Foreword and Acknowledgements

FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This volume was researched and written between 2003 and 2010, alongside other publications in the VCH Oxfordshire series. Throughout that period Oxfordshire County Council funded a County Editor and two part-time Assistant Editors as part of its Heritage and Arts Services, which belong to the Social and Community Services directorate. The independent Victoria County History of Oxfordshire Trust (established in 1997) funded two research posts to 2004, and the equivalent of a single full-time research post from 2005. Thanks are due to all the trustees, and in particular to the Chairman Dr Kate Tiller, the Treasurer Mr Liam Tiller, and the former President (and former Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire) Sir Hugo Brunner. Donors to the Trust are listed at the end of this volume. The History Faculty of the University of Oxford supported the research through discretionary annual grants and in numerous other ways, while the Bodleian Library provided accommodation. The VCH's England's Past For Everyone project (2005–10), supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, also fed into the Henley work. The University of London, for which the VCH is published, records its thanks to all those bodies.

Among the contributors to this volume, Dr Stephen Mileson (funded by the VCH Oxfordshire Trust) and Dr Mark Page joined the Oxfordshire staff in 2005. Dr Antonia Catchpole (funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund) joined in 2005 and left in 2009 at the end of her contract. Dr Simon Townley (County Editor) and Dr Robert Peberdy, both funded by Oxfordshire County Council, remained on the staff throughout.

Research for this volume has incurred debts to many institutions and individuals. Particular thanks are due to the staffs of Oxfordshire Record Office; Oxfordshire Studies; Oxfordshire Historic Environment Record; Henley-on-Thames Library; the River & Rowing Museum, Henley-on-Thames; the Bodleian Library; The National Archives; the British Library; the National Monuments Record; Berkshire Record Office; Buckinghamshire Record Office; Gloucestershire Record Office; Hampshire Record Office; Jesus College, Oxford; Lambeth Palace Library; and Birmingham University Special Collections Department. Lord Camoys kindly gave access to selected material in the private Stonor family archives, and the help and advice of the Hon. Georgina Stonor is also gratefully acknowledged.

Numerous individuals and societies gave invaluable help, including access to documents, buildings and information. Particular thanks are due to Valerie Alasia; Mr and Mrs Allan; Maj. Gen. Lord Alvingham; Peter Anderson; Keith Atkinson; Revd Brendan Bailey; John Bailey; Dr Paul Barnwell; James Bennett; Robin Bennett; Christopher Berkeley; Prof. John Blair; Paul Booth of Oxford Archaeology; Joseph Borlase; Sir Hugo Brunner; Tina Butler; Mr and Mrs Caprotti; Ruth and Jamie Cassidy; Amanda Chumas; Ann Cottingham; Philip Day; Nancy Diamond and Philip Allison; Debby Eagle; Daphne Eccles; Peter and Dianne Falle; Hilary Fisher; Kester George; Laurence and Barbara Gerrard; Ruth Gibson; Sue Gibson; Kate Grimond; Pam Hardman; David Hartfield; Henley Historical & Archaeological Group; Patrick and Margaret Hiscock; Mrs J. Hogge; Ernest Howard; Gary Hall; Barry Jones of English Heritage; Roger and Jill Kendal; Ian and Cathy Lea; Richard Lethbridge; Chris Lloyd-Rogers; Gary Marshall of the National Trust; Maureen Mellor; Sandra Moon; Shaun Morley; Sholto Morton; Simon Neal; Dr Michael Nicholson; Richard and Gillian Ovey; Godwin Pearce; (Francis) Lord Phillimore; Revd Dr Martin Connop Price; Dave Prior; Tim Raikes; John Robinson; Dorothy and Ann Saunders; Sylvia Seymour; Francis Sheppard; Mrs A. Simonds; Tim Southern; Angela Spencer-Harper; John Steane; Ken Stevens; Mr and Mrs L. Todd; Derek Toms; Geoffrey Tyack; Dr John Umfreville; Tony Verey; David Welsh; David Whitehead; Simon Williams and Lucy Fleming; Laura Wortley; and Paul and Jane Wyatt. Robert Peberdy gave access to his unpublished PhD thesis on medieval Henley, and the Burford-Henley Probate Group (set up for the Oxfordshire EPE projects in 2005) transcribed and analysed several hundred Henley wills and inventories, under the guidance of Barbara Allison, Mary Hodges and Heather Horner. The Henley Census Group (Mary Barrett, Joy Barnes, Mary Hooper, Allen and Janice Jones, Graham Jones, Jill Kendal, Dorothy Simmons, and Antonia Wellesley-Davies) transcribed censuses for parts of the town.

Archaeological work at Bix was made possible through the support of the South Oxfordshire Archaeological Group. Particular thanks are due to David Nicholls, Mike Green, Nancy Nichols, and Mike Vincent; to Dr Anna Williams of Cranfield University for reports on human burials; and to the former County Archaeologist Paul Smith. Dr Tim Astin and his student Matt Berry of Reading University helped with the geophysics, as did Gerard Latham and Marlow Archaeological Society. Ruth Gibson provided invaluable help with building investigation, and David Clark and members of the Oxfordshire Buildings Record helped with building recording in Henley and Harpsden. Dendrochronological dating by Dr Daniel Miles and the Oxford Dendrochronological Laboratory was supported by grants from the Marc Fitch Fund, the Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society, and several householders. The maps were drawn by Cath D'Alton, and additional photographs were taken by Derek Kendal of English Heritage. Part of the cost of the maps and other illustrations was met by a generous grant from the Greening Lamborn Trust.

Sections on education and charities draw in part on drafts by Mrs Nesta Selwyn, who worked for the Oxfordshire VCH on a voluntary basis from 1953 to 2004. Her death in 2009 (at the age of 91) is recorded with great sadness.