142
Old Borlasians
A Bishop’s Ghost.
Until the year 1845, Buckinghamshire was in the diocese
of Lincoln and formerly the bishops of that see possessed
considerable estates and two places of residence in the
county. They had the palace of Wooburn near Marlow and
a manorial residence at Fingest, a small secluded village
near Wycombe. (sic). Their manor-house of Fingest, the
ruins of which still exist, stood near the church and was
but a plain mansion, of no great size or pretensions. And
why those princely prelates, who possessed three or four
baronial palaces and scores of manor-houses superior to
this, chose so often to reside here, is unknown. Perhaps
it was on account of its sheltered situation or from its
suitableness for meditation, or because the surrounding
country was thickly wooded and well stocked with deer;
for in the “merrie days of Old England”Bishops thought no
harm in heading a hunting party .Be this as it may, certain
it is that many of the early prelates of Lincoln, although
their palace of Wooburn was near at hand, often preferred
to reside at their humble manor-house of Fingest. One of
these was Henry Burgwash, who has left reminisciences
of his residence here more amusing to posterity than
creditable to himself.“He was,”says Fuller,“neither good for
church nor state nor subjects; but was covetous, ambitious,
rebellious, injurious. Yet he was twice lord treasurer, once
chancellor and once sent ambassador to Bavaria. He died
AD 1340. Such as wish to be merry”, continues Fuller, “may
read the pleasant story of his apparition being condemned
after death to be viridis vividarius – a green forester”
In his CHURCH HISTORY, Fuller gives this pleasant story:
“This Burgwash was he who by mere might, against all
right and reason, took in the common land of many poor
people (without making the least reparation) therewith to
complete his park at Tinghurst (Fingest). These wronged
persons though seeing their own bread, beef and mutton
turned into the bishop’s venison, durst not contest with
him who was Chancellor of England, though he had
neither law nor equity in this cruel act of injustice even
to the day of his death; but having brought upon himself
the hatred and maledictions of the poor, he could not rest
quietly in his grave; for his spirit was doomed to wander
about that land which he had, while living, so unjustly
appropriated to himself. It so happened, however, as we
are gravely informed by his biographer, that on a certain
night he appeared to one of his former familiar friends,
apparelled like a forester, all green, with a bow and quiver
and a bugle-horn hanging by his side. To this gentleman he
made known his miserable case. He said that on account
of the injuries he had done the poor while living, he was
now compelled to be the park-keeper of that place which
he had so wrongfully enclosed. He therefore entreated his
friend to repair to the canons of Lincoln and, in his name,
to request them to have the bishop’s park reduced to its
former extent and to restore to the poor the land which he
had taken from them. His friend duly carried his message
to the canons who, with equal readiness, complied with
their dead bishop’s ghostly request and deputed one of
their prebendaries, William Bacheler, to see the restoration
properly effected. The bishop’s park was reduced and
the common restored to its former dimensions; and the
ghostly park-keeper was no more seen.”
St. Bartholomew’s Church at Fingest today.
Roy Child (1936 – 41)
