A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



in 1900 and the proceeds invested in /190 4/. 7d. 

 consols, producing £4 I 5/- yearly. 



4. The Pound Piece, containing about 30 poles, 

 which was sold in 1901 and the proceeds invested in 

 £ 14 7/. 6J. consols, producing ft. yearly. 



The net income of the united charities is applied 

 in pensions for the aged poor. 



The several sums of stock are held by the official 

 trustees, who also hold £163 6/. <jd. consols arising 



from sale of glebe lands. 



SAWBRIDGEWORTH 



Sabrixteworda (xi cent.) ; Sebrichworde, Sebriste- 

 worda, Sabrytesworth (xii cent.) ; Sabrithtesworth 

 (xih cent.) ; Sabri see worth, Sabrettes worth (xiv 

 cent.) ; Sabresford or Sabrisworth (xv cent.) ; Sabridge- 

 worth (xvi cent.) ; Saw bridge worth (xviii cent.). 



Sawbridge worth is a large parish of about 6,638 

 acres in extent, divided from the county of Essex on 

 the south and east by the River Siort, except for a 

 projecting tongue of land forming the Hyde Hall 

 estate which lies on the east of the river. On the 



the south and east. From the main road here a view 

 is obtained over the river into Essex. The chief crops 

 are wheat, barley and beans, about half the area con- 

 sisting of arable land. Large quantities of saffron 

 were once grown in Sawbridge won h, but cornfields 

 had replaced the saffron fields before the 1 5th century.* 

 Saffron Field on Great Beazleys Farm and Saffron 

 Garden, south-west of Spelbrook, now both arable, 

 preserve the name of this ancient industry. No 

 inclosure award has been made for Sawbridgeworth, 



Sawbb 1 UCKWORTH 



west the boundary is formed by a small stream called 

 Fiddler's Brook. The road from London to New- 

 market passes through the parish in a north-easterly 

 direction. To the south of the village it is known as 

 the London Road, to the north as the Stortford Road. 

 At Spelbrook in the north of the parish stood a 

 turnpike gate where tolls were collected for the 

 Hockerill trustees. 1 The road crosses the river 

 and at the same time passes from Essex to Hertford- 

 shire by the High Bridge, which is maintained by the 

 county. 8 The old wooden bridge here was ruinous 

 in 1 771, and was replaced by one of brick. 3 A little 

 to the east of the town is a railway station on the 

 Cambridge line of the Great Eastern railway. 



Sawbridgeworth lies on the London Clay. The 

 ground reaches an altitude of about 300 ft. in the 

 north, sloping down towards the valley of the Rib on 



1 Sat, R. (Herts. Co. Rec), ii, 140. 

 * Ibid. 44, 45, 99, 109, in, 2 3 8 . 2ic 



but there were a great number of common fields in 

 the parish. Townfield lay within the quadrangle 

 formed by the four main streets of the town, North 

 Field was on the north-west of the town, East Field 

 on the south-east and on the east of the main road, 

 Mill Fen was on the east of North Field, with the 

 mill at its southern extremity, Eden Common adjoined 

 the western side of the quadrangle, whilst White Post 

 Field, Great Sayes Field, Manfield, Hoestock.Claveley, 

 Bean Field, Brick Field, Belcomstead, Writhingales, 

 Henley Hearn, Great Hollingson, Sidcup, Kingsey, 

 and many other commons appurtenant to the numerous 

 manors covered the greater part of the parish. 6 All 

 these fields are now in separate ownership. Other 

 field-names in Sawbridgeworth mentioned in 1838 

 are Goggles and Further and Hither Glices on 

 Stonard's Farm, Numums Field on Redrick's Farm, 



tat of rent-charge ii 



332 



