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The
name Marlow derives from the old english mere, laf and
means 'land remaining after the draining of a pool'. Early forms
of Great Marlow called it Chipping Marlow, the prefix being
derived from the old english word cieping meaning 'market'
or 'market place'. The name Great is used as a distinguishing
affix.
Great
Marlow was described in 1806 in "Magna Britannia" as
follows:GREAT MARLOW, in the hundred of Desborough and deanery of
Wycombe, distant about 31 miles from London, has been a market
town by long prescription, as appears from its ancient name of
Chipping-Marlow. It sent members of parliament as early as the
year 1299, but after the year 1308, this ancient privilege was
disused until 1622, when it was restored by act of parliament.
The right of election is in the inhabitants paying scot and lot:
the government of the town is vested in constables, who are the
returning officers. In the year 1599, John Rotheram, of Seymours,
in this parish, left the sum of 40 l. towards procuring a
charter of incorporation, and reviving a market to be kept
weekly, the profits of which should be vested in the corporation;
but his intention never took effect. The market, which appears to
have been then discontinued, has been revived, and is held on
Saturdays. In 1324, Hugh de Spencer had a grant of a fair at
Marlow. There are now two fairs held, on the second and third of
May, and the 29th of October. The latter is a great fair for
horses. The town and parish of Great Marlow, according to the
returns made to parliament, under the population act in 1801,
then contained 643 houses, of which 26 were uninhabited. The
number of inhabitants was 3236, of whom 1436 were males, 1800
females: the number of persons employed chiefly in agriculture,
was 236, and those in trade, manufacture, and handicraft, 306.
The
manor of Marlow, which had belonged to the Earls of Mercia, was
given by William the Conqueror, to his Queen Matilda. Henry the
First, bestowed it on his natural son, Robert de Melhent,
afterwards Earl of Gloucester, from whom it passed, with that
title, to the Clares and Despencers, and from the latter, by
female heirs, to the Beauchamps and Nevilles, Earls of Warwick.
It continued in the crown from the time of Richard the Third's
marriage with Anne Neville, till Queen Mary granted it to William
Lord Paget, in whose family it continued more than a century;
after which, it passed, by purchase, to Sir Humphrey Winch, in
1670; to Lord Falkland in 1686; to Sir James Etheridge in 1690;
to Sir John Guise in 1718; and to Sir William Clayton in 1736. It
is now the property of Sir William Clayton bart. a descendant of
the last purchaser.
Harleyford,
the seat of Sir William Clayton, was formerly a distinct manor,
belonging to the family of Cawood. It was annexed to the manor of
Marlow, by the first Lord Paget, who made it one of his seats.
His great grandson, William Lord Paget, resided here during the
civil war. Harleyford has continued to be the residence of the
subsequent proprietors of the manor, most of whom have
represented the borough of Marlow in parliament. Sir James
Etheridge was one of its members during the whole of King
William's reign. The old mansion, which was very spacious, was
pulled down in the year 1755; and the present house, which stands
in a singularly beautiful situation on the banks of the Thames,
was then built, after a design of Sir Robert Taylor.
The
manor of Widmer, in this parish, belonged to the knights
templars, and after the dissolution of their order, to the
knights hospitallers. After the reformation it belonged for some
time to the Widmers, an ancient family, who seem to have taken
their name from the place, and it is probable, had been tenants
under the hospitallers. About the year 1634, it was purchased by
the Borlases, from whom it passed, by marriage, to the
Grenvilles. The late Earl Temple sold it, about the year 1747, to
Mr. Moore, of whom it was purchased in 1766, by William Clayton
esq. father of Sir William Clayton bart. who is the present
proprietor. Part of the manor-house (now a farm) is very ancient.
The chapel has been converted into a brew-house.
Widmer Farm home to one Oxlade
Line 1711- 1822 Photo: A.F.J. Oxlade 2000
Court
Gardens
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The
manor of Seymours, in this parish, belonged to the noble family
of that name, and was given by them in exchange, to the dean and
chapter of Bristol, under whom it was successively held on lease,
by the Willoughbys of Woollaton, and the Earls of Powis. They
resided occasionally in the manor-house, till the great civil
war, when it was nearly destroyed. The lease continued in the
Powis family till after the death of the Marquis of Powis, in
1748. It is now vested in Mr. Johnson.
Court-Garden,
the seat of Richard Davenport esq. belonged to the noble family
of Paget, and was reserved by them long after the manor had been
alienated. In 1748 it was sold by Henry, Earl of Uxbridge, to Dr.
Battie, an eminent physician, who built the house.
The
parish church of Marlow is a spacious Gothic structure, and has a
wooden spire, erected in 1627: between the nave and chancel, is a
screen of chalk, with Gothic tracery. A neat baptistry was fitted
up, and a new marble font given by the late vicar, Dr. Cleobury.
The most remarkable monuments are those of Sir Miles Hobart, one
of the members for this borough, who was killed by the over
turning of his coach, as it was going down Holborn-hill, in 1632;
and Katherine, wife of Sir William Willoughby, who was sheriff of
the county in 1603. There are some memorials for the families of
Clayton, Chase, &c. In the chancel are a few brass plates,
one of which commemorates some children of Sir John Salisbury,
who died in 1383.
The
rectory was appropriated by John Russell, bishop of Lincoln, in
1494, to the abbot and convent of Tewksbury, after the
dissolution of which monastery it was given to the dean and
chapter of Gloucester, together with advowson of the vicarage.
Part of the ancient rectorial house still remains, the great hall
is now used as a kitchen. The sum of 80 .l per annum is
paid to the vicar out of the impropriation. Mrs. Hawes, in 1749,
gave a rent-charge of 10 l. per annum to the vicar. Mr.
Drewe gave 20 l. per annum for a lecture on Tuesdays or
Thursdays. This lectureship has been usually held by the vicar.
Anthony Ellys, bishop of St. David's, was vicar of Marlow from
1729 to 1753.
The
book of church-wardens' accounts in this parish, makes mention of
a sum of money, disbursed for throwing in the bulwarks about the
church and in Duck-lane, and cleaning after the soldiers had been
quartered in it, in 1642. This was, when the parliamentary army,
under the command of Major-General Brown, was quartered at
Marlow. The sum of five shillings appears to have been paid to
the ringers, when the unfortunate monarch passed through the town
as a prisoner, in 1647.
Sir
William Borlase founded a free-school in Marlow, in the year
1624, for 24 boys, three of whom are to be of Medmenham, three of
Little-Marlow, and the remainder of this town. The master has a
salary of 16 l. per annum, a house, garden and a large
pasture field. An apprentice fee of 40s. is given to each boy
when he leaves the school. Sir William founded also a house of
correction, and a school for 24 girls, who were to be taught to
spin, sew, and make lace, but this institution has not been kept
up.
John
Brinkhurst, in 1608 founded alms-houses for four poor widows, two
more have since been added, out of the savings of the estate,
which now produces 42 l. per annum. There are several
other benefactions belonging to the town, the most important is
that of 1000 l. left by Mr. Loftin in 1759, for the
purpose of apprenticing poor children.
There
has been a bridge over the Thames at Marlow from a very early
period. Mention is made of it in a record of the reign of Edward
III. Part of Marlow bridge was destroyed by General Brown, when
his army was quartered in the town in 1642, in consequence of
which, parliament issued a warrant for a county rate to repair
it. The present bridge, which is of wood, was built by
subscription in the year 1789.
The
second department [Footnote: Intended for the instruction of
those who, at an early age, are designed for the military
profession] of the Royal Military College, a more particular
account of which will be found under High-Wycombe, has been for
some years placed at Great Marlow; where it is intended to remain
till the building about to be erected for the whole
establishment, at Sandhurst, in Berkshire, shall be completed.
The Crown &
the Obelisk
The Crown was built in 1807 as the town's
Market House, replacing the former wooden building. It has a fine
Assembly Room on the first floor. The original Crown Hotel, which
was a famous coaching inn stood immediately to the right of the
present building and is now shops and offices
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