St Leonards, Buckinghamshire

Coordinates: 51°45′19″N 0°41′01″W / 51.7552°N 0.6837°W / 51.7552; -0.6837
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

St Leonards
Chesham and Amersham
Website[1]
List of places
UK
England
Buckinghamshire
51°45′19″N 0°41′01″W / 51.7552°N 0.6837°W / 51.7552; -0.6837

St Leonards is a small village in the

civil parish of Cholesbury-cum-St Leonards
.

Early history

Prehistoric

The earliest evidence of habitation is indicated by a short section of the Chiltern Grim's Ditch linear earthwork, which is believed to have been constructed during the

muster roll
tells us that by 1522 St Leonards was a hamlet of some 30–40 residents.

St Leonard's Church[2]

The early history of the village centres on the foundation of a chapel at St Leonards. A charter of Henry de Crokesley from around 1187 refers to him granting the manor at Dundridge to

Pipe Rolls of 1196. However this has not been verified and the choice of St Leonard might have been because the hermit was instead connected with St Leonard's Hospital in Aylesbury. Blakemere is thought to be a reference to Black Mere, a marshy area and pond that appears in records from that time. (The pond survived until it was filled in around 1923).[3]

It has been determined that most of the current church was built in the 15th century, though a piscina and sedile are of 14th century design and were probably saved from the earlier building. The bell in the

Earl of Plymouth's Regiment of Horse until his death in 1712. His generosity also enabled the chapel to be freed from the control of the Bishop, and Trustees were given autonomy to appoint the incumbent.[4]

Dundridge manor

There is a record of a manor and farm estate at Dundridge (orig. Dunryge) in the 12th century, though possibly on the site of an earlier Saxon settlement.

Sir John Baldwin who was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
. Though believed not related to Sir John Baldwin, Dundridge remained in the control of the Baldwin family until 1768, when the fortunes of the Baldwins waned and the house and manor lands were sold in lots.

Dundridge Manor house is recorded to have fallen into disrepair at the time it was disposed of to the Darvill (Darell) family. During the 19th century it passed through marriage to the Jeffrey family. The Rev. John Jeffrey, rector of Barnes, inherited it. After his death, in 1900, the manor house and part of the estate was sold to Robert Green. The Rodwell family lived there, breeding pheasant, until the

Second World War when forced by the War Agricultural Executive Committee to relinquish the farm estate. It was purchased by the Matthews family, who have occupied it since then.[5] The house was recorded as Grade II listed in 1983.[6]

A Sylvester Baldwin was born at Dundridge manor around 1602. He subsequently became the tenant of Chapel Farm, part of the Dundridge estate. In 1638, with his wife and children, he set sail for New England on the ship Martin. Though Sylvester did not survive the journey, the Baldwin family successfully settled in the newly established New Haven Colony on land adjacent to the present day Milford, Connecticut, from where it spread out across the continent.[4]

Daniel Bacheler

James I, whilst Bacheler had been elevated to Groom of the Privy Chamber, a position of significant trust as confidant to Anne of Denmark.[7]

Development of the settlement

grocers shop, once run by Samuel and Phoebe Gilbert which closed in 1975.[4]

Governance

When

civil parishes were established in 1896 the village was assigned to the parish of Aston Clinton and St Leonards. From 1934 St Leonards has formed part of Cholesbury-cum-St Leonards parish which, in addition to St Leonards comprises Cholesbury, Buckland Common and Hawridge

Notable people

References

  1. ^ a b Buckinghamshire heritage portal, Accessed 13 December 2012
  2. ^ Cholesbury parish website. Accessed 10 October 2013
  3. ^ a b c d Aston Clinton and St Leonards Genuki UK and ireland Genealogy, Accessed 1 March 2012
  4. ^
    ISBN 0-85033-505-1
    .
  5. ^ Aston Clinton', A History of the County of Buckingham British History Online, Accessed: 13 December 2012
  6. ^ Historic England. "Dundridge Manor (1332511)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  7. ISBN 0-948929-40-5
    . p. 39

Further reading

External links

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