RETTENDON, or Rettenden, parish contains many scattered houses, and most of the village of BATTLE BRIDGE, on the river Crouch, 4 miles N.W. of Rayleigh, 9 miles S.E. by S. of Chelmsford, and 12 miles E. by S. of Ingatestone. The mill and houses on the north side of Battle Bridge are in Rawreth parish. The bridge is of iron, and up to it the river is navigable for barges of 100 tons. Much business is done in coal and corn, and at high tide the water is locked in, and made to turn the machinery of a large corn mill, in its way back to the sea. Rettendon parish contains 775 souls and about 4000 acres of land. The Rev. A. W. Bullen, of Great Baddow, is lord of the manor, which is called Retendune in Domesday Book, and was held by Ely Nunnery, from 673 till the suppression of that monastry. In 1601, it was granted to Richard Barrell, to be held in free socage of the manor of East Greenwich. It afterwards passed to the Cannon, Humphrey, and Ffytche families. The hall, now a farm house, is 1½ mile north of thebridge, and was formerly enclosed in a park, well- stocked with deer. The manor of Little Hayes, below Battle Bridge, has a royalty in the river, and was given by Sir Hy. Saville, Kt. , as part ofthe endowment of two professorships of geometry and astronomy, founded by him at Oxford. Rettendon Place farm belongs to Thos. S. Carter, Esq.; and several other proprietors have free and copy-hold estates here. The Church (All Saints) stands on a bold eminence about a mile north of Battle Bridge, and commands a fine view of the estuary and vale of the Crouch. It has undergone many repairs, and consists of a nave and chancel, with a north aisle, and a fine stone tower at the west end, containing five bells, and having a tiled conical roof rising above its battlements. It is in the perpendicular style, and in the interior are some highly carved old benches, the lower part of an antique screen, and a beautiful piscina.
In the north aisle is a sumptuous marble monument, erected by order of Edw. Humphrey, Esq. , who died in 1727, ” in memory of himself and family. ” It was executed in Italy, and is composed of white and grey marble. 30 feet high and 16 wide.
s composed of white and grey marble. 30 feet high and 16 wide. A full-length male figure reclines on the table, above which are four other effigies, two standing on a pedestal, and two in niches on each side of the Corinthian pillars, which support a canopy, under which are displayed the family arms, military trophies, and various ornaments.
Cherubic forms, emblems of mortality and the resurrection, and weeping infants, are profusely displayed in this fine piece of sculpture. On the floor are effigies, in brass, of Richard Cannon and Richard Humphrey, who died in 1605 and 7. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £32. 6s. 3d., and in 1831, at £800, is in the gift of the Bishop of Ely, and incumbency of the Rev. Samuel Wilkes Waud, M.A. , who has a good residence and 84A. ofglebe. The tithes were commuted in 1841, for £854 per annum. In the parish are two Infant Schools, chiefly supported by the rector’s lady.
Edward Humphrey, Esq. , in 1723, left ayearly rent-charge of £20 out of Rettendon Place Farm, to be paid to a schoolmaster, appointed by the lord of the manor, for teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic, to about 20 poor boys, attending the church, and sons of parishioners not receiving parochial alms. The donor also charged the same estate with the expense of repairing his monument and the ” little chancel” in which it stands, and 20s. a year for the parish clerk keeping them clean. The present school room was built in 1840.
For weekly distributions of bread among poor parishioners, the churchwardens receive about £11 yearly from Cannon’s Charity, as noticed with West Hanningfield, where the poor widows of Rettendon have a yearly rent-charge of 40s. , out of Helman’s farm, left by Ann Humphrey. The poor parishioners, not receiving parish relief, have the rent of 10A. of land, given by an unknown lady, and now let for £16 per annum. At the recent enclosure of the commons, 3 acres were allotted as a recreation ground for the parishioners ; and 2A. for garden allotments. The rents of the latter are to be chiefly applied in aid of the school.
In the following Directory of RETTENDON PARISH, those marked * are at BATTLE BRIDGE.
POST OFFICE at Wm. Pitt’s , Battle Bridge. Letters via Ingatestone and Rayleigh.
Barnard John, blacksmith
Bell Stephen Asser, schoolmaster
*Bone John, carpenter
Borrodell William, brick and drain pipe maker, corn miller and baker
Bowton Elizabeth, blacksmith
Clarke Isaac, wheelwright
Farrow John, swine dealer
Green Thomas, victualler, Bell
Jones Joseph, parish clerk
Kendall John, butcher
*Mann Edward, victualler, Hawk Inn
•Meeson R. W. coal & lime merchant
Murray William, police officer
*Pavitt James, corn miller
Richens Mrs Rebecca
Savill William, carpenter
South Samuel, baker, &c .
Storey William, bricklayer
Waud Rev. Sml. Wilkes, M.A. rector
FARMERS.
Borrodell James, Hall
Borrodell William, Mill Hill
Bourne Richard
Bourne Maria
*Brewitt John
Dove Charles
Chapman James, Hyde Hall
Cleeve Hy. appraiser, Rettendon Place
Drory Joseph
Davey Samuel
Jenkins Samuel, and shopkeeper
Pavitt William
Parker William
Pertwee James Fredk. Brick House
Raven Robert, Hyde House
Rolph Thos. B.
Wright Samuel
BEERHOUSES.
Butters Edward
Davey Samuel
Harrod William – Wheatsheaf
*Havers Joseph
SHOEMAKERS .
*Marsh Abraham
Marsh Daniel
Oddy James’
Pitcher Francis
Wilkin George
SHOPKEEPERS .
*Benson Geo. Js.
Brignall James
Davey Samuel
Griggs Fdk. Ths.
Oddy Solomon
Pitcher Francis
Jenkins Samuel
Pitt William
THATCHERS.
*Benson Samuel
Benson William
Jay Robert
CARRIER
To Chelmsford, Tues. and Fri. Harrod Wm.
Other Carriers pass to Chelmsford, Rayleigh, &c.