A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



Rivers and ^^i to 6 poor of Chipping Ongar. In 1786 

 it had not been paid since 1739. 



Mary Rayner*' of Greenstead, by will proved 1 873, 

 left ^^400 for the upkeep of her family tomb and for 

 the provision of clothing for the most deserving poor of 

 Stanford Rivers. Although the primary trust was void 

 by the rule against perpetuities, small sums were spent 

 on the tombstone at various times. In 1950 the income 

 was ;^io IS. %d., which, together with the last year's 



balance was enough to give 27 parishioners 10/. each 

 for clothing. 



Jessie Matilda Berkeley's of Mere (Wilts.), by will 

 proved 1930, left ;^500 in trust for the upkeep 

 of the graveyard of the parish church and for the 

 benefit of the poor provided that her family vault 

 was maintained in good repair.^' The income in 1950 

 was £zo %s. \d., all of which was spent on the grave- 

 yard. 



STAPLEFORD ABBOTS 



Stapleford Abbots is about 5 miles north of Romford 

 and 5 miles south-west of Chipping Ongar.' It has an 

 area of 2,366 acres.' It is still a rural parish but during 

 the past 30 years there has been some suburban develop- 

 ment in the south, from which region there is now a 

 good bus service to Romford. Until the 19th century 

 the parish retained over 1 00 acres of woodland, part 

 of the ancient forest of Essex, and some 300 acres of 

 common waste and meadow.' It formerly included 

 also two large mansions, Albyns and Knolls Hill. 

 Albyns, a very fine house dating from the i6th century, 

 is now (1954) being demohshed after war damage. 

 Knolls Hill was pulled down in the 19th century. In 

 the 1 8th and early 19th centuries there was a con- 

 siderable hamlet in the east of the parish at Martins 

 Hern* but only two derelict cottages now remain there. 

 There were 47 inhabited houses in the parish in 1801 

 and 78 in 1 82 1. 5 In 180 1 the population was 320.^ By 

 1 83 1 it had grown to 507.' It remained very close to 

 500 until the i88o's, when it fell to 320 in 1891.* It 

 then rose again to 433 in 191 1 but fell to 391 in 1921.' 

 Since 1921 there has been a renewed rise, the figure for 

 1951 being 731.'" 



There are hills rising to 291 ft. (Knolls Hill),x, 

 257 ft., and 300 ft. in the west, centre, and south-east 

 of the parish respectively. In the north the land falls 

 just below 100 ft. where the River Roding forms the 

 parish boundary. Bourne Brook flows south-west be- 

 tween the hills in the centre andsouth-east of the parish. 

 The road from Romford crosses the southern boundary 

 of the parish and runs north-west. At Standish Farm, 

 just inside the boundary, it is joined by a road which 

 leads north-east to Navestock. This Navestock road 

 branches at Tysea Hill Chapel," one branch running 

 east to Navestock Side and the other continuing north- 

 east to Navestock Heath. There are some 20th-century 

 houses on the Navestock road between Standish Farm 

 and the chapel. Opposite the chapel are three pairs of 

 council houses and there are another three pairs on the 

 east side of the road to Navestock Heath, just inside the 

 parish boundary. 



On the west side of the Romford road, nearly op- 

 posite the Royal Oak public house, is a field in which a 

 windmill formerly stood." The road is lined with 

 20th-century houses for more than J mile beyond the 

 'Royal Oak'. Beyond these houses it is joined by 



Bournebridge Lane which runs west to Lambourne 

 End. There are also some 20th-century houses at the 

 eastern end of Bournebridge Lane. Beyond them, on 

 the east side of the lane, is Butchers Farm, a red-brick 

 house dating from the i8th century; it has a dentil 

 eaves cornice and a mansard roof with dormer windows. 

 Beyond Butchers Farm the lane crosses Bourne Brook 

 at Bourne Bridge, to the north-west of which is a 

 cottage which was formerly Knolls Hill Free School. '3 

 About \ mile farther west, just before Bournebridge 

 Lane crosses the western boundary of the parish, is 

 Knolls Hill Farm, which is on the hiU-crest site of the 

 mansion demolished in the 19th century.'* On the 

 parish boundary, north-west of Knolls Hill Farm, is 

 Blackbush Farm, a timber-framed and partly weather- 

 boarded house, which probably dates from the i6th 

 century; it consists of a central block with gabled cross- 

 wings to the north and south. 



About \ mile beyond the junction with Bourne- 

 bridge Lane, the Romford road is joined by a lane 

 leading east to Stapleford Hall. '5 On the south side 

 of this lane there stood until a recent fire Mitchells 

 Farm, probably a 17th-century house. About \ mile 

 farther along the Romford road is the school.'* Beyond 

 this Hook Lane leads south-west to Blackbush Farm 

 and Lambourne End. A drive to Battles Hall" leads 

 north from Hook Lane, near its junction with the 

 Romford road. About \ mile north of this junction 

 are three pairs of council houses. Beyond these the 

 Romford road is joined by Church Lane which leads 

 south-east to the church' 8 and the rectory.'" On the 

 east side of this lane are four pairs of council houses, 

 south of which is the site of the former parish school.'" 



North of Church Lane, on the east side of the 

 Romford road, is Bons Farm, opposite which a lane 

 leads westward to Hammonds Farm." Bons farm-house 

 is timber-framed and plastered and consists of a central 

 hall block with cross-wings to the east and west. There 

 are indications that the east wing and some of the 

 timbers of the hall are of medieval origin. In the i6th 

 century the roof of the hall was raised to give another 

 story, a chimney was inserted, and the three-story west 

 wing was added or rebuilt. This has a small staircase 

 wing adjoining it. At the front of the house the upper 

 floors of both wings oversail and have original moulded 

 bressummers. The doorway, barge-boards, and other 



" Char. Com. files. " Ibid. 



** The condition was void under the rule 

 concerning perpetuities. 



■ O.S. 2 J in. Map, sheets 5 1 /49, 51/59. 



^ Inf. from Essex County Council. 



3 Sec below. 



< Chapman and Andre, Map of EsseXy 

 jyjy, plate xvi; E.R.O., D/CT 330. 



' Census Reports, 1801, 1821. The 

 number of houses given in the Census 



Return for 181 1 is 29 but this is obviously 

 a misprint. 



<■ y.C.H. Essex, ii, 350. 



' Ibid. 8 Ibid. 



' Ibid.; Census Reports, 191 1 f. 

 "> Census Reports, 1931, 1951. 

 " See below. Church. 

 '^ See below. 

 '3 See below, Schools. 

 '♦ See below. Knolls Hill estate. 



'5 See below, Manor of Stapleford 

 Abbots. 



'^ See below. Schools. 



" See below, Manor of Battles Hall. 



'8 See below, Church. 



■9 Ibid. 



" See below, Schools. 



2' See below. Manor of Stapleford 

 Abbots. 



222 



