ONGAR HUNDRED 



THEYDON MOUNT 



\oti. in 1727-8 and is. dd. in 1752-3. In 1759-60, 

 however, it was only 312'. and in 1765-6 it was \s. In 

 and after 1 766 there was only one parish rate and one 

 account, known as the overseers' account, from which 

 the churchwardens' and constables' bills were settled 

 as well as those for poor relief About 1766 also the 

 vestry books cease to give details of disbursements, 

 these being transferred to separate volumes,** and only 

 contain brief totals of income and expenditure. In 

 1774-5 the general rate was zs. dd., producing £107.*' 

 It rose to 5 J. dd. in 1796-7 and in 1 800-1 the rate was 

 9/., producing £,\^2. This was the peak. The income 

 from the rates dropped to ^^254 two years later and in 

 1828-9 was £185.68 



The parish had at least one poorhouse by 1776.*' 

 In most cases, however, the poor seem to have been 

 relieved outside the poorhouse, by cash payments and 

 to a lesser extent by the provision of clothing, fuel, and 

 rent.'" On at least two occasions, in 1783 and 1789, a 

 spinning-wheel was purchased. In March 1796 16 

 people were receiving weekly relief. In 1 8 1 o Robert 

 Burton Hayward, surgeon of Epping, was engaged to 

 attend the poor for a year at a salary of 6 guineas, with 

 travelling allowances and 10/. for confinements. There 

 are references to the inoculation of pauper families in 

 1772-3, 1792, and 1793. In the period 1757-8 to 

 1 7 89— 90 the overseers held office for two years. There- 

 after they served only for one year. Sir William Smijth, 

 Bt., of Hill Hall was overseer in 1792-3. Between 

 1745 ^f"^ 177° fo"'' women served as overseers. In 

 1833 an assistant overseer was appointed at a salary 

 of^io. 



A church clerk is mentioned in the churchwardens' 

 account of 1756—7, and again in the overseers' account 

 of 1792-3. His wages were loj. and 10/. dd. respec- 

 tively. In 1 842 the parish appointed a paid constable. 

 This is of special interest because the Essex County 

 Constabulary had been founded two years earher. 

 Theydon Mount appears never to have had a police 

 constable, even in later years. 



During the period 1715-92 there were only five 

 years when a member of the Smijth family was not 

 nominated as one of the surveyors. Usually it was the 

 baronet who was nominated. 



In 1836 Theydon Mount became part of Ongar 

 Poor Law Union. 



In 1 81 8 there was no school in the parish, although 

 the poor were said to desire schooling for 

 SCHOOLS their children." In 1826 Mrs. Letitia 

 (later Lady) Bowser Smijth set up a 

 girls' school in some cottages, paying the fees of needy 

 children and taking an active interest in the work. It 

 is possible that these cottages were situated at the brick- 

 field near Hill Hall. In 1836 Sir John Smijth estab- 

 lished a boys' school, which the Smijth family largely 

 maintained in the years following. In 1839 the rector. 



besides making financial contributions, carried out 

 most of the detailed administration at both schools. 

 There were 33 boys and 42 girls in attendance, the fee 

 evidently being id. per week. The textbooks of the 

 National Society were used but neither school was a 

 National School.'^ 



About 1846 a new mixed school was built, ap- 

 parently on the site of the boys' school of 1836. 

 Members of the Smijth family seem to have paid most, 

 if not all of the cost, and to have remained for many 

 years the owners and chief source of income; in 1846-7 

 Sir E. Bowyer-Smijth was stated to be the only con- 

 tributor. Children attended the school from Stapleford 

 Tawney as well as from Theydon Mount. After a 

 successful start the school seems to have declined. In 

 1846—7 there were about 70 pupils under a master 

 and a mistress who were paid £40 and ^^14 a year 

 respectively .'3 By 1 871 there were only some 36 pupils 

 and the building was in poor condition, despite con- 

 tinued support from the Smijths. The government 

 declared that it could not be considered an efficient 

 school for the 3 1 children from Theydon Mount and 

 the 30 from Stapleford Tawney needing elementary 

 schooling unless it was thoroughly repaired. '■♦ Theydon 

 Mount parishioners were now prepared to accept 

 responsibihty for the school and in February 1873 the 

 Smijth family transferred ownership to the rector and 

 churchwardens as trustees. The building was repaired 

 so as to accommodate up to 50 pupils, the building of 

 a new school at Stapleford Tawney making greater 

 accommodation unnecessary.'s 



In 1880 the school seems to have been reorganized 

 and officially reopened as Theydon Mount Church of 

 England school. In 1881 the first government grant 

 was received, one of £1 2, and this amount rose slowly 

 to an average of about £44 in 1890— 1900. Other 

 income came from 'school pence' and from a voluntary 

 rate which in 1880 yielded some £■}■}■ The master was 

 paid £36 in 1877 and ,^52 in 1886. In 1887 he was 

 - replaced by a mistress who also received £^2.''^ The 

 population of the village was declining and average 

 attendance at the school was only 27 in 1893 and 23 

 in 1 899.77 Under the Education Act of 1902 the 

 school passed under the administration of the Essex 

 Education Committee, Ongar District, as a non- 

 provided, mixed elementary school. Its average atten- 

 dance was 37 in 1900, 45 in 1910, 36 in 1929, and 

 only 24 in 1938. In 1939 it was reorganized for 

 mixed juniors and infants and in 1942 it was closed 

 because of the insufficient number of pupils. The 

 children were transferred to Theydon Garnon school.'* 

 The building is now used for parochial and social pur- 

 poses." It is single-storied and of brick, with a slate 

 roof. 



CHARITIES. For Theydon Mount charities see' 

 Stapleford Tawney. 



«' E.R.O., D/P 142/12/1, 2. 



" E.R.O., D/P 142/12/1. 



6« E.R.O., D/P 14.2/11/1, 2. 



'» Rep. Sel. Cttee. un Overseers Reins. 

 1777, H.C. ser. i, vol. ix, p. 350. 



'** The following paragraph is based on 

 the overseers' account books : E.R.O., 

 D/P 142/12/1, 2. 



" Reins. Educ. Poor, H.C. 224, p. 273 



(,8.9), ix (I). 



'* Howard and Burke, Theydon Mounl, 

 x;E.R.O., D/P 30/28/19. 



73 Nal. Soc. Enquiry into Ch. Schs. 

 1846-7, pp. 18-19; E.R.O., D/AEM 

 2/8. 



'■< Reins. EUm. Educ. H.C. 201, pp. 

 112-13 (1871), Iv; Min. of Educ. File 

 13/367; Chelmsford Chron. 9 Aug. 1872. 



" Min. of Educ. File 13/367. 



'<• E.R.O., D/P nzjiij^. 



" Retn. of Schs. 1893 [C. 7529], p. 716, 

 H.C. (1894), Ixv; ibid. 1899 [Cd. 315], 

 p. 74., H.C. {1900), hv {2). 



" Min. of Educ. File 13/367; inf. from 

 Essex Educ. Cttee. 



" Inf. from Chelmsford Dioc. Council 

 for Relig. Educ. 



283 



