Philip Morant was born in Jersey in 1700, and after he was ordained in 1722 he took up a curacy at Great Waltham, near Chelmsford. As a member of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, Morant proceeded M.A. in 1729. In 1724 he presented to Edmund Gibson, Bishop of London, a manuscript 'Answer to the First Part of the Discourse of the Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Religion, in a Letter to a Friend.' The Bishop of London, impressed by Morant's argumentative power and antiquarian learning, conferred much patronage on him. On Gibson's recommendation he was, in 1732, nominated by Queen Caroline to the chaplaincy of the English Episcopal church in Amsterdam, which he retained until 1734.
He was presented to the rectory of Shellow Bowells (near Willingale) in 1733, to the vicarage of Broomfield in 1733-4, and to the rectory of Chignal Smealey (near Chelmsford) in 1735,
In 1737 he became both the Rector of St Mary-at-the-Walls, Colchester as well as Rector of Aldham. He retained the living of both parishes until his death in 1770
During his time in Colchester, Morant wrote The History and Antiquities of Colchester, published in 1748; and The History and Antiquities of the County of Essex, published in two volumes between 1763 and 1768.
He married Anne Stebbing in 1739 and they had a daughter, Anna Maria. In 1755, Philip Morant was elected to the Fellowship of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
On the recommendation of his son-in-law, Thomas Astle, Morant was entrusted by a committee of the House of Lords with the preparation for the press of the ancient records of parliament. His knowledge of Norman French and skill as a palæographer qualified him for the work. He was responsible for the text and notes of the edition of the 'Rotuli Parliamentorum' during the period 1278-1413.
He died at South Lambeth on 25 Nov. 1770, and was buried in Aldham Church.
What Morant says about the High Country Parishes
Greensted
The church was by Act of Parliament, in the year 1548, consolidated and united to that of Cheping-Ongar; and the reasons alledged in the Act., were, “because the profits of the church at Cheping-Ongar were not sufficient to find a Priest, being not above £6 in the King’s books; and because the charges of the repairs, ornaments, and other accustomed duties to that church, and the church at Grinsted, (which was of the same value, or little more, and stood but a quarter of a mile distant from it, and commodious for the access of the parishioners of Ongar), were much greater than could be raised or born among such poor parishioners. It was therefore enacted, that the church of Chipping-Ongar should be dissolved, and the church of Grinsted made the parish church, as well for the parishioners of Ongar as those of Grinsted; and the advowson of Ongar was thereby invested in the patron of Grinsted, viz. the Lord Rich, his heirs and assigns.”
But this consolidation, or union, was dissolved by another Act, made in the year 1554; in the preamble of which, it is said, that one William Morris, Esquire, then patron of the church of Chipping Ongar, and Member of Parliament, did, by sinister labour and procurement, get the Act for the consolidation.
This rectory was, for many years appended to the maner. Some time ago, it was purchased by Mr. Pratt, Minister of Saint Botolph’s, Aldgate; and settled so, that upon every vacancy, it is to be given to the Curate of that church.
There belongs to it a glebe of twenty-eight acres.
This parish is rated to the land-tax at £328.3s.0d.
Stanford Rivers
This valuable rectory was, from the first, in the gift of the Crown. Queen Mary 1 annexing to the Duchy of Lancaster, 15th of April 1558, the lordships of Stanford-Rivers, Stanford-hall, Traceys, Bridges, and Piggesland, from that time the advowson of this rectory hath been in the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
The parish of Stanford-Rivers is rated to the land-tax at £2667.
William Green, citizen and merchant taylor of London, gave to twelve of the poorest inhabitants of this parish, 40s. a year, for ever, payable from certain lands and tenements in St Botolph’s Aldgate, London. The time of the donation is unknown; but Sir John Ayloffe, Rector of this parish, had seen a receipt for this charity, dated 18th of April, 1634.
Stapleford Tawney
Godric was possessed, in Edward the Confessor’s reign of this Stapleford; which Suene of Essex, and his under-tenant, Siric, held at the time of the survey. And Robert, [most probably Gernon, who had an estate in the other Stapleford], held one hide here, given him by William the Conqueror.
The parish is rated to the land – tax at £868.0s.6d.
On Stapleford common are two or three dwellings for poor people, but without any endowment.
John Luther, who died in 1567, is styled of Stapleford Tawney, but he doth not appear to have had any estates here: what he possessed, then lying in Stanford-Rivers, North-Weald, Lambourne, Stapleford-Abbot, Little Laver, and in Waltham Holy Cross.
On account of its belonging to Suene, lord of Rayley, it was holden afterwards of that honor.
Theydon Mount.
This maner being a very fine one, and lying contiguous to Stapleford Tany, Richard de Tany, junior, obtained a pretended and fraudulent grant of it, and under pretence of that grant, seized some tenements in this parish, belonging to Robert de Sutton, the King’s enemy, during the wars between him and his Barons. But upon a trial before the King in 1265 or 1266, the fraud was discovered and Robert de Brywes remained in quiet possession.
The parish is rated to the land-tax at £985.1s.10d.
First edition would cost in the region of £2000 to buy.