Wethersfield 1848 Whites Directory
WETHERSFIELD is a large and well-built village, pleasantly situated on the northern acclivity of the vale of the river Pant or Blackwater, 7 miles N.N.W. of Braintree. It has several neat houses and well-stocked shops, and its parish contains 1685 inhabitants, and 4101 acres of land, and many scattered houses at and near Rotten End, Blackmore End, Four
Ashes, and Beazeley End, extending about two miles W. and S.W. of the church. A pleasure fair is held in the village on July 22nd. The parish rises boldly from the river, and is noted for the growth of garden seeds, especially carrot seed. Many of the poor women and children are employed in making straw plat. On the road to Bocking is a strong chalybeate spring, formerly of considerable celebrity, but now neglected. Before the Conquest, this lordship was held by Algar, Earl of Mercia ; but at Domesday survey it was held of the King by Picot, and several other tenants. In old records, it is variously spelt Whelperfield, Weddarsfield, Wetherfend, Wydersfield, &c. Thomas White, Esq., resides at the Manor House, formerly called Dobbins, and is lord of the manor and owner of a great part of the parish ; and the rest belongs to Jasper Pyne, Esq. , Basil Sparrow, Esq. , Mr. Joseph Cornell, Mr. J. Mott, and a few smaller owners, partly copyholders , subject to certain fines. Henry de Cornhill held the manor of Wethersfield in the twelfth century, and his heiress carried it in marriage to Hugh de Neville, father of the author of that ancient record called ” Testa de Neville.” In 1463, the manor reverted to the Crown, and was annexed to the Duchy of Lancaster, and afterwards held by various families, of the Honor of Clare.
Henry VIII. gave it, in exchange, to Sir John Wentworth, of CODHAM HALL, a fine old mansion near the Blackwater, about 25 miles S.E. of the village, where the De Codham family were seated many generations after the Con- quest, and where they had an extensive park, now converted into fields. The Clerks, Coggeshall, Cornwillis, Livermore, and other ancient families were formerly landowners here. Summer’s Hall, the handsome residence of Mr Joseph Cornell, is near Beazeley End, and was formerly the seat of the Semenour family. At Blackmore End are visible remains of a large moat, supposed to have encompassed the ancient seat of the Nevilles, near which was a chapel, in a field where foundations have often been ploughed up.
Wethersfield CHURCH (St. Mary Magdalen,) is a large ancient structure, on an eminence, and has a nave, north and south aisles, achancel, and a square tower, containing five bells, and crowned by a small spire. It was repaired and repewed in 1829. The chancel is separated from the nave by an oak screen, and contains a piscina and sedilia, and an ancient tomb, on which are recumbent marble effigies of a man and woman, supposed to represent some of the Wentworth family, but the inscription is totally obliterated. Among the modern monuments on the walls, is one in memory of Joseph Clerke, Esq., whose son Charles sailed with Captain Cooke in three of his voyages, and died at Kamtschatka. The church was appropriated to Stoke College, and had a chantry, endowed with various lands and tenements. The rectory has belonged to the Bishop of London since 1591; but the Master and Fellows of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, are patrons of the vicarage, valued in K.B. at £12, and in 1831 at £239, and now in the incumbency of the Rev. John Walker, M.A., of Cottered, Hertfordshire. The rectorial glebe is 53A. , and the vicarial 3A. The rectorial tithes are held on lease, by Thomas White, Esq., and the vicarial tithes were commuted in 1842, for £273 per annum. As noticed below, here is an endowed lectureship. In the village is a neat Independent Chapel, built in 1822, on the site of the old one, erected in 1707, when the congregation, in the trust deed, agreed to give the minister a yearly stipend of £20. A neat school was erected by the congregation in 1848. The NATIONAL SCHOOLS have recently been erected, and are attended by about 200 children. These schools are supported partly from the proceeds of the following CHARITIES ; and in the centre of the building is a commodious house for the master and mistress .
In 1702, THOMAS FITCH charged his estate here with a yearly rent-charge of £25 for establishing two free schools, one to be kept by a master in Town street, and the other by a schoolmistress, or master, at Stammer’s Green, the latter to be apreparatory school. He also charged his estate with £10 every two years for clothing some of the scholars, and with the delivery of a load of faggot wood at each school yearly ; the teachers and scholars to be nominated by the owner of the donor’s estate and the churchwardens. Out of the annuity the master of the National School has a yearly salary of £20, for which he teaches reading, writing, and arithmetic to 20 poor boys, who are provided with coats to the value of £10 every second year. The mistress of Stammer’s Green school has only £5 a year, and the use of a house, for which she teaches 20 children, boys and girls, to read, and the latter to sew. In 1759, DOROTHY MOTT left a farm of 38A. 3R. 28P. at
Great Bardfield, to this parish, in trust to apply the rent yearly as follows :-
20s. for distribution among the poor ; £12 to a schoolmistress for teaching 20 poorgirls; 20s. to buy fuel for the school; and £5. 15s. in providing the scholars with clothing and prayer books. In 1814, a new house and out-buildings were erected on the farm, at the cost of £785, which was lent by Thomas White, Esq., the acting trustee, who has since repaid himself out of the rents. The farm is now let for £64 a year. The schoolmistress now receives £18 a year, and teaches 30 free scholars; and about the same amount is expended in clothing them. In 1817, Sarah Clarke left £400 for the use of Mary Newman during her life, and afterwards to be applied in building and repairing a school house for this charity.
The Day and Sunday Scholars of the parish have an annual feast, at the sole expense of Thomas White, Esq. , to whose private munificence, as well as for his care in administering this and other charities, the parish is much indebted. In 1559, RICHARD HERWARD left several tenements and 15A of land, in trust, that the yearly profits should be expended in a weekly distribution of bread among the poor parishioners, at the discretion of the churchwardens. This property is now let for £31 per annum. In 1623, EDMUND MOUNTJOY left 2A. 2R. 15P. of land (now let for £5,) and directed one-half of the yearly profits to be divided among the poor, and the other half to be paid to the lecturer at the church. In 1636, JOHN CLEVELAND left for the poor 16A. 3R. 30p. of cultivated land, let for £28, and 5л. 29p. of wood-land, which yields a profit of about £50 every twelve years. The profits of this charity are expended in weekly distributions of bread.
HAWKSHILL CROFT, 6A. 1R. 3P., was purchased in 1636, with £63 poor’s money, and is now let for £4. 10s. , which is distributed in weekly doles of bread. The TOWN HOUSE has been long held of the manor for the use of the poor, and is occupied by paupers. The CHURCH LAND is 5A. IR. 2P., let for £12, and given, in 1574, by Richard Walford, for upholding and repairing the church. In 1634, WALTER WILTSHIRE left Great Wisney Farm, 105A.2R. 33P. for a Sunday afternoon and Thursday morning Lecturer, to be chosen by twenty of the chief inhabitants, or the greater part of them. This farm is in Finchingfield and Little Sampford parishes, and is let for £91 12s. a year. The Rev. C. A. L’Oste, B.Α., is the lecturer, and also curate.
WETHERSFIELD.
POST OFFICE at Mrs Eliz. Firmin’s.
Letters despatched 10 morng. and 3 afternoon via Braintree
Marked 2 are at Blackmore End, and 3 at Beazeley End.
Cadoux Rev John Henry ( Independent.)
Chaplin Rd. straw & tuscan plat mkr
2 Cook James, higgler
Cornell James, basket maker
Crawley Chas. relieving. officer & registrar
Freestone John, steward, Brook farm
Hasler Thomas, tailor and draper
Hutton Thomas, veterinary surgeon
Jones John, gentleman
Kiddy Frederick. watch and clock maker
Livermore Mr. Chas. Benj. Grey’s
L’Oste Rev. Chas. Alfred, B.A. curate
2 Metson James, jobber
Mountford Sus. straw plat school
Peachey Richard, tinner & brazier
Phillips Mr. Andrew
Raven Thomas, common brewer
Rogers Jne. cutler, jeweller, & stationer
Salmon Edmund, gentleman
Sandle Wm. Esq. Wethersfield Place
Smee Frederick, parish clerk
Spurge Richard, hair dresser
Trollope Thomas, surgeon, Wethersfield Hall
Unwin William, cooper
White Thomas, Esq. Wethersfield Manor House
FARMERS.
Adams Isaac, Spicer’s
Brighten Hannah, Grey’s Farm
2 Brand Robert William, Pouches
Burder John, Great Codham Hall
Burder Sarah, Little Codham Hall
Carter James, Saffron Farm
Cornell Joseph, Summers’s Hall
Davey Charles
Dace Samuel
Davey Christopher, Dan Vales
Fitch Joseph, Codham Mill
Fitch Samuel, Pattens
French John, Glebe Farm
Hardy Samuel, School Green
Hitching William, Hooks
Legerton Thomas, Hoggs Hall
2 Ling Henry Quye, Elms
Metson Henry, Wright’s
Mott John, Codham Little Park
Mott Thomas, Wavers
2 Owers William, Wright’s
3Parmenter William, & Samuel Woolmers
2Rayner Joseph, Wright’s
Steward Louisa, Baker’s
INNS AND TAVERNS.
Bull, Thomas Smee, Blackmore End
Cock, James Dale, Beazeley End
Dog, William Shead
Red Lion, Martha Jones
BAKERS.
Bowtle Henry
Ewin Matthew
Hitching Richard
Smee Frederick
2Smith James
BEER HOUSES .
3 Barnard John
2 Choate Mary
Coote John – Castle
Cornell David, (& glover)
Raven Thomas
2 Smith James
BLACKSMITHS
3 Dale James
2 Shead James
Suckling Joseph
BOOT AND SHOE MAKERS.
2 Bacon Reuben
Betts William
3 Johnson David
Moore John
3 Mountford Geo.
Mountford Wm.
2 Smee Thomas
Westwood Wm.
BRICKLAYERS .
Bowtle John
2 Carder Thomas and Joseph
BUTCHERS
2 Cook William
Perry James
Davey Christopher.
CARPENTERS.
Coote Martin
White Rebecca
GARDENERS AND SEED GROWERS
Cardell John
Carter James
2 Carter John
Newman John
Tanner Joseph
GROCERS & DRAPERS,
Firmin Elizabeth
Shuttleworth Jno.
MALTSTERS.
Raven Thomas
Shead William
MILLERS.
Davey Charles
Fitch Joseph
2 Mansfield John
MILLINERS.
Freestone Emily
Livermore Ann
White Martha
PAINTERS, PLUMBERS, & GLAZIERS.
Noon Frederick
Potter Edwin
SADDLERS.
Cummings John
Goldstone Thos. (& ropemkr. )
SCHOOLS
Stripp Joseph . and Mrs. (National)
3 Harrington Sarah
White Emma
SHOPKEEPERS.
3 Barnard John
Hutt Richard
2 Smith James
STRAW HAT MAKERS
Boyton Ann
Butcher Caroline
Westwood Ann
WHEELWRIGHTS .
2 Gunn Samuel
Skingley Geo. & Rt
CARRIERS .
James Phillips, to Braintree, wed. and saturday
Geo. Yeulet from Finchingfield to London, mon, wed. & friday