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Welcome reader to the Archives of the eldest golf club in Oxfordshire that started in 1890 on the Chipping Norton Common. Throughout the years club work carried out by numerous members have been unstinting, reflecting the survival of this successful club. A vast recording of this work, from the documentation of committee minutes, photographs, work records and items of antiquity, provides factual information for the following writing. I hope you enjoy reading them. Desmond Boulton
If anyone has information or memorabilia which may help the Golf Club’s Archives, please contact the golf club office on 01608 642383. In fact the history of the land that the Golf Course was established on was part of gift to Chipping Norton, which was granted by Earl Arundel. An act of Parliament in 1242 stated as follows: "Be it known to all men by these presents that I, Richard, Earl of Arundel and Lord of the Demense of Chipping Norton in the County of Oxford, in the, first year of the reign of King Richard the first, have given freely and quietly, from me and my heirs for ever, the following parcels of land name:- Smith Mead, the Sidelings of the Primedowns as set out by Meerstones, the Vernhill of the north side of the Primedowns, the Brue, and Southcomb, to have and to hold to my said Village of Chipping Norton, from me and my heirs freely and quietly for ever, and therefore I have hereunto put my seal." Dated the Year of our lord 1189.* This date is not correct as, the date of the grant was in the reign of Richard II and Fitzalan who owned Chipping Norton, did not succeed to the title of Lord Arundel until 1242*íí. |
The Chipping Norton Manor consisted of approximately 5,000 acres of land of which 500 acres were given to Chipping Norton. The people of the town enjoyed the use of the land for grazing cattle, sheep, horses and also to scavenge for fuel. A Royal Charter was granted in 1607 allowing the Town to become a ‘Free Borough’. In the reign of George III the Enclosure Acts 1770 were passed by Parliament to enable Lords of the Manor to divide and enclose common land, this practice continued until 1845. Also at this time, was the creation of allotments and ëstintsí (a stint allows one cow or oxen or gelding or mare grazing rights on the pastures), and gave Commissioners the power to allot places for recreation and exercise.
After the first enclosure act, all that remained of Lord Arundelís grant were 124 acres of the original 500 acres. The second enclosure act of 1849 reduced this to 75 acres. The area of particular interest to the golf club is the great common, which is part of the regulated pastures. and 85 stints were awarded In 1877 the number of stint holders had fallen from 53 to 31 and by 1881 the pasture was now only around 63 acres. The original Common inclued that in red. |
Around 1890 the following golf club members were the significant stint holders:- George Wright Hutchinson Doctor, Abram Creswicke Rawlinson, Solicitor and his daughter Miss Rawlinson, Alfred Adolphus Webb, Rev., C.J. Bowen, daughter Miss Bowen, T.K. Pettipher, W. Bliss, William Bliss & Son (The Company), and P.G.Saunders, clerk to the Field Reeves They would pay the council a yearly rate for these rights. Also the following were Mayors of Chipping Norton:- 1892 Dr.G.W.Hutchinson, 1893/4 Abram Creswicke Rawlinson Solicitor, 1897 Alfred Adolphus Webb Draper, 1898/9 1900/1 Albert Brassey, later to become Member of Parliment. It is mentioned in the June 1903 council report: ‘part of the lands set out as the regulated pasture has been from time immemorial and is used and occupied by inhabitants of the town of Chipping Norton as a recreation ground etc.’ Therefore surely is it possible that the above stint holders, laid out nine greens, marked out where the tees would be and started a golf club? No doubt the greens would not be as we have today. There was a District Value Land & Property Survey under the finance act 1910. In this survey, the land of our present site was owned by two brother's, one in Watford, the other in London and they leased it out to a local farmer. I can only assume we rented land from him. We brought the land in 1934 from a farmer named Mr C Penfold. More > |
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Southcombe, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 5QH. Tel 01608 642383. email Chipping Norton Golf Club |
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Course History