Ogborne’s History (Part 2). Ongar Hundred: Introduction

Ogborne’s ‘History of Essex’ published in 1817 began to introduce her readers to the parishes in the Ongar Hundred, but she only managed to cover Chigwell, Loughton, Theydon Bois, Theydon Garnon, and Theydon Mount. Volume 1 turned out to be the only one published.

Elizabeth Ogborne wrote as an introduction to Ongar Hundred:

Is said to have received its name from the chief town in it, Ongar, anlientiy written Angrc, derived from the Saxon word Aungre, the place, or probably from the Saxon word Hangre, a hill.

It is bounded on the west by the half hundreds of Waltham and Harlow; on the south by the half hundred of Becontree, and the royal liberty of Havering; on the east by the hundreds of Chafford, Barnstaple, Chelmsford, and part of Dunmow; and by part of the latter and Harlow hundred on the north.

Its extent from north to south is about fourteen miles, and from east to west seven miles. The river Roding runs entirely through it, in a northerly direction, into Dunmow hundred.

This hundred was granted by king Henry II. to Richard de Lucy, sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire, in 1162. He was constituted justice of England, and appointed lieutenant of the kingdom, in 1166, during the absence of Henry in Normandy.

He also possessed the lordship of Ongar, where he built a castle. Hi s sons, Geffrey and Richard, dying without issue, the honours and estates were inherited by his daughter Rohais, wife of Fulbert de Dover, and afterwards fell to her sister Maud, married to Richard de Ripariis, or Rivers; whose descendant John de Rivers, in 1336, enfeoffed John de Havering in it; who, in 1339, granted it to sir John Sutton, of Theydon Mount; from whom it was conveyed to Ralph lord Stafford.

In this family it continued, till Henry earl of Stafford was beheaded for attempting to dethrone king Richard III. in 1483: it then became forfeited to the crown.

King Henry VIII. granted it to Richard lord Riche; with whose heirs it continued for some years, till, in the division of the family estates, it fell to sir Henry St. John; who sold it to Philip Traherne, of whom it was purchased by Eliab Harvey, esq. in whose family it still continues, and is now possessed by vice admiral sir Eliab Harvey, K. C. B.

The Ward-Staff Custom

In this hundred was an antient custom, by which many estates were held, known by the name of the service of the ward-staff, which obliged owners of estates within it to attend personally, or send one or two persons according to their tenures to supply their place.

The ceremony was: A staff carried from Abbess Roding (where further particulars will be given), accompanied with a number of persons, through the different parishes of this hundred; at each of which it rested one night, watched by persons appointed on purpose, and returned again from whence it came.

This was done to represent the king’s person, and to keep the king’s peace, by a yearly muster of fencible men, who were appointed to guard the peace of the hundred from being violated by murders and robberies.

Other estates were held by paying ward-silver. This old custom has been long discontinued.

The Parishes of Ongar Hundred

Ogborne listed the twenty-six parishes as follows:

Chigwell, Loughton, Theydon Bois, Theydon Gernon, Theydou Mount, Lambourn, Stapleford Abbots, Stapleford Taney, Navestock, Kelved Hatch, Stondon, Stanford Rivers, Greensted, Cheping Ongar, High Ongar, Shelly, Bobbingworth, North Weald, Magdalen Laver, High Laver, Little Laver, Moreton, Norton Mandevill, Fifield, Roding Beauchamp, and Roding Abbess.

Ongar Hundred parishes have been listed before, but in modern spelling are:

• Chigwell
• Loughton
• Theydon Bois
• Theydon Garnon
• Theydon Mount
• Lambourne
• Stapleford Abbotts
• Stapleford Tawney
• Navestock
• Kelvedon Hatch
• Stondon Massey
• Stanford Rivers
• Greensted-juxta-Ongar
• Chipping Ongar
• High Ongar
• Shelley
• Bobbingworth
• North Weald
• Magdalen Laver
• High Laver
• Little Laver
• Moreton
• Norton Mandeville
• Fyfield
• Beauchamp Roding
• Abbess Roding