Lexden Hundred 1863 Whites Directory
LEXDEN HUNDRED
Is one of the largest in the North Division of Essex, being about 13 miles in length, from east to west, and from 8 to 10 in breadth. On the north it is separated from Suffolk by the river Stour, and it is bounded on its other sides by the Borough of Colchester, and Tendring, Winstree, Thurstable, Witham, and Hinckford Hundreds.
The river Colne flows eastward, in a fine vale, through the heart of the Hundred, and receives here many tributary streams; and the Blackwater forms part of the western boundary, at and near the small town of Coggeshall. The Eastern Counties and Eastern Union Railways traverse it eastward from Kelvedon to Colchester, &c.; and from Marks Tey and Chappel, rails extend northward to Sudbury, Halstead, &c. Lexden Hundred is chiefly included in that district of the county which is well adapted to the culture of turnips, and yields large crops of grain in wet seasons; the soil being mostly a dry gravelly loam, and the surface undulated, and in some parts well wooded. It has its name from the village of Lexden, which is in the Borough of Colchester. Henry II. granted the bailiwick of the Hundred to Robert de Argillum, and it afterwards passed to the Gernon, Peyton, Audley, and Smyth families.
The manors belong to various lords, and the soil to numerous free and copyholders. Among the principal proprietors are Lord Ashburton, the Dowager Countess Cowper, the Earl of Verulam, Thos. White, Esq. , T. B. Western, Esq. , and C. G. Round, Esq. Petty Sessions are held in Colchester, and Mr. W. Howard is clerk to the magistrates. Ecclesiastically, this Hundred is in the Diocese of Rochester, Archdeaconry of Colchester and Deanery of Lexden, the latter of which is divided into the Rural Deaneries of Coggeshall, Colne, Dedham, and Mersea. It is in two Divisions, under two high constables ; and in Colchester Division of the County Constabulary Force. It contains about 63,000 acres, and 24,200 souls, and is divided into thirty parishes, of which the following is an enumeration, showing their territorial extent, their population in 1861, and their assessed annual value in 1848.
LEXDEN HUNDRED Witham Division .
Acres. Popolation in 1861 Acres.
Witham Division
+Aldham 2040 406
Chappel 1130 370
+Coggeshall(Great) 2770 3679
§Colne, Earl’s 2910 1540
§Colne, Engaine 2920 627
+Colne, Wakes 1430 535
§Colne, White 1730 400
Copford 2350 775
§Feering 2430 804
§Inworth 1430 655
§Markshall 910 42
§Messing 2230 813
§Pattiswick 1640 316
Tey Great 3040 818
Tey Little 410 63
Tey Marks 1350 396
Bergholt West 2271 906
Birch Great & Little 2940 940
Boxted 3120 935
Dedham 2660 1734
Donyland (East) 1430 1052
Easthorpe 1300 144
+Fordham 2460 782
Horkesley (Great) 2880 769
Horkesley (Little) 1060 253
Langham 3100 862
Mount Bures 1430 301
Stanway 3440 964
Wivenhoe 1840 1838
Wormingford 2410 503
Total Colchester.Div. 32,240 11,983
Witham Div. 29,820 12,239
GRAND TOTAL 62,060 24,222
*Those marked * are in the Liberty of the Duchy ofLancaster, as also are some of the manors in some of the other parishes.
*Stanway return included 238 persons in Lexden and Winstree Union Workhouse.
§ UNIONS : Colne-Engaine, Colne-White, and Colne-Earls, are in Halstead Union ; Pattiswick is in Braintree Union; Coggeshall, Feering, Inworth, Markshall, and Messing, are in Witham Union ; and all the other 21 parishes of this Hundred are in Lexden and Winstree Union.
COUNTY COURTS. All the twelve parishes in Colchester Division are in Colchester County Court District, as also are Aldham, Chappel, Wakes and White Colne; Copford, Feering, Messing, and Great, Little, and Marks Tey parishes. Inworth is in Maldon District, and the others are in Braintree County Court District.
The High Constables of Lexden Hundred are-Joseph Norfolk, of Birch, for Colchester Division; and T. S. H. Abrey, of Witham, for Witham Division.
LEXDEN AND WINSTREE UNION comprises 21 parishes in Lexden Hundred, and also all the 13 parishes of Winstree Hundred ; as well as that of Brightlingsea, in Tendring Hundred. Its 35 parishes comprise about 70,000 acres of land and 22,922 inhabitants. The following is a list of its parishes, with the population of each in 1861 : –
Parishes. Population
Abberton, 269
Aldham, 406
Bergholt West 906
Birch 940
Boxted 935
Brightlingsea 2557
Chappel 370
Colne Wakes 535
Copford 775
Dedham 1734
Donyland (East) 1052
East Thorpe 144
Fingringhoe 670
Fordham 782
Horkesley (Great) 769
Horkesley (Little) 253
Langenhoe 169
Langham 862
Layer Breton 298
Layer de la Haye 807
Layer Marney 276
Mersea (East) 305
Mersea (West) 929
Mount Bures 301
Peldon 501
Salcott 188
Stanway * 934
Tey (Great) 818
Tey (Little) 63
Tey (Marks) 396
Virley 67
Wigborough, Great 428
Wigborough, Little 92
Wivenhoe 1838
Wormingford 503
Total 22,922
* Stanway parish return included 238 in the Union Workhouse.
LEXDEN AND WINSTREE UNION had only 21,655 souls in 1851, but in 1861 they had, as shewn in the above enumeration of its 35 parishes, increased to 22,922, comprising 11,203 males , and 11,719 females, living in 4965 houses, besides which there were 154 uninhabited houses in the Union, when the last census was taken.
The whole union is assessed to the county rates at the annual value of more than £108,000. The UNION WORKHOUSE is at Stanway, and is a large brick building, erected in 1837, at the cost of about £6000. Its hospital has been enlarged and its grounds much improved. It has room for about 300 paupers. Mr. William and Mrs. Kingsbury are the master and matron ; and the Rev. J. S. Dolby, M.A., is the chaplain . The BOARD of GUARDIANS meet every Wednesday in winter and every alternate Wednesday in summer.
William Howard, Esq. , of Colchester, is the union clerk and superintendent registrar. Messrs. Charles Arthy, of Boxted; William Croyden, of Fingringhoe ; and Samuel Houlding, of Stanway, are the relieving officers. The two latter and Mr. Chas. Fitch, of Dedham, are the registrars of births and deaths. Mr. Houlding is also registrar of marriages for the whole union. Of late years the annual expenditure of the Union has averaged more than £11,500, including about £1250 paid for county rates, and £1100 for salaries and other common charges.