Woodlands

Referring to the Parish Woodlands, in which parishioners were allowed to gather fallen wood.

The vast woodlands in Lacey Green and Loosley Row were originally all part of the Manor of Princes Risborough. They were extremely important to the villagers. Right up until into the 20th century, the only fuel for the majority of people was wood. Not only did it keep their damp cottages dry but most heated water and cooked over their fires as few had ovens The parishioners were not permitted to cut timber but were allowed to collect fallen timber from the Parish Woods. After stormy weather it was essential for them to go wooding. Women, children and men if not working would be off to the woods. This was the system for centuries. It began to change after the Enclosures of Princes Risborough in 1823.

The enclosures allotted all the land to people except for the huge amount of Common, on which some people in Princes Risborough had the right to graze their cattle and the parish woodlands. These were sold. John Grubb, the ex Lord of the Manor still had enough money to purchase all the Woodland and part of the Common. (He had been raising money by selling most of the farms that belonged to the Manor)

In 1841 all of John Grubb's estate was put up for auction. The entire lots of the sale including the woods were purchased privately the day before the auction by Lord Buckingham and Chandos. In 1848 he went bankrupt and his estate was put up for auction

1848 Auction Lot 12 Coomb Cottage and a Wood called Smallridge Wood at Loosley Row, 55 acres, 3 roods, 37 perches.in hand and a cottage and several parcels of meadow and garden ground let to Parslow, Turner, Dell and others.

1848 Auction part Lot 13. Kings Wood, Speen Wood and Abbotts Hill Wood, containing 273 acres 2 roods 7 perches

1848 Auction lot 14 Darvills Hill Wood which had been kept in hand (untenanted) containing 21 acres,3 roods & 24 perches and 3 gardens adjoining 1 rood, 28 perches let to Williams, Turner, Dell and others.

Lot 15 Caen Field Wood and Colway Woods, also in hand, containing 22 acres, 1 rood and 14 perches, together with a Pightle and Garden let to John Chilton and widow Jones, containing 1 acre, 1 rood 28 perches.

In the 2nd & 3rd year of the reign of Queen Victoria the Tithes were commuted and had to be registered by the owners. By now the woods had been divided with more owners as follows---

13th Dec 1856 Charles Edward Grey, clerk curate of Perpetual Curacy of Princes Risborough. Glebe Lands of Princes Risborough 79 acres 17 perches, land not woods.

7th Jan 1857 Charles Brown Occupied my me. SMALLRIDGE WOOD 55 acres 3 roods 37 perches

8th Jan 1857 James Stratton and Joseph Loosley, farmers. CAEN FIELD WOOD and DARVILLS HILL WOOD 47 acres

8th Jan 1857 Samuel Dell,farmer, as devisee in trust under the will of John Chilton. Abbotts Wood 70 acres

The schedule following all refer to HIGH WOOD, KINGS WOOD and ABBOTTS WOOD

19th Feb 1859 Humphrey Bull of Aston Clinton, land agent 78 acres 2 roods 10 perches. Occupied by John Wood, Thomas Easton,John Janes, Thomas . .. Ridgley, Jesse Ridgley, James Bowler, Benjamin Lovell, Levi Lacey, William Witney, Jonah Lacey, Charles Wood, James Chilton, Joshua Dell . and John Dormer.

21st Feb 1859 Thomas Janes, flint dealer. Occupied by me 5 acres 3 perches

21st Feb 1859 James Chilton of Monks Risborough, timber dealer Occupied by me 13 acres 3 roods 5 perches.

23rd Feb 1859 James Cuddon of Wimpole St. London, conveyancer. Occupied by me 35 acres 15 perches

28th Feb 1859 George Lacey, bricklayer. Occupied by me 1 acre 3 roods 31 perches

2nd Mar 1859 Thomas Parslow, wheelwright, Occupied by me 8 acres 2 roods 2 perches

2nd Mar 1859 Joseph Sharp, farmer. Occupied by me 32 acres 2 roods 38 perches

2nd Mar 1859 William Turner, of Speen, hurdlemaker Occupied by me 1 acre, 3 roods 14 perches.

2nd Mar 1859 Daniel Turner, hurdlemaker. Occupied by me 1 acre 30 perches

2nd Mar 1859 James Turner, hurdlemaker. Occupied by me 2 acres

3rd Mar 1859 Thomas Roger Parsons, brewer, Occupied by me 68 acres 1 rood 12 perches

7th Mar 1859 Jesse Dell, chair turner. Occupied by me 31 perches

7th Mar 1859 Thomas Janes of Speen, carter. Occupied by me 2 acres 28 perches.

7th Mar 1859 Charles Stephens of Reading. Occupied by me and Thomas Roger Parsons, brewer. 10 acres 1 rood 28 perches

7th Mar 1859 Richard Tilbury, gentleman, Occupied by me. 1 acre 2 roods 14 perches

16th Apr 1859 Ralph Potter Clark of Great Missenden, Occupied by Obediah Lacey 2 acres 25 perches

24th May 1859 Owen & Lawrence William Wethered of Great Marlow, brewers. Occupied by us. 6 acres

3rd June 1859 Charles Stephens of Reading, banker. Occupied by Thomas Roger Parsons 1 acre 2 roods 24 perches