A settlement was made in 1222 by which the bishop granted Oliver and his heirs two-thirds of the manor to hold for the service of two knights' fees. He was still holding these two parts of Wooburn in 1235. They are later called WOOBURN MANOR or (from the first quarter of the 15th century) WOOBURN DEYNCOURT or DEANCOURT MANOR.
Deyncourt. Azure billety and a fesse dancetty or.
Lovel of Tichmersh. Barry wavy or and gules
Compton. Sable a leopard or between three helms argent
Wharton. Sable a sleeve argent and a border or charged with eight pairs of lions' paws razed gules set saltirewise
Bertie. Argent three battering rams sable with heads and rings azure
Du Pre. Azure a cheveron or between two molets in the chief and a lion passant in the foot argent with a pile or over all..Eight mills valued at 104s. yearly stood on Wooburn Manor in 1086. Oliver Deyncourt held at least four of them in the first half of the 13th century. The water corn-mill, worth 20s. yearly in 1422, and other mills with their tenants and rentals are named in the transfer of the Bertie estate to Mrs. Du Pre in 1784.
Ada de la Stoke had granted her holding to Walter de la Lude and his three brothers some ten years before her death. Reynold de la Lude was probably one of these. In 1233 Richard de la Lude made an agreement with Iseult daughter of Gilbert of Lewknor and widow of William de la Stoke concerning half a hide of land in Wooburn, by which Richard granted half the land with the capital messuage to Iseult for life with one-third of her husband's estate, which Richard was then holding. In 1245 William de la Lude granted to Isabel widow of William de la Lude one-third of a carucate of land in Wooburn for her life in dower. The last representative of this family was John de la Lude, who recovered seisin of land in Wooburn and the neighbourhood from Ralph Loveday of Hedsor in 1315. He and his wife Alice made some agreement in regard to property in Wooburn in 1328 with Richard de Wegenholt and his wife Isabel. John de la Lude was at one time coroner for Buckinghamshire, but was removed by the king in 1330 for inefficiency. He was still alive in 1337 and in debt to Richard de Wegenholt.
In 1235 John de la Gloria held half a fee in Wooburn of Oliver Deyncourt which appears from the early 15th century as THE GLORY MANOR or THE GLORY or GLORY MILLS, a sub-manor to that of Wooburn Deyncourt. An agreement was made in 1256 by which Isabel and Alice de la Gloria were to hold in survivorship a messuage, a carucate of land and three mills in Wooburn of Isabel de Worcester and her daughter Agnes with remainder to Isabel and Agnes. This appears to be the estate held in 1278 by Walter de Amersham and granted by him for life to Agnes daughter of Walter de Grey with remainder to her son John and final remainder to Walter and his heirs. He was granted free warren in his lands in Wooburn in 1282 and in 1301 transferred them to his son Adam de Wooburn (see Amersham) and his heirs with successive remainders to John and Thomas, Adam's brothers, and their heirs and reversion in default of direct issue to Walter and his heirs to hold of the chief lord of the fee for the accustomed services, giving Walter for his life £10 yearly and after his death a rose at Midsummer to his heirs. Adam de Wooburn, or as he is more usually called Adam de la Gloria, and his wife Margaret made an agreement with Edmund Deyncourt in respect of their holding in 1314 and were both living in 1318. Adam de la Gloria and his wife Joan were holding in 1339 and a reference to John de la Gloria occurs in 1364. In 1404 Roger Dayrell of Lillingstone Dayrell recovered seisin of Glory Manor from Walter Bounce, to whom he had leased it. In 1414 Roger's widow, Margaret Dayrell, sold it to Walter de Asselyn and his wife Alice with remainder to the heirs of Alice. Later in the century this manor had reverted to the Amershams of Tomlyns and followed the same descent as that manor in Amersham (q.v.) until the early 17th century. It was included by Sir Francis Goodwin in the marriage settlement on his son Arthur in 1618, and has since followed the same descent as Wooburn Deyncourt (q.v.).
The reversions and remainders of this manor acquired by William Lord Compton in 1596 were granted in fee on his petition in 1597 to Thomas Spencer and Robert Atkinson. In the same yeare Lord Compton conveyed an estate in Wooburn Deyncourt to Ralph Atkinson. This included the mansion-house or farm and Wooburn Mill, of which the latter died seised in fee in 1626. His son and heir Ralph owned this property in 1634, but no later reference to his family in connexion with Wooburn has been found. Before 1765 the manor-house estate had passed to the owners of the manor.
When Lede reappears as Lyde or Lude Manor in 1680 it was conveyed by Thomas Morris and Francis Smith to William Dayrell. He and his wife Elizabeth quitclaimed this manor in 1694 to John Long. A member of his family bearing the same name still owned it in 1736. Fifty years later it was sold by Samuel Rotton and his wife Sarah to Mrs. Du Pre, owner of the other manors in Wooburn (q.v.), and it has since followed the same descent.
Shire-silver was paid by Wooburn Deyncourt Manor in the 14th and 15th centuries. Reference to a park of Wooburn Deyncourt occurs in the middle 16th century. The ordinary manorial court was held at Wooburn Deyncourt every three weeks. The right of holding the view of frankpledge twice yearly after Easter and Michaelmas, also free warren, the amendment of the assize of bread and ale, pillory and tumbril, waifs and strays were granted to Alice Lady Lovel and Deyncourt in 1459. The courts leet and baron are named in 1765 and the view of frankpledge in 1784.
A fishery of 300 eels appertained to Wooburn Manor in 1086. In 1382 a fishery called Wooburn Lock belonged to Wooburn Deyncourt. By 1422 it had fallen into disrepair. The manorial rights included free fishery in the water of Wooburn (that is the Wye) and in the Thames.
Freedom of access to the wharf on the Thames belonging to this manor, with exemption from all tolls and customs payable to the Crown on goods landed there or conveyed thence and from obligatory conveyance of goods for the king's use, was assured in 1459. In this yeare the right to hold a yearly fair on her manor on the feast of the Translation of King Edward and two following days (20, 21, 22 June) was also granted to Lady Lovel. This fair had been discontinued at the end of the 18th century.
BOURNE END, in the south-west of Wooburn parish, known in 1222 as the Burn End, is mentioned as part of the manor of Wooburn Deyncourt in 1496. It is a residential district by the River Thames. Abney House at Bourne End, formerly the residence of the late Gen. Hammersley, is well known to boating men, as is also Fieldhead, the residence of Mr. Rudolph C. Lehmann. Here is a station on the Wycombe, Thame and Oxford branch of the Great Western railway, which crosses the river at this point. From Bourne End railway bridge there are beautiful views of Cliveden Woods and Hedsor. In dredging near this bridge a dug-out flat-bottomed boat of oak, probably of the Bronze Age, was found and given to the late Frank Buckland for his collection at South Kensington Museum. Other hamlets are Cores End, to the south-west of Wooburn village, with a farm and a Congregational chapel (memorable for its connexion with Thomas Groves), and Egham's Green, where there is a gunpowder mill. Prince's Mill stands between the two hamlets.
Wooburn Manor, practically a rectory manor, remained with the see of Lincoln until 1547, when it was alienated, with the consent of the dean and chapter, by Bishop Holbeche to Edward Duke of Somerset. His interest in Bishops Wooburn was conveyed to Francis Russell Earl of Bedford, who obtained a grant in fee from the Crown in 1550, with all appurtenant liberties, including the view of frankpledge and free warren. He alienated this manor in 1562 to John Goodwin, who in the same yeare was elected Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. He was afterwards knighted and appointed Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 1587. In the previous yeare Sir John Goodwin and his son and heir-apparent Francis had alienated Bishops Wooburn to Edward Lord Zouche and others. This appears to have been only a temporary arrangement. Sir John Goodwin died in 1597, and in 1600 his widow Elizabeth, then the wife of Thomas Stukley, quitclaimed her right in this manor to Francis Goodwin. He leased it in the same yeare for forty-five years to Edward Phillipps and others. From 1600 the descent of the manor of Bishops Wooburn is the same as that of Wooburn Deyncourt (q.v.). The distinctive names of these manors, which are still found in 1802, were already being lost, and the estate, which changed hands in 1784, was then described as the manor of Wooburn alias Bishops Wooburn alias Wooburn Deyncourt, and is now only known as Wooburn Manor.
The village WOODBURN, locally called 'the town,' is situated towards the south of the parish. On approaching it by the road from the south-west the Town Farm, vicarage and numerous cottages are on the right; the Soho paper-mills, the school, the church and the brewery are on the left. At Deyncourt Farm, which also lies on the left of the village, four cottages and some outbuildings incorporate remains of the 15th-century manor-house of the Deyncourt and Lovel families. The cottages are built partly of flint and clunch in chequer pattern and partly of brick and timber, with tiled roofs. The three western cottages are supposed to have been the chapel, while the present stables and hay-loft formed the old hall, which still retains its original fine open timber roof. In its south wall are two interesting 16th-century oriel windows of four lights, now blocked, and traces of two others. The north wall was rebuilt in brick and bears the date 1610. Adjoining is a large 14th-century barn of timber and brick. The Royal Oak Inn, now a private dwelling-house, has two 17th-century carved wooden figures fixed to the front; one holds a compass and rule and the other a staff. They are said to have come from the church and to represent the architect and builder. Behind the inn is a 16th-century barn.
WOOBURN MANOR, which had formed part of Harold's lands, was assessed in 1086 at 8˝ hides, when it was held by Remigius Bishop of Lincoln. In 1284 it was held by the Bishop of Lincoln of the king in chief for three knights' fees. The overlordship rights appertained to the see of Lincoln. These rights over two-thirds of the manor appear to have been retained by the Crown after the attainder of Francis Lord Lovel in 1486, and fresh grants were made in fee in 1488 and 1513. The see of Lincoln surrendered all rights in the remaining onethird of Wooburn in 1547, and a fresh grant in fee was made by the Crown in 1550. The tenure by knights' service in connexion with Wooburn is last named in 1627.
In 1627 Richard King and Christopher Fisher were seised in fee of the Glory paper-mills and leased them to Edmund Waller of Beaconsfield at a peppercorn rent for twenty-two years. He relet them to Richard King for £50 yearly until 1645, when payments were in arrears. In 1751 the Glory Mill was transferred from Gilbert and Susan Beck and others to Sarah Peltzer and others. Half the remaining fee of the Deyncourts in Wooburn was held in 1235 by William Fisher, John of Elmeden, Thomas of Stanbrook and the other half by the heirs of Ralph of Medburn, but no later trace of these holdings has been found.
The 16th-century so-called GOODWIN'S MANOR in Wooburn corresponds to four messuages, seven cottages and 200 acres of land held of Wooburn Deyncourt Manor for fealty and 18s. 8d. yearly by John Goodwin at his death in 1488. Before 1493 his son and heir John, grandfather of Sir Francis Goodwin (Wooburn Deyncourt, q.v.), sued Thomas Restwold and Thomas Garston, feoffees to uses under his father's will in respect of this property. He inclosed land for pasture in Wooburn in 1507 and earlier and died about 1558. Goodwin's Manor remained in the Goodwin family, but is not distinguishable after 1600 from Wooburn Deyncourt.
About half a mile to the north-west there is a second village, distinguished as Wooburn Green. The houses and cottages, some of which, including the Bull Inn and Red Cow Inn, are of the 17th century, are grouped round a triangular green of about 1˝ acres, sheltered on all sides by hills. On the right of the road leading north-west there are brick-works and a gravel-pit. Near the station on the Wycombe, Thame and Oxford branch of the Great Western railway there is a chalk quarry. The Baptists, Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists each have a chapel at Wooburn Green. The manorhouse of that part of Wooburn afterwards known as Bishop's Wooburn became a favourite residence of the Bishops of Lincoln during the 16th century. Bishop Atwater died there in 1521 and Bishop Longland, confessor to Henry VIII, in 1547. It was afterwards the seate of the Goodwins and the Whartons. Philip, 'the good Lord Wharton,' friend of Puritan divines, notably of John Owen, entertained William III at Wooburn soon after his accession. His grandson Philip, created Duke of Wharton in 1718, lived there for a while in great magnificence, and he and his father are said to have spent £100,000 on the improvement of the house and grounds. Traces of the terraces which they cut in the hill are still visible. The old palace was surrounded by a moat, the greater part of which remains together with the fish-pond. It covered a large area, and its gallery, 120 ft. in length, contained the valuable collection of portraits of the Wharton family, which were purchased by Sir Robert Walpole and later transferred to the Imperial collection at St. Petersburg.
The palace, with the adjoining cruciform chapel, was taken down in 1750, with the exception of one of the stable wings, which was converted into a dwelling-house and new-fronted by Mr. Bertie in 1769, and has since been enlarged. Known as Wooburn House, it is a large brick mansion, and was the residence of Sir Giffen Wilson for about twenty years before his death in 1848, and afterwards the seate of Mr. Alfred Gilbey; it is at present unoccupied. It stands to the southwest of Wooburn Green, and is sheltered from the high road by a row of Lombardy poplars planted in 1777. The entrance lodge is ancient. To the southeast of the grounds of Wooburn House is Burghers or Beggars Hill, with a school and chapel, and beyond in the same direction lies Wooburn Common. Northeast of the Compasses Inn is an old gravel-pit, and beyond Blake's Wood to the north-east is Lillifee Farm, to which reference has been made under Hedsor. Over's Farm, to the north of Lillifee, on the Beaconsfield border, probably derives its name from Richard Over, who purchased some land called Lynchwell in this parish in the middle 16th century.
To the north-west of it is an old gravel-pit, and another to the south-west. To the west of these farms stretches Mill Wood. Nearly half a mile to the north-east of it is Holtspur Farm, with a gravelpit to the west of it and brick-works and old gravelpits to the east. Upper Holtspur Farm lies to the north-west, and from it the road leads down-hill to Holtspur Bottom, where there is a chalk quarry. Lude Farm, an old manor-farm, is in the extreme north of the parish. About half-way between it and Wooburn Green is the hamlet of Wooburn Moor, with Clapton Mill to the north-west and Glory Mill, occupied as paper-mills by Messrs. Wiggins, Teape & Co., to the south-east, with Lower Glory Mill, worked by the Buckinghamshire Fibre Board Co., less than half a mile distant. Glory, or The Glory, gave its name to a family who lived there in the 12th and 13th centuries, and survives also in Glory Hill and Glory Hill Farm, not half a mile east of Glory Mill.
This parish was inclosed in 1802, when an allotment was made to the poor for fuel.