Little Bentley 1848 Whites Directory

Little Bentley 1848 Whites Directory

BENTLEY, (LITTLE) 8 miles E. of Colchester, and 5 miles S. by E. of Manningtree, is a village and parish, containing 462 souls, and about 2000 acres of land, with a fertile soil , varying from a heavy to a sandy loam, and giving rise to two sources of a rivulet, which, after a course of ten miles southward, falls into the sea. At the Domesday Survey, it belonged to Allan, Earl of Bretagne, and Richd. Fitzgislebert, lord of Clare ; and it afterwards passed to the le Gros, Bourchier, Pyrton, Bayning, Peck, and other familes. Mrs. Eliz . Bond, of London, is now lady of the manor ; but a great part of the soil belongs to Col. T. A. Brandreth and several small owners. The copyholds are subject to arbitrary fines.
The Church (Virgin Mary,) is an ancient well-proportioned structure, and has a leaded oportione nave and north aisle, a tiled chancel, and a stone tower, containing five bells. It had formerly a chantry founded by Sir John le Gros, in 1386. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £13, and in 1831 at £687, is in the patronage of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and incumbency of the Rev. H. R. S. Smith, M.A., who has a neat white brick residence, and about 52A. of glebe. The tithes were commuted in 1840 for £670 per annum. A large National School was erected in the church- yard, in 1848, in the early English style.

Arthy James, baker and shopkeeper
Barling James, blacksmith
Bromley Matthew, beerhouse
Bromley Nathaniel. brewer and maltster
Brook Frederick, corn miller
Cooper Carrington, butcher
Jennings John, beerhouse
Meyer James, shoemaker
Salmon Thomas, wheelwright
Seger Samuel, carpenter
Smith Rev. Henry Richard Somers, M.A., Rectory
South Amos, shopkeeper

FARMERS .
Barber William, Red House
Brooks Frederick
Bromley Nathaniel.
Bull Pettit, Dairy Farm
Chisnall William, Church Farm
Girling Thomas, Welhams
Pages Joseph, (and maltster)
Manning Richard, Providence
Norman James, White House

Foot Post daily to Colchester