Farming around Eton Wick - Bob Tarrant's memories

Robert Valentine Tarrant, known as Bob Tarrant, was born at Crown Farm, Eton Wick, on 18 August 1911. His niece Monica has recorded some of his memories of farming life in and around the village.

Tarrant family photo

Bob Tarrant was the youngest child of George and Lillian Tarrant (nee Hobbs) and he had two older brother - George born 1908, and Reginald born 1910. Bob Tarrant went to Eton Wick infant school where he remained until 1918; he then went to Eton Porney school and left in 1926. He used to go out on the milk cart to help deliver milk before going to school which started at 9.00 a.m.

The family moved from Crown Farm in March 1922 to Manor farm. Between the two farms there were 30 milking cows, and ten shire horses, five of which were bred on the farm - they were Nelson, Anne, Captain, Babs, Rodney, Tulip, Dumpling, Violet, Prince and Bob.

Tarrant Family members in the garden of Saddocks Farm house, around 1900.
In those days the winters were very severe with hard frosts, snow and floods. It was often said that the winter of 1894 had been very bad. The Eton Wick Road was often impassable from either snowdrifts or flooding and the road across the Slads was like a weir at times. There was a row of iron posts across the area at that time, although most of them have disappeared. Iron platforms were put over the posts and planks laid on top of them. The top holes had handrails attached and it was a very scary experience to walk across. The last time this bridge was erected was in 1947. Before then it was quite a frequent occurrence for it to flood. When the floods were bad the only way to deliver the milk and other goods to Eton College and Eton High Street was by boat. Sometimes the boat would only just go under the railway arches.

In 1947 the winter was very severe and the river Thames rose very quickly and everyone was taken by surprise. Crown farm was badly affected with water reaching up the fourth stair in the house. Many pigs were drowned and some of the cows were seen floating off down the Thames.

Crown farm, Saddocks Farm and Manor farm were all worked by Bob Tarrant’s grandfather, James Tarrant. James Tarrant started at Crown Farm around 1870, Saddocks Farm in 1894 and Manor Farm in 1902.

There were several smaller farms in the area: Messrs. Nottage and Ashman at Dairy farm (later H Morris), Jack Langridge at Thatch Cottage and H Bunce at Common Farm, HJK Martin then W Bootey at Jersey farm, and A Borrett at Alderney Farm - this farm was named after the breed of cows he kept. Henry Powell fell on hard times and worked for Bob Tarrant’s father George Tarrant. He upheld the Lammas Rights and every year he would take a farm horse around to various areas, staying at each location for about half an hour to keep the rights open.

Crown Farm house

Crown Farm House
There was also an isolation hospital in Eton Wick that could be approached from Bell farm near Saddocks farm, it was mainly used for scarlet fever patients.

Common and Lammas
The land around Eton and Eton Wick was all Lammas grounds, common fields and commons. Householders or cottages with rights were allowed to turn out no more than two head of cattle.

The Rules for the Great and Little Commons
No cattle shall be turned out upon the two commons before 6 o'clock on the evening of May 1st or after August 1st.

Lammas Grounds and Common Fields
The same rules but between August 1st and October 31st each year.

N.B. Bob Tarrant married May Peck. The Peck family had a farm called Marsh Lane Dairies, Marsh Lane near Dorney Reach. This farm was run May’s parents George and Nellie Peck then passed to May’s brother Jack Peck.

This article is from the script of a talk presented at a history group meeting by Monica Peck daughter of Jack Peck. 27/6/2008

World War 2 Eighty Years On - January 1941

The new year opened with a raid on Cardiff by 100 German Bombers on the night of January 2nd, this was followed the next night by a raid on Bristol with 170 aircraft. The following week, January 10th, Portsmouth was Blitzed, and stray bombs fell over Surrey, Berkshire and parts of Buckinghamshire.

Eton College having acquired Manor Farm offered the tenancy to James Kinross Snr., who having been a long-standing tenant farmer of the College with no farmhouse, took possession of the farm. Until then the farm base had been a double Dutch Red barn on the Slough - Eton Road. This barn was also known as the ‘Tramps Hotel’ and had the stabling for all the farm motive power, which at that time was twelve horses. The enclosed part of the barn was commandeered by a Government Department for the storage of supplies which at various times included such items as onions and confectionery, which was not a good idea given the rodent population. Military stores consisted of such things as Air Force blue shirts and foot powder, a medicated talc for feet, soldiers for the use of!!.

Clothes rationing made the shirts a desirable item on the Black Market and a temptation to thieves. One night, shortly after the end of the war in Europe, using a lorry, thieves smashed through the barn doors and made off with a quantity of shirts. The shirts, all one size, bore the size mark 22. German P.O.W.'s arriving for work the following morning at Manor farm espied the shirts lying around and proceeded to kit themselves out. Although Manor Farm must be over a mile from one end to the other, the news that Police CID and Military SIB had arrived at the scene of the crime spread like a forest fire. The P.O.W.'s aware of the consequences if caught in possession of stolen property, immediately set about disposing of their loot putting shirts down the toilet, into buckets and in any other suitable place. One German prisoner working out in the field had no alternative but to bury his shirt and carry on working stripped to the waist on a very chilly day. When questioned by the investigating officers, everyone swore that Willie never wore a shirt or coat when working.

The fate of the Dutch barn was sealed in 1958 when it was sold to the Slough scrap merchant W.N. Thomas, demolition being in the capable hands of Andy Skeels of the Wick.

Having learnt to drive one of the new-fangled Fordson tractors, James Kinross Jnr. set about ploughing up the hallowed turf of Agars Plough, Eton. Other recreational areas were ploughed and prepared for cereals including the recreation ground at Eton Wick. By September 1943 the Bucks War Agriculture Executive had designated many acres of grass land around the district including 150 acres of the Dorney common for cereal and vegetable cultivation.

Doris Bentley, Barbara Trimmings and Margaret McIntosh, to name three capable members of the Womens Land Army, worked at Manor Farm and Barbara became very skilled at driving the Fordson tractor. On cold mornings the tractor could be difficult to start, the engine needing to be cranked overusing a starting handle; this operation require a certain amount of strength and knack, both of which Barbara had acquired. Petrol used for starting was contained in a small section of the fuel tank, the larger section containing the vaporising oil on which the engine ran when suitably warmed up. Once her precaution of covering the engine with sacking against frost and damp almost ended in disaster; a leak having  developed in the petrol section of the tank dripped onto the sacking during the night. When endeavouring to start the beast the sacking ignited, and a jet of flame shot up; those around beating a hasty retreat whilst Barbara coolly extinguished the fire.

Harvest time.

Many P.O.W,s were sent to work on local farms and were available on a daily basis from the prisoner of war camp at Maidenhead, being generally allocated at the farmers request in gangs of eight. Max Schattke, a German prisoner of war came to the Manor farm during the summer of 1946.  He was an aerial photographer in the Luftwaffe who had been shot down over Caen in 1945 and captured by the Americans. Having been in captivity for some time on the continent Max arrived in England in late January 1946, going into the large POW camp at Reading; from whence he transferred to the camp at Ascot commencing work at Manor farm. Upon being discharged from his POW status in January 1948 he voluntarily stayed and worked on the farm for another year as a free man. During his stay Max was encouraged to converse in English with help from Mrs Kinross Senior and after having spent some time exploring England Max returned to Germany in 1951.

 “My daughter and I visited Mr and Mrs Kinross at Manor Farm in 1998 and have  memories of Doris Bentley who left in late 1945 to marry a Canadian Police Officer, Barbara who left the farm in 1946, and Margaret McIntosh who married Peter French”.

(Max Schattke)

For the first weeks of January there was no enemy activity in the sky over Slough - Windsor to disturb local residents but the Cities of Cardiff, Bristol and Portsmouth suffered from attacks by the Luftwaffe. This respite did not last, for on the morning of February 3rd., a dismal morning with snow falling, a German aircraft dropped bombs on Upton and Ditton Park, Slough. The sound of machine gun fire sent Eton Wick village school children to seek shelter under their desks and although the. damage was slight but the blast from the exploding bombs caused two panes of glass to crack at the school.

This is an extract from Round and About Eton Wick: 1939 - 1945. The book was researched, written and published in 2001 by John Denham. 

A list of Prisoner of War camps in the UK can be found on the WW2 P.O.W. Camps in the UK website.

Manor Farm

Manor Farm

The photograph shows the Farm House, the origins of which date to the 1700s. John Penn is on record as having bought the Manor in 1793. The photograph below shows the entrance to the farm yard from Common Road. Both were taken around the 1960s. The area of the pond in the photograph is on Saddocks Farm land; it extended under the fence to the Manor Farm side from where there was a shallow ditch running from Little Common Farm. The pond was a popular skating venue for villagers before it was infilled in the 1960s. In the 20th century, the farm has been occupied by Urquarts, Tarrants and Kinrosses.

The Inventory of Manor Farm on change of tenancy from
William Stuart (for the Crown) to James Tarrant,
dated 19th December 1905. 

Horse Sculpture 1997. 

This life size sculpture by Fidel Garcia, was made at Manor Farm and erected in South Field between the Eton Wick Road and the river (along the tree line), where it stood for some weeks before succumbing to the weather, etc. It made an interesting relief to the otherwise featureless area of South Field. 

This article was first published in A Pictorial History of Eton Wick & Eton.

Wartime adventures at Manor Farm

 Commandeered by the Government, pilfered by black marketeers,
raided by military police who were
outwitted by the P.O.W.s
- there was lots going on at
Manor Farm during the war! 

Eton College acquired Manor Farm Eton Wick during 1940 and offered the tenancy to Mr James Kinross Snr., who having been a long standing tenant farmer of the College but with no farmhouse, took possession of the farm.

Until then his farm base had been a double Dutch Red barn on the Slough - Eton road. This barn was also known as the 'Tramps Hotel' having the stabling for all the farm motive power, which at that time was twelve horses. The enclosed part of the barn was commandeered by a Government Department for the storage of supplies which at various times included such items as onions and confectionery, which was not a good idea given the rodent population. Military stores consisted of such things as Air Force blue shirts and foot powder (a medicated talc for feet, soldiers for the use of !!).

Clothes rationing made the shirts a desirable item on the Black Market and a temptation to thieves. One night, shortly after the end of the war in Europe, using a lorry, thieves smashed through the barn doors and made off with a quantity of shirts. The shirts, all one size, bore the size mark 22. German P.O.W,s arriving for work the following morning at Manor Farm espied the shirts lying around and proceeded to kit themselves out.

Although Manor Farm must be over a mile from one end to the other, the news that Police, CID, and Military SIB had arrived at the scene of the crime spread like a forest fire. The P.O.W's aware of the consequences if caught in possession of stolen property, immediately set about disposing of their loot putting shirts down the toilet, into buckets and in any other suitable place. 

One German prisoner working out in the field had no alternative, but to bury his shirt and carry on working stripped to the waist on a very chilly day. When questioned by the investigating officers, every one swore that Willie never wore a shirt or coat when working. Was he a tough Willie or a wily Willie who fooled the Military SIB?

The fate of the Dutch barn was sealed in 1958 when it was sold to the Slough scrap merchant W.N.Thomas, demolition being in the capable hands of Andy Skeels of the Wick.

MR CYRIL TARRANT - Farming and other memories

James Tarrant became the tenant of Saddocks Farm in 1894, the year of the big flood, and Manor Farm in 1906. In those days Manor Farm was owned by William Dugdale Stuart, the Lord of the Manor. His affairs were managed by his agents, Watney & Sons, a London firm and Saddocks was owned by the Crown.

A flock of sheep were kept up to about the early 1920's - hurdle sheep, that are kept in pens by wooden hurdles and given a fresh pen every day over roots grown especially for them. The ground would be ploughed up as soon as one strip had been fed off by the sheep and pressed by a three-wheeled press, then sown by hand.

During the First War the Army would purchase hayricks compulsorily. They appeared to have some sort of a baler as they had a rick at Manor Farm which they baled or pressed into trusses. Bob Blake, whose parents lived in Hope Cottage, lived in a caravan at Manor Farm later on in the War and for a while afterwards. George Prior, known as 'Tichy', lived in the cottage with his family up to the time when the South View houses were built, he was the first tenant in one of those.

In those days the Common was not fenced, the roads leading off the Common had to be gated and there was a large number of horses besides cattle on it then, and often the horses decided to change from one Common to the other. When they came along the road and into the lane to the Little Common at the gallop on a dark evening, one had to get out of the way a bit sharp. It was dark as there was no street lighting anywhere around then.

Long Close, where the Motor Museum is now at the bottom of Little Common, was occupied by Edward Quarterman and his wife as a pig farm, up to sometime before the Second World War They were quite old, and it was very isolated, no road, no 'phone, no electricity or gas, in fact there is no gas even now.

Also on Little Common in the old days, there were three cottages; the tenants were the Hester's, Pither's and Wilcox families. They must have been very old cottages when they were pulled down and the tiles removed, they had been thatched previously.

All the ponds have been filled in now; they provided excellent Winter sport in the old days. There was also a large one outside Manor Farm which spread into Saddocks Meadow, and one in Saddocks Yard.

These ponds attracted quite a few youngsters, and older ones from the village, when frozen over and a lot of fun was enjoyed in the way of slides, skating and ice hockey with a tin can for a ball, which was not very pleasant when someone got hit on the side of the ear with a can.

There was the game of 'dicky-night - show your light' in one of the meadows on dark evenings.

On the Common there was usually football going on, with coats for goal posts; lots of players had hobnail boots which were very harsh on the shins. No vandalism in those days to speak of - a bit of mischief "yes". Then there was Major Morrel and his team who spent their Sunday mornings ratting with their ferrets which went a long way to keeping the rat population down. Pigeon shoots on Boxing Day were held for some time after the First War (with live birds not clay) but died out, rabbiting taking its place for a while.

Eton Wick Cricket Club started up again just after the First War, having been played on the Common before the War. This time they played in Saddocks meadow, their secretary being Mr Percy, senior.

A familiar sight between the Wars on the Slough & Windsor Railway was the Chalvey Matchbox driven by Bill Percy for quite a time until he was driving in and out of Paddington. The line was quite busy in those days, having through trains from Paddington to Windsor and Special Day trips from further afield; the line runs through North Field on its eastern side.

Another article  about Cyril Tarrant can be see here....

Why Eton Wick still has its commons.

The struggle to keep the common land.

"May Eton flourish free and ever protect her rights"

is the message on the banner.

Throughout the centuries there has been a constant struggle to preserve the common land from enclosure by private landowners.

Hardship and poverty in the 18th Century meant that the rights of pasturage and the right to subsistence farm the land were crucial to the village householder and his family. Improved farming scientific knowledge giving better returns from farming made enclosure of the common land in the 17th and 18th centuries an attraction to the rich and powerful in Society. The village householders kept an ever watchful eye for any encroachment on the small land holding around their farmstead or home.

In 1605 a complaint was brought against Henry Bell of Bell Farm for enclosing several pieces of the King’s waste including some pieces of Lammas Land. He also built eight cottages that did not go well with the parishioners. They claimed that the buildings took away privileges and benefits of the common. It appears that Bell got away with his transgression.

Several wooded areas within the village, especially around Saddocks Farm, were of fully grown trees and coppice but the use of timber seems to have been controlled by the crown as a later tenant of Saddocks Farm was given the right to take timber for the repair of farm carts and buildings. There is evidence of an elm tree being supplied from Eton Wick for the refurbishment of Eton church tower.

John Penn's plans for enclosure

In the closing years of the eighteenth century the Crown Commissioners overseeing the enclosure of land showed interest in the enclosure of Eton's Common and Lammas lands. This land was estimated to cover three quarters of the parish but the Commissioners took no action until John Penn, Lord of the Manor of Stoke Poges bought the Manor of Eton in 1793, and started planning to enclose the land surrounding the Manor Farm House.

The Manor Farm House, whose origins date to the 1700s, was just a cottage without garden or farmyard as late as 1778. Yet by the end of that century there was a farmyard and by the early 19th century the necessary exchanges had been made so that part of the North Field had become the in-land of Manor Farm. Almost certainly all this resulted from the enterprise of John Penn, Lord of the Manor. He then set about furthering his plans for enclosure of the surrounding land, but plans do not always come to fruition as John Penn in his quest for enclosed acreage found out.

John Penn had already succeeded, against heavy opposition, in enclosing Stoke Common where he then denied many poor families their customary right to gather wood for fuel from the Common; this provoked more resentment against him. Bearing this in mind and wishing to calm the situation Penn sought a compromise, in his planned bill to Parliament for enclosure at Eton, and he specifically excluded the Eton Great Common from his proposed Bill.

However, the Bill was presented to Parliament without any consultation with the Crown Commissioners or allowing them an opportunity to appoint their own Enclosure Surveyor. The Crown Commissioners, when viewing Penn’s proposal, realized that problems would arise because the strips of land attached to Saddocks and Manor farms were so intermixed and the Crown Farmhouse (Saddocks) and Penn’s Farmhouse (Manor Farm) were in such close proximity to each other that it would pose a difficulty. As Officers of the Crown belatedly became aware of Penn's plans they realized it was too late to do anything except oppose the Bill.

The Enclosure issue did not only draw battle lines between landowners; townsfolk and villagers also took up the fight as they became worried about losing their rights of pasturage. No doubt, after much debate, argument and defamation of Penn’s character by the local citizens they eventually took the only course open to them - they presented a petition to Parliament protesting that the Bill would diminish the livelihood of the inhabitants by depriving them the use of the lammas lands, thereby increasing the burden on the Poor Rate. Over 180 people signed the petition or made their mark if they could not write , and among them were Joseph and Phillip Tarrant, John Atkins, Thomas Goddard and others from Eton Wick.

Other parishes had presented petitions, often in vain, as Parliament was made up of powerful land owning families together with the new industrial magnates and Ecclesiastical gentry who tended to think in terms of protecting their own interests. As tithe-owners and the main tenant of the Crown, the Provost and Fellows of Eton College had shown interest in John Penn’s proposed Bill. As many old Etonians were Members of Parliament there is the possibility that College had some influence in managing the vote and supporting the Crown in opposing the Bill. This will have to remain as speculation: the theory cannot be proven as the records were lost when the Houses of Parliament were burnt down.

The parishioners' opposition to Penn’s plan for enclosure led to a standoff that lasted until the Bill was defeated on 1st May, 1826. With much rejoicing the town and village celebrated with bonfires and feasting, no doubt helped along with the beer and home made wines of the day.

A blue silk banner emblazoned with the words 'May Eton flourish free and ever protect her rights' was paraded triumphantly through Eton proclaiming the feelings of farmer and cottager (see picture at the top of the page). No other Bill for the enclosure of Eton was ever presented to Parliament.

The fight against enclosure continues

The people of the parish continued to be vigilant in preserving their rights, even to the extent of taking a man to court around the year 1840 for building two houses on part of South Field near the village. It was his own land: yet when the case was tried at Aylesbury he was ordered to pull them down because they were built on Lammas land. When in the middle of the nineteenth century the Crown once more became interested in enclosure, the College opposed to it and the Penn estates were 'in circumstances that rendered it difficult’.

Some 76 years later, in 1902, the Crown negotiated with the Lord of the Manor to overcome the inconvenience of the scattered strips and holdings. Lammas and pasturage were also exchanged, but the rights were untouched. As late as the 1920s some householders were still exercising their rights to graze a horse or cow on the common or on other peoples fields from August 1st to October 31st.

World War 2 - POW's worked on the farms of Eton Wick

Eton College acquired Manor Farm Eton Wick during 1940 and offered the tenancy to  Mr James Kinross Snr., who having  been a long standing tenant farmer of the College but with no farmhouse, took possession of the farm. Until then his farm base had been a double Dutch Red barn on the Slough - Eton road.  This barn was also known as the ‘Tramps Hotel’ having the stabling for all the farm motive power, which at that time was twelve horses.  The enclosed part of the barn was commandeered by a Government  Department for the storage of supplies which at various times included such items as  onions and confectionery, which was not a good idea given the rodent population.  Military stores consisted of such things as Air Force blue shirts and foot powder,( a medicated talc for feet, soldiers for the use of !!). 

Clothes rationing made the shirts a desirable item on the Black Market and a temptation to thieves.  One night, shortly after the end of the war in Europe, using a lorry, thieves smashed through the barn doors and made off with a quantity of shirts. The shirts, all one size, bore the size mark 22. German P.O.W's arriving for work the following morning at Manor farm espied the shirts lying around and proceeded to kit themselves out.  Although Manor Farm must be over a mile from one end to the other, the news that Police, CID, and Military SIB had arrived at the scene of the crime spread like a forest fire.  The P.O.W's aware of the consequences if caught in possession of stolen property, immediately set about disposing of their loot putting shirts down the toilet, into buckets and in any other suitable place.  One German prisoner working out in the field had no alternative but to bury his shirt and carry on working stripped to the waist on a very chilly day.  When questioned by the investigating officers, every one swore that Willie never wore a shirt or coat when working. Was he a tough Willie or a wily Willie  who fooled the  Military SIB?

The fate of the Dutch barn was sealed in 1958 when it was sold to the Slough scrap merchant W.N.Thomas, demolition being in the capable hands of Andy Skeels of the Wick. 

This is an extract from Round and About Eton Wick: 1939 - 1945. The book was researched, written and published in 2001 by John Denham. 

Extracts from the Court Rolls for the Three Manors

The extracts quoted below were taken from Court Rolls of all three manors and show the great variety of concerns of the courts.

Eton Manor, Moleyn's Fee

View of Frankpledge with Court held there on 29th April 1432

'The tithingmen there, viz., JohnChalone and John Fremie, being sworn came and present that . . . John Hunte had a dungheap placed on the king's way opposite his tenement which is a nuisance to passers-by, so he is in mercy (and fined) 3d. And he is ordered to remove it before the next court upon pain of 40d. '

Here follows the Court Baron.

'The homage being sworn came and presents that... Richard Smyth still permits his gutter to be in ruin to the injury of all his neighbours, so he is in mercy (and fined). And he so ordered to have it well and sufficiently repaired before Michaelmas next upon pain of 40d. '

Eton Manor, Church Fee

(formerly held by Oliver Bordeux)

'Thomas Jourdeley, Hugh Dyere, William Heyward, John Dyere and Thomas Peet being sworn present that Richard Lane who is constable of the town there and at ie Wyke makes default   because he has not come to do his office as he used at the Sheriff's hundred before the gracious gift of this demesne to the College by the King, he is In mercy (and fined) 6d.'

7th January 1452.

Item they present that ... John Wight is a common player of dice and at cards, continually staying up at night, to the injury of his neighbours and  contrary to the statutes (of the Realm), so he Is in mercy (and fined) 6d. '

15th April 1542

‘Item they present that ... Margaret Wyngham is a common scold and disturber of the king's peace, so she is in mercy (and fined) 2d. And furthermore, the same is ordered hence forth not to be a scold on pain of castigation (probably whipping) as ordered in the published statutes

Eton Manor, Church Fee View of Frankpledge with Court, 19th May 1461

'John Clerc constable and beer taster there being sworn presents that... Thomas Jourdeley sold meat at excessive price so he Is in mercy (and fined)'.

Eton, subsidary of Cippenham Manor,

View of Frankpledge with Court Baron of Lord Huntingdon, 4th July 1562

'(The Jury) upon their oath say that the Dean and Canons of the free chapel of the Queen beneath the Castle of Windsor, the Provost and College of the Blessed Mary of Eton, Edmund Windsor  Esquire, John Woodwerde, gentleman hold of the same manor and owe suit of court to this court and with hold suit of court, therefore everyone of them (is In amercement (and fined) 4d.

Manor of Colenorton

A terrier of the lands of John Crawford, Lord of the Manor delivered at the Court Baron, 25th October 1668.

'Eight acres upon Sandells butting upon Broken Furlong on the north and Mill Piece on the south.

Three acres lying by Stonebridge Field butting upon Chalvey Mead on the north and eight acres belonging to Stockdales on the south.

.. . (and also a manor house and thirty two other pieces of land) . . .

  Half acre where the house stands at Eton Wick.

Manor of Eton cum Stockdales

At the Court Leet and Court Baron of Leonard Wessel Esquire, 8th April 1700

'The orders following were taken and established as well by the said Lord as also by the consent, agreement and determination of the Freeholders and Tenants of the said Manor with the advice of the Steward declaring the certain stint and   number of sheep and other cattle that may be kept on the Lammas and Commons within the said Lordship of Manor aforesaid as followeth:

It is ordered that no farmer Freeholder or Tenant shall keep but after the rate of one beast for every five acres of land . . . that no townsman or cottager for and in respect of his house shall have faring or common for more than one beast . . .

... that Henry Moody or those who shall occupy his farm (Dairy Farm) shall maintain the Gate against his house leading into South Field.

Manor of Eton cum Stockdales and Colenorton 

View of Frankpledge with the General Court Baron of William Stuart, 6th March, 1871

'The Jurors present Mr George Lillywhite (of Manor Farm) to be Bailiff of the said Manor . . . they present William Groves (of Eton) to be continued in the office of Hayward.

It is presented and ordered also - that no hogs or pigs be turned into the corn fields until all the harvest shall be got in, under penalty of two  shillings per head to the ord of the manor . ..'

Manor of Eton cum Stockdales with Colenorton View of Frankpledge with General Court Baron, 1893

'Jurors present and order that Thomas Barnes of the 'College Arms' had deposited a large quantity of rubbish upon a meadow near Rail Pond, and the same is an encroachment on the lammas lands within this Manor and that the same   Thomas Barnes be ordered to remove the same within two months . ..'

Occasionally the records reveal the basic facts of incidents which must have provided excitement in the lives of the villagers. Perhaps one of the most colourful concerned Prince Richard of Cornwall, crusader, statesman, and the only Englishman to become King of Germany. He had been granted the manor of Cippenham and part of that of Eton by Duncan Lascelles; his manor house and park were just north of the parish. The moat, which lay within the park, can still be seen by Wood Lane. Here he spent a very happy honeymoon with his first wife, Isabella. However, there were troubled times ahead.

Even though Magna Carta had been signed by King John, there was still dissent between the barons and the king and, during the Barons' War, Prince Richard was captured. During his imprisonment he vowed that if he regained his freedom he would found an abbey. Two years later he fulfilled his promise: in April 1266 a   colourful procession made its way from the Cippenham Manor house to newly built Burnham Abbey for the signing of the charter. Land and privileges were given to the Abbey including part of South Field and possibly also the mill at Cuckoo Weir. In spite of its splendid beginnings it was not a rich house and as landlord it almost certainly exacted all and any dues and rents owing. A rental drawn up in Edward Ill's reign shows clearly that the Abbey held land at Eton Wick. One can only wonder if its school and hospital ever benefited the people of the village.

This is an extract from The Story of a Village: Eton Wick 1217 to 1977 by Judith Hunter.

This is the final part of the serialisation of The Story of a Village - Eton Wick - 1217 - 1977. The Eton Wick History Group is most grateful for the kind permission of Judith Hunter's husband to publish her book on its website.

Development of Eton Wick

Map of 1797
copied from The Story of a Village: Eton Wick 1217 - 1977

From its origins as a farming area of the Manor of Eton the earliest dwellings were built on the highest land north of the Great Eton Common. From the 14^th century to the 18^th century the six farmhouses continued that development. The 1797 map indicates houses on the southern side of Common Lane including the Three Horseshoes.

The first half of the 19^th century brought further house building including the Parsonage, Bell Farm Cottages, Harding Cottages and Prospect Place. Most of these were rented to working class tenants. As the century progressed more houses were built some on the gardens of the cottages facing the Great Common. These included Hope Cottages, Palmers Place and others. 

The largest development began in 1880’s on some of the land of Bell Farm where Boveney Newtown grew with Alma, Inkerman and Northfield roads, and Moores Lane. The development was beyond the western edge of the Parish of Eton which at that time was Bell Lane. As recorded in the 1881 census when there were there household it grew and grew. By 1911 there were 125 households, two more than Eton Wick.

 

Ordnance Survey Map 1899 courtesy of National Library of Scotland

By 1899 there were two distinct communities with the land south of Alma Road and west of the Eton Parish mostly undeveloped. A few houses were on the south side of the Eton Wick Road including the Shepherds Hut and Victoria Road was outlined. The 1925 map shows further development south of Alma Road.

 

Ordnance Survey Map 1925 courtesy of National Library of Scotland

Ordnance Survey Map 1932 courtesy of National Library of Scotland

The inter war years saw some development south of Alma Road including a few houses in  Tilstone Avenue and Close.

Map showing rights under the Commons Registration Act of 1965 
copied from The Story of a Village: Eton Wick 1217 - 1977

This map indicates that there were six registered Commoners under the 1965 Act. These included Crown Farm, Dairy Farm, Little Common Farm, Manor Farm and Saddocks Farm.

Ordnance Survey Map 1968 courtesy of National Library of Scotland

The 1968 map reveal the limits of the village development with Haywards Mead, Princes Close, Queens Road and Cornwall Close filling the remaining available land on the south side of the Eton Wick Road. The final major development in the village was on the wheatbutts in the 1970's.

 

Ordnance Survey Map 2023 courtesy of National Library of Scotland

The latest OS map of 2023 show how the village development has been restrained by the Lammas Land and Commons. The number of households was also limited by the single road that restricts potential for evacuation in the case of flooding. The experience of the Thames floods of 2014 showed that the Jubilee River did protect the village. There has been more house building allowed including particularly in Princes Close, Queens Road and Victoria Road.

Enclosure Map courtesy of the Berkshire Records Office.

Both Slough to the north and Windsor to the south have both grown as enclosure acts were passed for the Manor of Upton cum Chalvey, 1819 and the Manor of Windsor Forest, 1817. If the 1826 Bill to enclose the Manor of Eton cum Stockdale and Colenorton had not been rejected Eton Wick would probably have become part of Slough.

Tough Assignment - Annie Moore - her early life

2021 will see the the 135th anniversary of the opening of the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Alma Road in what was then Boveney Newtown. In 1986, the Chapel's centenary year local historian, Dr Judith Hunter publish A History of the Eton Wick Methodist Chapel, it was sold for £1.95 per copy.

Annie Moore - her early life

Annie and Emma Moore 

One Sunday afternoon in 1863 two small girls in Rotherhithe became so curious to know what there was to interest the many children attending the Sunday School in Union Street that they followed them into the chapel. A small event, perhaps, but one which was eventually to have far reaching results in Eton Wick. The elder of the two girls was Frances Annie Moore then only ten years old, the daughter of John Moore, a mast and oar maker. Her parents were not Methodists, but they allowed their daughters to be enrolled in the Union Street Sunday School. Annie, as she was usually called, blossomed under the teachers there, finding real joy and vocation in belonging to the church. As she grew older she became one of its most devoted workers, first as organist, then Sunday School teacher and finally class leader (a position of considerable responsibility in the Methodist Church). By this time Annie Moore was a young woman, and a wholehearted Christian who already believed it was her mission in life to win others for Christ. 

In 1877 Annie married Charles Tough, a sturdy Scotsman, who had recently been appointed manager of Bell Farm, Eton Wick. It was here that Annie was to begin her married life and a new chapter in her religious experience.

At this time Eton Wick was a very small country village, its houses - less than a hundred in number - mainly concentrated between Bell Lane and Sheepcote Road, and between the common and Eton Wick Road. Beyond this area there were several farms and farm cottages, and across the parish boundary into Boveney there was just one cottage. This was the Shepherds Hut. North and south of the public house were the Tilstone Fields, then mainly arable, but now only a nostalgic memory in a modern housing estate.

Bell Farm House illustration by Bob Jeffs

The village, though very small to the modern eye, had grown rapidly during the preceding decades; indeed it had almost doubled its population since 1840. Many of the houses facing the main road had been built only a few years before. They were good working class houses, their bright yellow bricks and purple slates contrasting strongly with the warm reds of the older houses to be seen on the common side of the village. The villagers were mostly working class folk - labourers, tradesmen and artisans, many of them finding their employment outside the village. The elite were the farmers, such as George Lillywhite of Manor Farm and John Cross, tenant at Saddocks; only they could afford servants. For several years Bell Farm had been uninhabited, but it had recently been bought by the Eton Sanitary Authority for use as a sewage farm for Eton. Charles Tough was thus more than just a farmer, and although the use of the land was such a revolutionary one locally, the farm and the house itself were amongst the oldest in the parish.

For centuries Eton Wick had been part of the parish of Eton and since the 15th century the parish church had been Eton College Chapel, with the Provost as rector. Until the 19th century the villagers had looked to Eton (or beyond) for their spiritual needs. The great religious revival and spiritual awakening that spread across the country as a result of John Wesley's preaching in the 18th century reached Eton Wick in the early 19th. There was a Methodist Society in Windsor as early as 1800 which grew and flourished, and a small Wesleyan society in Eton Wick itself for a few years in the 1830s, but it was not they, but the Windsor Congregationalists that first brought church services into the village. These services and a Sunday School were held for many years in cottages until, sometime before 1840, a barn was acquired for use as a church. It probably belonged to George Lilywhite of Manor Farm. Some years before the arrival of Mrs Tough to the village the barn was replaced by an 'iron room'. It was somewhere on the common, badly situated according to Annie Tough's own memories so that it was often difficult to reach without going ankle deep in mud. Services were held only on Sunday afternoons, and in Annie's opinion these were 'dead and lifeless' and greatly disturbed by the noises of chickens, ducks and cattle which came right to the chapel door.

OS Map of Eton Wick courtesy of National Library of Scotland

The Church of England had begun to take a far greater interest in the spiritual needs of Eton Wick after the arrival of Henry Harper at Eton College in the 1830s. He was one of the college chaplains and within a short time he had taken special responsibility for Eton Wick. Through his endeavours a small school room was built at the corner of The Walk and Eton Wick Road. It was used as a church day school and a Sunday School as well as being licenced for services. On 'Census Sunday' in 1851 eighty people attended the afternoon service and twenty eight children the Sunday School. Twenty five villagers went to the Congregational Church.

For several years the schoolroom served the village adequately as a church, but by the 1860s the increase in the population made it far too small. By 1865 the first moves had been made to build a daughter church (or chapel of ease) in the village; two years later St John the Baptist's Church was consecrated.

Not long after this, in 1875, Eton College Chapel ceased to be the parish church, the church in Eton High Street taking over this role with the Rev John Shepherd as the first vicar. Pastoral activities, which had begun in the 1830s, had greatly increased, and people in Eton Wick were now feeling the benefits of a shared curate, a district visitor and cheap nourishing food from the Eton Kitchen. Help also came from various new church charities such as the Provident Fund and the Lying-in Charity. The Eton Wick School was still a church school and in 1877 received recognition from the Government as a certified efficient school.

There were 106 children on the register and the average attendance at the Sunday School was reported as 41 boys and 51 girls. Under the auspices of the Rev John Shepherd and his workers there is no doubt that both the spiritual and pastoral responsibilities of the Eton Church towards its parishioners had increased manyfold. 

The Eton Wick History Group is most grateful for the kind permission given by the Eton Wick Methodist Chapel to republish this history on this website.

The Acknowledgements, Sources of information and Foreword by Ray Rowland can be found by clicking this link.

The My Primitive Methodists website has an article about Annie Tough.

A VIEW OF FRANK-PLEDGE WITH THE GENERAL COURT BARON 2nd June 1908

NAMES OF THE JURORS. 

Mr. EDWARD COMPTON AUSTEN LEIGH, Foreman. Mr. HENRY BUNCE, Mr. EDWARD LITTLETON VAUGHAN, Mr. ALEXANDER CHARLES TUTT, Mr. SIDNEY EVANS, Mr. FREDERICK JOHN LOVELL, Mr. GEORGE GOSLING, Mr. ROWLAND BOND, Mr. CECIL HOWLETT, Mr. WILLIAM ELKINS, Mr. HENRY CALTHROP HOLLWAY CALTHROP, Mr. HENRY POWELL. 

The PRESENTMENTS and ORDERS following were taken, confirmed, and established, as well by the said Lord, as also by the consent of the Freeholders and Tenants of the said Manor, with the advice of the said Steward as follows :— 

The Jurors present that Mr. JAMES TARRANT be continued Bailiff of the said Manor. 

They present that Mr. WILLIAM MIDDLETON be Hayward of this Manor. 

The Jurors present that the railings round the Cricket pitch on the Great Common be allowed to remain as well at the will of the Lord of the Manor as of the Freeholders and Tenants of the Common. 

The PRESENTMENTS and ORDERS for the GREAT and LITTLE COMMONS, for the stint and rate of Cattle to be kept and depastured there from the First day of May, until the First day of August, and for the rate and stint of Beasts and Sheep on the Lammas Grounds, Common Fields and Commons to be kept and depastured from the First day of August to the Thirty-first day of October, and for the regulation and good management of the Commons, Lammas Grounds and Common Fields of the said Manor throughout the year made at a view of Frank-pledge with the General Court Baron, held in and for the said Manor, on Monday the Sixth clay of March, 1871, then in force were confirmed. END OF COURT.  

Below will be found a copy of the Presentments and Orders made on the Sixth day of March, 1871:

PRESENTMENTS and ORDERS for the GREAT and LITTLE COMMONS, for the stint and rate of Cattle to be kept and depastured there, 5 from the First day of May, the. time of opening the Common, until the First day Of August, viz.:— 

I. The Jurors present and order—That no Cattle shall be turned upon the Great or Little Commons, until after Six o'clock in the Evening of the First day of May in every year.

II. They present and order—That no Freeholder, Farmer, or Tenant, hath or shall have a right to keep or feed on the said Common, but after the rate of one Beast for every five acres of land ; but if any Freeholder, Farmer, or Tenant, shall have three odd acres, then one Beast for the three odd acres which is to extend to a person having three acres only ; and likewise after the rate of one Sheep for every acre he holds : and that no Townsman, Cottager, or Resident Farmer, for or in respect of his house, hath or shall have faring or Common for more than one Beast, upon pain for every offence, after notice given of Ten Shillings to the Lord of this Manor ; and Sixpence per head to the Hayward for all above that number when Pounded : and that no person shall have a right to turn out on the said Commons any Cattle, unless such Cattle shall be his or her own property, and actually kept and used by him or her under the like penalties. 6 III. They present and order--That no Freeholder, Farmer, or Tenant, Townsman, or Cottager, bath or shall have a right to let any faring on the said Commons, from the opening of the Commons until the 1st of August, under the penalty, for every offence, of Ten Shillings to the Lord of this Manor, and One Shilling per head to the Hayward when Pounded. 

Ty. They present and order—That no Townsman, Cottager, or Resident Farmer paying rates for more than one house shall have a right to turn more than one head of Cattle on the said Commons, until after the First of August.

PRESENTMENTS and ORDERS for the rate and stint of Beasts and Sheep in the LAMMAS GROUNDS, COMMON FIELDS, and COMMONS, in the said Manor, to be kept and depastured from the First of August, to the Thirty-first of October, in manner and form, and under such penalties as hereinafter follow, viz.:—

I. The Jurors present and order—That every Freeholder and Tenant shall have a right, for every acre of his land, to keep one Sheep, and for every five acres, one Beast; and if any one of the said Freeholders or Tenants, shall have three odd acres, then one Beast for the said three odd acres; which is to extend to a person having three acres only.

II. They present and order—That if the Freeholders or Tenants aforesaid do keep any Cattle, Sheep, Horse, Oxen, or Kine, after notice thereof given by any Freeholder, Farmer, or Tenant of the Manor, or by the Bailiff or Hayward of the said Manor, contrary to the stint and rate herein expressed, then they and every of them shall forfeit every time they shall so offend, after warning given, Twenty Shillings to the Lord of this Manor, and One Shilling per head to the Hayward when Pounded.

III. It is presented and ordered by the same Court—That no Householder or Cottager within the said Town or Manor, hath a right to keep, or shall keep, above two Beasts, whereof one of them may be hired, upon the Commons, Lammas Ground, or Common Field, after the First day of August, upon pain for every Cow, or other Beast so to be kept contrary to the said order, of Ten Shillings to the Lord of this Manor, and One Shilling to the Hayward when Pounded, after warning once given.

IV. It is presented and ordered—That no Tenant or Inhabitant within the said Manor, that hath any ground, shall let his, her, or their Common Right in the Commons, Lammas Grounds, or Common Fields, unless it be to his neighbour dwelling in the said Parish, upon pain of Forty Shillings to the Lord of this Manor, for every time so offending.

V. It is presented and ordered—That no Farmer or other person shall let his or their Common for Sheep to any persons but those that have right of Common for Sheep by their land, upon pain of forfeiting to the Lord of this Manor, for every Sheep so taken, One Shilling, and to the Hayward for his pains, Fourpence for every such Sheep.

VI. It is presented and ordered—That no Householder or Cottager shall common in the said Fields until the First of August, but upon leave from the Owners thereof; under the penalty of Forty Shillings to the Lord of this Manor, and One Shilling per head for Cattle, and Twopence per head for Sheep, to the Hayward, when Pounded.

VII. It is presented and ordered—That no Inhabitant or Dweller within the said Manor, shall graze, feed, or keep their Cattle upon any of the lanes or paths, within any of the' Fields Within the Manor aforesaid, upon pain for every time they shall be so taken, after notice given, of Five Shillings to the Lord of this Manor, and One Shilling per head for Horses and Cows, or other Cattle, and Twopence per head for Sheep to the Hayward, when Pounded.

VIII. It is presented and ordered—That every Farmer and other person, shall take their Sheep out of the Common Fields on the First of November, under the penalty of One Shilling per head to the Lord of this Manor, and Fourpence per head to the Hayward, when Pounded.

IX. It is ordered—That no person do turn any Sheep (except 12 Cribbers for the Manor Farm) on the Great Common, till Twelfth of December St. Andrew's Tide, Old Style, under the penalty of One Shilling per head to the Lord of this Manor, and Fourpence to the Hayward, when Pounded.

X. It is ordered—That no Farmer or other keep any Sheep upon the Common Meads, except the Hide and Water Slade, from the First of August until Michaelmas Day, Twenty-ninth of September, upon forfeiture, for every Sheep kept to the contrary, of One Shilling to the Lord of this Manor, and Fourpence to the Hayward ; and also to take out their other Cattle from the said Fields by All Saints, First of November, upon pain of forfeiting, for every Beast, of One Shilling to the Lord of this Manor, and Fourpence to the Hayward ; and also to take out their other Cattle from the said Fields by All Saints, First of November, upon pain of forfeiting, for every Beast, One Shilling to the Lord of this Manor, and Fourpence to the Hayward, when Pounded.

XI It is presented and ordered—That no Owner, Townsman, or Cottager in this Manor, shall have a right to Hogs or Pigs into the Commons, Common Grounds, within this Manor (except he, she, or turn more than Two Fields, or Lammas they, shall not turn on a Beast, and then to be allowed to turn on Four Hogs or Pigs) ; and that every Owner or Renter of five acres of land shall not have a right to turn in more than One Hog or Pig, and so after that rate ; and that all such Hogs or Pigs shall be rung before they are turned out, on pain of forfeiting Two Shillings per head to the Lord of this Manor, and Sixpence per head to the Hayward, for every Hog or Pig so turned out, above the rate aforesaid ; and for every Hog or Pig so turned out without being rung, as often as they shall be Pounded.

XII. It is presented and ordered also—That no Hogs or Pigs be turned into the Corn Fields until all the Harvest shall be got in, under the penalty of Two Shillings per head to the Lord of this Manor; and that no person shall suffer their Hogs or Pigs to run in the streets or lanes of this Manor without a keeper, upon pain of forfeiting One Shilling to the Hayward, when every such Hog or Pig shall be Pounded by him.

XIII. It is presented and ordered—That every Tenant, for his part and proportion against his land, shall well and sufficiently make and scour the Ditches about the said Commons, in every place where need requires, within the said Manor or Lordship, before the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, Thirtieth of November ; upon pain of forfeiting to the Lord of this said Manor, for every Pole not sufficiently done, Four Shillings ; and thenceforth to keep and maintain the said Commons with sufficient Hedges and Ditches from time to time, as often as shall be needful, upon the like pain for every time so offending as aforesaid ; and yearly after to be made sufficiently secure by All Saint's Day, First of November, upon the like pain of Four Shillings for every Pole so neglected.

XIV. It is presented and ordered—That all out-fences of the parish be kept by those that are Occupiers of those Lands, as well after Lammas as before for the preservation of the Corn; upon pain of forfeiture for every time, after notice given, of Five Shillings to the Lord of the Manor.

XV. It is presented and ordered—That no Inhabitant within the said Parish take in any Beast of any Foreigner, on pretence of bringing them for his own, to defraud his neighbours ; upon pain of forfeiting for every Beast so taken, Forty Shillings to the Lord of this Manor: and also every Inhabitant to set the Initials of his own name on his Beasts, that the Hayward may take notice to whom the Beasts belong ; upon pain of forfeiting, for every time, after notice given, Five
Shillings to the Hayward when Pounded.

XVI. It is ordered—That the Farmers be allowed to sow Five acres of Turnips for every Twenty Acres they hold, they keeping sufficient Fence.

XVII. It is ordered—That all in-ground be excluded, in Lammas or Common Land, from a right of Common, and that no person holding them shall have right of Common or Lammas for the same.

PRESENTMENTS and ORDERS for the Regulation and good Management of the COMMONS, LAMMAS GROUNDS, and COMMON FIELDS of the said Manor, throughout the Year.

I. The Jurors present and order—That any person, who does not pay Parish Duties, in the Parish of ETON and Manor aforesaid, and who is not clear on the books, hath, or shall have any right to Common on the Commons, Lammas Grounds, or Common Fields, in the said Manor.

II. They present and order—That no person having right of Common on the said Common, Lammas Grounds, or Common Fields, of the said Manor, hath, or shall have a right to rent more than One head of Cattle or Faring from his neighbour (except Sheep), under the penalty for every time so offending of Twenty Shillings to the Lord of this Manor.

III. They present and order—That all Farmers as well as Inhabitants of the said Manor, shall make the Hayward the keeper of their Cattle, and shall pay Sixpence for every Beast at the time of putting such Beast into the Commons, Lammas Grounds, or Common Fields, and Fourpence per head per week afterwards, as long as they shall be kept in the Commons, Lammas Grounds, or Common Fields, of this Manor : and that the Cattle be marked with the initial of the Owner before put in.
ur The Hayward is desired not to remove the Cattle from the Lammas Grounds into the Commons, until the dusk of the Evening.

IV. It is ordered—That no Geese be kept at any time hereafter upon the Commons, Lammas Grounds, and Common Fields, aforesaid, upon pain for every Goose or Gander there kept to the contrary, after notice thereof once given, of Five Shillings to the Lord of this Manor, and Fourpence to the Hayward, when Pounded.

V. It is ordered—That no person be allowed to drive Sheep through the Commons, from the gate at the Lower end of the Common to the Upper end, and from the Upper end to the Lower end; and that they take no more time than necessary in driving them across at the Upper and Lower end of the Common, under the Penalty of Forty Shillings to the Lord of this Manor, and Five Shillings to the Hayward, for every offence.

VI. It is ordered—That no person shall drive his Waggon, Cart, or any other vehicle from the Upper end of the Common to the Lower end, nor from the Lower end of the Common to the Upper end, upon forfeiture, for every time so Offending of Ten Shillings to the Lord of this Manor, and One Shilling to the Hayward.

VII. That no person shall be at liberty .to change their Cattle turned into the Commons, Lammas Grounds, or Common Fields, of this Manor, above once in every 48 hours, under the penalty of Twenty Shillings per head to the Lord of this Manor, and One Shilling per head to the Hayward.

VIII. That no person shall be at liberty to turn into the Commons, Lammas Grounds, or Common Fields of this Manor, any Stone-Horse, Rigg, Bull, or Ox, under the penalty of Twenty Shillings per head to the Lord of this Manor, and One Shilling per head to the Hayward when Pounded; nor any Distempered Cattle, under the penalty of Five Pounds per head to the Lord of this Manor, and Five Shillings per head to the Hayward.

IX. That no person shall suffer their Sheep to feed on the young clover, under the penalty of Sixpence per head to the Lord of this Manor, and Twopence per head to the Hayward, when Pounded.

X. The Jurors present—That no person or persons shall build fence, ditch, or do any act whatsoever, which shall be obstructive to the Cattle grazing on the Common, Lammas Lands, or Common Fields in the said Manor, or be otherwise detrimental to the Commonable rights and privileges of the Lord and the Commoners of the said Manor under penalty of Forty Shillings to the Lord of the Manor for each offence,

XI. It is ordered—That the Bailiff shall have the power to suspend the Hayward in his office, for neglect of duty, or for any improper conduct connected therewith. But the Bailiff shall, within six days after the charge or charges are laid, convene the Jury, who shall be eligible to appoint a new Hayward, if they consider such course necessary.

XII. It is further agreed and ordered—That the Steward of this Court may alter matters of form in these Presentments and Orders, not altering matters of substance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Frank-Pledge has a history dating back to King Canute in the 11th century. Read more about its history here.

General Court Baron has a history going back to feudal times. Read more about its history here.