Blackmore 1848 Whites directory

Blackmore 1848 Whites directory

BLACKMORE, 3 and a half miles W.N.W. of Ingatestone, and E. by S. of Chipping Ongar, is a pleasant village, though in a low situation. It has in its vicinity numerous springs, strongly tinctured with sulphate of iron, and forming the chief sources of the river Can. Its parish contains 709 souls, and 2,576 acres of land, of which 90 acres are waste , 92 wood, and 1,046 pasture and meadow land. Henry VIII granted a fair here on the 21st of August, and it now continues three days – two for cattle, and the last for pleasure. The small hamlets of Hook end and Wyatt’s Green, are on the south-side of the parish. The soil is in several manors, and belongs to the Crickitt, Parker, Vickerman, and other families. Here was a Priory for canons regular of the Augustine order, founded by Sir John de Saundfort, in the reign of Henry II. It was dissolved in 1527, when its revenues were valued at £85. 9s.7d. and granted to Cardinal Wolsey, but on his attainder, the possessions of the priory again reverted to the Crown, and were granted, in 1540, to John Smyth , Esq. , whose family was long seated at Smyth’s Hall, now belonging to the representatives of the late Chas. Alex. Crickitt, Esq.,together with the manor of Copsheaves. Near the churchyard is Blackmore House, which, with the manor of Blackmore, belonged to the priory, and was afterwards one of the houses of pleasure to which Henry VIII. resorted, and where his natural son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset was born. When the king was here, his courtiers said he was gone to Jericho, a bye-name which the house still retains ; and the small river Can, which runs near it, is sometimes called the Jordan. The Smyths sold this mansion to Sir Jacob Acworth, who modernised and greatly enlarged it. His daughter conveyed it in marriage to Sir Geo. Wheate, and it afterwards passed to the Prestons ; but is now the seat of C. R. Vickerman, Esq. The manor of Fingreth, on the north-side of the parish, belongs to the devisees ofthe late C. G. Parker, Esq. , and was long held of the king, in capite, by the grandsergeanty of being cham- berlain to the Queen, and of keeping the door of her chamber on the day of her coronation.
The CHURCH (St. Lawrence,) is a very ancient buildtng, except the wood-framed tower, which contains five bells, and is crowned by a spire. The nave, aisles, and chancel, form part ofthe old priory church. In awindow, over the door, is a representa- tion of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, in stained glass. On amonu- ment in the chancel , are full length effigies of Thos. and Margaret Smyth, who died about 1594. The rectory is a lay impropriation, valued in K. B. at £6. 13s. 4d. , and belonging to the representatives ofthe late C. A. Crickitt, Esq. , who are also patrons of the perpetual curacy, which is worth only about £80 a year, though it was augmentedwith £400 given by Thos. Smyth, Esq , in 1720, and £200 of Queen Anne’s Bounty. The tithes were commuted in 1847, for £561 per annum. The Rev. Bridges Harvey is the curate. Here is aneat Baptist Chapel and Infant School, built in 1841, by Mr. Ashley Barrett.
The poor have a house and garden, called Claydon’s, left by Geo. Callice, in 1580,for the use of six resident paupers. For distribution in coals, they have about £44 yearly, as the rent of the Bull Public-house and 10A. of land, left by Thos. Almond, in 1728. For distribution in bread, they have 10s. a year out of a farm at High Ongar, left by Humphrey Waller, in 1601 ; £2 out of a farm here, called Copyhold, left by John Simonds, in 1606; and about £4 a year from ahouse and garden in the manor of Paislow Hall, left by Wm. Peacock. The latter was charged with the yearly payment of 20s. each to Blackmore and High Ongar, for the poor, but was purchased by this parish in 1724, subject to these charges. For eight poor women of Blackmore, Sir Walter Powell, in 1618, left a yearly rent charge of 40s., and it is now paid out of an estate here, called Smyth’s Hall. A yearly rent charge of £3.5s. out of land belonging to T. Marthams, Esq., was purchased with £65 given by various donors, and is distributed among 18 of the poorest parishioners.
The Bell-rope Piece is half an acre, let for 10s., applied in finding bell ropes.

(Marked * are land owners.)
Abel William, vict. Leather Bottle
Alexander Eliz. Infant School
Barrett Miss Sarah
Barlow Mrs.
Burrell James, vict. Bull Inn
Bush William, gentleman
*Crickitt Miss, Smyth’s Hall
Elsden William, beer seller
Gill Wm. Richard, surgeon
Gray Elizabeth, ladies’ school
Horsnell William, blacksmith
Longbourne W. T., gent . Priory
Snow George Richard, butcher
Scrivener Elizabeth , carrier
Wilson William, collar maker
Wright James, tailor
*Vickerman Charles Ranken, Esq. ,
Blackmore House

FARMERS.
*Barrett Ashley, Jessops

*Caton Henry, Hey Green
Caton William, Wenlocks
Chaulk John, Red Roses
Chaulk Wm. Robert, Hook end
Damyons Isaac, Elton’s Green
Drake Francis, Savage’s
*Eve James, Wyatt’s Green
Gandy William, Hyde Farm
Greenwood William, Great Wyatts
Hailes James, Stubbings
Humphrey Isaac, Brick-Kiln
Humphries Richard, Fingreth Hall
Lawrence William, Spriggs
Osborne Frederick, Hook- end

BAKERS .
Attridge William
PageThomas
Page William

BRICKLAYERS.
Favier Lionel
Favier L. , jun.
Maynard Joseph

• Samuel Samuel

CARPENTERS .
Bannister John
Bannister William
Pigram George
Turner Joseph

SHOEMAKERS.
Brewster William
MeadGeorge
Wheal Joseph

SHOPKEEPERS:
Perry William
Richards William
Smith Josiah

POST OFFICE
at Henry Mulcock’s. Letters daily, via. Ingatestone.