ONGAR HUNDRED 



FYFIELD 



The structure east of the hall is divided from it by a 

 space about 6 ft. wide, possibly an external passage. 

 Part of it was open to the roof and at one time a central 

 truss was fitted with a king-post. There is some smoke- 

 blackening of the roof timbers. 



The two-story north range is built alongside the aisle 

 wall but is independent of it structurally. It is of four 

 bays, divided in the roof by three king-post trusses. The 

 westernmost king-post is rebated and hollow-chamfered, 

 suggesting that at this end there was an open roof visible 

 from an important upper room or solar. The upper 

 floor oversails along the north side and has curved 

 brackets to the soffit. The ends of the joists are con- 

 cealed by a moulded bressummer, over 40 ft. long, en- 

 riched with a running design typical of about 1500. 

 The nail-studded entrance door is probably original. 



The reconstruction of the hall probably took place in 

 the i6th century. A ceiling was inserted and the central 

 chimney built. The introduction of an upper story 

 needing light and head-room would necessitate the 

 demolition of the south aisle. The staircase wing may 

 be of the same period but the other additions are later. 

 The chimney in the north range was built in two stages, 

 the older stack having a shaped panel which probably 

 carried a date or initials. The upper part of the south 

 chimney is now dated 1700. 



The sash windows, including the splayed bays on the 

 south front, were all inserted about 1886. The timber 

 porch and the loggia were added after 1945. In the 

 garden to the east of the house there is a rectangular 

 fish-pond known as the 'Catholic Pond'. 



The manor of HERONS was in the ownership of the 

 priory of Little Leighs when the latter was dissolved in 

 1536."" Its earlier history is uncertain but its origins 

 are perhaps to be found in several estates which may 

 have been merged by the priory at the end of the 13 th 

 century. 



Leighs priory may have possessed lands in Fyfield 

 before 1247. In 1211-12 Oger son of Ernald de 

 Curton held i fee in Tendring and Fyfield. 5" Oger 

 apparently granted the fee to Thomas de Lungevill' 

 who in 1223 conveyed at least part of it, including lands 

 in Fyfield, to William de Curton, brother of Oger. 5' In 

 1233 Eustace de Curton, who may have been the son 

 of William, granted 100 acres of land in Fyfield to 

 Ralph Gernon, probably the founder of Leighs priory." 

 Ralph, who apparently owned no lands in Fyfield at his 

 death in 1247, may have granted this estate to the 

 priory.53 



After 1282 the priory may have acquired in Fyfield 

 two other estates each of which had formed a separate 

 manor in the i ith century. In 1066 one was held by 

 Alwin as 80 acres and as one manor worth 3o;.5'* In 

 1086 this was held of Count Eustace of Boulogne by 

 'lunanus' and was then worth 40;. 55 The other manor 

 was held in 1066 by Brictmar as 40 acres and as one 



manor worth 5/.S* In 1086 this manor was held of 

 Count Eustace by Richard and was worth lo/.s' These 

 two manors were probably merged in the 1 2th century. 

 The overlordship passed with the honor of Boulogne to 

 the Crown after the death in 1 1 59 of William, Count of 

 Boulogne. The mesne tenancy was held in the reign 

 of Henry II by Pharamus of Boulogne, great-grandson 

 of Count Eustace of Boulogne. ss It descended to 

 Pharamus' daughter Sybil wife of Ingram de Fiennes 

 and subsequently to her son William de Fiennes.5» 

 Afterwards Ingram son of William de Fiennes appa- 

 rently held the manor.*" In 1248 he granted to Ralph 

 de Marcy i messuage and 1 20 acres of land in Fyfield 

 toholdof himat a rent of 32/. a year." This estate was 

 equal in extent to the combined acreage of the two 

 Fyfield manors which were held of Count Eustace in 

 1086. In 1282 William de Fiennes, son of Ingram, 

 conveyed some rights in Fyfield to Robert Burnell, 

 Bishop of Bath and Wells.*^ It is not clear what was the 

 effect of this conveyance. Soon afterwards, however, 

 Leighs priory may have acquired the manor and added 

 to it lands acquired previously from Ralph Gernon. In 

 1 29 1 the priory had an estate in Fyfield valued at 

 £7 10s. ia'.63 In 1 303 and 1 346 it was reported that the 

 priory held in Fyfield J fee of the honor of Boulogne.** 

 This estate may have derived its name of Herons from 

 one who farmed it in the 14th or 1 5 th century.*' 



Immediately after the dissolution of Leighs priory in 

 1536 the manor was granted by the Crown to Sir 

 Richard Rich, afterwards ist Baron Rich.** On his 

 death in 1567 it passed to his son Robert, 2nd Baron 

 Rich, who settled it on his eldest son Richard when 

 Richard married Katherine Knevett.*' Richard's death 

 without issue in 1 580 was followed by that of his father 

 in I58i.*8 The manor then passed to Robert, 3rd 

 Baron Rich, who in 16 12 conveyed it to Robert 

 Bourne.*' In 1643 Richard Bourne, who may have 

 been a nephew of Robert Bourne, conveyed the manor 

 to Alexander Benton and Richard Master.^o In 1694 

 Thomas Richardson and his wife Anne granted it to 

 -Charles Nowes to hold during Anne's life." In 1697 

 Charles Nowes and his wife Ann, and John Brett Fisher 

 and Judith his wife conveyed the manor to John Savill.72 

 By 171 1 the manor was owned by Timothy Brand of 

 London.'^ Afterwards it passed to Thomas Brand who 

 may have been Timothy's grandson and who also owned 

 Pickerells Farm.''' Before 1768 Thomas Brand was 

 succeeded by his son Thomas who in 1771 married 

 Gertrude, suo jure Baroness Dacre.'5 Before 1780 

 Thomas Brand granted Herons to Thomas Brand 

 Hollis, although he retained in Fyfield a considerable 

 estate, including Pickerells and Ash Farms, which later 

 descended to his son Thomas, Lord Dacre (d. 1851).'* 

 Thomas Brand Hollis was owner of Herons until about 

 1804 when it passed to Dr. Disney." In 1811-12 

 Disney was succeeded by the Revd. John Bramston 



*' L. fef P. Hen. ^111, x, p. 420. 



50 ReJ Bk. of Exch. 580; Bk. of Fees, 

 238. 



" Bk. of Fees, 242, 1435; Feet, of F. 

 Essex, i, 49, 63. 



" Feel of F. Essex, i, 93, 114; r.C.H. 

 Essex, ii, 155; E.A.T. N.s. xii, 90. 



" Cal. Irtq. p.m. i, p. 292; Ex. e Rot. 

 Fin. (Rec. Com.), ii, 23. 



5t V.C.H. Essex, i, 467*. 



55 Ibid. 56 Ibid. 57 Ibid. 



5' Bk. of Fees, 1428; Genealogist, N.s. 

 xii, 145-51. 

 59 Bk. of Fees, 235-6, 240, 1428, 1435. 

 '" De La Chenaye-Desbois et Badier, 



Dictionnaire de la Noblesse, viii, 39-41. 



6 ' Feet of F. Essex,\, 181. 



'2 Feet of F. Essex, ii, 36; C. Moor, 

 Knights ofEd-w. I (Harl. Soc. Ixxxi), ii, 23 ; 

 De La Chenaye-Desbois et Badier, 

 Dictionnaire de la Noblesse, viii, 39-41. 



63 Tax. Eccl. (Rec. Com.), 25. 



6< Feud. Aids, ii, 136, 160. 



65 P.N. Essex (E.P.N.S.), xii, 57; Feet 

 of F. Essex, ii, 123. 



66 L. & P. Hen. FUI, x, p. 420. 



67 C142/147/141; C142/192/29. 



68 C142/192/29. 



69 CP2<(2)/294 Trin. 10 Jas. I. 



'» CP25(2)/4i9 Mich. 19 Chas. I; 



49 



Sepulchral Memorials of Bobhingivorth, cd. 

 F. A. Crisp, 31-33. 



" CP25(2)/828 Trin. 6 Wm. & Mary. 



" CP25(2)/829 Hil. 9 Wm. III. 



" E.R.O., Q/RSg I. 



'■♦ Morant, Essexy i, 135. A Thomas 

 Brand was buried in Fyfield in 1718: 

 Wright, Hist. EsseXy ii, 339. He was prob- 

 ably the father of the Thomas Brand of 

 Pickerells mentioned by Morant. 



75 Ibid.; Hist. Essex by Gent, iii, 336; 

 Complete Peerage^ iv, 16. 



76 E.R.O.. i2/RPl 685-737 J ibid. 

 D/CT 1+8. 



77 E.R.O.,Q/RPl 709-15. 



H 



