BLACKMORE, 34 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 704 souls, and 2576 acres of land, of which 90 acres are waste, 92 wood, and 1046 pasture and meadow land. Henry VIII. granted a fair here on the 21st of August, but it is now obsolete. 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 Crickett, 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. 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, 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 after wards passed to the Prestons ; but it now belongs to Mr. Oliver, of London. The Parker, Barrett, Eve, Staines, and other families, have estates in the parish.
The CHURCH (St. Lawrence) is a very ancient building, except the wood-framed tower, which contains five bells, and is crowned by a spire. The nave, aisles, and chancel, form part of the old priory church. In a window, over the door, is a representation of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, in stained glass. On amonument 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 of the late C. A. Crickett, Esq., who are also patrons of the perpetual curacy, which is worth only about £80 a year, though it was augmented with £400, given by Thomas Smyth, Esq. , in 1720, and £200 of Queen Anne’s Bounty. The tithes were commuted, in 1847, for £561 per annum. The Rev. W. Callendar is the incumbent. Here is a neat Baptist Chapel and Infant School, built in 1841, by Mr. Ashley Barrett.
The poor have a house and garden, called Claydon’s, left by George 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 a house and garden in the manor of Paislow Hall, left by William 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 eighteen of the poorest parishioners.
The Bell-rope Piece is half-an-acre, let for 10s. , applied in finding bell ropes.
POST OFFICE at Isaac Humphrey’s.
Letters via Ingatestone
Callendar Rev. William, incumbent
Cannon John, beerseller
Crickatt Miss, Smyth’s Hall
Dowsett Sarah, victualler, Bull
Giblin Misses
Green Thomas, butcher
Manser Ellen, schoolmistress
Maynard Richard, parish clerk
Mihill William, victualler, Leather Bottle
Trotman Rev. William (Baptist)
Trotman William, rustic chair, &c. maker
Wades John
Wade Brown, surgeon
Wiffin Joseph, victualler, Prince Albert
FARMERS. (*Are Owners.)
*Barrett Ashley, Jessops
Bloomfield Charles, Hay Green
*Caton William, Jennings
Chaulk John, Red Roses
Drake Francis, Savages
*Eve James, Wyatt’s Green
Hart William, Esq. Fingrith Hall
Humphrey Isaac, Brick Kiln
Metson Samuel, Quince Hall
Middleton Richard, Wyatt’s
Pearse Thos. A. Esq. Blackmore Hs
Pease John
Skipworth Mrs
Smith Joseph, Wenlocks
Staines George, Ray place
Tuck Alfred, and corn miller
Bakers
Attridge William, and bitcher
Page Thomas
Blacksmiths
Chapman Stephen
Raymond William
Favier Lionel
Favier L. jun.
Samuel Samuel
Carpenters
Bannister John
Brightmore W
Ward Henry
Shoemakers
Brewster William
Burrell James
Mead George
Shopkeepers
Hearn George
Humphrey Isaac
Lapage John
Perry Susan
Carriers
John Lapage to Chelmsford, Monday and Friday
William Scrivener to London, Tuesday & Friday