Church: The Church of All Saints consists of a Chancel measuring internally 18-ft x 15-ft., Nave 58ft-6ins x 21ft-6ins, North Aisle 13ft-6ins. wide, South Aisle 14-ft Wide, West Tower 11ft x 11ft-6ins & a Timber South Porch. The Walling is principally of Rubble & the Roofs are Tiled.
The Chancel & Nave date from the early-12thC. Beyond the addition of the Tower in the early-15thC & the insertion of windows at various dates in the Middle-Ages, the Plan of the Fabric remained practically unchanged till 1839, when the North Aisle was added. In 1889 the South Aisle & Porch were Built, & the Chancel, which had been re-Roofed in the early-17thC, was extended Eastwards about 6-ft. The East window of the Chancel is modern & has 3-lights under a Traceried Head. Above it is a Reset & Retooled 2-light window of about 1400. In the North Wall are a late-13thC trefoiled light & a small blocked window of about 1120 & in the South Wall a pointed Doorway & a 2-light window, both probably of the 13thC, the Latter much Restored & Altered. The fine 17thC Roof is supported by 3-Trusses & Plastered below the Collar-beams. The Middle Truss has an Elaborate Arch above the Tie-beam filled with pierced Balusters Radiating from a Central Pendant; the Eastern Truss, which stands away from the Wall & Marks the position of the Original East End, has Curved Struts, while the Tie-beam of the Western Truss has been cut away & only the ends remain. The Pointed Chancel Arch dates from the 13thC, the Label on the East Side & the North Abacus being re-used from the 12thC Arch. On the North Side are Notches for the Rood Screen & the Arch is rebated on the East, doubtless for a Wood Tympanum; the South Jamb has been considerably restored. On the Soffit are 14thC Paintings of St Peter holding a Book & a Key & St Paul holding a Book & Sword.
In the West Wall of the Nave is a 15thC Pointed Arch opening to the Ground Stage of the Tower; the Inner Order rests upon Corbels & above it is a round-headed Light of the 12thC. The Arcades & the Clearstory are Modern, but the North & South Doorways, though Restored, are both of the early-12thC &, with some Windows & Fittings taken out of the Original Side Walls of the Nave, have been re-Built in the Walls of the Modern Aisles. The Doorways are alike, each having a Round Head of 2-Orders supported by Detached Shafts. In the East Wall of the North Aisle is a late-13thC window of 4-uncusped lights with Tracery, while the South Aisle has an early-16thC window of 2-Cinquefoiled lights in the East Wall, a 3-light window, probably of the same Period, in the West Wall & in the South Wall a 2-Light Traceried window of about 1320, from which many of the Modern Aisle windows have been Copied. A Round-arched Recess & a moulded Pillar Piscina, the Shaft of which is Modern, have also been re-used. Some old White Glass in the Head of the 14thC window is probably Original.
The Low Tower, which hardly rises above the Ridge of the Nave Roof, is of 2-Stages, the Upper being slightly diminished in size & has Diagonal Buttresses at the Western Angles. On the South side is a Clock Dial. The Lower Stage has a 2-light Traceried window on the West & there are Traces of a Late Doorway, now Blocked, on the North. The Bellchamber is lighted from each side by an Original window of 2-Lights, the Western one being repaired in Oak & there are Original Gargoyles on the String-course below the Parapet.
The Font, which dates from the 14thC, has a Traceried Panel on each of the 8-Sides of the Bowl & an Octagonal Stem & Base, the Base being prolonged to form a Step. The Communion Table dates from the 17thC. In the Chancel & Nave are 6–Medieval Oak Benches & in the Tower is a Rail supported by 17thC Balusters. On the South Wall of the Chancel is an early-16thC Brass Inscription to John Hood & his wife Maud.
The Tower contains a Ring of 6–Bells Re-Cast by William & John Taylor of Oxford in 1825 & a Sanctus by James Keene, 1624, Inscribed round the Lip ‘Pe Newman Ier Sergeant.’
The Communion Plate includes a Silver Cup & Cover Paten of 1569, the Latter inscribed ‘B 1570‘; a Cup & Cover Paten of 1689 given by Robert Hart; a Flagon given by Sir Thomas Snell in 1751; a small modern Pewter Chalice & Paten; & a modern Silver-gilt Chalice, Paten & Pyx.
Advowson: The Church of Brill from the 12th to the 16thC was a Chapel of Oakley Church, with which it seems always to have Descended. According to a Charter of Stephen it had belonged to the Priory of St Frideswide, Oxford (Now Christchurch Cathedral), since the time of Edward the Confessor. In the 13thC & the early-years of the 14thC, Presentations, which included Oakley, were made to the Church of Brill, the importance of the latter Parish as containing a Royal Manor & Residence & the position of Oakley Church within its Boundaries apparently obscuring the Real Relationship between the Mother Church & its Chapel.
Brill had 2-other Chapels in the 13thC. For the Service of one, ‘the Chapel of the King’s Court,’ John in 1205 Granted Robert the Hermit of St Werburgh & his Successors 50s a year and the Site of the Hermitage. A Single Chaplain seems to have been in charge of the Hermitage or ‘Priory of St Werburgh‘ & the Royal Chapel until the Annexation of the Former to Medieval Chetwode Priory in 1251. The Prior was then required to supply 2-Chaplains, 1 for the Chapel of St Werburgh at the Hermitage, the other for the Royal Chapel, receiving in lieu of the 50s formerly paid him for the Latter 21-acres of the King’s Assart in Brill. The Service of both had probably been long intermitted before the middle of the 15thC, when it was proposed to resume certain Lands in Brill Held by the Prior of Chetwode on the unfulfilled condition of maintaining a Chaplain to celebrate there on Sundays, Wednesdays & Fridays. In 1460 the Advowsons of the Chapels of St Edmund & St Werburgh were included in the Surrender made by the Prior to the Bishop of Lincoln, which was followed the next year by the Annexation of his House & Possessions to Nutley Abbey.
In the 16thC there were Lands in Brill devoted to the maintenance of certain lamps in the Church & the Rent of a Close supported an Obit.
Charities: Eleemosynary (Alms) Charities.— The Charity formerly known as the Poor Folks’ Pasture, which was Founded in or about the year 1623, is regulated by a Scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 26th April 1912. The Trust Estate consists of 149-acres, or thereabouts, in Boarstall, known as the Pasture Farm, & 29-acres of Allotment Land, producing £126 yearly. The Income, augmented by the Letting of the Shooting Rights thereon, is applicable under the Scheme for the general benefit of the Poor in one or more of the modes therein specified. In 1912 the sum of £3 was given to each of 34-Recipients.
Alice Carter’s Almshouse Charity, stated in the Parliamentary Returns of 1786 to have been Founded by Deed in 1591 for Poor Widows, consists of the Almshouse, Close, Cottages & Gardens containing about 3-acres, Let to various Tenants, Producing about £30 a year (built 1591, rebuilt 1842 & 1963)
John Hart, by his Will Proved in the PCC 15th May 1665, devised (inter alia) an Annual Rent-charge of £5 issuing out of Easington Manor, Oxon, for binding 1-Poor Boy to some Good Trade. In 1912 a premium of £10 was Paid for Apprenticing a Boy.
Edward Lewis, by his Will Proved 26th February 1674, Directed a Sum of £300 to be laid out in the Purchase of a yearly Rent for the Benefit of the Poor. The Endowment consists of a yearly Rent-charge of £8 issuing out of Lands belonging to Mr Henry L Aubrey-Fletcher, which is applied in the Distribution of Coal.
Miss Mary Elliott, by her Will 1864, Bequeathed £100 Consols, the Annual Dividends of £2-10s to be applied in the distribution at Christmas of Gowns, Flannel & Calico among 3-Poor Women Members of the Established Church.
Samuel Turner, by his Will proved at London 14th November 1873, Bequeathed £400, the Income to be distributed Annually at Christmas in Money, Food, Fuel, or Clothing to the Poor. The Legacy, less Duty, is represented by £360 Consols, producing £9 yearly.
The Sums of Stock are held by the Official Trustees.
Educational Charities.—In 1637 John Pym by Deed gave an Annuity of £10 to be paid to a Schoolmaster for Teaching 10-Poor children. In 1710 a Sum of £300, representing arrears of the Annuity, was laid out in the Purchase of 12-acres called Spar Closes, which are Let at £20 a year. By a Scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 1st February 1895 the Income is made applicable in the maintenance of Evening Classes & in Prizes & Exhibitions.
In 1825 Sir John Aubrey gave £2,200 Stock, the Dividends, subject to the payment of 20s to the Parish Clerk and of £5 yearly for keeping in repair the Family Monuments in the Church, to be applied for Educational purposes. In 1904 there was set aside with the Official Trustees a sum of £240 Consols as the Ecclesiastical Branch, to provide the Annual Sum of £6 for the Clerk & Repair of the Monuments & £1,960 Consols as the Educational Branch of the Charity. In 1910 the Sum of £980 Consols, part of the last mentioned Sum of Stock, was Sold out to provide the cost of altering & improving the Church of England Schools, for the replacement of which a sum of £660 Consols, further part there of, was set aside & accumulated, leaving a Sum of £320 Consols with the Official Trustees on Current Account. The Dividends of £8 a year are applied towards the upkeep of the School Premises. The Stock on the Investment Account amounts to £715-6s-7d Consols.
Church Acre – There is in the Parish an Acre of Land, so called, Let at £2-5s a year, which is carried to the Churchwardens’ Account.
Aston Rowant & Chilterns Spring Line Villages 