Absentee Landlords

For centuries the Lords of the Manor of Princes Risborough were always absentee landlords, with agents living in Princes Risborough

THE MANOR OF PRINCES RISBOROUGH

The Manor stretched from Ilmer in the west to Speen and Lacey Green in the east.

The Lords of the Manor had always been the Kings 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”.   He had a stud farm in Princes Risborough where his war horses were bred.  He 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 I in 1558. She remained Lord of the Manor till her death in 1603.

1628 SOLD BY KING CHARLES I.

In 1628 King Charles I, conveyed the Manor of Princes Risborough to the City of London to go towards debts incurred by the Crown and in 1637 it was conveyed to the Chibnall family.   Mrs Joane Chibnall, one of the Lords of the Manor of Princes Risborough, set up various charities in the Manor.

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

GREAT CHANGES TOOK PLACE DURING THE 1600’s

BRUSHWOOD COVERED HILLS

It would appear that after the Chibnall family became Lords of the Manor from 1637, 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’

FARMHOUSES BUILT

During the 1600’s, several farmhouses were built, land cleared and dew-ponds made.   The result was that Kiln Farm, Stocken Farm, Speen Farm, Grymsdyke Farm, and Row Farm (Wardrobes Farm), were established.   As all this land belonged to the Lords of the Manor, they must have been involved in all this development. (Ed.   It is research that is on-going.)  

THE PENTON FAMILY

The Pentons of Winchester and Princes Risborough were Lords of the Manor from 1692 to 1766.

THE GRUBB FAMILY

From 1766 the Grubb family were Lords of the Manor until the Enclosures of Princes Risborough in 1823.

THE ENCLOSURES OF PRINCES RISBOROUGH

In the enclosures of 1823 all the Parish Woodland, the Common grazing land and the common arable strip land was put into private ownership.   Land was allotted elsewhere to those losing their rights to these common amenities.

FREEHOLD and COPYHOLD

Some of the land of the parish of Princes Risborough was now freehold. The remaining copyhold premises were still rented from the Lord of the Manor, who at that point of time was John Grubb.    In 1841 he went bankrupt and sold to Lord Buckingham and Chandos.   He too went bankrupt in 1848.   His mortgagees sold his estate in 1849.

Note. The Copyholders had to pay to get their properties enfranchised to become freehold.

Thomas Tindal Esq

3^rd August 1849.   The copyhold premises of the Manor were conveyed to Thomas Tindal Esq.    He took out a mortgage from Charles Brown, John Simpson, Edward Bullock and Thomas Selby Esquires, for £6,500 with interest.

Sir William Foster

21^st January 1853.   The copyhold premises of the Manor were conveyed to Sir William Foster, baronet.

James Cuddon

11^th October 1858   The copyhold premises of the Manor were conveyed to James Cuddon.