Ewelme Park story - summary and sources

In The Medieval Parks of England, Leonard Cantor comments that many parks were declining by 1400 as the plagues had led to labour no longer being available to maintain them properly. The 15th century, however, saw parks being created and others considerably extended - but these differed from their predecessors by being generally larger and formed on tracts of arable land, common pasture or woodland no longer cultivatable economically. The growth of population in the 17th century led to an increased demand for land and rents rose. It became economical for woodland and parkland to be divided up for the extension of arable and pastoral farming. Many areas were disparked in the late 16th and 17th centuries.
The rise and fall of Ewelme Park seems to have followed this typical pattern. Its existence spanned over 250 years. For nearly 100 of those it was a Royal Deer Park during the reigns of two of our most colourful monarchs, and under the direct control of some rich and powerful noblemen, landowners and the highest of Royal Court officials.

Principal sources include:
Historical Notices of the Parishes of Swyncombe and Ewelme - Napier 1858
A Short History of Swyncombe - John Bridge 1955
English Deer Parks - E P Shirley 1897
The Wild White Cattle of Great Britain - Rev J Storer 1879
Letters and Papers of Henry VIII - PRO and Letters and Papers of Elizabeth I - PRO

The Main Characters:
Edmund Ashfield - formerly a servant of Henry Norris, and later Sheriff of Oxfordshire.
Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk - a powerful statesman and soldier, the King’s Lieutenant for nine counties. Sent to Paris to arrange Mary’s marriage to Francis I, he secretly married her himself. Appointed first Lord Great Master 1540-45, the highest position in the Tudor court. Buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Sir Francis Bryan - Knight of the Royal Body, Master of the Toils 1518-48 (responsible for transporting live deer - a Chief Officer of State), later Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.
Thomas Chaucer - son of Geoffrey, twice sheriff of Oxfordshire, and having the favour of Henry IV and various honours and manors granted to him.
Miles Crispin - of the ancient Normandy aristocracy, personal friend of King William.
Thomas Cromwell - the King’s Secretary and Earl of Essex.
Sir Robert Harcourt - Knight of the Body, Sheriff of Oxfordshire 1492-3, and standard bearer to Henry VII at Bosworth Field in 1485.
Sir Francis Knollys - Treasurer of the Queen’s Household, custodian of Mary Queen of Scots, first Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire 1569.
Sir Henry Norris - beheaded on Henry’s orders for alleged adultery with Anne Boleyn.
William de la Pole - first Duke of Suffolk, initially a distinguished soldier before becoming a powerful political figure. Impeached for ceding Anjou and Maine to France.