"Sir Thomas BALEY, cl., to the ch. of Hedsore, vac. by the resig. of John ATHWICK. P.-Rouland HINDE, esq. At Buckden, 9 Mar. [Volens subscripsi (Reg. 74d.)].
10 May
"Before the bishop of his mere office, sitting as judge, in the presence of me Robert BOND, public notary, registrar."
"The office of the bishop against William TILBURY and Thomas BAYLIE, clerks, who appeared personally before the bishop. ..."
"Thomas BAYLIE, cl., also appeared, [asserting] that he is rector of Heddisore, and because he doth not exhibit his institution on the presentation of Roland HINDE, the true patron of the same, as is alledged, the bishop enjoined him that forthwith he doe bringe his letters of institucion before him as he will answer to the contrarie. And he moreover enjoined him that he doe in no wise meddle with the administracion of the sacraments or service there but quietly to suffer the said TILBERY to execute that office until by lawe either of them shalbe evicted as he will answer to the contrary, and that he doe bringe his institucion within this fortnight. ..."
[TILBERIE] "... gave a reason that he was of right rector of Heddesore because he exhibited before the bishop his institution to the said rectory made by Nicholas formerly bishop of Lincoln, bearing date 2 Oct., 1566, being presented by John BORLACE, esq., John WILMOTE, Arthur WILMOTE and James WILMOTE, etc."
From "The State of the Church in the Reigns of Elizabeth and James I as Illustrated by Documents..." by Charles Wilmer Foster, Church of England Diocese of Lincoln, 1926 (Lincoln Record Society)
Buckinghamshire
"Ego Thomas BROWNE vicarius de Merloe magna ex animo subscribo"
[vicar of Great Marlow, 1575-?]
Folio 2
"Ego Will's TILBERYE vicarius de parva Marlowe ex animo subscribo"
[vicar of Little Marlow, 15__-1595]
"Ego Hugo ROBERTS vicarius de Woborne episcopi libenter et ex animo subscribo"
[vicar of Wooburn, 1581-1613]
To April 2010, no other details of this William's life have been discovered, except for, possibly, his burial:
Burial: Willm. TILBERIE clic 25 July 1608
Parish Register (1559-1901) of St. Michael and All Angels, Hughenden
My thanks to Vita for the above, and who adds "clic is not in the code [of abbreviations] but possibly that he was a cleric or clergyman".
From "The Museum of Foreign Literature, Science and Art" edited by Robert Walsh, Eliakim Littell
1842, Age and Size of Trees
"... The yew ... at Hedsor in Bucks surpasses all others in magnitude and antiquity. It is in full health, and measures above twenty-seven feet in diameter; consequently, according to Decandolle's method of computation, this yew has reached the enormous age of 3240 years! In all likelihood this is the most ancient specimen of European vegetation."
From "A History of the County of Buckingham" Vol. 3
1925
"Hedsor Church, one of the smallest in the county, stands on the ridge of a hill within the precincts of Hedsor Park, and is approached by a public foot-path which crosses the estate. Near it is a famous yew tree over 27 ft. in circumference. The churchyard is notable for the absence of monuments, the graves being only distinguished by small flat stones. To the east of the church is a modern residence of red brick erected in 1844 on the site of the old manor-house built by Rowland Hynd in 1584 and subsequently demolished. Part of the outer walls now serve to inclose a garden; they are of flint and clunch, and contain a stone inscribed R.H. 1583. Woolman's Wood lies to the north-east of Hedsor Park, and off the road beyond it in the north-east corner of the parish is the rectory."
"The church of ST. NICHOLAS consists of a chancel measuring internally 19 ft. 6 in. by 11 ft. 6 in., nave 31 ft. 6 in. by 19 ft. 6 in., north aisle, south transept, organ chamber, vestry, west porch and timber belfry.
The chancel and nave are evidently of mediaeval date, but were very considerably restored about 1600, and the earliest details remaining now are of the 15th century; the other parts of the church are modern. The materials are flint and clunch and the roof is tiled. The chancel has been considerably modernized, but retains in the south wall two single trefoiled lights which perhaps date from the 15th century, but the head of the eastern one is modern. The chancel arch is modern. The nave also has been modernized. At the west end are two early 17th century buttresses, and some old stonework, probably from the north wall of the nave, is built into the walling of the modern aisle.
There is an early 14th-century moulded tomb slab now placed outside against the north wall of the aisle, and three floor slabs taken from the church are now in the churchyard at the east end of the chancel; the earliest is to Rowland Hynd, who died in 1608, and is stated to have 're-edified' the church, and Elizabeth his wife, daughter of Sir Robert Drury, 1606, the next to Elizabeth second wife of Rowland Hynd, 1651, and the third to Rowland Hynd, 1658.
The belfry contains one bell inscribed 'AK 1700.' On the stock is cut the date 1736.
The plate consists of a silver chalice, flagon and two patens and a jewelled silver-gilt chalice and paten, as well as a pewter flagon in the vestry dated 1674.
The registers begin in 1678.
Advowson
References to Hedsor Church, the living of which is a rectory, occur in the early 13th century, when the advowson appears to have belonged to the priory of Little Marlow.
In 1403 the Crown made the first presentation of which a known record exists. The prioress claimed the advowson against the Crown and a long suit followed which ended in a writ of prohibition against her.
From 1457, when Thomas Restwold, then lord of the manor, presented to Hedsor Church, which was valued at £4 yearly in 1535, the descent of the advowson corresponds with that of the manor*.
In 1693 the Bishop of Lincoln revived what seems to have been an ancient right,** and from 1742 presented one turn in every three.
In 1852 this right was transferred to the diocese of Oxford."
From "A Picturesque Tour of the River Thames in Its Western Course" by John Fisher Murray, 1849 (H. G. Bohn)
Hedsor Church
"Few parish churches are smaller than that of Hedsor, but few, very few, are so delightfully placed ... Hereabouts are many rotund knolly hills, of no very great elevation, yet commanding beautiful and extended prospects; some rejoicing in the richest verdure, covered with browzing flocks and herds; whence, sweetly softened by distance, comes across the vale the tinkling sound of sheep-bells ... upon its crest the lowly house of prayer ... the hour of setting sun when ... the horizontal ray lit up every window, illuminating the sacred edifice as with a holy light ... from the low embattled tower the owl hooted her melancholy ... bats flitted past ..."
British History Online: Hedsor
Buckinghamshire Towns, Villages & Church Photos
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