Freeland, Oxfordshire
Encyclopedia
Freeland is a village and civil parish about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Witney
in Oxfordshire.
. Its toponym
is derived from the common Old English word fyrth, meaning a wood. In 1150 the Abbot of Eynsham
granted land called terra de Frithe to one Nicholas of Leigh. "Frith Wood" later evolved into "Thrift Coppice" and by 1241 several people were living there. Freeland developed from a medieval freehold, probably on the site of Elm Farm.
The freehold farm was called Frithlands by the 16th century and had been joined by at least two other cottages before 1650. there were something less than a dozen cottages at Freeland by 1762. The enclosure
of the parish of Eynsham was resisted by rioting in the north of the parish around Barnard Gate
and Freeland in 1780 but was eventually carried out in 1784.
The Roslyn house was established in 1738 and reputed to have been a 19th century pugilists' meeting place called the "Wrostling House". Freeland had several public house
s by the later part of the 18th century and one called the Royal Oak was recorded in 1836. The New Inn was built in 1842, sold to Morrells
in 1846 and for most of the 19th century was Freeland's only public house. Since 1974 it has been called the Oxfordshire Yeoman
. It is now controlled by Greene King Brewery
.
Freeland Lodge was built for the Taunton family in 1807. Most of the land on the west side of Wroslyn Road belonged to the family and was made into a park for the Lodge. The Lodge is now Freeland House Nursing Home. The Taunton family had sold the Lodge by 1875–76, when Marion Taunton had St Mary's House built as a home for retired governesses. In 1952 a Church of England
convent of the Community of Saint Clare
moved to the house and in 1960 a Gothic Revival
chapel designed by the architect Henry Gordon was added.
Freeland grew as a ribbon development along the Via Regia
between Eynsham and Charlbury
. By 1847 its community included seven farmers, two shopkeepers, a mason, a carpenter and the publican of the New Inn. Freeland's population peaked at 232 in 1881 but fell to 160 in 1891, presumably as a result of the agricultural depression. In 1932, when it was transferred from the civil parish of Eynsham to that of Hanborough, Freeland's population was 214. Freeland was made a separate civil parish in 1951, by which time its population had risen to 530. It then rose every decade, reaching 1,374 in 1981 and 1,509 in 2001.
chapel was completed in 1807. It is now Freeland Methodist
Church.
The Gothic Revival architect
J.L. Pearson
designed the Church of England parish church
of Saint Mary the Virgin
, parsonage and parish school. The Taunton family paid for the church and parsonage to be built in 1869 and the school in 1871.
The church is in high Victorian
style with stained glass and decoration by Clayton and Bell
and 13th century style paintings of Jesus' Passion
and Transfiguration
. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
cast four bells for St. Mary's in 1896. The same foundry cast a new treble and second bells in 2010, completing the present ring
of six.
The school moved to new premises in Parklands in 1964 and is now Freeland Church of England Primary School.
was a former Army hut opened in about 1920. The games fields were opened in 1958 and a new village hall was completed in the 1960's. The second village hall was demolished in 2010 and a new one is under construction (as of April 2011). It will have a main hall with a kitchen, storage spaces and possibly a small shop. The second part of the hall will be a sports changing room and equipment storage, but this part to the village hall is still being paid for.
Freeland has a Football Club and a Cricket Club.
Freeland Football club was founded in 1908. There is a gap in the history of the club, but recent activities are more recorded and are now documented at the club's website. The club's history is in the Witney and District League
with at least one team in the league throughout the last 100 years.
In recent years the club has had two teams in the W&D League: Freeland Firsts (W&DFA Premier Division) and Freeland Reserves (W&DFA Second Division). In the 2007-08 a third team has been added: Freeland A's. Freeland FC has undergone even greater expansion for the 2009-10 season, consisting of a Freeland B team and Sunday League side. Freeland Firsts were Premier Division champions in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. Freeland Reserves were Oxfordshire Senior League
Division 3 champions in the 2008-09 season with the First team gaining promotion after finishing second in division 2.
Freeland A won the Witney and District Division Three title in 2011.
Witney
Witney is a town on the River Windrush, west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.The place-name 'Witney' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as 'Wyttannige'; it appears as 'Witenie' in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'....
in Oxfordshire.
History
Freeland village began as part of the parish of EynshamEynsham
Eynsham is a village and civil parish about east of Witney in Oxfordshire, England.-History:Eynsham grew up near the historically important ford of Swinford on the River Thames flood plain...
. Its toponym
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
is derived from the common Old English word fyrth, meaning a wood. In 1150 the Abbot of Eynsham
Eynsham Abbey
Eynsham Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, in England between 1005 and 1538. King Æthelred allowed Æthelmær the Stout to found the abbey in 1005. There is some evidence that the abbey was built on the site of an earlier minster, probably founded in the 7th or 8th...
granted land called terra de Frithe to one Nicholas of Leigh. "Frith Wood" later evolved into "Thrift Coppice" and by 1241 several people were living there. Freeland developed from a medieval freehold, probably on the site of Elm Farm.
The freehold farm was called Frithlands by the 16th century and had been joined by at least two other cottages before 1650. there were something less than a dozen cottages at Freeland by 1762. The enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
of the parish of Eynsham was resisted by rioting in the north of the parish around Barnard Gate
Barnard Gate
Barnard Gate is a hamlet about east of Witney in Oxfordshire. It has a public house, the Boot Inn....
and Freeland in 1780 but was eventually carried out in 1784.
The Roslyn house was established in 1738 and reputed to have been a 19th century pugilists' meeting place called the "Wrostling House". Freeland had several public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s by the later part of the 18th century and one called the Royal Oak was recorded in 1836. The New Inn was built in 1842, sold to Morrells
Morrells Brewing Company
Morrells Brewing Company was a brewery in Oxford, England, which operated under that name between 1782 and 1998. The brewery was founded in 1743 by Richard Tawney. He formed a partnership in 1782 with Mark and James Morrell, who eventually became the owners. Morrells' range of ales included...
in 1846 and for most of the 19th century was Freeland's only public house. Since 1974 it has been called the Oxfordshire Yeoman
Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars
The Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars was the designated name of a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army between 1888 and 1922. In response a call by the government for troops of volunteers to be formed in the shires, meeting of “Nobility, Gentry, Freeholders and Yeomanry” was called at the Star Inn...
. It is now controlled by Greene King Brewery
Greene King Brewery
Greene King is a British brewery established in 1799 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. It has grown to become one of the largest British owned breweries in the UK through a series of takeovers which have been the subject of some criticism. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent...
.
Freeland Lodge was built for the Taunton family in 1807. Most of the land on the west side of Wroslyn Road belonged to the family and was made into a park for the Lodge. The Lodge is now Freeland House Nursing Home. The Taunton family had sold the Lodge by 1875–76, when Marion Taunton had St Mary's House built as a home for retired governesses. In 1952 a Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
convent of the Community of Saint Clare
Society of Saint Francis
The Society of Saint Francis is a Franciscan religious order within the Anglican Communion.The Society of Saint Francis comprises: The Brothers of the First Order; The Sisters of the First Order; The Sisters of the Second Order; The Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order...
moved to the house and in 1960 a Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
chapel designed by the architect Henry Gordon was added.
Freeland grew as a ribbon development along the Via Regia
Via Regia
Via Regia, i.e. "Royal Highway", denotes a mediæval historic road. The term, in the usual sense, means not just a specific road, rather a type of road. It was legally associated with the king and remained under his special protection and guarantee of public peace.There were many such roads in the...
between Eynsham and Charlbury
Charlbury
Charlbury is a small town and civil parish in the Evenlode valley, about north of Witney in West Oxfordshire. It is on the edge of the Wychwood forest and the Cotswolds.-Place name:The origin of the town's toponym is obscure...
. By 1847 its community included seven farmers, two shopkeepers, a mason, a carpenter and the publican of the New Inn. Freeland's population peaked at 232 in 1881 but fell to 160 in 1891, presumably as a result of the agricultural depression. In 1932, when it was transferred from the civil parish of Eynsham to that of Hanborough, Freeland's population was 214. Freeland was made a separate civil parish in 1951, by which time its population had risen to 530. It then rose every decade, reaching 1,374 in 1981 and 1,509 in 2001.
Chapel, Church and School
The WesleyanWesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain)
The Wesleyan Methodist Church was the name used by the major Methodist movement in Great Britain following its split from the Church of England after the death of John Wesley and the appearance of parallel Methodist movements...
chapel was completed in 1807. It is now Freeland Methodist
Methodist Church of Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
Church.
The Gothic Revival architect
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
J.L. Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson
John Loughborough Pearson was a Gothic Revival architect renowned for his work on churches and cathedrals. Pearson revived and practised largely the art of vaulting, and acquired in it a proficiency unrivalled in his generation.-Early life and education:Pearson was born in Brussels, Belgium on 5...
designed the Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Mary the Virgin
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
, parsonage and parish school. The Taunton family paid for the church and parsonage to be built in 1869 and the school in 1871.
The church is in high Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
style with stained glass and decoration by Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient workshops of English stained glass during the latter half of the 19th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton and Alfred Bell . The company was founded in 1855 and continued until 1993...
and 13th century style paintings of Jesus' Passion
Passion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
and Transfiguration
Transfiguration of Jesus
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament in which Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16-18 refers to it....
. Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
cast four bells for St. Mary's in 1896. The same foundry cast a new treble and second bells in 2010, completing the present ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of six.
The school moved to new premises in Parklands in 1964 and is now Freeland Church of England Primary School.
Amenities
Freeland's first village hallVillage hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
was a former Army hut opened in about 1920. The games fields were opened in 1958 and a new village hall was completed in the 1960's. The second village hall was demolished in 2010 and a new one is under construction (as of April 2011). It will have a main hall with a kitchen, storage spaces and possibly a small shop. The second part of the hall will be a sports changing room and equipment storage, but this part to the village hall is still being paid for.
Freeland has a Football Club and a Cricket Club.
Freeland Football club was founded in 1908. There is a gap in the history of the club, but recent activities are more recorded and are now documented at the club's website. The club's history is in the Witney and District League
Witney and District League
The Witney and District League is a football competition based in Oxfordshire, England. It has a total of four divisions headed by the Premier Division which sits at level 13 of the English football league system.-Champions:-Member clubs 2011–12:...
with at least one team in the league throughout the last 100 years.
In recent years the club has had two teams in the W&D League: Freeland Firsts (W&DFA Premier Division) and Freeland Reserves (W&DFA Second Division). In the 2007-08 a third team has been added: Freeland A's. Freeland FC has undergone even greater expansion for the 2009-10 season, consisting of a Freeland B team and Sunday League side. Freeland Firsts were Premier Division champions in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. Freeland Reserves were Oxfordshire Senior League
Oxfordshire Senior Football League
The Oxfordshire Senior Football League is an association football competition based in Oxfordshire, England. The league has four divisions; the Premier Division and Division One contain clubs' first teams, while Division Two and Division Three are mainly made up entirely of reserve sides...
Division 3 champions in the 2008-09 season with the First team gaining promotion after finishing second in division 2.
Freeland A won the Witney and District Division Three title in 2011.