ONGAR HUNDRED north weald bassett 



wood Common was placed on the plan of theWanstead 

 and Woodford circuit.s^ In 1892 the chapel was in 

 debt, but a mission was established to help it and by 

 the next year the debt had been reduced to £'J.^'^ 



In 1898 a sub-committee was formed to inquire into 

 the affairs of the chapel, which, it was feared, were not 

 conducted in accordance with Methodist regulations. s* 

 In 1899 Mr. Childs was appointed lay agent at a salary 

 of ^£25 a year and in June of that year he reported a 

 steady growth and a renewed observance of Methodist 

 principles. 55 



The society at Thornwood was never large, al- 

 though at one time it had the largest Sunday school in 

 the circuit. 56 In 1935 the need for extensive repairs to 

 the chapel became evident.^' In the following year 

 land was given for a new building by a Mr. Slack.s* 

 but it was not used and in 1939 the chapel was finally 

 closed because there was not sufficient support to 

 justify either the erection of a new building or repairs 

 to the old. The chapel was demolished and the site 

 sold.59 It stood on the west side of the main road 

 nearly opposite Weald Hall Lane. 



In December 1888 a committee was formed by the 

 Wanstead and Woodford circuit to consider building 

 a Wesleyan chapel at North Weald, where military 

 barracks had recently been erected.*" In the following 

 year it was decided to erect a rustic wooden chapel at 

 a cost of ^150.*' A plot of land was leased from Mr. 

 W. J. Smith at a rent of 10/. a year.*^ The new chapel 

 was opened in 1890, the cost of building having been 

 raised by public subscription.*^ 



The new society was not very successful and in 1905 

 it was decided to continue it only on the recommenda- 

 tion of the Local Preachers' Meeting.** In 1907 an 

 adjacent plot of land was purchased for ^^120. In 

 19 10 the original lease was renewed and a new trust 

 formed.*s 



In 1925 it was decided to build a new chapel at 

 North Weald.** On the recommendation of the circuit 

 development committee the chapel was built in 1929 

 at a cost of ;^i,074.*'' In 1930 it was reported that 

 young men from Woodford were doing valuable work 

 at North Weald, but in 1934 a committee was set up 

 to consider the work there.** In 1950 the problem of 

 the lease, which had been four times renewed since 

 1910, was solved by Mr. T. J. E. Bird, who bought the 

 freehold for £\2 and gave it to the trustees. The 

 church has been under the supervision of the Epping 

 minister, who is at present the Revd. E. B. Roebuck. 

 The society has a membership of I9.*9 The chapel is 

 a small brick building, cement rendered. 



The existing court rolls of the manor of Marshalls 



cover the period 1 572- 



PJRISH GOFERNMENT 1 7 2 8 and there is also a 



AND POOR RELIEF court book for 1832- 



1924.'° For the manor 

 of North Weald there are rolls for I74I-93.''' In each 

 case the business recorded is that of a court baron only. 



One general parish book survives for North Weald, 



" Address by Mr. A. W. Leach, 

 Wanstead, 19 Dec. 1919. (Reported in 

 Mins. of Local Preachers' M tgs. Wanstead 

 and Woodford Circuit, 1879-1930.) 



53 Mins. of Circuit Quarterly Mtgs. 

 1887-99. 



St Ibid. 55 Ibid. 



56 Address by Mr. Leach. 



" Mins. of Circuit Quart. Mtg. 1931- 



41- 

 s» Ibid. 



59 Papers re sale. 



<"> Mins. of Circuit Quart. Mtgs. 1887- 

 99. 



6' Ibid. 



62 Trust Deeds in Circuit safe. Except 

 where otherwise stated the account is 

 based on these deeds. 



" Mins. of Quart. Mtgs. 1887-99. 



'* Ibid. 1899-1909. 



'5 Ibid. 1909-16. 



" Ibid. 1925-30. 



covering the years 1679— 1879." From about 1750 

 to 1790 there were usually vestry meetings at Easter 

 and in the autumn of each year. Otherwise there were 

 meetings at Easter but rarely at any other time. The 

 average attendance throughout the period 1679— 1836 

 was fairly high, being about 10. The highest recorded 

 was 21 at the Easter vestry of 1702. George Hellier, 

 the curate, usually presided between 1709 and 1727. 

 Of the vicars only Francis Stanley attended regularly. 

 He usually presided between 1765 and 1 781. After 

 178 1 the churchwarden was usually in the chair. John 

 Benton was probably parish clerk in 1687. He was 

 then recorded as living in the Church House. He wrote 

 the rate in the parish book, receiving is. for this, and 

 also washed the surplice. After his death his son Isaac 

 succeeded him. In 1774 the clerk was receiving a 

 salary of 2 guineas. In 1 803 John Stokes agreed to 

 retire from the office of clerk on payment to him of ^^5 

 and the promise that the parish should provide him 

 with a house for life, 'the workhouse excepted'. John 

 Benton, parish clerk in 1707, was also sexton, for which 

 office he was supposed to receive 4</. a year from each 

 house in the parish. 



General rates 'for the use of the church and the poor' 

 were levied each year by the overseers. The church- 

 warden did not usually levy a separate rate but was 

 reimbursed by the overseers. The hamlets of Thorn- 

 wood and Hastingwood were separately assessed and 

 levied their own rates. In 1679 a rate of iJ. in ^^i 

 produced a total of ^^9 2S. (>d., of which [^\ 1 8/. <^d. 

 came from the main body of the parish, £;i 5/. <^d. 

 from Hastingwood, and ^i \%s. from Thornwood. 

 There was little change in the assessment during the 

 next century: in 1786 a \d. rate produced ^^8 17^. i \d. 

 for the whole parish. 



Although the vestry met only once or twice a year it 

 maintained a check on the actions of its officers by 

 requiring that no grant of weekly pensioiis or firewood 

 to the poor was to be made without an entry in the 

 parish book and the subsequent approval of the vestry. 

 It also tried to ensure that all parishioners took their 

 fair share of common burdens. Thus in 1697 it was 

 recommended that all should in turn take poor children 

 as apprentices, with an allowance of 40X. for clothing. 

 Of the 13 persons present 8 did so and 4 others 

 followed their example later in the same year. In 

 1804 a Mr. Wilson was paid ;^io when his son was 

 drawn for the militia. 



Until about 1766 4 overseers and 3 surveyors of 

 highways were appointed. Thornwood and Hasting- 

 wood each had i overseer and the other 2 were 

 responsible for the rest of the parish. There was ap- 

 parently I surveyor for each division of the parish.'^ 

 These arrangements were already established by 

 1613.74 After 1766 the total number of overseers was 

 reduced to 3, there being i instead of 2 for the body of 

 the parish. This continued until i8ro when a single 

 salaried overseer was appointed for the whole parish. • 

 From 1822 3 overseers were again appointed. There 



6' Ibid. 



'8 Ibid. 1931-4.1. 



" Circuit Plan Jan.-Apr. 1953. 



"> E.R.O.,D/DBM68-76iD/DTcM4. 



" E.R.O., D/DBm M197-203. 



'2 E.R.O., D/P 84/8. Unless other- 

 wise stated all information in this section 

 is taken from this book. 



'3 The appointment of surveyors was 

 not regularly recorded. 



74 E.R.O., Q/SBa 3. 



293 



