Volume 8 Issue 3, June 2010
www.archaeologyinmarlow.org.uk
Archaeology in Marlow
Newsletter
We are
Neanderthals
AiM AGM
The controversy of whether
early Europeans and Asians
interbred with Neanderthals is
over. They did - and we are
their descendents.
Neandertals, the closest
evolutionary
relatives
topresent-day
humans,
lived in large parts of
Europe and western Asia
from 400,000 years ago,
before eventually disappearing some 30,000 years ago. Over the last
part of this time they co-existed with early modern man.
New DNA evidence compared over 4 billion nucleotides from three
Neanderthals with the genomes of five present-day humans from
different parts of the world.
Results show that Neandertals shared more genetic variants with
present-day humans in Eurasia than with present-day humans in subSaharan Africa, demonstrating that gene flow from Neanderthals into
the ancestors of non-Africans happened before the divergence of the
Eurasian groups from each other, but after the “Out of Africa” event
took place. So the intermingling must have happened after then and
we are part Neanderthal!
AiM Events
Thursday 10th June 8 p.m.
The Garden Room, Liston Hall, Marlow.
Fine Houses in the Thames and Chilterns
Speaker: Lynn Holmes
This illustrated talk will look at some of the finest houses in the
Thames and Chilterns area, combining a wealth of information
both about the architecture and the personalities involved with
these outstanding buildings.
£2.50 members, £3.50 non members.
Our AGM was well supported, all the reports
(Membership, Treasurer, Web, Fieldwork) were
adopted as were the accounts and the minutes of
the previous AGM. The new committee is listed on
the back page:
A big thank you to the committee for their work
during the year and welcome to the new members
of the committee. Thanks to Julie Rushton for
her contribution to the committee, she left the
committee half way through the year to go abroad.
Also Andy Wallace for his great editorship and
production of the newsletter for the last 3 years,
always making it look good and having it ready on
time, to Gerry Platten, who is standing down as
Membership secretary, thanks for keeping the
database up to date and chasing memberships.
Continued on Back Page....
Roman Silchester
Wednesday morning 28 July 2010
A visit to the archaeological excavation at Roman
Silchester, lunch and afternoon walk. Maidenhead
Archaeological and Historical Society is visiting
the excavation and we have an arrangement that
AiM members can go as well however, numbers
are limited, please contact Trevor Jones (MAHS
Chairman) direct on 01628 672196.
1
D57 ancient tombs discovered
Middle Thames Archaeological Society
Talk on the ROMADAM Project
57 ancient tombs, dating
back to circa 2750 B.C,
have been discovered in
Egypt. Twelve of the tombs
date from the later 18th
Dynasty (which included
Tutenkhamen who ruled
in the late 1300s BC)
and most include ornately
painted wooden sarcophaguses with mummies inside. The
discoveries were made in Lahoun, some 70 miles south of Cairo,
near the pyramid of 12th dynasty Pharaoh Senusret II.
part
of
AiM’s
John Laker in mid-presentation As
ROMADAM
Project
‘Outreach programme’,
David Greenwood, John
Laker and Ann Pitwell
visited the Taylor Library
in the centre of Slough on
Friday the 14th of May
to give a ROMADAM talk
to the Middle Thames
Archaeological Society.
The Supreme Council of Antiquities says the tombs shed new light
on ancient religions. The crucial element of the discovery isn’t the
many mummies uncovered (though the oldest of them is complete
and has all of the funerary equipment used to preserve the body!).
The excitement is the paintings, hieroglyphics, and artworks in the
tombs that provide a glimpse into the religions of ancient Egypt.
“Digging For Britain” on BBC 2
A total of five AIM members helped to erect the AiM publicity
boards, connect up the computer equipment and lay out
other publicity materials, including the ROMADAM Project
book.
The society began its business at 7.30pm, and, after a
few announcements, John Laker introduced AiM and the
ROMADAM Project. John then made a lively commentary
on the film of the project, made by AiM member Robert
Dunsmuir. Midway through the film, Dave Greenwood gave
his Powerpoint presentation on the First World War Training
Trenches at Pullingshill Wood. When Dave had finished, the
film continued to its conclusion.
In August, a new archaeology programme is set to hit our TV There was a good selection
Dave Greenwood
considering an answer
screens. The idea is to keep us up to date with archaeology, in of questions from the Slough
audience, which Dave and John
all its guises, from around Britain. Presenter
answered as best they could.
Alice Roberts will be touring and explaining
both iconic and new sites. Some programmes
We were treated with fine
have already been announced - one covers
hospitality by Barbara Rigby and
Anglo Saxon and medieval archaeology
by other members of the Middle
Thames Society and, hopefully, a
including a visit to Chepstow Castle, where
good night was had by all. AIM
Cadw (the Welsh historic environment
would like to say a big thank you
service) is recreating the 13th century earl’s
for the generous donation for
‘gloriette’ – a decorative room within his
the talk.
Presenter
private apartments. The series has also been
Dr Alice Roberts
Other Organisation’s Events
filming at Aylesbury museum.
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Marlow Museum - LACE - A New Exhibition
A Marlow Cottage Industry
Weekends - 1pm to 5 pm - Admission Free
By Court Garden Leisure Centre
Marlow Society Local History Group
Monday 21 June 2010 7.30 p.m
Bisham Revisited
A Talk by Sheila Featherstone-Clark
Garden Room, Liston Hall, Marlow
Marlow Society Local History Group
Monday 19 July 2010 7.30 p.m.
Bisham Abbey
Ann Darracott
Garden Room, Liston Hall, Marlow
Festival of British Archaeology
17 July – 1 August 2010
This has replaced National Archaeology week and
is co-ordinated by the CBA, www.britarch.ac.uk
(AIM is a member of the CBA)
2
Report of talk “But the Thames is Liquid History”
given by Jill Hind to AIM on 29 April 2010
Jill Hind works for Oxford Archaeology,
having retrained from being a science
teacher. Much of her time has been
devoted to researching the history of sites
across England and Wales in advance
of development or for conservation and
management plans. Jill is also involved in
strategic studies, helping to develop policy
and guidance on various aspects of the
historic environment. She worked on the
preparation of the Urban Archaeological
Database for the City of Oxford and this,
plus her experience of sites within the
area, led to her involvement in the Solent
Thames Research Framework project .
Jill started her talk by explaining that
although she is an archaeologist, she is not one that gets
her hands dirty, most of her work is concerned with policy
planning and guidance. She is currently writing about the
post medieval period for Oxford Archaeology’s “Thames
Through Time” publication.
Tonight she would be covering the post medieval Thames
and its tributaries from the start to Teddington Lock which
is the non-tidal part looking at the history of the area from
1540 to 1900, through archaeological investigations and
surviving structures/buildings. The Thames obviously had a
huge impact on communication, resources, settlement and
recreation and Jill covered various aspects of locks, mills,
bridges, railways, turnpike roads, wharves, boatyards along
this part of the Thames.
Jill explained that the Thames was not navigable the
whole way at this time. In 1635 flash locks were
replaced with pound locks which were more efficient,
originally they were turf sided with timber lining and
later stone was used. She mentioned that Wessex
Archaeology had investigated the restored Monkey
Lock, a scheduled ancient monument. Canals were also
built to widen and straighten or bypass the river where
it was impassable.
however not everyone thought it a good
idea, Oxford University opposed the railway
station, it was the same for Eton college.
Queen Victoria was also reported to be
unhappy about it.
In the late 17th century Turnpike Acts
enabled tolls to be collected on roads and
made it mandatory to list the charges. The
High Wycombe toll house is now housed
at Chiltern Open Air Museum, there is also
one on Folly Bridge at Oxford, now used as a
newsagents.
Mills were obviously prevalent along the
river, as were paper mills, one with a tar
paper roof, (tubes of tar paper were also
used for building walls). Jill also talked about the Brick kilns,
and pottery kilns at Nettlebed and Boarstal where some
excavations had taken place.
Other items of interest were the timber factories, especially
in High Wycombe and the micro brewery in Thame; Osney
was the first electric power station in Oxford and Ravenscroft
lead crystal used sand from the Stonor estate.
Jill explained that the post medieval period was not popular
for excavating because a lot of the buildings had been either
knocked down or had been reused.
Jill’s talk was full of information and she gave us an insight to
the history of this great river.
By Ann Pitwell
Bridges included lift and swing types; there are two
remaining toll bridges, at Whitchurch and Swinford. Jill
showed us picture of the Maidenhead railway bridge and
mentioned that Windsor bridge was the same design
as the Tamar road bridge. Oxford swing bridge, which
carried the LMS railway line, is a scheduled monument.
Railways brought more prosperity to the area, people
and goods could be moved much faster than by water,
3
ROMADAM Talk
Dave Greenwood and John Laker continued their series of
talks to interested organisations by entertaining members
of the Phoenix Stroke Group at the Help The Aged Centre in
Glade Road, Marlow.
COMPETITION Answers
1. Mr Wethered, the Chairman of The Marlow (Railway)
Company was banned from riding with his engine driver
as - “He may run the company but doesn’t own the line”
after he accidentally caused the driver to pass through a
warning sign.
2. Before the Two Brewers became a pub, the secret
ingredient of their delicious home-made pies, was aborted
puppies.
3. The Crown pub was built by the family whose fortune
was founded on the discovery (and sale) of an ancient gold
bowl.
On the afternoon of Monday the 26th of April, over
20 members of the Phoenix Stroke Group viewed the
presentation given by Dave and John.
After the conclusion of the video and PowerPoint
presentation, questions were asked by various members of
the audience and answered accordingly.
Coffee and biscuits were then served to the audience and
the presenters (see photo).
The afternoon was most enjoyable and AIM also received a
donation to help with our ongoing activities.
The ROMADAM project included the Medmenham Hillfort,
the Danesfield Hillfort, Warren Wood with its possibly a
mediaeval enclosure, and earlier history, and Pullingshill
Wood First World War trenches.
4. Miles Hobart, of Haryleford Manor, was the Marlow MP
who, in 1629, was gaoled in the Tower for locking MPs
inside the House of Commons so that they were forced to
finish the debate. He wasn’t released until 1631!
5. General Higginson used a heated cannon ball as a bed
warmer.
6. Sir Peter Scott created the scientific name for the
Loch Ness monster - ‘Nessiteras rhombopteryx,’ - it is an
anagram of “Monster hoax by Sir Peter S.”
Thanks...
Many thanks to all those who supply AIM with second-hand
envelopes. These generous donations save AIM stationery
costs and allow us to allocate more money to archaeological
investigations.
4
Warren Wood Investigations
AIM’s Fieldwork/Research Group met up on
the Thursday 22nd of April and (amongst other
things) discussed the progress with excavations
at Warren Wood (Little Marlow).
For newer members, and to refresh aging
memories, Warren Wood contains a double
enclosure, thought to be medieval. We hope to
be able to discover artefacts that will tell us what
the enclosures were used for and to date the site
accurately.
Having laid out our eight 1 metre x 1 metre test
pits, we met up on Sundays 14th and 28th of
April and the 9th and 23rd of May to get our
excavations under way. So far, we have dug in
three of the eight squares and, to date, we have,
only found one context/level below the natural vegetation but
have unearthed over 5 kgs of roof tile, a selection of pieces
of flint (possibly worked), two pieces of metal and half a dozen
sherds/pieces of pot. Important artefacts will be dated later
when we have a larger assembly.
Pottery sherd found at
Warren Wood
Warren Wood excavations
We plan to continue our investigations on Sunday 6th and
20th of June at 10 a.m. We then intend to work on alternate
Sundays until the work is completed.
As with all AIM excavations, training will be given to those with
little or no experience in order to acquaint them with ‘best
practice’ to be employed on site to achieve our objectives.
Should you wish to take part in our investigations, please
contact me for further details and to reserve your places
on days on which you would like to attend. Either email
John Laker on johnlaker@thamesinternet.com, or write to
9 Spinfield Lane, Marlow, SL7 2JT, or telephone 01628
481792.
AIM members may attend free of charge, but non-members
will be required to join as temporary members at a rate
of £2 a day in order to be covered by our insurance.
By John Laker
An Illustrated History of early
Buckinghamshire
Exploring the Present, Defining the Future
A conference (@ Rewley House Oxford)
Produced for the Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society
(BAS) and edited by ex-Bucks County Archaeologist Mike
Farley, this new book covers everything from the Ice Age
through to the Tudors, with plenty of good photos
and clear illustrations to help you on the way.
There are even quite a few mentions of Marlow
and the surrounding areas!
Friday 11 - Sunday 13 June 2010
The book is broken down into five main
chapters covering : earliest Buckinghamshire,
Prehistoric Farmers; Romans, Saxons and
Medieval. The book draws on many new
discoveries and is available from BAS or
the County Museum (01296 331441) for
£15.99 + P&P
This weekend conference will cover the rise of archaeological
projects involving local people and has sparked and
debate about the ethos of the exciting new subdiscipline of community and public archaeology.
Speakers will share experiences about initiatives
where they have sought to involve both community
groups and the public. It will cover the impact
of community and public archaeology on the rest
of the archaeological world; and address national
issues at a regional level Contact: www.conted.ox.ac.
uk/courses/details.php?id=O09P246AHR
55
The Nuns of Little Marlow
Despite existing in Little Marlow for over 500 years, very
little evidence of its Benadictine priory can be seen today.
Built on a small sandy hillock between Well End and the
river Thames, it was known of as “de fontibus de Merlowe”
throughout mediaeval times - on account of the vigorous
springs that welled up around the site. Today, the site
is in the middle of a leafy, peaceful housing estate, still
surrounded by bubbling brooks! A house called the “Abbey”
stands where the Priory
once stood and if you look
carefully, there is some
evidence of dressed stones
being re-used and a small
part of the old priory walls
is thought to have been
used to create a summer
house in the garden.
Although the site of the
Priory (sometimes called
an Abbey) was already well
known, it was only in 1903
that an archaeological
Re-used masonry from the
excavation took place. This
original Priory?
was undertaken because
the owner, Mr Vaughan Williams, had found ancient walls
when work was undertaken for a new road through the
grounds. Eventually he uncovered evidence for the entire
structure - the first small Priory ever excavated in the UK.
The dig itself was “energetically and efficiently” carried
out by Mr Williams himself but overseen by a renowned
historian and member of the Society of Antiquaries, C R
Peers MA FSA who visited the site each week. In fact it was
C R Peers who drew up the plan of the Priory and wrote
an article for the Records of Buckinghamshire (Volume 8).
They found that the buildings were very simple, built of local
stone – the quoins (corner stones) were made of chalk
and had crumbled away. The church was aisle-less with no
sign of vaulting, however it did have a tower. The infirmary
was found to have been a different build from the rest of
Tile designs from the Priory
C R Peers’ ground plan of the
Priory
the Abbey and from the style was probably 14th century in
date. Interestingly, in all four corners of the infirmary hall
large blocks of sarsen stones had been incorporated into
the walls.
During the course of the excavation, locally made tiles from
the 14th and 15th century were found, some complete with
designs. Although they were not of the finest quality they
were attractive. One carried the inscription “RICARD ME
FECIT” (Richard made me). A similar tile with this inscription
was found near the altar at Cookham Church, but it is not
known whether it came from Little Marlow, or it was just
made by the same man. The excavators also found a part
of a statue’s leg from an effigy made of Purbeck marble.
The foundation of the nun’s Priory is shrouded in mystery
but was some time in the 13th century. The founders could
6
possibly have been the de Clare family as there is evidence
of a connection between the priory and Missenden Abbey
(Marlow Priory paid rent for some land nearby owned by
Missenden in 1331) and the de Clares were Lords of the
manors of both Little Marlow and Missenden. Also, when
the site was excavated, tiles were found bearing the de
Clare arms. The first recorded prioress was Matilda de
Anvers in 1230.
It is known that abbey was a small institution with only 25
nuns and was never very wealthy, in fact the nuns were
granted permission from the Bishop of Lincoln in 1300 and
1311 to beg for alms and were barely self-sufficient.
Vernon knew Henry VIII’s minister Thomas Cromwell, and
negotiated a promotion for herself to become abbess of
Malling. She was not there long, however, as Malling Abbey
was suppressed in 1538. After the dissolution, the Abbey
was given to John Tytley and Elizabeth Restwold. There is
no evidence that they ever lived on site which was probably
used as farm buildings, possibly as it was of little value.
As late as 1719, much of the abbey still stood, although it
had been partially used as a quarry for building materials
for nearby houses (which can be seen to this day). The hall
was pulled down in 1740 and by 1830 the Abbey had all but
disappeared.
By Rose Palmer
The daily life of a Benedictine nun
The life of medieval nuns revolved around the
teachings of St. Benedict who based his ideal of a
religious community on the family. As the priesthood
was not initially an important part of Benedictine
monasticism, women could also follow the rule. There
were 73 rules in all, covering both the practical and
spiritual lives of the nuns.
The building now called the Tithe Barn. Most of the current
estate was built in the late 1800s
However, in 1342 tithes were donated to the nuns at the
priory and to this day, there is a large barn-like building
opposite the site that’s called the Tithe Barn, though it has
been converted into homes.
The Abbey’s estate included the Spade Oak wharf on the
Thames which the nuns would have run on a commercial
basis. As the centuries progressed the numbers of nuns
diminished. By the time that Bishop Longland visited in
1530 there were just five nuns and a prioress. When
commissioners visited to oversee the Priory’s dissolution
in 1535, three of the nuns were dismissed for being (at
24) too young, leaving only the prioress Margaret Vernon
and one “pore mayden” to keep her company, even though
the house was in good order. Fortunately, Margaret
The nun’s day was divided into 8 canonical hours. The
first service or “office” would begin at midnight, and
then at 3am it would be time for Lauds. Before the
advent of wax candles this office was said in the dark!
After the 6am service of Prime came the chapter
meeting, where abbey business would be discussed.
The services continued at three hourly intervals until
the cycle began again at midnight. Between the
church services, the nuns would work, study, eat and
of course sleep. Originally they were expected to do
all the manual labour involved in running the abbey
estate but as more girls from affluent families chose
to “take the veil” bringing a “dowry,” (and often a maid
with them to the wealthier nunneries), more womanly
pursuits of spinning, embroidery and even illuminating
became the norm with the maids becoming the laity
and doing the manual work.
77
In An English Country Churchyard
A neighbouring Buckinghamshire village contains a link with
pre-revolutionary Imperial Russia. The parish church of St.
Mary’s at Hitcham, situated between Taplow and Burnham,
has in its graveyard a large, ornate tombstone which
carries a golden Madonna
and Child icon. The weatherworn coat of arms and the
fading inscription on the flat
tombstone hides a romantic
story. It is the final restingplace of His Highness Prince
Alexis Dolgorouki and his wife
Princess Francis.
Alexis and Fanny, as Francis
was known, were an autumn love match, marrying when
both were reaching 50.
Prince Alexis, Secretary of
State to Czar Alexander
II, came from a long and
distinguished noble family in
direct line of descent from
Prince Dolgorouki of Suzdal,
the founder of Moscow in
1129. Fanny was the only
child and heiress of the
rich industrialist Fleetwood
Wilson of Wappenham
Manor in Northamptonshire.
Their marriage ceremony
in July 1898 was a twopart celebration at the
Princess Francis
Russian Embassy Chapel
and at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey.
The Dolgoroukis entertained lavishly in that golden era
before the First World War from their various homes at
Braemar Castle; at Upper Grosvenor Street in Mayfair; their
Mediterranean villa, and also in Russia. Fanny additionally
wanted to have a country house suitable to hold what were
then popular weekend Thames river parties and so Prince
Alexis commissioned the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens to build
a house on a site in Taplow for entertaining. The result was
Nashdom House - Nashdom meaning ‘our home’ in Russian
- which, with its formal gardens, was built between
1905 -1909.
After Prince Alexis died in June 1915, Fanny
spent most of her days abroad at her villa on the
shores of the Mediterranean, continuing to be a
generous hostess. Fanny, who was well known for
her love of expensive jewelry, died in August 1919.
In 1929, Nashdom House was purchased by the
Anglican Order of Benedictine Monks and became
Nashdom Abbey. In 1987 the monastery was sold
and the house was converted into residential flats.
St Mary’s at Hitcham has
also played its part in British
filmography of a popular
kind. It was used for location
shooting for Carry On Dick
whose theme was based on
the Dick Turpin legend. This
26th Carry On film, released
in 1974, marked the end of an
era for the series, featuring
the last appearances of Sid
James, Barbara Windsor and
Hattie Jacques.
By
Jeff
Griffiths,
with
thanks to Karl Lawrence
who researched the above
information
on
Prince
Alexis Dolgorouki which was
published in the Hitcham and
Taplow Society Newsletter
Spring 2009. Thanks also to
Fred Russell for the photo of
the tomb.
Prince Alexis Dolgorouki
8
8
Hillforts - A talk by Dr Tubb
to AiM - 25 March 2010
As a landscape archaeologist, Dr Tubb considers
that Bockmer Lane (adjacent to Medmenham
Camp) is probably an ancient North-South
route as it continues in field boundaries beyond
the lane itself, and that both Medmenham and
Danesfield Camps were there to control this
access to the River. This doesn’t necessarily
imply that hillforts are always about defence;
it is difficult to defend, adequately, so large an
area and we should regard these structures as
a statement in the landscape. It’s all about being
seen and saying ‘I am here’.
As Archaeology in Marlow has surveyed Medmenham
Camp, both dimensionally, and partially with geophysics, Dr
Tubb went on to consider these results. There is certainly
a suggestion of a ring ditch, implying that the site may have
been of some importance before the hillfort was constructed.
The area on the geophysical results thought to have been
a dewpond, Dr Tubb thinks, is probably more like to be as
the results of quarrying, as it looks to have gone down to the
bedrock.
The location of Danesfield was probably picked because of
the naturally steep cliff and its position in a re-entrant valley.
Not much can be said about the site in terms of previous
archaeological reports as they do not seem to be available,
but Danesfield and Medmenham are unusual in that both
seem to have their entrances in the Northwest quadrant,
whereas a significant proportion of hillforts (40%) have their
entrances to the East. There has been no Early Iron Age
pottery recorded
and this ties in
with the theory
that hillforts in
the
Chilterns
tend to be more
Middle Iron Age,
than Early Iron
Age.
happened as it was identified on the maps.
Oxford Archaeology report findings show enclosures, a
small early one
and a larger later
one,
with
the
mound inside the
bottom of the later
enclosure and lots
of metal finds.
There was a series
of
fencelines
and
postholes,
parallel, following
Danesfield Hillfort approximately the
same course. All aligned, but using different construction
techniques, sometimes inheriting features from previous
constructions, notably a v-shaped ditch lined with trees
similar to Boscombe Down lines of postholes. There was
then a period of abandonment 500 years and then u-shaped
ditches that don’t respect the old palisade lines, eventually
replaced with a huge earth rampart, replacing the timber.
Wittenham Clumps is similar to Taplow as there’s an inner
late bronze age enclosure, middle iron age round it, and
outside (in the car park) a black earth site. Black earth sites
are areas of darker, greasier soil with feasting debris and
deliberate deposits of domestic material. Sometimes these
sites can be several feet thick and spread over a large area.
To call them middens is missing some of their symbolic
purpose. Blewburton Hill has black earth rampart-outlines,
covered in chalk, underneath the earth ramparts, possibly
using the past to validate their present by incorporating this
older material into their new structure.
Generally hillforts have associated field systems
but these have not been yet located for the Marlow
hillforts and it would be interesting to see where they
are. It is important to remember that not all hillforts
were occupied and could in fact have been a location
to assess what is “on the hoof,” as cattle were an
important resource in prehistory, as now.
Balksbury has an intact delta enclosure shallow ditch
with a bank inside it. During the Bronze Age the inside
Medmenham
of the hillfort was used to keep cows (black earth etc.,
and Danesfield
in one corner particularly), but in the Early Iron Age it
are
peculiarly
Danesfield Hillfort was completely empty, and was reused and settled in
close together.
the Late Iron Age.
It has been suggested that they were constructed by two
different tribes, but Dr Tubb points out that just South of
When looking at hillforts, it’s important to consider the activity
Swindon, there are two hillforts, Barbury and Liddington,
that occurs outside the hillfort. As well as black-earth sites,
similarly close together, but not contemporary. Liddington is
other evidence exists outside the ramparts of hillforts. Outside
earlier than Barbury. So it is possible that the two Marlow
Cherbury, fake copper vessels were found (copper becoming
hillforts represent a shift from one site to another, rather
scarce by this point) and some new-fangled iron pins for
than the two sites being contemporary. More work needs to
decoration. Iron was not used in the same way as bronze, initially
be done to establish dating evidence.
it was used for decoration and special status-indicating items.
Further down the river, Taplow suffered from being
By Kathy Bragg
misidentified as a garden feature. It’s not clear how this
9
Short Lives and Local Highwaymen
“Stand and Deliver – Your Money or your Life!” these words
rang out with sharply increasing frequency in the years that
followed the execution of Charles I with their growing numbers
of Royalists on the run. And where was this cry heard more
than most places in the country? - the stretch of road from
Maidenhead to Reading! Maidenhead Thicket in particular,
notorious countrywide as “the Thycket,“ was amongst the
most dangerous place in England, and second only to areas
such as Hounslow Heath, Shooters Hill and Finchley Common
for some 150 years!
be more easy to the sufferer.” The hangman replied: “If one
Christian may believe another, I have hanged a great many in
my time, but upon my word, sir, I never had any complaint as
yet”. However, he did offer that, if Jack ever came his way he
would “be so civil as to hang you after your own way.” But
Shrimpton, not approving of the hangman’s civility, told him
that he desired none of his favours, because they generally
proved of a very dangerous consequence.
Although there have always been thieves and robbers, and
local mention of them goes back to soon after the Norman
Conquest, Highwaymen flourished from around 1645 to the
early 1800s.
Today, the highwaymen and their legends are romantic
figures, but at the time they were considered, well … in truth
also as romantic figures - though mainly by the people that
they hadn’t robbed, or who didn’t have to travel through the
most villainous areas.
But why was our stretch of road so bad? Mainly because
it was one of the busiest in the country, it had good cover
and easy escape routes – plus around 90 coaches passing
through Maidenhead every day. In the now demolished Sun
Inn there was even one highwayman who worked as an ostler
- he would rob coaches on the Thycket and then sympathise
with the distraught occupants when they arrived at the inn!
Many of the local court records are full of tales of blood, often
listing the amounts of money awarded to the doctors for the
work they did in patching up the unfortunate victims, and
reasonably often the robbers as well. However, there are
stories which show how the romantic ideal began. Let me
take you through just some of them:
John Shrimpton
One highwayman who rove the local paths and byways was
John, (know as Jack), Shrimpton. He was born of good and
reputable parents at Penn. After short spells as a soap-boiler
and as an army horse trooper, Jack took to the High Toby
between London and Oxford, and for a time there was scarce
a coach or horseman that could pass him without being
robbed.
A modern path through Maidenhead Thicket
Another time, Jack met with a couple of Wycombe bailiffs
carrying a poor farmer to jail. He asked what the debt was,
and being told it was six pounds, he requested that they went
with him to the next ale-house where he would pay it, which
he did. But, being Jack, he then waylaid the bailiffs on their
way home, relieved them of his six pounds, and another forty
shillings to boot!
A little while later, Shrimpton himself was held up by a poor
miller who, thinking that a robber’s cry alone would work, had
held Jack up by pretending that an oak plant he was holding
was a gun, as he didn’t have a real one. Jack took pity and
offered to help him with a robbery and then split the booty.
Jack gave much encouragement to the “simple” miller, who
promptly gave Jack “such a smart blow on the neck that
he felled him” and robbed him of eighty guineas - and then
he bade Jack to go quietly about his business, or he would
have him hanged, according to his own confession, for lately
robbing a neighbour! There never was much honour among
thieves.
Several years later on Friday, the 4th of September, 1713
Jack was hanged for the wilful murder of a watch-man.
The Bull at Gerrards Cross still has a Jack Shrimpton Bar.
Claude Du Vall
Jack, for once finding himself at a loose end in London, visited
one of the abundant hostelries, where he found himself in
the company of a hangman, and presumably for personal
interest asked him “What is the reason, when you perform
your office, that you put the knot just under the ear? For, in
my opinion, was you to fix it in the nape of the neck it would
Claude Du Vall was born in Normandy in 1643. He came
to England at 17 and quickly gained a taste for drinking,
gambling and womanising. In order to finance these habits
he embarked on a course that would make him one of the
most famous Highwaymen of the age.
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Claud “worked” the road to Reading and was often to be
found at the Black
Boy Public House on
the Windsor Road in
Slough.
Duval
won
a
reputation
for
gallantry
and
always treated his
victims with grace,
The Black Boy in 1905, with kind
consideration
and
permission from
www.sloughhistoryonline.org.uk
courtesy. As a result
he probably earned far
less than many of his “compatriots” In his most famous
exploit, he held
up a lady’s coach
knowing that there
was £400 on
board. However,
he took just £100,
allowing the lady to
keep the remaining
£300
on
the
condition that she
danced a Coranto
(an Italian dance
that was popular
at the time) with
Du Vall’s dance on the heath
him on the heath.
Not all stories show him in quite such a positive light. On
one occasion he held up a lady’s coach, stealing everything
including a silver baby’s bottle - only returning it when forced
to do so by an accomplice!
Hind, like most highwaymen, was a Royalist and among
his many famous exploits was a failed attempt to rob no
less a person than Oliver Cromwell, along with his seven
bodyguards! Despite his horse dying from exhaustion during
the aborted robbery and escape, Hind managed to get away,
politely stealing a horse, but not taking the owner’s money so
that he could buy another!
Hind was hanged and quartered for High Treason on
September 24th 1652 but maintained a cheerful and
frolicsome demeanour to the end. His head was placed mid
way over the Seven bridge at Worcester.
Dick Turpin
At the time, virtually nobody had heard of Dick Turpin, he was
made famous later by Victorian novelist William Harrison
Ainsworth with the (sadly) fictious account of Black Bess’
ride to York. A quick search across the internet will show
you that he was a regular drinker in Marlow’s Crown Pub,
the Kings Hotel in Stokenchurch, the Crooked Billet at Black
Park, the Black Boy in Slough, the George in Wallingford,
the Compleat Angler and the Old Toll House in Colnbrook,
to name just a few of them! However, if he visited all of
the many pubs he is associated with, he would never have
been sober enough even to slur “Stand and Deliver”! The
historical truth is that he operated mainly in his native
county of Essex, and quiet possibly never even came here!
By Gerry Palmer
The End of the Highway
Duval was hanged at Tyburn in 1670, aged 26,
having been arrested while drunk in a London pub. It
is said that many women of high standing pleaded
for his pardon, but to no avail. He is buried in Covent
Garden Church, under a stone bearing the epitaph:
Here lies Du Vall; reader, if male thou art,
Look to thy purse; if female, to thy heart.
Much havoc hath he made of both; for all,
Men he made stand, and women he made fall.
Captain James Hind
Another gallant Highway man to operate in Maidenhead
Thicket was Captain James Hind, known as the “Prince of
Prigs” (a prig being a thief) after a popular play about him at
the time. On his first ever robbery he stole ten guineas, but
then gave one guinea back to his victim so that he could get
home that night. Like Du Vall, he was unfailingly courteous.
Two pairs of English Blunderbusses
There are many reasons given for the demise of the
highwaymen, and the truth may be a mixture of them all.
Some people say it was the rise of banks, as people no
longer needed to carry their money with them, others say
it was the increase in policing and the turnpikes which
slowed the getaway. But, I believe the answer is more
prosaic than that, it was simply the rise of the blunderbuss,
which took an ever increasing number of highwaymen’s
lives and made the just job too dangerous to be worthwhile.
11
AiM
AGM - continued from front page
UK Returns Lybian artefacts
....and to Kathy who is standing down as Secretary, thanks
for her work in producing the minutes and responding to
website queries.
Libya has welcomed the return of ancient relics taken
by two British soldiers in the 1950s, when Libya was a
British protectorate. The finds are now on display in Tripoli
Museum.
Thanks also to Paul Kay and Stuart Loveday who are not
re-standing for the committee, thanks Paul for your help
and spreading the word in Marlow Bottom and Stuart
for looking after our scrapbook and loaning his house for
committee meeting.
Also welcome to Jeff Griffiths who was co-opted to the
committee this year and has been organizing talks, Gerry
Palmer who took over the production of the newsletter
from Andy part way through the year and has contributed
a great deal to it. Thanks to John Laker who has been
doing great work organizing the fieldwork since he stood
down from the main committee at the last AGM.
After the AGM there was time for soft drinks and nibbles
and then John Laker showed video footage of the Warren
Wood excavations which are continuing. He also answered
questions and brought us up to date. He had brought
some of the washed finds.
COMPETITION
Identify the three Marlow images and also tell us what
is the link between them?
What, if any, link is
there between Marlow
and April Fool’s Day?
The items, which are up to 2,500 years old - were returned
by the soldiers’ families and include the bronze prow of
a Greek ship - the piece found above the waterline at the
ship’s front that is often presented in films as a figurine.
Other objects returned included a Roman terracotta lamp
representing the god of wine.
Juma Anag, the former head of Libya’s archaeology
department, said the prow was found by the two British
soldiers during a diving excursion.
Half a million years of
life in Bucks
Don’t forget to call in and see this impressive exhibition in the
County Museum in Aylesbury - it runs until 11/07/2010
and includes an AiM display. This major exhibition exploring
the archaeology and history of Bucks displays the very best
of the County Museum collections alongside some splendid
loans from the British Museum.
Our AiM
AiM
would like to welcome the following new member Emma Bond.
AiM Annual Membership Rates
Individual Membership £9.00 or £4.50 if in full time
education
Family Membership £12.00,
School Membership £18.00
Corporate Membership is available on application
AiM Committee Meetings
email: answers to johnlaker@thamesinternet.com
Next Meeting 7.30 9th June, 9 Spinfield Lane, Marlow,
SL7 2JT. All members are welcome to attend all meetings
AiM Committee Members
Chairman
Treasurer - Ann Pitwell
01628 481792 - annpitwell@thamesinternet.com
Secretary & Membership Secretary - Kathy Bragg
01628 631952 aim@knowledgescape.co.uk
Field Work Co-ordinator - John Laker
01628 481792 johnlaker@thamesinternet.com
News sheet Editor - Gerry Palmer
01494 637499 gerry@palmer-rose.co.uk
Committee members
Andy Wallace andrew.wallace8@live.co.uk
Jeff Griffiths jefflgriff@yahoo.com
Gerry Platten 01628 472126
Rose Palmer -rose@palmer-rose.co.uk
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