Tracing a town's birth
Beaconsfield an ‘upland settlement’ settled in probably 877 AD by Danes. Most of the settlement was in Burnham and that north of Ledborough Lane in Hertfordshire. As in Burnham not mentioned separately in the Domesday Book but as part of Burnham. Oldest name in town is Gregory who lived here in 1230-1240. A William de Bekensfield is found 1n 1225. Reginald de Burnham youngest son of Feudal Lord of Burnham a Saxon was the first resident squire. Originally Beaconsfield a collection of farms in hamlets, Overs farm, Lillyfee and Castlemans. In late middle ages second Richard Gregorys bought land in and around Beaconsfield. Great detail is given of early settlers including the Basse family, Alexander Ledburgh family (Ledborough), William Seeley (Seeleys ), family de Wetton (Wilton) Richard Copseph (Copshrews. By the end of the era Hall Barn and Gregories owned most of the parish and Wattleton, Ledborough, Hunts (part of Overs farm), Gotts, Bull,Shepherds, Bullocks Acre and Knotty Green farms have disappeared. Davenies farm was incorporated into Davenies School. 3 farms in Holtspur existed the largest Kings Head part of the Inn. Seeleys Farmhouse over 400 years old associated with Sir Joshua Reynolds who stayed on the farm and had been commissioned to paint a picture for Catherine Empress of Russia. He used the farmers son William Rolfe as her ideal subject. Photos included
Creator
Moore, BarbaraDate of creation
1970Date of coverage
[0877-1970]Place
BeaconsfieldContributor
Crane,HerbertCopyright
Beaconsfield Historical SocietyReference number
P-HC/A/033Access
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