WALTHAM, (GREAT) a pleasant village on the west side of the river Chelmer, and on the Dunmow road, from 4 to 5 miles N. of Chelmsford, has in its populous and extensive parish many scattered houses, and the small villages, hamlets, &c., of How Street, 1 mile N.; Chatham Green, 1½ mile N.E ; Walthambury, 1 mile W.N.W.; Little Lee Green, 2½ miles N.; and Fourth End, Black Chapel, and North End, from 3 to 44 miles N.N.W. of the Church ; near which is Church End and South End. It is one of the largest parishes in Essex, and contains 2380 inhabitants, and 7054 acres of Iand, well watered by the Chelmer and some of its tributary streams; and having a variety of soils, but generally a wet loam, much improved by draining and judicious management. There are in the parish several old manor houses, occupied by farmers. The principal manor, and a great part of the soil, belong to John Joliffe Tufnell, Esq. , who holds a court leet and baron, and resides at LANGLEYS, a large and handsome mansion, seated on a pleasant eminence, between the church and the river Chelmer, in an extensive park, well stocked with deer. The Marshall or Mariskill family held the manor of Langleys from the reign of John to that of Edward III. , and it afterwards passed to the Everards, one of whom (Sir Hugh) was created a baronet, and died in 1705, leaving his estates so much in debt, that his son was obliged to sell Langleys, and other estates, to Samuel Tufnell, Esq., who represented Colchester, Maldon, &c., in parliament. He pulled down most of the old mansion, and rebuilt it on a larger and more elegant plan.
He also made an extensive park round it. His successors considerably improved the house and grounds. At the time of Domesday Survey, Geoffrey de Mandeville held the parish, but it was afterwards divided into seven manors, viz . :-Walthambury, Chatham Hall, Warners, or Little Lee Park; Hyde Hall, South House, Langleys, and the Rectory. The latter was given by Geoffrey de Mandeville to Walden Abbey, and at the Dissolution it was given to Sir Richard Rich, who sold it to Sir Thos. Pope, Kt., and he settled it as part of the endowment of Trinity College, Oxford, founded by him. It is now held on lease from that college, together with the Parsonage Farm and rectorial tithes, by Henry Ashford Sanford, Esq. , owner of the pleasant seat called Waltham House. The Townsend, Skill, Poole, Haggard, Dowsett, and other families, have estates here.
The CHURCH (St. Mary and.St. Lawrence) is a large and ancient structure, consisting of a leaded nave, south aisle, and chancel, with a massive octagon tower at the west end, containing a fine peal of eight bells and chimes, and crowned by a clumsey spire, covered with lead. It is in the Norman style of the twelfth century; but the windows are insertions of a later date, in the perpendicular style. Two of them are remarkable for beautiful tracery. The interior was thoroughly cleansed and beautified in 1847, when some fine distemper paintings were discovered on the walls, with figures as large as life. One of these antique frescoes, over the chancel arch, has been preserved, and is supposed to represent the Redeemer,
after his resurrection, seated triumphantly in heaven, surrounded by angels. Part of the rood-loft, and the staircase leading to it, remain; and in the porch, the ancient stoup has recently been discovered. Under an arch, in the north wall, is a costly marble monument, with recumbent effigies of Sir Anthony Everard and his Lady. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £18. 13s. 4d., and in 1831 at £299, is in the patronage of the President and Fellows of Trinity College, Oxford, and incumbency of the Rev. J. H. Dyer, B.D., who has agood residence near the church. The tithes were commuted, in 1839, for the yearly rent-charges of £1754. 17s. 2d. to Trinity College, and £400 to the vicar. Commodious National Schools,
with a house for the master and mistress, were built here in 1847, in the Elizabethan style, at the cost of £1045. There is a small Independent Chapel at Fourth End, and a small Primitive Methodist Chapel in How street.
Charities . An acre of land, given by John and William Wolmer, in 1542, for repairing the church and bridges of Great Waltham parish, was exchanged for a large garden, &c. , about 40 years ago. The poor parishioners have yearly the value of 3 barrels of white, and 14 barrel of red herrings, from Lord Rich’s Charity. (See Felsted.) In 1580, Thomas Wiseman left, out of a farm at Great Baddow, 20s. ayear for repairing the church, and 20s. a year for the poor of this parish. On Good Friday, forty of the poorest householders have 6d. each, from a yearly rent-charge of 20s. , left by Richard Everard, in 1616, out of a house in How street. In 1723, J. Shuttleworth left a yearly rent-charge of £5. 4s. , out of land called Graveley’s, to provide for aweekly distribution of 2s. worth of bread among twelve poor widows. In 1822, Marshall Straight left £276.10s. 10d. three-per- cent. consols, in trust, that the churchwardens should distribute the dividends in bread, on the 21st of December, among the poor parishioners, who have also 20s. a year out of property in Romford, left by John Adams, in 1828.
BLACK CHAPEL, at the North End of Great Waltham parish, 2 miles N. by W. of Chelmsford, has been long used as a chapel, and forms one-half of an ancient messuage ; the other part of which is let as a dwelling, for £4 a year. This building, and the following property, have been long vested in trustees, for the general benefit of the inhabitants of North End hamlet, viz.:-Crouch House, let for £4; and Bridge Mead, Butler’s Mead, Stebbing Mead, the Grove, and a piece of land in Stock-Croft Common, let at rents amounting to £23.13s. per annum. Out of the rents, the trustees pay yearly £15 to the minister of Black Chapel ; £2 to the chapel clerk; and £3 to the teacher of the Sunday school. The minister has also £23 a year from the Butchers’ Arms public-house, and two acres ofland, purchased with £60, left by Ann Wiseman, in 1681, to be invested for the better support ofthe said minister. In the thirteenth of Elizabeth,
Thos. Wiseman gave a yearly rent-charge of £5. 6s. 8d., out of his lands, called Burgess Well, near Chelmsford, in trust, to employ it in the most needful works of charity in North End. This rent-charge is applied towards the expenses of Black Chapel, where the first and second masters of Felsted School officiate. In 1620, Jeffery Child left £100, to be invested in land, for the relief of the poor people in North End. This legacy was laid out in the purchase of a cottage, barn, and 54. of land, at High Easter, let for £10 a year.
GREAT WALTHAM PARISH. Those marked 2 are in How Street; 3, at Fourth End ; 4, Chatham Green; 5, North End; and the others near the Church, or where specified.
POST OFFICE at Mr. Henry Brewer’s. Letters via Chelmsford.
Brand Rev. Oliver ( Independent)
Brewer Henry, postmaster
Boultwood James, cooper
Boultwood Thomas, gamekeeper
Cheveley William James, gentleman
Cobb Robert George, land steward
Dannatt Robert, schoolmaster
Dowsett Charles, James, George, Robert, & William, bricklayers
Dyer Rev. Jas. Hardwick, B.D. vicar
Hencher Henry J. schoolmaster
Ives Isaac, gardener
Joscelyne Mrs
Mead Mrs
Joslyn Fanny, schoolmistress
Lucking James, farm bailiff
Sewell Henry, plumber, painter, &c.
Sorrell Henry, cattle dealer
Tufnell John Joliffe, Esq. Langleys
Tufnell J. J. jun. Esq. Waltham House
Tunbridge James, parish clerk
Webb Rev. Robert C. curate of Little Waltham, and surrogate
5 Young Solomon, veterinary surgeon
FARMERS. (* are Owners ).
2*Adams Samuel, and miller
Brewster George || Brewster Robt.
Burr Thomas
Coote Jonas
*Dannatt Robert, jun. , registrar, manure manufacturer, & miller
*Dowsett James, Poulters
*Dowsett Pp.
Dowsett Thos.
Emberson Abm.
*Hasler John
Hitchcock Wm.
*Hodges Thos.
Holland Henry
4 Josling Thos.
*Josling William
Lucking Wilson
Lee Richard , Hyde Hall
Maryon Mrs
Mead Edward
Mead Frederick
Rolph Mary A.
Newman William Oswald, Absol Park
Ripper William & James, Garnett’s
Rust Frederick
Ruffett William
Skill Charles
*Skill Alfred
Snow Benjamin
Snow Peter
Stock James
*Townsend William
INNS AND TAVERNS.
Butcher’s Arms, Mrs Snow
2 Green Man, James Green
Rose and Crown, James Devenish
Six Bells , (Coml.) Robert Eaton
Spread Eagle, John Fulcher, dealer
Windmill, Samuel Leeds
White Hart, William Abel
BAKERS.
Bedford John
Biggs Edmund
BASKET MAKERS.
3 Coe Joseph
Judd Thomas
BEERHOUSES .
4 Holland Henry
Perry Charles
3 Reeve James
Ward William
BLACKSMITHS .
Bird James
3 Hasler Thomas
2 Love John
Young George
BUTCHERS.
Lucking Robert
Lucking William
2 Snow Benjamin
Sorrell Henry
CORN MILLERS.
2 Adams Samuel
4 Cottee John
Dannatt Rt. jun.
Rust Frederick
GROCERS, &c.
Bearsby George
5 Fowler James
2 Phillips Samuel
3 Reeve James
Smith John
Smoothy Charles
Snow W. carpenter.
SADDLERS, &c.
Green Abraham
2 Willers Samuel
SHOEMAKERS.
3 Bedwell George
Bedwell Thomas
Gowers John
Skinner William
Tyrell William
TAILOR.
Franklyn Edm.
WHEELWRIGHTS.
2 Brewster John
3 Coe William
Ellis George
Monk Thomas