Hatfield Broad Oak 1848 Whites Directory
HATFIELD BROAD OAK, or Hatfield Regis, is a large ancien village, pleasantly situated on the eastern side of the Pincey Brook,
6 miles S.E. of Bishop-Stortford, and 7 miles N.E. of Harlow and S.W. of Dunmow. It was formerly a market-town, and it still has a fair for lambs, on the 5th of August. Its extensive parish comprises 1,968 inhabitants, and 8,619 acres of land, divided into four quarters, called Town Quarter, Woodrow Quarter, Heath Quarter, and Broomsend Quarter, extending four miles north of the village, and including Broad Street Green, many scattered farm houses, &c. , and a woodland district called Hatfield Forest. The latter is at the north end of the parish, and was long celebrated for its wide spreading oaks, one of which gave the distinctive appellation of Broad Oak to the parish , but it was a venerable ruin when Arthur Young wrote; in whose time Sir John Barrington had in the forest a noble oak, for which a timber merchant had offered 100 guineas. The parish was anciently part of the King’s demesne, whence it derived the name of Regis . J. A Houblon and A. C. Lowndes, Esqrs. are lords of the manors ; but J. F. Selwin, Esq., owns Down Hall estate ; and the Rev. John Cannop, and many smaller proprietors have estates in the parish .
The paramount manor, called Hatfieldbury, remained in the Crown till 1217, when Henry III. granted it to William de Cassingham. It afterwards passed to the Bruce family ; but when Robert Bruce asserted his right to the crown of Scotland, it was seized by Edward I. It was granted by Edward II. to Humphrey de Bohun, Earl ofEssex, and remained many generations with the succeeding Earls, and the Dukes of Buckingham and Earls of Stafford. Edward VI. granted it to the Rich family, from whom it passed, in 1673, to Sir Charles Barrington, who was seated at Barrington Hall, now the seat and property of A. C. Lowndes, Esq. This is a large and handsome mansion, which was built during the last century, in lieu of the ancient hall, now reduced to a farm house. Near the church was a BENEDICTINE PRIORY, founded in 1135, by Alberic de Vere, father of the first Earl of Oxford, and dedicated to St. Mary and St. Melanius Redonensis, a British or Armorican Saint, to whose glory a flourishing abbey was erected at Rennes, in Bretagne. To that abbey Hatfield Priory was originally a cell ; but it is supposed to have been rendered independent of it by the third Earl of Oxford. Its possessions were greatly increased by subsequent benefactors, and on its suppression were valued at £122 13s. 2d. per annum. Henry VIII. granted the site and revenues ofthe Priory to Thomas Noke, whose son Robert sold them, in 1561, to Thomas Barrington, Esq. , whose family had been settled at old Barrington Hall since the time of Henry I. From this mansion, a great part of which was pulled down and the rest converted into a farm house, the Barringtons removed to the Priory, and resided there till about the beginning of last century, when it was taken down, through the misapprehension of a workman, who had been consulted about repairing it. After its destruction, New Barrington Hall was erected, as noticed above. The long room on the ground-floor of this mansion, measures 100 feet by 20, and its ceiling is highly ornamented, and supported by large columns.
The Church (Virgin Mary,) is ahandsome and lofty fabric, of great antiquity, with a stone tower and six bells. The nave has a south aisle, and the chancel has two aisles, with a vestry on either side. Here is the mutilated effigy (carved in wood,) of Robert de Vere, third Earl of Oxford, who was buried in the church in 1221. The writings belonging to the Bar- rington family are deposited in the north vestry, which is supposed to have been part of the priory chapel. In the other vestry is a library,
placed there in 1708, by Sir Chas. Barrington. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £7 11s., and in 1831 at £190, is in the patronage of Trinity College, Cambridge, and incumbency of the Rev. T. F. Hall, M.A., who has about 3 acres of glebe, and a neat residence in the Tudor style, built in 1838-9. The vicar has £30 a year from Dr. Clarke’s Charity. The tithes were commuted in 1839, the vicarial for £100, and the rectorial for £1,775. The latter belong to Trinity College, to which they were granted by Henry VIII.
The great tithes had previously belonged, partly to the priory here, but mostly to that of St. Botolph, in Colchester. At Hatfield Heath is an Independent Chapel, founded by an ejected minister in 1662, and rebuilt in 1725 , and enlarged in 1830. The Rev. C. Berry is the minister. There is a small Independent chapel in the village, built in 1818, and another at the north end of the parish, built about 40 years ago, and now under the ministry of the Rev. John Hanson.
Church, Poor, and Highway Estates : From certain decrees, under a Commission of Charitable Uses, made in the 32nd of Charles II , it appears that various lands and tenements had been long held by this parish, for the repairs of the church and highways, and the relief of the poor ; and part of them are supposed to have been given by Robert de Vere , Earl of Oxford.
This property may be divided into two distinct portions, viz : the church property, and that for the poor and highways. The CHURCH PROPERTY consists of Bridge Foot Farm, ( 86A. IR. 36p.) let for £100, and three closes near Stubbard’s Bush, (9A. 2R. 12P.) let for £11 16s. There is also a sum of £650 three per cent. Consols, belonging to the church estate, purchased with savings of income. The POOR AND HIGHWAY PROPERTY comprises 16A. IR. 37P. , called Brand’s Land, near Taverner’s Green ; five other fields in this parish, containing 14A.; and 7A. 13P. at White Roothing, called Gallilands. These lands are let for about £40 a year, out of which £5 is applied to the highways ; £8 to the National School ; and the remainder to the use of the poor, mostly in aid of the Clothing Club, instituted for supplying the poor with clothing in winter. Out of the land called Gallilands, 8s. is paid for a sermon, and £2 16s. per annum for a weekly distribution of bread, pursuant to the will of John Franck. Ayearly rent-charge of £4, out of Keers farm, in Aythrop Roothing , left by John Gobert, is distributed in bread. The trustees also hold here five cottages, occupied rent free by poor families. The rent of 34. of land on Change Common belongs to six of the poorest labouring men of the parish, pursuant to the will of Thomas Cheveley, who left £24 for that purpose in 1690. Twelve poor aged widows have a yearly rent charge of £1 10s. , left by an unknown donor, out of Braintrees Farm, which comprises about 200A. , and belongs to the Corporation of the Sons of Clergy. The Barrington Almshouse, near the church, is supposed to have been given by one of the Barringtons, and is occupied by five widows, who have small weekly stipends from the poor rates.
POST OFFICE at T. Potter’s. Letters received and despatched by foot post, via Bishop-Stortford. [See also Takeley.]
Andrews Thomas, corn miller
Aylett Thomas, cooper
Aylett Ruth, National School
Baker Nathaniel, bricklayer
Berry Rev Cornelius (Indpt.) Heath
Bird Isaac, carpenter
Boatman John , grocer
Boatman Samuel, tailor
Child Nathaniel , grocer
Clark James, ironmonger & smith
Clark Thomas, wheelwright
Clark William, butcher
Cockett John, shoemaker
Cocks Thomas, surgeon & registrar
Coventry John, surgeon
Dalbry John, schoolmaster
Davey Ephraim Skingle, miller
Hall Rev. Thos. Fras. M.A. vicar
Halsted George, grocer, &c.
Hudson William, wheelwright
King Thomas, cow leech
Lowndes Alan Clayton, Esq. Barrington Hall
Mackenzie G. hair dresser
Mardell John, blacksmith
Marriott Charles , baker
Monk William, tailor & draper
Norris John , beer house
Parker Stephen J. P. surgeon
Perry William, blacksmith , Heath
Porter John, saddler & roper
Potter Thomas, grocer and draper
Reid John, beer house
Reid Thomas, shopkeeper
Searle Richard, blacksmith, Heath
Selwin Jno. Thos. Esq. Down Hall
Smith John, shoemaker
Smith Stephen, tailor
Speller John, saddler; & Mrs. E.
Staines Mrs. Susanna, beer house
Stock Elizabeth, blacksmith
Tizley Charles, baker
Wentworth Richard, wheelwright
White Algernon Holt, Esq. Gladwins
Whybrow Elizabeth, shoemaker
Witham John, grocer, Heath
Wood James, shopkeeper
INNS AND TAVERNS.
Cock, Peter Sullins (maltster)
Duke of Wellington, Chas. Edwards
Feathers , John Button, (chandler)
Old Stag, John Garrett
White Horse, Elizabeth Miller
FARMERS.
Appleton Charles, Matching Barns
Brown Daniel, Heath
Clark Thomas, Bonningtons
Dixon James, Ryes Farm
Eade Henry, Lancaster Farm
Francis George Cole, Braintrees
Francis John, Hatfield Park
Gentry William, Wallisea Farm
Green Mary, Broomshaw
Griggs Noah , Heath
Griggs William, Carters Farm
Hammond John, Waters Farm
Harris John ; and John, jun
Hockley John
Judd George
Judd Stephen Bridgman, Shrubs
Kirkby Samuel, Piggerills
Linsell William, Whitehead’s
Mansfield Elizabeth, Corringalls
Matthews Richard, Ardley- end
Mumford Samuel , Blocks
Murkin Henry, Ongars
Nash Stephen , Heath
Nicholls Martha, Old Barrington Hall
Pamphilon John, Lea Hall
Patmore John Ives, Bennington’s
Patmore Nicholas, Tom by the Woods
Prior J. , Collier street
Speller John, senior and junior
Surridge Daniel , Friars
Surridge John, Crabs Green
Tipler James, Withams
Thurgood Isaac
Webb William, Great Town Farm
Williams Josiah Dore
Wolfe Thomas, Priory
CARRIER, James Clark to London, Monday and Thursday