Stocken Wood

click Manor Documents for others

click Woods for other woods

click Farms for other local farms

researched by Joan West

click Stocken Farm for all other records of the farm.

Stocken Wood was part of the Manor of Princes Risborough. It stretched the length of Highwood Bottom on the steep sloping west side. It contained 60 acres.

It is mentioned in leases for an adjoining farm (later called "Stocken Farm") where the tenants are required not to damage the wood.

By 1823 at the time of the Enclosures of Princes Risborough, it was no longer a wood, but pasture which was part of Stocken Farm, divided into several fields, the southern most of which is still called "Stocken Wood" today in 2024.

The Lords of the Manor of Princes Risborough had always been the King or Queen of England long before 1066, when William of Normandy came to the throne.

In 1343 King Edward III gave the Manor to his son, known as “The Black Prince" .   There was a stud farm in Princes Risborough where war horses were bred.  Edward died before his father so never became King.

King Edward VI, before he died in 1553, had given the Manor to his sister Princess Elizabeth, who became Queen Elizabeth in 1558. She remained Lord of the Manor till her death in 1603.

(Every monarch then continued to be the Lord of the Manor until 1628 when Charles I sold the Manor to the City of London to pay off part of his debts. From then on the Lord of the Manor was a person able to buy the whole of the Manor (land from Longwick to Speen and Lacey Green, including all of Princes Risborough.)

May 1558.   A close of wood and pasture called ‘Stocking’ (Stocken Wood)was let to Frances Pigot for his faithful services by Queen Elizabeth

JULY 1558. Stocken was let to Elizabeth Pigot, the widow of Francis Pigot

In 1567, Queen Elizabeth, in order to preserve certain woods, belonging to the Crown, and for £26-3-0d per annum, for 21 years, demised to William Windsor Esq, Stockynes(Stocken Wood), Kingswood and Smallridge Wood, parcel of the Manor, except for all great trees, saplings of oak and 12 staddles in every acre, according to the form of statute of her father Henry VIII.  (A staddle was a young tree). This Exception applied to all leases for centuries to come.

Research Note. This Statute had been instituted by Henry VIII, to ensure timber was available for building war ships.)

1577. Stocken Wood was let to Thomas Cornwallis Esq, one of her ‘Gentlemen Pensioners’.

WOODS RECORDED 1582 Kingswood 139 acres, Smallridge Wood 15 acres and the woods and underwoods of Stocken.

14 July 1584 Queen Elizabeth granted to Robert Sands the lease to all the woods, underwoods and woodland called Stockings for the rent of 74 shillings and eight pence with the exception of trees for timber.

28 January 1594. Queen Elizabeth in recompense of all the sums of money due to Captain David Powell, deceased,.for his services in the wars and at the request of Jane Powell, his widow, let to Henry Best, scrivener, all the woods, underwoods and woodland called Stocking containing 60 acres, (Stocken Wood)

Queen Elizabeth died in 1603.

17 November 1605. King James now the Lord of the Manor, the lease to Henry Best was renewed for 24 shillings and 8 pence per annum for 31 years. click 17 November 1605 S

16 February 1616 - Edward Thomasson purchases the lease for Stockings woods from Sir Jerome Horsey for £300.00. click 1616 Stocken Wood for full indenture dated 16 February 1616.

1628. King Charles I conveyed the Manor of Princes Risborough to the City of London towards debts incurred by the Crown and it was conveyed to the Chibnall family.   Mrs Joan Chibnall, one of the Lords of the Manor set up various charities.

From this time on the Manor passed from one wealthy family to another as straightforward commercial transactions.

It would appear that after the Chibnall family became Lords of the Manor, followed by the Abraham’s then the Adeane’s, many alterations took place in Lacey Green.   Prior to then, the lettings had been for woods and scrubland, which if cleared, quickly reverted to scrub, primarily with hawthorn.   In fact the ‘Old English’ for ‘Risborough’ is ‘Brushwood covered hills’.

9 November 1629 Sir Robert Dormer let Stocken Wood to William Wydmer. click 1629 Stocken Wood for the full document

13 November 1629 Sir Robert Dormer let Stocken Wood to William Wydmer. click 13 November 1629. Stocken Wood for the full document

17 April 1632 William Wydmer let Stocken Wood to Joan Chibnall. click 1632 Stocken Wood for full details

click 1629 Stocken Wood for full Indenture dated 9th November 1629 – Sir Robert Dormer let Stocken Wood to William Wydmer

click 13 November 1629. Stocken Wood for full indenture dated 13 November 1629 - Sir Robert Dormer confirmed lease to William Wydmer.

click 1632 Stocken Wood for full indenture dated 17 April 1632 Sir William Wydmer confirmed lease with Joane Chibnall

Stocken Farm adjoined Stocken Wood for more about this click :-

click 1621 Lease of Stocken Farm for complete document

click 1631 Lease of Stocken Farm for complete document

8 December 1658 Stocken Farm for

1735 Stocken Wood is included in 1735 Stocken Farm Summary of lease to Samuel Wade

click 1683 Stocken Farm Lease for complete document

Stocken Wood was part of the Manor of Princes Risborough. It stretched the length of Highwood Bottom on the steep sloping south side. It contained 60 acres.

It is mentioned in leases for an adjoining farm (later called "Stocken Farm") where the tenants are required not to damage the wood.

By 1823 at the time of the Enclosures of Princes Risborough, it was no longer a wood, but pasture which was part of Stocken Farm, divided into several fields, the eastern most of which is still called "Stocken Wood" today in 2024.

The Lords of the Manor of Princes Risborough had always been the King or Queen of England long before 1066, when William of Normandy came to the throne.

In 1343 King Edward III gave the Manor to his son, known as “The Black Prince" .   There was a stud farm in Princes Risborough where war horses were bred.  Edward died before his father so never became King.

King Edward VI, before he died in 1553, had given the Manor to his sister Princess Elizabeth, who became Queen Elizabeth in 1558. She remained Lord of the Manor till her death in 1603.

May 1558.   A close of wood and pasture called ‘Stocking’ (Stocken Wood)was let to Frances Pigot for his faithful services.

JULY 1558. Stocken was let to Elizabeth Pigot, the widow of Francis Pigot

In 1567, Queen Elizabeth, in order to preserve certain woods, belonging to the Crown, and for £26-3-0d per annum, for 21 years, demised to William Windsor Esq, Stockynes(Stocken Wood), Kingswood and Smallridge Wood, parcel of the Manor, except for all great trees, saplings of oak and 12 staddles in every acre, according to the form of statute of her father Henry VIII.  (A staddle was a young tree). This Exception applied to all leases for centuries to come.

Research Note. This Statute had been instituted by Henry VIII, to ensure timber was available for building war ships.)

1577. Stocken Wood was let to Thomas Cornwallis Esq, one of her ‘Gentlemen Pensioners’.

WOODS RECORDED 1582 Kingswood 139 acres, Smallridge Wood 15 acres and the woods and underwoods of Stocken.

14 July 1584 Queen Elizabeth granted to Robert Sands the lease to all the woods, underwoods and woodland called Stockings for the rent of 74 shillings and eight pence with the exception of trees for timber.

28 January 1594. Queen Elizabeth in recompense of all the sums of money due to Captain David Powell, deceased,.for his services in the wars and at the request of Jane Powell, his widow, let to Henry Best, scrivener, all the woods, underwoods and woodland called Stocking containing 60 acres, (Stocken Wood)

Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, followed by King James I, followed by King Charles I.

In 1605 with King James now the LOrd of the Manor, the lease to Henry Best was renewed for 24 shillings and 8 pence per annum for 31 years.

1621. TENANT Henry Lacey. On the 13th of August 1621 William Inkett, with the lease of the manor, sublet to Henry Lacey the messuage called Stockings,10 acres of land therewith, and 1 acre of meadow in Bedmeade being a lett acre in Princes Risborough, from the feast of St Michael the Archangel last past, for the full term of 36 years. Paying yearly £4 and 5 shillings and one couple of capons '?'. click Manor Documents for the full copy of this document dated 1631 in which the next owner of the Manor lease, Susan Biscot, continued to honour this lease.

1628. In 1628 King Charles I conveyed the Manor of Princes Risborough to the City of London towards debts incurred by the Crown and it was conveyed to the Chibnall family.   Mrs Joan Chibnall, one of the Lords of the Manor set up various charities.

From this time on the Manor passed from one wealthy family to another as straightforward commercial transactions.

It would appear that after the Chibnall family became Lords of the Manor, followed by the Abraham’s then the Adeane’s, many alterations took place in Lacey Green.   Prior to then, the lettings had been for woods and scrubland, which if cleared, quickly reverted to scrub, primarily with hawthorn.   In fact the ‘Old English’ for ‘Risborough’ is ‘Brushwood covered hills’.

9 November 1629 Sir Robert Dormer let Stocken Wood to William Wydmer. click 1629 Stocken Wood for the full document

13 November 1629 Sir Robert Dormer confirmed the lease of Stocken Wood to William Wydmer. click 13 November 1629. Stocken Wood for the full document

17 April 1632 William Wydmer let Stocken Wood to Joan Chibnall. click 1632 Stocken Wood for full details