Latimer

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Latimer Village

Excerpts from "LATIMER – History of the Village" Available from Latimer Church price £2.00

The Chess valley remained waste from the 5th Century until the Middle Saxon settlers established a site at what is now Chesham. We know little about this period and although we have an idea from the Doomsday Book of what the area probably looked like, there is no mention of Isenhampstede —which was the old name for Latimer and for several settlements along the Chess, The name has its origin in the Chalybeate Springs, that is to say springs in which water is impregnated with iron, at Chesham. It was this characteristic that gave rise to the old name Isene (Old English isen, "iron") for that town and to the name Isenhampstede for all the settlements downstream.

The district seems to have been something of a wilderness at the time of the Doomsday survey but there were watermills on the river Chess, one of which was at Latimer where the Neptune Waterfall now stands. There seems to have been a small hamlet here and it is probably included in Doomsday under the entry for Chesham as part of the laud held by one Alsi, a sub-tenant of Edward the Confessor’s Queen.

Our first real record of the land at Latimer is in the collection of ancient deeds at the Public Record Office. We learn that Sir John Cheyne grants to Sir Hugh, son of Otto, then holding the manor of Isenharostede Cheinduit (i.e. Latimer), a meadow called Westmead and the one adjoining it; also one acre of land "between my dyke on the south and the pond of the aforesaid Lord Hugh on the north and with the western end abutting on a lane which extends from the road towards Chalfont (probably the present Stony Lane) through the aforesaid culture called Stonyfield".

The first mention of a manor at Latimer is found in 1194 when it is described in Records of the King’s Court as part of the honour of Wallingford. This particular document deals with the failure of the hamlet to prevent the escape of two criminals named Godefroy Halfell and John Hunifang, for which it was collectively fined.

St. Mary Magdalene Church

We know there has been a place of worship on the site of the church since the early 13^th Century. The first church, which was actually a chapel-of-ease, was used by the Lards of the Manor of Latimer and was closely linked with the church at Chesham, the administration of which in the 13^th Century was divided between Woburn Abbey and the Convent of St Mary& #146;s, Leicester.

In 1213 there was an agreement between the Abbot of Leicester and Walter Folion that certain tithes should be paid and "should forever remain to the Chapel of Latimers". Most of the incumbents of the chapel are known by name, apart from one small gap, from the 13^th Century beginning with John de London (1268) up to the present day.

There seems at times to have been a close connection with the parish at Chenies. Nicholas Smyth, parson of Latimer, was buried at Chenies church and has a memorial there, and the Burrough family were connected with both parishes from 1703 to 1779. William Burrough was Rector of Chenies and Latimer from 1703 to 1756, and was followed by his son Benjamin Burrough who was Rector of Latimer from 1756 to 1779.

The Latimer registers date from 1756. (The earliest registers are now kept in the County Archive at Aylesbury) Before that the entries were made in registers of the mother church at Chesham. The ancient chapel consisted of a nave and chancel. It was repaired in 1749, and, as it would have been described in the language of the day, beautified in accordance with the will of Benjamin Hymners who is buried in the churchyard.

The early chapel was taken down in 1841 when, after the fire at Latimer House and the subsequent rebuilding which was being done there, the Honourable Charles Cavendish MP decided to rebuild the church to a design by Mr Blore. An organ was erected in the west gallery and a painted window in six compartments representing Our Blessed Lord and the Apostles with Saint Andrew, Peter, John and Thomas was given by Lady Catherine Cavendish and placed in the east end. The handsome carved pulpit was retained and the sounding board added in similar style.

In 1867 the church was enlarged at the expense of the second Lord Chesham, the architect being Sir George Gilbert Scott whose close connection with the parish is mentioned in the Chapter on the Village. At that time he was the principal ecclesiastical architect in England and he was responsible for the building or restoration of innumerable churches and other buildings, including for example, the design and construction of the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens. He was also commissioned to design new government offices in London in 1856 on condition, insisted upon by Lord Palmnerston, that their design should not be Gothic but Classic or Renaissance in style. An incomplete list of his works given in ‘The Builder’ in 1878 ascribes to Scoff 732 buildings, including 29 cathedrals, British or Colonial, 10 minsters, 476 churches, 25 schools, 26 public buildings, 43 mansions and other constructions.