ONGAR HUNDRED 



BOBBINGWORTH 



1661.^° The tithes were commuted in 1840 for 

 ^455;2' there were then 32 acres of glebe." 



The rectory was built by the Revd. W. M. Oliver in 

 1839^3 near the site of an earlier parsonage.^ It is a 

 three-story square house of gault brick with a two- 

 story wing on the north. A difference in brickwork 

 suggests that the top story may have been a later 

 addition. 



The parish church of ST. GERM J IN consists of 

 nave, chancel, vestry, and north tower. At different 

 periods parts of the church have been rebuilt so that 

 very little medieval work now remains. In particular 

 subsidence on the south side has necessitated constant 

 repairs. 



The date of the original nave is not known but it 

 may be indicated by a 13th-century piscina in the 

 south wall, now reset, which has a pointed head and 

 attached shafts. In 1909 Frederic Chancellor stated 

 that during then recent work to the south wall ancient 

 oak uprights were found embedded near its west end.^' 

 He suggested that these might have represented part 

 of a pre-Conquest church, but in the absence of better 

 evidence this must remain extremely doubtful. 



The chancel, replaced in 1 840, was probably of the 

 14th century. In 1835^* it is described as of ancient 

 appearance and the east window as 'a good specimen 

 of the decorated style of architecture'. The nave roof 

 is of the trussed rafter type and may be of the 1 5th 

 century. Probably also in the 15 th century a wooden 

 bell tower was added beyond the west end of the nave.^' 

 This appears to have been in two stages, the upper one 

 of smaller diameter, and to have had a small shingled 

 spire.2* The church still had a small north porch in 

 the early 19th century^" and this may have been of late 

 medieval origin. 



The nave is said to have been rebuilt in red brick in 

 1680.30 In lyyo considerable work was done to the 

 interior of the church including the erection of a west 

 gallery presented by Jacob Houblon.^i The nave walls 

 were again largely rebuilt in 18 18 and fitted with oak 

 windows. 32 In 1 840 the chancel was rebuilt in gault 

 brick at the rector's expense. ^3 The 14th-century style 

 of the demolished work was probably copied, parti- 

 cularly with regard to the east window. In 1840 a 

 north tower and porch were built, a Mr. Burton being 

 the architect.34 They are of gault brick and the style is 

 again inspired by the 14th century. The tower has 

 three stages with pointed openings and a castellated 

 parapet. The lowest stage combines the functions of a 

 ringing chamber and a north porch to the church. The 

 red-brick vestry was built in 1864 at the expense of the 

 Capel Cure family.3s It occupies the same position as 

 the wooden bell tower demolished in 1840. In 1902 

 seven new nave windows with stone tracery were pre- 

 sented by the Revd. W. M. Oliver after his retire- 

 ment.3* These replaced the wooden windows of 181 8. 

 The nave roof was restored in 1907.37 In 1931-2 

 repairs were carried out to the roof and the south wall 

 of the nave and the 18th-century gallery was removed.38 



The stone font is of the 15th century with an octa- 

 gonal bowl and a moulded shaft. In 1770 the bowl was 

 removed and a new one fitted to the pedestal.39 In 

 1936 the original bowl, carved with the initials 'J.P.', 

 was discovered in the churchyard at Little Parndon. 

 It was presented to Bobbingworth by the Netteswell 

 and Little Parndon Parochial Church Council and now 

 occupies its original position.^" There is an iron-bound 

 chest with two locks of the 17th century. The pulpit 

 has early 17th-century arabesque ornament. The 

 panelling and reading-desk in the nave appear to have 

 been made up of woodwork of various dates, the oldest 

 probably of the early 17th century. The seating in the 

 nave is of early 19th-century date, the more elaborate 

 pitch pine pews of the chancel probably date from 

 1840. 



The plate includes a cup of 1635 inscribed with 



*T C 



initials ^ , also a paten inscribed 'Bovinger 1684'. 



The plate now in use is of 1933. 



Six bells were presented by the Revd. W. M. Oliver 

 in 1 841.'" In 1834 an acre of land in the parish called 

 Bell Acre formed part of the glebe; by tradition the 

 rector was supposed to provide bell ropes and hassocks 

 for the church from the rent it yielded.*^ The then 

 rector, however, refused to observe the tradition since 

 there was no documentary evidence to support it.*' 

 The custom appears never to have been revived. 



In the chancel are two reset brass inscriptions, one 

 to William Bourne (1581) with an achievement of 

 arms and one to Robert Bourne (1639) with two 

 shields. Before its rebuilding in 1840 there were 

 several inscriptions in the chancel to members of the 

 Bourne family and others which have now disappeared.** 

 These included an unusual incised slab bearing the 

 arms of the City of London and of the Grocers' 

 Company together with a standing figure of William 

 Chapman (1627) who married a daughter of Robert 

 Bourne.*' In the nave are several tablets to the Capel 

 Cure family including the first Capel Cure of Blake 

 Hall (1820) and his two wives (1773 and 1804). On 

 the nave roof are painted hatchments of the Capel 

 Cures and Pooles. 



Vestry minute books for Bobbingworth survive for 



the periods 1 667-1 789 



PARISH GOVERNMENT and 1 808-1922. There 



AND POOR RELIEF is also a separate book 

 of overseers' accounts 

 for the period 1789-1827.** 



Until 1702 vestry meetings usually seem to have 

 been held only at Easter in each year.*' From 1702 

 until 1758 meetings were held at Easter and Christmas. 

 From 1758 there were several meetings each year, held 

 at irregular intervals of between 2 and 19 weeks. 

 Intervals of 5-10 weeks were common. In the early 

 19th century between four and eight meetings a year 

 were recorded. 



Until Jacob Houblon became rector in 1692 the 

 vestry minutes were brief and uninformative. It was 



^o E.y^.T. N.s. xxi, 78, 83. 



" E.R.O., D/CT 38. 



" Ibid. 23 E.R. xiv, i86. 



M Chapman and Andre, Map of Essex, 

 lyyy, sheet xii. 



25 E.A.T. N.s. li, 175. 



2' Wright, Hist. Essex, ii, 359. 



" Ibid. 'The Steeple and the steeple end 

 of the building is of wood.' 



2' Drawing on a Blake Hall estate map 

 of 1 804. Photosta tat E.R.O. (T/M 2 1 3). 



2« Ibid. 



3" Inf. from Canon E. H. Gallop, Rector 

 of Bobbingworth. 

 3> E.R.O., D/P 127/25. 



32 Vestry book 1808-1922. 



33 Ibid. " Ibid. 

 35 Ibid. '' Ibid. 



37 Kelly's Dir. Essex (1929). 



38 Inf. from Canon E. H. Gallop. 



39 E.R.O., D/P 127/25. 



« Inf. from Canon E. H. Gallop. 



15 



«■ Ch. Bells Essex, 18 1-2. 

 ■•2 Rep. Com. Char. {Essex), H.C. 216, 

 p. 218 (1835), xxi (i).- 



«3 Ibid. 



** Wright, Hist. Essex, ii, 359. 



■•5 E.y^.T. N.s. xii, 321-2. 



*6 The following information is derived 

 almost entirely from these books which are 

 at the Essex, Record Office, on loan from 

 the Rector of Bobbingworth. 



♦7 E.R.O., D/P 127/8. 



