Abridge and Lambourne 1863 Whites directory
LAMBOURNE parish comprises several scattered houses near the church, but the chief part of its population is a mile to the west, in the improving village of ABRIDGE, on the south side of the river Roding, 4 miles S. by E. of Epping, and on the London and Ongar road, 13 miles N.E. of the former, and 7 miles S.W. by S. of the latter town. The parish contains 2415 acres of fertile land, and 842 souls. There are many neat modern houses at Abridge, which has its name from the bridge over the Roding, and has a modern chapel of ease, a brewery, and a fair for cattle, &c., on the 2nd of June. In 1050, the manor of Lambourne belonged to Leffi, a Saxon, but at the Conquest, it was given to Eustace, Earl of Boulogne. Colonel W. M. Wood is the present lord of the manor, and resides at Bishop’s Hall; but part ofthe parish belongs to Sir C. C. Smith, Bart. , and several smaller freeholders. The small manor or estate, called Shepes Hall, was long held by the Bishops of Norwich, among whom the earliest who resided here, was the warlike BISHOP SPENCER, who held the estate of Richard II. in capite, as of the manor of Havering, by the service of making sixty perches of the royal park pale with his own timber. This martial ecclesiastic bred to arms in Italy, in the service of Pope Adrian (Nicholas Breakspear), in his wars against the Duke of Milan, obtained from his holiness the bishopric of Norwich, as a reward for his services, in 1370. During Wat Tyler’s rebellion, in 1381, Bishop Spencer put himself at the head of a small body of loyal subjects, and attacking the rebels, by dint of valour, aided by stratagem, made a terrible slaughter, ” beheading some, killing others, and capturing their leader, Littster, a dyer of Norwich, whom he sent to London, and who was there condemned and executed.” The Bishops of Norwich held this estate till 1536, when it was given by Henry VIII. to Lord Chancellor Audley. It now belongs to Colonel Wood, of Bishop’s Hall, which stands on the crown of a bold eminence, commanding fine views of Epping and Hainault Forests, and the surrounding country, as far as the Thames and the Kentish hills. The site of the ancient castellated mansion, which was occasionally occupied by the bishops, is surrounded by a moat, enclosing an area 200 yards square.
The Parish Church (St. Mary and All Saints) is a neat ancient structure, with a nave and chancel of one pace and tiled, and at the west end is a wooden tower, containing three bells, and crowned by a leaded spire. In the interior are many handsome monuments, one of which has a long inscription in memory of Dr. Wynnyffe, Bishop of Lincoln. In the chancel are three beautiful stained glass windows, one containing five pieces of valuable old painting, brought from Basle, in Switzerland, in 1817. Under a square tomb in the churchyard are deposited the remains of Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, who served in the navy more than half a century,and died in 1794, aged 77 years. The church was appropriated about A.D. 1200, by Robert de Lambourne, to the canons of Waltham Holy Cross. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £14, and in 1831 at £500, is in the patronage of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and incumbency of the Rev. James Goodwin ,B.D., who has 35A. 1R. of glebe, and agood residence, with tasteful pleasure grounds. The tithes were commuted in 1840, for £610 per annum. In the village of ABRIDGE is a neat Chapel ofEase, built by subscription, in 1836, at the cost of about £520 ; and another place of worship built byWesleyansin 1833. Here is a National School, and the parish sends three children to the Free School at Chigwell, and twenty to the Charity School at Stapleford Abbots. The poor parishioners have a yearly rent-charge of 10s. out of Prior’s farm, left by one Broomfield. The churchwardens hold a house and 4A. of land, and the former is occupied by paupers, and the latter let for £14, which is applied in the service of the church, as also is a yearly rent-charge of 6s. 8d., left by one Barfoot, out of Sym’s croft ; and the rent of 2A., in Thoydon parish.
ABRIDGE AND LAMBOURNE.
ABRIDGE POST OFFICE at R. Bryant’s, jun. Letters via Romford.
Adlam John Morgan, tailor, &c.
Barrow James, maltster and ale and porter dealer
Bird William, carpenter and beerhouse
Brown Francis, tailor and grocer
Brown Thomas, schoolmaster
Bryant Richard, boot & shoe maker
Bryant Richard, jun. Post Office
Catt William and Co. brewers
Cavill James, wheelwright
Champness Mrs Elizabeth
Davenport Charles, surgeon
Dunn Henry, vict. Blue Boar
Eastwood Jas. coal & corn merchant
Fuller Henry, butcher
Goodwin Rev. James, B.D. rector & rural dean, Rectory
Higgs Daniel, shoemaker
Hudson Frederick Geo. carpenter
Jeffery Richard, baker & corn dealer
Johnson Eliz. Sar. vict. White Hart
Jones Mr John
Lilley Mrs, beerhouse
Mead John, grocer, draper, druggist, and insurance agent, &c.
Newell Charles, carrier & shopkeeper
Noble Jeremiah, blacksmith
Prowse John, parish clerk
Skikelthorpe John, painter, &c.
Skillington William, beerhouse
Towers John, saddler, &c.
Wood Col. William Mark, Bishop’s Hall
FARMERS. (In Lambourne.)
Clarke James
Clark Richard
Crane Samuel
Taylor D.
Eliot Edw. Eliot, Esq. Patch Farm
Horide John, and brick maker
Symonds William
Solomon Joseph
Tinnoth John
Woolton William
COACH from Fyfield, &c. , to London, daily.
CARRIER. Chas. Newell to London, Tues. Thurs. and Sat.