The Church of St Peter & St Paul consists of a Chancel 28ft x 15ft, Nave 64ft x 20ft, North Transept 20ft x 15ft, North Aisle 34ft x 11ft, South Porch & a Western Bell-Turret. These dimensions are all internal. The Nave, which dates from the latter half of the 12thC, was probably lengthened in the 15thC & the contemporary Chancel appears to have been rebuilt during the 1st-Half of the 14thC when the North Transept was 1st Erected. In the 16thC, the South Porch was added & the North Transept rebuilt. The Fabric was thoroughly Restored in 1847 & the North Aisle was Built in 1893. The materials are Flint Rubble with Limestone Dressings, much of the walling being coated with Roughcast. The North Transept Roof is Tiled & the Roofs of the Chancel & Nave are covered with Lead.
The Chancel is lighted from the East by a modern 3-light window with some original 14thC Inner Jamb Stones, from the South by 2–14thC windows, each of 2-lights with Tracery under a pointed Head & from the North by one window similar to the last & one of the 15thC of 2-trefoiled lights under a square head. Between the 2-South windows, the Eastern of which appears to have been raised in the 15thC, when the Inner Sill was carried down to form a Sedile, is a 14thC Doorway with a Modern Head. In the North Wall is a 14thC Locker, which was probably used as an Easter Sepulchre in the 15thC, when it was given its present trefoiled Ogee Head & in the South Wall is a 14thC Piscina with a Sexfoil Bowl & a Cinquefoiled Head, above which is a crocketed & traceried Gablet flanked by Pinnacles supported on Head Corbels. East of this is a small square recess & on the North Wall is a Carved Bracket, probably of the 14thC. The pointed Chancel Arch, dating from the late-12thC, is of 2-Orders, the Inner Plain & the Outer Cheveron moulded; one order of the Responds is enriched on the side towards the Nave by keeled edge Rolls with foliated Capitals & moulded Bases. On the North side of the Chancel Arch there is a Hagioscope.
The Nave is comparatively narrow for its length & is lighted on the South by 4-windows. The Easternmost window is similar to that at the South-east of the Chancel; the next, about 30-yrs later in date, is of 2-trefoiled lights with a Quatrefoil under a Pointed Head; the 3rd is a 15thC window of 2-cinquefoiled lights with head Tracery & the Westernmost a 13thC Lancet, probably reset. The South Doorway, which dates from the late-12thC, has a moulded 2-Centred Arch with dog-tooth enrichment; the Semi-circular Inner Order is modern & the Jambs have been considerably Restored. The North Wall is occupied by an Arcade of 4-Bays, the 3-Western of which are modern; the East Bay, opening into the Transept & dating from the 14thC, is of 2 chamfered Orders, the Inner one of which was supported on both sides by Head Corbels, but the West Corbel has been removed to the West Respond of the Arcade. In the West Wall is a 15thC Doorway with a 2-centred Head & a 3-light Traceried window of the same Period, above which is a reset Round-headed window, now Blocked, which probably dates from the late-12thC. At the East of the Transept Arch is the Upper Doorway to a Rood-loft. The North Transept is lighted on the North by a late-16thC window of 3-lights under a 4-centred Head & on the East by a window of 2-lights under a Square Head, probably dating from the same Period, while over the North window is a reset trefoiled light of the 15thC. In the East Wall is a 14thC Piscina with a cinquefoiled Head, a Sexfoil Bowl & a Shelf at the back & at the West is a Modern Arch opening into the Aisle. Reset in the North Wall of the Aisle are 2–15thC windows, each of 2-cinquefoiled lights under a Square Head & in the West Wall is a reset 14thC window of 2-trefoiled lights with Tracery under a Pointed Head which has been restored. The South Porch retains its original 4-centred Entrance Arch, but the Jambs are Modern & in each of the East & West Walls is a square-headed light, mostly of Modern Stonework.
The Nave Roof dates from the late-15thC; its Trusses have Tie-beams with curved Braces & they are supported on Stone Corbels carved generally with Angels holding Shields or with Heads, but those at the West, which are later insertions, are Plain. The Transept has a 16thC Roof with a central moulded Tie-beam, over which is a Foliated Board, which may be a re-used Barge-board.
The Font has an Octagonal Limestone Bowl with a moulded Lower Edge, a Bell-shaped Stem & a Moulded Base; it is apparently of early-13thC date & was originally Circular, but was recut to its present Shape in the 15th or 16thC. The Cover is probably of 17thC date & has a Central Vertical Handle. In the North-west window of the Chancel & the West window of the Nave are some fragments of old Painted Glass. On the Inner Sill of the South-east window of the Nave are fragments of 2–13thC Shafts, one of which has a Foliated Capital & the other a Moulded Capital, with remains of colour decoration of a later date on the back.
On the North Jamb of the Chancel Arch is a mutilated Brass Figure in Plate & Mail Armour with a French Inscription to Roberd Morle, who died in 1410 & on the South Jamb is a Figure & Inscription of similar Character to Robert Morle, who died in 1415. In the Chancel are 2-rectangular Brass Plates with Arms, Figures & Inscription, commemorating Bartholomew Tipping of Chequers, who died in 1632 & 2-similar Plates, one with her Figure, to commemorate his wife Martha, who died in the same year. On the Northside of the Chancel is a Medieval Coffin Lid, on which was an Incised Cross, but the Stem only can now be seen & on the North Wall is a Monument with Arms to Bartholomew Tipping, who Founded the Free School in the Parish & died in 1680. On the Chancel Floor is a Slab to the same person, one to Elizabeth Whistler, his sister, 1693/4 & 2 other Slabs probably of the same Period.
Tippings, The Common, Stokenchurch
House, formerly School with Master’s Lodging. Founded 1675 by Bartholomew Tipping for 12-boys, enlarged 1728 by Thomas Delafield, Schoolmaster. Later alterations. Flint & Brick, the Front Rendered & Colourwashed. Hipped Tile Roof, Flanking Brick Chimneys. 2-Storeys, 2-Bays. Tall paired barred Wooden Casements, 3 to 1st-Floor, one to Ground Floor right. 20thC 5-light Bow window to Left. Central 20thC Door with old rectangular Fanlight in Gabled Porch with 4-centred Arch. Flint & Brick Lean-to to left, rendered Lean-to to Right. Rear Wall of original Front Range has Quoins & 1st-Floor Band course of narrow Brick. Rear Wing, forming L-plan, is dated TD-1728 on Tie Beam & has Lean-to in angle with Front Wing.
Interior has large Fireplace with chamfered Brick Arch in right Room.
There are 3–Bells, of which the 1st, dated 1640 & the 3rd, 1618, are both by Henry Knight.
The Communion Plate includes a Cup & Cover Paten of 1574 & a Paten of 1684.
The Registers Date from 1707.
Stockenchurch Baptisms 1707 to 1938, Marriages 1707 to 1846, Burials 1707 to 1935
Advowson: Stokenchurch was a Chapelry of Aston Rowant with a Chapel & Cemetery of its own in the early-13thC. The Advowson descended with that of Aston Rowant & before 1220 belonged to Wallingford Priory, to which Foundation the Mother Church had already been appropriated. It remained with the Priory, which was dissolved in 1524 & was included in the Crown Grant of the Priory Estates to Cardinal Wolsey in 1528 for his College at Oxford. Further Grants of the Advowson of Stokenchurch Chapel were made in 1531 & 1532 to St Albans Abbey, but since the Dissolution, it has been Vested in the Crown. The Chapelry of Stokenchurch was severed from Aston Rowant in 1844 & made a Perpetual Curacy. It is now a Vicarage in the Gift of the Lord Chancellor. The New Vicarage house was purpose built as a Vicarage in 1982
Charities: The following Eleemosynary Charities are regulated by a Scheme of the Charity Commissioners of 20th September 1904, under the Title of the United Charities, namely, the Charity of Francis Deane, Founded by Will, 1674, being an Annuity of 30s issuing out of Cooper’s Court Farm in this Parish; Thomas Mason, by Will 1711, consisting of an Annuity of £3-1s. issuing out of Mallard’s Court Estate, for providing Coats for 6-Poor men & 6-No. 2-penny loaves of Bread.
Newell, Gift about 1719, originally the Interest of £100 for Bread, in respect of which the yearly sum of £4 is now paid by the Owner of Pophley’s Farm.
Burrows, by Will, referred to in the Parliamentary Returns of 1786, being an Annuity of 14s issuing out of 2-Cottages in this Parish.
James Hitchcock, who died in 1817, by his Will gave £3 yearly for Bread, which is received out of a House & Premises in this Parish.
Sarah Holmes, by will 1829, Trust Fund, £29-11s-9d Consols, producing 14s-8d yearly for Poor Widows.
The Annuity of £3-1s in respect of Mason’s Charity is duly applied for the Benefit of 6-Poor men, and the other Annuities, amounting together to £9-4s, are applied in the distribution of Bread, the Income of Charity being divided among 8 or 9-Poor Widows.
The sum of Stock belonging to Sarah Holmes’s Charity is held by the Official Trustees, who also hold a sum of £100 Consols under the Title of ‘Jodrell’s Charity,‘ derived under the Will of Sir Richard Paul Jodrell, Baronet, proved at London, 7th March 1861, the Annual Dividends of which, amounting to £2-10s, are applicable in the distribution of clothing & blankets amongst necessitous Inhabitants most Regular in Attendance at Church, who have maintained the largest Families with the least Parochial Relief.
Tipping’s Educational Foundation: In 1675 Bartholomew Tipping (1648–1718) by Deed charged certain Lands in Shabbington, Bucks., with a yearly Rent-charge of £41-0s-6d to be disposed of for the Schooling & Clothing of 12-Poor children, for Apprenticing 2 of them, & for other purposes specified in the said Deed, including 13s-4d to the Curate for Preaching a Sermon on St Bartholomew’s Day (24/25th Aug). A sum of £275 Consols, representing accumulations of Income, was in 1858 transferred to the Official Trustees, of which £26-13s-4d Consols was in 1904 set aside as ‘Tipping’s Charity for Curate.‘ The Income of the Foundation is applied for Educational purposes in the Parish.
Bartholomew was the Son of John Tipping of Chequers at Stokenchurch in Oxon (now Bucks) & Woolley Park at Chaddleworth in Berks & his wife, Mary Spire. John Tipping was the son of Eternity Tipping’s 1st Cousin. Bartholomew Tipping became High Sheriff in 1690 & Inherited the Family’s Berks Estate in 1701. He married Margaret Tubb & had one son, Bartholomew Tipping V, Grandfather of the Later High Sheriff, Bartholomew Tipping VII. He died at Woolley on 6th June 1718 & was buried in Chaddleworth Church. He is a direct Ancestor of Philip Lavallin Wroughton, Lord Lieutenant of Berks (1995–2008).
“During the process of the Enclosure of Stokenchurch in 1858, Land was Allotted to be Held in Trust for a Site for a School & Cemetery. The process was to be administered by the Incumbent, i.e. the Vicar & the Churchwardens, known as the Vestry. At this time there were no Parish Councils & Village Affairs were overseen by the Vestry. However, the School was not Built for another 16-yrs. The Vicar & Churchwardens appear to have been reluctant to proceed with this as the School Board which was finally formed consisted of 2–Methodists, a Congregationalist & a Churchman, under the Chairmanship of Squire Brown.”
“A recording made by a Local Resident George Britnall, who died in 1984 aged 106, remembers his father telling him that, after a lot of Argument with the Vicar, Terms were drawn up, backed by a Legal Document whereby the Board could take Possession of the Land.”
“A piece of Land was to be set aside for Burial Ground, again administered by the Vicar & Churchwardens. There seems to have been many disputes between the Church & the Dissenters over this Issue with Locked Gates & Skirmishes with the Police. George Britnall related how a Group of men cut the Padlock to the Cemetery Site. After the Cemetery was in use, half an acre was set aside for Nonconformist Burials.”
Aston Rowant & Chilterns Spring Line Villages 