ONGAR HUNDRED 



FYFIELD 



the 'parish warden' — presumably the people's warden 

 — acted as trustee, though later the rector and parochial 

 church council took some share in the administration of 

 the estate." In 1922 a further part (i r., 12 p.) of 

 Church Hoppet was sold for {jio to the parish council 

 also for use as a burial ground.*" 



From the latter part of the 19th century until shortly 

 after 1930 a small outbuilding at the back of the cottage 

 near the Black Bull Inn was let as a separate dwelling.*' 

 In about 1930 the three dwellings were let for a total 

 of about £i<).^^ 



In 1 947 the cottage, then known as Walker Cottage, '3 

 on the east side of the church, was sold for ;£i90, most 

 of which went to repay Dr. Walker's School Founda- 

 tion and the parochial church council for money spent 

 on it in the past.** The residue was invested.** 



In 195 1 the charity was divided into two: one part, 

 the Church Estate, had an endowment of ^^50 14/., 

 presumably arising from the sales of church land, of 

 which the income was used for general church pur- 

 poses.** The other is known as the Charity for the 

 Poor, and has an endowment of ^^61 4/. 312'., which was 

 provided by the sale of the 'Walker Cottage'.*' Its 

 income was to be devoted to the poor of the parish, 

 since the cottages of the charity were in 1834 used for 

 the benefit of the poor.** 



The cottage north of the Black Bull Inn still belongs 

 to the church but is at present up for sale.*' 



Fyfield was one of the places at which a new Congre- 

 gational church or school was 

 NONCONFORMITT started soon after the formation 

 of the Essex Congregational 

 Union in 1798.90 There was, however, no mention of 

 such a church or school at Fyfield in the returns of 

 1829. A nonconformist mission hall was opened in the 

 village in 1894 and is still in use."' It is a small red- 

 brick building bearing that date. 



Medieval court rolls for the manor of Fyfield survive 



for the periods 1 3 8 5-97, 



PARISH GOVERNMENT i40i-4,and 1413-43." 



AND POOR RELIEF In the 14th century the 



number of courts held 

 each year varied between 2 and 4. Usually two of 

 them included view, of frank-pledge. In the 1 5 th cen- 

 tury courts were usually held twice a year, at Easter 

 and Whitsun, and nearly always included view of 

 frank-pledge. The homage numbered 12 or more. 



The courts were largely concerned with the control 

 of trade. The commonest subject of presentment was 

 breach of the assize of ale ; the offenders against this 

 assize were often women, who were presented year 

 after year on the same charge. Breach of the assize of 

 bread was also frequently presented. Occasionally fines 

 were imposed on regrators. Apart from trade offences, 

 the most common subjects of presentment at the courts 

 were the failure to scour wayside ditches and the ob- 

 struction of watercourses. Small fines were sometimes 

 imposed for minor assaults. 



Two constables and two aletasters were chosen at the 

 Easter court in most years. Aletasters were often fined 

 for inefficiency. 



" Ibid. 



80 Ibid. 



" Church Account Book in possession 

 of rector J local information. 



*^ Church Account Book; Char. Com. 

 61es. 



»3 This name seems to have originated 

 in the confusion, apparent for some time 

 past, between the Church Estate Charity 



and those founded by Dr. Anthony Walker 

 in the 17th cent. 

 «♦ Char. Com. files. 



85 Ibid. 



86 Ibid. 



87 Ibid. 



88 Ibid. 



The modern series of court rolls for Fyfield run«, 

 with some short breaks, from 1509 until 1 865.91 In 

 the first half of the i6th century courts were held in 

 most years and often twice in a year. From the middle 

 of the i6th century until about 1640 they were held 

 once a year. They usually included view of frank- 

 pledge. After 1 640 courts were no longer held annually 

 and did not always include view of frank-pledge. In 

 the second half of the 17th century there were 23 courts 

 of which 1 3 included the view. In the 1 8th century 

 courts which, nominally at least, included view of frank- 

 pledge, took place in 1703, 1709, 171 1, and, for the 

 last time, in 1749. 



Most of the business transacted at the courts after 

 1509 concerned minor nuisances and breaches of 

 manorial custom. In the reign of Henry VIII the pre- 

 sentment of breaches of the assizes of bread and ale 

 were still common. There were still occasional present- 

 ments for assault until 1617. In 1585 a man was pre- 

 sented for 'keeping bad order' in his house. Towards 

 the end of the i6th century the number of presentments 

 of nuisances declined markedly. After 1 589 there were 

 rarely more than two or three such presentments at any 

 one court. From the beginning of the reign of Charles I 

 there were frequently no leet presentments even when 

 the court nominally included view of frank-pledge. 



In the 17th century, particularly in the latter half, 

 the jurisdiction of the manor court was yielding to that 

 of the parish vestry. In 1626 the manor court ordered 

 that no one should demise any cottage within the manor 

 to any person living outside Fyfield and no one should 

 entertain any pauper from outside the parish without 

 leave from the churchwardens, overseers, and the 

 parishioners. In 1647 the manor court elected as con- 

 stables Thomas Gynne and John Church who in 1648 

 rendered an account to the parish vestry.'* Afterwards 

 the constables continued to account to the vestry"' 

 although they were sometimes appointed in the manor 

 court until the last decade of the 17th century. A court 

 appointed R. Church and J. Church as constables in 

 1654. No appointments were made by the next court 

 leet which was held in May 1656; it does not appear 

 what body appointed I. Allam and A. Kent who were 

 constables from 1657, if not before, until 166 1. A 

 court leet chose two constables in 1661 and one in 1662 

 'for the parish of Fyfield'. The rolls do not record any 

 further appointments by the manor court until 1692. 

 On the other hand, until 1680 the vestry minutes did 

 not include the constables in the lists of appointments 

 and reappointments made by the vestry.9* In 1680, 

 however, it was recorded that at a meeting of the parish 

 on Easter Monday all the old officers, including the 

 constables, were 'continued for the following year'.'' 

 In 168 1, shortly before a court leet, a vestry meeting 

 chose two new constables for the year 1681-2,'* but 

 the next court leet, which was held in May 1692, chose 

 two constables. The following court leet, held in 

 October 1696, also chose T. Luck and E. Havers as 

 constables for the parish. It may be, however, that the 

 court merely confirmed appointments made at a vestry 

 meeting earlier in the year, for in the vestry minutes it 



The Nook at Norwood End (see above, 

 p. 44) may have been used as the church, 

 or school. 



" Kelly's Dir. Eitex (1933). 



92 E.R.O., D/DCw M97-101. 



" E.R.O.,D/DCw M 102-15. 



»♦ E.R.O.,J>/P 1+4/8/1. 



89 Inf. from present rector. 

 9» R. Burls, Essex Congr. 



Union i 19. 



95 Ibid. 

 »' Ibid. 



9' Ibid. 

 98 Ibid. 



ss 



