ONGAR HUNDRED 



HIGH ONGAR 



valued at 40 marks." In and after the 14th century the 

 king always presented to Stanford Rivers as well as to 

 High Ongar and Little Laver." 



The foregoing details are of great interest for they 

 may explain how there came to be a detached part of 

 High Ongar to the north of Stanford Rivers, some 2 

 miles from the main body of High Ongar parish. It 

 is clear that there was a dispute between Rumilly and 

 the lords of Stanford Rivers concerning the advowsons 

 of Stanford Rivers and High Ongar and that about 

 1280 this was resolved by both parties surrendering 

 their claims to the king and queen. It also appears that 

 between about 1254 and 1291 the value of the rectory 

 of High Ongar decreased from 60 marks to 40 marks 

 while that of Stanford Rivers increased from 20 marks 

 to 40 marks. It therefore seems likely that during the 

 dispute or after its settlement the parish of Stanford 

 Rivers was enlarged at the expense of High Ongar. 

 The evidence of 1285 shows that John de Rivers 

 retained some interest in the advowson of Stanford 

 Rivers after 1280, and it is possible that the enlarge- 

 ment of the parish was the consideration for which he 

 surrendered his claim to the patronage of High Ongar 

 and Little Laver. If the parish of High Ongar did in 

 fact lose a substantial part to Stanford Rivers it seems 

 most likely that this was the belt of land which now 

 forms the north of Stanford Rivers, running from 

 Marden Ash in the east to Ongar Park Hall in the 

 north-west, and is bounded on the south by the stream 

 which joins the Roding at Wash Bridge. If this area 

 was previously part of High Ongar it was the link 

 between the main body of the parish and the Ashlyns- 

 Ongar Park section. The area involved fits in well with 

 the reasonable deductions that can be made from the 

 valuation figures of about 1254 and 1291. If we take 

 the figures to mean that the total area of Stanford 

 Rivers was doubled by the acquisition from High 

 Ongar, this implies (in terms of the present acreage of 

 Stanford Rivers) that some 2,200 acres were added 

 between 1254 and 1 291. The belt of land described 

 above is approximately of that area. A final piece of 

 evidence is that in the 17th century the Rector of High 

 Ongar enjoyed part of the tithes from 16 acres of land 

 near Colliers Hatch in Stanford Rivers (see below). 

 Colliers Hatch is in the belt that may have been trans- 

 ferred from High Ongar to Stanford Rivers. 



The king exercised the patronage of High Ongar 

 until 1 538 when Henry VIII granted it to Sir Richard 

 Rich, later ist Baron Rich.''* It descended with Paslow 

 Hall (see above) to the 4th Earl of Manchester, who 

 presented to the rectory in lyoi.'s John Turvin pre- 

 sented in 1733, no doubt by grant pro hac vice, for in 

 about 1755 the Duke of Manchester was returned as 

 patron.'* About this time, however, the advowson 

 passed out of Manchester's hands. In 1770 Joseph 

 Henshaw was rector and patron. "^ From this time the 

 advowson changed hands with each new rector, being 

 held either by the rector himself or by a close relation.'* 

 About 1942 it was acquired by the Church Association 

 Trust, who are the present patrons. '« 



In 1535 the rectory of High Ongar was valued at 



j^39 10/. \d?-'^ In 1 610 the glebe was about 80 acres." 

 In 1637 the rectory was stated to be a manor 'consist- 

 ing of demeans and copyholds, viz. nine tenements in 

 High Ongar street, one in Shelley parish, 16 acres of 

 ground near Colliers Hatch'. These lands paid 'tithes 

 in kind for corn, after two ridges to Stanford Rivers, 

 and one ridge to High Ongar, which is taken standing'. 

 Pasture and hay ground paid tithes in kind rateably to 

 both parishes. Well Field, about 12 acres, paid 'the 

 third tenth sheaf to High Ongar.^^ The tithes were 

 commuted in 1849 for j^i,382.^3 



In 1610 the Rectory house contained fourteen 

 rooms and had extensive outbuildings.^* It is possible 

 that this was the building which still stands, to the east 

 ofthe church, and which is described above (seep. 173), 

 for that house originally contained fourteen rooms and 

 dates from the late i6th or early 17th century. The 

 present rectory is a fine red-brick three-story house 

 with five windows across the front and a pedimented 

 porch. It is said to contain 22 rooms and was built in 

 the late 1 8th century. 



The parish church of ST. MARY THE FIRGIN 

 consists of nave, chancel, south tower, and north vestry. 

 The nave dates from the middle of the 1 2th century 

 and is of flint rubble with dressings of clunch partly 

 replaced by limestone. The 12th-century south door 

 is of special interest. The chancel was built or rebuilt 

 in the middle of the 13th century and is also of flint 

 rubble. The tower, which incorporates a south porch, 

 dates from 1858 and is of brown brick with limestone 

 dressings. The vestry was added in 1885 and is of 

 flint rubble. 



The nave retains three single-light round-headed 

 windows of 12th-century date, two on the north side 

 and one on the south. The western-most windows in 

 the nave, although probably ofthe 13th century, have 

 semicircular heads internally and may originally have 

 been ofthe 12th century. Both north and south door- 

 ways are original, the north door . having a semi- 

 circular head and moulded imposts. Externally the 

 south door is of two orders, the outer having a round 

 arch with chevron ornament supported on attached 

 shafts with moulded bases and scalloped capitals. The 

 inner also has shafts with scalloped capitals supporting 

 a segmental arch with chevron ornament. Between the 

 arches is a tympanum of which the stones are enriched 

 with axe-cut ornament. There is similar ornament and 

 a billet mould to the label above the doorway (see 

 plate facing p. 184). 



Externally the flint coursing ofthe mid-l 3th-century 

 chancel is a little more pronounced than in the nave. 

 An unusual feature is a string-course of clunch at sill- 

 level in both north and south walls. There is a shallow 

 projection at the junction of nave and chancel on the 

 north side, possibly in connexion with a rood-loft stair. 

 The east end has three graduated lancets. Internally 

 they are grouped under chamfered rear arches spring- 

 ing from attached shafts with moulded bases and 

 capitals. There are two lancets in the north wall and 

 one in the south. The piscina is ofthe 13th century. 

 In the nave the western-most windows in both north 



'^ r<JAr. £c<r/. (Rec. Com.), 2ii. 

 '3 Newcourt, Repert. ii, 452-3. 

 >« Ibid.; L. ©■ P. Hen. VIU, xiii (i), 



569; W. '5- 



■5 E.A.T.-n.%.m, 58. 



" Morant, Eaex, i, 133; E.R.O., 

 D/AEM 2/3. This was the 3rd dulce. 



" Hist. Essex hy Gent, iii, 331. 



'8 E.R.O., D/AEM 2/3; Eccl Reg. 

 1808; C/er, Guide, 1817, 1829, 1836; 

 Clergy List, 1 842 f. ; Crockford's Cler. Dir. 

 1882 f.; Chel. Dice. Year Bk. 1915 f. 



'9 del. Dioc. Tear Bk. 1942. The trust 

 made its 6rst presentation in 1946. Since 

 1950 it has been known as the Church 

 Society Trust. 



183 



2» Fahr Eccl. (Rec. Com.), i, 437. 



2' Newcourt, Repert. ii, 452. 



" Ibid. 



" E.R.O., D/CT 263. The tithes ofthe 

 glebe (then 95 acres) were not included in 

 this figure. 



^< Newcourt, Repert. ii, 452. 



