Fingringhoe 1848 Whites directory
FINGRINGOE is a pleasant village on the south side of the Roman river, and the west side of the vale of the Colne, 4 miles S.S.E. of Colchester. It has a pleasure fair on Easter Monday, and its parish contains 581 souls, and 2863 acres of land, extending more than a mile eastward to the banks of the river Colne, where there is a ferry to Wivenhoe ; and southward to the salt marshes, bordering on two small creeks of the Colne Fishery, called North and South Geedon. The manor was granted by Edward the Confessor to the abbey of St. Oven, in Normandy, which had a cell or priory at Mersea. In 1414, Henry the Fifth gave it to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who made it part of the endowment of his college at Higham Ferrers. Henry VIII. gave it to Robert Dacres, Esq. , and from his family it passed to the Darcy, Savage, and other families. Sir Robert Affleck, Bart. , is now lord of the manor, but part of the soil belongs to Sir G. H. Smyth, Bart. , Major Brock, Rev. Robert Firmin, Mr. B. Page, and several smaller owners, mostly copyholders, subject to certain fines. The hall is now a farm-house. On the Wick farm, old coins, foundations of buildings, and other ancient relics, have often been found ; as well as beds of oysters, at a considerable depth below the surface.
The Church (St. Andrew,)is a fine antique fabric, with a nave, chancel, side aisles, and a tower of flint and stone. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £13. 7s. , and in 1831 at £140 , is in the incumbency of the Rev. J. M. Leir, B.A. , and patronage of Mrs. Firmin and Mrs. F. G. Kelly. The latter is also impropriator of the rectory. There is no vicarage-house, and the glebe is only 7A. The rectorial tithes have been commuted for £398, and the vicarial for £176 per annum. The Church Lands, given by unknown donors, at an early period; and the Poor’s Lands, given by Giles Sayer, in 1708, are copyhold ; and the trustees for many years applied all the rents in repairing the church, but in 1832 the property was divided. That belonging to the church now consists of 10A. 2R. 8P .. let for £11 ; and that belonging to the poor comprises 8A. 1R. 20P. , let for £10 . 10s. , and eight tenements, with gardens, let to the overseers for £10, and occupied bypoor families. There is also an allotment of 2A. 1R. 5P., awarded at the enclosure, in 1816, and let for £2, which is divided equally between the church and poor.
For a weekly distribution of bread, the poor have a yearly rent-charge of 52s. , left by George Frere, in 1655, out of the manor.
Fookes Joseph, smith and parish clerk
Gunner John S., relieving officer
Hellen George, miller ( and Aldham)
Jennings Thomas, shoemaker
Leir Rev. John M., B.A., vicar
Mann John, gentleman
Payne James, vict , Whalebone
Robinson Mrs., gentlewoman
Shead William, carpenter and builder
Simson Mrs., gentwoman , Hall
Wade Charles, wheelwright
FARMERS.
Clark Elijah
Cole Abraham
Green Daniel Abbott
Hardy James
Jaggard William
Page Benjamin, West House
Shearman Robert
Stone William Hy.
Simson John
Tettrell George
Vince James
GARDENERS.
Abrey William
Clark William
Greenwood William
POST from Colchester, daily