Greensted 1863 Whites directory
GREENSTED is a small scattered village and parish, about 1 mile W. of Chipping Ongar, from which it is commonly called Greensted near Ongar, to distinguish it from Greensted near Colchester. It has only 136 inhabitants, and 674 acres ofland, rising boldly from a tributary stream of the river Roding. At the Domesday survey it belonged to Hamo Dapifer, and it afterwards passed to the Lucy and other families. Captain P. J. Budworth is lord of the manor, and resides at the Hall, a large and handsome mansion, with tasteful pleasure grounds.
The Church (St. Andrew) is supposed to be one of the oldest in England, though the nave is constructed of half trunks of oaks, about a foot and a half in diameter, split and roughly hewn at each end, to let them into a sill at the bottom, and into a plank at the top, where they are fastened with wooden pegs. This primitive part of the fabric is 29 feet 9 inches long, 14 feet wide, and 5½feet high, on the sides, which supported the original roof. At the west end is a boarded tower, but the chancel is now of brick. Both sides are strengthened by brick buttresses, and on the south is a wooden porch. The roof is of later date, and tiled, but rises to a point in the centre, as originally formed. The chancel has a blunt pointed doorway, with mouldings curiously worked in the bricks. The whole structure was restored about fourteen years ago. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £6 13s.4d , and in 1831 at £280, has 28A. of glebe, and a handsome Rectory House, of white brick, built in 1838, at the cost of about £2000.
The patronage is vested in trust with the Bishop of London, and the Rev. Pp. W. Ray, M.A., is the incumbent. The tithes were commuted in 1842. The poor have two yearly rent-charges, viz.: 5s. out of 34. at Stanford-Rivers, left by Robert Petit; and £2 out of Lee-fields, left by Richard Bourne, in 1660.
Post from Ongar.
Budworth Capt. Pp. John, Hall
Holt William, parish clerk
Piggott William, thatcher
Ray Rev. Pp. William , M.A. , rector
Sargent St. Geo. Armstrong, schoolmaster
Smith William, Esq.
FARMERS.
Biddell George, Hall Farm
Brown William, New House
Thorogood Henry, Hardings
Webster Mrs Mary Ann, Lodge