Chesham Bois
Encyclopedia
Chesham Bois is a village
in Buckinghamshire
, England
, adjacent to both Amersham
and Chesham
.
in the parish
of Chesham
, the manor
was assessed at 1½ hides in the reign of King Edward the Confessor. The estate belonged to a brother of King Harold
, who was killed with him at the Battle of Hastings
and probably William the Conqueror gave this ‘royal’ land to his own half-brother, Odo Bishop of Bayeux. The village gets its name from the de Bosco family (the French version of which was 'de Bois') and by 1213 in the reign of King John
a William du Bois was holding the manor. By about 1430, in the reign of Henry VI
, the manor had been acquired by the Cheynes of Chenies
who remained for over 300 years, before conveying the manor to the Duke of Bedford
in 1735. Chesham Bois House, the site of the manor, was the subject of an archaeological
excavation by Time Team
, which was broadcast in the United Kingdom
on Channel 4
in March 2007.
Famous people born in Chesham Bois were the crime writer and composer Edmund Crispin
, Lieutenant Commander Peter Scawen Watkinson Roberts
, who was awarded the Victoria Cross
for gallantry in the face of the enemy during World War II
and Mervyn King
, current governor of the Bank of England
.
is also located in the village and is an independent preparatory school educating over 400 boys. Also on located in the Village is Our Ladys Roman Catholic Combined School which is opposite the church of the same name. Elangeni School
is situated at the end of Woodside Avenue and is a mixed state school. A 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) sycamore and ash wood and common is the site of the local cricket pavilion, as well as being the site for the biennial village fete.
Today some of Chesham Bois merges into Amersham-on-the-Hill
. It still remains a particularly splendid part of the Chiltern Hills
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, adjacent to both Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
and Chesham
Chesham
Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as...
.
History
Initially a hamletHamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Chesham
Chesham
Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as...
, the 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...
was assessed at 1½ hides in the reign of King Edward the Confessor. The estate belonged to a brother of King Harold
Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.It could be argued that Edgar the Atheling, who was proclaimed as king by the witan but never crowned, was really the last Anglo-Saxon king...
, who was killed with him at the Battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
and probably William the Conqueror gave this ‘royal’ land to his own half-brother, Odo Bishop of Bayeux. The village gets its name from the de Bosco family (the French version of which was 'de Bois') and by 1213 in the reign of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
a William du Bois was holding the manor. By about 1430, in the reign of Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
, the manor had been acquired by the Cheynes of Chenies
Chenies
Chenies is a village in the very eastern part of south Buckinghamshire, England, near the border with Hertfordshire. It is situated to the east of Chesham and the Chalfonts. Chenies is also a civil parish within Chiltern district....
who remained for over 300 years, before conveying the manor to the Duke of Bedford
Duke of Bedford
thumb|right|240px|William Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordDuke of Bedford is a title that has been created five times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1414 in favour of Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of France. He was made Earl of Kendal at the same time...
in 1735. Chesham Bois House, the site of the manor, was the subject of an archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
excavation by Time Team
Time Team
Time Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
, which was broadcast in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in March 2007.
Famous people born in Chesham Bois were the crime writer and composer Edmund Crispin
Edmund Crispin
Edmund Crispin was the pseudonym of Robert Bruce Montgomery , an English crime writer and composer.-Life and work:Montgomery was born in Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire...
, Lieutenant Commander Peter Scawen Watkinson Roberts
Peter Scawen Watkinson Roberts
Peter Scawen Watkinson Roberts VC, DSC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, who was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for gallantry in the face of the enemy during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and Mervyn King
Mervyn King
Mervyn King may refer to:*Sir Mervyn King , British economist, Governor of the Bank of England*Mervyn King , former judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa and chairman of the King Committee on Corporate Governance...
, current governor of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
.
Today
The village contains two churches: the Anglican church of St. Leonard's (started in the 12th century) and the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady (built in 1915 and extended in 1953). Chesham Bois C of E Combined School is located down Bois Lane, a mixed primary school with over 200 pupils. The Beacon SchoolBeacon School
Beacon School was a government designation awarded to outstanding primary and secondary schools in England and Wales from 1998 to August 2005. The Beacon Schools programme identified schools that were examples of good practice and funded those schools to enable them to build partnerships with each...
is also located in the village and is an independent preparatory school educating over 400 boys. Also on located in the Village is Our Ladys Roman Catholic Combined School which is opposite the church of the same name. Elangeni School
Elangeni School
Elangeni is a primary school in Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire, England. It has children from ages 7–11. Next door is a school for children aged 4–7 called Chestnut Lane. It is situated in Chestnut Lane . The school has had passing Ofsted reports, as of 2007 scored well in comparison with other...
is situated at the end of Woodside Avenue and is a mixed state school. A 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) sycamore and ash wood and common is the site of the local cricket pavilion, as well as being the site for the biennial village fete.
Today some of Chesham Bois merges into Amersham-on-the-Hill
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
. It still remains a particularly splendid part of the Chiltern Hills
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
.