In Saxon times this town was called Agmodesham The Domesday Book of 1086 records it as Elmodesham with three water mills in use along the banks of the Misbourne In the year 1200 King John granted Aversham the right to hold a market and fair every year for ever Amersham was a Borough for several centuries returning two Members of Parliament for periods between 1300 and 1832 Amersham was an active centre of dissent from the 14th century onwards and some inhabitants suffered martyrdom During the Civil War Amersham strongly adhered to the Parliamentary cause. Oliver Cromwells wife lived here In the 17th century Amersham was the home of prominent Quakers who suffered great persecution Amersham was renowned at the end of the 18th century as a centre of the black lace making industry This stone was erected by the Amersham Society 1972