AKELEY
Achelei (xi cent.); Aqueleie, Akeleia (xii cent.);
Acle (xiii cent.); Akle juxta Bukyngham, Ocle under
Whittilwode (xiv cent.); Akeley-cum-Stockholt (xviii
cent.).
This parish, lying on the road from Towcester to
Buckingham, covers 1,325 acres, most of which is laid
down as permanent grass, only 195 acres being arable
land. (fn. 1) Both soil and subsoil are clay. The ground
rises slightly from about 300 ft. above the ordnance
datum in the north-east to about 400 ft. in the south.
The village lies 3 miles north of Buckingham
station on the Verney Junction and Banbury branch
of the London and North Western railway. The
church of St. James stands on high ground with the
rectory, a modern building, to the south. In 1639
the parsonage-house is described as a building of
two bays. (fn. 2)
There are several 17th-century cottages and houses
in the village, some timber-framed and some of stone,
with thatched or tiled roofs. About a quarter of a
mile east of the rectory is the manor-house. It is a
17th-century house, originally built of stone, but it has
now been refronted in brick. Some of the original
mullioned windows remain.
There is a Wesleyan chapel, built in 1828, at
Duck End, close to the church of St. James, and a
little south of the church is the school, built in 1854,
and subsequently enlarged for 100 children.
North of the village is Akeley pottery, and the
industry is evidently an ancient one, since Pottery
Hooke is one of the closes mentioned in the early
18th century. (fn. 3) To the south-east of the pottery are
brickworks.
About half a mile north-west of the village lies
Stockholt Farm, all that remains of the once important
manor and district of Stockholt (Stotholt, Stockholt,
xiii cent.; Stockholt next Ocle, Stockholtbernes, xiv
cent.; Stockholt Barnes, xvi cent.; Stockholte Barnes
alias Stockholt alias Stockwell, xvii cent.). The name
does not occur before the early 13th century (see
below), but by the 18th century the parish was
known as Akeley-cum-Stockholt, (fn. 4) and a chapel of ease
to the parish church apparently existed at Stockholt
at that date. (fn. 5) As its name would imply, it was that
wooded part of Akeley which extended into Whittlewood Forest, (fn. 6) and was probably included in the
woodland for 806 swine which appertained to Akeley
Manor in 1086. (fn. 7) In 1279 the Prior of Newton
Longville brought an action for trespass against
William de Brewes for taking wood from Stockholt
Wood in Whittlewood Forest, (fn. 8) at that time assessed
at 21 acres. (fn. 9) The inclosure of this wood began with
the grant to Ralf Briton (see below), who in 1228 had
licence to inclose 4 acres with ditch and fence, and to
cultivate the same (fn. 10) ; and in 1412 Thomas Linford,
lord of Stockholt Manor, was permitted to add to
Stockholt Park by inclosing an adjoining field called
Homfeld alias Mansherdfeld and Coppedmorfeld, containing 200 acres, and a wood of 100 acres with a fence
adjoining the same, and a park called Kingsshrobfeld. (fn. 11)
Further extensive inclosures were made about 1660,
and among the names of closes mentioned in a dispute
as to tithes in 1710 are Swannells Grounds, Waking
Slade, Parson's Hooke, Bam and Cockley Leas, Kill
and Netherway Closes, and Chadwells. (fn. 12) The Inclosure Act for the parish was passed in 1794, the
Award being dated 1796. (fn. 13) An allotment of land
was then made for the poor in lieu of furze, and
compensation was made for tithes, the modus or composition for the Marquess of Salisbury's property of
Stockholt Farm remaining, however, as before. (fn. 14)
There is very little wood now left in the parish, only
75 acres being covered by woods and plantations. (fn. 15)
Akeley Wood, referred to as an inclosure in the suit
of 1710, (fn. 16) covers about 200 acres of well-timbered
grass land in the west of the parish, with Akeley
Wood Farm at the north-western end, and at the
southern Akeley Wood House.
Manors
Before the Conquest Alric son of
Goding held 3 hides at AKELEY, which
he could sell. (fn. 17) By 1086 this estate was
held by Robert of Walter Giffard, (fn. 18) who bestowed it,
together with Newton Longville (q.v.), on the priory
of St. Faith at Longueville in Normandy. (fn. 19) Like
Newton Longville it was part of that division of the
honour of Giffard of Gloucester which went to the
earls of Gloucester and Stafford, (fn. 20) and though the prior
of Newton Longville was said in the 13th century to
hold in free alms, (fn. 21) in the 14th century the service
of a half fee was demanded from Akeley, the prior
paying 20s. at the assessment of 1346. (fn. 22) The manor
can never have been of much importance, the prior's
possessions here being rated at only £4 2s. 4d. in
1291, (fn. 23) and it was deemed to be part of Newton
Longville Manor, with which it was granted in 1441
to the Warden and Fellows of New College, Oxford, (fn. 24)
who have remained in possession ever since.
In the 17th century Robert Smyth, whose father
Sir William had been a Fellow of New College,
1558–71, (fn. 25) obtained a lease for a thousand years of
the manor. (fn. 26) He was slain in
1645 fighting for the king, (fn. 27)
and his widow Martha compounded in 1647 for the
estate, which was sequestered
for her husband's delinquency
in leaving his habitation and
residing in Oxford, and because her son William Smyth,
M.P., joint purchaser with
his father, had adhered to the
king. (fn. 28) She obtained leave to
compound on the ground
that her son had no right to
the estate except as trustee,
and that her husband had
directed in his will, of which he had appointed her
executrix, that the lease should be sold by her. (fn. 29)
The estate, however, ultimately passed to her son
William, a captain in the king's army, who compounded in 1647 for his delinquency, (fn. 30) and was
made a baronet as of Radclive in 1661, (fn. 31) when he
was member of Parliament for Buckingham. (fn. 32) At
his death in 1696 he was succeeded by his son Sir Thomas
Smyth, bart., (fn. 33) who held in
1711, (fn. 34) and at whose death
unmarried in 1732 (fn. 35) the
Akeley property, freehold and
leasehold, passed to his cousin
William Smyth (see Wavendon), according to the terms
of the first baronet's will. (fn. 36)
William Smyth, described as
a baronet in his will, proved
in 1741, left his lands in
Akeley to William, Thomas
and John King, sons of Margaret the daughter of the first
baronet, (fn. 37) by whom they were
probably alienated, for there is no later record of this
family in Akeley.
New College, Oxford. Argent two cheverons sable between three roses gules.
Smyth of Radclive, baronet. Sable a cheveron between six crosses formy fitchy argent with three fleurs de lis azure upon the cheveron.
The estate known in the 13th century and sub
sequently as the manor of STOCKHOLT, and from
the 14th century more usually called STOCKHOLT
BARNES, appears to have been included in Akeley
at the date of the Domesday Survey, and to have
been granted by Walter Giffard as parcel of that
manor to the priory of Longueville, whose prior
made various grants in Stockholt early in the 13th
century. (fn. 38) In 1235 Gilbert Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, the overlord, included Stockholt among other
Buckinghamshire manors, the issues of which were
granted by him to his sister, Eleanor Countess of
Pembroke, to hold until the payment of £400 which
he owed to her was complete. (fn. 39) It was accounted
parcel of the manor of Akeley, and was held of New
College as late as 1627. (fn. 40)
The nucleus of the manor appears to have been
4 acres of wood in Stockholt granted to Ralf Briton
in 1228 by the Prior of Longueville. (fn. 41) These he
received licence to inclose, and in the following year
acquired from the priory 12 acres of land in Stockholt 'in augmentum terre sue de Stocholt.' (fn. 42) In
1242 John de Ferentin had apparently acquired this
property, a grant of Stockholt being made by him on
1 February to John de Gatesden, (fn. 43) between whom
and Thomas de Aldham a fine was levied of the manor
of Stockholt in the time of Henry III. (fn. 44) John de
Gatesden's daughter Margaret held the manor with
her husband John de Cameys in 1279, when other
property was granted for life by them to Thomas
de Aldham's widow Isabel and her then husband
Richard de Pevenes. (fn. 45) The manor had passed to
Stephen de Trafford and Elizabeth his wife, apparently as the inheritance of Elizabeth, before 1332,
in which year Edmund de Ayete surrendered to
them all right which he had in the manor under a
lease at 8 marks yearly which they had made to
him. (fn. 46) In the same year Stephen and Elizabeth
granted a messuage and land in Akeley to Thomas
de Useflete, clerk, for life, to hold at a rent of
10 marks, with reversion to themselves and the heirs
of Elizabeth, (fn. 47) and in 1345 Stephen son of Stephen
de Trafford granted the manor for 100 marks to the
same Thomas de Useflete, (fn. 48) who in 1347, being then
Dean of St. Martin le Grand in London, conveyed
the manor to John Giffard, canon of St. Peter's, York,
and to John Holt, parson of Althorp Church, and the
heirs of John Giffard. (fn. 49) In 1352 John Holt granted
the manor, then first called Stockholt Barnes, to Adam
le Lorymer of Leominster and Agnes his wife, (fn. 50) to
whom in 1358 John son of Roger Giffard, kinsman
and heir of the late canon, released all his right in the
manor. (fn. 51) For more than a century the history of the
manor is obscure. It was held in 1412 by Thomas
Linford, (fn. 52) who had been succeeded in 1473 by
Thomas Littleton, by whom it was granted in that
year to Richard Fowler. (fn. 53) His son Sir Richard
Fowler was lord in 1507, (fn. 54) but Akeley had passed
before 1540 to George Baldry, who died seised of it
on 14 February of that year, (fn. 55) when he was succeeded
by Elizabeth, his year-old daughter and heir, who
about 1555 married Robert, second Lord Rich. (fn. 56)
Robert Lord Rich died in 1581, (fn. 57) and his widow,
at her marriage with her second husband Robert
Forthe, settled the manor in 1585 on herself and
her husband for life, with remainder successively in
tail-male to her second son Edwin Rich, and to her
grandsons Robert and Henry, sons of her eldest son
Robert Lord Rich. (fn. 58) She died on 1 December 1591, (fn. 59)
and six years later the manor was sold by Sir Edwin
Rich and his wife Margaret to John Lambert, or
Lambard, (fn. 60) of the Castle House in Buckingham. He
held Barton or Lambards Manor in Buckingham
(q.v.), with which Stockholt descended to his granddaughter and eventual heir, Mary Lambert. (fn. 61) She
made a settlement of the manor in 1641 on her
marriage with her second husband Edward Bagot, (fn. 62)
who succeeded his father as baronet in 1660. (fn. 63) In
1670 they settled the manor on their son and heirapparent Walter, (fn. 64) who succeeded his father in the
estate and title in 1673. (fn. 65) Three years later he
conveyed Stockholt Barnes to Simon Bennett of
Beachampton, (fn. 66) and from this date it descended with
Beachampton (fn. 67) (q.v.), until sold c. 1800 by James
Marquess of Salisbury to Robert Lord Carrington, (fn. 68)
by whom it was conveyed to the Duke of Buckingham. (fn. 69) The Duke sold it c. 1850 to Mr. A. J.
Robarts, whose grandson, Mr. Abraham Robarts,
now owns it.
Church
The church of ST. JAMES, consisting
of a chancel, nave, and a tower, with a
spire, on the south side, was rebuilt in
1854 in stone in the style of the 14th century and
restored in 1901. The churchyard was enlarged by
gift of Mr. George Attwood in 1903.
The church has two bells, one modern, and the
other by Richard Chandler, 1674.
The plate includes a cup and cover paten with
date-mark 1569.
The registers begin in 1682, the early volumes
having been burnt. (fn. 70)
Advowson
The church was granted with the
manor by Walter Giffard to Longueville Priory, (fn. 71) the presentation being
made by the Norman prior, (fn. 72) who had a pension of
£113s. 4d. in the church, (fn. 73) by the Prior of Newton
Longville, or by the king when the temporalities of
the English cell were in his hands by reason of war
with France, (fn. 74) until the grant of the manor to New
College. The advowson was held by New College
until 1873, (fn. 75) when it was transferred to Mr. C. Pilgrim,
who held it until 1892. (fn. 76) In 1893 and 1894 it was
held by Mr. E. A. Mounsey, and from 1895 to 1897
by the trustees of Mr. C. Pilgrim. From 1898 to
1911 it was vested in Mrs. Pilgrim, and is now in
the Church Association Trust. (fn. 77)
The church was returned as worth £6 13s. 4d.
yearly in 1535. (fn. 78)
In 1279 Robert, rector of the church, held 1 virgate of land, with which the church was endowed. (fn. 79)
Charities
The poor's allottment, containing
12a. 2r. 9p., was allotted for the
benefit of the poor on the inclosure
in 1794. The land is let in allotments, producing
about £12 a year. The net income is distributed in
money gifts to the poor.
Sir William Smyth, by his will proved in the
P.C.C. 10 February 1696–7, bequeathed £100 for
the benefit of the poor. The sum of £66 13s. 4d.,
part of the legacy, was invested in an annuity of
£2 13s. 4d. payable out of the rectory of Oving, and
the balance was placed out on a mortgage. The
mortgage, with considerable arrears of interest, was
paid off and invested in 1874 in £196 7s. 10d.
consols with the official trustees, producing £4 18s.
yearly. The income of the charity is by a scheme
of 31 July 1874 made applicable in supplying
clothes, bedding, fuel, &c., to the poor, in giving
pecuniary aid, and in aiding provident associations.
The distribution is usually made in coal.