White’s Directory of Essex 1848 – Stapleford Abbotts

Continuing our series looking at the parishes surrounding the High Country area we arrive at Stapleford Abbotts

A pleasant and fertile parish of 2300 acres of land, rising boldly from the vale of the River Roding has many scattered farm houses and neat cottages near Passingford Bridge, How Green, Knowle's Hill, Newport Hatch, etc. The population is 498. Before the Conquest, it belonged to the Abbey of St. Edmond's Bury, and in 1010 it was one of the places where the monks rested with the body of that saint, when being carried back from London to Bury St. Edmund's.

The parish is now in three manors. Albyns, the seat and property of T.N. Abdy, Esq., M.P., gives name to a manor and estate, which extends into Navestock parish, and anciently belonged to a chantry at Wivenhoe, and afterwards to the Luter, Cely, Ffitch, and other families. The mansion is a fine old building, supposed to have been erected from a design of Inigo Jones. It was completely repaired in the last century by Sir John Abdy, Bart., and stands in a large park, overlooking the river Roding. The present owner is M.P. for Lynn Regis, and a member of the Abdy family, formerly seated at Felix Hall. John Barnes, Esq., is now lord of the manor of Stapleford Abbots Hall, which belonged to the Abbey of Bury St. Edmund's, and afterwards to the Maynard, Granville and Ffitch families. The manor of Batayles, or Batail's Hall, belongs to Lady Mildmay, and was held in the 11th and 12th centuries by the Balaile family, under the Montfichets. The Crown, the Rev. J.B. Stane, Robert Tull, Esq., and William Joseph Lockwood, Esq., have estates in the parish. The latter owns Knowle's, or Knoll's Hill estate, which adjoins his seat of Bishop's Hall, in Lambourne parish, and had formerly a stately mansion occupied by the Fortesques, but now reduced to a farm house, which commands charming prospects. In a wood are the remains of Bishop's Moat, which tradition says was paved with marble, and was one of the defences of the fortified mansion which was occupied by the warlike Bishop Spencer.

The Church (St. Mary,) is an ancient structure, consisting of a nave, chancel, south porch, and tower. A chapel on the north side of the chancel, is the burial place of the Abdy family. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £16.15s., and in 1831 at £513, is in the patronage of the Lord Chancellor, and incumbency of the Rev. C.W. Pitt, M.A., who has about 30 acres of glebe, and an old residence, partly brick and partly lath and plaster. Knoll's Hill Free School was erected in 1734, by Sir John Fortescue Kt., who endowed it with £25 a year out of Knoll's hill estate, for a schoolmaster to teach reading and writing to 20 poor boys of this parish, and 20 of Lambourne parish. The master has also the free use of a house and about an acre of land, and is allowed to take other scholars. The poor parishioners have a yearly rent charge of £3, left by Elizabeth Watson. in 1782, out of Mitchell's estate, at How Green, in this parish, now belonging to Emanuel College, Cambridge; and also the dividends of £166.13s.4d. three per cent. Consols, purchased with £105, left by the Rev. Dr. Gould, in 1799.

List of Inhabitants (1848)

• Thomas Nevill Abdy Esq., M.P., Albyns
• Thomas Aylett, victualler, Plough
• Elizabeth Dawkins, wheelwright
• Samuel Parrish, schoolmaster
• Rev. Charles Whitworth Pitt M.A., rector, and chaplain to the Duchess of Kent
• Charles Stevens, miller, Water Mill
• Amelia Williams, schoolmistress
• James Worter, shop and beerhouse keeper

Farmers.

• James Dixon
• James Surridge
• George Ffitch, Batail's Hall
• Charles Lenny
• Philip Taylor
• John McMurray
• Henry Vincy
• Edwin Mollett and Charles Mollett, Hall
• William Mott
• Richard Young
• Rebecca Roach
• James Staines

Post Office Directory 1874 - list of inhabitants

• Rev. Thomas Cochrane, M.A., Rectory
• William Clarke Gellibrand, Albyns
• William John Edward Baher, farmer
• Francis Dawkins, wheelwright
• William Dewing, miller
• James Dixon, shopkeeper
• Henry Gardner, beer retailer
• John Humphreys, farmer
• Richard Hurrell, Plough PH
• John Lash, farmer
• Mark Lenney, farmer
• Edwin Mollett, farmer, Battles Hall
• Miss Harriet Mollett, farmer
• John McMurrey, farmer
• Charles Parish, farmer
• John Salmon, farmer
• Benjamin Shepherd, farmer
• Mrs. Sarah Staines, farmer
• Charles Stevens, miller and farmer
• James Surridge, farmer, Boylands Oak
• Philip Taylor, farmer
• John Willey, beer retailer
• Charles Wood, farmer, Martin's Herne
• Charles Wood, jun., farmer, Bourne Bridge
• Richard Stokes Young, farmer.