A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



century. The other two, dated 162 1 and 1655, were 

 later recast to form the fifth bell of St. John's church 

 (see below). There was a 16th-century painted cup- 

 board, some 16th-century glass and four sepulchral 

 brasses; all of these are in the present church of St. 

 Nicholas. Several floor slabs, left in situ when the old 

 church was demolished, were examined by Waller in 

 about 19 1 7. They included slabs to Jeffery Lee, 1670, 

 and Thomas Tuson, 1702. A brass to Robert Ramp- 

 ston, 1585, founder of a parish charity, existed in 1835 

 but has now disappeared." In 1790 there were several 

 hatchments of arms of the Wroths, former lords of the 

 manor, in the north aisle chapel. 8° 



Wright commented in 1835 that the parish church 

 was inconveniently distant from the village.^' The 

 destruction of Loughton Hall in 1836 left the church 

 even more isolated than before. The new church of 

 St. John was therefore built in 1846 to provide more 

 effectively for the religious needs of the growing parish. 

 It was decided that the old church should be demo- 

 lished to defray part of the cost of building St. John's 

 and a faculty was issued for this purpose in 1847. It 

 had been hoped that St. Nicholas' would fetch ^^250 

 but it was sold by auction for only ^^89. The chancel 

 was for some reason left standing and with the addition 

 of new north and west walls (costing £'^6) became a 

 mortuary chapel. This chapel was demolished in 1877 

 and the present church of St. Nicholas was built 

 slightly to the west of it. This rebuilding was clearly 

 connected with that of Loughton Hall, and St. 

 Nicholas' was used for many years after 1877 as the 

 private chapel of the hall. In 1947 it was repaired and 

 refitted for use as a chapel of ease to St. John's for the 

 Debden estate. ^^ It is a small flint building consisting 

 of nave, chancel, north porch, and bellcote with one 

 bell. On the gable of the porch are carved barge- 

 boards which are said to have come from the original 

 church of St. Nicholas. In the chancel are brasses from 

 the old church to John Stonnard (Stoner, 1540) and 

 Joan and Katherine his wives, William Nodes (1594) 

 and Elizabeth (WoUsey) his wife. Others are probably 

 to George Stoner (15 5 8) and Abel Guilliams (i637).*3 

 On the north wall of the chancel is a cupboard with 

 elaborately carved double doors flanked by columns 

 and strapwork and surmounted by an entablature. On 

 the panel below the doors is a late-i6th-century paint- 

 ing of the Annunciation. The north and south windows 

 have early- 16th-century glass showing two kneeling 

 figures with coloured nimbi. '■♦ 



The parish church oiST. JOHN THE BAPTIST 

 was consecrated in November 1846.85 It was built in 

 Blind (now Church) Lane near the junction with the 

 main road, on land most of which had previously been 

 held by Samuel Brawm, the Baptist minister, copyhold 

 of the manor of Loughton. ** The new church was 

 much nearer the village than St. Nicholas', but the 

 people of south Loughton had still to travel ^ mile or 

 more to the church, mostly up hill. The total cost of 

 St. John's, including furnishings, was slightly less than 



£6,500. The rector gave ;£i,i34, Mrs. Pearse £700 

 Mrs. Powell ;^65o, and there were many other sub- 

 stantial voluntary contributions. By 1848 a total of 

 ,{^5,850 had been raised, of which £1,000 came from 

 a church rate. The balance required was met by an 

 Exchequer Loan, which was finally paid off in 1866. 



The church is a yellow brick building in 'Norman' 

 style, consisting of nave, chancel, transepts, north 

 porch, and central tower. The architect was Sydney 

 Smirke (1798-1877), brother of Sir Robert Smirke 

 (1781-1867).*' He originally submitted three alterna- 

 tive designs, one 'Norman' and two 'Early English'. 

 Between 1875 and 1878 the chancel was enlarged at 

 a total cost of about £1 ,600. The church was slightly 

 damaged by bombing during the Second World War. 



There are eight bells, all of which were installed 

 between 1866 and 1874. The fifth bell was recast 

 from two of the bells of St. Nicholas' church, which 

 had been dated 1621 and 1655. The old church plate 

 was destroyed when Loughton Hall was burnt down. 

 It consisted of a silver cup, silver paten, plated flagon, 

 and plated dish. A silver almsdish of 1848 formerly in 

 the church was stolen in 1930. The present plate 

 includes many vessels, of which the oldest areof 1 836.*' 

 The parish chest, now kept in the south transept, prob- 

 ably dates from about 1607.*' It is remarkable for 

 the geometrical patterns incised on the three front 

 panels. 



St. John's parish hall was built in 1914-1 5 at a cost 

 of £808. It adjoins the church to the west. In 1947 

 the mission church of ST. FRANCIS was built at 

 Oakwood Hill on the Debden estate. It is a small 

 timber building."* In 1950 a church hall was opened 

 opposite St. Nicholas' church, and in 1953 the mission 

 church of ST. GABRIEL was opened in Grosvenor 

 Drive, Debden;" this is a permanent brick church. 

 St. Francis' and St. Gabriel's are chapels of ease to 

 St. John's. 



The church of ST. MART THE VIRGIN, High 

 Road, Loughton, was built in 1871 and consecrated in 

 the following year as a chapel of ease to St. John's.'^ 

 The site was given by the rector, J. W. Maitland.'s 

 In 1887 the parish of St. Mary was formed out of that 

 of St. John.'* Its endowment included £50 from the 

 mother parish. The patron of the vicarage is the 

 Rector of Loughton. The church is a stone building 

 in Gothic style, consisting of nave, chancel, aisles, south 

 porch, and bellcote containing one bell. The north aisle 

 wasaddedin 1883. The architect was T. H.Watson.'' 



The church of ST. MICHAEL AND ALL 

 ANGELS, Roding Road, was built and dedicated in or 

 about September 1937, as a chapel of ease to St. Mary's. 

 It received its present name about 1942."* 



Among parochial charities which include provision 

 for the churches are Parish Clerk's Piece and W. C. 

 Waller's Charity." The following charities are also 

 for the use of the churches.'* 



Emily Jane Hanson, by will proved 1933, left three 

 cottages (now nos. 20, 22, and 24 Pump Hill) for the 



'9 T. Wright, Hist. Essex, ii, 385. 



80 E.J.T.-N.s.h, II. 



81 T. Wright, Hist. Essex, ii, 384.. 



'^ Inf. from Canon M. N. Lake, 

 Rector of Loughton. 



«3 Cf. E.A.T. N.s. xiv, 278, 287-8; 

 T. Wright, Hist. Essex, ii, 384-5. 



*< Cf. Hist. Men. Com. Essex, ii, 166. 



85 For the following acct. see Percy 

 Thompson, Story of the Parish Church of 

 Loughton (illustrated), also E.R.O., T/P 1 3 



(cuttings from parish magazines). 



86 E.R.O., T/P 18. For other sites con- 

 sidered see E.R.O., T/P 13. 



87 See D.N.B. Sydney Smirke later 

 designed (1850) St. Mary's, Theydon 

 Bois (q.v.). 



88 Cf. Ch. Plate Essex, 103. 



89 Ch. Chests Essex, 154. (illus.). 



90 Inf. from Canon M. N. Lake, Rector 

 of Loughton. 



9> Ibid. 



92 Kelly's Dir. Essex (1926). 



93 Waller, Loughton, i, 142. The site 

 was formerly known as Thistley Field. 



9* Kelly's Dir. Essex (1926). 



95 Ibid.; N. Pevsner, Buildings of Eng., 

 Essex, 260. 



9' Inf. from the Revd. D. V. Wright of 

 Loughton. 



9' See below. Charities. 



98 Char. Com. Files. 



122 



