A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



or more.'* The largest, of 703 acres, was a compara- 

 tively new creation, of which the nucleus was Stanford 

 Hall farm.35 The others were between 90 and 320 

 acres. There were also a number of smaller holdings. 

 There were 400 acres of woodland (mostly in Ongar 

 Park Wood). The remainder of the parish contained 

 cultivated arable and grassland in roughly equal 

 quantities. A field of 1 3 acres near Stanford Hall to 

 the west was named Hop Gardens; but it was then 

 being used for pasture. 3* 



There is little to show how and when inclosure took 

 place in the parish. In 1579 Bartholomew Combers, 

 blacksmith of Stanford Rivers, was granted permission 

 by the queen, as lord of the manor, to build a cottage 

 and forge on a piece of waste ground in the manor 

 called Bridges Green.^' The Tithe Map (i 842) shows 

 traces of former open meadow: strips or 'pieces' in 

 Hollingford Mead, running down to the Roding, in 

 the south-east of the parish.'S 



In 1086 there was a mill in the main manor of 

 Stanford.39 There was one at Littlebury in 1260.*" 

 Its tithes were granted about that time to Thoby 

 Priory.*' In 1701 there was a water-mill at Little- 

 bury.*^ The present Littlebury Mill appears to be of 

 early- 19th-century date. It is weather-boarded on a 

 brick base. In 1946 it changed over from water to 

 electric power, and in 1952 the mill-stream was filled 

 in, so that the water now follows the original course 

 of the Roding.*3 In 1 777 there was a windmill between 

 Littlebury Hall and the main road.** This is shown on 

 the Tithe Map but it may not then have been in opera- 

 tion.*s The former Shonks Mill is treated under 

 Navestock (q.v.). The map of 1777 shows this water- 

 mill beside Shonks Bridge, and also a windmill a little 

 to the west.** This windmill, like that at Littlebury, 

 is marked on the Tithe Map, but had disappeared 30 

 years later.*' There was also a windmill at Toot Hill 

 in the 19th century. It was built about 1824.** In 

 1 829 it was badly damaged by lightning and the miller 

 was seriously injured. A lithograph drawing of the 

 mill, showing him gazing at the damage, was sold for 

 the benefit of him and his family.*' The mill was soon 

 working again and continued to operate until about 

 1900. It was finally demolished in 193 5. so It was a 

 wooden post-mill turned by hand. The four brick 

 piers which formerly supported the cross-trees at the 

 base of the mill can still be seen on the site. The 

 single-story weather-boarded mill cottage, probably 

 built about 1824, still exists. The mill stood on 

 the north side of the road leading to Greenstead 

 Green. 



Spinning was carried on in the parish workhouse 

 from 1770 to about 1800.5' The brick and tile works 

 to the south of North Weald station existed in 1871-3.5^ 



A transmitting station of the Marconi Wireless Tele- 

 graphy Co. operated in the parish in about 1926-9.'' 

 The factory of Piggott Bros. & Co., tent and tarpaulin 

 makers at Little End, was formerly the Ongar Union 

 workhouse. It was converted to its present use after 

 the union was dissolved in 1930. The central range 

 of brown gault brick has three stories and a basement, 

 also a splayed projecting bay at the back. It was built 

 in about 1830— i as the workhouse of the voluntary 

 poor law union which preceded the Ongar Union. 

 The side wings, in a slightly pinker brick, were added 

 a few years later (see plate facing p. 233). 



Most of the eminent men who have been connected 

 with Stanford Rivers were rectors of the parish; these 

 are mentioned below (see Church). Isaac Taylor 

 (1787-1865) artist, author, and inventor, is usually 

 known as Isaac Taylor of Stanford Rivers. He was the 

 son of Isaac Taylor of Ongar (i759-i829).5* He 

 settled at Stanford House in 1825 and lived there for 

 the rest of his life.'' 



Before 1066 the owners of land in Stanford were 

 Lewin, who held the main manor, con- 

 MyfNORS sisting of 9 hides, Brictwin with 20 acres 

 and a certain free man with 40 acres. 

 Little Stanford, consisting of i hide and 80 acres, was 

 held by the father of Alvric. After the Conquest all 

 these estates came to Ingelric the priest and later to 

 Eustace of Boulogne. 5* Together they became a single 

 manor later known as that of STANFORD RIFERS. 

 This descended with Chipping Ongar (q.v.) to Richard 

 de Lucy and subsequently to Maud de Lucy, wife of 

 Richard de Rivers. In the 13th century it was usually 

 said to be held of the king as of the honor of Boulogne. 

 When Maud died {c. 1243) it was stated in the 

 inquisition that the jury did not know whether her 

 heir was her younger son Baldwin de Rivers or the son 

 of her elder son Richard. 5' The jurors stated that the 

 manor then included 602 acres of land, of which 212 

 acres were worth ^5 6/. a year (at 6ti. an acre) and 

 390 acres were worth ^^6 10/. (at \d. an acre), 24 

 acres of pasture worth 24J'. in all, and 24 acres of 

 meadow, of which 18 acres were worth 30/. in all and 

 6 acres were worth 7/. in all. There is no doubt that 

 Chipping Ongar passed to Maud's grandson John and 

 Stanford Rivers probably did the same. Sir Philip 

 Basset, who had custody of the infant heir to Chipping 

 Ongar after 1243, was also a party to deeds in this 

 period relating to Stanford Rivers. 58 Baldwin de 

 Rivers seems, however, to have had some land in 

 Stanford. 59 John de Rivers (d. 1294) was lord of 

 Stanford Rivers as well as Chipping Ongar.^o It was 

 stated at his death that Stanford contained 400 acres 

 of land, 23 acres of meadow, 10 acres of pasture, and 

 a park. This park was that later known as Ongar Park 



M E.R.O., D/CT 327. 



" For the extent of Stanford Hall farm 

 1768-73 see below. 



3' E.R.O., D/CT 327. Parcel 393 on 

 the Tithe Map. Note ref. to hop growing 

 in Chipping Ongar, Occupations. 



" E.R.O., D/DP Mi 140. The grant 

 bears the autograph of Elizabeth I. 



38 E.R.O., D/CT 327a. Parcels 673- 

 81 on Tithe Map, 



" y.C.H. Essex, i, 466a. 



■<» Feet ofF. Essex, i, 236. 



4" E.R.O., D/DP Ti/45. 



«» CP25(2)/830, East. 13 Wm. III. 



*3 Inf. from the present miller. 



** Chapman and Andr^, Map of Essex, 

 J777, sheet xviii. 



■»5 E.R.O., D/CT 327B. It is not shown 

 on the O.S. 6 in. Map (ist edn.), sheet lix 

 (.871-3). 



4* Chapman and Andre, op. cit. 



4' E.R.O., D/CT 327B; O.S. 6 in. Map 

 (ist edn.), sheet Iviii (1870-2). 



*' Essex Naturalist, xxviii (2), 51-54: 

 illustrated article. 



49 See plate facing p. 210. 



50 Essex Naturalist, xxviii (2), 53. No 

 miller is shown in the directory after 1 902 : 

 Kelly's Dir. Essex (1874, 1902, 1906). 

 Daniel Surridge was the miller c. 1874—95. 



5' See below, Parish Government and 

 Poor Relief. 

 sa O.S. 6 in. Map, sheet lix (187 1-3). 

 53 Kelly's Dir. Essex (1926, 1929, 1933). 



'4 See Chipping Ongar. 



55 D.N.B. 



56 f^.C.H. Essex, i, 466*, 4673. Like 

 Chipping Ongar Stanford figured in a 

 grant of William I to St. Martin-le-Grand, 

 London, in 1068, but this does not seem 

 to have become effective. For the possible 

 identification of Little Stanford with 

 Littlebury see Littlebury, below. 



57 Cal. Inq. p.m. i, p. 6. The name of her 

 grandson was John de Rivers. The 

 original inq. is C132/1. 



58 Cat. Anct. D. i, A. 738, 729, 806. 



59 Cal. Pat. 1247-58,586. Baldwin was 

 dead by Feb. 1257. 



'" Cal. Inq. p.m. iii, p. 109. The orig. 

 inq. is C133/67. 



210 



