ONGAR HUNDRED 



HIGH ONGAR 



monument with Corinthian pilasters and a shield of 

 arras to Richard Stane of Forest Hall (17 14). There 

 are a number of other later memorials. 



John de Welde of Ongar, whose will was proved in 

 1337, bequeathed a cow called 'turtel' with its calf to 

 maintain a candle on every double festival of the year 

 before the great altar in High Ongar church.*^ The 

 will of Sir Peter Siggiswyk (proved 1 503) provided 

 1 3/. \(i. for keeping his obit in the church of High 

 Ongar, and iJ. for the priest singing there.'»3 



ST. JAMES'S Church, Marden Ash, was built in 

 1884 as a chapel of ease to the parish church. It was 

 destroyed by a German rocket in 1945. It consisted 

 of a nave of flint and stone, and it had one bell.''^ 



Paslow Wood Common Mission Church is a rect- 

 angular roughcast building with a low-pitched hipped 

 slate roof. A small porch at the south end is dated 

 1865. Until 1895 it was a church school.'^s 



In 1672 a room in Peter Foster's house in High 

 Ongar was licensed for wor- 

 NONCONFORMITr ship by Congregationalists.ts 

 In 1829 there was a small 

 Congregational society meeting at Paslow Wood Com- 

 mon, under the ministry of the Revd. Isaac Taylor of 

 Chipping Ongar (q.v.).'*' The attendance then num- 

 bered about 50, but there is no apparent evidence that 

 it continued for long. 



The Gospel Hall at Marden Ash was founded 

 about 1900 as a result of the Tent Missions held in 

 the neighbourhood. It is a very small red-brick build- 

 ing.** A chapel in Mill Lane, founded about 1929, 

 was in connexion with the Gospel Hall, but is now 

 rented by the Baptists of Blackmore.*' It is a small 

 weather-boarded building. 



The medieval court rolls of the manor of Paslow 

 Hall provide a little 

 PARISH GOVERNMENT information about the 

 AND POOR RELIEF government of this im- 



portant part of the 

 parish. Most of the surviving rolls relate to courts held 

 at Easter or in November. The Easter courts always 

 included view of frank-pledge. The homage usually 

 consisted of twelve men. Few of the entries are un- 

 usual. In the first roll (1271) tenants of the manor are 

 presented for obstructing a water-course, selling bread 

 against the assize, and impeding the aletasters.'" Later 

 rolls (for the 15th century) contain similar entries. 5' 

 There were several disputes between tenants relating 

 to the ownership of land. The roll for 1404 records a 

 fine for insulting behaviour.'^ There were two ale- 

 tasters in 1404. The election of a rent-collector for the 

 manor is noted in the 1400 roll. 53 



The modern series of court rolls for Paslow runs 

 from 1542 to 1855 with only one extensive break. 5* 

 Some of the early rolls in the series may no longer 

 exist, but from i 559 the record is complete until 1609. 

 There is then a break until 1633, after which the series 

 appears to be complete. Between 1559 and 1609 

 courts were held in most years, and sometimes twice a 

 year. Up to 1575 most of them were held at Easter, 

 for view of frank-pledge and court baron business. 

 Courts baron alone were sometimes held during this 



period, but usually later in the year. Between 1576 

 and i6og the courts were usually held in the summer, 

 most often in September. View of frank-pledge was 

 included on almost every occasion. Between 1633 and 

 1647 courts were held every two or three years, and 

 always included view of frank-pledge. The view was 

 held in 165 1, but after that date, although courts were 

 held at intervals of from one to three years, they were 

 usually courts baron only. View of frank-pledge was 

 next held in 1672. It took place on only eight occasions 

 after that, the last being in 1 721. 



During the l6th century the homage usually 

 numbered at least 1 2 and sometimes as many as 1 8 at 

 courts with view of frank-pledge but was much smaller 

 at courts baron. After 165 1 it consisted at courts baron 

 of about 5 men, but occasionally sank to 2. At courts 

 with the view in and after 1672 it was usually 12. 



The election of the constable of the manor is fre- 

 quently recorded in the rolls. Two constables were 

 elected ini7ii. Ini7i9 the court elected a man as 

 constable 'of High Ongar'. In 172 1 the constable was 

 elected in the manor court for the last time, by the 

 curious formula 'of High Ongar within this manor'. 

 As will be shown below the jurisdiction of the manor 

 court was at this time overlapping that of the parish 

 vestry. 



The woodward of the manor was frequently ap- 

 pointed up to 1660, but after that only in 1672. In 

 171 1 Samuel Pond was elected 'beadle ang/ice hayward 

 for Paslow Common'. An aletaster was chosen at 

 irregular intervals, the last occasion being in 1605. In 

 1 567 he was also described as a bread weigher. 



Most of the business transacted at the courts con- 

 cerned minor nuisances and breaches of manorial 

 custom. Special attention was paid to encroachments 

 on Paslow Wood Common, either by inclosure or by 

 the pasturing of excessive numbers of animals. There 

 were occasional fines for assault, the last in 1601. 



In 1 542 it was presented that there was no pillory 

 in the manor, nor a tumbrel, and the matter was 

 referred for discussion with the officials of the king, 

 who was then lord. In 1573 there were said to be no 

 stocks in the manor and the inhabitants were ordered 

 to supply them. 



A surviving court roll of the manor of Newarks 

 Norton contains seventeen entries from 1487 to 1668.55 

 It is clear from some of these entries that there were a 

 number of occasions during this period when the court 

 met, but of which no full record now exists. View of 

 frank-pledge was usually held up to 161 3, when it took 

 place for the last time. Subsequent courts dealt with 

 baron business only. The homage usually numbered 

 5 or 6. In 161 2 it was presented that there was no 

 pound in the manor and the lord was required to pro- 

 vide one. 



The rolls for the manor of Nash Hall, which run 

 from 1582 to 1729, contain only the proceedings of 

 courts baron. The homage usually numbered 2 or 3.5* 



The existing vestry books for the parish of High 

 Ongar cover the period 1702-76.5' Vestry meetings 

 were held regularly at Easter and Christmas and often 

 at other times. In 1732 it was resolved to hold monthly 



« Cat. And. D. i, A. 466. 



" E.A.T. N.s. xxi, 256. 



« Kelly's Dir. Essex (1899); CA. Bells 

 Essex, 351 ; inf. from Mr. D. W. Hutch- 

 ings. 



♦* Cf. Schools, below. 



** G. L. Turner, Orig. Recs. of Early 



Nonconf. ii, 938. 



47 E.R.O., Q/CR 3/2. 



■t8 Inf. from Mr. D. W. Hutchings. 



« Ibid. 50 502/173/30(1271). 



51 Ibid. 31-38; SC2/178/21. The dates 

 of these rolls are 1400, 1404, 1409, 14 14, 

 1421, 1460, and 1464. 



185 



52 Ibid. 178/21. 

 " Ibid. 173/31. 



5« E.R.O., D/DGn 317, D/DK M125- 

 7, D/DCw M120-5. 

 55 E.R.O., D/DSp M36. 

 s* E.R.O., D/DGe M242-5. 

 57 E.R.O., D/P 68/8/1, 2. 



Bb 



