Leaving the Recreation Ground (or the Wilstone Close) we now turn into the old village, this corner being the lower point of the original Saxon village and which, according to historians, was the probable site of the first settlement during the 6th century.
Berrywick and Wick Mead Fields, which are mentioned in the Doomsday entries under Tring, lay behind the present long row of cottages, built, as were so many throughout the early 19th century, during the building boom which took place with the coming of the canals and reservoirs and the industrial revolution.
Previous to their erection in around 1850, our earliest map shows a number of probably half-timbered cottages on the site, with an orchard to the boundary of the present recreation ground. Half-timbered cottages also stood in Sand Brook Lane, the remaining two being occupied until just before the last war and were still standing minus their thatched roofs until the 1950s.
As regards the lane, one can see from old maps that this bridleway, previous to the Enclosure Acts of 1796, carried on around Pond Close, the small area on the corner of Wick Mead Field (the storage spot now for manure) through into Buckinghamshire joining other old bridleways leading to Broughton and Aylesbury.
During the latter months of the 19th century many complaints were received by the first Parish Council regarding this bridleway, which throughout centuries was a regular driveway for cattle, and at times, coupled with the local smallholders' fowls and an odd goat or two, had become well nigh impassable during the winter months.
However during 1902, with celebrations in hand for the coronation of King Edward and Queen Alexandra, it was agreed that a start be made to rectify this, and the Wilstone Councillors were asked to stake out a way through to the fields. Only one trivial complaint was reported since, and this 20 years later in the parish records but, with all being quiet since then, one assumes that from then on the way was cleared and fenced making reasonable access possible.
Now a well-kept road carries on to the Wick Mead Field and, with the building in the lane of the three houses since 1950, together with the modern sewage pumping system in the Berry Wick Field, this has become a well-kept right of way.
As regards the row of cottages, gone are the Victorian iron railings which at one time bordered the Tring Road (or Main Street as it was called until October 1966), the result of the shortage of iron during the war years.
Gone also is the Little Shop, on the corner of Tring Road and Sandbrook Lane, kept by a Mrs Denchfield for well over 50 years. This, the last of our cottage shops, carried on after her death with various owners but was eventually closed in 1979. Old residents could remember others in this row that sold sweets, and how during the early 1900s one was an evening plaiting school, one of a number that existed in the village, where the children were taught this trade, a cottage industry, the history of which will be described more fully toward the end of this chapter. One was also the home of the local policeman for many years.
Opposite, where 64 and 66 stand today, stood a cluster of half-timbered thatched cottages, one of which protruded into the road. Part of the footings of some of these old buildings can still be seen in the base of the boundary wall. An unusual three-storey brick dwelling had been created between these old cottages, this probably dating from the late 18th century and up a little alley stood a small two-roomed cottage, one up and one down, the home of an old lady, "Granny Lester", who I am told also sold a few sweets.
The two remaining thatched cottages had been converted into one dwelling. According to old deeds, the whole corner, which included the Hop Pole Ale House, was named Lilac Corner and was owned for many years by the Proctor family. The name Proctor at one time could be found in all our villages, their trade being hedgers, ditchers and mainly thatchers, and we shall come across them many times in our journey through our village.
When the present houses were erected in the early 1930s one was still named Lilac Cottage but, with the numbering of the village properties, this has now gone although a lilac tree is still growing on the boundary of this old property.
Rose Cottage, Culverkeys or, as it is now numbered 62, was built by a Mr Waring around 1876-8 and replaced two old cottages which stood some way back from the road.
One old resident could remember a wall running in front of this property and a very large walnut tree overhanging the road. These cottages are shown on our earliest maps: in fact, from the deeds, a very complete history of these dwellings has been obtained dating back into the 17th century.
John Gregory, a yeoman farmer living at Marsworth, owned this land until 1817, when it was bought by Francis Wells for £80. He was a dealer in the straw plaiting industry. Other well known old village names followed, such as Seabrooks and Nash, but the land and cottages were eventually bought by a Mr Thomas Waring of Buckland in 1874 for £70.
Waring was a devout churchman and settled in Wilstone when plans were being discussed to build St Cross Church in which he took a keen interest and where he became one of the first churchwardens. According to old residents, he applied to become landlord of the Half Moon but some years previously had fallen foul of the law on some trivial offence and this, together with an objection by a local non-conformist landowner, resulted in the application being refused.
By trade he was a carter and general dealer, making frequent journeys near or into London, with hay and straw, returning with general goods. He it was who built the present house (No. 62) in 1876-8 and about this time purchased a number of cottages opposite. These were let at the beginning of the century for "one shilling and ten pence" per week, and he nearly had a riot on his hands when he raised the rents by "one penny" per week.
When Mr Waring died in 1912 the property was sold to a Mr Blygh of Tring for £200. He was interred in Buckland Church cemetery.
Before one moves to the Half Moon, it is well that we again cross the road and endeavour to form a picture of this busy corner of our village. These two strips of land which followed the Long Row were well marked out where 17, 19, 21, 23 stand today, and 30 years ago were referred to as yards. However both had cottages built on them and both rows of three ran end on to the road. These cottages were very old and must have occupied this site for centuries.
When Wilstone, like most villages in our area, formed a brass band, I was told by Mr Cartwright, one old inhabitant, how they used to meet in one of these cottages for practice, so one assumes they had rooms of reasonable size. They were, I imagine, occupied during the early part of this century.
What however is important about the spot is the stream which is piped from the well underground. A large stone was sunk into the bank against the wall of No. 17 and was the place where most villagers obtained water for their everyday chores. It is well to remember that piped water only appeared in the village around the 1970s and, apart from an occasional well and the village pump 1930, this was their only water supply. Old people referred to this stone as the Keeching Stone. The term to "keech" water out of the brook is not commonly used in this district and comes more from the Buckinghamshire villages around. One imagines this was a regular morning chore for the village boys before attending the village school.
The former farm yard, which at one time followed, was without doubt the most picturesque spot in our village, the centuries old thatched barn, the village pump together with the pump house with its overhanging upper storey, which according to the lists of the Dacorum Council being probably of late 15th century origin, not to mention the church among the trees in the background, made this an excellent spot for artists.
Unfortunately the barn and surrounding buildings had become somewhat delapidated, and during the early 1960s Mr Gregory, who owned the property, offered the fields for sale as building land but his application was turned down by the Rural District Council. Apart from the cottage and garden, the property was eventually purchased by Mr H Glasser of Paddock Cottage.
The old cottage was for many years the home of Mr J Chappin who was previously employed on the farm. Upon his death it was let for a number of years and a small extension added. Eventually however the land was purchased by a local builder who turned it into the attractive residence one sees today. During 1987-8 half of the large garden was sold and today 15 Tring Road occupies this site.
As for the thatched barn, during 1963 a road was laid along the church boundary and a start was made in the building of the present mill behind St Cross Church. This eventually led during 1964 to the demolition of the barn and renovations to the brick constructed cow house built in 1912, turning this into the spacious property which occupies the site today. With the loss of the barn older residents were saddened to see this piece of history go. The barn was for centuries a meeting place on all festive occasions, the last being for the coronation of our present Queen in 1953. They recalled also their younger days how the area near the road was a recognised play area and of the good times around the barn and the stream.
When Mr Grout Williams of Pendley gave the plot of land for the building of St Cross in 1877 the whole area was named Spinney Farm. Very little change has been made in the field system beyond this farm that existed 300 year ago, the small closes being recognisable now and most have retained their names, Long Close, Little Close, Pond Close, etc. Long Close had an outlet into the old village green between Church Farm and the thatched cottages in Chapel End Lane, and documents still exist in the village of a yearly authorisation for the use of this old track.
During the previous paragraph mention was made of Mr Joseph Grout Williams of Pendley Manor, landowners in this area, and of their generosity. Not only did they give the land for the erection of St Cross in 1877 but donated a large sum of money toward the cost of the building. They were also responsible for providing the village in 1875 with a small hall and caretaker's cottage, first named "The British Workman's Temperence Room", which stood between the Buckingham Arms Public House and the Village Stores.
This Club Room and its history will be dealt with more fully on our journey through the village.
The most important change of all came in 1871 both to Long Marston and Wilstone with the induction of the Rev Caldwell Masters MA as Vicar of Long Marston.
Unlike previous vicars, the Rev Masters was also a Curate of Tring, and Wilstone became his responsibility.
He was soon aware of the amount of work that was needed in the parish, and he devoted his energies to the improvement of both villages.
The need for a more commodious vicarage became his first project, built opposite the present All Saints Church in Long Marston. This was occupied by the vicars that followed until the war years 1939-45 when the then incumbent, Rev Anthony, moved into a small house at Astrope and the Victorian vicarage was used first as an evacuees' preparatory school and later a hostel for farm workers. The Rev Anthony returned when it was convenient, retiring in 1962, but did little to restore the house to its former state. The Rev Warwick who followed made the house once again habitable but, upon his sudden death in 1970, the site was cleared and made way for seventeen private dwellings, now Church View. The present vicarage in Astrope Lane, previously the home of Mr and Mrs Gregory, was enlarged bringing the vicar more into the centre of the parish. The Rev Masters' second project was the much needed school at Long Marston, which was completed in 1873. Previous to this, many children from Long Marston and Gubblecote attended Wilstone School, a National School grant aided by the Church of England and opened in 1848.
He then turned his attention to Wilstone and became treasurer of a fund which resulted in St Cross being opened during 1877. Unfortunately he could not raise the £3189 needed, only £1470.15.6 being realised. His idea of a large chancel and attractive entrance had to be shelved, which resulted in the eastern and western ends temporarily constructed of brick, this to await future developments. A history of St Cross may be obtained from the church. In that more details will be found of the period just covered, and also scraps of information dealing with a previous 14th century chapel known to have existed somewhere within the village boundary, which was demolished during the days of Cromwell 1657-8.
This brief history of the Rev Masters' achievements would not be complete without mention of All Saints Church Long Marston, opened in 1883 replacing an earlier chapel in Church Lane, which was closed in 1882 having become very delapidated and well beyond repair.
He moved to his new parish in 1885, Stanton Fitzwarren near Swindon, where he was also responsible for renovating their ancient church, retiring to Bristol where he died in 1924.
The Half Moon is listed in the Dacorum records as a 16th century building. Few records remain of this inn, for renovations over the years have taken away many of its old features. We do know that it was well established in the mid-18th century and could well have been the inn mentioned as early as 1622 where William Smythe of Wyvellsthorne was fined for selling beer on the Sabbath Day, together with another person named Bullock who caused an affray on the premises at this time. Both were fined 7 pence each.
But it was the events of 1751 which placed the Half Moon firmly on the map, for the official records stated that it was in this ale house that Ruth Osborn, Hertfordshire's last witch, and her husband were held until a suitable pond was found for the ducking.
From evidence taken at the Half Moon on Thurday April 25th 1757 the house of Bolas Molings before His Majesty's Coroner, Samuel Atkinson, together with a number of villagers and near neighbours, it was learned that the mob had obstructed the flow of water (penned a head) in the stream at Gubblecote, the stream bordering the 10 acre field in Lukes Lane.
Here the ducking would have taken place but for the prompt action of a Mr Nott Gregory, a yeoman farmer living on Wilstone Green, who, having been told by his children who were playing in the fields, of a large crowd moving towards Gubblecote, followed them and, much to the annoyance of the mob, succeeded in removing the obstruction from the stream.
It was stated at the inquest in the Half Moon that he was threatened with sticks and stones and had some difficulty in escaping.
The mob at this time was increasing, and it was estimated by some writers that several thousand flocked to see the ducking, and some even gave the figure of 4000 who, before moving to Gubblecote, caused a riot in Tring where the workhouse was partly demolished, the vestry door of Tring Church was forced open, and the old couple taken from this place of refuge, they having been moved from the workhouse by the overseer, Mathew Barton, during the night as an extra safety precaution.
For a fuller account of these events see 'Hertfordshire's last Witch Hunt' later in this history.
Returning to the Half Moon, no more is mentioned of our landlord, Bolas Molings (a name very unusual in this part of the county) or how long he remained resident at the Half Moon, but one can well imagine over the following years the happenings of 1751 were well discussed in the tap room, and possibly a little more added to the gory details as time went by.
Lukes Lane, where William Colley was executed as a result of these events, also remained an overgrown lane which could well have been avoided, especially on winter evenings. Many tales have been told of the spot where the gibbet had stood, of the sighting of ghosts and of a fierce dog with eyes like "pools of fire" and of course the rattling of Colley's chains as his body swung in the breeze.
But there were other happenings to think about during the following year, and one wonders what the villagers thought of the Parliamentary Order of 1752, when a change was made in the calendar to bring the country in line with the continent, and resulted in 12 days being taken out of the year. This was viewed with much more concern and described by some local villagers, according to the records, as "The was the work of the devil". A number of villages in Buckinghamshire refused to be governed by this Order and for some years following kept to the old Christmas Day. Hence I imagine the origin of the 12 days of Christmas and the leaving up of decorations over this period.
But the greatest upheaval in the history of the village must have been the Enclosure Acts, which came into being during the closing years of the 18th century. Actually our area and the land around Tring were some years in advance of the General Act of 1840, and could well have been brought forward by the canal system which at this time was being cut through the country.
Many writers were critical of these Acts and the methods used to enforce the new system, but in our area of North Hertfordshire it was generally agreed that, with the introduction of root crops and the improved rotation of a four-course shift of wheat, clover, barley and oats, with the cleaning and manuring of each crop, the old system must be changed. According to an excellent description written by Arthur Mcdonald Brown in "This Tring Air", there could be no half measures.
The whole open fields were thrown hotchpotch into the hands of the Commissioners and redivided into fields of a convenient size, privately owned and free from the former customs of the right of every villager to turn his pigs and sheep over the stubbles of the whole fields after harvest to pick up what little they could find.
Those who were fortunate to own various strips in these open fields received the same amount in exchange but, according to some writers, in many cases the land alloted to them was not as convenient as their old plots. On top of this, by law each plot had to be ditched, hedged and fenced, which many of the poorer owners were unable to afford, hence they were forced to sell their land back to the larger and more wealthy landowners.
As Macdonald Brown quotes in "The Tring Air":
| "The law condemns the man or woman who steals the goose from off the common but lets the greater felon loose who steals the common from the goose." |
To return to the Half Moon, the small plot awarded to them which backed on the inn's premises was part of the old Village Waste and was described as follows:
| "The salso all, menuage and tenement called and known by the name or sign of the Half Moon with stables yard, garden and orchard or close, thereto belonging outlying near thereto, including a certain plot of allotment containing one rood and sixteen perches out and upon the Wilston Enclosure now laid into and forming part of the said premises situate and being in Wyvlesthorne otherwise Wilston in the parish of Tring in the County of Hertfordshire." |
Later during the 19th century with the change of landlords was added:
| "The tenure and occupation formally of Joseph Clark or Widow Lyon - James Reeves (and near the turn of the century) James Thomas Reeves." |
From this document taken from the Enclosure Awards we know that the Clark family were landlords of the inn during all the many changes that were taking place during the latter years of the 18th century.
Employed on the canals and reservoirs were many from the north of England, Welsh miners and quite a large amount of Irishmen (this known by the finding of a number of Irish pennies during the extensive alterations during the 1970s). One can imagine the village during these years. But with the coming of the canals, this brought trade and is noticable from the first census returns of 1841, in fact Wilstone became a very prosperous place with all families concerned with every trade imaginable.