Having now as far as possible traced the history that is available regarding our village green, the farms and occupants, one must now cross the Lower Icknield Way to the large area already mentioned in the introduction which was, before the coming of the Saxons in the sixth century, the probable site of our first settlement on the lower slopes of Lince Hill above the present reservoirs.
We are extremely fortunate to have in our village a copy of the 1719 map drawn for Lord Gore, the then Lord of the Manor, which gives the names of most of these moors and large open fields, and shows all the tracks that crossed our area nearly one hundred years before events which led to the great upheaval caused by the enclosures in the later 1700s.
The Lower Icknield Way is by far the most important, and many questions have been asked regarding this ancient way and where it crossed our village boundary. Over the years also historians have written books dealing with its use and its importance throughout the centuries. How traders and merchants from the continent travelled along this route through the country quite one thousand and five hundred years BC. One likes to think that the small section of the road on the southern boundary of our village was probably used by these travellers in those far distant times.
But these historians with the Upper Icknield Way in mind are of the opinion, taking into account the boggy nature of the area and the weather conditions during many months of the year, that the track would differ. During the very wet winter months the upper slopes would be used, moving down to our region during the dry summers, the general opinion being that the Upper Icknield Way would probably be the one most used.
Crossing the Moors must have been a major problem throughout the earliest of times. Most of the land from below the cemetery to the borders of Drayton Beauchamp was named and still is known as The Moors changing to Black Moor from the reservoir onwards. It is well recorded that where "Black" prefixes a plot of land this is unsuitable for use and best avoided.
Three hundred years ago conditions had improved but, with the upheavals during the latter 1700s which consisted of cutting through the country of the Grand Junction Canal, great changes were to occur. Not many years were to pass before, with the increasing volume of traffic on the canal, more and more water was needed especially during the summer months and, by the early 1800s, a section of the Moor was taken over and Wilstone No.1 reservoir laid down.
This was originally used for the storage of surplus water diverted during the winter months and returned to the feeder when needed. A large pump house and engineer's cottage were erected on the arm above the reservoir. Much has been written of the canal's early history and all the many problems encountered which eventually led to the erection of the large pumping station at Little Tring.
As regards Wilstone, more and more water being needed, two further enlargements were made, one in 1811 and 1827, the last to its present size in 1839, the area of water now covering 20 acres.
What must have concerned the villagers most was the closing of the centuries old lanes, especially the one crossing the Moors into Tring. This lane, which left the south-western corner of the village green, passed behind the present Pear Tree Cottage, was known until recent years as Deans Lane, for some years Wells Lane but throughout the 19th century as Newmans Lane, Mr Newman being the owner of the wheelwright's business. After passing over the Moor and Miswell Hill, this followed a winding track past Miswell Farm eventually reaching the Upper Icknield Way opposite Miswell Lane.
From the Tring Court Rolls of 1800, with the taking over of the land this lane was then declared a private road. A swing bridge was placed across the Wendover Arm for the purpose of access to the fields and pumping station, leaving a footpath through Little Tring. To compensate for the change, the new road, which passes the cemetery over Wilstone Hill, was opened but the gradual taking over of the land must have affected a number of families who occupied the small closes along the old lane. From this early map one can see where a number of these were situated.
No records are available but it is possible dwellings could have existed, apart from those known to stand at the lower end of the lane. Memories of many old residents, some quoting their parents and grandparents, have mentioned one in use as a school and this is named in one of Mr Newman's earliest photographs as being a Dame's School.
The first census returns of 1841 do mention a school, the master being James Barber aged 30, his wife aged 20, with two children. Could this have been the site of an earlier school? Again nothing is known of this school, but it is interesting in the earliest register of Wilstone School one little boy is mentioned as "formally of Dame's School" but, with the opening of Wilstone School in 1848 Mr Barber must have moved on for his name is missing from the later lists of villagers.
Mr Newman's photographs taken during the 19th century show a very well-kept corner of our village with children standing by the fences of half-timbered cottages.
But to return to the scraps of information gleaned from the very old residents: both Mr Harry Cartwright and Mr Joe Edwards could recall all the many thatched barns and, standing back in a garden, an old thatched cottage where lived Charlie Collins, the local fishmonger. He moved into the village when his house was demolished by Lord Rothschild. In fact, Mr Edwards, who was born in 1874, was sure there were seven cottages in all, some in the small paddock just before one crosses the stile to the reservoir banks. He could remember the saw pit and large workshop behind the cottage. He also remembered a Mr Timson and Mr Dean with the ploughs, vans and carts that stood in the yard. But by 1886 only four cottages with gardens are mentioned. These, with Pear Tree Cottage with garden and the wheelwright's business, together with six brick and slated cottages in Newmans Row, Green End Street, Aston Clinton, were sold by auction at the New Bell Hotel, Aston Clinton.
This marked the end of the Newman family who had resided in the village for over one hundred years.
The first mention of the Newmans comes from the family records in early 1800 when Thomas Newman of Wilstone married Kezia Hall of Marsworth. Thomas aged 27, whose place of birth was recorded as Wilstone, was then living at Pear Tree Cottage. This cottage, erected in 1813 probably by this family, built on part of the village green, was enlarged at a little later date to cater for his large family.
No records exist of a previous wheelwright's business but, as with the Old Forge, this would have been an essential part of village life. One wonders if any previous property could have been situated in the old lane and, with the enlarging of the reservoirs, the business moved to a more convenient position facing the Wilstone turn and in a convenient position on the new road being laid to Buckland and Aston Clinton.
A pit for the sawing of logs was placed on the eastern side of the cottage and the garden mentioned in the last sale of the property, still existing today, could well have been during the 19th century a storage area for the logs and other large pieces of timber. But little is recorded of the stay of Kezia, Thomas and their nine children. It was in 1843 when, upon the death of his father, George, their eldest, son became the wheelwright. His mother had died two years previously.
Mr George Newman was very methodical in his business dealings and much information is known from a surviving account book of 1847. From this book one can follow the everyday life of a typical village businessman both in his business and running the home. In the 1851 census he is recorded as being a master wheelwright employing one man and a journeyman wheelwright, known also through the district as a country builder, carpenter and joiner and, as required, undertaker. A staunch non-conformist, he supported many local chapels, being regular in his visits to Buckland and Wingrave. He made many donations to various causes which included Wilstone School where his children attended in their early years, paying for extra tuition upon their leaving. One gathers that this must have been a very prosperous business but Wilstone Chapel is never mentioned.
He was however a well-liked member of our community, so much so that he was elected to the position of Parish Constable, the last constable elected in the village. During a previous chapter, I wrote of the many duties these gentlemen were expected to perform. An entirely honourable position, unpaid but, if in trouble and needing assistance, he could demand it from anyone in the vicinity who would receive a little for their trouble.
It was the result of a disturbance in the Half Moon in 1860 when, not feeling well and it being a very rough night, he was called to take a man to the Tring Cage to be detained. Upon his return home his illness worsened and this led to his death on 7 March 1860 at Pear Tree Cottage.
From then on, Elizabeth Newman, classed as a domestic manager, carried on the business with outside assistance until her son, John, was old enough to assist her. But J T Newman's interest was photography and all his spare time was spent touring the countryside with a large camera strapped to his cane bicycle. His name goes down in history as one of Hertfordshire's pioneer photographers and many of the old photographs that exist today come from his very large collection.
It is interesting to record that the Communion Table in Wilstone Church was made in the workshop at Pear Tree Cottage and the names of the carpenters were Timson and Dean, well-known villagers, both lived locally either in the cottages adjoining or the top of the Green. This table was presented by the Rev Masters of Long Marston in 1878. Upon the death of Mrs Newman in 1886, John sold his many properties in and around the village, moving to Berkhamsted where he carried on a very well patronised photographer's studio opposite the Parish Church of St Peter.
Elizabeth Newman was buried with George, her husband, and two infants in Marsworth Churchyard, one of the few remaining graves with headstones at the front of the church near the road.
The next occupant, Mr Joseph Hare, was already renting the property and business when this was sold to Lord Rothschild in 1886. During the early years of his stay he continued to carry on as in Mr Newman's days, and many old villagers could remember the making of brewers' drays for the large brewery at Ivinghoe, Roberts & Wilsons (Wells), with ploughs and the usual farm wagons but, towards the end of the century, conditions were changing and no mention is made of what once must have been a very busy saw pit.
With the forming of the local Parish Council, more and more general work was undertaken and he seems to have concentrated on local building and general house repairs. He was connected with many projects in the village, the erecting of the fence around the first sewage system in Wick Mead Field by the canal. During the laying down of the burial ground in 1898 his name is mentioned, and in September of 1891 he was engaged to carry out repairs to the Well Head, gates and fences on the Poors Land, the site of the old allotments in Rose Lane owned by the Tring Charities Committee.
He too was billed as being a carpenter, builder and wheelwright, undertaker, etc. Although not mentioned as being a resident of Wilstone, one of his children, Elizabeth Hare, attended Wilstone School during 1875. It is possible that Mr Hare, a fully qualified tradesman, was the outside assistance managing the business after Mr Newman's death, eventually taking over after the sale in 1886.
Pear Tree Cottage was so named because of the unusual pear tree in the front garden. This produced two kinds of pears and, according to the descendants of the Newman family, was still standing in 1932.
The last recorded entry concerning Mr Hare comes from Kelly's Directory of 1906. He was still classed in business as a wheelwright and it would be interesting to discover just how long he remained in Pear Tree Cottage. There is one small reminder of his stay with us however. It was a common practice among builders to leave a trademark of their work. It so happens that his signature can still be seen scratched at the window of 62 Tring Road which was built around 1875-6.
It was during 1924 when the cottage, garden and property was again for sale, this with various Rothchild's properties in Wilstone and the surrounding villages. From this bill of sale one was aware of the many alterations that must have taken place over the years. No mention is made of previous owners or occupations. Then Pear Tree House was described as:
| "An excellent smallholding, comprising of a small brick and tiled residence, with a range of outbuildings with a large garden, in all two acres, twenty-two poles. A very good orchard containing also a range of timber and corrugated iron pigsties. The property is let to Mr H Poulton on a six-monthly tenancy of £19." |
An interesting line appears under these particulars:
| "The exclusive right of sporting and fowling over the lot is reserved to the vendors for 99 years." |
Mr and Mrs Poulton with their semi-invalid son, Oliver, must have moved into this property some years previously. Most of the older villagers can remember them, and a few could remember Mrs Poulton who died during the war years. Very little was done to improve the property but Mr Poulton and Olly, as he was known, carried on until the death of Mr Poulton in 1966. Oliver then continued on his own for a number of years but conditions deteriorated to such an extent that eventually the property changed hands and Olly was taken into care. He died during 1998 and was buried in Buckland churchyard. Pear Tree Cottage was sold and in recent years has been renovated and extended.
The last property on our journey is Wilstone Little Farm which stood until the turn of the century on the Aston Clinton side of the large black barn now in use as a storage depot for the farm shop. Very few could remember this farmhouse.
There was an oil painting of a very attractive gabled building surrounded by gardens at Great Farm, and in latter years in Mr and the Miss Woodmans villa in New Road, I believe painted by one of the family.
Although no details have been written of any past history, one has the impression, being situated on Lower Icknield Way and taking into account the age of the barns in the adjoining farm yard, that the property must have been of some importance.
It was for many years the home of the Southernwood family who moved into our area from Leicestershire early in the 19th century on land owned by Sir Drummond Smith, the then Lord of the Manor of Tring.
George Southernwood, with his wife and four children with a female servant, are recorded as living in Little farm when the first census was compiled in 1840, but it is known that the family were well established here before 1830 in year, well known as a time of much interest among the labouring classes throughout most of the country. We seem to have escaped the worst of the troubles which were attributed to the after effects of the enclosures of the open fields, and the land being taken over by the large landowners. There was no fixed rate of pay for those working on the land, the wages in most cases dictated by the owners, with very little concern for the plight of the very poor which included those on parish relief.
This led to many reports of stealing from farms around our district and resulted in an association of farmers being formed in Tring offering quite large rewards to those who could give information for the conviction of the culprits. Very few farmers in the district were exempt from these troubles and the following are a few examples taken at random from those within the village.
In 1830 a duck and drake were stolen from the premises of Mr Richard Grange (Manor Farm). The reward offered for information was one guinea and a half.
And in 1831 a black cart mare was taken from the premises of Mr Thomas Southernwood of Wilstone Little Farm, the reward offered then being fifteen guineas. Two years later a grey mare about eight years old was taken from the same farm, but in this case only five guineas was offered.
Sheep stealing called for more rewards and stiffer sentences on those convicted. Mr W Woodman of Great Farm lost an ewe sheep from his property in 1836, reward fifteen guineas, as did Mr Greening from his farm at Chapel End. Fifteen guineas must have been a fortune to those on 9 shillings per week. A lot was made of the stealing of fish from the reservoirs and a warden was appointed. However, leaving those "Good Old Days?......
By 1860 conditions had improved and, returning to Southernwoods, by this time a new generation had taken over Little Farm and the census of that year could record a farm of over 120 acres, employing three men and three boys, Mr George Southernwood, his wife and family, with a house servant. With their long stay in the village however no mention is made in any records of their involvement in village life, not until 1878 when Mr George Southernwood and family made donations towards the building of St Cross Church. Little Farm is not mentioned on that occasion, the address being given as Long Marston. The Southernwoods had then moved to a farm on the Gubblecote-Long Marston road on land belonging to the Rothschilds, who had taken over the estate of William ???, the then Lord of the Manor in 1872. With the farm being named New Farm, it is possible this was rebuilt during the 1870s, now known as Great Farm and still owned by the same family.
The land around Little Farm was added onto that on Great Farm and the house, which was probably in need of much repair, was let for some years to various families, the last being Mr and Mrs Chappin, who eventually moved into the village at the turn of the 20th century. Mr George Chappin could just remember the house being demolished after their moving.