http://kitwithers.fortunecity.com/deacon/arch.txt
formerly at http://www.geocities.com/kit_withers/deacon/arch.txt
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ROYAL COUNTY OF BERKSHIRE
Our R1: WS/VCT~1858 Your Rif.
BERKSHIRE RECORD OFFICE

WILLIAM J. SMITH M.A.,F.R.Hist.S.
COUNTY ARCHIVIST, SHIRE HALL, READING Telephone READING S S9 8 I EXT 230

26th January 1967

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your letter of January 25th. I am completely Unable to trace
'Ideson', or anything like it, between Newbury and Hungerford. Looking at the
list of Berkshire wills of this period. I find that while there were a.
number of DEACONs in Newbury (which fits the picture well enough), there was a
fairly prolific FRENCH family (there are no FRENCHATs) in the parish of
Ashbury, a downland parish north-west of Hungerford. 

In Ashbury is the hamlet of Idstone. Although Idstone ranked as a separate
sub-manor, Ashbury was a demesne manor of Glastonbury Abbey until the
Dissolution, a. circumstance which may account for the use of the term Grange.
The list of FRENCH testators in Ashbury includes four between 1568 and 1594
who are specifically described as 'of Idston' (or 'Edwinston', its earlier
form). 

It seems to be possible, to say the least, that James DEACON married a French
girl and through her got a house at Idstcne - whose (location was not so well
known to the writer of your document as he thought it was!  

I know of only one fact tending to discount this theory, viz, that there was a
JACOB family in Inkpen, the neighbouring parish to Hamstead Marshall. 

The Ashbury parish registers, which are here, do not survive earlier than 1704,
otherwise I could check the theory by that means.

Yours faithfully,
(signed WJ SMITH) County Archivist.

Addressed to [JD]:
J. N. Travers-Deacon, Esq, The Gables, Battle Hill, Battle, Sussex.