Hillocks
From Lacey Green History
Hillocks is a field, originally part of Princes Risborough Common.
1889. Modern transcript of 2 fields at Lacey Green sold by Frances Josephine Irving (the Mortgagee of John Cheshire) to William Saunders of New House Farm, Denner Hill.
In 1889 as £1,300 plus accruing interest was now owing by John Cheshire, F.J.Irving was enabled to sell several plots of land by Power of Sale as mortgagee.These included -
Sold to William Saunders, of New House Farm, Denner Hill, Great Missenden, for £730 two fields -
1. The field of arable land ( This is the site of Walnut Tree House) at Lacey Green, containing 7 acres, 19 poles, bounded on the S by a proposed new roadway (later to become Goodacres Lane); on the north by property of John Cheshire, mortgaged to Frances Josephine Irving: On the South by property of John Cheshire, but recently remortgaged to Mary Ann Buckmaster
2. The arable field at Lacey Green known as the “Hillocks”, formerly part of Kiln Farm, then containing 30 acres 2 roods 14 poles, but a small portion having been sold, it was found to contain 29 acres 1 rood 37 poles. (This is the field straight ahead at the bottom of Goodacres Lane)
Which herein 1st and 2nd described, together with full right and liberty for William Saunders, in along and over the proposed new roadway, 16 feet in width. click William Saunders & Bethia Janes for more about William Saunders.
Note. The two fields described here had once been part of the Common of Princes Risborough where the townsfolk brought their cattle to graze. When the Common was enclosed in 1823 a portion of it was purchased by John Grubb which included these fields. More about John Grubb further down.
1934. Modern transcript of 2 fields at Lacey Green sold by the executors of William Saunders.
5th October 1934. The property of William Saunders of Stocken Farm was sold at auction by his two executors Annie Daisy Smith of ‘Stoneycroft’, Walters Ash, and Fred Floyd of Lacey Green.
Note. William Saunders had married Bethia Janes, the daughter of Henry & Mary Janes, the baker living in Goodacres Lane. click William Saunders & Bethia Janes for their life story.
Annie Daisy Smith, known by ‘Daisy’ was the youngest daughter of William and Bethia Saunders. She was the wife of Ernest Smith. Fred Floyd of Lacey Green was the son-in-law of William and Bethia. He had married their daughter Caroline ‘Carrie’. Carrie died young and their son Peter was brought up by William and Bethia as the youngest child in the family. William left his estate between his children in which Peter, being a grandchild, did not get a share.
5th October 1934. The executors of William Saunders stated that William Saunders of Stocken Farm, Lacey Green had died on 31st December 1933. His will dated 7th September 1931 was proved on 28th February 1934.
This document lists the mortgages taken out by William Saunders.
15 October 1889. Mortgage with John Field Junior, corn dealer, of Ham Farm, West Wycombe for £500, interest 4% per annum. On 6 November 1890. Eleanor Allnutt purchased the mortgage for £500, interest 4% p.a. from John Field Junior. 25 May 1898. William Saunders of Small Dean Farm took out a mortgage with and Charlotte Elizabeth Plaistowe and Harriet Wren Plaistowe, spinsters from Loudwater, High Wycombe, for £800 @ 4% interest p.a. This covered the on-going mortgage of £500 @ 4% interest plus land and property at Amen Corner, Loosley Row, which are not part of this document.
24 February 1921. William Saunders cleared the mortgage of both principal and interest.
5TH October 1934. The Executors sold to George Hawes of Lacey Green for £500, the field containing 2 roods 27 poles, no 272c ordinance map 1921, pink on plan, with the house and outbuildings built on it and known as ‘Hillcrest’, with full rights for all time to use on foot or with carts or carriages over the roadway coloured brown on the plan. click George & Anne Hawes for more about George and Anne.
Note. This field had been bought by William Saunders on 3rd October 1899. In 1911 he bought Stocken Farm. The field then became part of Stocken Farm until it was sold after William died in 1934.
He built the house ‘Hillcrest’ on it supposedly for his retirement, but he died at Stocken Farm. The roadway marked on the plan later became Goodacres Lane. And ‘Hillcrest’ later became called ‘Goodacres’.
William traded in horses keeping them in this field. He also built a barn there. Apparently he caused a lot of bad feeling, gating the roadway when driving the horses to and from Stocken Farm and creating a lot of mud.
The field grew a lot of wild mushrooms. People would gather them and William was known to arrive in his donkey and trap accusing them of trespassing and taking the mushrooms off them.
In 1899 William Saunders also purchased the field called ‘Hillocks’. In 1911 it became part of Stocken Farm.
Note. The early history of these two fields is identical
In 1823 when Princes Risborough Enclosures were made, John Grubb purchased about a third of the Common of Princes Risborough. This stretched from and included the Windmill and Windmill Farm to the land of Kiln Farm. The only other buildings on it were Vine Cottage and Portobello Cottages 1-5
John Grubb went bankrupt. Lord Buckingham and Chandos bought his estate. In 1948 Lord Buckingham and Chandos went bankrupt and his estate was put up for auction.
In 1848 John Cheshire purchased lot 10 at the auction. A capital Smock Tower Windmill, millers house, and 8 acres 0 roods 35 poles of adjoining land occupied by Mr John Steel, on a lease for 11 years from Michaelmas 1838.
John Cheshire also purchased lot 11, the Kiln Farm at Lacey Green, containing 56 acres 1rood,31poles, leased by Mr Charles Webster at the same auction.
The whole area owned by John Cheshire which stretched from Windmill Farm to Kiln Farm was mortgaged.
6 December 1856 John Cheshire took out a mortgage with Arabella Goodall for £900 plus interest.
8 December 1856 John Cheshire took out a mortgage on the same property with William Woods for £200 with interest.
8 November 1858. Arabella Goodall appointed her brother James Joseph Goodall and her friend Thomas Prankerd Phelp to be her executors. Arabella died 18 October 1860.
25 January 1861. Frances Josepine Irving paid £900 to Arabella Goodall’s executors and took over the mortgage.
15 July 1865. Agreement between John Cheshire, William Woods and Frances Josephine Irving. £100 was due to William Woods, all interest being paid. At John Cheshire’s request sold his mortgage to Frances Josephine Irving. A further £900 mortgage was taken out with F J Irving , making altogether £1800 with interest.
18 May 1875 John Cheshire paid Frances J Irving £500 in part payment of the £1800
6 June 1876 John Cheshire by order of Chancery charged his properties for £575 owing to Mary Ann Buckmaster. 13 July 1877 John Cheshire paid to Mary Ann Buckmaster £575 to clear this debt.
3 October 1889. Frances Josephne Irving of West Worthing, Sussex (mortgagee) sold to William Saunders of New House Farm, Denner hill, Bucks as mortgagee, for £730 the field known as ‘Hillocks’, of 7 acres and 19 perches of arable land at Lacey Green, bounded on the northeast by Glebe Land, on the southeast by a preposed new roadway (described later) on the southwest by property formerly of John Cheshire but recently sold in lots by Frances Josephine Irving and on the northwest by property formerly of John Cheshire but recently sold to Mary Ann Buckmaster. This piece of land recently formerly part of a piece of land known as ‘Road Ground’ containing 15 acres one rood 23 perches. And also that piece of arable land commonly known as ‘The Hillock’, formerly part of Kiln Farm, that contained 29 acres 1 rood 37 perches , a small portion having recently been sold off. The Hillock was bounded on the northeast by property owned by Merton College, Oxford, on the southeast partly by property of Mrs Janes, and partly by property recently sold on the southwest by property of Henry Janes and on the northwest by Glebe Land.
The preposed new roadway 16 feet wide, from Lacey Green Main Road gave access to ‘Hillocks’ field on foot and horses cart and carriages.
3rd October 1889. Frances Josephine Irvine also sold The field containing 2 roods 27 perches.