Monk Tree

 HENRY MONK and ELIZABETH WOODMAN (7)

 

H.ENRY MONK was baptised in Stone 1748 Dec 14, the son of Henry and Mary Monk. His mother was Mary Wiggins.

He was the second of five children.

Stone is a Buckinghamshire village in the Vale of Ayslebury. By the 19^th century it was known for market gardening and for pillow lacemaking.

 

ELIZABETH WOODMAN. According to the burial register Elizabeth was born in 1758-9. We know from a property document that her father was John Woodman of Stone.

This makes the most likely baptism the following in Upper Winchendon.

 Baptism. Upper Winchendon.
1761 Aug 17  Elizabeth daughter of John and Rebeccah Woodman.

This is a couple of years later than we would have expected, but the ages of elderly people were not always accurately known.

Her mother was Rebecca Green

Elizabeth was the eldest child, born only 6 months after her parents’ marriage.

Upper Winchendon is a small village between Stone and Waddesdon, roughly 2 miles from either.

The family moved around a number of neighbouring parishes where nine siblings were born.

This suggests that her father was an agricultural labourer, hired for a year at a time. But by the time Elizabeth was nine, her father had saved or inherited enough to take on the tenancy of a farm in Stone.

 Elizabeth was considerably younger than Henry.

  

Marriage. Stone.
1785 May 9  Henry Monk and Elizabeth Woodman were married by licence.
Witnesses: William Griffin and John Woodmary (this may be a mistranscription of Woodman).

 

There were ten children from this marriage.

Baptisms. St John the Baptist, Stone.
1786 Apr 26  Henry
1787 Jan 25  Edward
1788 Jun 29  David. David was buried as an infant on 7 Jul 1788.
1789 Jun 17  William
1791 Feb 23  Charles
1793 Sep 26  Mary
1796 Aug 3  Joseph
1798 Mar 16  John. John was buried the following year on Mar 2, aged just under a year.
1800 Jul 17  Elizabeth
1801 Nov 19  John

Today, there is a remarkable 12^th– century font at St John the Baptist, Stone, but it was not presented to the church until 1844. The Monks would, however, had been familiar with the row of corbels ornamenting the tower.

In the 1790s Britain was at war with revolutionary France. There was a real fear of invasion. In 1798 a list, the Posse Comitatus, was drawn up listing all those between 15 and 60 who might be available for military service if needed, as well as resources such as horses and carts. Henry Monk is listed among the farmers of Stone.[2]

Following his name we have Joseph Monk jnr, Mark Monk snr, Mark Monk jnr, Thomas Monk. There is also John Monk labourer. This is evidence of large well-to-do family, who could afford to set younger sons up as farmers, not just the eldest.

We assume that Joseph Monk snr was over 60, and therefore not on the list. There may have been other Monks in his age group.

On 20 April 1791 the records of the Sun Fire Office show that they are insuring Henry Monk of Stone, Buckinghamshire, maltster.[3] There does not seem to be another adult Henry Monk in Stone at this time, so it would appear that he was brewing beer, as well as raising livestock and crops.

In 1806, Magna Britannia described Stone as:

STONE, in the hundred of Aylesbury and deanery of Wendover, lies nearly three miles west of Aylesbury, on the road to Thame. The manor was anciently in the family of Braci, afterwards in that of Whittingham. It has been since held for many years by the Lees with the adjoining manor of Hartwell, and is now the property of the Rev. Sir George Lee bart.[4]

Henry Monk had a number of dealings with the Lees.
Agreement[5]
28 May 1798
By Henry Monk to join with his uncle Joseph Monk and his brother Mark Monk in a promissory note to pay £104 rent due to Sir William Lee, Bt., from Mark Monk

We know that Henry had an uncle Joseph. He had a cousin Mark, but we have not found a brother of that name. We may be able to clarify this when we have access to the original parish registers.

A document of the following year shows Henry acting together with the Lees in taking out a substantial debt for an annuity.[6]

Bond
17 May 1799
William Lee, esquire, Rev. George Lee, and Henry Monk of Stone, farmer, bound to John Hercules of Little Titchfield Street, Oxford Street, co.Middlesex, gent., in the sum of £1400 to secure payment of annuity of £100 p.a.

This necessitated the appointment of attorneys.[7]

Warrant of Attorney
17 May 1799
William Lee, esquire, eldest son and heir of Sir William Lee of Hartwell, Bt., Rev.George Lee, rector of Hartwell and vicar of Stone, Henry Monk of Stone, farmer.
Thomas Evans and Thomas Ayrton, gent., attornies of court of Kings Bench.
To suffer judgment in action for debt for £1400 borrowed of John Hercules of Little Titchfield Street, Oxford Street, co.Middlesex, gent.

The case was settled later in the year, though we do not know the verdict. [8]

Trinity Term 1799
Copy Judgment in John Hercules v William Lee, Rev.George Lee and Henry Monk, (Debt of £1400).

 

The “squarson” (squire + parson) George Lee was evidently Henry’s landlord. In 1804 we have a counterpart lease between Rev Sir George Lee, Bt of Hartwell House, and Henry Monk of Stone, farmer.

This involves 265a.17p.of land . The land consisted of Brick Close, Knittings Hill, Ryleys Meadow, Lower Brier Hill, Upper Brier Hill, Homestead, Spiert Close, Spiert Garden, Corn Close, Round Hill, Great Bittenham, Little Bittenham, Middle Bittenham, Lower Bittenham, Court Close, Farm Close, Homestead, Bean Close, Rucy Rushey Close, Stone Hole, Colshill Meadow Plantation and Flax Furlong Rovers Well Windmill Hill Cottage, all in Stone.

The term was for 8 years, at a rent of £364.

It was obviously a considerable farm.

 

Henry lived to hear the bittersweet news in 1805 of the naval victory at Trafalgar, and the death of the national hero Lord Nelson. He died shortly before the Battle of Trafalgar.

We know from a reference to “Elizabeth Monk of Stone, widow and relict of Henry Monk,” that Henry must have died before 1820.

This makes his burial the following:
Burial. St John the Baptist, Stone.
1814 Mar  Henry Monk aged 66.

Elizabeth and her eldest son, now farming in the neighbouring parish of Waddesdon, also had a stake in a property in the nearby town of Aylesbury.

On 27 July 1820 we have the following mortgage.[9]

Mortgage for securing £500 and interest at 5%
Property in Temple Square and Rickfords Hill, Aylesbury.
(1) Elizabeth Monk of Stone, widow and relict of Henry Monk, late of Stone, yeo., dec’d., and daughter of John Woodman of Stone, dec’d., and Henry Monk of Sheepcote Hill in parish of Waddesdon, dairyman, eldest son and heir at law of said Henry Monk dec’d.
(2) Eliseus Webb of Bierton, yeo
Property as described in D-X100/17 and 22
John Hyriott occupier of adjoining messuage on S.
Covenant to keep the property insured and repaired

 Elizabeth lived considerably longer after Henry’s death. She was buried at St John the Baptist, Stone, on 6 Apr 1830. She was said to be aged 71, though in fact she was 68.

 

 

[2] Ian F. W. Beckett, The Buckinghamshire Posse Comitatus 1798 , Buckinghamshire Record Society. http://www.bucksrecsoc.org.uk/BRS-VOLUMES/brs-vol-22.pdf
[3] National Archives. MS 11936/376/582572
[4] Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons, Magna Britannia. 1806.
[5] National Archives. D-LE/8/117
[6] National Archives. D-LE/15/116
[7] National Archives. D-LE/15/117
[8] National Archives. D-LE/15/118
[9] Buckinghamshire Archives D-X68/23

 

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