Much of what we are able to find out about the Baldons, inevitably, relates to the past 200 years or so, especially since the introduction of statutory records (births, deaths and marriages – from 1837), named national censuses (from 1841) and the advent of photography. However, we do have some sources of information relating to earlier times. A few of these are illustrated below.
Lower Palaeolithic (stone age) hand-axe, probably from at least 190,000 years ago. The maker would have been an earlier species of human than ourselves. It was found near a farm gateway at Marsh Baldon and presented to the Ashmolean Museum in 1964. Image © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
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Fragment of a moulded face from the neck of a Roman flagon, from between 200 - 400 CE. Found in 1970 in a field on Little Baldon Farm, now on display in the Roman Gallery at the Ashmolean Museum. Image © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
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One of the five entries for the Baldons in the Domesday Book from c.1086. It reads: THE LAND OF SWEIN THE SHERIFF. Swein the Sheriff holds of the king 6 hides in TOOT BALDON, and Hugh [holds] of him. [There is] land for 5 ploughs. Now in demesne [is] 1 plough, and 2 slaves; and 7 villans with 2 bordars have 1 plough. It was and is worth 60s.* |
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Beginning of the Will of Anthony Pollard, Lord of the Manor, dated 1577. It starts: In dei nomine Amen (In the name of God, Amen) This is the last will and testament of me Anthony Pollarde of Little Baldon made the Twentieth Day of December in the Eighteenth year of the reign of our sovereign Lady Elizabeth by the grace of God … |
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Transcript of the Churchwardens’ Presentment for Toot Baldon, 1623. The churchwardens (in this case William Knapp and William Broke [Brook?]) were expected to submit a report or presentment, to the church authorities, about any unacceptable behaviour on the part of the parishioners. Here the transgression was that Mr Yonge [Young?] failed to attend church.
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This extract is from The Queen’s College rent book, dated August 1780. It shows that Dr Bacon, who was the vicar, was paying annual rent of £9 13s 7d for a farm (‘pro Firmo’) which was previously rented by a Mr Potter (‘olim Potter’). The cross on the right-hand side indicates that the rent had been paid. |
These images are presented courtesy of The Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, The National Archives, The Oxfordshire Record Society and the Provost and Fellows of The Queen’s College, Oxford
* “Hide” was an area of land, usually about 120 acres, “demesne” was the property of the lord. Under the feudal system “villan” was a serf tied to a piece of land and “bordar” was a tenant holding a cottage and usually a few acres of land.