Stocken Wood

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.

click 1621 Lease of Stocken Farm 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).

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

1577. Stocken 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.

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, demises to Henry Best 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.

1621. TENANT Henry Lacey. On the 13th of August 1621 William Inkett, the Lord of the Manor, let 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 Lord of the Manor, 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’