Traders & Craftsmen of Watlington were encouraged by the Grant of a Wednesday Market in 1252 to Richard, Earl of Cornwall & of a Saturday Market and yearly Fair in 1302 to Roger Bigod. No attempt, however, seems to have been made to Free Townsmen from Villein Dues and they continued to pay Tallage to the Earl. The Tolls of the Fairs & Markets Descended with the Principal Manor until the 17thC, but by the early part of the Century they were being Leased to the Townsmen themselves. The Market was still being held on Saturdays and there were 2-Annual Fairs. The original Grant was for a Fair on the Eve, Feast & Morrow of St Bartholomew’s Day (24th Aug), but by 1718 there were said to be 3-Fairs, on Lady Day (25th Mar), St Bartholomew’s & on the Saturday before Michaelmas (29thSept), when Servants were Hired. In the early 19thC there were 2-Fairs for Hiring Servants, one on the Saturday before & the other on the Saturday after ‘Old’ Michaelmas (10/11th Oct). In 1852 Cattle Fairs were held on 5th April & the Saturday before 10th October; in 1939 there were still 2-Statutes of ‘Pleasure’ Fairs held on the Saturdays before & after ‘Old’ Michaelmas.
Compared with the Markets of Henley, High Wycombe, or Thame, Watlington’s Market was unimportant. In the 16thC William Camden commented on its smallness, and at the end of the 17thC, it was so severely affected by Outbreaks of Smallpox & Fever that it lost most of its Old Trade to Henley. Although Smallpox had almost entirely disappeared by 1742, when Thomas Stonor Sold the Tolls in about 1747 these were worth no more than around £100. Lack of Goods Communications more than anything else probably prevented Watlington from keeping up with its Rivals, particularly after the development of New Routes to London through Stokenchurch & Henley. In 1822 the Roads around Watlington were described as ‘probably the worst in the Country‘, and this had already led to the Loss to High Wycombe of much of the Produce of the Corn Belt below the Chilterns that was destined for the London Market. Another factor contributing to Watlington’s stagnation was that the nearest Navigable Water was 6-miles away. In 1822 this was said to be ‘a circumstance fatally adverse to the Prosperity of the Place‘. In 1852 the Market, still mainly for Corn, was ‘thinly attended‘ and Thame Market took most of the Cattle Sales. The Market ceased to be held soon after.
Watlington flourished mainly as a Local Centre and Victuallers & Millers appear early in its Records. 15thC Court Rolls Records the selling of Beer & Bread over the controlled Price, Millers were Fined for taking excessive Tolls, and Butchers & Innkeepers for excessive charges. The Records of the Stonor Family show that the Local Gentry both bought from and sold to Watlington Craftsmen & Merchants. Mistress Stonor bought Broadcloth & ‘fine Cloth‘ and Kersey (coarse woolen cloth) in 1468 from a Watlington Weaver, in 1479 Elizabeth Stonor paid Watlington men 1s-8d for 5-days’ Work in making Candles; in 1482 Wood was Sold to a Watlington Trader; and in the 16thC Sir Adrian Fortescue’s Accounts record the Purchase of Bread & Ale from Watlington. Sheep Farming on the Chilterns encouraged Wool Merchants & Weavers. In 1478 Robert Warner, Woolman, and at one time Bailiff of Watlington, was in Debt to Thomas Stonor and was accused of being ‘an untrew man of his Promesse‘. Warner sold his Wool in London and in 1476 negotiated for the Sale of 25-sacks of ‘young Cotswold‘ Wool, 50-Fleeces of fine Wool & 200lb of Wool for £140. Connections with London Merchants were not unusual in the Middle Ages: in 1443, for example, William Torrynton, Chapman of Watlington, was summoned to answer for a 40s Debt to a London Girdler; and in 1453 a Watlington Husbandman was in Debt to a Salisbury & a London Merchant. The Town even attracted Settlers from the Netherlands. Simon Antony, born in Fleremere in Luke, who was living at Watlington in 1436, was presumably a Weaver or a Woolman.
Trades & Crafts recorded in the 17th, 18th & 19thCs show that Watlington supplied most Local needs. There are 13 surviving Trade Tokens of the late 17thC, and among the people who Purchased the Manorial Rights in 1669 were 4-Cordwainers, 3-Maltsters, 2-Fellmongers (hides & skins), 2-Carpenters, a Collar Maker, Mason, Shoemaker & Tanner. The Nashes, prominent Parishioners in the 17thC, were Tanners and the Gregorys & Reveses were Weavers. Fell-mongers were recorded up to the early 19thC, An Apothecary was recorded in 1670, a Chirurgeon (Surgeon) & Barber in 1679, Scribeners (writers) in 1674 & 1766 & 2-Lawyers occur in 1718. Glovers & Drapers were evidently prosperous, since Thomas Ovey, member of a wealthy Yeoman Family, was a Glover in 1615, and the successful Home Family was mainly engaged in the Drapery Trade. Mr Edward Home was a leading Draper in 1688, and Edward Home with John Sibley supplied the Clothes for Robert Parslowe’s Charity in the 1730s. In the 1740s Edward Horne was described as a Gentleman. A relative, Samuel Horne, who became Lord of Watcombe Manor was a London Merchant in 1747. The Tooveys, Owners of considerable Property in the area, were also connected with the Drapery Trade.
Innkeeping was another Profitable Trade, recorded in Waltington from the 15thC. In the 17thC Thomas Greendowne, Innkeeper of the ‘King’s Head‘, had Tokens bearing a Sugar Loaf & a Vintner’s Bush (Ivy branch above his door sacred to Bacchus). At the end of the 18thC there were 6-Inns in Watlington, which came into the hands of the Local Brewers, the Haywards, by the early 19thC. These were the ‘Crown‘, the ‘Hare & Hounds‘, the ‘Red Lion‘, the ‘Three Crowns‘, the ‘White Hart‘ & ‘Black Lion‘. In 1823 there were also the ‘Barley Mow‘ & the ‘George‘ and about 1853 there were at least another 11-Beer Retailers in Watlington besides 2 in Greenfield, probably at Christmas Common (Fox & Hounds) and on Howe Hill (Jolly Ploughman). In the late 19thC George Wilkinson, a Methodist, bought 6 of the Inns & Beerhouses and was able to Close them. There were still 9-Beer Retailers in the Parish in 1903 & 7-Inns, but by 1939 there were only 3-Public Houses & 2-Hotels: the ‘Hare & Hounds‘ & the ‘Fox & Hounds‘.
Trading was encouraged in the 19thC by a local Bank, Blackall & Cozens, Established in 1810. William Cozens, a son of Thomas Cozens of Tetsworth, married Ann Blackall of Pyrton, and the Bank was Advertised as Blackall & Cozens in 1812, and in the same year Cozens was given Licence to issue Notes. The Bank flourished under the names of Thomas & William Cozens from 1815 to 1841. William Cozens died in 1844, and his Successors at Watlington were Lydall & Co., in Shirburn Street.
The 1851 Census gives the 1st full description of Occupations & Trades in Watlington. There were about 200-Agricultural Labourers, besides Shopkeepers, Butchers & Victuallers. Specialised Agricultural Crafts still flourished and 2 Sadlers, a Builder & Wheelwright, a Millwright, Cooper, Thatcher & 3-Blacksmiths were Listed, as well as an Iron-founder & a Tinman & Brazier. The Chief Industry was Shoemaking, described in 1844 as ‘a rather considerable Trade lately sprung up‘: in 1851 there were 5-Master Shoe & Boot-makers, employing a number of Journeymen; in 1852 there were 10-Independent Shoemakers and soon after there was another employing 49-men. In the later part of the Century this Trade declined because of competition from the Northamptonshire Shoe-Factories. Lace-making was also a considerable Home Industry in the 19thC. In 1762 & 1788 there was a Professional Laceman or Lacebuyer in the Town and in 1851 a visiting Lace Dealer was included in the Census. In the early 19thC Lace was taught in a Special School for 40 or 50-Pupils. This Industry again was killed by Factory competition.
No other Industry has established itself in Watlington on any large scale, and in 1960 most of the Workers on the new Housing Estates worked in Oxford in Industry or Business. Opportunities for work in Oxford probably account for the rise in Population, which has taken place since 1921. During the 19thC the number of Inhabitants had increased from 1,276 to 1,943 persons by 1871, but had then fallen to 1,386 by 1921 because of the Agricultural Depression and the decline of Home Industries. Despite the Loss of 278-acres to Pishill the downward trend had been checked by 1931 & by 1951 numbers reached 1,589.
Aston Rowant & Chilterns Spring Line Villages 