A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



from the original building are the narrow lancet- 

 shaped window and three small circular openings in 

 the western gable of the nave. The original chancel 

 was probably apse-ended. 



Late in the 1 4th century a two-light traceried window 

 was added to the south wall of the chancel and a 

 similar window of three lights to the south wall of the 

 nave. It was possibly at the same period that the 

 chancel-arch was removed and the apse replaced by 

 a square end. 



Early in the 15 th century there were further con- 

 •iderable alterations, including the reconstruction of 

 the roof, the addition of the bell turret and south porch 

 and the insertion of a new west window. The roof 

 (now ceiled) has heavy moulded wall plates with three 

 king-post trusses over the nave portion. The bell 

 turret rises from the west end of the nave and is carried 

 on stout chamfered corner posts from the ground with 

 ornamental bracing in which the western-most roof- 

 truss is incorporated. Externally the bell turret is 

 rectangular and weather-boarded with a short octagonal 

 broach spire covered with shingles. It was rebuilt in 

 1 8 8 8 .■•" The west window is of two lights with traceried 

 head within a four-centred arch. The porch, which 

 was reconstructed in the 19th century, retains one 

 original cambered beam with plate, posts, and braces. 



The chancel screen dates from the late 1 5th century. 

 It has five narrow bays with traceried ogee arches on 

 each side of a wider central opening with a four-centre 

 arched head. It has been much restored, especially in 

 the lower part. 



Extensive alterations and repairs were begun in 

 1850, soon after E. J. Reeve became rector.'" The 

 lord of the manor, P. H. Meyer, and the patron, 

 Edward Reeve, helped in the work. The roofs of the 

 nave and chancel were covered with tiles in place of 

 the previous slates. A vestry was added, the porch 

 rebuilt, the north doorway walled up, a new priest's 

 door provided in the chancel, and the east window, 

 previously a makeshift sash, replaced by a three-light 

 traceried window. 



Further extensions were made in 1873—4 as a 

 memorial to P. H. Meyer.''^ These included a new 

 vestry with heating cellar beneath, an organ chamber, 

 and a mortuary chapel. The chapel consists of two 

 bays vaulted in stone in Early English style, with lancet 

 and three-light traceried windows. Externally it is 

 faced with random flint work with stone dressings and 

 has a gable at the north end with an arched doorway 

 and angle buttresses. The chapel is entered from the 

 nave, from which it is divided by a glazed screen, and 

 the organ chamber from the chancel, both through wide 

 arches the construction of which occasioned the 

 removal of a Norman window in the chancel. The 

 abutment of the west wall of the chapej against the 

 nave caused another Norman window to be blocked up. 



The last major repairs to the church were those of 

 1888, when the bell-turret and spire were rebuilt. 



The pulpit is octagonal and has panelled sides with 

 arabesque ornament, and inside it is '2 tim. 4. 2.' The 

 reading-desk, also panelled and carved with jewel orna- 

 ment, bears the date 1630. The pulpit and the desk 



*> Kelly's Dir. Eisex (1906). 



<■ Reeve, Stondon Massey, 92. For 

 drawings of the church before restoration 

 jee A. Suckling, Mems. of Essex, 1-3. 



« Ibid. 96. 43 Ibid. 93. 



♦♦ Ibid. 91, 93. 



«> Ibid. 93, 96. 



were previously combined in three-decker fashion but 

 were separated during the restorations of 1850.^3 A 

 gallery erected on the north side of the nave by Philip 

 Hollingworth in 1825 was removed in 1850.''^ The 

 singers' pew at the west end of the nave was then 

 enlarged to form a new gallery but this was in turn 

 removed in i873-4.''5 



There are three bells.'** The oldest, which was no 

 doubt installed when the belfry was built, was made 

 by John Bird early in the 15th century: this is the 

 second in the peal, and is inscribed 'Johannes Cristi 

 Care Dignare Pro Nobis Orare'. The first in the peal 

 is by Robert Mot, 1588, and the third by Thomas 

 Gardiner, 1737. The Bell Rope Charity, of unknown 

 origin, consisted in 1834 of a cottage and I acre of land, 

 the profits of which were intended for the purchase of 

 bell ropes.^' At that date the rent of £2 2s. was carried 

 to the churchwarden's general account. In 1842 the 

 parish vestry agreed to let the property to William 

 Page at £^ a year on a 21 -year lease on condition that 

 he rebuilt the cottage. At the end of that period the 

 lord of the manor obtained the lease at an annual rent 

 of ;^8, renewable each year. After his death in 1870 

 the property continued to be rented by the tenant of 

 Stondon House. By a Charity Commission Scheme of 

 1892 the rector and churchwardens were made trustees 

 and the trusts were declared to be the maintenance and 

 repair of the parish church. By 1933 the cottage was 

 in a bad state of repair and was sold with the land for 

 ^£^260 which was invested in stock. In 1952 the income 

 of £8 14/. 6(2'. was paid into the church account. The 

 cottage is probably that now known as Rectory Cottage, 

 on the opposite side of the road from Stondon House.** 



The church plate consists of a silver cup of 1564, 

 another of 1824 given by Elizabeth, widow of Thomas 

 Smith, a former rector, a silver paten of 1905 given by 

 the rector E. H. L. Reeve in 1909 to match the old 

 cup, an undated paten of silver on copper, and a silver 

 flagon of 1885 given by Tyndale White" 



The font, which dates from the 15th century, is 

 octagonal, the sides of the bowl being panelled with 

 quatrefoils. 



The monuments include two notable sets of brasses. 

 The first, in the north-eastern corner of the chancel, is 

 to John Carre, 1570, ironmonger and Merchant 

 Adventurer of London, and shows him flanked by his 

 two wives, with the shields of arms of the City of 

 London, the Ironmongers' Company and the Merchant 

 Adventurers, and Carre's own monogram. so The 

 second, now on the north wall of the nave, was 

 formerly in the chancel: it is to Rainold Hollingworth, 

 1573, and shows him in armour with his wife beside 

 him. This is a palimpsest on earlier Flemish brasses, 

 the patterns of which survive on the backs of the 

 figures. 5' There are floor slabs: in the chancel to (i) 

 John Leigh ( 1 6 5 o) and his son Thomas, 1 6 8 5 ,( 2) James 

 Crooke, rector (1707), and in the nave (3) to Prosper 

 Nicholas (1689) and his wife Mary (1702). s^ Other 

 monuments include a number to owners of Stondon 

 Hall, Stondon Place, and Stondon House. 53 One of 

 these, a slab in the nave, gives details concerning the 

 How and Taylor-How families, 1708-1831. Monu- 



4' Ci. Bells Essex, +03. 



47 Rep. Com. Char. (Essex), H.C. 216, 

 pp. 245-6 (1835), XX (i); Char. Com. 

 files; Reeve, Stondon, 116— 17. 



«» Cf. O.S. 6 in. Map (ist edn.), sheet 

 lix. And see above, p. 24.1. 



** Church Plate Essex, 141; Reeve, 



246 



Stondon, 67, 76, 84, 97, 203. 



5° Described by Reeve, Stondon, 246 

 (iUus.) and in E.R. vii, 150. 



5' Reeve, Stondon, 30, 106 (illus.). 



" Ibid. 105, 107. 



S3 Fully Usted ibid. 107-9, '"<' '" ^•^• 

 vii, 150-4. 



