ONGAR HUNDRED 



THEYDON GARNON 



Theydon Garnon and 1 8 acres in Theydon Mount.*' 

 He was also owner of 82 acres in Theydon Bois when 

 the tithes of that parish were commuted in 1850.** 



After 1837 the Coopersale estate descended along 

 with Hallingbury Place in the Archer-Houblon 

 family. Coopersale House was successively the resi- 

 dence of Mrs. Mary Anne Archer-Houblon (d. 1 865), 

 widow of John Archer Houblon (d. 1831), Miss 

 Harriet Archer-Houblon (d. 1896), and Mrs. Eyre.^7 

 It then remained for some years unoccupied.** The 

 contents of the mansion were sold in 1908, and the 

 whole Coopersale estate in 1914.*' Coopersale House 

 was then bought for a religious order which occupied 

 it during the First World War. In 1920 it was sold to 

 Mr. E. Camps. From 1936 to about 1944 it belonged 

 to Mr. Dudley Ward who sold it to Countess Howe. 

 It was bought in 1946 by Major Jocelyn Hambro, 

 who is the present owner.'"' 



In 1920 the house was a large three-storied mansion, 

 roughly L-shaped on plan." It contained fittings dating 

 from the early 17th century but the structure itself had 

 been altered and enlarged at subsequent periods. The 

 north-east wing, which had mullioned and transomed 

 windows, was probably built about 1670—80. The 

 principal block had a Georgian front of nine bays and 

 a modillion eaves cornice with a central pediment. 

 The sash windows and other details were of the 1 8 th 

 and early 19th centuries, but some older carved 

 chimney-pieces had been preserved internally. At the 

 back of the house two grotesque brackets of the 17th 

 century had been incorporated in a Georgian door- 

 case. The ground-floor room on the left of the entrance 

 hall was of two stories and may have represented the 

 great hall of the original house. At a later date it was 

 used as a chapel and had a painted ceihng thought to 

 represent William III casting out popery. Two semi- 

 circular bays on the south front were probably part of 

 the improvements made by Mrs. Susannah Houblon 

 Newton after 1800.'^ At some period panelling and 

 a carved overmantel were removed to Hallingbury 

 Place." 



Immediately after 1920 the house was greatly 

 reduced in size. The second story of the principal 

 block was removed and most of the north-east wing 

 demolished. The sash windows were replaced by 

 mullioned and transomed casements of 17th-century 

 design. Panelling and carved chimney-pieces from the 

 demolished rooms were reused and the principal stair- 

 case was reconstructed with balustrades from the north- 

 east wing.''* In recent years some of the panelling has 

 been taken out and three of the 17th-century chimney- 

 pieces are missing. 



A gateway north of the house has a four-centred 

 brick arch of the 17th century. The lake below the 

 house on the south is probably the work of John Archer 

 between 1739 and '^ll^- 

 65 E.R.O., 0/0X350,351. 



" Ibid. 349. 



" Houblm Family, ii, 312, 297, 314; 

 Kelly* i Dir. Esux (1902, 1906). 



*' Kelly's Dir. Essex (1912, 1914). 



69 E.R.O., Sale Cat. B. 130, A. 1045. 



7° E.R.O., Sale Cat. A. 53; inf. from 

 Mrs. E. Camps and Mrs. Hambro. 



" Hist. Mon. Com. Essex, ii, 61 and Hist. 

 Mon. Com. MS. Rccs. Most of the 

 following details are from this source. 



72 Houblon Family, ii, 279—80. 



" Nat. Bdgs. Rec. Coll. Measured 

 drawing. Hallingbury Place has since 

 been demolished. A 16th-century painted 



door, formerly in Coopersale House, is 

 now in the Victoria and Albert Museum. 



'♦ Details from Mrs. E. Camps. 



'5 Lunt, Fal. of Noriuich, 336; New- 

 court, Repert. ii, 583-4. 



'* London Gait. 28 Dec. 1945, p. 

 6286. 



" E.R.O., D/DDa T13; P.C.C. 223 

 Arden. 



'* Lunt, yal. of Norwich, 336; Tax 

 Eccl. (Rec. Com.) zih. 



" E.A.T. N.s. vi, 1 09-1 1. 



8» Falor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), i, 437. 



*' H. Smith, Eccl. Hist. Essex, 273. 



82 E.R.O., D/CT 350. 



The advowson of Theydon Garnon was appurtenant 

 to the manor and descended along with it 

 CHURCH until 1858. Presentations pro hac vice 

 were sometimes granted by the lords of 

 the manor to others. '5 When Sir Thomas Abdy, Bt., 

 sold the manor in 1858 he retained the advowson and 

 this descended with the baronetcy until 1945, when it 

 was vested in the Bishop of Chelmsford.'* In 1834 the 

 advowson, with other properties, was mortgaged by 

 John R. H. Abdy to Charles G. Parker of Springfield 

 Place. On his death in 1 840 Abdy allowed his trustees 

 to sell the next presentation and to apply the proceeds 

 towards the redemption of the mortgage, or if this had 

 already been redeemed, on the purchase of free- 

 holds." 



In about 1254 the rectory of Theydon Garnon was 

 valued at 1 5 marks, and the same valuation was given 

 in 1 291. '8 In 1507 the rector leased the church and 

 parsonage with the tithes to William Hyll, chaplain, 

 and Francis Hampden for three years at an annual 

 rent of ^£8, reserving the lodging by the gate (see 

 below).'9 In 1535 the rectory was valued at £17.^° 

 In 1650 the'improved' value was j^i 74, of which ;£i 24 

 represented composition in lieu of tithes.*' The tithes 

 were finally commuted in 1840 for ;£650. There were 

 then 71 acres of glebe. *^ 



A terrier of 1610 mentions the parsonage house with 

 glebe and outbuildings including a cottage called the 

 Gatehouse.*' The former rectory house, now known 

 as Theydon Priory, was sold to the Revd. C. G. B. 

 Hotham after his retirement in 1893. The present 

 owner (1954) is Mr. W. J. Keswick.*^ The house is 

 about 300 yds. south of the church. The rectory was 

 certainly on this site in 1648*5 and the core of Theydon 

 Priory, consisting of the south range and west wing, 

 may represent the house of 1 6 10. The building was 

 largely reconstructed in the i8th century, when the 

 south side was given a symmetrical front of red brick 

 with sash windows and a pedimented doorcase. Until 

 recently the main entrance was at this side. Additions 

 made later in the i8th century include a large room 

 with a splayed bay on the north side, now the entrance 

 hall. Interior fittings date from about 1700 and later. 

 In the present century additions were made to the east 

 and west. The entrance porch is also modern. 



The present red-brick gabled rectory, which is 

 immediately south of the church, was built in 1895-6 

 at a cost of j^3,300.** 



John Molyns (d. 1 591), who was Rector of Theydon 

 Garnon from 1561 until his death, had been among 

 the Puritan clergy who emigrated to Frankfurt-am- 

 Main under Mary I. He became Canon of St. Paul's 

 and Archdeacon of London in 1559.*' Samuel Searle, 

 who became rector in 1609, was a turbulent man 

 whose offences appear to have included manslaughter 

 and brawling in church.** In 1622-3 he was suspected 



*3 Newcourt, Repert. ii, 583. A terrier 

 of 1 62 1 gives similar, though not identical 

 details : ibid. Cf. the Gatehouse with the 

 Priest's House, below. 



8* Essex in the 20th century (Pike's New 

 Century Ser. No. 27), 49; inf. from Mrs. 

 W. J. Keswick. Hotham was Rector of 

 Theydon Garnon 1887—93. 



85 E.R.O.,D/DC 27/1 123. 



8' Kelly's Dir. Essex {ii()%). A new rec- 

 tory is now (1955) being built. 



8' D.N.B. 



88 E.R.O., D/AEA 30 fo. 107"; St. Ch. 

 8/275/4- 



269 



