WHEATLEY CHURCH RECORDS sent through the post to the Rev. John Fuller in October 2001, and now listed in chronological order

1. n.d. [1827?], single sheet endorsed “State of the fund for the repair of the Chapel at Wheatley from 1802 to 1826”.

2. 26 January 1835, paper headed “Copies of some of the Papers in the Parish Chest at Wheatley”,

3. 23 October 1835, statement prepared by the Archdeacon of Oxford of the “State of the Fund set apart by decree of the Court of Chancery for the purpose of upholding and repairing the Chapel at Wheatley”, “From the 1st Investment in 1793 to the end of 1834”. It is not clear whether this document is a copy, or whether the word Copy which appears in three places is an instruction to copy.

4. 31 March 1842, statement of money received by Mr. Walsh, the Chapel Warden of Wheatley, from Mr. Burder, and of its expenditure.

5. 8 November 1845, Faculty from the Bishop of Oxford, Richard Bagot, giving the curate, the Rev. Bowater James Vernon, the churchwarden, parishioners and inhabitants of Wheatley permission to move the pulpit and reading desk The parchment is tom from the top to half-way down.

6. 24 December 1849, formal instrument signed by the Prime Minister, Lord John Russell, and the Bishop of Oxford, Samuel Wilberforce, as patron and incumbent of the Rectory of Cuddesdon, conveying their assent to the solemnization of marriages in St. Mary's Chapel at Wheatley. Registered in the diocese by John M. Davenport on 7 January 1850.

7. 4 January 1850, License from Samuel Wilberforce, the Bishop of Oxford, for the publication of banns and the solemnization of marriages in the Chapel of Saint Mary at Wheatley.

8. n.d. [1850], detailed eighteen page specification for erecting a parsonage house for the Rev. E. Elton designed by Mr. E.B. Lamb, architect.

9. 16 January 1855, official letter sent to The Incumbent on behalf of the Home Secretary, Lord Palmerston, approving the proposed new burial ground at Wheatley.

10. 24 January 1855, official letter sent on behalf of the Home Secretary, Lord Palmerston, to Rev. J. [sic] Elton, to clear up a doubt about the new burial ground at Wheatley.

11. 12 February 1855, valuation (£120) made by Edward Franklin of one acre of glebe to be bought by the Parish from the Rev. E. Elton for a cemetery.

12. 20 March 1855, letter from Messrs Burder and Dunning asking Rev. E. Elton to obtain the signature of Mr. Orpwood to the enclosed deed “conveying the property which was purchased in 1849 to you as incumbent”.

13. n.d. [1855], itemised bill for £20 Os 8d addressed to the Rev. E. Elton from Messrs Burder and Dunning for advice and assistance given in 1854-55 about the separation of the chapelry of Wheatley from the parish of Cuddesdon, the conveyance of glebe for the burial ground, and the possible application of the Sims Repair Fund to the erection of a new church.

14. 19 November 1855, official letter sent on behalf of the Home Secretary, Sir George Grey, to Rev. E. Elton, about the timing of the closure of the existing burial ground.

15. 4 January 1856, agreement made between the Rev. E. Elton and Mr. John Castle, builder, of Oxford, for the erection of the new church in the parish of St. Mary at Wheatley at a cost of £1,763 16s 6d.

16. 22 January 1856, license from the Bishop of Oxford, Samuel Wilberforce, for services to be held in “the northern Room of the National School” while the old church is being taken down and the new one built.

17. n.d. [1856], extracts from the Act 5 George 4, c. 32, confirming the validity of marriages carried out in another building within the parish and licensed by the bishop during the repair or rebuilding of a church, signed J.M.D. [J.M. Davenport, the Diocesan Registrar].

18. 7 March 1856, official letter sent on behalf of the Home Secretary, Sir George Grey, saying he will recommend extending the time for the closure of the existing burial ground until 1 January 1857.

19. 12 December 1856, official letter sent on behalf of the Home Secretary, Sir George Grey extending the time for closing the old churchyard to 1 June 1857.

20. 14 June 1857, notice given out by Rev. E. Elton on the first Sunday after the consecration of the new church that “the sittings in this Church are for the most part free, but in order to prevent inconvenience ...” &c.

21. n.d [1857], itemised bill for £1,931 3s 3d addressed to the Rev. E. Elton from Mr. John Castle for building the new church at Wheatley according to estimate and with additions.

22. 25 January 1864, Charles Hall, Lincoln’s Inn, opinion for Mr. Davenport [the Diocesan Registrar] advising against any attempt to use the Sims Fund for any other purpose than church repairs.

23. 26 April 1864, the opinion of Mr. Hall, reported to Rev. E. Elton by John Philpot writing from Chancery Lane, advising against any attempt to use the Church Repair Fund for 1. the Church (i.e. spire), 2. Parsonage House, 3. Income of benefice. Half the second folio has been tom off.

24. n.d., single sheet listing the alterations which took place in the parish between 1849 and 1864.

25. 9 November 1867, John Hall of Germans, Chesham, to Dear Sir, enclosing a cheque for £50 and asking for a receipt for “a contribution to the Fund for the restoration of the Parish Church of Wheatley”, made out to the executors of the late Mrs Morgan of Cheltenham.

26. 23 May 1868, Bill for £464 16s 6d from Giles Holland [of Thame] for building the church spire, certified as correct by the architect George Edmund Street. 27. 28 January 1887, Charity Commission scheme for the following charities in Wheatley, School of Bishop Moss, Dr. Cyril Jackson, Dame Elizabeth Curzon, Joseph Sims.

28. 1911, draft of a scheme prepared by the Charity Commission for the following Wheatley charities, Simon’s Close, Town Meadow, Westbrooke.

29. 1931 - 1947, bank book of the Trustees of the Sims Church Repair Fund, in account with Barclays Bank, Headington.

30. 28 September 1932, draft of an order prepared by the Charity Commission, following the reorganisation of local government and the disappearance of the Wheatley Urban District Council, for the following Wheatley charities, Wheatley Common Allotment, Simon’s Close, Town Meadow, Westbrooke’s, Dr. Cyril Jackson, Dame Elizabeth Curzon, Joseph Sims.

31. 1948 - 53, envelope headed Sims Repair Fund, containing seven bank statements from 1 January 1948 to 8 April 1953 in account with Barclays Bank, Headington, together with eight cheques drawn on the Fund, two cheques drawn on Bishop Jackson’s Charity for the Sick and Poor, and two bills from H.M. Chapman, builder, High Street, Wheatley.

32. 30 April 1951, letter from the Secretary of the Imperial War Graves Commission to the Hon. Treasurer Wheatley Parochial Church Council, Mr. Ernest S. Knowles, enclosing a form inviting the Vicar to agree to maintain the grave of Private W. Clements for five shillings a year.

33. 11 September 1952, Conveyance of 166 square yards of glebe by the Rev. Francis L. Wheeler to the Church Commissioners for the Parochial Church Council for £40.

34. 16 May 1956, Faculty for memorial tablet to Mr. Rees Leyshon, together with receipt for the Registrar’s tee.

35. 15 June 1956, letter from Dr. W.O. Hassall to the Vicar and Churchwardens of Wheatley to thank them for placing the contents of the parish chest on long loan at the Bodleian Library.

36. 29 June 1956, letter from Dr. W.O. Hassall to the Vicar and Churchwardens of Wheatley enclosing a list of the contents of the Wheatley parish chest. The enclosure is not with the letter.

37. 11 April 1958, letter from Dr. R.W. Hunt enclosing a revised description of the parish records deposited in the Bodleian Library. The enclosure is not with the letter. The envelope is addressed to the Rev. C.R. de Lyons-Pike.

38. 16 December 1959, Faculty allowing the Incumbent and Churchwardens of the parish of Wheatley to install infra-red heaters in the parish church of St. Mary the Virgin.

John M. Prest, 18 October 2001