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Taplow

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"The parish of Taplow covers an area of 1762 acres, of which 473 acres are arable land, 616 acres are laid down in permanent grass, and 322 acres consist of woods and plantations. The soil is loam, with a subsoil of chalk and gravel, which has been worked in pits near the station. Taplow quarry is mentioned in the 16th century. The chief crops are wheat and oats. In the south and west, where the Thames forms the parish boundary, the land lies low, about 72 ft. above the ordnance datum, but it rises gradually northwards to a height of 296 ft. in the grounds of Cliveden House. It was stated in 1332 that a tax of 10 marks had been remitted to Taplow parish, as much corn had been destroyed by the Thames' winter flood. The main line of the Great Western railway, which crosses the south-portion of the parish, has a station at Taplow, three-quarters of a mile north-west of which is the village..." [© copyright of the editors of The Victoria Histories of the Counties of England]
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Bibliography

The following reference sources have been used in the construction of this page, and may be referred to for further detail. Most if not all of these volumes are available in the Reference section of the County Library in Aylesbury.

"Buckinghamshire Returns of the Census of Religious Worship 1851", Legg E. ed., 1991, ISBN 0 901198 27 7.
"Magna Britannia: Buckinghamshire", Lysons S. and Lysons D., 1806.
"The Place-Names of Buckinghamshire", Mawer A. and Stenton F.M., 1925.
"The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Buckinghamshire", Page W. ed., 1905-1928.
"War Memorials and War Graves: Burnham and area, Volume 13", Peter Quick.

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Cemeteries

War Memorials

War memorials in Taplow have been transcribed by Peter Quick, and published in a booklet entitled "War Memorials and War Graves: Burnham and area, Volume 13", available from the Buckinghamshire Genealogical Society.

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Census

In 1798 the Posse Comitatus listed 78 men between the ages of 16 and 60 in Taplow.

In the earliest government census of 1801, there were 422 inhabitants in 80 families living in 80 houses recorded in Taplow.

Census Year Population of Taplow
1801* 422
1811* 592
1821* 586
1831* 647
1841 744
1851 704
1861 811
1871 1028
1881 1063
1891 1029
1901 1056

* = No names were recorded in census documents from 1801 to 1831.
** = Census documents from 1911 to 2001 are only available in summary form. Names are witheld under the 100 year rule.

Microfilm copies of all census enumerators' notebooks for 1841 to 1891 are held at the Local Studies Libraries at Aylesbury and Milton Keynes, as well as centrally at the PRO. A table of 19th century census headcount by parish is printed in the VCH of Bucks, Vol.2, pp 96-101.

Availability of census transcripts and indexes.

  • 1851 - Full transcripts and indexes for Buckinghamshire are available on CD-ROM, hard copy and microfiche from the Buckinghamshire Family History Society.
  • 1861 - Available on CD-ROM with advanced search and mapping capabilities etc. from the Buckinghamshire Genealogical Society.
  • 1881
    • Available on CD-ROM from the Church of the Latter Day Saints, as part of the National 1881 Census Index.
    • Available on CD-ROM for Buckinghamshire, with advanced search and mapping capabilities etc. from Drake Software.
  • 1891 - Available on CD-ROM with advanced search and mapping capabilities etc. from the Buckinghamshire Genealogical Society.

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Church History

Details of the stained glass in the church can be found on the following web sites (the site includes many photos):

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Church Records

The original copies of the parish registers for St Nicholas, Taplow have been deposited in the Buckinghamshire Record Office in Aylesbury, and they hold the following years:

Event Dates covered
Christenings 1710 - 1897
Marriages 1710 - 1836
Burials 1710 - 1881

Copies or indexes to the parish registers are available from societies as follows:

Event
Society Library*
Dates covered
Society Publications
Dates covered
Society
Christenings
1604 - 1901
Buckinghamshire Family History Society
Marriages
1710 - 1837
Buckinghamshire Genealogical Society
Marriages
1604 - 1901
Buckinghamshire Family History Society
Burials
1604 - 1901
Buckinghamshire Family History Society

* = material held in a Society library is generally available for loan to all members either via post, or by collection at a meeting

An ecclesiastical census was carried out throughout England on 30 March 1851 to record the attendance at all places of worship. These returns are in the Buckinghamshire Record Office and have been published by the Buckinghamshire Record Society (vol 27). The returns for Taplow showed the following numbers:

Church Attendance
Taplow, St Nicholas 130 - Morning General Congregation
40 - Morning Sunday Scholars
170 - Morning Total

95 - Afternoon General Congregation
32 - Afternoon Sunday Scholars
127 - Afternoon Total

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Taplow which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

Taplow was described in 1806 in "Magna Britannia" as follows:

TAPLOW, in the hundred and deanery of Burnham, lies near the Bath road, about a mile and half from Maidenhead. The manor, which it is probable had belonged to some religious house, was held on lease under the crown in the reign of King James I. by Sir Henry Guildford: soon afterwards it became the property of the Hampson family who probably had a grant of it in fee. Thomas Hampson esq. of Taplow was created a baronet in 1642. The heirs of Sir Dennis Hampson sold this manor about the year 1700 to the Earl of Orkney, a distinguished officer in the Duke of Marlborough's wars. His eldest daughter who was married to William O'Brien Earl of Inchiquin, succeeding him in his honours and estates, became Countess of Orkney in her own right: she had two daughters, the elder of whom, the late countess of Orkney, was the first wife of her cousin Murrough, Earl of Inchiquin, since created Marquis of Thomond, who is the present proprietor of Taplow.

Taplow Court, the seat of the Marquis, is an old mansion, formerly the residence of the Hampsons: it stands near the church, and commands a fine view over Windsor forest and the Thames.

Cliefden-house was purchased of the ancient family of the Manfelds by the witty and profligate Duke of Buckingham, who began a magnificent house upon the site which was purchased and finished by the Earl of Orkney. Frederick Prince of Wales, father of his present Majesty, rented this house of Anne Countess of Orkney, and resided here several summers. This celebrated mansion was destroyed by fire in 1795: scarcely a wreck of its former magnificence remains. Its situation was much superior to that of Taplow-court, the rich view of Windsor and the surrounding county being heightened by the beauty of the scenery more immediately contiguous.

In the parish church at Taplow is the tomb of Sir Robert Manfeld, and several other memorials of that family. The Marquis of Thomond's aisle was built in 1633 by the Hampsons, whose arms, three hemp-breakers, occur frequently repeated in the cornice. The amiable Anne Countess of Orrery, whose beauty and virtues have been celebrated in the poetical works of her husband and his contemporaries, lies buried in this church. She died at Britwell court, a seat of the Earl's, in the neighbouring parish of Burnham.

The rectory, which belonged formerly to Merton abbey, is in the gift of the crown. The learned Dr. Hickman, some time bishop of Londonderry, was instituted to it in 1698. The parish has been inclosed by an act of Parliament passed in 1779, when an allotment of land was assigned the rector in lieu of tithes, &c.

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SU910822 (Lat/Lon: 51.531385, -0.689506), Taplow which are provided by:

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Names, Geographical

The name of Taplow derives from old english, being a persons name + hlaw, and means 'Tumulus of a man called Tæppa'.