Kirby le Soken 1848 Whites Directory
KIRBY-LE-SOKEN, 2 miles W. of Walton-on-the-Naze, and 11 miles S.E. of Manningtree, is a village in two divisions half a mile asunder, called Upper and Lower Streets. Its parish contains 924 inhabitants, and 3874 acres of land, including Pewit and Horsey Islands, in the bay, on the north side of the village, near the promontory called the Naze, and near Kirby Quay, where corn, &c., is shipped. The three adjoining parishes of Kirby, Thorpe, and Walton form a peculiar and manorial jurisdiction, called Liberty of the Soken, which has a separate ecclesiastical court, in which wills are proved and marriage licenses granted. This court may be held every three weeks, or as occasion requires, at Thorpe Church, where the wills, &c. , are deposited ; and a manorial court is held annually, on the 26th of July. The Executors of the late B. Chapman, Esq.,are lords of the manor and liberty, and appoint the Commissary, (now the Vicar,) and a Registrar, now Edw. Chapman, Esq. The origin of this peculiar liberty is traced to the Saxon King Athalstan, who granted it to the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul’s, London, about 940. After the Reformation, it was granted by Edward VI . to Sir Thomas Darcy, with other large estates, when he was created Baron Darcy.
The lord of the liberty has also the privilege that no bailiff can arrest within its limits but his own. There are within it several dependent manors, and those in Kirby parish are Kirby Hall, belonging to W. P. Honeywood, Esq.; Sneating Hall, belonging to the Prebendary of Sneating, in St. Paul’s Cathedral ; and Moreland and Grove House, formerly held by the Reynsforth and Shaw families. Henry Blanshard, Esq. , owns Horsey Island ; and Leonard and Jeremiah Foaker, Esqrs. , P. Bennett, C. H. Barber, H. Burnley, S. Baker, T. Inman, Mrs. Barnard, W. White, and several smaller owners have estates in the parish, mostly copyholds, subject to small certain fines. Horsey Island averages about two miles in length, and one in breadth, and is used for grazing, and near it is Pewit, and another small island, called Holmes, on that side of the bay called Hainford Water. Pleasure fairs are held in the Upper Street, on the 6th, and in the Lower Street, on the 26th of July.
The Church ( St. Michael,) which stands in the Lower Street, being very ancient and much dilapidated, was taken down and rebuilt, except the tower and part of the north wall and chancel, in 1833, at the cost of about £1200. It is now a neat brick structure, with a tower and five bells, and near it is a Sunday School, built in 1828. The vicarage is consolidated with those of Thorpe and Walton- le-Soken. The joint benefices, valued in K.B. at £35, and in 1831 at £513, are in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. Wm. Burgess, B.D., of Thorpe-le- Soken. The Rev. W. L. Coxhead, M.A., is the curate, and resides at the Vicarage House, near which are 4A. of glebe. The tithes of this parish were commuted in 1841, the rectorial for £840 , and the vicarial for £230 per annum. The former belong to W. P. Honeywood, Esq. In the Upper Street is a small Wesleyan Chapel. The poor parishioners have 2A. 2R. of land, left by an unknown donor, and now let for £6 a year. They have also the dividends of about £86 Old South Sea Annuities, derived from £50 left by the Rev. Joseph Avery, in 1719, and arrears of interest.
POST OFFICE at John Down’s. Letters despatched 5 evening by Colchester mail cart
Barnard Mrs. Eliz. & Miss Elizabeth
Barton William, gardener
Bundock Thomas, butcher
Cook John, carpenter
Coxhead Rev. William Langston, M.A. curate, Vicarage
Glendening Robert, furniture broker
Gifford John, bricklayer
Hammond Thomas, vict. Hare & Hounds
Haywood James, vict. Ship
Lee George, master mariner & vict. Red Lion
Lowe Ambrose, butcher
Scowen Joseph, pork butcher
Smith Mary Ann, straw hat maker
Stone Wm. china, &c. dealer
Theobald Thomas, tailor
Wilson John, corn miller
FARMERS.
Barker Samuel Birch Hall
Coates James
Kidbey Edward
Daniels John Dennis, Brick Barn
Foaker Jermh. Esq. Sneating Hall
Hughes Joseph, ( & maltster)
Lowe Ambrose
Stone Sarah
Mumford Robert, Kirby Hall
Warner William Geo. Clark, (coal merchant)
Wilson John, ( & corn miller)
BEER HOUSES .
Button Robert
Mason James C.
BLACKSMITHS.
Howard William
Riddlesdell Eliz.
GROCERS, &c.
Lott Henry
Gifford Sarah
Palmer William
Whitehand William
SADDLERS
Bloom William
Blower Edward
SHOEMAKERS.
Cock William
Mason William
Phipps John, parish clerk
Phipps William
Thompson Robt.
Webb James
WHEELWRIGHTS.
Burgess William
Salmon Thomas
CARRIER to Colchester, Monday, Wed. & Sat. Cooke John