Hamlet of Coombs
From Lacey Green History
THE HAMLET of COOMBS research by Joan West and Rita Probert
Research by Joan West. The hamlet of Coombes lay tucked on the west end of Smallridge Wood, between the Upper Hamlets of Lacey Green and Loosley Row in the parish of Princes Risborough. It was part of the Manor of Princes Risborough and all the properties were leased out.
PLAN c 1665. see (Hants Record Office. record no. 15M50/1519/1)
This plan clearly shows a cluster of cottages at coombs.
In the Enclosures of Princes Risborough in 1823 all parish commons, arable open fields and woodlands went into private ownership, although the public could still collect fallen wood from parish woodlands.
COOMBS FARMLAND
21st May 1777 ADMITTANCE to the MANOR
On 20th March 1777, at this Court, John Hawes of Chepping Wycombe, gentleman, a copyhold tenant of the Manor did surrendered to the Manor the copyhold farmhouse with arable and pasture land called 'Winters' and Coombs Farm at Lacey Green
Winters and Coombs Farm at Lacey Green, held by the Manor, containing 36 acres to Buckle Hawesof Great Marlow, draper, son of John Hawes. Buckle Hawes is admitted to the Manor as the new copyhold tenant
ABSENT LANDLORDS
Both John and Buckle Hawes would have taken under-tenants for these premises.
MAP PUBLISHED 1817
On a map published in 1817 the field names are given as follows : ---
Enclosure map number 675. 4 fields lying south-west of Coombs cottages, all adjoining, called
Gingers Coombs, 2 acres 3 roods 33 perches
Gingers Coombs, 3 acres 9 roods 23 perches
Gingers Great Coombs, 10 acres 1 rood 30 perches
Gingers Little Coombs, 4 acres 7 roods 43 perches
In 1823 Enclosures the above fields were allotted to Sir William Lawrence Young, copyhold
NOTE
On the 1817 map three other adjoining fields are called Gingers, these run from Smallridge Wood southwards to Lane Farm in Lacey Green, as follows : ---
Gingers Winters Field 8 acres 1 rood
Gingers Winters 8 acres 2 roods 35 perches
Gingers Walders Field
NOTE. 36 acres adds up to the land of Lane Farm plus that near Coombs Cottages. No reference has been found of a farmhouse at Coombs. There was definitely one at Lane Farm, in 1817 not yet named. (Possibly belonging to ‘Ginger’!) All fields bearing the prefix ‘Gingers’ went to Sir William Lawrence Young, copyhold, in the 1823 Enclosures.
1821 CENSUS research by Rita Probert
CENSUS 1821
The 1821 census although only recording the head of each household does at last give the first recorded names and number of occupants (a total of 19) who lived in the hamlet in four properties. All the males were employed in agricultural work with the exception of one other trade in Thomas Randall’s household.
1. William Currell one family 5 males 4 females
2. Thomas Randall two families 3 males 1 female
3. Thomas Fox one family 1 male 2 females
4. Ann Stone. One family 2 males 1 female.
ENCLOSURES of PRINCES RISBOROUGH (numbers are plot numbers on the Enclosures map) research by Joan West.
671 Smallridge Wood. Previously parish woodland. Purchased by John Grubb Esq. freehold, previous owner as Lord of the Manor..
672 Cottage and gardens at Coombs tucked at the far north-west of Smallridge Wood. John Grubb Esq. freehold. Previous owner when Lord of the Manor.
673 Cottage and garden, to the south side of 672, across bridleway XV11. George West the younger,
674 Cottage and garden, to the south side of 673. With larger garden than 672 and 673. William Currall. Copyhold, already the tenant
TWO BANKRUPTCIES
1841 John Grubb of Horsenden, bankrupt. His estate sold to Lord Buckingham and Chandos
1848 Lord Buckingham and Chandos, bankrupt.
SALE 1st June 1848, the estate of Lord Buckingham and Chandos
The following lots had previously belonged to John Grubb.
ONE COTTAGE AT COOMBS
CHARLES BROWN of STOCKEN FARM, PURCHASER
1848. Lot 12. “Coomb Cottage and a wood called Smallridge Wood at Loosley Row. 55 acres, 3 roods, 35 perches” purchased by Charles Brown of Stocken Farm, Lacey Green
1851 CENSUS
Cottage 1.
William Currell 86 agricultural labourer, born Askett
Rhoda Dormer (daughter) 48 lacemaker born Bledlow
Henry Dormer (son-in-law) 50, sawyer, born Askett
Cottage 2.
Daniel Currell 45 ag. lab., born Bradenham
Catherine Currell (wife) 40 lacemaker, born Bradenham
John Currell (son) 19 ag. lab., born Cheltenham
William Currell (son) 17 ag. lab., born Chesham
Daniel Currell (son) 10 scholar, born Chipping Norton
Jabez Currell (son) 8 born Chipping Norton
Sarah Currell (daughter) 5 born Chipping Norton
Richard Currell (son) 2 born Coombs.
Cottage 3.
John Williams 30 ag. lab., born Coombs
Elizabeth Williams (wife) 30 lacemaker born Coombs
Caroline Williams (daughter) 9 born Coombs
Joseph Williams (son) 6 born Coombs
Fanny Williams (daughter) 3 born Thorncombe, Devon
Ellen Williams (daughter) 10 months born Dorton, Bucks.
Cottage 4.
James Gomme 60 born Halton, Jesse Gomme (son) 25 born Hampden
COOMBS THE HAMLET research by Rita Probert
The Hamlet called Coombs consisted of a farm and three or four cottages housing over the years in its heyday an average of twenty men, women and children. By 1911, however the number had drastically reduced to seven residents and signified the eventual decline of the hamlet.
THE SITE
The hill-side (the Grubbin) and beyond towards Lacey Green was once heavily wooded and variously called Smallden, Smallridge or Smalldean Wood and Common. Trees covered the whole area right down to the current boundary hedge with Little Lane, the old Wycombe Road in Loosley Row. Maps of 1811 and 1823 held in the Buckinghamshire Record Office clearly indicate the wooded area and the old Wycombe Road.
CLEARANCE
At some stage all the wooded area was cleared, apart for a small section of mainly beech trees down the far side of the hill which still remain. The tree roots were grubbed out and the area thus acquired the name of “the Grubbin”
1901
In 1901, although four families still lived at Coombs, the total had diminished to 13. Occupations were changing and by that time included a road paver and a millwright. The latter was James Flint, aged 63, from Kent.
1911 only seven people remained in two of the cottages, the census recording that each property had four rooms. The occupants were all members of the Weller family. Benjamin Weller, aged 59, working as a general labourer, 55 year old wife Lucy and their three children – Ruth, 15, Benjamin 13, employed as a farm boy and 11 year old William – all born in Saunderton. Next door were James Weller aged 67, a farm labourer and his 65 year old wife, Ruth – a lace maker.
PROMISED LAND FARM
In 1958 the site of Coombs became part of Prospect/ Promised Land Farm, now owned by the Turner Family.
They cleared the site. Only the remains of one cottage garden was there and they found two tie bars, the sort that would hold two walls together. The rainwater tank had already been filled in.
COOMBS REMEMBERED
Connie Baker, born in 1908, said that it had once been owned or rented by the Tyler family at Collins Farm, Lower Road, Loosley Row. There was Frank, who had taken over from his uncle, Thomas, and Frank’s sister Flo. They let Coombs go to ruin though. Connie remembered playing up there with other children among the ruined cottages, old gardens and orchard. They used to pick plums from there, but were told to stay away from the underground rainwater tank as it was dangerous. During the spring snowdrops and daffodils planted by the former occupants still flowered alongside wild primroses and violets. For many years a particularly large clump of white violets flourished under a holly tree.
| Hamlet of Coombs | |
|---|---|
| Map Source | Upper Hamlets of Princes Risborough |
| Village | Loosley Row |
| Road To | |
| Road To | |