White’s Directory of Essex 1848 – Navestock

We continue our look at the neighbouring parishes in the High Country area. This time it is Navestock.

A pleasant scattered village, from 4 to 5 miles South of Chipping Ongar, and from 5 to 7 miles North North East of Romford, is partly on the south side of the vale of the Roding, and partly on the cultivated heath, which has a hilly surface, and extends southward to the bounds of Havering. Its parish contains 887 inhabitants, and 4152 acres of land, nearly all the property of the Countess of Waldegrave, the lady or the manor, which was granted by Queen Mary, in 1553, to Sir Edward Waldegrave. whose descendant, Sir Henry, was created Baron Waldegrave, in 1626. The son of the latter was created Earl of Waldegrave, in Northamptonsbire, in 1729, and built Navestock Hall, which was a huge and handsome building, which stood in a well wooded park, and was the seat of succeeding Earls, till 1811, when it was pulled down, and the park converted into a farm. The present Earl resides at Strawberry Hill, Middlesex.

The remains of ancient fortification are apparent on Navestock Common, near a high embankment, which has a deep ditch on each side of it.

The Church dedicated to St Thomas is an ancient structure, with a wooden belfrey, containing five bells, and surmounted by a spire of the same material The north door is in the Saxon style. The nave has a south aisle, and in the chancel is a large and handsome mural monument in memory of the two first Earls of Waldegrave, with a long inscription written by her Royal Highness Duchess of Gloucester and Countess Dowager of Waldegrave, relict of the second Earl. Nearly opposite this is a beautiful monument, executed by Bacon, and erected in 1812, in memory of the Hon. Edward Waldegrave, who, after distinguishing himself as a lieutenant under Sir John Moore, in Spain, was shipwrecked of Falmouth. The monument represents a mother weeping over the canteen of her son, which has been washed ashore, and in the background is seen a boy unfurling the British standard. Here are several other memorials of the Waldegraves, and under the north side of the chancel is their family vault, where many of them are interred.

The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £13.3s.9d., and in 1831 at £461, is in the patronage of Trinity College, Cambridge, and incumbency of the Rev. James Ford, B.D., who has an old residence with neat pleasure grounds, and 13A. 30P, of glebe. The great tithes, which belong to the said College, were commuted in 1840 for £574 per annum. The vicar is a lessee, and pays a small quit-rent to the College, and a fine certain of £60.

In 1625. Job Green bequeathed for the use of the poor parishioners, the following property, viz., a house and yard at Brentwood, let for £20; a cottage at Navestock, occupied by paupers; Heathfield Meadow, 4A.3P., let for £10.19s .; Bunn's Field, 4A.25P., let for £7.8s .; Pinksty Field,2A.3R.9P.,let for £4.7s.6d .; and three pieces of meadowland, (3A.2R.18P.) let for £6.3s.3d.The yearly rents amounting to £48.17s.9d., are distributed in shoes, jackets, and fagots. Mr. D. Hicks and others are the trustees. In 1669, Lewis Betts left to the parish two yearly rent-charges out of the Red Lion Inn, at Romford, viz., £1 for the four oldest labouring men, and £2, for apprenticing a poor child. The poor parishioners have a yearly rent-charge of 20s., out of Dycott's Farm, (belonging to Sir R.D. Neave,) left by an unknown donor; and eight poor persons, not receiving alms of the parish, have the dividends of £275 three per cent. Reduced Annuities, left by Elizabeth Prince, in 1796. The vicar and churchwardens are trustees.

List of Inhabitants - 1848

• John Crouchman, baker and shopkeeper
• Rev. James Ford B.D., Rectory
• James Harris, schoolmaster and parish clerk
• William Heslop, carpenter
• James Hide, blacksmith
• Henry Knightbridge, butcher
• Lucy Lash, victualler and shopkeeper, Plough
• Richard Roach, gentleman
• Thomas Sadler, corn miller
• James Smith, victualler, Green man
• John Stearn, baker, etc
• Henry Toulmin, Esq., Dudbrook House
• James turner, shopkeeper

Farmers.

• John Bull, Hall Farm
• Cornelius Fitch
• John Dove
• Daniel Hicks
• John Mott
• John Hicks, Gold Hall
• Robert Jackson, Hawlets Hall
• Charles Pratt, Loft Hall
• Joshua Pryor
• Thomas Randell
• Charles Seal
• William Seal
• Litchfield Tabrum, Bois Hall
• Henry Tyrell
• Robert Weatherall