ONGAR HUNDRED 



STANFORD RIVERS 



1842 when it was owned by Thomas Wilson and 

 occupied by Maria King and Hannah Andrews.^" 



In 161 3 the tenant of the 'manor or farm' of Stan- 

 ford Hall was Thomas Lake. 2' In 1672 this section of 

 the estate was burdened with a fee-farm rent of 

 ;^26 I y. ifd; the exact amount paid by William Grene 

 after 1 543." The tenant of Stanford Hall farm in and 

 immediately after 1745 was William Keep, whose 

 daughter Sarah married Edward Petre and was the 

 mother of John Petre (d. 1762)." In 1768-73 Stan- 

 ford Hall farm, with Crumpscroft and Fresholts, con- 

 sisted of 298 acres and was leased to Matthew Playle 

 for /^i6o a year gross. Land-tax and the cost of repairs 

 were deducted from the rent and in 1768 Playle paid 

 ^129 to his landlord.^ Stanford Hall farm was pur- 

 chased in 1945 by the London Co-operative Society 

 Ltd. It now includes Little Colemans and contains in 

 all 579 acres. Mixed arable and dairy farming is 

 carried on.^s 



The present farm-house of Stanford Hall dates from 

 the early 19th century. It is a square two-story build- 

 ing of red brick with sash windows and a pedimented 

 doorcase. A two-story splayed bay, now cement ren- 

 dered, on the east side may be of somewhat earlier date. 



The manor of BARWICKS (the modern Berwick 

 Farm) probably originated in a free tenement which in 

 1257 was held by Richard de Berewyk of Roger de 

 Saumford and Joan his wife. In that year Richard 

 undertook to pay Roger and Joan an annual rent of is. 

 and acknowledged the service oi\ knight's fee. Roger 

 and Joan in return gave up their claim that Richard 

 should do suit at their court at Shenley (Herts.).^* 

 About 30 years later Alan de Berewyk and Joan his 

 wife acquired from William de Sutton 2 messuages, 

 80 acres of land, 10 acres of meadow, 6 acres of pasture, 

 3 acres of wood, 1 3/. i^d. rent, and the rent of 9 lb. 

 wax in Stanford Rivers and elsewhere.^' In 141 1 

 William Skrene senior, John Skrene, and John Adkyn 

 acquired from Thomas Berewyk and Alice his wife 



1 messuage, 400 acres of land, 1 2 acres of meadow, 

 30 acres of wood, zos. rent, and the rent of 9 lb. "wax 

 in Stanford Rivers and elsewhere.^* Shortly before 

 this, in 1398, a certain John Chartesey had acquired 

 from Richard Spyce and Isabel his wife 2 messuages, 



2 carucates of land, 20 acres of wood, and 20 acres of 

 pasture, and 40^. rent in Stanford Rivers^' and in 1408 

 John Chartesey had conveyed to William Skrene the 

 elder all his lands in the parish. 3o In 141 9 John 

 Skrene made a charter of feoffment of all his lands in 

 Stanford Rivers and elsewhere to William Skrene the 

 younger and Alice his wife and the heirs of William. 3' 

 William Skrene the younger died in 143 1, leaving to 

 his son John messuages in Stanford Rivers called 

 Berwyke and Cawnes.32 John Skrene was succeeded 

 in 1452 by his son John.33 It was not then known of 

 whom Barwicks was held. 



The last-named John Skrene died in i474.3'« His 

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



" C66/I988. 



" E.R.O., D/DSd T20. For the history 

 of the fee-farm rent see above, Stanford 

 Rivers manor. 



" E.R.O., D/DP L5. 



M Ibid. D/DP A33/1. 



2' Inf. from London Co-op. Soc. 



^' Feet ofF. Essex, i, 221. 



" Ibid, ii, 236. This is from the note of 

 a fine. 28 Ibid, iii, 255. 



« Ibid. 231. 



'0 Cal. Close, 14.05-9, 390. 



" Ibid. 1419-22, 55. 



widow Elizabeth later married Richard Harper, and 

 Barwicks seems to have passed through her to Richard 

 (d. 1492), his son Richard Harper (d. 1507), and to 

 George Harper, son of Richard Harper junior. 35 The 

 next reference to Barwick is in 1594, when the manor 

 was in the possession of Richard Elliott and Elizabeth 

 his wife.3* Thomas Elliott held the manor in 161 2.^7 

 He was knighted in 161 5^8 and in 1619 bought the 

 manor of Stanford Rivers (see above). From this time 

 onwards Barwicks was merged in the Stanford Rivers 

 estate. In the court rolls of the estate for the 17th 

 century it is referred to as a manor.39 



In 1768 'Barwicks and Wallers', part of the Bell- 

 house estate, were leased to a Mr. Watkinson for ^160 

 gross. There were so many repairs in that year that 

 Watkinson actually paid only £72*'' In '842 the 

 farm contained 252 acres.^' 



The present farm-house is partly of timber framing 

 and partly of brick. It appears to have been rebuilt or 

 largely altered in the late 1 8th or early 19th century. 

 The front, which may formerly have had a parapet, 

 has pointed casements in the 'gothick' style. The 

 detail of the present gables is mid or late 19th century. 

 The fine ilex tree in front of the house may have been 

 planted at the time of the alterations. It is said that at 

 one time most of the farms belonging to the Suttons 

 estate had these ilex trees.^^ 



The manor ofBELLHO USE was held as of that of 

 Stanford Rivers. In 1453 Thomas Thorp quitclaimed 

 to Thomas Burgoyn and John Croke a piece of ground 

 in Stanford Rivers called the 'Belhous' and all other 

 lands which Thorp and Burgoyn held by feoffment of 

 Robert Fonteyns.^3 



Elizabeth wife of Sir Thomas Coke, Kt., died in 

 1484 holding the manor of 'Belhows' in Stanford 

 Rivers as the heir of her father Philip Malpas, citizen 

 and draper of London.** Bellhouse passed by settle- 

 ment to John Coke, a younger son of Elizabeth, who 

 died in 1486.^5 



Thomas Grene, yeoman, was evidently owner of 

 Bellhouse in 1534, when he devised a rent from the 

 manor for the support of a stipendiary priest.'** Grene's 

 will was proved in 1537.*' The next reference to 

 Bellhouse is in 1562, when it was held by Richard 

 Elliott.** This was possibly the same Richard Elliott 

 who held it and the manor of Barwicks in I594.*9 

 Bellhouse subsequently descended with Barwicks and 

 in 1623 was merged in the Petre estate of Stanford 

 Rivers. The Petres themselves lived at Bellhouse and ' 

 evidently had a small demesne farm there. After the 

 death of John Petre in 1762 the house and farm, cover- 

 ing 103 acres, were let to William Colegrave at a gross 

 rent of £85. In 1768 Colegrave paid ^71 after deduc- 

 tions for land-tax. 50 In 1777 Bellhouse was a small 

 mansion with an avenue of trees running from it to the 

 main road and another avenue running south to 

 Murrells.5' 



" C139/145. For Cawnes (or Canes) 

 see N. Weald. 33 Ibid. 



M Morant, Essex, i, 50. 



35 E150/303/7. 



3' CP25(2)/262, East. 36 Eliz. 



37 E.R.O., D/DPT167/1. 



3' W. A. Shaw, Knights of England, ii, 

 156. 39 E.R.O., D/DP Mi 126-30. 



« E.R.O., D/DP A33/1. 



•" Ibid. D/CT 327. 



*2 Inf. from the present tenant of 

 Berwick Farm. 



■•3 Cal. Close, 1447-54, 483. 



+• Ci4i/7i Cal. Inq. p.m. Hen. VII, i, 



p. 38. A Philip Malpas of the parish of 

 St. Andrew, Cornhill, died in 1469: 

 P.C.C. fVills 1383-1558 (Brit. Rec. Soc), 

 ii, 551. ••5 Ibid. 



*^ See below. Church. For Grene see 

 also Stanford Hall, above. He probably 

 acted as bailiff of the manor of Stanford 

 Rivers. 



" P.C.C. fFills 1383-155S, i, 237. 



t« CP40/1203 m. 680. 



■•« CP25(2)/262, East. 36 Eliz. 



so E.R.O., D/DP A33/1-3. 



5' Chapman and Andre, Map of Essex, 

 lyyj, sheet xvii. 



213 



