CHESHAM, a town, a parish, and a, sub-district, in Amersham district, Bucks. The town stands on the river Chess, near its head, 2 ½ miles N by E of Amersham, and 5 ¼ SSW of Berkhampstead r. station. It consists chiefly of three streets; and has a post-office under Amersham, a banking-office, two chief inns, a town-hall, a temperance-hall, a parish church, five dissenting chapels, a mechanics’ institute, almshouses, and an endowed school. The church is ancient and cruciform; and has a tomb by Bacon. Total endowed charities, £100. A weekly market is held on Wednesday; fairs are held on 21 April, 22 July, 28 Sept., and the 2d Wednesday of Nov.; and manufactures are carried on in shoes, straw-plait, silk, paper, malt liquors, and flour. Real property, £5,483. Pop., 2,208. Houses, 477.— The parish includes also the hamlets of Asheridge, Ashley-Green, Bellingdon, Botley, Charteridge,. Hundridge, Latimer, and Waterside. Acres, 12,657. Real property, £24,473. Pop., 5,983. Houses, 1,260. The property is not much divided. Chesham Hall, Blackwell Hall, and Latimer House are chief residences. A mineral spring, of some medicinal repute, is at a short distance from the town. Remains of a Danish fort, with walls and moat in tolerable preservation, are at Grove-farm. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Oxford. Value, £453. Patron, the Duke of Bedford. Hester, the wife of Sir Thomas Temple, and one of Fuller’s “Worthies,” who lived to see 700 of her descendants, was a native. The sub-district contains also the parish of Chesham-Bois. Acres, 13,562. Pop., 6,203. Houses, 1,302.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
