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Thatcham in Berks County England History and GeographyTHATCHAM, a parish partly in the hundred of FAIRCROSS, but chiefly in that of READING, county of BERKS, 3 miles (E.) from Newbury, containing, with the chapelries of Greenham and Midgham, 3677 inhabitants. This place, according to the Norman survey, appears to have been once a town of some importance; tradition has assigned to it the rank of a borough, but there is no proof that it ever sent representatives to parliament. A market, on Sunday, was confirmed, by charter of Henry II., to the abbot, or monks, of Reading, then possessors of Thatcham, which was subsequently changed to Thursday, in 1218, by Henry III.; but it has long been discontinued: the remains of the butter-cross still exist. The town is pleasantly situated near the navigable river Kennet, on the Bath road: the inhabitants are well supplied with water. The Kennet and Avon canal passes a little to the southward. The chief source of employment is a manufactory for galloons and black ribands; and there is a paper-mill at Colthropt. A statute fair is held on the first Tuesday after October 12th. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Berks, and diocese of Salisbury, rated in the king's books at £20, and in the patronage of William Hanbury, Esq. The church, which is dedicated to St. Luke, has some portions in the early, and some in the later, style of English architecture: at the south entrance is a fine Norman arch, and in the interior are, an altartomb to the memory of William Danvers, Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas; and a mural monument to Nicholas Fuller, Esq., barrister of Gray's Inn. There is a place of worship for Independents. A free school was founded, in 1707, by Lady Frances Winch-comb, who gave, by deed to trustees, a rent-charge of £53 per annum, for the education of thirty poor boys of the parishes of Thatcham, Bucklebury, and Little Shefford, and apprenticing some of them. It was opened about the year 1713, but continued only for a few years, in consequence of the attainder of Lord Bolingbroke, who was the owner of the estate charged, and also the only surviving trustee of the school, &c., the affairs of the charity subsequently came under the direction of the court of Chancery. In 1741, arrears were recovered sufficient to purchase £1406. 9. 7., old South Sea annuities, since which period the funds have continued to increase, the amount of stock being now upwards of £5000, exclusively of the rent-charge of £53, which is regularly received. The school was re-opened in June 1794, under the regulations of the decree of the court of Chancery, and forty boys are educated, upon the Madras system, and clothed, five or six of them being annually apprenticed, with a premium of £10: those who are not apprenticed receive a small gratuity, on leaving the school, to fit them for service. The school-house was originally a decayed chapel, purchased by Lady Winchcomb for the purpose. A National school, erected in 1826, in which fifty boys and ninety girls are instructed, and an infant school, are supported by subscription. There is an almshouse for nine widows, founded by means of bequests from the Rev. Mr. Herdsman and John Hunt, besides various minor charitable benefactions. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
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