ONGAR HUNDRED stapleford tawney 



held on 27 May 1862 seems to have accepted Carter's 

 tender for repairs and fittings in the 'Church and 

 Chapelry' at a cost of £520. At the same time it was 

 estimated that the fees of the architect, Mr. Turner, 

 and incidental costs would amount to about ^200.37 

 It is not clear that this vestry accepted Carter's tender 

 for restoration of the chancel. 



The organ, presented by Reginald Heber Prance, 

 was built in 1869.3^ 



In 1884 a new roof of panelled pine was con- 

 structed.3» Cusped and pierced boarding was inserted 

 to suggest a chancel arch. 



There are two bells, one of 161 1 by William Carter, 

 and the other of 1630 by Robert Oldfield.''" At a 

 visitation held in 161 1 it was reported that the bell was 

 broken and it was not known 'who pulled it down'.*' 

 The date on Carter's bell indicates that the broken bell 

 was speedily replaced. 



The communion rails date from the 17th century 

 and have unusual flat moulded and pierced balusters. 

 The font in the form of a Norman column dates from 

 the 19th century but the wooden cover is older. The 

 stone pulpit is of the igth century. The mosaic 

 reredos, representing the Last Supper, was presented 

 by Sir Charles Cunliffe-Smith, Bt., of Suttons (see 

 above) .^^ 



The plate consists of two cups, one of which was 

 presented by John Luther in 1698; three patens, one 

 of which was presented by John Nicholson in 1698 

 and another of which bears the Luther arms; and 

 an alms-dish of 1685, also bearing the Luther 

 arms.*3 



On the floor of the chancel is a slab to William 

 (Scott) (1491) and Margery his wife (iSo;).** This 

 has a fine achievement of arms and cross in brass, and 

 also part of a marginal inscription. Near it is a slab to 

 Sir Edward Lowe, LL.D. (1684). Both in the chancel 

 and nave are floor slabs to many members of the 

 Luther family who died in the 17th and early i8th 

 centuries. Also in the nave are slabs to John Nicolso'n 

 (1710) and Gerrard GoebelHs (18th-century date 

 partly worn away). In the nave and in the south chapel 

 there are tablets commemorating Charles Smith (18 14) 

 and members of his family. 



During the restoration of 1 862 two stone coffins and 

 slabs, probably of 13th-century date, were found 

 below the chancel.'** One of these is now outside the 

 church on the south side. The slab is said to be 

 amongst the finest in Essex. It is slightly coped, the 

 central shaft forming the ridge. On the shaft are three 

 crosses, those near the head and foot having triangular 

 arms. Between them on the shaft is a small circular 

 'cross-pate'. North of the church stands the second 

 coffin with a shaped head. The tapered threshold to 

 the blocked north doorway may be the slab belonging 

 to it. 



For the Church lands see Charities, below. 



Parish books survive for Stapleford Tawney from 



1723 and detailed over- 



PARISH GOVERNMENT seers' accounts from 



AND POOR RELIEF. 1745 to 1836.17 Before 



1 78 1 vestry meetings 

 were usually held twice a year, at Easter and Christmas, 



for the election of officers and audit of accounts. After 

 that date additional meetings were called at irregular 

 intervals each year to pass the overseer's accounts. The 

 average attendance, inclusive of parish officers, was 

 from 4 to 6, and most of the parishioners who attended 

 usually served at some time as parish officers. Some 

 rectors attended regularly, notably Parson Parkes be- 

 tween 1723 and 1732, William Smijth between 1754 

 and 1775, and Richard Smijth between 1781 and 

 1793. Thereafter, except in 183 1-2 when the rector, 

 another Richard Smijth, presided at nine meetings, 

 neither the rector nor the curate often attended vestry 

 meetings. In their absence the churchwarden generally 

 presided. It was stated in 1823 that a vestry dinner 

 was held every year at a cost of about £6, which was 

 charged to the overseer's account. 



There was a tendency from an early date to use the 

 poor rates for all purposes and after 1784 this became 

 the general practice. In 1749, for example, the sur- 

 veyor's and constable's accounts were paid by the over- 

 seer, and in 1778 the overseer's disbursements included 

 the payment for a bottle of wine for the sacrament. 

 From 1784 the overseer levied one general rate for the 

 whole parish out of which he paid other officers' bills 

 and was responsible for the final annual balance. This 

 practice was abandoned in 1823 after an investigation 

 into the keeping of accounts between 18 10 and 1822.*' 

 A rate of i(/. in the pound produced £j us. zd. in 

 1727. A century later a rate of \s. brought in between 

 ^53 and ;^54.'" A new valuation was made in 1839, 

 when the approval of the Board of Guardians was 

 sought for the payment of ^36 out of the poor rates 

 towards the expense of making it. A further valuation 

 was made in i86i, when the rateable value was fixed 

 at over ,{^2,658. 



The parish officers served unpaid until 1 8 1 7, when 

 Charles Clark, overseer for the two years 18 17—19, 

 was allowed a salary of £\ 5 each year. This practice 

 was apparently not continued with his successors. 

 Other parish officers tended to serve for long periods 

 at a time but the overseer was usually changed each 

 year. Women were appointed as overseers on two 

 occasions in the i8th century, and of these Mrs. 

 Haddon of Tawney Hall served for two consecutive 

 years 1725—7. The overseer was responsible for levy- 

 ing rates and keeping accounts but he was relieved of 

 some of the labour of attending to the wants of the ' 

 poor during the years when this duty was most press- 

 ing. Between 1798 and 1830 the task of paying weekly 

 doles was delegated to others, principally to John 

 Shuttleworth, who periodically submitted an account 

 to the overseer. 



Occasional bills for medical attention for the poor 

 were included in the overseer's accounts from at least 

 1757, but a regular medical attendant was not ap- 

 pointed until 1 79 1, when the apothecary's salary of 

 ;^5 5/. was first recorded. A note was entered in the 

 parish book in 1726, just after the parish school (see 

 below) was founded, stating that the schoolmaster was 

 to pay the church clerk 30^'. a year for life, but it is not 

 clear whether the clerk was to give any assistance in 

 return. The pound stood in the road about 1 20 yds. 

 north of the church.'o 



3' Ibid. 



3* Wall tablet in chancel. 



3» Kelly i Dir. Essex (19 1 2). 



« Ch. Bells Essex, 398-9. 



<■ E.R. XV, 46. 



** Kelly s Dir. Essex (19 12). 



" Ch. Plate Essex, 104. 

 *♦ Sec above, Manor of Stapleford 

 Tawney. 

 *5 See above, Manor of Suttons. 

 *<> E.A.T. N.s. vii, 392-3. 

 47 E.R.O., D/P 141/8/1-2; ibid. D/P 



141/12/1-3. Unless otherwise stated all 

 the following information is derived from 

 these books. 



♦8 See below. 



« E.R.O., D/P 141/11/2. 



5" O.S. 6 in. Map (ist edn.), sheet Iviii. 



237 



