A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



around the common itself, but most of these have now 

 disappeared.^" 



There are several references in the Quarter Sessions 

 records of the late i6th and early 17th centuries to the 

 bad condition of the roads in the parish. It is significant 

 that most of the references concern the remote detached 

 part of the parish to the west of Bobbingworth. More 

 than one complaint was made of the lane between 

 Bobbingworth Green and Reynkyns Brook (apparently 

 the present main road, A. 122).^' Both that detached 

 part and the main body of the parish were served by 

 the Epping-Chelmsford road which was turnpiked 

 late in the 1 8th century. A toll-gate was erected across 

 the road opposite High Ongar Church. The toll house 

 was sold in 1870.^^ It stood against the south wall of 

 the churchyard.^3 King Street probably owes its name 

 to the family of Richard le Kyng (fl. 1341).^'' The 

 most serious defect in the road system of the parish has 

 always been the absence of a direct road from Marden 

 Ash to Paslow Wood Common. The road from High 

 Ongar village to Paslow Wood Common is also some- 

 what roundabout. There is no reason to suppose that 

 these defects ever had serious social results, as did the 

 bad road system of Lambourne (q.v.). Marden Ash 

 could supply its social needs in Chipping Ongar. Until 

 the 1 8th century there were probably few residents at 

 Paslow Wood Common, and they were not far from 

 Blackmore. 



High Ongar Bridge, which carries the main Chelms- 

 ford road across the Roding, has been important from 

 the l6th century and no doubt earlier. It was often 

 presented at Quarter Sessions as needing repair. In 

 1563 it was not known who should repair it.^s In 

 1574-5 it was said to be the responsibility of the 

 county.^* Complaints continued to be made about its 

 condition, and the county indicted for failure to repair 

 it.^7 In the late 17th century, however, considerable 

 sums were spent on its repair, and the county continued 

 to maintain the bridge.^* In 1858 the county surveyor 

 made a detailed report on it; it was then a brick 

 bridge.^' In 191 3 it was rebuilt in concrete.^" 



A foot-bridge between Chipping Ongar and High 

 Ongar was also presented at Quarter Sessions at various 

 times in the 1 7th century. It apparently adjoined High 

 Ongar Bridge.3> In 1677 the inhabitants of High 

 Ongar were indicted for not repairing the foot-bridge 

 leading to Brentwood — presumably a bridge at 

 Marden Ash. Hallsford Bridge is dealt with under 

 Stondon Massey. 



For transport High Ongar has depended mainly 

 upon Chipping Ongar, and upon services along the 

 main Epping-Chelmsford road. High Ongar village 

 is now (1953) well served by buses between Epping 

 and Chelmsford, and also by those between Chipping 

 Ongar and Brentwood via Blackmore and Nine Ashes. 

 Marden Ash has buses to Romford and Brentwood 

 passing through and the terminus for the services to 



Epping and to Brentwood via High Ongar is at the 

 foot of Marden Ash Hill. 



A post-office at High Ongar is listed in 1856.3^ 

 Edward Knights was receiver between 1862 and 

 1890.33 In 1895-1902 there was a sub-postmaster.3* 

 The post-office was closed for a short time about 1905- 

 6, but was reopened after a petition from the parish 

 council.35 



Water was supplied to High Ongar village in 19 14 

 by the Herts, and Essex Waterworks Co. 3* Between 

 1894 and 1908 there were many complaints of foul 

 and open drainage ditches in the parish, but in spite of 

 this a proposal by Chipping Ongar for a joint sewage 

 scheme was rejected in 1901.37 The main drainage of 

 High Ongar village had been completed by 191 5, 

 although the school was not connected to the main 

 sewer until 1925.38 There is main drainage on the 

 Millfield estate and at Marden Ash. The Ongar Gas 

 Co. supplied gas to Marden Ash, no doubt from its 

 early days. Marden Ash also received electricity when 

 Chipping Ongar was supplied in 1932. Gas was 

 supplied to High Ongar village in 1 9 1 o,39 and electricity 

 mains were extended there in I935.'*'' Paslow Wood 

 Common has electricity but no gas or main drainage.'*' 



In 1895 the parish council considered that a police- 

 man was needed in High Ongar village,*^ and one was 

 stationed there by i898.'*3 The constable was retained 

 until 1914'M but appears to have been withdrawn 

 during the First World War. In 192 1 the parish 

 council examined complaints that the village youths 

 were disorderly and decided to apply for a resident 

 policeman.'ts The application was not immediately 

 successful, but there is now (1953) a policeman in the 

 village.''* 



A village hall was opened in High Ongar in 1925. 

 It had an original endowment of Mill Lane allotment 

 field, the income from which was to be used in the 

 maintenance of the hall. The trustees were to be a 

 committee of twelve elected residents. In 1928—34 

 the allotment field was sold in several lots for jCi87. 

 The money was invested and in 1949 brought in 

 ^4 19/. 104". This was supplemented by j^i 19 18/. \d. 

 raised by letting the hall for social and recreational pur- 

 poses, including film shows."" A branch of the county 

 library was opened in 1928.^8 There was a club room 

 at Marden Ash in 19 14, possibly in connexion with 

 St. James's Church."*' 



The Fane Memorial Nursing Home was set up by 

 a deed of 1901.50 A public subscription in memory of 

 the Revd. F. A. S. Fane (d. 1894), for many years 

 Curate of Norton Mandeville, and chairman of the 

 Ongar Board of Guardians, had been used to buy 

 property fronting on the main road at Marden Ash and 

 this deed put the house in trust to be used as a home for 

 a nurse employed by the residents of Ongar Union.'' 

 Before 1948 the house was for many years used by the 

 district nurse provided by the Ongar and District 



"> Chapman and Andr^, Map of Essex, 

 1777, sheet xvii. 



" E.R.O.,Q/SR95/39, 108/21, 144/26. 



" E.R.O., D/TE 13. 



M E.R.O., D/CT 263. 



M P.N. Essex, 73. 



" E.R.O., Q/SR 12/5. 



« E.R.O.,e/CP I, p. 21. 



"e.g. in 1620 and 1677: E.R.O., 

 Q/CP 3, pp. 54, ss, 34.2. 



" E.R.O., e/SR 412/89, Q/CP 3, 

 p. 555, e/SBb 17. 



" E.R.O., Q/ABz 3. 



3° Inf. from Essex Co. Surveyor. 

 3- E.R.O., e/SR 388/32; Q/CP 3, 

 p. 129, 203, 282, 458. 



32 Bril. Post. Guide, 1856. 



33 Kelly's Dir. Essex (1862 f., 1890). 

 3t Ibid. (1895, 1902). 



35 Parish Council Mins. 1906-8: 

 extracts by Mr. D. W. Hutchings. 



36 Inf. from Herts. & Essex Water- 

 works Co. 



3' Par. Council Mins. 1894- 1908. 



3' Ibid. 1915, 1925. 



39 Inf. from Eastn. Gas Bd. 



■to Inf. from Eastn. Elec. Bd. 



*' Inf. from the rector, Revd. B. Hartley. 



♦^ Par. Council Mins. 1895. 



'•3 Kelly's Dir. Essex (1898). 



« Ibid. (1914). 



*5 Par. Council Mins. 1921. 



*' Inf. from Chief Constable of Essex. 



♦' Char. Com. files. 



** Inf. from County Librarian. 



*9 Par. Council Mins. 1914. 



50 Char. Com. files. 



5' For Fane's career see E.R. iv, 4. 



174 



