Some Local History
The name Binfield derives from the coarse grass in the clearing or 'feld' where the village was first discovered within Windsor Forest. Many years ago, Windsor Forest was divided into 16 Walkes, The Binfelde Walke was mentined in the 16th century under Sir Henry Neville, the keeper, who lived at Billingbear. Even though things have changed over the years, Binfield still remains rural.
Binfield is most famous for being the childhood home of the 18th century poet, Alexander Pope.
The B3034 goes through Binfield and follows the route of the late 18th century Turnpike Road which linked Windsor and Reading.
In 1665, 25 tax paying families lived in Binfield. In 1721 only seven of these 25 were still in the area, by 1740 only four. It seems that only the very rich and poor stayed put. In the eighteenth century about 80% of the population of Binfield were mainly labourers, basically the poor. For them a number of charities were set up and some of theses are recorded on boards in what is now used as the vestry in the parish church.
All Saints Church in Binfield is mostly mid-nineteenth century, but has some ancient fittings. The pulpit is dated 1628 and there is 15th century glass in the S.E. window. Of particular note is the 17th century hourglass and elaborate iron stand. It features the arms of the Farriers' Company of London. A church of Binfield was granted by King Henry III to Cirencester Abbey in the early 12th century. The fact that there was an established church of this date would again suggest Saxon origins for this settlement. More on All Saints Church: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/wbsltdcom/pages/binfieldchurch.html
Behind the church stands the old rectory, now called the Priory. Its size suggests a rector of considerable means. He possessed some land and took tithes from all the agricultural produce of the village. The large barn behind the rectory might well have been used for storing the tithes. Across the road from the church used to stand the Church House, used by parish officials to discuss parish matters; part of it was used in the early eighteenth century as a poor house. The poor house later moved to nearer what we would call today he centre of the village before parishes were grouped together as "Unions" and Binfield's poor were sent to the Union workhouse in Easthampstead in the nineteenth century.
Binfield has several public houses: The Roebuck (Greene King), The Victoria Arms (Fullers), the Jack O'Newbury (Freehouse) and the Stag and Hounds. The oldest public house is the Stag and Hounds, part of the building dates from the 14th century and it is said to have been an inn since 1722. It was reportedly used as a hunting lodge by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. It is also said to have been a refuge for a number of Parliamentary soldiers during the Civil War. It is said to be at the exact centre of the old forest, as marked by the eight hundred year old Centre Elm which stands outside. The sad hollow trunk is all that remains of this once great tree - it was ravaged by Dutch Elm Disease in the 70s - but you can still see where the forest poachers are said to have cheekily hidden in times gone by.The lodge became a coaching inn in 1727. The 18th century travel writer, William Cobbett, once stayed there and wrote that it was "a very nice country inn".
Binfield Common used to run from the Stag and Hounds to the other side of Blue Mountain Golf Course. Cattle would graze on this land that belonged to the villagers. The villages were also entitled to wood from a wood at the end of what is now Hazelwood Lane. At one stage the wood contained 120 acres of oak but by the eighteenth century much of it had disappeared. Whether this was because villagers abused their right to one handcart of wood per year is hard to say but not difficult to imagine. Binfield Common was crossed by the Forest Road which was brought up to modern standards in the early eighteenth century. This was a route favoured by farmers herding their cattle to London from as far away as Oxfordshire in the days before refrigerated lorries! A monument to the building of this road listing those who invested in it used to be in the village itself but was consigned many years ago to a field by the road much nearer the Wokingham end.
The Earliest Attee's of Binfield
Our most distant ancestor on this branch is William Attee of Binfield, Berkshire, England. We presently have no information on his birth or who he married but we have records for several children of his:
1. Katherine Attee b.1682 Binfield, Berkshire
2. Richard Attee b.1686 Binfield, Berkshire *our ancestor
3. Elizabeth Attee b.1688 Binfield, Berkshire
4. William Attee b.1698 Binfield, Berkshire
William's son, Richard Attee (William) was baptised in Binfield on 27 September 1686. At the age of thirty years, he married Eleanor Beach, daughter of Christopher Beach and Eleanor Champ, also of Binfield. Richard and Eleanor had at least the following children:
1. Eleanor Attee b.1717 Binfield, Berkshire
2. Ann Attee b.1720 Binfield, Berkshire
3. Richard Attee b.1723 Binfield, Berkshire; married Honour "Hannah" Viney
4. William Attee b.1725 Binfield, Berkshire
5. Ruth Attee b.1727 Binfield, Berkshire
6. James Attee b.1734 Binfield, Berkshire *our ancestor
Richard and Eleanor's son, James Attee (William, Richard) was baptised in Binfield on 4 July 1734. At some point during James' lifetime, the common spelling of the surname became Hatty or Hattey rather than Attee, as was common in the earlier records. James married Mary Ann "Hannah" and they had at least the following children:
1. Anne Hattey b.1757 Binfield, Berkshire
2. Hannah Hattey b.1762 Binfield, Berkshire
3. Charles Hattey b. 1765 Binfield, Berkshire *our ancestor
