FINGEST
Tinghurst, Tynhurst (xi–xiii cent.); Tyngehurst
(xiv cent.); Tingerst alias Fyngerst or Fingest
(xvi–xviii cent.).
Fingest is a small parish on the Oxfordshire
border, having an area of 1,284 acres, of which 570
acres are arable and 418 permanent grass. (fn. 1) The
ground lies high, the slope ranging from over 600 ft. on
the ridge in the north-east of the parish along which
runs the road from Great Marlow to Oxford in the
south-west. The parish is well-wooded, containing
some 206 acres, (fn. 2) Hangar in the east, Fining and
Muzwells Woods being the principal woods. The soil
is principally chalk, pits of which have been worked
in the parish. The chief crops are wheat and oats.
The village of Fingest is picturesquely situated in a
hollow in the south-west of the parish surrounded by
steep hills covered with woodland. It consists of the
church of St. Bartholomew at the north of the village,
with ruins of the old manor-house of the Bishops of
Lincoln near by, and of Fingest House, the residence
of Mr. A. P. Barnett, with a few small houses adjoining. Fingest House is actually in Hambleden
parish, though the grounds are in Fingest. The old
rectory is now used as the Glebe Farm, and the
Manor Farm, which includes part of an older building, is the residence of Mr. Thomas E. Collier. To
the south-east is Bolters End, an outlying district,
with its common and a few scattered farms, among
which Fining, with its early 17th-century house of
timber and brick, Priestly's, and Bolters End Farms
may be mentioned.
Cadmore End (Cademere, xiii cent.; Cadmer End,
xvi cent.), which since 1852 has formed a separate
ecclesiastical parish, lies along the northern boundary.
It is the most populous part of the parish, and has
a common of some extent. Brick and tile-works are
found here, whilst in the south of the parish are
more brick-works and also clay-pits.
MANORS
There is no mention in the Domesday
Survey (fn. 3) of FINGEST MANOR, which
is said to have been granted, together
with the church and tithes, to St. Albans Abbey
during the abbacy of Richard Daubeny (1097–1119). (fn. 4)
Fingest was retained by the abbey until 1163, when,
on the termination of a long dispute between the
abbot and the Bishop of Lincoln, who claimed rights
of episcopal jurisdiction over the abbey, the estate
was granted to the bishop in return for the
renunciation of his claims. (fn. 5) The Bishops of Lincoln,
who are said to have occasionally resided here, held this
manor, together with Wooburn, of the king in chief
for one and a half fees in the 13th and 14th centuries. (fn. 6)
It remained attached to the see of Lincoln until
1547, when Bishop Henry Holbeche obtained licence
to alienate the manor to Edward Duke of Somerset,
the Protector. (fn. 7) In the following year the duke, in
his turn, obtained licence to alienate the property
to William Thynne, prebendary of Dultingcote in
Wells Cathedral. (fn. 8) This licence was renewed two
years later, and in 1551 the duke finally completed
an exchange by which he received the Corps of the
prebend of Dultingcote in return for Fingest. (fn. 9)
The manor was retained by successive prebendaries
until the middle of the 19th century, when it passed
to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. (fn. 10) It has been
usual from the 16th century onwards to lease the
manor for three lives, the leasehold remaining in the
same family for many generations. Thus from the
early 17th century the manor was held by a family
of the name of Ferrers alias Turner. (fn. 11) In 1646
Thomas Ferrers, described on his monument as
'lord of Fingest manor,' died leaving two sons,
Thomas and John, and four daughters, Mary,
Elizabeth, Nathany and Deborah. (fn. 12) Mary Ferrers,
his widow, in 1650 resigned to James Sale her
interests in the lease, which
was held at this time for the
lives of William and Thomasine Ferrers, parents of the
above Thomas, and for the
life of his son Thomas. The
rent was at this date £22. (fn. 13)
Thomas Ferrers, jun., held the
lease in 1656, (fn. 14) and according
to Lysons the same family
were holding the manor as
late as 1737. (fn. 15) Thomas Dorell
appears as lessee in 1780, (fn. 16)
and the lease shortly after
passed to Thomas Williams of
Temple House, Bisham, (fn. 17) in
whose family it has since remained, (fn. 18) the trustees of the late Lieutenant-General
Owen Cope Williams being the present representatives.
Williams of Temple. Argent a cheveron sable between three Cornish choughs each holding an ermine tail in his beak.
A second property in this parish was known from
the 16th century as CADMORE END MANOR,
and doubtless originally formed part of Fingest
Manor. It was situated in a hamlet of the same
name, of which mention is first found in 1235, when
Henry de Scaccario conceded the right of Roger de
Scaccario to half a hide there. (fn. 19) Simon de Scaccario,
their descendant, held lands here of the Bishop of
Lincoln in 1292, when he died, leaving his three
sisters, Maud wife of John de Doggeworth, Lora
wife of William Payforer, and Beatrice wife of John
Peverel, as co-heirs. (fn. 20) The so-called manor first
appears in the 16th century in the possession of the
well-known Berkshire family of Unton. Sir Edward
Unton, the first holder of whom mention has been
found, had married in 1555 Ann Countess of Warwick, (fn. 21) daughter of that Duke of Somerset who had
held Fingest Manor (q.v.) for a short time; so it is
possible that it was by this marriage he acquired
Cadmore End, formerly part of the Fingest estate.
Sir Edward Unton died in 1582, (fn. 22) and by his will,
dated two years previously, he left his 'lands and
tenements' at Cadmore End to his son Edward. (fn. 23)
In 1586 Edward Unton was granted licence to
alienate Cadmore End 'manor' to Sir Thomas
Wroughton, the father-in-law of his brother Sir
Henry Unton. (fn. 24) Together they made a further
settlement on Basil Fettiplace in 1589, (fn. 25) possibly on
behalf of Sir Henry Unton, who two years later
made a final alienation to various members of the
Tipping family. (fn. 26) In 1601 Thomas Tipping died
seised of Cadmore End, which passed to his second
son Bartholomew. (fn. 27) In 1650 Bartholomew Tipping,
son of the above Bartholomew, together with his
sons Bartholomew and John, made a settlement of
the manor, (fn. 28) apparently in favour of John, the
younger son, whose descendants are henceforward
found holding. Bartholomew son of John Tipping
suffered a recovery of the manor in 1703. (fn. 29) He was
succeeded by a son Bartholomew, (fn. 30) whose son also
Bartholomew died without issue in 1798, when
Cadmore End passed to his niece Mary Ann
Musgrave, wife of the Rev. Philip Wroughton. (fn. 31)
The property was sold by their son Philip Wroughton
of Woolley Park in 1860 to Thomas Taylor of Aston
Rowant House, (fn. 32) whose interest passed to Lord Parmoor
of Frieth, K.C.V.O., the present owner.
Unton. Azure a fesse engrailed or between three spear-heads argent with a greyhound sable running on the fesse.
Tapping. Or a bend engrailed vert charged with three phens or.
In 1285–6 Oliver, Bishop of Lincoln, claimed
view of frankpledge in Fingest Manor. (fn. 33) In the
16th century views of frankpledge and courts baron
were held here. (fn. 34)
In 1330 Henry de Burghersh, then bishop, received a grant of free warren in his manor, (fn. 35) and also
licence to impark his wood with 300 acres of land
adjoining. (fn. 36) This encroachment on the common
lands was the cause of much complaint, and the
story is related that after his death in 1343 the
bishop appeared to one of his gentlemen in the dress
of a huntsman, and said that as penance for the
suffering which his encroachments had caused he
was doomed to act perpetually as keeper of the park
until restitution was made. He begged that word
might be sent to the canons of Lincoln, one of whom
was accordingly dispatched to Fingest, and under his
directions the hedges were broken down, the ditches
filled up, and, it is to be hoped, the ghost laid. (fn. 37)
This story is possibly founded on fact, for, as appears
from evidence given regarding the assessment of
Fingest for taxation about this date, (fn. 38) the bishop
certainly did inclose common land, and Delafield,
writing in the late 18th century, says that traces of
high banks and a deep ditch known as the Park Ditch
were still to be seen, while parts within the inclosure
were still common. (fn. 39)
CHURCH
The church of ST. BARTHOLOMEW consists of a chancel measuring
internally 21 ft. 6 in. by 14 ft., nave
40 ft. by 13 ft. 6 in., south porch, and west tower
19 ft. 6 in. square.
The peculiar plan of the building, with its large
12th-century west tower and narrow nave of the
same period, renders it of exceptional interest. The
present chancel, which is continuous with the nave
save for a slight break in the north wall, is an addition
of the 13th century and may have replaced an eastern
apse. Late in the 14th century a new window was
inserted in the south wall of the nave, while those in
the east and south walls of the chancel belong to
the early years of the succeeding century. In
1866–7 a restoration took place, when many details
were renewed and the present south porch was erected.
The east window of the chancel has a two-centred
head and is of three trefoiled lights with tracery of
early vertical character. On the north are two 13th-century lancets, which were at one time filled up, and
on the south two square-headed 15th-century windows,
each of two trefoiled lights with ogee heads rather
clumsily set out, and pierced and foliated spandrels.
The doorway between these two windows is modern,
but may replace a doorway contemporary with the
original building of the chancel. At the south-west,
visible only externally, is the sill and lower portion
of the east jamb of an original 'low-side' window.
The upper part of this wall appears to have been
rebuilt, probably when the later windows were
inserted.
Plan of Fingest Church
(Reproduced from the Inventory of the Historical Monuments of Buckinghamshire with the permission of the Royal Commission and the consent of the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office)
In place of a chancel arch the thin east gable of
the nave is carried by a modern screen of pitch pine.
In the north wall of the nave is a small roundheaded 12th-century window with plain internal
splays; the only other feature in this wall is a doorway inserted in the 13th century and now blocked.
Of the two windows in the south wall the easternmost is of the late 14th century, and is of two
trefoiled lights with sexfoiled tracery of transitional
character within a two-centred head; the other
window was copied from it in 1845. The south
doorway, which is immediately opposite the blocked
north doorway, may possess its original rear arch,
but all else has been renewed.
The massive west tower is crowned by a twin
gabled roof and rises in one unbroken stage externally
to the sill of the bell-chamber windows, where there
is a slight set-off. The tower arch is semicircular
and of a single square order springing from jambs of
the same section, with plain chamfered impost mouldings. High up in the north and south walls of the
ground stage are small round-headed lights with
wide internal splays. The fine west window, which
was inserted in the 13th century, has three tall
lancet lights with trefoil heads, the central light
rising to the apex of the containing two-centred
drop arch, which is moulded continuously with the
jambs. The elaborately moulded rear arch is also
two-centred, and is carried by jamb shafts with
foliated capitals and moulded bases. The spandrels
are pierced with small quatrefoils. A little below
the set-off at the top of the lower portion of the
tower are two small roundheaded lights, one on the north
and one on the south. The
bell-chamber is lighted on all
four sides by coupled roundheaded lights of original 12th-century date with shafted jambs
of two orders. Both orders
have roll-moulded heads, the
outer orders of the southern
pair of windows having an
inclosing band of billet ornament. The jamb shafts have
scalloped and cushion capitals,
and their abaci are joined between each pair of windows,
and continued as a string-course
on the south side nearly to the
angles of the wall. The twingabled roof appears to be later work, possibly of the
14th century. The roof of the nave with its braced
collars and curved wind-braces is probably contemporary with the late 14th-century window in the
south wall.
The chancel and nave are plastered internally and
rough-casted externally. The tower is of flint rubble
masonry, also plastered, and the dressings throughout
are of clunch and flint.
The panelled octagonal bowl of the font is of the
15th century, but the stem and base are modern.
The tower contains one bell dated 1830. (fn. 40)
The plate includes a cup with a baluster stem,
apparently of 1639, inscribed, 'This cup was given
to the parish of Fingist, Bucks, by the Rev. H. C.
Ridley, Christmas 1822.'
The registers begin in 1607.
The churchyard is bounded on the south and east
by a brick and flint wall, probably of the 18th century.
The church of ST. MARY-LE-MOOR, Cadmore
End, built in 1851, is a small building of flint with
Bath stone quoins and dressings in 13th-century style.
It consists of chancel, nave, south porch, vestry and
west turret containing one bell. In 1852 Cadmore
End was detached from Fingest to form, with parts
of Lewknor and Stokenchurch, a separate ecclesiastical
parish whose advowson is in the gift of the Bishop of
Oxford. (fn. 41)
ADVOWSON
Until the 19th century the church
of Fingest followed the same descent
as the manor (q.v.), passing in the
16th century to the prebendaries of Dultingcote, or
(as they are sometimes called) Fingest in the cathedral
church of Wells. They continued to exercise the
patronage until the middle of the 19th century, (fn. 42) when,
on the formation of Cadmore End parish in 1852,
Fingest was attached to Ibstone, (fn. 43) and its advowson
henceforward follows the descent of that church
(q.v.), being in the gift of the Bishop of Oxford
and Merton College, Oxford, alternately. (fn. 44)
In the taxation of 1291 the church was assessed at
£5 6s. 8d., (fn. 45) and at the Dissolution the rectory was
valued at £6 18s. 5½d. (fn. 46) In the 18th century the
living was returned to the Governors of Queen
Anne's Bounty as only worth £45, and was thereupon discharged from first-fruits and tithes. (fn. 47)
Among rectors of Fingest whose names have come
down to posterity may be noted Master Richard
Dyvett, who in 1454 incurred episcopal censure for
assaulting the rector of Newnham whilst he was
distributing the blessed bread to the poor after mass. (fn. 48)
Another rector was Henry Joseph Drury (1778–1841), the well-known classical scholar, who was
presented to the living in 1820. (fn. 49)
CHARITIES
In 1690 Thomas Picket by deed
gave a cottage and 2 acres at Cadmore
End, the rents to be distributed to
the poor on St. Thomas's Day. The cottage is let
for £5 5s. yearly and the land at £2 15s.
In 1732 Mary Mole, by will proved 23 September,
devised an annuity of £3, issuing out of land known
as Vining or Fining Farm at Boulter End, to be distributed on St. Thomas's Day in sums of 5s. to eight poor
widows and the remainder amongst other poor people.
These charities are distributed together on St.
Thomas's Day. In 1908 twelve widows received 5s.
each, and the remainder was distributed in money
among forty recipients.
In 1751 the Rev. Francis Edmonds by deed
charged certain copyhold hereditaments of the manor
of the prebend of Buckingham, with Gawcott and
other property in Buckingham, with a yearly rentcharge of £15 for charitable purposes.
By a scheme of the Charity Commissioners dated
10 August 1894 the trustees are authorized to apply
a sum of not more than £3 yearly in support of a
Church of England Sunday school, and the residue in
prizes to Sunday school children or towards the cost
of outfit upon entering a trade, &c.
The Church estate consists of 5 a. 2 r. at Cadmore
End with two cottages adjoining of the annual letting
value of £18, which is applied towards the church
expenses.