Roydon 1863 Whites directory
ROYDON, a pleasant village, is picturesquely seated in the beautiful vale of the river Stort, four miles S.E. of Ware, and five miles W.S.W. of Harlow; and has a Station on the North Eastern branch of the Eastern Counties Railway. Its parish contains about 900 inhabitants, and 2994 acres of land, of which about 370 souls and 1303 acres are in Roydon Hamlet, which forms the south side of the parish, and is in Waltham Hundred, near the confluence of the rivers Lea and Stort. The Earl of Mornington is lord of the manor of Roydon Hall; and J. A. Houblon, Esq. , is lord of the manors of Nether Hall and Doune Hall, but a great part of the parish belongs to Chas. Phelips, Esq. , and several smaller owners. The copyholds are subject to certain fines. In Edward the Confessor’s reign the parish belonged to Inguar and five other freemen ; and at Domesday survey it was held by Ranulph, brother of Ilger. Roydon Hall manor was granted by Henry I., in 1285, to Robert Fitzwalter, who obtained a charter for a market here every Thursday, and a fair on August 1st and 2nd, but both have long been obsolete. The old hall was pulled down in 1861. Roydon Lodge, a handsome modern mansion, is the seat of B. M G. Willcox, Esq. , M.P. Near the confluence of the two rivers are the ruins of NETHER HALL, which was long the seat of the Colt family. The ancient mansion, which had been converted into a farm house, was demolished in 1773, except the elegant gateway tower, which was of highly ornamented brick work, but fell down some years ago.
The Church (St. Peter) is a neat structure, consisting of a nave, north aisle and chancel, with a square embattled tower, containing six bells. It was thorougly repaired in 1854. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £12, and now at £150, is in the patronage of the Earl of Mornington, and incumbency of the Rev. Alfred Pyne, B.A., who has a small residence, but no glebe. The patron is impropriator of the great tithes, which are commuted for £637, and the small tithes for £150 per annum. In 1729,
the vicarage was augmented with £200 of Queen Anne’s Bounty, and £200 given by the Duchess Dowager of Marlborough. Here is an Independent Chapel. The FREE SCHOOL was foundedby John Manning, in 1767, and has a house and garden, occupied by the master, and an endowment of £17 per annum, derived from two cottages, a barn, and about 31 A. of land. There are 16 free scholars (boys and girls) appointed by the vicar. The poor have a yearly rent charge of 6s. 8d. out of “Newman’s Land,” left by Robert Adams. A house and 3A. 3R. of land, called the Church Estate, are let for £10 17s. per annum, which is carried to the churchwarden’s accounts.
ROYDON PARISH.
Those marked 1 are in Roydon Hamlet
POST OFFICE at Mr Charles Roe’s. Letters via Ware.
Barltrop James, shopkeeper and smith
Borham George, shopkeeper
Camp William Chas. grocer & draper
Collin Thos. Esq. Mount Pleasant
Cook Abraham, shoemaker
1 Cook David, shoemaker
Dowsett Samuel, blacksmith
Fairchild James, bricklayer
Franklin Curtis, corn dealer
Garratt Samuel, corn miller
Hills Thomas, carpenter & builder
Keep William, machine owner
Lawrance William, baker, &c.
Moore Thomas, butcher
Neale Robert, grocer and draper
Pamphilon John, plumber, glazier, insurance agent, &c.
Price John, station master
Pyne Rev. Alfred, B.A. vicar
Roe Charles, free schoolmaster
1 Saling John, blacksmith
Sibley Joseph, gent. Roydon Hamlet
Webb John, carrier to London
Willcox Brodie McGhie, Esq. M.P. Roydon Lodge
INNS AND TAVERNS.
1 Black Swan, Simon Cannon, saddler
Fox & Hounds (commercial) , Joseph. Foster
New Inn, Charles Speller
White Hart, James Cornell
BEERHOUSES.
1 Corfield Charles
1 Adams James
1 Bruty Edith
Goodhew Eliz.
1 Harris James
1 Traveller Thomas – Plough
FARMERS .
1 Acres George
Acres John
1 Adams James
Berry C. J.
Brown John
1 Brown Joseph
1 Bugg Richard, and farrier
Bull John
1 Coleman George
1 Cornell Jno. Pp.
Enever Thomas
1 Holmes John
1 Holmes Joseph
1 Legerton William
Mason William
Noble Rd. Geo.
Parish John
Parish William G.
Patmore James
Patmore William
1 Sessions James
1 Whitehead H. J.
RAILWAY.
Trains several times a day.