When you think of the College Archives, you are likely to first think of records of boys, beaks, Provosts and Fellows. However, the Archives also contain parish records for twenty-one Church of England parishes – some of them over one hundred miles from Eton – to which the College has historic links.
When Eton College was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, it was financially supported by grants of land across the country. Some of these grants of land included patronage – the right to appoint the vicar of the local church. These are referred to within the College as the Livings.
The connection between these parishes and Eton has left a rich legacy across the Collections, from the Worplesdon (Surrey) silver, to the reply from the Provost and Fellows to the parishioners in Piddlehinton (Dorset) claiming for an annual supply of mince pies, bread and ale!
Grant of rent in Hullavington, 1333
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The alien priory of Hullavington formerly belonged to the abbey of St Victor en Caux (in Kaleto) in Normandy. The lands were granted to Eton College by Henry VI as part of the original endowment in 1441. Although the last piece of property owned by the College here was sold in 1972, the College maintains a link through the living.
Clavering Cup, 1572
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This piece was given by William Clavering Fellow, 1612. Several pieces of silver were taken to use at Worplesdon by the Rev. Thomas Chamberlayne, Fellow and Vice-Provost of Eton, and rector of that Parish from 1791 until his death in 1801. The College acquired the living of Worplesdon in 1692 in an exchange with the Duke of Somerset for the living of Petworth, Sussex.
Plan of the parish of Eton, 1742
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From its completion up to 1875, College Chapel was the parish church for the town of Eton. As a result, the archives contains records of the baptisms, marriages and burials of the local population. The benefice is now made up of Eton, Eton Wick, Boveney, Dorney and Datchet.
Nowadays, the right to appoint the vicar is in practice exercised by the Parochial Church Councils (PCCs) of the parishes. However, Eton still maintains links with its parishes. In September 2025, the clergy and churchwardens of the Livings came to visit Eton for a tour and tea with the Provost.
Tom Hercock, Archivist
