Aldham 1848 Whites Directory

Aldham 1848 Whites Directory
ALDHAM, a small pleasant village, from five to six miles W. of Colchester, and 4 miles E.N.E. of Coggleshall, has in its parish 382 souls, and about 1790 acres of fertile land, crossed by the Colchester and Stour Valley Railway, and including the village of FORD STREET, where there is a mill and a bridge on the river Colne, 5 miles W. by N. of Colchester, and where a fair is held on Easter Tuesday. Ford Street is sometimes called Little Fordham, being now connected with Fordham, on the opposite side of the Colne, by a good bridge, on the site of an ancient ford. Aldham parish has its name from the Saxon, Old-ham, or Old village, and was held by the Bishop of Bayeux, brother to the Conqueror, at the time of the Norman survey. It was afterwards held of the Earls of Oxford, as part of their barony of Castle Hedingham. It is now in two manors, viz. , Aldham Hall and Bourchier’s Hall, and T. B. Western, Esq. , of Felix Hall, Kelvedon, is lord of both ; but Mrs. Bygrave, of Danbury, Messrs. W. Austin, J. Lay, R. Blacklock, and A. N. Mayhew, and several smaller owners, have estates here. The soil is mostly freehold. Aldham Hall, now a farm-house, is nearly a mile east of the church, and belonged successively to the Wiggeton, Goldington, Cornwallis, Glascock, and other families . Bourchier’s Hall, near Ford Street, was anciently a seat of the Bourchier family, and afterwards of the Sayers, Marshams, &c. A great part of it was pulled down many years ago, when the remainder was converted into a farm-house.
The Church is an ancient structure, which has undergone many repairs. It has a nave, south aisle, and chancel, with a wooden turret, rough cast, containing two bells. It had anciently a chapel on the north side, but being ruinous, it was taken down many years ago. This chapel was founded by the Atteye or Tey family, and dedicated to St. Ann. Morant, the historian of Essex, was rector here, and there is a marble tablet to his memory in the chancel . The rectory, valued in K.B. at £12, and in 1831 at £357, is in the patronage of the Bishop of London, and incumbency of the Rev. Chas. Bannatyne, M.A., who has about 23 acres of glebe, and a neat residence in the Elizabethan style, with pleasant grounds. The tithes have been commuted for £410 per annum.
Love’s Charity : In 1565, Thos. Love left £120 to be laid out in land, and the yearly proceeds thereof to be divided equally among the 12 parishes of Aldham, Great and Little Horkesley, Boxted, Langham, Wormingford, Fordham, Lexden, West Bergholt, Nayland, Mount Bures, and Ardleigh, for distribution among the poor, This legacy was laid out in the purchase of about 26A. of land in Lexden, close to the town of Colchester, let for £30 a-year from 1828 to 1842 ; but now greatly increased in value, being in great demand for building purposes. A trustee is chosen by each of the 12 parishes interested in the charity. The share belonging to Aldham is distributed among the poor parishioners in bread and blankets. The poor of Aldham have also a farm of 16A. OR. 16p. given at an early period by an unknown donor, and now let for £22 a-year. After deducting £2 for repairs, the rest is divided in shares of 25s. each to 16 poor parishioners who have been married upwards of five years, and do not receive parochial relief. T. B. Western, R. Lay, and others are the trustees.

ALDHAM.
Those marked + are in FORD ST., and § are Land Owners.
Bannatyne Rev Chas. , M.A. Rectory
+Bibby Enoch, saddler, &c.
+Cansdale James, tailor, Post Office
+Clark William, butcher and vict. Queen’s Head
Everett Jonathan, butcher
+Green Thos. & James, corn millers
+Hawkes Peter, cooper, hoop maker, and vict. Coopers’ Arms
+Hellen Geo. Green, coach builder
Howe William, parish clerk
+Johnson Thomas James, maltster
Ladbrook Samuel, wheelwright
+Lambert Abraham, schoolmaster
Lovell John, toll collector
+Potter Edward, blacksmith
Scillitoe James, seed grower, &c.
Stonhall John, shoemaker

BAKERS.
+Mann Alfred
+Rivers James

FARMERS.
Bentley Samuel, Hill farm
Farrow John
Hellen Geo. Hoo
Hellen Mrs M.A. Bourchier’s Hill
§ Lay John G.; house Great Tey
Lithgow George ; house Stanway
Mayhew Augor
Negus, Church House
+Miles Jas. , jun.
Pettit Jn. , Checkley
Sharp John

SHOPKEEPERS.
+Deeks William
+Forster Ebenezer
Harris Jabez
+Powell Henry

POST- OFFICE, Ford street, Post from Halstead.