Tetsworth
Encyclopedia
Tetsworth is a village and civil parish about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Thame
in Oxfordshire
.
in 1086 Tetsworth did not exist as a separate manor
. In the 12th century, benefactors gave land in the area to the Cistercian Thame Abbey
and these lands were brought together as an estate under the abbey's control. By about 1225 the abbey held 20 virgate
s of land at Tetsworth, initially called the Grange but from 1365 called a manor. In 1539 Thame Abbey was suppressed under the Dissolution of the Monasteries
and surendered all its properties to the Crown
.
In 1542 the Crown granted the manor of Thame to Robert King, Bishop of Oxford
. In 1547 King leased Thame to Sir John Williams
but the lease was terminated, and in 1558 or 1560 the Diocese sold Tetsworth. By 1589 the Crown held the manor again and was in the process of selling it to Christopher Petty of Tetsworth and his son Charnell. Tetsworth remained in the Petty family until Christopher's great-grandson, also called Christopher, inherited it in 1674. He was described as a man of "unthriftiness, folly, and extravagance" who dissipated his family fortune, sold parts of the estate in 1680 and the whole of the remaining manor to Thomas Phillips of Ickford
in 1683. Thomas's grandson Henry Phillips sold Tetsworth to Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon
in 1756. Montagu Bertie, 5th Earl of Abingdon
sold the manor again in 1810.
of Saint Giles
was originally Saxon
. It was largely rebuilt in the 12th century in the Norman
, with some fine features including the tympanum
over the south door. The chancel
was rebuilt in the 13th century, and in the 15th century new Perpendicular Gothic windows were inserted in the nave
. St. Giles was a prebendal
chapel of the parish of Thame
until 1841, when Tetsworth was made a separate ecclesiastical parish.
The first incumbent of the new parish was Rev. John W. Peers, a member of the Peers family of Chiselhampton
House. In 1846 Peers had a vicarage built and in 1851 he proposed to demolish the parish church and replace it with a new one. The Oxford diocesan architect, G.E. Street
reported that parts of the old church building were "of very considerable merit, and in good preservation", the chancel was "very perfect" and it would be "very inadvisable" to allow their demolition. Samuel Wilberforce
, Bishop of Oxford
also opposed Peers' proposal. Nevertheless Peers demolished the old church, and in 1855 the new one was completed and Bishop Wilberforce consecrated it.
The architect John Billing
designed the new church in the Early English Gothic style. Sherwood and Pevsner
described the new building as "a clumsy design" and the bell-tower as "excessively heavy".
By the end of the 18th century the old church had a ring
of six bells. They were re-hung in the new church, and Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
re-cast them all in 1936.
and parson
as other more "closed" villages. It was therefore more open to population migration and religious and social pluralism. For this reason Tetsworth was nicknamed "Botany Bay
" after the settlement in New South Wales
.
There was a nonconformist
congregation in Tetsworth by the early years of the 19th century and built a chapel in 1823. The chapel seems to have been a mixture of Baptist
, Congregational and Wesleyan
elements. In 1842 it joined the local Congregational Association but five years later it appointed a Baptist pastor and the Congregational Association withdrew its support. Subsequently the chapel had Wesleyan pastors but in 1864 it was readmitted to the local Congregational Association. In 1890 a new chapel was built and the old one became the Sunday School. In the 20th century the congregation dwindled until in 1958 it had only four members.
s in Tetsworth have come and gone over the centuries. The Old Red Lion was in existence by 1838 and is still trading. Tetsworth also has a Sports and Social Club.
In 1847 Rev. John Peers and other subscribers paid for a Church of England school
to be built in the centre of the village. It later became a National School
. In 1938 it was reorganised as a junior school, with secondary pupils attending schools in Thame. It is now a County Primary School.
Thame
Thame is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about southwest of the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury. It derives its toponym from the River Thame which flows past the north side of the town....
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
Manor
At the time of the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086 Tetsworth did not exist as a separate manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
. In the 12th century, benefactors gave land in the area to the Cistercian Thame Abbey
Thame Abbey
Thame Abbey was a Cistercian abbey at Thame in the English county of Oxfordshire.Thame Abbey was founded in 1137 by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln. It was dissolved in 1539. Most of the building stone was removed from the site, but the Abbot's House remained standing and was turned into a country...
and these lands were brought together as an estate under the abbey's control. By about 1225 the abbey held 20 virgate
Virgate
The virgate or yardland was a unit of land area measurement used in medieval England, typically outside the Danelaw, and was held to be the amount of land that a team of two oxen could plough in a single annual season. It was equivalent to a quarter of a hide, so was nominally thirty acres...
s of land at Tetsworth, initially called the Grange but from 1365 called a manor. In 1539 Thame Abbey was suppressed under the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
and surendered all its properties to the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
.
In 1542 the Crown granted the manor of Thame to Robert King, Bishop of Oxford
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
. In 1547 King leased Thame to Sir John Williams
John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame
John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame was Treasurer of the King's Jewels, Lord Chamberlain of England and Lord President of the Council of the Welsh Marches...
but the lease was terminated, and in 1558 or 1560 the Diocese sold Tetsworth. By 1589 the Crown held the manor again and was in the process of selling it to Christopher Petty of Tetsworth and his son Charnell. Tetsworth remained in the Petty family until Christopher's great-grandson, also called Christopher, inherited it in 1674. He was described as a man of "unthriftiness, folly, and extravagance" who dissipated his family fortune, sold parts of the estate in 1680 and the whole of the remaining manor to Thomas Phillips of Ickford
Ickford
Ickford is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is on the boundary with Oxfordshire, about west of the market town of Thame....
in 1683. Thomas's grandson Henry Phillips sold Tetsworth to Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon
Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon
Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon was an English peer and music patron.Bertie was born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, the son of Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon and Anna Maria Collins....
in 1756. Montagu Bertie, 5th Earl of Abingdon
Montagu Bertie, 5th Earl of Abingdon
Montagu Bertie, 5th Earl of Abingdon was an English peer.-Career:He was the third son of Willoughby Bertie, 4th Earl of Abingdon and Anna Maria Collins. As his two elder brothers predeceased their father, on the latter's death on 26 September 1799 he succeeded him as 5th Earl of Abingdon...
sold the manor again in 1810.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Giles
Saint Giles
Saint Giles was a Greek Christian hermit saint from Athens, whose legend is centered in Provence and Septimania. The tomb in the abbey Giles was said to have founded, in St-Gilles-du-Gard, became a place of pilgrimage and a stop on the road that led from Arles to Santiago de Compostela, the...
was originally Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
. It was largely rebuilt in the 12th century in the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
, with some fine features including the tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
over the south door. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was rebuilt in the 13th century, and in the 15th century new Perpendicular Gothic windows were inserted in the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
. St. Giles was a prebendal
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
chapel of the parish of Thame
Thame
Thame is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about southwest of the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury. It derives its toponym from the River Thame which flows past the north side of the town....
until 1841, when Tetsworth was made a separate ecclesiastical parish.
The first incumbent of the new parish was Rev. John W. Peers, a member of the Peers family of Chiselhampton
Chiselhampton
Chiselhampton is a village on the River Thame about southeast of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.-Toponym:"Chisel" is derived from the old English ceosel or cisel meaning "gravel" or "shingle", referring to the river gravel beside the Thame on which some of the village is built. In a document dated...
House. In 1846 Peers had a vicarage built and in 1851 he proposed to demolish the parish church and replace it with a new one. The Oxford diocesan architect, G.E. Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
reported that parts of the old church building were "of very considerable merit, and in good preservation", the chancel was "very perfect" and it would be "very inadvisable" to allow their demolition. Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce
Samuel Wilberforce was an English bishop in the Church of England, third son of William Wilberforce. Known as "Soapy Sam", Wilberforce was one of the greatest public speakers of his time and place...
, Bishop of Oxford
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
also opposed Peers' proposal. Nevertheless Peers demolished the old church, and in 1855 the new one was completed and Bishop Wilberforce consecrated it.
The architect John Billing
John Billing
John Billing, FRIBA was an architect from Reading, Berkshire. His grandfather Richard Billing , father Richard Billing , brothers Richard and Arthur and nephew Arthur Ernest were also architects....
designed the new church in the Early English Gothic style. Sherwood and Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
described the new building as "a clumsy design" and the bell-tower as "excessively heavy".
By the end of the 18th century the old church had a ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of six bells. They were re-hung in the new church, and Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
re-cast them all in 1936.
Chapel
In the 19th century Tetsworth was an "open village" without such strong control from a squireSquire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
and parson
Parson
In the pre-Reformation church, a parson was the priest of an independent parish church, that is, a parish church not under the control of a larger ecclesiastical or monastic organization...
as other more "closed" villages. It was therefore more open to population migration and religious and social pluralism. For this reason Tetsworth was nicknamed "Botany Bay
Botany Bay
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
" after the settlement in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
There was a nonconformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
congregation in Tetsworth by the early years of the 19th century and built a chapel in 1823. The chapel seems to have been a mixture of Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Congregational and Wesleyan
Wesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
elements. In 1842 it joined the local Congregational Association but five years later it appointed a Baptist pastor and the Congregational Association withdrew its support. Subsequently the chapel had Wesleyan pastors but in 1864 it was readmitted to the local Congregational Association. In 1890 a new chapel was built and the old one became the Sunday School. In the 20th century the congregation dwindled until in 1958 it had only four members.
Economic and social history
By 1502 Tetsworth had two inns, The Crown and The Swan. The Swan was built in the 17th century and remodelled in about 1700. It is now a restaurant and antiques centre. Other public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s in Tetsworth have come and gone over the centuries. The Old Red Lion was in existence by 1838 and is still trading. Tetsworth also has a Sports and Social Club.
In 1847 Rev. John Peers and other subscribers paid for a Church of England school
Voluntary controlled school
A voluntary controlled school is a state-funded school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in which a foundation or trust has some formal influence in the running of the school...
to be built in the centre of the village. It later became a National School
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
. In 1938 it was reorganised as a junior school, with secondary pupils attending schools in Thame. It is now a County Primary School.