A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



Epping'5 was probably causing increased building 

 development in the Epping town part of Theydon 

 Garnon. As early as 1613 and 163 1 parishioners pre- 

 sented in the archdeacon's court for not attending 

 church replied that they attended service in Epping, 

 since it was nearer.^ This is a good indication that the 

 people on the western boundary of Theydon Garnon 

 regarded themselves as belonging to Epping.^s By this 

 time also there was a small hamlet at the cross-roads to 

 the north of Mason's Bridge. The name Fiddlers 

 Hamlet for this part of the parish is of much later 

 origin, but it is possible that the 'Merry Fiddlers' was 

 already the focus of settlement in the 17th century. 

 The inn itself probably incorporates part of a 17th- 

 century building. Another building which is known 

 to have been erected in the 17th century is the block 

 of almshouses at Hobbs Cross founded by Lady Fltz- 

 william. Hill Farm, in the extreme south of the parish, 

 is a timber-framed farm-house which may date from the 

 i6th century or even earlier. It consists of a central 

 block flanked by gabled cross-wings. In modern times 

 timbering has been applied as a decorative feature. 

 The dentilled barge-boards to the gables are original. 



A large timber-framed house at Coopersale Street, 

 formerly a farm, probably dates from the late 1 6th 

 century. The front has two gables, the attic window 

 on one side being original. A 17th-century addition 

 to the south-west was once known as the brewhouse. 

 The pedimented doorcase and the sash windows are 

 18th-century insertions. The annexe to the house is 

 now the post-office. 



Jacksons Farm, which formerly stood beside the 

 Roding near Hill Farm, appears to have been on or 

 near the site of the ancient Garnish Mill, and was 

 known until about 100 years ago as Gernon Mill 

 Farm.^* It was demolished about 1950." In 1920 the 

 building was described as two tenements, probably of 

 the 17th century, partly refaced with modern brick. 

 A document temp. Henry VIII refers to a 'costlewe 

 byldyng at a ferme caUyd Garnouns myll, new bylded'.^^ 



Chapman and Andre's map of 1777 shows hamlets 

 at Fiddlers and Coopersale Street and also a line of 

 houses on the west side of the road to the north of 

 Hobbs Cross.^' Development on the Epping side was 

 continuing. Houses which probably date from the 

 1 8th century are the Home Farm and Elms at Fiddlers 

 Hamlet, and Coopersale Lodge, about 100 yds. south- 

 east of the post-office at Coopersale Street. All are 

 timber-framed houses. The Elms has a modern red- 

 brick front. 



In 1 80 1 Theydon Garnon had a population of 517.^" 

 There was a steady increase to 1,237 in 1851. There 

 was a slight decrease in 185 1-6 1 but this was subse- 

 quently arrested, probably by the extension of the rail- 

 way from Loughton to Epping and Ongar in 1865.3' 

 Epping station, on the new line, was built about | mile 

 north-west of Fiddlers Hamlet, within Theydon 

 Garnon parish, and North Weald station \\ mile 



north-east of Coopersale Common. The population 

 rose to 1,371 in 1891. This was the last census before 

 the ancient parish was dismembered. Much of the 

 19th-century increase was due to the development of 

 Epping town. At the 1901 census the reduced parish 

 of Theydon Garnon had only 317 inhabitants^^ but 

 there were 1,746 in the area of the ancient parish.^' 

 It should also be noted, however, that the part trans- 

 ferred to Epping Urban District included Coopersale 

 Common, Coopersale Street, and Fiddlers Hamlet. At 

 Coopersale Common there had been considerable 

 development during the second half of the 19th century. 

 This included the district church of St. Alban, built to 

 meet the needs of this end of the parish. Other larger 

 buildings dating from the 1 9th century include Theydon 

 Bower, Gaynes Park, and Hobbs Cross Farm. Theydon 

 Bower, near Epping railway station, is a large house 

 standing on a hill. It is thought to have been built 

 about 18003* but there have been later additions at 

 various times. It is of brown brick, partly roughcast. 

 The style is consciously romantic; there is a castellated 

 parapet and mullioned windows. Hobbs Cross Farm 

 was built in the middle of the century by Sir William 

 Bowyer-Smijth of Hill Hall to replace one nearer to 

 Hill Hall which he demolished." Coopersale Hall, 

 which dates mainly from the 19th century, may in- 

 corporate parts of an earlier building. In the 17th and 

 1 8th centuries it was the home of the Chevely family.'* 

 A bell-cote on the roof contains a bell dated l8l6.37 

 The entrance front is of this period. 



During the present century there has been much 

 development at Coopersale Common, which appears 

 to be something of a unit on its own, unlike the eastern 

 parts of Epping that were also formerly in Theydon 

 Garnon parish. St. Albans Road and Labumam Road 

 form a new layout north of the church and are entirely 

 built up. Opposite the post-office are two pairs of 

 council houses. The Coopersale Institute is a brick and 

 roughcast building in St. Albans Road. On the east 

 side of the main road there is a cricket ground. 



This development within Epping Urban District is 

 not paralleled by any increase of population in the 

 present civil parish of Theydon Garnon. Since 1 90 1 

 the population of the parish has declined and in 195 1 

 was only 176.3* 



The road from Hobbs Cross to Toot Hill was prob- 

 ably part of the Roman road running south from 

 Dunmow. In 1594, and probably for many years be- 

 fore this, the main road from London to Newmarket 

 ran through Theydon Bois and Theydon Garnon via 

 Abridge Bridge. 39 Early in the 17th century a new 

 road was built through Epping Forest between 

 Loughton and Epping and this took the place of the 

 longer Abridge section of the route.*" After that date 

 none of the roads in Theydon Garnon seems to have 

 been of more than local importance. Among the parish 

 books are constable's accounts 17 19-1868 with details 

 of the constables' work in connexion with the parish 



'* Sec Loughton. 



M E.R.O., D/AEA 27, f. 273; ibid. 38, 

 f. 199. 



" Their legal obligation to pay Theydon 

 Garnon parish rates was of course un- 

 affected I 



" O.S. I in. Map (ist edn. 1805) 

 quoted in E.A.T. n.s. xvii, 172; O.S. 

 6 in. Map (ist edn.), sheet Iviii. 



" Inf. from Mr. Padfield, present 

 owner. 



»• f.yJ.r. N.S. V, 28. 



" Chapman and Andre, Map of Essex, 

 1777, sheet xvi. 



3° For census figures 1801— 1901 see 

 y.C.H. Essex, ii, 350. 



3' The opening of the railway had a 

 similar effect on the population of North 

 Weald (q.v.). 



" Kelly's Dir. Essex (1906). 



" y.C.H.Essex,\\,-iSo. 



'* Inf. from Mrs. Bell, present occupier. 

 It is said to have been built by Lord 

 Frankfort. 



35 Howard and Burke, Theydon Mount, 

 p. X. 



36 E.R. XXXV, 198 ; Chapman and Andr^, 

 Map of Essex, 1777, sheet xvi. It has been 

 suggested that it was formerly known as 

 Little Gregories. 



3' Inf. from present occupier. 

 3* Census, 191 1— 51. 

 30 Norden, Map of Essex, 1594. 

 *° For the new road see Loughton. 



260 



