Haversham and Little Linford, St Mary’s

All Recorded Ledgerstones

Church of England

Haversham and Little Linford

Buckinghamshire

Milton Keynes

SP 8276 842753

Revd Richard Caddell, Rector
The Rectory,
Haversham,
Milton Keynes
MK 19 7DT

7

1605

1842

Recorded Ledgerstones

Haversham and Little Linford, St Mary’s : Ledgerstone 1

Rectangular
Aligned West to East
No lettering remaining
Condition very poor. Worn with signs of an insertion. There is an indentation in the stone in the shape of a shield and a rectangular indentation with some deposits of molten brass left when the inscription was removed and placed on the wall tablet in the southeast wall of the Chancel

Limestone

1427

1290 x 780 mm
50 3/4 x 30 3/4 inches

The remains of brass on the stone and evidence of the repair to the brass on the SE Chancel wall suggest that this was probably the location of the original brass memorial to Alice Payn, which was placed close to the Clinton Tomb in accordance with her Will (ref. a). The brass was removed and placed on a wall tablet on the Chancel wall in 1884.
The inscription on the tablet reads:

HIC IACET ALICIA PAYN NUPER UXOR THOME PAYN
ARMIGERI QUE OBIIT IN DIE COMMEMORACIONIS ANIMARUM
ANNO DÑI M°CCCC°XXVIJ CUJUS ANIME PROPICIETUR DEUS AMEN.
RESTAURANTU . MDCCCLXXXIV
Translation:

HERE LIES ALICIA PAYN, LATELY THE WIFE OF THOMAS PAYN,
ARMIGER, WHO DIED ON ALL SOULS’ DAY,
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD M.CCCC.XXVII.
MAY THE LORD BE GRACIOUS TO HER SOUL. AMEN.
RESTORED 1884
Ref. a) Rev. S Hilton M.A., Rector of Haversham
‘The Story of Haversham and its Historical Associations’

None on ledgerstone.

Lesley Gilbert &
Pat Morris

Haversham and Little Linford, St Mary’s : Ledgerstone 2

Rectangular
Aligned West to East
No lettering remaining
Condition poor. The surface is mutilated and the edges degraded. There is evidence of an incised border and a possible indent suggesting a brass inset, possibly of a figure. The altar steps obscure the lower end

Limestone

1310 x 970 mm
51 1/2 x 38 1/4 inches

This stone, from which the brass has disappeared, adjoins the John Maunsell slab. It may have commemorated a member of the Salisbury family, Giles, who was probably the tenant at the Manor House in Haversham before John Maunsell (ref. a). He lived at the time of Henry VIII. In 1559 the current rector paid an advoweson to the benefice. “Giles Salisbury of Haversham, gent, stood surety for this payment.” (ref. a). Lipscomb describes it as ‘an ancient stone despoiled of its brasses.’ (ref. b).

Ref. a) Rev. S Hilton M.A., Rector of Haversham
‘The Story of Haversham and its Historical Associations’.
b) George Lipscomb – The history and
antiquities of the county of Buckingham. … v.4.

Lesley Gilbert &
Pat Morris

Haversham and Little Linford, St Mary’s : Ledgerstone 3

Rectangular
Aligned West to East
Brass engraved skeleton in a coffin, in the centre of the top half of the stone. At the top two corners of this stone are the arms of the Maunsell family. Underneath the skeleton is a rectangular plate or plinth with an inscription of five lines of English.
Roman capitals; archaic spelling.
The Maunsell arms show a fesse charged with a mullet between three manches.
Condition very good.
The right hand edge is mutilated and cemented over. A carpet usually covers the memorial.

Purbeck slab, with brass inlay

1605

1830 x 740 mm
72 x 29 inches

John Maunsell was baptised on 22nd September 1539 and died on 25th January 1605. (ref. a) He was born at Chicheley, the son of Richard Maunsell and Margaret Fairfax. He lived at the Manor House in Haversham and is supposed to have been the steward or principal tenant. He was rated there for the pastures in 1598. (ref. b) According to Hilton, it is likely, from the use of the Maunsell coat of arms, that he was probably a descendant of Sir Philip de Maunsell, a companion of William the Conqueror, whose coat of arms was argent a chevron between three manches sable. (ref. c)

Ref. a) David Brightman (2000) – A Short
Guide to the Parish Church of St Mary’s Haversham Bucks
b) George Lipscomb – The history and
antiquities of the county of Buckingham. … v.4.
c) Burke (1838) – Commoners of England
Vol 1, Vol 2

HERE RESTETH THE BODY OF JOHN MAVNSELL GENT:
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE THE 25TH OF IANVARYE
1605 WHEN HE HAD LIVED LXVI YEERES FOWER
MONETHS AND FIVE DAYES WHOSE CHRISTIAN LIFE
AND GODLY END GOD GRAVNT VS ALL TO FOLLOW

Lesley Gilbert &
Pat Morris

Haversham and Little Linford, St Mary’s : Ledgerstone 4

Rectangular
Aligned West to East
Plain stone with inscription in top third of stone
Roman
Condition very good, but partially covered with a pew and kneeler

Limestone

1843

1860 x 920 mm
73 1/4 x 36 1/4 inches

Alexander Greaves was born on 6 May 1769 and was named after the Squire, Alexander Small, Lord of the Manor of Haversham. It is recorded that he had a sandy complexion, was gentlemanly and kind-hearted (ref. a). He left his estate to his nephew, William Greaves, son of John and Martha Gilks. In 1798 it is recorded that he owned 16 horses, 1 waggon and 3 carts (ref. b). He is buried near the vault in Haversham Church. Mary Harding, his wife, was born in 1768 in Hurstbourne Tarrant near Southampton and they were married on 14th November 1803. There is a wall tablet to their memory in the Chapel behind the organ.

Ref. a) Journal of John Albert Greaves (1829 –
1893)
b) Buckinghamshire Posse Comitatus
(1798)

ALEXANDER GREAVES
DIED 9, APRIL 18–.
AGED LXVI.

MARY GREAVES
WIFE OF THE ABOVE
died 27th July
1842
AGED
74

Lesley Gilbert &
Pat Morris

Haversham and Little Linford, St Mary’s : Ledgerstone 5

Rectangular
Aligned West to East
Incised pattern border with corner decorations at the top two corners. Lettering starts close to top of the border
Hand-incised ornate freestyle; names in italics.
Condition fair. Almost half of the stone is obscured by furniture.
The border and corner decorations are partly worn away. The corner decorations could be a stylised leaf or vine decoration. A lot of the inscription has worn away, but it is possible to read parts.

Limestone

1783

1970 x 1120 mm
77 1/2 x 44 inches

Thomas Greaves was born in 1731 and was the churchwarden at Haversham in 1765. He leased the manor of Haversham from Michaelmas 1763. According to the Greaves Family tree, he was a good mechanic and helped put up the church clock at Bloxham, where he was brought up. (ref. a )

Ref. a) Sue Brooker (2013) Greaves Family Tree.
MK Heritage website.

In Memory of
THOMAS GREAVES
Who departed from this life
August the 25th

[no more of the inscription is visible]

Lesley Gilbert &
Pat Morris

Haversham and Little Linford, St Mary’s : Ledgerstone 6

Rectangular
Aligned West to East
Plain stone with inscriptions covering the whole area
Roman
Condition good, but mostly covered by the wooden pulpit

Stone

1822

1830 x 900 mm
72 x 35 1/2 inches

The ledgerstone records the three daughters of Thomas and Jane Greaves.
Elizabeth Greaves was baptised on 11th September 1792 at Abthorpe. She died in Haversham Manor and was buried on 19th April 1820. According to one report she was the illegitimate daughter of Thomas Greaves and Jane Greaves (nee King) and was due to marry Reverend Pryce Jones, son of the rector of Abthorpe. (ref. a)
Jane was baptised on 8th January 1796 and married James Druce of Pottersbury. (ref. a)
Mary was the fifth child and never married. She was baptised on 17th August 1801 and buried on 8th November 1822. (ref. a) The three girls were sisters to Maria Small.

Ref. a) Sue Brooker (2013) Greaves Family Tree.
MK Heritage website.

The original inscription is as follows but only the underlined portions of text are visible. (ref. b )

Beneath this stone
are deposited the mortal
remains of
ELIZABETH, who died
the 14th of April 1820
aged 28 years of her age, and of Jane who died 29th May 1821 in the 27th year of her age, and of Mary who died 5th November 1825 in the 25th year of her age. Daughters of Thomas and Jane Greaves.

Ref. b) David Brightman (2000) – A Short
Guide to the Parish Church of St Mary’s Haversham Bucks

Lesley Gilbert &
Pat Morris

Haversham and Little Linford, St Mary’s : Ledgerstone 7

Rectangular
Aligned West to East
No lettering visible
Condition very poor

Limestone

1120 x 770 mm
44 x 30 1/2 inches

Lesley Gilbert &
Pat Morris