Wethersfield 1863 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, seven miles N.N.W. of Braintree. It has several neat houses and well-stocked shops, and its parish contains 1727 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. 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, Mrs. Mott, and a few smaller owners, partly copyholders, subject to certain fines. Henry de Cornhill held the manor of Wethersfield in the 12th 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 Jolin Wentworth, of CODHAM HALL, an old mansion near the Blackwater, about 20 miles S.E. of the village, where the De Codham family were seated many generations after the Conquest, and where they had an extensive park. Summer’s Hall, the residence of Mr. Joseph Cornell, is near Beazeley End, and was formerly the seat of the Semenour family. AtBlackmore 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, a chancel, and a square tower, containing six 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 Capt. 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 now at £300, in the incumbency of the the Rev. William Marsh, M.A. 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 an Independent Chapel, built in 1822 on the site of the old one, erected in 1707, and enlarged in 1861. The NATIONAL SCHOOLS were built in 1844 at the cost of £600, 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 a preparatory 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. 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 poor girls, 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 £24 a-year, and teaches about 25 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.
In 1559, RICHARD HERWARD left several tenements and 154. of land, in trust, that the yearly profits should be expended in a weekly distribution of bread among the poor parishioners. This property, and the Church land (5A. 1R. 2P.), left by Richard Walford, have been exchanged for other land, &c. 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 5A. 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, 64. 12. 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. 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 £170 a-year. The Rev. J. W. R. Roy, B.A. , is the lecturer.
WETHERSFIELD.
Marked 2 are at Blackmore-End, and 3, at Beazeley-End.
POST OFFICE at Mrs Perry’s. Letters via Braintree.
Baker Alfred. relieving officer & registrar
Birtles John, carpenter, &c.
Byford Mrs
Hardy Mrs
Cadoux Rev. Jno. Henry, (Indepnt.)
2 Carder Thomas & Joseph, bricklayers
Chaplin Richard, straw plat dealer
2Cook George, cattle, &c. , dealer
Cornell James, basket maker
Day John,policeman
Freestone John, bailiff, Rook Farm
Goldstone Thos. saddler & ropemaker.
Hasler Thomas, tailor and draper
Hutton Thomas, veterinary surgeon
Knight Thomas, excise officer
Marsh Rev. William, M.A. vicar, Wethersfield Place
Neville Rev. Nigel, curate
Potter Edwin, painter, plumber, &c.
Raven Thos. brewer and maltster
Roy Rev. John W. R. B.A., curate and lecturer, Vicarage
Rust Henry, surgeon, Hall
Salmon Mr James
Smee Fredk. parish clerk & shopkeeper
White Thomas, Esq. ManorHouse
Wood Wm. and Mrs, Nat. Schools
INNS AND TAVERNS.
2 Bull, Jeremiah Player
3 Cock, Mrs Ann Hitching
Dog, William Shead, (and miller)
Red Lion, William Cro
FARMERS.
Adams Isaac, Spicer’s
2 Brand Robert, Little Codham Hall
Burder John, Great Codham Hall
Carter James, Saffron Farm
Cornell Joseph, Summer’s Hall
Davey Christopher, Danvales
Fitch Alfred, Pattens Fitch
Joseph, Codham Mill
Hall Thomas, The Elms
Hitching Richard, Wavers
Legerton Thomas, Hogg’s Hall
Livermore Chas. Benj . Greys, &c.
Metson Henry, Pannell’s
Metson Thomas, School Green
2 Metson James (dealer) Blackmore
Mott Mrs Eliz. Codham Little Park
3 Parmenter William Saml. Woolmers
Quilter Abraham, Beazeley End
Raven Thomas, Russell’s
Smee Thomas, Glebe Farm
Whitlock Walter, Baker’s
2 Wright William Shaw, Pouches , &c.
BAKERS,
&c. Boyton Jeseph
Bowtle Henry
3 Johnson David
Squires William
Mountford William
2 Smith James
Robertson Henry
Watts William
2 Smee John
BEERHOUSES .
2 Choat Joseph
3 Cockerton Hannah
Martin Edwin
Stanes James – Castle
BLACKSMITHS.
AshbyJohn
3 Dale James
Gunn James
3 Suckling Thos.
BOOT & SHOE MAKERS.
Westwood William
BUTCHERS.
Davey Joseph
King Frederick Augs.
CORN MILLERS.
Fitch Joseph
2 Mansfield Edw.
Shead William
GARDENERS.
Carter James
2 Bacon Reuben
Tanner Joseph
GROCERS AND DRAPERS
Baker Henry
Firmin Eliz .
2 Smith James
SHOPKEEPERS.
3 Cockerton Hannah
Eley Mary
Smee Frederick
Stanes James
STRAW HAT MAKERS.
Boyton Ann
Butcher Caroline
Westwood Ann
WHEELWRIGHTS.
2 Gunn Samuel
Metson Charles
CARRIERS.
Samuel Poulter, to Braintree