Earls Colne 1848 Whites Directory
COLNE ( EARL’S) or Great Colne, is a large and well built village, pleasantly situated on the south side of the river Colne, and on the Colchester and Halstead road, 9 miles W.N.W. of the former, and 3 miles E.S.E. of the latter town. It is close to the Halstead Branch of the Colchester and Stour Valley Railway, now constructing ; and on the opposite side of the river are the three parishes of Colne Engaine, Wakes Colne, and White Colne. The four Colnes, have their common name from the river Colne, and present a considerable variety of soils, some of which is heavy, but a mixture of sand prevails, both in the lower and higher grounds. Wakes Colne is in Lexden and Winstree Union, and the other three parishes are in Halstead Union.
The parish of Earl’s Colne contains 1385 inhabitants, and 2,959A. 2R. 1P. of land, extending southward to Markshall, and having many good houses. It has a fair on March 25th, and derived the distinctive part of its name from its ancient proprietors, the De Veres, Earls of Oxford. In Edward the Confessor’s time, it was held by Ulwin, a noble Saxon, but Wm. the Conqueror gave it to Alberic or Aubrey de Vere, who married Beatrix, his half sister. The manor continued with the Earls of Oxford, from 1137, till 1583, and they anciently had a mansion here, called Hall Place, near the church and the road leading to Colne Park ; but they afterwards built a house in the Priory Close, where they resided occasionally, till the dissolution of the monasteries.
John, the 12th earl, was attainted and beheaded in 1461 ; but John, the 13th earl, was restored to this and his other possessions, in 1485. Edward, the 17th earl, having wasted his patrimony, sold this manor, in 1583, to his steward, Roger Harlackenden. The heiress of his family carried it in marriage, in 1653, to Daniel Androwes, Esq. It afterwards passed to the Wale and Holgate families, and the heiress of the latter married the Rev. C. Carwardine. Henry Holgate Carwardine, Esq. , the present lord of the manor, has a handsome seat here, called the PRIORY, which stands near the river, on the site of the ancient priory, founded by Aubrey de Vere, about 1100, for Benedictine monks. Having richly endowed it, and made it subordinate to the famous Abbey at Abingdon, in Berkhire, the founder afterwards became a monk on his own foundation, and was buried in the priory church, which was a stately edifice dedicated to St. Mary and St. John the Evangelist, and had two chapels dedicated to Our Lady and St. Peter. When this conventual church was destroyed, some of its monuments belonging to the Earls of Oxford, were removed to the parish church. When suppressed, the Priory was given to the descendent of the founder. The original building was chiefly of timber, hut was pulled down and rebuilt many years ago, and was cased with brick by John Wale, Esq. , about 1650. COLNE PLACE, another neat mansion, is the seat of Mrs. Gee ; and a great part of the parish belongs W. P. Honeywood, Esq., Richard H. Solly, Esq., and several smaller owners. The soil is chiefly freehold.
The CHURCH (St. Andrew,) is an ancient structure, consisting of a nave, chancel, south aisle, and a large square tower, containing six bells. The top of the tower is of flint, and has ornamental carvings of stone at each corner, representing mullets. The interior of the church is neatly fitted up, and has a fine altar-piece, given by Mrs. Wale, and a gallery given by Mrs. Ann Cressener, in 1725. Here are three table monuments brought from the priory church, with effigies, in memory of Earls of Oxford, of whom there were several other marble monuments, said to have been converted into chimney pieces, &c. , after the dissolution of the monastery, for the decoration of the modern mansion, called the Priory. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £8. 10s. 10d. , and in 1831 at £495, was augmented with part of the great tithes, in 1673, by Richard Harlackenden, former patron and impropriator. It is now in the incumbency of the Rev. Rt. Watkinson, B.D., and in the patronage of H. H. Carwardine, Esq. The vicar’s tithes have been commuted for £616 per annum, and the other tithes belong to the patron and other landowners. Here is a Baptist Chapel, belonging to a congregation formed in 1786. Mrs. Gee and Mrs. Watkinson, support National and Infant Schools. The latter was founded in 1838, by Mrs. Gee, who clothes many of the children, and provides them with dinners in the winter months. The parish has also an endowed Free School, and two charities for the poor, as noticed below. ” Colnes United Book Society,” for the four adjacent parishes, was formed in 1846, and has now about 100 members, and 400 volumes. Mr. R. B. Pudney is its honorary secretary.
The FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL was founded by the Rev. Cphr. Swallow, who, in 1539, conveyed to the Earl of Oxford and others, and their heirs and assigns, divers lands and tenements, in the parishes of Stisted, Ardleigh, Messing, Marks Tey, and Coggeshall, on condition that they should maintain a godly and learned man to execute the office of schoolmaster at Earl’s Colne, who should be learned in the Latin tongue and skilful in grammar; and should teach 30 poor children of this and the above-named parishes, without any fee or reward, except the rents and profits of the said lands and tenements. In 1673, the then Earl of Oxford, as surviving trustee and patron of the school, conveyed all his rights and interest therein (in consideration of 100 guineas, ) to George and John Cressener and their heirs. In 1708, John Cressener devised a messuage, (then occupied by the schoolmaster,) together with the perpetual gift of this free school, to Edw. Cressener, in fee. In 1837, Mrs. Beatrice Towle, of London, was the sole trustee and patron of this school, which had then been long conducted merely as a common English school, though it had in former years been in high repute as a Grammar School, and was conducted by two or more clergymen. Some of the Cresseners sold the mastership, and one of them, in 1756, agreed with the master that he was only to receive out of the school revenues a salary of £25, and 20s. per annum for each of the free scholars, provided they did not exceed 15. The property of this charity now com- prises four farms, (170A. , ) and several tenements, in the above-named parishes, let for £188 per annum, for which the master now teaches, as free scholars, 30 boys, selected from the sons of small tradesmen, farmers, and labourers. The Vicar, H. H. Carwardine, Esq.. Archdeacon Burney, O. S. Onley, Esq. , O. Hanbury, and others were appointed trustees by the Court of Chancery, a few years ago, and the school is now well conducted by the master, ( Rev. J. Clarryvince,) and usher, and is numerously attended. In addition to the branches of an English education, such of the free scholars as require it, are also instructed in Latin and Greek.
In 1734, Mary Poynter left in trust with the Overseers of Earl’s Colne, £300, to be laid out in land, &c. , and the yearly proceeds to be distributed among the poor parishioners, not receiving alms. Of this legacy £283 was laid out in the purchase of a farm of 14A. , called Weston’s, at Wickham St. Paul’s, now let for £32, to which is added the interest of £50, saved out of former rents. The clear income is distributed in small sums by the churchwardens, who also distribute in bread a yearly rent- charge of £2, left to the poor by George Cressener, in 1722, out of an estate in Golden lane, London.
Boggis Rev. Thos. , B.A. curate of White Colne
Carwardine Hy. Holgate, Esq. Priory
Cawston Fredk. Harding, plumber, painter, glazier, and agent to Norwich Union & Hailstorm Ins. Cos.
Clark Ths. Thorpe, hair dresser, &c.
Culph William, vict. White Lion
Clarryvince Rev. John, M.A. master of Grammar School and incumbent of Chappel
Dell Rd. Latimer, corn miller, Ford and Chaulkney Mills
Eve William, gentleman
Farrants Zach. , druggist, stationer, grocer, draper, &c.
Fitch My. Blomfield, dressmaker
Foreman Samuel, gentleman
Gardener William, maltster
Gee Mrs Mary, gentlewoman. Colne Place
Hall Thomas, baker
Hume Rev. William Edw. , B.A. incumbent of White Colne
Hunt Robert, iron founder, machine maker, and wheelwright
Kerlogue James, vict. George
King William Dixon, vict. White Hart
Kirk Robert, policeman
Mann Thomas, cooper
May Joseph, blacksmith
Pilgrim William, coal dealer
Platten Thos. Parlett, M.A. curate
Pudney Rt. B. sec. to Book Society
Rogers John, usher, Grammar School
Rogers Zach. bricklayer and maker
Smith Alfred, gentleman
Smith Daniel, auctioneer, furniture broker, leather seller, &c.
Smith Phoebe, plumber, painter, &c.
Smith William, saddler, (and Halstead)
Taylor John Polley and John, jun. surgeons
Thorne Cornelius Josiah, spirit merchant
Turner Miss, schoolmistress
Tyler Jane, schoolmistress
Watkinson Rev. Robt., B.D. vicar and rural dean
Watson Miss, ladies’ school
Wing Thos. tallow chandler
Woodward William, maltster, & agent to Royal Farmers’ & Hailstone Ins. Cos.
Wright Francis, bricklayer
BEERHOUSES.
Barnes Thomas
Crabb John
Sadd Samuel, baker
Smith William Lay
BLACKSMITHS.
James William
White Henry
BUTCHERS
Fairhead Geo.
Fairhead Thomas
Stutter James
Wendon Samuel
CARPENTERS .
Clark Joseph
Hubbard Stpn.
Jarman John
Pudney Major
Wash Philip
FARMERS
Hills Jno. , Green
Hobbs Bedo
Hutley Jtn. (and Rivenhall)
Johnson Oliver, HayHouse
King Thomas
Lay Jno. G. (and Great Tey)
Matthews William , Clay-pits
Nunn Philip
Pudney Rt. Jas.
Quilter Thomas
Revett Jeffry
Taylor Thomas
Tyler Abm.
Woodward William
GARDENERS
Barnes Barney
Barnes Thomas
Moss Thomas
SHOEMAKERS.
Brewer George
Lee Samuel
Rawlinson William
SHOPKEEPERS.
Farrants Zach.
Ladbrook Jas.
Moss Samuel
Smith Daniel
Smith Henrietta
Stedman Robert
TAILORS.
Eminson William
Pilgrim George
Tawell William and Son, (agents. to Star Life Office )
Wendon James
Young Robert
WHEELWRIGHTS.
Coe Zachariah
Surrey William
POST OFFICE at William Tawell’s.
Letters via Halstead daily, per foot post
COACHES, &c. , from Sudbury and Melford to Kelvedon Station every morning, and Buss to Colchester, Halstead, &c., on market days.
Also Carriers to same places and to London from the White Lion three days a week