Little Bardfield 1848 Whites Directory
BARDFIELD, ( LITTLE) a small scattered village, in a picturesque and well-wooded country, on the south-west side of the vale of the river Pant, 1½ mile N.W. of Great Bardfield, and 3 miles E. of Thaxted, has in its parish 375 souls, and 1710 acres of land. John Cutts, Esq. , is lord of the manor, and resides at the Hall, a handsome mansion, with pleasant grounds. He is also lord of the manor called Fitzralphs, which extends into Thaxted parish. The manor of Little Bardfield Hall was held at Domesday Survey of the Earl of Boulogne, by Adelolf de Merk. In 1351 , it was given to St. John’s Abbey, Colchester ; and at the dissolution, it was granted to Robert Foster. It afterwards passed to the Chishul, Wale, and Walford families, the latter of whom made great improvements in the hall and gardens. Mr. Hezekiah Smith and several smaller owners have estates in the parish,
and the copyholds are subject to arbitrary fines. A large ancient house, called Mood Hall, which had been a seat of the Chishul, Owen, and Bernard families, was destroyed some years ago.
The Church (St. Catherine,) is a small ancient tiled building, with a tower and two bells. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £11 and in 1831 at £472, is in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. M. Barnard, M.A., who has 67A. of glebe, and a handsome residence, recently much improved. Though he spells his name Barnard, he is the representative of the ancient family of Bernard, who have long been patrons, and five of them incumbents, of the rectory. The tithes were commuted in 1838, for £480 per annum.
In 1774, Mrs. Sarah Bernard, widow of the Rev. Thomas Bernard, by will, directed her executors to cut down all the timber in Halsted Grove, and with the proceeds thereof to erect a School and Almshouses, containing five tenements for five poor widows or single women, and one for the residence of a schoolmistress. She also left 120A. of land (now let for £86 a year, ) in trust to apply the rents yearly as follows, viz.: £4 each to Great Bardfield and Wimbish parishes, for schooling poor children, and the remainder for the support of the above-named School and Almshouses. This charity is almost entirely under the control of the Rector, who has increased the number of almswomen, allowing two to reside in some of the tenements. The schoolmistress teaches 24 free scholars (boys and girls , ) and is allowed about £20 a year. The poor parishioners have a yearly rent-charge of 30s., left by Jeffrey Wale, in 1730, out of a farm now belonging to Mr. H. Smith ; and also 20s. a year out of the Rectory, given by an unknown donor.
LITTLE BARDFIELD.
Barnard Rev. Mordaunt, M.A. rector and surrogate ( and vicar of Great Amwell, Herts. ) Rectory
Clarke Rev. Christopher Somers, M.A. vicar of Lindsell
Cutts John, Esq. Little Bardfield Hall
English Daniel, corn miller
Hayward Henry, wheelwright
Philpott Randyll, beerhouse and shopkeeper
Giblin Joseph, Wedds
Turner Samuel, parish clerk
Turner Sarah, schoolmistress
Wood Charles, beerhouse
Womwell James, corn miller
FARMERS.
Bedlow Richard, Cracknells
French John, King’s Farm
Hynds John, Copt Hall
Letch Thomas, Salmons
Phillips William, Hall Farm
Ruse John, Pitley
Spicer William, Wainfords
[Letters from Great Bardfield.]