Looseley on 14.7.1633). "Item I give unto my sonne Richard Lowsley five pounds". (There is a baptism of Richard son of Richard 6.8.1592). "Item I give unto my sonne in law William Wagg four pounds which is the remainder of the portion which I promised him with my daughter". (A computer-produced list of marriages of all "grooms/brides surnames sounding like Loosley" produced "William Wagge to Dorathy Loosley on 10.8.1626". Perhaps she had died before the WILL was written. "Item I give unto Denysse White twelve pounds." Baptism of "Dennys Lowsley daughter of Richard 8.3.1585". "Item all the rest of my goods Cattles and Chattells whatsoeveer unbequeathes I give and bequeath unto John Lowsley my sonne whom I make and ordaine to be the sole Executor to this my last will and testament....And my will and meaning is that Elizabeth my wife shall have the use of all my goods within doors during the terme of her life...to this my last will and testament I have putt my hand and seale... Witnesses thereto Benedict Hawes, Dioms White,.. .hen maite and John Penbrace". (Difficult to read).

1642 Contributions for Ireland John Loosley jnr 2/6, John Loosley snr 1/-, Robert Loosley 2/6d.

In September 1641 John Looseley jnr is a member of the Court Jury, also in 1644 and 1648.

It is at about this time, 1650, that Ralph Adeane makes the previously mentioned lease agreement with John Loosely snr for seven and a half acres arable, and with John Loosely the younger for 50 acres of arable land in the Common fields of Alscot. This is during the Commonwealth time.The Court Rolls are in English, not Latin.

In 1651 John Looseley jnr is a member of the Jury. John Looseley the elder, Robert Looseley, and another John Looseley are noted as "residents" and are fined 2d each for not appearing.

24.6.1651 View of Frankpledge

the Jury report that John Looseley the younger, Customary tenant, surrendered all his land except the home of John Looseley the elder...That he holds by coppie...Collins, and dyed there. A John Looseley is heir, seisin by the rod. (The heir is the earlier-mentioned John son of John).

dated 21.3.1651 (from the Public Record Office no. PROB 11 222) (See above = John Lowsley , born 24.7.1600,son of Thomas. He bequeaths to his son John, 12 pence. (the boy is 12 years old). To his daughter Joan, the wife of Joseph Dossett, £80, (£20 already given), (Joan is 18 years old). To daughter Ellinor (aged 16) £100. All his goods etc he "gives and loans" to his executors, his brothers in law, Henry and Thomas Costard, "In whom I put great trust and confidence." This, "if he should die before the next Court". He did "dye", whereby a Herriot was due = A mare worth £4.The Costards were to look after the children, John and Ellinor, Joan is the 18 year old wife of Joseph Dossett.

This is my A 10, son of Richard (A1).

"...ffirst I give and bequeath unto Ann and Elizabeth the two daughters of my brother Andrew Looslee twenty pounds apeese....Also I give and bequeath unto my kinsman John Dover ffive pounds of good and lawfull money of England...also I give and bequeath unto my kinsman John Hoare the younger ffive pounds etc...when he shall come to one and twenty years of age, also I give and bequeath unto my kinswoman Elizabeth Hoare sister to the said John Hoare ffiftie shillings..etc Also I give and bequeath unto my brother Andrew Looslee ffortie shillings a yere...for and during the whole terme of the naturall life of the sd Andrew Looslee...etc.. Also.. unto my kinsman John Looslee, the sonn of my brother Andrew all my ffreehold and leasehold houses land orchards closes meadow ground pasture ground and lay ground whatsoever with their and every their appurtenances which I have within the Parish of Princes and Monks Risborough....etc..to have and to hold to him the said John Looslee his heires and Assignees for ever...all the rest to John Looslee my kinsman "sole and whole executor. In witness whereof I the said John Looslee the elder...set my hand and seal."

So this John Looslee the elder had no children. He is my A10

He was the eldest son of Richard of Alscot with the WILL dated 1636 . Andrew is my A5, married to Anne Barlow on 25.1.1618. Their son John was born 7.11.1624. While his Uncle, A10, was alive he was John the younger, but after 1652, when that John died, he was John the elder when compared with the John son of John Looseley of Alscot, who had been born 1639.

pertaining or belonging to the coppiholders of the Manner aforesaid as they have been and are houlden the coppieholders of this Manner are tennents in Ancient Demesne.

First concerning the woods growing upon the coppiehold lands the tennents may ffell cut downe and fell the woods underwoods and tymber trees groewing upon the same lands in their tenures at their wills and pleasures by right of custom.

Also there is a certain Comon wood called the hellwood wherein the tennents have free Comon of Estofors (= any essential supplies which a tenant is legally allowed to make use of.) and Arbidge according to their custom And arbidge in all other Comon Woods or waste within the Manner.

And concerning their houses they may pull down their houses and build and sett upp at their will and pleasure by right of custom.

And for herriotts the tennents being seyzed of a yard land in quantitie or more and living upon the same premisses the second good is due for a herriott; But if the tennent doe not decease and die upon the yard land and if it be under a yard land then the Heriott is rateable according to 15 pence the yard land and if it be under a yard land it is proportionable to the same rate of ffifteene pence the yard land.

And for passing the Coppiehold lande the tennent deceasinge without surrender the premisses the homage is to present the heire But when it is surrendered by the tennent it is to be delivered into the hands of two Customary Tennents according to the Custom of the Manner.

Our ffynes have heretofore beene at two yeres value of the lord rente except the tennent did valuntarily give more And of late time it hath beene more yet onely by the valuntary agrement of the lord and the tennent without inforcinge the tennent against his will.

A freeholder payeth upon or at his comminge in after a death a relieffe which is one yeres quitrent, But at an Alyenacon, no due ariseth to the lord.

At the Courte houlden for the Manner the 20th of April Anno Dm 1653, the Jury whose names are hereunder written presented this as their Custom as it was heretofore holden by tradition. [13 names]

his father dec'd. to a messuage and land. Rent 17s.

15.4.1657 Court Baron. John Loosley and Robert Loosley defaulted, fined 6d each. Item (the Jurors present) that Richard Stratton, William Meade and William Lane are common victuallers and sellers of Ale and beare and since the last Court have refused to sell a quart of the best beere for a penny, therefore they are amerced 3s 4d a peece...

28,4,1658 John Loosley the younger is one of many fined 12 pence for default as a tenant. A William Loosley and a William Loosley jnr are amerced 6d as" residents".

15.4.1657 View of Frankpledge. A John Loosley shoomaker desired to be admitted to 1 acre land in Foxhill...Admitted. ( Foxhill is a Common Field just over the road from Alscot.)

4.4.1659 Robert Loosley chosen Constable for parish. (?B4)

Monarchy restored 1660. After the Commonwealth, Manor-Court business transacted. (John Loosley (A10)'s WILL was Probated then.)

Hearth Tax 1662 PRO E 179. 244/15. This shows the Loosleys also. Robert Lowsley in Lacey Green with 3 hearths,. John Lousley in Pr Ris with 2, William Lowsley in Longwick with 0. In Alscot are John Lowsley jnr with 3 and John Lowsley snr with 2.

But the house of John Lowsley jnr is "EMTY".

John Lowsley , my A15, had married Ann Dorrell in June 1662, and they had...gone to live in Summerleys.

24.8.1653 marriages in church forbidden. (Commonwealth) "only by Justices of the Peace".- therefore 27.9.1653-18.11.1661 no parish entry of marriages. Births, not baptisms, 1654-1658. = Death of Cromwell.

1665. D/138/22/3 Poll Tax for Princes Risborough for this date shows:- Robert Loosely in Speen, John Loosley jnr and John Loosley snr in Alscot. Similarly in 1668. Apparently they had to pay Poll Tax on the land which they "held".

17.4.1667 John Looseley snr (A15) is a member of the Jury.

1.4.1668 Frankpledge, both John Looseley jnr and snr are members of the Jury. The Jurymen report that since the last Court, in 1667, Thomas Bristow, Customary Tenant, surrendered through Henry Hawes and John Looseley snr, two Customary Tenants, 3 acres pasture in Lower Summer Leyes adjacent to the land of John Looseley snr to North and John Towne defunct to South to use of Richard Looseley(A21), son of aforementioned,John Looseley.

Similarly, William Dossett surrenders half an acre in Hayesend field to the use of Richard Looseley.

Richard Looseley requests admission." No fealty. Infant." He was 5 years old... A21.

1669 15M50 1377/20. "John Bowler, Thomas Coker, Thomas Bristow, Henry Hawes, John Looseley snr, John Wade, and James Hill to be overseers of field to see orders executed."

1) 7.1.1673 Johane (=Joan) Dossett of Princes Risborough. WIDOW and relict of Joseph Dossett late of Pr. Ris. butcher,decd.

2) John Lacey of Pr. Ris., escrivenor. Surrenders 2 acres arable in Pr. Ris common fields, viz.one and a half acres in Shard Field alias Shade Field in Buscotts Bottom furlong,1 acre of which adjoins land of George Bowler on E and land of John Loosley the younger on W and half acre adjoins land of Jn Dossett on NE and land of Thomas Bristow on SW and abutts on land of Wm Reading on W. (Because of position of land,? former Loosley land.)

1673 Poll Tax has Robert and Joseph Loosley in Speen and John snr and jnr in Alscot. Thomas Bristow is one of the 4 Assessors. Both the John Loosleys ALSO pay a small Poll Tax in Monks Risborough.

16.10.1674 "The Copyholders in this Manner are tenants in Ancient Demesne." See also note 1653 Customs, above.

March 1680 Ed. Wade Cust. Tenant surrenders by John Looseley and Wm Beddall, 2 Cust Ten.s 2 acres arable Purtwell Field to use of William Dossett, SON OF JOAN, Widow.

Thomas Coker, Cust. Ten. by John Lacey and Wm Coker, 2 Cust. Ten.s, surrenders messuage at Alscot in which Wm Coker lives and - acres arable Crossfield+ + to use of John Coker, son of Thomas Coker. Admitted. - So the Cokers are also still living in Alscot.

is "assigned" a 900 year lease of 4 acres in Dunsmore field in Monks Risborough...abutting on land of Thomas Bristowe on W. and adjoining a furlong shooting upon Brooken end on N. and on Mill Close on S. from Wm Dorrell, late of Ascott, in Monks Risborough, gent. For £60. Through John Lacey of Pr. Ris, gent.

Thomas Adeane was a merchant in London. He had taken over as Lord of the Manor from his aunt Joan Chibnall. He got into debt, however. In 1682, shortly before he died in 1684, he mortgaged the two manors and the Mansion House called Brookehouse to secure £4000.At his death,- George Pelham of Greys Inn was his executor. (See "Tithings of Risborough" page 35). Common Pleas against Adeane for £8000. 15M50/1496... 1508. Transfer of the Mortgage for £5000 and of freehold...to Henry Penton..,1700..High Court of Chancery.

In 1683 Wm Caffall was elected Constable for the Town of Pr. Ris. in place of John Looseley. (1682). Many of the tenants and residents were "defaulting" at the Manor Court.- 74 of them in 1684, including Richard Looseley, son of John Looseley snr., and Robert Losely of Speene.The defaulters were fined from 1d to 4d each.

In 1685, 1686 and 1687 there are long lists of people fined.

15M50/1379, 1687, has William Beddall as Bailiff. This is an Estreat Roll. A long, narrow list of tenants and residents who have already received one notice to appear ...but have defaulted. The list is 12 feet long. "Goods owned by these people can be sold to get the money."

The List of Office Holders of Princes Risborough, and the Overseers Account Book 1682-1788, (both provided by Mr Rex Kidd, of Pr. Ris. who also transcribed the Latin Court Rolls) show that the Copyholders, including the Loosleys, became Overseers of the Poor, Churchwardens, and Constables, (See File "Offices") - so helping to do what was necessary in the Manor.

:who. leaves arable land she had inherited from " her late father John Loosley in Princes and Monks Risborough,to her brother John Loosley of Longwick, in Crossfield middle furlong, above Samuel Blick's , adjoining land of John Loosley of Alscott on N E,and to land of her said father John Loosley on S W. "

From this Will it can be seen that Elizabeth's brother is John son of John. In the Births Marriages and Deaths list for Pr. Ris. there is only one John son of John, and he was baptised on 24.6.1639. I have, up till now, called him from "Family K". Looking up through the Birth's list, I see a birth of a John Lowsley on 27.4.1600."son of Thomas". This is the only John listed who is likely to be the father of their father, John. There is a Thomas Lowsle, son of Richard,born 19.8.1575. (It could not be the Thomas son of Richard born 23.9,1581, (see below), but it is possible that Elizabeth Lowsley, born 11.3.1599, John Lowsley born 27.4.1600, Alice Lowsley born 8.11.1607 and Ellen Looselie born 7.9.1611 could be the children of a Thomas born in 1575 (=above).The Ellen, born 1611 is said to be "daughter of Thomas and Katharin", and I have found a marriage of Thomas Lowsley to Catharine Davison on 16.2.1597. So it looks as if the John Lowsley, above, born 1600, was the son of Thomas Lowsle, born 1575, who was a "son of Richard".

(This is John son of John, referred to above, from what I have called Family K.)

He bequeaths 6 acres Copyhold land to his neice Mary Hewes, widow: - in Cross Field and Sheeplands, in Windmill Field shooting on Acknell Way, and in Longburrough Ash in Crossfield. To kinsman Thomas Dossett the elder, cordwainer, 1 acre 3 roods arable...in Sheeplands, Sheppernhill Field.. To kinsman John Dossett the elder 1 acre Copyhold land arable in Sheppernhill Field and 1 acre arable in Crossfield shooting upon Shortburrough Ash...to Kinsman Samuel Dossett one acre arable Copyhold land in Coppfield. Item I give and bequeath to my kinsman John Dossett son of Edward Dossett..1 acre arable in Pirtwell Field upon Parishes Hill next the land of John Dossett snr. ...He also bequeaths 4 separate lands of arable (= half acres) to other kin, and fifty shillings apiece to the 3 sons and 1 daughter of Paul Curryer and to Mary and B..Bonelle. All the rest..to kinsman John Dossett the elder and Joseph Dossett the younger, butcher. They are also joint executors.

Note that the WILL is said to be of John Loosley THE ELDER. This will be because the one who had previously been called the elder, had died, probably in 1687. (my A 15)

From this WILL we understand that John son of John Loosley had no children. He bequeathed most of his land, which he states he has surrendered to the Use of his WILL, to the Dossett family into which his sister Joan had married...So this means that what I have called the K branch of the Loosley family had come to an end in 1720. When a list of the "Customary Tenants and the yearly value of their estates" was made in 1700, the estate of John Loosley jnr in ALSCOT was valued at £40, the most valuable in the Manor. The land he bequeaths is part of the Alscot Common land, Cross Field, Fox Hill etc. He had inherited it from his father, who had called himself John Looseley the younger of Alscot, holding Collins and a cottage and a messuage.

See above under date 1651.

The cottage had become "emty" in 1662 when John Loosley (A15) and his wife, Anne Dorrell, went to live in Summerleas/Somerleys. The cottage and Collins, Copyhold, later became part of the property of Joseph Goodchild, Yeoman, with a WILL dated 1750.This Joseph is the brother of William Goodchild, whose daughter, Mary, married our Richard Loosley the younger in 1729.A25.

(Another John Loosley married Jane Goodchild, daughter of a William Goodchild of Alscot, at St Mary's, Whitechapel, London on 1.1.1761. The Banns had been called at the Parish Church of Pr. Ris. on 14,21 and 28th of December 1760.)

There was also land held by the Loosleys in Longwick.(see pages 64,65 and *)

The Loosley family living in Speen has been completed from a Robert Lowsley (B1) with his wife, Denise, and with sons William born in 1595, and Robert in 1598, - and to Thomas, John, Robert and Joseph,= Robert (B1)'s grandsons, to +- 1700. We saw that a Robert Lowsley trained as a carpenter. All the above named sons and grandsons became Wheelwrights. They lived in Speen, Lacey Green and Loosley Row.

My great grandfather, James, (A76) was born at Summerleys on 19.10.1811 He was the youngest son of Richard Loosley and Sarah Carpenter. He married Sarah Darvill 26.4.1834. He lived in Alscot from then until 1837, when he moved to Longwick.

Sarah Darvill died in 1839. He married Fanny Parker in 1840..

James's father, Richard (A 46) was also born at Summerleys, in 1766. He voted as "Farmer, Alscot," in 1835 and " Grazier, Longwick," 1839.He died in 1840.

Dated 26.2.1799. Codicil 17.8.1815 Proved 1.8.1816.- "The Bachelor". DAWe 131/35.= my A29. RIN 17 (= PAF number).

I give unto my nephew, William Loosley (A 53), son of my brother Joseph (A33), Copyhold and premisses Princes Risborough. Also unto my nephew William Loosley (A42) son of my brother William Loosley (A30), freehold at Monks Risborough known by the name of Catsden Close (bought from Thomas Smith) and my two acres and 1 yard and 1 rood of Copyhold, Monks Risborough, (from Thomas Stevenson.) Unto my nephew William Loosley, and £80 owing on mortgage and to nephew Joseph (A48) son of brother William, (A30) 5 acres at Tiffnam in Monks Ris., (bought from Thomas Devening), and 3 acres in Brooken Hill field, Monks Risborough. And unto my brother William of Summerleys, the sum of 7/- of lawful money in Gt Britain weekly on the Sunday morning in every week. (A30) ... Rest to brother Joseph of Pr. Ris. shopkeeper and sole executor. (A48) (27, High St.) Signed also by Ann Holland, servant of Testator. Codicil, more land bought....given to Joseph, brother, (A33) or if dead, to William, his son. (A53) Dated 17.8.1815.

Mark of Mary Loosley.(?sister). Ann Holland. Proved 1.8.1816.

Burial 17 July 1816 - Bachelor, Farmer. Summerleys. Aged 83.

Nothing is left to the nephews Richard, (A46) or George (A51). So to the eldest nephews?

Extracts tell how the Alscot Copyhold property, belonging, half to Elizabeth Kezia Bristow and half to Richard Loosley,(A46) with land in Crossfield, was surrendered and sold to John Evans Tarrant, Dean Street, Soho. This was after the Enclosures. The two halves were the "undivided moiety", and, having bought the property, John Evans Tarrant was admitted as Tenant. He had a house built for himself, called The Lodge, Alscot.

DAWe 137/31. Proved 20.May 1829.( My A42). RIN 158.Burial 6.11.1828.

To George Loosley (A55) all that my messuage cottage or tenement together with parcels of land thereunto belonging situate at Summerleys or elsewhere in the parish of Pr. Ris., the aforementioned part being Freehold and part Copyhold, held of the Manor of Pr. Ris. and direct that my dear wife Ann shall have liberty to reside in the said messuage during her life without paying rent.... £20 to Richard (?A62). To James (A60) cottage barn and land at or near Catsclear in Monks Risborough...and £5 a piece unto all and every child of my daughter Rebecca East when 21 years (A59b = Grace). Rest to Ann (A43) then George( A55) and James, executor.(A60)

Burial 6 November 1828. Husbandman. Summerleys, aged 69.

(My A46) (My gt gt grandfather). RIN 11. Died 4.7.1840 Buried Pr Ris. 8.7.1840. WILL proved 12.10.1840. ...(leaves)...my messuages and real estate to my sons James, (A76) Richard, (A69) and William, (A71) as tenants in common and not as joint tenants...and £10 to each of my daughters, Sarah, (A67) the wife of James Jordan, Mary, (A63) the wife of William Parker, and Jane, (A65) the wife of Joseph Fenner...And £100 to my granddaughter Sarah Matilda Loosley (A73a) the daughter of my late son Jabez Loosley (A73) on her attaining 21 years, to her maintenance and education and support, but not to be used if not 21... James, Richard, William share and share alike. Richard, testator, the same having been first in our joint presence... and James and William.

Note:Jabez (A73) died on 19.2.1840. He had married Sally Janes on 23.2.1838. Their daughter Sarah was born in 1839 (A73a) which was the year before her grandfather’s death. This Jabez was my grandfather's uncle. His wife, the above Sally Janes (A74), was one of the witnesses of my great grandparents marriage on 26.4.1834. A Stephen Pauling was the other witness. One of my "Copyhold correspondents" has Stephen Pauling well documented. He married a Jane Rogers on 24.7.1828 in Monks Risborough.-The two Loosley boys, above, Richard (A69) and William (A71), married two Rogers girls Jane (A70) and Ann (A72), Jane married Richard in 1826, William married Ann in 1830. These Rogers girls lived in Place Farm, Monks Risborough, "next door" to Alscot. (There is another Jane Rogers, = my 3X gt grandmother, who married William Loosley (A30) on 25.9.1756.)

In a Valuation Book of 1909/10, plot 1043 has Albert Pauling, The Place Farm, Monks Risborough.

Another coincidence was hearing from Su Floyd, of the Bucks Family History Society. Sally Janes who I had as "Spinster, Walters Ash. Daughter of Martin Janes, Farmer,." was her husband’s 5X great grandfather."

Proved 20.9.1851.(My A71 above.) DIN 109. An uncle of my grandfather.

Virgate: A Virgate of land was usually twenty acres. It was sometimes called a Yard land. There were four Virgates to a Hide, and a hundred Hides to a Hundred. A Virgate was the amount of land reputed to be necessary for a peasant to support himself and his family, ploughing, sowing and reaping in a year. The holder of a Virgate will also have been given two "strips" of land to cultivate, to produce the Food Rent , due to his lord as payment by Custom. A "strip" might be a half to four fifths of an acre.

Heriot = historically, a feudal fee (e.g.weapons, horses) restored to the lord of the manor on the death of a tenant. (Old English, HERE, meaning army, + geatwa = equipment). A Customal of the Princes Risborough Manor dated c. 1700 states:- "Every Coppyhold Tennant which dyes upon a Coppyhold Estate seised of Twenty Acres of Land or more the heire of such Coppyholder shall pay to the Lord for a Herriott the second best Clove foot beast but noe dead goods. Every Coppyhold Tennant that dyes upon a ffreehold estate seized of Twenty Acres or more of Coppyhold Land shall pay to the Lord for a Herriott onely ffifteene pence for every Twenty Acres of Land and after that proportion for a greater or lesser Quantity than Twenty Acres. ....And upon the death of every Freeholder the Lord shall have for a Reliefe One Yeares Quittrent of his freehold lands." By the beginning of the 1500s there was no "food rent" or "service" on the lord's demesne. The land was let to the individual farmers (farmarii) at a money rent, with Fines on admission and a Heriot on death as a Custom. Hergeat = Military equipment

Quitrent = rent paid in lieu of services. These services had originally been the supply of "food rent" to the lord of the manor. Domesday Book tells us that the manor of Risborough had belonged to Edward the Confessor and Harold, and was therefore taken over by William the Conqueror as "ancient demesne of the Crown." "terra regis", the Norman French words being Annciennes demeynes.

Demesne = land belonging to a lord. (pronounced as in French, which became domain.)

Seisin: We saw that Thomas Lowesley was granted seisin, (= the possession of land by freehold). in 1542, "by the rod". Perhaps this has some connection with the Latin word virga = rod, and virgate.

Fealty = a feudal vassal's or tenant's acknowledgement of loyalty and obligation to his lord. A John Looslye, in 1630, "makes fealty and is admitted thence as tenant."

Pannage: (law form) the " feeding of swine upon the Mast in the woods; also money paid for such a liberty."

Relief: A payment made to an overlord on taking possession (C14th).

You will notice that the family name is spelt in many different ways. Also, when a text is in English, it is often written phonetically. However, all the Court Rolls from these early years are in Latin, the words are often abbreviated, difficult to read, and sometimes much faded.

The Boundaries of Monks Risborough Arnold Baines

Early Taxation Returns A.C.Chibnall

Anglo Norman England Marjorie Chibnall

The Royal Demesne in English History B.P.Wolffe

Life in Norman Britain O.G.Tomkeieff

Peace, Print and Protestantism : 1450-1558 C.S.L.Davies

Buckinghamshire Family History Society Magazines

Victorian County History, Buckinghamshire Bournemouth Public Library.

Historic Forests of England Ralph Whitlock

Anglo Saxon England Sir Frank Stenton

The Medieval Foundation Arthur Bryant

The Life and Times of Alfred the Great Douglas Woodruff

Buckinghamshire Landscape Dr Michael Reed

England Before the Norman Conquest David Harrison

Damerham and Martin. A Study in Social History E.H.Lane Poole

The Medieval Scene R.J.Unstead

Doomsday Book to Magna Carta Austin Lane Poole

The Tribal Hidage Cyril Hart

Special thanks for the very capable and kind services provided by staff at the Public Record Office, London, the Ringwood Public Library, the Buckinghamshire Record Society, and the The Buckinghamshire Record Office; And especially, to Mr Rex Kidd, for his help translating Latin manuscripts.

(for further information, contact Elizabeth Davies, see title page)

Updated Jan 3, 1997

The story of the first members of the Loosley family (Princes Risborough) to go to the United States begins with three brothers, Richard (b. 1802, Princes Risborough, d. Beardstown, Illinois), William (b. 1804, d. 1851, Princes Risborough), and James (b. 1811), sons of Richard Loosley (b. 1766, d. 1840, Longwick) and Sarah Carpenter, (b. 1768, d. 1836) of Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire. Richard marries Jane Rogers, and William marries Ann Rogers, two sisters living at Place Farm, Monks Risborough. James remains in England.

William (A71) dies in 1851; Anne then emigrates with her ten children to Philadelphia (see addresses given by son Edwin to his cousin George [son of James], with his gift to him of the book Travels in Canada and the United States 1817-1818 (handwritten note written by George held by Mrs. J. van der Graaf-Loosley). Anne’s two sons Daniel and Edwin become soldiers in the Civil War, on the Union side.

Daniel (b. 1833, d. 1922) was breveted Captain on Sept. 17 1862 for gallantry and meritorious services at the Battle of Antietam during the American Civil War (see Francis B. Heitman's "Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army...", his obituary in the New York Times, Sept 11, 1922, and copies of military and pension records with Elizabeth Davies, Ottawa). He lived in New London, Connecticut, and had three children who died young, as well as one unmarried daughter.

Edwin (b1834, d 1911) kept a journal as well as writing regularly to his wife Anne Hendricks (see obituary from Daily Independent -date? - among clippings held by Edwin Loosley, Ponca City, Oklahoma) during his years in the army (originals at the University of Illinois -Carbondale - Special Collections, Morris Library, donated by his grandchildren, Henry and Ruth; to be published in 1997, and edited by Karen Drickhamer, Curator of Manuscripts). We have no further information on the other siblings. For some reason Edwin never mentions his parents or siblings in any or his writings.

Richard and Jane (A69 and A70) leave England with their twelve children, landing New Orleans on Christmas Day, 1850. There Jane and her two baby twins (Horace Edwin and Arthur William) died in the cholera epidemic. Richard then travelled by steamer up the Mississipi to St. Louis, and settled at a farm in Beardstown, Illinois, with all his remaining children (see article from the Wichita Beacon Sunday Magazine, September 8, 1922, provided by Vern Wesley Lauterbach; and a letter from Fred E. Loosley, to Richard Loosley, Fort Klamath; original held by Louis Loosley, Magalea, California). He marries a second time, and has another son.-

Richard's son Eustace Albert Loosley (b. 1845) died in a railway accident (see letter from Fred E. Loosley to Richard Loosley, Klamath County), and had children Todd, and two daughters. Richard’s son Robert Owen (b. 1843, Princes Risborough, d. 1925, Wichita, Kansas) had a son Albert Owen Loosley, who became a missionary in Shanghai, China, and died there. Albert had two children, Dorothy and Robert Owen II; Richard married again, and had one son with his second wife; (see letter from Fred E. Loosley for details about the family).

Richard's son Henry Loosley (b. 1830, Princes Risborough) is "connected with the old Rockford, Rock Island and St. Louis railroad at Beardstown, and later at Rock Island," (Moline Daily Dispatch, Friday evening, September 8, 1933). Henry and his wife Mary Adelin Breed have seven children, one of which is George M. Loosley (obituary in Moline Daily Dispatch, Friday evening, September 8, 1933). He began working with the same railway company as his father, but upon his father's death in 1903, he moved to Moline, worked first in a bank and then went into business with a Mr. Fisk, setting up a successful merchandising company in Moline, called Fisk and Loosley.

George M. Loosley had three children, Helen (who married Charles Stone, working at John Deere), Fred Edwin Loosley (who kept up correspondence with family and tried to piece together family history), and George M. Loosley Jr., married three times who knew Zeva Loosley Flick, of the Klamath County, Oregon line. (See photos of her at Rock Island, held by Mrs. J .van der Graaf Loosley).

Richard's son Robert Owen Loosley (b. 1843, Princes Risborough, d. Sept. 14, 1925, Wichita, Kansas) also worked for the railroads, being "the oldest member of the Order of Railway Conductors of the world." He began working on the old Wabash Railroad in 1862, and was a conductor on the Santa Fe lines about Wichita for a quarter of a century (see newspaper clippings provided by Vern Wesley Lauterbach).

Trees received from Edwin M. and Lois Loosley, from Stuart Loosley, and from Marti Ballard, have been linked by John Loosley to his tree for Thame, Oxfordshire. Note that Thame is just down the road from Princes Risborough, in the neighbouring county. See Sources for details.

This tree goes back to a John Loosley (b. Feb. 8, 1824) of Oxford, Oxfordshire. He has two brothers, William and Henry; their father is a William Loosley. We have no further information. See page 111.

See documents for 1783, for a Charles and a Robert Loosley, both of New York.

(see article on Loosleys, published in Klamath Historical Society, 1968), and article on George W. Loosley (b. 1856, Fort Klamath) in Gaston, J, The Centennial History of Oregon.