Chesham is a market town located in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England. With a population of slightly over 20,000, Chesham is designated a town council within Chiltern district and is known for its four Bs – boots, beer, brushes, and Baptists. The earliest records of settlement in Chesham date back to the second half of the 10th century, although archaeological evidence suggests people lived in the area as far back as 8000BC.
Chesham’s prosperity grew significantly during the 18th and 19th centuries with the development of manufacturing industry. However, in the face of fierce competition from both home and abroad, these traditional industries rapidly declined. Today, employment in the town is provided mainly by small businesses engaged in light industry, technology, and professional services. From the early part of the 20th century, Chesham has also become a commuter town with improved connections to London via the London Underground and road networks. The town centre has been progressively redeveloped since the 1960s and was pedestrianised in the 1990s.
Chesham’s history dates back thousands of years, with archaeological evidence of the earliest settlement during the Late Mesolithic period around 5000BC in East Street, Chesham where a large quantity of Flint tools were found. The area was then settled by Bronze Age tribes around 1800BC, and they were succeeded by Iron Age Belgic people of the Catuvellauni tribe around 500BC. During the Saxon period around the 7th century, the town was named Cæstæleshamm meaning “the river-meadow at the pile of stones”.
Contrary to popular belief, the town is not named after the river; rather, the river is named after the town. Prior to 1066, there were three adjacent estates which comprised Caestreham which are briefly recorded in the Domesday Book as being of 1½, 4, and 8½ hides, having four mills. After 1066, the vast majority of land was granted to Hugh de Bolebec and smaller parcels to Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, Toustain Mantel, and Alsi. Before the 13th century, the three Cestreham manors were known as Chesham Higham, Chesham Bury, and Chesham Boys (or ‘Bois’). In the 14th century, they were first recorded as ‘the manors of Great Chesham’, and collectively, they extended beyond the current Chesham town boundary.
During the 19th century, Chesham became known for the religious dissent which dominated the town. In 1532, Thomas Harding was burnt at the stake in Chesham for being a Lollard and heretic. From the 17th century, Chesham was a focus for those dissenting from mainstream religion. Quakers met in the late 17th century in Chesham, and in 1798, they built the current meeting house. The first Baptists’ meeting dates back to about 1640, and the first chapel was opened in 1712. John Wesley preached in Chesham in the 1760s, and a Wesleyan Methodist society existed in the town. In more recent times, the Christian Brethren, Broadway Baptist church, Trinity Baptist church, and the Congregational Church have all had branches in Chesham.
The primary industries of the town in medieval times were flour production, woodworking, and weaving of wool. There were four mills built along the Chess, which was diverted to generate sufficient power. Surplus flour was supplied to London. The number of clothworkers, including spinners and weavers, increased during the 16th century. The town saw significant growth during the 18th and 19th centuries, thanks to the development of manufacturing industry. However, in the face of fierce competition from both home and abroad, these traditional industries rapidly declined. Today, employment in the town is provided mainly by small businesses engaged in light industry, technology, and professional services.
Chesham has experienced considerable expansion from the early part of the 20th century onwards, with new housing developments and civic infrastructure being built. Increasingly, Chesham has become a commuter town with improved connections to London via the London Underground and road networks. The town centre has been progressively redeveloped since the 1960s and was pedestrianised in the 1990s. However, further growth has been restricted because the area forms part of the Metropolitan Green Belt.
In conclusion, Chesham is a historic market town located in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, with a rich history dating back thousands of years. Known for its four Bs – boots, beer, brushes, and Baptists – Chesham’s prosperity grew significantly during the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, employment in the town is provided mainly by small businesses engaged in light industry, technology, and professional services. Chesham has experienced considerable expansion from the early part of the 20th century onwards, with new housing developments and civic infrastructure being built. However, further growth has been restricted because the area forms part of the Metropolitan Green Belt.
Posted by PaChambers on 2016-04-23 17:11:53