Henham 1848 Whites directory
HENHAM is a pleasant village, on an eminence, about 2 miles N.E. of Elsenham Railway Station, and 5 miles W.S.W. of Thaxted. It
is sometimes called Henham on the Hill, and its parish contains 855 souls , and 2958 acres of land, of which 162 souls, and 1190 acres , are in PLEDGDON hamlet, which is in Clavering Hundred, and distant 1 mile N.E. of the church. The grounds of the whole parish are generally high, fertile, and well wooded ; and on the north side of it is Little Henham, near the chief source of the river Granta, or Cam. At Domesday survey, the parish was held by Ralph Baynard, Eado Dapifer, and Geofrey de Mandeville, and here are still three manors. Peter Stewart Feake Martin, Esq., of Halstead, is lord of the manors of Henham Hall and the Parsonage, or Rectory; and W. C. Smith, Esq. , of Newport, is lord of the manor of Pledgdon, or Plechedon Hall. An estate called The Broom, was formerly held by the Watts, Blount, and Fell families. Several small copyholders have estates here, subject to arbitrary fines.
The Church is a large Gothic structure, with a massive tower, containing five bells, and crowned by a lofty spire. The nave and aisles are separated from the chancel by a screen ; and the arches of the aisles are supported by massive clustered pillars. Richard Fitzgislebert, gave two parts of the manor of Henham to Little Dunmow Priory ; and his son Walter, appropriated the rectory to the same monastery. At the dissolution, the rectory and advowson were granted to Robert Ratcliffe, Earl of Sussex, and they have since passed to the successive owners of Henham Hall ; P. S. F. Martin, Esq., being the present impropriator, and also patron of the vicarage, valued in K.B. at £17, and in 1831 at £350, and now enjoyed by the Rev. Bradford Denne Hawkins, M.A., of Rivenhall. A farm of 62A. 3R. was bequeathed some years ago, for the benefit of succeeding vicars. The tithes were commuted in 1840, the rectorial for £510, and the vicarial for £331 per annum. The Vicarage House is a slated lath and plaster building. Here is an Independent Chapel, belonging to a congregation formed in 1806 . For clothing and apprentice fees, the poor of Henham have about £25 yearly from Henry Smith’s Charity, as noticed with Braintree. In 1835, the Rev. George Henry Glynn gave a cottage and garden, in trust, that the vicar and churchwardens should distribute the rent in fuel to the poor attending the church ; and having redeemed the land tax charged on the tithes of the hamlet of Pledgdon, to the amount of £6 a year, he gave that annual amount towards the support of the Sunday school. For distribution in bread at Christmas, the poor parishioners have the dividends of £130. 18s. 7d. three per cent. Consols, purchased with £100 left by Sus. Dorothy Dixon, in 1832. For clothing poor old maids and bachelors of Henham and Debden, John Measant, in 1644, gave a cottage, barn, and 6
acres of land, at Debden, now let for £12 a year, which is divided between the two parishes. The National School is an old lath and plaster building.
HENHAM.
(Marked + are in Pledgdon Hamlet. )
POST OFFICE at B. Little’s. Letters desp. 6 evg. via Bishop Stortford
Barker Elizabeth, vict. Star
Bowtell William, Henry, horse dealer & vict. Crown Inn
Bright William, carrier to London
Heard Elizabeth, vict. Cock
Heard Thos. cooper & wheelwright
Little Benj. tailor and parish clerk
Little John, carpenter
Luard Rev. Thos. Garnham, curate
Milbank Charles, saddler
Orger James, butcher
Riley Mrs My. Ann, Mount House
Sprusen Kitty, schoolmistress
Warner Elizabeth, boarding school
FARMERS
Bowtell W. H.
Bush James
Canning William, Old Mead
Collin George, Parsonage
Cowell Peter, Henham Lodge
Houghton John
Houghton Joseph.
Kirkby James
Marshall Chas. Hall
Markwell Joshua, Henbroom
+Mumford John, Pledgdon Hall
Smith William, Little Henham Lodge
Titchmarsh Charles, Green end
Titchmarsh John, Henham Green
BLACKSMITHS.
Dixon Philip
Dixon James
Haydon William
BOOT & SHOE MAKERS
Bush James
Francis Joseph
Holgate Thos.
Knight John
Smith John M.
Ward Benjamin
BEERHOUSES.
+Coston Hannah
Francis Joseph
SHOPKEEPERS
+Coston Hannah
Dennison Peter
PerryHumphrey, & basket maker
Phipps William
CARRIER.
William Bright, to London, Wed