BEEDON
Bydene (x cent.); Budene, Bedene (xi-xv cent.);
Bedone (xvi and xvii cent.); Beedon (xviii cent.).
The small parish of Beedon lies on the south slope
of the Berkshire downs to the west of the Didcot and
Newbury railway. The land rises from 435 ft. above
the ordnance datum in the south-west to 620 ft. in
the extreme north. The parish contains 2,012 acres,
of which 1,706 are arable, 217 permanent grass and
89 woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The chief crops are
wheat, barley and oats. The soil is principally chalk
and clay, with a chalk subsoil, but there are beds of
sand and clay at the south-east corner of the parish,
where there is a brick-yard. No railway or canal
passes through the parish, and the nearest railway
station is at Hampstead Norris, 4 miles away, but
the high road from Newbury to Oxford runs along
the eastern side and for a short distance forms the
parish boundary. The village lies partly around the
church near the centre of the parish and partly along
the Newbury and Oxford road to the east. There
are very few houses near the church. Next to it on
the north side is the red brick manor-house, mainly of
the late 17th century, and now a farm. Outside the
portion containing the kitchen and offices is a stone
inscribed with the date 1553 and initials which may
be W S and C S. The wall in which it is set forms
the back of the kitchen fireplace, and has been rebuilt
of various shaped stones mixed with flint. It is
probable that this portion is on the foundations of
the 16th-century building. The village is a quarter
of a mile to the south and is mostly composed of
modern brick buildings with tiled or slated roofs.
There is a hamlet called Stanmore (Stanmere,
x cent.), which seems to have been at one time a
distinct vill. It now consists of two farm-houses and
a few brick cottages. Two adjoining commons,
known respectively as Beedon Common and Stanmore
Common, in the south-west corner of the parish, were
inclosed in 1854. Copies of the inclosure awards are
in the custody of the vicar. The population is
mainly agricultural, though the brick-kiln gives employment to a few men.
At Stanmore there is a large bell-shaped barrow
which was excavated in 1815. (fn. 2) A number of fragments of Roman pottery and Roman coins were
discovered near the brick-kiln in 1878. (fn. 3) Old Street,
which has been thought to be a Roman road, passes
through the parish. (fn. 4)
Manors
In 965 King Edgar granted to the
abbey of Abingdon 5 cassatae of land
at BEEDON (fn. 5) and other lands there
were left to the abbey in 1015 by Eadwy, a prince
of Wessex. (fn. 6) Thus it came about that in Domesday
Book the abbey is entered as holding the whole of
Beedon. (fn. 7) The overlordship remained with the abbey
of Abingdon, which held of the king by barony
until the 16th century. In 1505–6 the manor is
described as held of the abbey, (fn. 8) and in 1538, when
the abbot surrendered his estates to the king, (fn. 9) the
overlordship of the abbey seems to have lapsed.
Before the Conquest the abbey's tenant had been
Norman, who was adscriptus glebae, but by the time
of the Domesday Survey the manor was held under
the abbey by Walter de Rivers by military service,
while an unnamed knight held 2 hides, apparently of
Walter. (fn. 10) Walter de Rivers on his death left an
infant son of the same name. Before the year 1100
Joscelin, brother of the late tenant, claimed the
manor, in the king's court, but Rainald, the abbot,
interceded for the infant Walter, and it was arranged
that Joscelin should hold the manor for him until he
came of age. (fn. 11) A few years later a dispute arose
between Joscelin and Abbot Faritius as to whether
the tenure was for the service of two or three knights,
but the tenant finally agreed that it should be for
three. (fn. 12) In 1166–7 Boamund rendered account for
half a mark from this manor, (fn. 13) and between 1175
and 1190 we find W. de Rivers again described as
the abbey's military tenant in Beedon, which is
returned as 11 hides. (fn. 14) He was probably the William
de Rivers who in 1218 did homage to Hugh
Abbot of Abingdon for land in Beedon, (fn. 15) and the
Testa de Nevill (fn. 16) describes Walter de Rivers as
holding one and a half fees of the abbot in Beedon,
while another entry describes the tenure as two and
a half knights' fees. (fn. 17)
Abingdon Abbey. Argent a cross paty between four martlets sable.
Rivers. Azure two bars dancetty or.
In 1315 and 1320 Warine de Lisle is returned as
lord of the vill of Beedon. (fn. 18) He took part in the
rebellion of Robert Earl of Lancaster, and was hanged
at Pomfret in 1322, when his lands were forfeited.
In 1326–7 the king granted to Alice widow of
Warine and daughter of Henry le Tyes of Chilton
the custody of the manor of Beedon, (fn. 19) and in 1336
she had a grant of free warren there and licence to
inclose 300 acres of wood and 100 acres of waste to
make a park. (fn. 20) She was succeeded by her son Gerard
de Lisle, who died seised of the manor in 1360, (fn. 21)
when he was followed by his son Warine, who died
soon after. His only son Gerard had died childless
during his father's lifetime, and the manor devolved
upon Warine's widow Joan, who died seised of it in
1392, (fn. 22) when it passed to her only daughter Margaret,
married to Thomas Lord Berkeley. He died in
1417 seised of this manor, which passed to Elizabeth,
his only daughter, wife of Richard Beauchamp Earl
of Warwick. (fn. 23) The earl was holding two and a half
knights' fees here in 1428, (fn. 24) and died seised of the
manor in 1439, when it passed to his daughter
Eleanor (fn. 25) wife of Thomas Lord Roos of Hamelake.
Lord Roos died in 1431, and was succeeded by his
eldest son Thomas, who married Philippa daughter
of John Lord Tiptoft. Thomas was beheaded after
the battle of Hexham in 1464, during the lifetime of
his mother, leaving two sons, John, who died childless,
and Edmund, who succeeded to the title, and in 1485
obtained a reversal of his father's attainder, and two
daughters, Eleanor married to Sir Robert Manners
and Isabel married to Sir Thomas Lovell.
Lisle. Gules aleopard argent with a golden crown.
Roos. Gules three water bougets argent.
After the death of her first husband Eleanor
married about 1435 Edmund Beaufort, afterwards
Duke of Somerset, and in 1447 they by a fine conveyed this manor to trustees. (fn. 26) The duke was killed
at the battle of St. Albans in 1455, but Eleanor
retained the manor, of which she died seised 6 March
1467. (fn. 27) Edmund Lord Roos, her grandson, was
found to be her heir, and seems to have inherited
her lands, (fn. 28) but, as he became feeble-minded, the
custody of his lands was granted in 1492 to his
brother-in-law Sir Thomas Lovell, with remainder
to the Crown. (fn. 29)
Edmund Lord Roos died childless 13 October
1508, and the following year the king appointed Sir
Robert Southwell to be steward of his lands. (fn. 30) His
sisters would under ordinary circumstances have been
his heirs. Of these Isabel Lady Lovell died about
this time without issue, while Eleanor Lady Manners
had died in 1487, leaving a son George. It would
seem, however, that in consequence of the grant of
1492 the estates passed to the Crown.
On 27 July 1509 the king granted Beedon, said to
be 'in the king's hands by the death of the Duchess
of Somerset,' apparently only for life, (fn. 31) to Joan Lady
Howth, widow of Sir Richard Frye, daughter of
Eleanor by her second husband Edmund Duke of
Somerset. (fn. 32) If we may identify her with the 'domina
Johanna Beyford' she was holding the manor in
1517. (fn. 33) She must have died soon afterwards, for
in that year the king granted the manor for twentyone years to Robert Sewey. (fn. 34) In 1520 the reversion
was granted to Sir William Fitzwilliam, afterwards
Earl of Southampton, and Mabel his wife in tailmale. (fn. 35) The earl died without issue in 1542, but
his widow still held in 1547 (fn. 36) ; she died in 1550. (fn. 37)
In 1544 the reversion was sold for £216 to William
Thomas, who had licence to alienate it to Sir Arthur
Darcy. (fn. 38) In 1547 Sir Arthur and others sold the
reversion of the manor to John Stoner and William
Spicer, and a deed of partition between the two
seems to have eventually resulted in John Stoner
obtaining the main part of the estate. (fn. 39) His son
Henry Stoner (fn. 40) sold the manor in 1559 to Anne
Reade widow and Thomas Reade. (fn. 41)
Henry Manners, Earl of Rutland, great-grandson
of Sir Robert Manners who had married Eleanor
sister of Edmund Lord Roos, was a party to this sale,
and seems to have thus finally quitclaimed any title
or interest of his family in Beedon.
The Reades already held lands in this parish, for
Thomas Reade and Anne his wife dealt with lands
here in 1545. (fn. 42) Thomas Reade, their son, who with
his mother purchased the manor, lived at Barton
Court near Abingdon. He came into possession of
the manor at the death of his mother in 1576, (fn. 43)
settled it on his son Thomas in 1596, (fn. 44) and died
seised of it 25 December 1604. (fn. 45)
In 1615 Sir Thomas Reade, kt., received from
the king a grant of view of frankpledge, &c., in the
manor. (fn. 46) His eldest son Thomas died during his
father's lifetime in 1637, and the manor eventually
came to his eldest son Compton Reade, created a
baronet 4 March 1660–1. He died on 29 September 1679 (fn. 47) and was succeeded by his son Sir Edward
Reade, who died in 1691, when the manor passed to
his elder son Winwood, who only lived nine months
longer, being succeeded in 1692 by his brother
Thomas. (fn. 48) He and his mother Elizabeth, who had
married as her second husband a man named Farmer,
settled messuages and lands in Beedon in 1714, (fn. 49)
and at his death in 1752 Sir Thomas Reade was
succeeded by his only son John, who settled the
manor in 1759 (fn. 50) on his marriage with Harriet
daughter and heir of William Barker of Sonning,
Berks. At his death 9 November 1773 the manor
passed to his eldest son John, who died in 1789,
having married Jane only daughter of Sir Chandos
Hoskyns, bart. His widow appears to have retained
the manor of Beedon as her portion, for she is
mentioned as owning the manor early in the 19th
century. (fn. 51) She died 17 December 1847, and on 28
October 1857 the manor was sold by her son Sir
John Chandos Reade to Lewis Loyd, a London
banker, whose son Samuel Jones Loyd was created
Lord Overstone of Overstone and Fotheringay,
Northants, 5 March 1850. (fn. 52)
Reade. Gules a saltire between four sheaves or.
Loyd, Lord Overstone. Party bend sinisterwise ermine and argent an eagle sable with two heads in a border sable with bezants.
Plan of Beedon Church
Lord Overstone died 17 November 1883, when
the manor passed to his only daughter Harriet Sarah,
the wife of Lieut.-Col. Robert James Lindsay, V.C.,
who on his marriage assumed by royal licence the
prefix, surname and arms of Loyd. Col. Loyd
Lindsay was M.P. for Berkshire from 1865 to 1885,
when he was elevated to the peerage as Lord
Wantage of Lockinge, and died 10 June 1901, when
the peerage became extinct. (fn. 53) His widow, the Lady
Wantage, is the present owner of the manor.
In 948 King Edred granted STANMORE to his
thane Wulfric, (fn. 54) who seems to have forfeited these
lands, as they were restored to him with other lands
by King Edgar in 960. (fn. 55) At his death he left them
to the abbey of Abingdon. (fn. 56)
As no further mention of these lands as a separate
manor can be found, and as there is no notice of
them in the Domesday Survey, doubtless the abbey
attached them to their adjoining manor of Beedon.
In 1559 Henry Earl of Rutland and Henry Stoner,
when conveying the manor of Beedon to Anne and
Thomas Reade, conveyed also messuages, lands and
rents in Beedon, Stanmore and Peasemore. (fn. 57) There
are similar allusions in some of the later records of
Beedon Manor already referred to. (fn. 58) Stanmore
appears, however, to have been considered a distinct
vill, as separate awards were made in 1854 for inclosing
the commons of Beedon and Stanmore, although they
adjoined and had no obvious boundary.
Church
The church of ST. NICHOLAS consists of a chancel measuring internally
31 ft. 3 in. by 18 ft. 3 in., nave 51 ft.
7 in. by 22 ft. and a south porch.
The building dates almost wholly from about 1220,
the plan remaining unaltered and most of the original
windows being preserved or traceable above those
inserted in the late 14th century, which are the only
later ones. Such modern restoration as exists is good.
The porch and bell-turret are modern.
The east wall of the chancel has three lancet windows, externally and internally moulded and labelled
and having free shafts with annulets and foliated
capitals between the internal
splays and on either side. The
moulded internal sill string is
mostly modern except portions
along the side walls. In its
original state the chancel had
three lancets in each side wall,
internally moulded and labelled
on both faces, but the easternmost in either wall and the
westernmost on the south side
have been replaced by 14thcentury windows; the head of
the north-east lancet can be seen
inside and out above the latter,
but the outline of the head of
the south-east lancet is only visible inside. No
traces are visible of the south-west lancet. The
14th-century windows on the south are of two
lights, while that on the north is of three lights;
all have square traceried heads. In the eastern jamb
of the north-east window is a small rough niche
for a figure with a crocketed finial of the 15th century.
Between the middle and westernmost south windows
is a priest's doorway with a moulded two-centred
head, over which the sill string is carried. The
jambs with their shafts and the moulded outer order
of the arch are modern. In the south wall is also a
small modern trefoiled piscina. Externally there are
no buttresses, and the walls have a coating of cement,
which has been removed in parts, exposing the original
flint facing. There are string-courses at the springing
level of the heads of the east lancets and at their sills,
but these have been almost entirely renewed. The
chancel arch, which is narrow and pointed, is of two
moulded orders, the outer continuous, and the inner
springing from short tapering corbel shafts, that on
the north side finished with a small grotesque face;
the capitals have foliation of an early type, and the
northern one is cut away for a screen.
The nave has two lancets with moulded external
jambs and a doorway between them on either side.
The south doorway has a pointed external head of
two orders, the inner hollow-chamfered and continuous with the jambs, and the outer moulded with
a keeled edge roll and springing from detached jamb
shafts with carved capitals much decayed. The
wooden porch is modern. The plain north doorway,
which is now blocked, is pointed and has moulded
abaci. The west window is a wide lancet with
detail like that of the side windows and apparently
of the same date. Externally the nave walls are
cemented, but parts of the flint work are exposed.
On one of the quoins of the south-east angle is an
ancient sundial.
The chancel has a modern wood ceiling above
the present roof line, the weathering of the original
high-pitched roof may still be seen on the east
wall of the nave. The nave roof is of the late
14th century and is of plain oak with purlins
stiffened by wind braces; the spaces between
the rafters are plastered. Both roofs are tiled.
Above the west end of the nave is the modern
tiled bell-turret, which has a shingled spire, and
is carried on a timber framework rising from
the floor of the nave. The font is probably
contemporary with the church, and is of tub
form, tapering down to a plinth or base mould
with a roll edge. There are no old monuments.
Of the five bells four are by Knight of Reading and are dated 1615, 1662, 1675 and 1683;
a new one by Mears & Stainbank was added in
1899 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of
Queen Victoria.
The plate comprises an Elizabethan cup and
cover dated 1577 with the hall mark of the
previous year, a silver paten of 1882, a silvermounted glass cruet of 1872, and a pewter paten,
almsdish, and flagon.
The registers date from 1732, the earliest book
containing baptisms from that year to 1785,
marriages 1733 to 1754 and burials 1733 to
1786; the second book has baptisms from 1786
to 1812 and burials from 1794 to 1812; the
third is the printed book of marriages from 1754
to 1812.
Advowson
Like many other manors in
the neighbourhood belonging to
the abbey of Abingdon, Beedon was
originally included in the parish of Chieveley, and a
chapel dependent upon Chieveley Church is mentioned here in 1291 (fn. 59) and 1308. (fn. 60) In 1526 the
incumbent, John Kynersley, is styled perpetual vicar
of Beedon, (fn. 61) while in 1538 the advowson of the church
of Beedon is spoken of, (fn. 62) and since this date Beedon
has apparently been a separate parish. In 1291 the
value of the pension arising from the chapel, which
belonged to the Abbot of Abingdon, is returned at
6s. 8d. and the tithes at 8d., (fn. 63) while in 1541 the
portion of tithes belonging to the abbey is returned
at the value of £3 13s. 4d. (fn. 64) The advowson belonged
to the abbey of Abingdon, which received licence in
1308 to appropriate the tithes. (fn. 65) The abbot surrendered the advowson and rectory in 1538 to the
king, (fn. 66) who granted them in 1545 to Edward
Fettiplace. (fn. 67) Fettiplace had licence the same year to
alienate them to Sir Anthony Lee, (fn. 68) which alienation
took place the following year. (fn. 69) In 1554 the rectory
was held by Cromwell Lee. (fn. 70) By 1563 Anne Reade
held the rectory, (fn. 71) and Thomas Reade died seised of
both rectory and advowson in 1604. (fn. 72) Since then
the advowson has always passed with the manor,
though Edward Weston, yeoman, presented to the
living in 1628 and the king in 1731. (fn. 73)
Beedon Church: The Nave looking East
There are no endowed charities.