A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



are missing. In the east bay the north doorway of the 

 screens passage is in position and there is one jamb of 

 an opposite doorway on the south side. A post dividing 

 the 'nave' from the north aisle still exists and the cor- 

 responding post of the south aisle has only recently been 

 removed. On this side a large curved brace, springing 

 from the east wall and rising to the underside of the 

 plate, forms part of the 'nave arcade'. Below the main 

 truss a later tie-beam spans the whole width of the hall. 

 The detail here is similar to that of the open trusses on 

 the upper floors of the two cross-wings and it is suggested 

 that all these features represent additions, possibly 

 dating from the late i 5th or early i6th century. The 

 rebuilding of the west bay probably took place later 

 in the 1 6th century when the roof was raised to give 

 higher rooms and an attic. The gable ends have un- 

 glazed windows with diagonal mullions and the roof 

 has small curved wind-braces. The central chimney 

 was probably inserted at this time and the single-story 

 addition at the back of the house, which has an open 

 queen-post truss and a large end chimney, may be a 

 kitchen of the same period. The present owner 

 restored the house, which was in poor condition, in 

 about 1935." 



On the north-west side of the road from Mollmans 

 to Tilegate Green is the village hall. On the other side 

 of the road is the former rectory," * on a moated site. 

 North of this, on the west side of the road, there are 

 three pairs of white plastered council houses. Almost 

 opposite these houses one drive leads south-eastward 

 to Spencers and another, newly made, leads north- 

 eastward to Magdalen Laver Hall." Spencers, which 

 probably derives its name from the family of John le 

 Spenser, living in 1339,™ is a large timber-framed 

 farm-house with considerable remains of a moat. It 

 has an irregular three-gabled front and additions on 

 the other three sides. The stop-moulded ceiling beams 

 on the ground floor indicate an early-iyth-century date 

 but it is possible that parts of the structure are older. 

 The new drive to Magdalen Laver Hall is extended in 

 a north-easterly direction to form an approach to the 

 church.^' Previously the approaches to the church had 

 been by the footpaths which run from the road to 

 Spencers on the south and through the farm-yard of 

 Magdalen Laver Hall on the north. Immediately 

 north-west of the churchyard are traces of a large moated 

 site, where the first manor house probably stood.^^ To 

 the south-east of the church, in a field known as Redmill 

 Shot, a stone coffin containing a skeleton was discovered 

 in about 1757 and human bones were found in other 

 parts of the same field at different times.^3 There was 

 a tradition in the 1 8th century that the church origin- 

 ally stood in this field but no trace of a church or of any 

 other building has ever been found.^"* It may be, how- 

 ever, that the field was once a burial ground belonging 

 to the parish. 



Immediately north of Magdalen Laver Hall the 

 road to Tilegate Green becomes part of the northern 

 boundary of the parish. On the north side of the road, 

 within the parish of High Laver, is Magdalen Laver 

 school.^5 At Tilegate Green the road is joined by Pole 

 Lane, now only a footpath, which leads eastward to the 



Ongar-Harlow road. On the south side of Pole Lane, 

 north-east of the church, is a moated mound, about 

 80 ft. in diameter. At the junction of Pole Lane and 

 the Ongar-Harlow road is Start Farm, a small timber- 

 framed farmhouse, part of which may date from the 

 1 6th century. 



To the south of Start Farm the Ongar-Harlow road 

 is joined by the road which runs right across the parish 

 to Mollmans and Wynters Armourie on the west. On 

 the south side of this road, close to the eastern boundary 

 of the parish, is Bushes, an L-shaped timber-framed 

 farm-house with wings extending to the north and east. 

 The north wing, now of four bays but formerly longer, 

 was built as a two-story structure and probably dates 

 from the late 1 5 th century. On the west side the upper 

 floor overhangs on curved brackets. In 1933 the plaster 

 was stripped away revealing a fine timbered front with 

 close studding and curved braces. The roof is original 

 except at its south end and there are two king-posts with 

 two-way struts in position. The chimney is a later 

 insertion. The east wing, lying at right angles to the 

 two-story wing, may represent the medieval hall, much 

 altered. A large chimney and ceilings have been 

 inserted. The roof is not ancient but two of the rafters 

 are formed from old moulded timbers. Also incor- 

 porated is a cambered and moulded tie-beam of medieval 

 origin. The south porch and the brick chimney appear 

 to be of the i6th century. There is a considerable 

 amount of 1 6th- or early-i 7th-century panelling intern- 

 ally. In the angle between the wings there is a later 

 timber structure. The house was restored and the 

 staircase altered in 1933.^* The north and part of the 

 east sides of a large moat are still in existence. To the 

 west of Bushes is Ashlings, where traces of a moat 

 remain. About J mile south-west of Ashlings is Lunds, 

 a timber-framed farm-house probably of the late 17th 

 or early i8th century; it has been faced with yellow 

 brick. To the west of Lunds, on the north side of the 

 road, is Whites, a timber-framed farm-house probably 

 dating from the late 1 7th or early 1 8th century. Almost 

 opposite Whites is the junction with the road leading 

 south to Epping. 



In 1776 the parishes of High Laver and Magdalen 

 Laver came to an agreement about repairs to roads for 

 which they were jointly responsible.^^ These roads 

 were to be equally divided by a white post and each 

 parish was to repair the part lying nearest to it.^' 



Water was supplied by the Herts, and Essex Water- 

 works Co. in 1912.^' Electricity was laid on in part of 

 the parish in 1950.30 A branch of the county library 

 was opened in June 1939.31 



Magdalen Laver has always been a rural parish 

 engaged almost entirely in agriculture. The lords of 

 the manor lived in the parish during most of the period 

 from 1622 until 1832.32 After John Cozens sold the 

 estate in 1832 the owners were not resident until 

 Matthew Torrance purchased the estate shortly after 

 1922.33 



In 1 848 James Ewing owned, but did not occupy, 

 Magdalen Laver Hall Farm (191 acres) .34 There were 

 only two other substantial owners in the parish; John 

 Archer Houblon owned but did not occupy Spencer's 



*' Inf. from Mrs. Fitzgerald. 

 " Sec below, Church. 

 '9 Sec below, Manor. 

 " P.N. Essex (E.P.N.S.), 64; Feet of F. 

 Essex, iii, 5 1 . 

 2* Sec below, Church. 

 ** See below, Manor. 



23 Hist. Essex by Gent, iii, 354. 

 21 Ibid. 



25 See below, School. 



26 Inf. from Mr. Radbourne, present 

 owner. 



" E.R.O., D/P 1 1 1/22. See also High 

 Laver. 28 Jbid. 



29 Inf. from Herts. & Essex Water- 

 works Co. 



30 Inf. from East. Elec. Bd. 



3^ Inf. from County Librarian. 

 32 E.R.O., D/DA Ti99i Q/RPl 685- 

 737. 33 Sec below, Manor, 



3* E.R.O., D/CT211. 



104 



