Foreword and Acknowledgements

FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This volume was researched and written between 2010 and 2015, alongside other publications in the VCH Oxfordshire series. Work was chiefly funded by a partnership between the VCH Oxfordshire Trust (the single largest funder from 2011) and Oxfordshire County Council, which under new arrangements part-funded the County Editors post, provided office accommodation, and continued to serve as employer for VCH Oxfordshire staff as part of its Heritage Services. Warm thanks are due to both bodies for their invaluable support, and in particular to the Trust Chairman Dr Kate Tiller and the Treasurer Mr Liam Tiller. Donors to the Trust are listed at the end of this volume. The History Faculty of the University of Oxford supported the VCH in various ways and made a discretionary annual grant towards research costs, while the University's John Fell Fund supported a related pilot project on the area during 2011–12. Thanks are also due to the Institute of Historical Research within the University of London, for which the VCH is published.

Of the authors involved in this volume, Dr Simon Townley (the County Editor) and Dr Mark Page remained on the VCH Oxfordshire staff throughout. Dr Stephen Mileson left in 2012 to lead the South Oxfordshire Project, an independent three-year University of Oxford research project funded by the Leverhulme Trust. In that capacity he continued to liaise closely with the VCH, which has benefited considerably. Dr Robert Peberdy (who had worked for the Oxfordshire VCH since 1996) left in 2011, having completed initial research on Great Haseley parish. Dr Simon Draper joined the staff in 2012, and Stephen Mileson was reappointed late in 2015.

Research for the volume has incurred debts to numerous institutions and individuals. Warm thanks are due to the archivists and staff of all the repositories (both public and private) listed in the note on Sources, amongst them the staff of Oxfordshire History Centre, which combines the former Oxfordshire Record Office and Oxfordshire Studies. Others giving invaluable help, information, or access included Joan Barker, Paul Barnwell, the Bensington Society, Prof. John Blair, Paul Booth, Christine and Francis Brown, Janet Burtt, Lord Camoys, Graham Campbell, Chalgrove Local History Group, Philip and Esther Chamberlain, Ian Clarke, Peter Clarke, Michael Colston, Mr and Mrs Richard Davey, Viscount and Lady Esher, the Ewelme Society, the Ewelme Trust (or Almshouse Charity), Sally Fehr, Sam Fielden, Keith Fletcher, Hugh 'Chips' Gell, Dr John Goodall, Kaz Greenham, Kate Grimond, Tony Hadland, Prof. Paul Harvey, Bob Heath-Whyte, Fiona and Desmond Heyward, Keith Holmes, Graham Howlett, Paul and Rachel Jacques, Keith Johnson, Ann Kelaart, Cecilia Kressner, Derek and Gill Lester, Malcolm Lewis, Liz Longley Adam McBride, Maureen Mellor, Julian Metcalfe, Revd Jonathan Meyer, Charles Miller- Smith, Brigadier Nigel and Mrs Tessa Mogg, Catherine Murray, Matthew Neely, Nicholas Nixey, Oxford Archaeology, Oxfordshire Buildings Record, Keith Parry, Dr Barbara Perriton, Karen Selway Richards, Sandra Roe, Carol Sawbridge, Kay Sentance, Marian and Derek Shaw, Margery Slatter, Mike Spink, the Hon. Georgina Stonor, Elizabeth Tate, Sarah and Bernard Taylor, Dr Kate Tiller, Liam Tiller, Brian Tuckwell, David Viall, Jenny Vince, and Mike Vincent. David Clark of the Oxfordshire Buildings Record gave invaluable help with VCH building investigation, while the Oxfordshire Probate Group (Barbara Allison, Jean Bailey, Janice Cliffe, Angela Dix, Heather Horner, Mary Lalé, Honor Lewington, Barbara Tearle, and the late Aelfthryth Gittings and Mary Hodges) transcribed and analysed over a thousand probate documents from across the area. Copies of their transcripts have been deposited in Oxfordshire History Centre. Keith Holmes generously made available the research papers of his late wife Christine, relating to the early history of the Anglo-Saxon Benson estate.

Of those involved with the separate South Oxfordshire Project, particular thanks are due to Stephen Mileson, Stuart Brookes, John Jenkins, Sally Stradling, and the Oxfordshire Buildings Record recording team. Dendro- dating for the South Oxfordshire Project was undertaken by Dr Dan Miles of the Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory. Test-pitting and fieldwalking at Ewelme in 2011 (carried out as part of a joint pilot for the South Oxfordshire Project) received generous practical support from the South Oxfordshire Archaeological Group (SOAG), Oxford Archaeology, and Ewelme householders, with particular thanks due to Roger Ainslie, Paul Booth, Philip Chamberlain, John Cotter, Nick Daisley, Keith Dallimore, Keith Fletcher, Viv and Derek Greenwood, Keith Holmes, Jane Kershaw, Richard Oram (County Archaeology), Dan Poore, Roelie Reed, and Mike Vincent.

Generous grants towards the costs of mapping, illustrations, and publication were made by the Greening Lamborn Trust, the County History Trust, and the Aurelius Trust. The maps were drawn by Cath d'Alton, from drafts by VCH staff. Publication was coordinated by Jessica Davies in VCH Central Office. Thanks are also due to Martyn Brown and Karen Warren (formerly of Oxfordshire County Council's Heritage and Cultural Services) for invaluable support during work on this volume.