ONGAR HUNDRED 



STANFORD RIVERS 



temporary, were visible until recently. These consisted 

 of figures under gabled and crocketed canopies with 

 shields of arms above.s* 



The present chancel also dates from the first half of 

 the 14th century. On its north side there is a con- 

 temporary window consisting of two trefoil and ogee- 

 headed traceried lights. The south wall has two similar 

 windows with a blocked doorway, probably of the 

 same date, between them. 



Richard Salyng, by his will proved in 1404, made 

 a bequest for the remaking of the rood loft, and pro- 

 vided that if he died at Stanford Rivers he should be 

 buried in the church beside the monument to his late 

 wife Alice.35 Late in the 1 5th century the north porch 

 was built. It is of timber and is of a type common in 

 Essex. Many of the original timbers remain. The 

 external arch, now blocked, is four-centred with trefoil 

 carved spandrels, and the panels flanking it have 

 traceried heads. It is now used as a store. The south 

 porch, now the vestry, was probably similar. The 

 timber-framed bell-turret was probably built in the 

 15th century. It was inserted in the westernmost bay 

 of the nave. The massive angle-posts are stop-chamfered 

 near floor level. The turret is weather-boarded and is 

 surmounted by a small lead-covered spire. The roof 

 of the nave also dates from the 15 th century. It has 

 three trusses with rebated king-posts and four-way 

 struts. The timbers between the trusses were exposed 

 during the restorations in 195 1. 



In the 15th century, or early in the i6th, a wide 

 three-light window with a segmental pointed head was 

 inserted in the south wall of the chancel. This was 

 later plastered over, but during the restorations of 

 1948-52 it was opened up and glazed and the stone- 

 work was renewed. Early in the i6th century the roof 

 level of the chancel was raised, the walls were built up 

 in brickwork and three segmental-headed clerestory 

 windows were inserted in both north and south walls. 

 This curious arrangement may have been the pre- 

 liminary to a general raising of the wall height, never 

 carried out. The chancel arch was probably destroyed 

 at this time, giving the present awkward junction be- 

 tween chancel and nave roofs. The chancel roof has 

 curved and moulded principals and is of the early i6th 

 century. The timbers between the trusses were exposed 

 in 1951. 



At the archdeacon's visitation of 1606 the church- 

 wardens stated that the chancel was out of repair, both 

 glass and stonework of the windows being broken, and 

 the walls dirty.J* At another visitation in 1683 the 

 churchwardens were ordered to mend both the church 

 porches, the crack on the north side of the steeple, and 

 the tiling towards the lower end of the church. 37 A 

 small scratched sundial on the external jamb of the 

 14th-century window in the south wall of the nave 

 probably dates from the 17th century. 



In 1 8 1 7 important repairs and alterations were 

 carried out at a total cost of about j^350.3' These 

 included the opening of the present west entrance and 

 probably also the conversion of the south porch into a 



vestry, the building of the gallery, and the insertion of 

 the present east window in the chancel. The west 

 porch is open and of oak. It has a segmental pointed 

 arch and pierced spandrels. The window above it is 

 three-light with a segmental head and a wide architrave 

 of wood. The gallery incorporates panels from a 1 5 th- 

 century chancel screen. All this work was carried out 

 by Richard Noble of Ongar under the direction of a 

 surveyor named Foottit. 



In 1 944 a flying bomb damaged the south side of the 

 church. Restoration was carried out between 1948 and 

 1952.3' During that period the gallery was converted 

 into a small parish room by the fixing of a temporary 

 partition to the front. 



In 1552 there were three bells in the steeple 'of 

 which the great bell contains i yard deep lacking 3 

 inches, the second bell 2 ft. 3 ins., the breadth I yd. I in., 

 the third bell 2 ft. 3 in., and the breadth i yd. lacking 

 2 ins.''"' There were also a handbell, a sanctus bell, 

 and two sacring bells.^' There are at present two bells 

 in the steeple, one cast by Joseph Carter in 1609, the 

 other by Anthony Bartlet in 1662; one of these was 

 damaged in 1 944 and is no longer in use.+^ The third 

 bell appears to have been sold in 1806 and the money 

 applied towards repairs to the steeple.'tJ 



The early-i3th-century font is of Barnack stone, the 

 octagonal bowl having sunk panels with pointed heads 

 and the stem having eight detached shafts. There are 

 sixteen 15th-century oak benches near the west end 

 of the nave, the ends being carved with small buttresses. 

 The communion rails have turned balusters of the late 

 17th century. They were no doubt erected as a result 

 of the archdeacon's visitation of 1683, when it was 

 ordered that the communion table should be railed 

 in.+* The wrought-iron-work supporting the altar 

 lamp is apparently of early-i 8th-century date and came 

 from Suttons in Stapleford Tawney.'" The stained 

 glass in the east window was inserted in 1 9 5 2 in memory 

 of H. W. Millbank (d. 1950). The electric heating 

 was installed in 1952. The church plate consists of a 

 silver flagon, paten, and chalice of 181 2, presented by 

 the Revd. E. C. Dowdeswell.^^ In 1552 there were 

 three chalices of silver, one being partly gilt. There 

 was delivered for service use one silver chalice.*' 



There are a few details of the church furnishings in 

 past centuries. Richard Ballard, by his will proved in 

 1 5 26, left money for the 'gilding of oon of the taber- 

 nacles'.*' The image of the Assumption of Our Lady, 

 in the chancel of the church, is mentioned in a will of ' 

 1537.'*'' In 1636 ^i 10/. was paid for painting the 

 royal arms and whitewashing the church. so In 165 1 

 the arms of the Commonwealth were substituted for 

 those of the king; this and the setting up of the Ten 

 Commandments cost ^i 8j.5' In 1660 the royal arms 

 were again set up, at a cost of j^i 5^.52 



On the north wall of the chancel is an inscribed 

 brass to Thomas Grene (1535) and his two wives. In 

 his will (proved 1537) Grene gave instructions that 

 he was to be buried in the chancel before the image of 

 the Assumption of Our Lady, or in the chancel of the 



'< Cf. Hisl. Mon. Com. Essex., ii, 221. 

 This account mentions only the traces of 

 painting on the south window; there arc 

 still traces on the north. 



'5 E.A.T. N.s. vii, 167. For Salyng see 

 Littlebury, above. 



36 y.C.H. Essex, ii, 46. 



3' E.A.T. N.s. xii, 272. 



38 E.R.O., D/P 140/5. 



30 Inf. from the present rector, Revd. 

 J. H. Ward. 



*» E.A.T. N.s. ii, 228. 



<■ Ibid. 



*^ Ch. Bells Essex, 395; inf. from Revd. 

 J. H. Ward. 



«3 E.R.O., D/P 140/8/3. The bell was 

 cracked and out of order. 



« E.A.T.S.S. xii, 272. 



«5 Inf. from Revd. J. H. Ward. 



" Ibid. 



■•' Ch. Plate Essex, 310. 



«8 E.A.T. N.s. vii, 167. 



♦» Ibid. 



5» E.R.O., D/P 140/1/1, f. 47. 



5' Ibid., f. $\h. 



52 Ibid., f. 55*. 



217 



Ff 



