'WOOD'S LIFE & TIMES'
Extracts from Anthony Wood's diaries pertaining to Cumnor.
Pinnock's alehouse
There are many brief references in his accounts to visits to 'Mother Pinnocks' (als 'Blind Pinnocks'), where he drank with local and Oxford friends. A few sample entries:
Th. 23 June 1664 ' at Pinnocks with Mr John Curteyne, Richard Lower,
monsier, and Thomas Drope and Mr Southby.
('monsier' was his brother Robert, who had spent time in France,
and married a daughter of the Drope family. Richard Lower was
an Oxford physician who was pioneering work in blood transfusion)
T. 20 September 1664 at Pinnocks with Mr Francis Peacock, and Mr John
Peacock, and Dr Jackson, Mr Grenway, Mr Curteyne and monsier -6d.
W. 12 October 1664 at Pinnock's with John Pecock, John Spene and Mr
Cheyney, -6d
F. 12 May 1665 at Pinnock's with Mr Curteyne, Lower, Grenwode, Nichols
and Mr Cole, 10d.
W. 2 May 1666 at Pinnock's with Mr Curteyne, Dr Lower, and monsier, and
Francis Peacocke -1s 8d
M. 28 May 1666 at Pinnock's with Francis Drope and John Peacock -6d
T. 28 May 1667 at Pinnock's with Mr Curteyne when wee went to hear the
nightingale sing -1d
F 26 May 1669 at Pinnock's with Mr Peter Nicolls, Francis Peacock and
Major Peacock, and Mr Sparkes and Mr Thomas Wring
(the latter was Thomas Ringe, who lodged at Denmans Farm)
Re. RICHARD LEVINS of Botley (Seacourt House)
15 May 1665.
Richard Levins of Botley in Berks, son of William, died the 14 or 15
of May 1665 and was buried in All Saints Church by his father. He
married Anne, daughter of William Finmore of North Hinksey by
Botley (which William Finmore died the latter end of May 1677), by
whom he had issue a son Richard, now a preacher, sometimes
Master of Arts of S.Marie's Hall - The said Anne died in the latter
end of June or beginning of July anno 1681.
A VISIT TO CUMNOR
M. 4 October 1658
Comenore... The church is dedicated to St Michael; the north isle to St Thomas;
the south side (the upper part) to St Katherine......... At the west end of the
church is the ruins of a mannor house, antiently belonging as a cell or place
of removall (as some say) to the monkes of Abington. At the dissolution the
said mannor or lordship was conveyed to one Owen ...... In the hall, over the
chymney, I find Abingdon armes cut in stone, viz. a cross patonce inter 4
martletts, and alsoe another escotcheon viz. a lyon rampant; and several
mitres cutt in stone about the house. There is aloe in the said house, as the
inhabitants tell me, a chamber, called 'Dudley's chamber', where the Earl of
Leicester's wife was murdered.
(Wood then recounts hearsay about the alledged crime, committed chiefly
by Sir Charles Varney. After noting that some said it was an accident, he
continued:)
the inhabitants will tell you that shee was conveyed from her usuall chamber
where she lay to another where the bed-head of the same chamber stood close
to a privy posterne doore where they in the night came abd stiffled her in her
bed, bruised her head very sorely, broke her necke, and at length flung her
downstaires therby thinking the people would have thought she did it by
accident and also to have blinded their villany.
(After recounting the woeful ends of the various alleged conspirators, Wood
suggests that Amy was at first buried hastily at Cumnor, though the burial
register has no such entry)
PHYSIC WELL on the Leys
S. 22 June 1667
This month about the middle, the well at Comnore in the high way going down
to Bablackhyth was discovered and frequented. It will never be famous because
there is not water to supply a multitude. Much resorted to by scholars; the water
was brought to Oxford
A LARGE COWSLIP
May 1674
About the 8 of May, F., was found and gathered a couslip in 'Philipson's leas'
in the parish of Comnore,Berks, having a stalk a foot long, 2 inches and a half
about in bigness; floures in number on it 258 and the circumference about them
14 inches and a half. This relation Isent to the Royall Society and is entred in
their publick register. Colonel John Peacock had it and he gave it me on Holy
Thursday Even (W., 27 May) when I was with him.
COMET
F., 16 December 1664
a blazing starr seen by several people in Oxon; and A.W. saw it a few nights after
on Botley Causey about 6 at night, in his return from Cumnore. In the next yeare
followed a great plague in England, prodigious births, great inundations and
frosts, war with the Dutch, sudden deaths, particularly in Oxon &c.