High Country History Group

Some 43 members attended the Annual General Meeting
held on the 30h March. Unfortunately our speaker booked
for the evening was unwell but thanks to the hard work of our
Chairman a replacement was found at very short notice.
Christopher Heppa who deals in Rare, Antiquarian and
Secondhand Books gave an entertaining and amusing talk
on his experiences.

The subject for our April meeting was the history of Hainault
Forest and the Fairlop Oak, under which was held the Fairlop
Fair on the first Friday in July.

REMINDER

Subscriptions are due.

If you have received a notice with this newsletter then if you
wish to remain a member please pay as soon as possible.
There will be no further reminders.

Following the article in the last newsletter it would appear that several Victorian pillar boxes survive in the district and which are still in use.

They are located at:

The Old School House, Bobbingworth
The Old School House, Stapleford Tawney
Bush Hall Farm, High Laver, andvv

Member Andrew Smith spotted one at Ingatestone, in the High Street, junction with New Road.

Another on the wall of the Marriage Feast Room at Matching Green has the cipher of Edward VII [1903 -1910]

Guildhall Manuscripts

Over the past three years I have been researching the history of the Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore. Unlike many other parishes, I quickly realised that no one had produced a complete history, so in a way this was breaking new ground. My initial target to complete the project keeps moving back as I discover more material. That said, some of my work has been "published" and the new Guide Book written - the first rewrite for nearly 40 years.

One thing many local historians do not realise is that Essex parishes were part of the Diocese of London until 1846.

Many of the records of the Diocese of London are held in the Guildhall Library Manuscripts section in Aldermanbury (near St Paul's) where as an Essex man I was made welcome by a senior archivist. Whilst researching my home parish, I jotted down some notes from the High Country parishes.

Churchwardens Presentments 1830 to 1846

The Guildhall Library Manuscripts section holds the records of Churchwardens Presentments from 1664 - four years after the Restoration of the monarchy, and two years before the Great Fire of London, which destroyed the cathedral church. For Essex parishes, there is almost a continuous run through to 1846, when churches were transferred to the Rochester Diocese.

The returns for 1830¹, 1834², 1838³ and 1842⁴ sought responses to 19 questions. A selection of responses for the four High Country parishes is given below. For ease of space, Greensted (sometimes spelt Grinsted juxta Ongar) is denoted with a "G"; Stanford Rivers, "SR"; Stapleford Tawney, "ST' and; Theydon Mount, "TM").

Articles of Enquiry
to be answered by
The Churchwarden and Sidemen
of every parish within the Diocese
of
The Right Reverend Charles James
Lord Bishop of London
In The Year of Our Lord 1830

```

```

The Churchwardens' names which appear at the end of each return are as follows:

Greensted

1834. W Lewes
1838 & 1842. William Gibson.

Stanford Rivers

1830: Stephen Jones. Edward Rayner.
1834. Stephen Jones. John Mott.
1838. John Stokes.
1842. John Stokes. (mark of) X John Mott.

Stapleford Tawney

1830. Charles Clark.
1834. John Wortess
1838. John Worley. W Roberts.
1842. (mark of) X William Sworder. Chas Clark.

Theydon Mount

1834. Francis Tanner.
1838 & 1842. Francis Tanner. James Spencer.

The next article will consider earlier returns.

Unforgivable Blackness⁵ describes the life of Jack Johnson. At first sight perhaps not my usual fare, but nevertheless an interesting read. Jack Johnson was the heavyweight-boxing champion of the world. He won the title against the Canadian, Tommy Burns, in Sydney on Boxing Day, 1908.

Jack Johnson was American, black, and the first black champion. He had developed a formidable reputation as a boxer, primarily defensive, skilful and fast rather than a heavy puncher. From his winning of the title, a search started to find a white boxer to hand him a beating. An earlier champion James J. Jeffries, highly regarded, and white, was believed to have the best chance against Johnson. However, initially when offered the opportunity he had refused to fight a Negro. "drawing the colour line", but eventually Jeffries was persuaded out of retirement to fight Johnson. On 4 July 1910, after protracted negotiations, the much-celebrated fight took place in Reno, Nevada. The fight attracted huge interest with the expectation that Johnson would be beaten, but instead he was to knock out Jeffries in the fifteenth round. Jeffries was the first of the 'Great White Hopes', to be followed by a succession of moderately talented challengers. Now Jack Johnson was the most famous black man in the world.

In September 1911, the champion was in Europe with the planned intent of fighting 'Bombardier' Billy Wells of England, another "Hope". To escape the tirade of the French press, Johnson returned to England on 23 September. Unforgivable Blackness mentions that once in England, the Johnsons, for he was married to a white woman, made their way to a 'new training camp in Epping Forest". His training camp had earlier been transferred from Whetstone to a base at the Royal Forest Hotel, Chingford; it is possible that the training involved running in Epping Forest and exhibition bouts in Walthamstow. Chingford was away from the crowds of Central London that inevitably followed the champion, but hotels in the centre were reluctant to give him a room.

In a clear, reasoned and lengthy assessment in The Times⁶ of the relative strengths of the two boxers, and their chances, it was commented that the Englishman was "inferior in strength and stamina and in the capacity of enduring punishment *. Furthermore, Wells was said to have "a drooping chin and swan-like neck", neither characteristic usually to the advantage of a heavyweight boxer! Johnson's 'one weak point in his physique seems to be his stomach, that instrument of unaccustomed pleasures for a coloured Texan brought up on the nutritious but unenlivening corn-cake" - the correspondent of The Times for once betraying in the stereotype an inner prejudice.

There are some further details to the background of the contest that are necessary to understand Johnson's stay in Epping Forest. The thought of watching a prize-fight was not to all tastes, especially one between black and white, and worse in this fight the black man was married to a white woman. There were two sources of objection. The National Free Church Council, headed by Charles Brown, the President, and the vociferous Reverend F. B. Meyer, the Hon. Secretary, sought a ban on the fight because "to gratify that craving for the sensational and brutal which is inconsistent with the manhood that makes a great nation *. ⁷ The Archbishop of Canterbury in a letter to The Times "shared the indignation", and stated that he had written to the Home Secretary, Winston Churchill, about halting the fight.⁸ Other bishops followed along with the heads of numerous schools, colleges and other reputable foundations. Even the Empire in the persons of the bishops of Grahamstown and Uganda joined the controversy. The second source of objection was surprisingly from Lord Lonsdale of the National Sporting Club who thought the "profit motive was always most undesirable" and "boxing contests should be essentially and primarily a matter of science *; almost certainly Lord Lonsdale feared a mismatch. Churchill was persuaded that the promotion of the fight was illegal in view of the likely expected disturbance leading to a breach of the peace.° Summonses were issued against the boxers, managers and the promoter, James White. A somewhat unnerved detective-sergeant served the summons on Johnson at the Royal Forest Hotel on 26 September during Johnson's rub-down. Court proceedings were held. Johnson was articulate and very capable, and at the hearing defended himself. At the same time, the Metropolitan Railway Company, the freeholders of the Empress Hotel, Earls Court, the venue for the fight, were seeking an injunction preventing the fight taking place there. On 27 September, the judge granted the requested injunction.¹⁰

The Times expressed 'much satisfaction that the boxing match ... will not take place on British soil".¹¹ The decision was claimed as consistent with "the broad grounds of public interest". Quoting a report of precisely one century earlier. The Times in its leader notes that * the relations between white and black have undergone a vast change in the last century". The Times had opposed the fight "in the belief that it was contrary to the best interests of the Empire." Citing the "unparalleled responsibilities" of the Empire it was "impossible to ignore the widespread effect which this contest must undoubtedly have had where "colour feeling" unhappily exists"! The decision was apparently not based on any personal feelings towards either Johnson or Wells. Johnson was stated to have an "acute brain".

The promoter attempted to arrange for the fight to be transferred to Paris, but Johnson missed the negotiations. He left for Paris, on the 29 September, saying that he intended to retire - he didn't.

I contacted Mr Len Davis, editor of the Chingford Historical Society newsletter. Could the editor add to the above? The following anecdote was the response:

In 1913 a Mr Jack Johnson, who was the first black boxing champion of America, came to England to give exhibition bouts. He had a week at Walthamstow for which he stayed at the Royal Forest Hotel, Chingford. On the Saturday moming he was due to go to France, he came out to his car but it would not start, so my father was called in as he was the only Motor Engineer in the district. Most of the cars at that time had their petrol tanks behind the driver's seat. Two thirds were petrol and one third oil. My father found that the oil was leaking into the petrol stopping it from vaporising. I was quite a little lad at the time and it seemed to me that all Chingford was in front of the Hotel, watching my father repair Mr Johnson's car. When the repair was finished and the engine started, my father rode on the running board as far as the Woolwichh Ferry to make sure everything was in order. Mr Johnson gave my father five Golden Sovereigns, worth a lot of money in those days .* ¹²

This is a typical anecdote. Johnson had a passion for cars . . . and for the ladies ... spending hugely on both, but he was generous. However, his success in the ring and his flamboyance, even arrogance, in an era when black men could exhibit neither provoked angry reaction within the white community particularly across the Atlantic. The reporting of the Johnson-Wells fight in The Times provides revealing insights into the contrived racial attitudes of a century ago.

Theydon Mount and Hill Hall (part 1)

Whilst reading through some old copies of the High Country Magazine I came across a series of articles on Hill Hall, Theydon Mount, written by Robert Vernon-Harcourt, in 1975. I have decided to reprint them here, updating and adding detail where necessary.

Part 1 - The Norman Conquest

There are many people who live only for the moment, who have no time, perhaps no desire, to think of anything beyond their daily lives. Others - and we hope you belong to their number - enjoy an all too rare opportunity to get away from the rigours of the present day and dream of the past. To each of us the past can mean different things, one or both of the world wars perhaps, our childhood, or further back to the events in history that we learned at school. Whether it be the history of our own time or of the world, all history is a quicksand into which events great and small ultimately sink, sometimes leaving a mark and sometimes not. Only the natural background of hills and valleys, of land and sea remains; all else round us is constantly changing.

To get a balanced view of the changing scene, it helps to look at it from some unchanging point, some firm rock in the quicksand of consuming time. We are proud and grateful that we have here such a rock in the great house of Hill Hall, built during the reign of Elizabeth the first by one of her close advisors at a time when many would say England was at the height of her prestige in the world.

Though the bricks and pillars of Hill Hall ring out for Elizabeth and her time, there was another Hill Hall here before this and the first part of our story deals with the earlier records of this place, records that go back to the beginning of school history books, the Norman Conquest of England.

Whether there was a house here in 1066 we cannot tell, but there is no doubt that there was a manor of Theydon - which included this parish of Theydon Mount and at least part of the neighbouring parishes that we now call Theydon Bois and Theydon Garnon. When William the Conqueror divided England among his knights, he presented the manor of Theydon as well as some 50 or 50 other manors in Essex, to a Dane called Suene as a reward for his army service during the conquest. It was Suene who built Rayleigh Castle, some 20 miles from here, as his principle residence. Suene in his turn gave this manor of Theydon to Robert Fitzwimarc, probably a relation - perhaps his son - and it was in Fitzwimarc's time, in 1086, that the Domesday Book was compiled. This as you may know, records in remarkable detail the number of men, animals and farm equipment in every part of England.

From the Domesday Book we learn that in 1086 the manor of Theydon consisted of three hides and 80 acres.

Theydon did have 3 ploughs, 3 rounceys (or horses), 3 colts, 39 pigs and 148 sheep, also 13 beasts. Theydon had no beehives, ¹⁴

All the land belonged to the King and was granted to his knights on condition they gave him military service. If the King was dissatisfied with that service, the land was liable to be forfeited. For instance in 1163 during a war against the Welsh, Henry of Essex, Lord of the Manor of Theydon (and incidentally Constable and Standard Bearer to King Henry II, dropped the Royal Standard in the mud and ran off the battlefield dressed as a monk, whereupon Theydon was immediately confiscated by the King.

The manor was subsequently reverted to the son of Henry of Essex, who called himself Henry de Theydon, but later on, in 1215, the year of the signing of the Magna Carta, King John captured Rochester Castle from a group of rebellious barons, and found Henry de Theydon inside, so back went the manor of Theydon to the crown again. There was nothing particularly unusual in this and it would be wrong to assume that the Lords of the manor of Theydon were any more unruly than anyone else. The inhabitants were probably a happy carefree crowd, and there can be no doubt that they thoroughly enjoyed the annual Theydon Fair, which Paulinus de Theydon started in 1225. ¹⁵

By 1236 there was a church here, dedicated to St Michael and St Stephen, standing on the site of the present church. We know the name of the rector in that year, but we have no earlier church records, so we cannot tell when the original church was built. It was probably made of wood standing on stone foundations.

At the time of the Crusades (about 1250), Henry III granted his Royal licence for the making of a park here. For the first time we now have references to the manor of Theydon Mount.

The Barons, under Simon de Montford, were up in arms against the dictatorial power of the King, representative government was being born. When Simon de Montford was eventually defeated at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, the Lord of the manor of Theydon Mount, one Robert de Sutton was captured fighting against the King, so once again ......

1324 - 1611

In 1324, the year after the Scots defeated the English at the battle of Bannockburn, Theydon Mount became the seat of a family called Malyns and for the following 600 years or so, from 1324 until1920, the manor of Theydon Mount was held successively by only three families, all related by marriage. namely the Malyns, the Hampdens and the Smyths.

The first reference to a house called Hill Hall comes in 1360 when the estate consisted of the house and 240 acres (roughly what it was nearly 600 years later). Hill Hall at that time commanded an annual rent of 15/7d, one pound of wax candles, one pound of pepper and two chickens.

For the next 120 years, until 1440, the Malyns family lived there. The Hampdens family, who came after the Malyns stayed there for another hundred years, undisturbed (as far as we know) by the Wars of the Roses which began only 24 miles away from here in the streets of St Albans, in 1455 History unfortunately does not indicate whether or not the Hampdens were pleased when the news reached them that Columbus had discovered a new land called America and that Henry VIII had gradually disposed of half a dozen wives, one of whom - en passant - had left him a daughter called Elizabeth, who was later to visit this house at Theydon Mount as Queen of England.

The last of the Hampden family to live at Hill Hall was Sir John Hampden, who dies childless in 1553. He left the estate to his widow, Philippa, who one year later married Sir Thomas Smyth,^1e who was the builder of the present Hill Hall, was born in 1512 at Saffron Walden, 25 miles north of here, and had a distinguished academic career. When he was a sickly youth of thirteen full of aches and pains, young Thomas was sent to Queen's College, Cambridge, where in due course he became a King's Scholar and Fellow at the early age of 19. At the age of 21 we find him lecturing on natural philosophy and Greek, while by the time he was 24 he had been appointed Professor of Civil Law and University Public Orator.

It was in this capacity that he prevailed on Queen Katherine Parr to intercede with Henry VIII on behalf of Cambridge University, when Henry having exhausted the spoils of the monasteries, was about to plunder the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge. Little does Cambridge of today realise how much it owes to Thomas Smyth of Hill Hall. Besides studying law and the Greek language, Thomas Smyth took Holy Orders. When Edward VI succeeded his father, the Duke of Somerset became protector of the Realm and Thomas Smyth was appointed to the powerful position of Master of Requests.

Such was the precariousness of life at that time however, that towards the end of 1548, during which year he was knighted, was appointed Secretary of State¹⁷, and incidentally married his first wife¹⁸, he was also thrown into the Tower of London, together with Protector Somerset, and deprived of all his appointments. Somerset stayed in the Tower until his execution there three years later, but Sir Thomas managed to buy himself out with a large sum of money.

His capacity for getting out of tight corners was even more clearly demonstrated when in 1553 Mary came to the throne and started wholesale buring of Protestants. Sir Thomas was known to be a staunch protestant and several of his friends perished at the stake, but he managed to get away with his life by obtaining a special dispensation from his professed enemy, the Pope. He was, however, compelled to retire from public life. His first wife having died, he married Philippa Hampden in 1554, and the two of them lived quietly in the old Hill Hall until the end of Mary's reign¹⁹.

Such was his relief at escaping death at the stake, that soon after Mary's death, Sir Thomas changed his family crest from an eagle holding a pen to a salamander surrounded by flames.²⁰

With Queen Elizabeth on the throne, Sir Thomas again rose to great heights, thanks to the intervention of his friend Cecil, who put him back in office. From 1550 to 1568 he was Ambassador in France and it was probably during that time that he visited the chateau at Bournazel near Toulouse on which it is thought he based his designs for the present Hill Hall. There is some doubt regarding the date when work on the present building actually started. partly because it probably began as a simple extension to the original house, and also because, between the present house and the church there was another house called Mount Hall, which Sir Thomas and Lady Philippa sometimes occupied and in the Latin records of that time Mount Hall and Hill Hall are indistinguishable. The most likely time for the start of the construction of the present building seems to be between 1568 and 1570

By 1572 Sir Thomas Smyth had become a member of the Privy Council, Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, Secretary of State and one of Elizabeth's closest advisors. It is about this time that the Queen is most likely to have visited Hill Hall, even though the building was still many years from completion. There seems little doubt that Elizabeth came here as her arms are mounted in the Great Hall and the saddle on which she is said to have ridden here is on show at the Colchester Museum.

Sir Thomas was forced to retire from public life in 1576 on account of ill health, suffering from "cold Rheums". He wrote to Lord Burghley who was much subject of the same distemper, an account of his condition which sheds a lurid light on the doctoring of his day. When he sent for the physicians, "they according to their method first fell to purging him, to free his Body from pecant Humours as a preparatory to other Physic." The only effect was to "put his whole Bod, and all the Parts of it into a Commotion and Indisposition," so that all, even those parts which had previously been well, were "brought out of frame." The next treatment however, was innocent enough, consisting merely of "shaving his Head and wearing a Cap."

For a month the doctors worked away and then, apparently, gave up the task as hopeless. He lingered for fifteen months and died at Hill Hall, on the 12 August 1577.

We have gone into a lot of detail about Sir Thomas Smyth because they were his plans and ideas on which Hill Hall was built.

It was not finished when he died, but in his will he left £20 to his architect to be paid to him as soon as the house was tiled and all the carpentry work was done, and £10 to his works overseer (or foreman builder) in order (as the will reads) 'to encourage him to take pains to see that the workmen do their work as they ought."

Besides leaving a silver cup to Queen Elizabeth, Sir Thomas left money - and a design - for his monument in the old church. We are lucky that the monument survived when in 1611 the church was struck by lightning and burnt to the ground. It had stood for at least 400 years on the spot where our present church stands.

The Last 360 Years

The church was rebuilt is 1614, two years before the death of Shakespeare. It is one of the very few early C17th churches in England that have not had any structural alterations since they were built. It was dedicated by the then Bishop of London to St Michael the Archangel, a frequent dedication for churches standing on high ground. In 1635, some 14 years before the execution of King Charles in Whitehall, the newly installed church bell rang out for the first time, as it has rung. year in year out ever since. Just one bell, whether for regular church services, or baptisms, or weddings, or funerals.

Sir Thomas Smyth never saw the completion of his great plans for the house but no doubt it was he who ordered the wall paintings for the decoration of some of the rooms on the North side of the house. They are said to date from the late C16th but whether they were finished before Sir Thomas died is not known. One curious thing about them - they are only in the North wing of the house, which may have been built before the rest, and could even have been part of the earlier house. Wall paintings were used in Elizabethan times as relatively cheap substitute for tapestries which, on account of expense, could normally only be provided for the most important rooms. The paintings at Hill Hall which were probably done by a foreign artist²¹ were some of the finest examples in England. They were covered over about 1840 with lath and plaster. Two were uncovered by accident about 1940 and are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The others came to light in 1951 when the house was being restored. Some were covered over again to preserve them. ²²

At his death his widow enjoyed the manor of Hill Hall for her life, and then it passed to Sir Thomas's nephew, Colonel William Smyth, who completed the construction of the house. He was knighted in 1603, the year that Queen Elizabeth died. He served as High Sheriff of Essex in 1616 and died at Hill Hall in 1626. His helmet with the salamander on top and what remains of his surcoat are still hanging in the church. He was succeeded by his eldest son, another William, who was himself succeeded five years later by his younger brother. Thomas. He got through the Civil War period without loss of liberty or estate, although his leanings must have been on the Royalist side, since he obtained a baronetcy soon after the Restoration in 1660. The second baronet was Sir Edward Smyth, who made alterations to the house. Sir Edward probably had an access of fortune through his wife, Jane Vandeput, whose father and brother were wealthy London citizens.

Looking at the structure of the house, only part of the South range is original. The wings were probably added about 100 years later, say about 1690. Experts say they show the influence of Sir Christopher Wren.

In 1710 the black marble and stone floor was put into the Great Hall. The whole of the East front was rebuilt in its present Queen Anne style in 1714²³, the year Queen Anne died and King George I came to the throne. The staircase in the right hand South-east comer was put in about 1720 and in the same year the sundial and the terrace wall on the South side were put up.

No house of this age is complete without its ghost, we have the Grey Lady who appears from time to time to remind us of the past. Her ancestry - or what might paradoxically call her 'raison detre' - is even more obscure than the lady herself.

Between 1740 and 1750, the clock was installed. In 1790 the gallery in the Great Hall was built. The Rev. Sir William Smyth, whose portrait, together with that of his wife Abigail was hanging in the Great Hall and was destroyed in the fire, was Rector of the newly combined parishes of Stapleford Tawney and Theydon Mount from 1755 to 1777. He and his wife lie buried in the SE corner of the churchyard, not as his predecessors do in the vault under the church.

In 1791, their son, also called William, commissioned the celebrated Essex landscape gardener, Humphrey Repton, who was a contemporary of Capability Brown, to redesign the garden and the surrounding park. Repton recommended amongst other things the removal of the walled garden from the near the house to its present position and the construction of the present road where it passes to the east of the church.

Succeeding Smyths did many good works: one built schools at Theydon Mount and Stapleford Tawney; another brought piped water to Theydon Mount village; yet another paid six guineas a year to provide a doctor for the village.

In 1842 Theydon Mount parish was one of the earliest in the country to provide money to pay for a local police constable.

The Smyths time was running out. By now they has acquired the additional name of Bowyer and the Bowyer-Smyths²⁴ left Hill Hall for the last time between 1890 and 1900, although they remained in possession of it until 1925. Soon after 1900 the house was let for a time to a certain 'Duke de Moro.' Little is known about him except that he was said to be an antique dealer or jeweller in London and he drove about in a bright yellow horse-drawn coach which the villagers called "The Mustard Pot."

'............ to be buried at Theydon Monte with such ceremony as shall please my executors, having rather regard to the relief of the poor than to extreme manner of mourning not becoming Christians.

The ready money and debts owing me and all my chains of gold and 1000oz of my gilt plate and more if needed be / will that they be bestowed on the finishing of my house at Hill Hall and of a tomb to be made for my wife and me according to the plat and design which I have made by Richard Kyrbie's advice i would have followed in the finishing of building and tomb, and all brick, timber, chalk, sand and all other stuff that I have prepared I would have employed to that use and none other, until they be perfected, which if my executors do not see perfected with as convenient speed as they may, I will that none of them take benefit by this my last will but he or they only which effectually do see that dorne and my house perfected and the ways after amended.

All kine²⁵, oxen, sheep, plough and cart, horses and all such chattels as I have at Theydon at Monte at the time of my death called my stock at Hill Hall or Monte Hall which was at the last accounts £430 or thereabouts and brought now to £300 and odd pounds by lavishing and expense this Christmas as shall appear by the bailiff's accounts, besides swine and the com sown upon the ground and all my wheat, malt and bargains of malt, hops and other such provision I give to my wife, the better to help her to keep house and upon condition she do maintain, until my building be fully fumished and the ways about the house and amended, so many teams as be now occupied about carriages therefore effectually and upon condition that what shall remain of my said stock at the time of her decease, and the corn sown by her upon my grounds, do remain to my brother George or such as by my devise shall succeed her in Monte Hall.

Likewise I give to my wife all her apparel, jewels, chains of gold, all such bedsteads and bedding, all goblets, bowls and other plate which she brought with her from Hampden (co. Bucks)to dispose at her will and pleasure and more to the furniture of her house. I will she shall choose out 700oz of such of my plate gilt or ungilt as she shall think will best serve her turn. The which 700oz I give to my brother George or to him who shall succeed him in my manor of Theydon at Monte, and also all the bedsteads, beds and furniture of the which be now in my new building. and all made at my charge, upon condition nevertheless that he do suffer my wife during her life to have the occupation of them for her friends and mine in my house, but not to sell nor alienate them away .. and that my brother George do leave two third parts thereof to him that shall succeed him in Theydon at Monte, giving securities to my nephew John Wood and his heirs, and so each successor to do to his successor.

All household stuff, linen, beds, hangings etc., that do belong to Ankerwicke (Co. Bucks) and so hath been appointed I give to my brother George to supply the taking away of such things as came from Hampden which my wife may dispose of the instant that the House of Monte Hall, or Hill Hall be not disfumished, upon condition that he leave two thirds part thereof to him that shall succeed him in Theydon Monte and so each successor to leave to other.

All mine apparel which I have at home at the time of my death or else at the Court or at my house in Cannon Row or Fleet Lane, (except one gown of mine which my wife will choose and one piece of wrought velvet which too I give to my wife) and all household stuff and implements there I will that it be sold and the money thereof bestowed in paying the legacies made to my servants and the rest in reward of my ordinary and household servants, and specially those whom my wife doth mind to keep, not equally but according to their longer more diligent and faithful service (besides whom I shall especially name to be specially rewarded I refer to the discretion of my wife and my executors to reward the rest according as is before)

To my nephew John Wood the lease and all the rest of the years which I have of the Clothworkers of the houses in Flete Lane my indenture. Out of my lease of the Parson (age) of Theydon Monte the interest of the two parson's Closes now in the occupation of Walter Rawlins to him whom by my devise I do assign Synners and Bennettes unto, paying such rent yearly in discharging the parson's rent as is now paid, out of which lease of the parsonage I give to my wife so many years as she shall live. The rest to him or them that shall succeed her in Monte Hail.

Whereas I have appointed Richard Kyrkebye to be the Chief Architect, Overseer and Master of my Works for the perfecting of my house according to the plan, I give to him over and besides the wages for himseif and his two Apprentice Carpenters for that work of Carpentry for the Overseeing of my works £20 to be paid as soon as my new house is tiled and all carpentry work for the setting of it up done there, and to his marriage a Silver Salt, 12 Silver Spoons and 1 Silver cup to drink wine in, such as my wife and my two Executors shall appoint.

Executors of this my last will I do make my brother George Smyth and my nephew John Wood, and supervisor thereof Mr Henry Archer, to whom for his Labour I do give £20 to see things done in good order.

All the rest of my plate not appointed heretofore my house builded, my legacies paid and my funeral discharged, to be equally distributed amongst my three Executors, and if John Dighton will take pains to see the workmen do their work as they ought and see them paid weekly, I give to him for his pains £10 and for his pains in being steward of my House and keeping good Accounts there as I have appointed £10 and to my Cousin Nycholls for painstaking in my matters of law £10.

And because I see that none of these which shall succeed me of long time are leamed I give all my Latin and Greek books to the Queen's College in Cambridge and also my great Globe of my own making, so the Master and Fellows, having warning so soon as I am dead or at least so soon as I am buried or before. the which I would they should have with a true Inventory carried to them of the said Books, do send carts to fetch them away within 10 or 12 days, the which I give upon condition that they chain them up in their library or do so distribute them amongst the Fellows such as will best occupy them, but so that they do it by indenture or condition that when they depart from the College they restore these books to the College, my Titus Livius, Aristotle in Greek and Plato in Greek and Latin, and Tully's works and 10 more of my books which Clement Smyth will choose | will that he have them, but yet on condition that when he doth go from the College, to restore them again to the College, my other little globes also, I give them to Clement Smyth. If the Master and Fellows of the Queen's College will not fetch them away sending some wise man to see them well trussed and packed them I give them to Peterhouse upon like conditions as to Queen's College. If neither of them do it then my Executors to sell them or use them at their discretion.

My standing massive Cup, all Gilt which hath the Seven Planets in the Cover I give to the Queen's Majesty as most Worthy, having all the good gifts endowed of God which be ascribed to the Seven Planets, praying her Majesty to take that simple gift in good worth as coming from her faithful and loving servant.

And if there may be some ambiguity or doubt arise I give Authority to my Executors to add to it to make it more plain with good advice so that they keep my true meaning and sense and none otherwise. My meaning is specially that he that should have Theydon at Mont should be able to keep house there to the relief of the poor and to set neighbours to work.

If there be any ambiguity or doubts about this my Will whereupon my Executors cannot agree I will that they shall stand to the decision and judgement of my cousin Nycholls, Mr Archer and parson Shawe or the more part of them, whom I make the interpreters of this my last Will because I would have no controversy in law made of it.

Reviewed and corrected by me after the death of my nephew William Smyth of Walden and signed to every page, 18 February 1577.

I will that my Executors take charge and care to set some good order betwixt my nephew William Smyth's widow and Skotte's children, and that the children be provided for to be well brought up in the fear of God. Reviewed and amended by me, 10 March 1577 as it is now.

Proved 15h August 1577 by John Wood, reservation to George Smyth, and afterwards, viz 14" May 1580, by him

215t May 1578

I make James Altham of Latton esquire my sole Executor. To him and the Lady Judd his wife each a black gown of 20s, the yard, a chafing dish of silver and 12 yards of black raised velvet, and to two of his servants each a black coat of 10s the yard.

To my brother John Wilford and his wife each a black gown of 15s the yard, and one bedstead of walnut tree carved in the Great Chamber, a mattress of linen cloth, a featherbed, a blanket of white woollen, a red Spanish blanket, a coverlet of tapestry, a testern²⁶ of red velvet fringed with silk and copper silver, the curtains of red taffeta sarcenet²⁷ like wise fringed, a bolster and two pillows, a long cushion of red velvet with copper fringed, the covering of buckram for the testern, a cupboard cloth of Spanish work, a damask table cloth and a towel, a dozen of damask napkins, 2 pairs of fine sheets and 2 pillowberes, a long table cloth of Holland and a short table cloth; and £40.

(Nearly every legatee is to have either a black gown or a black cloak, value 15s a yard for relations, 10s a yard for others including servants, but servants of husbandry to have a black coat of 8s and maid servants a black cassock of 8s the yard. In addition, most relations are to receive bed and table linen, whether also given a bedstead or not, and some other legatees are to get a pair of sheets and a table cloth.)

To Agnes Nashe, my sister, in the Green Bedchamber a French bed of Walnut Tree, a testern, a quilt of green sarcenet, 5 curtains of green sarcenet, a chair and 2 stools, a cupboard of Walnut Tree, a table of wainscot, along cushion of tissue and £20.

To my sister Copland and her husband, in the High Gallery a bedstead of Walnut tree, 2 white rugs, a court cupboard, a chair and two stools, a square table of Walnut tree; in the Great Chamber, a quilt of red satin with copper silver fringe, a chair of yellow velvet with 2 stools to the dame, the hangings of tapestry that was John Hamden's, 6 old needlework cushions; and £40; in my own chamber one great chest of fir board and another chest called a ship chest; and the lesser press of the Armoury.

To my cousin John Nashe, son of my sister Nashe, and to his wife, in the Compass Gallery a bedstead with a testem of blue damask and the curtains of the same, a table and a chair of Walnut tree, a cupboard cloth of Spanish work with 2 creepers of iron; and £20.

To my God daughter Mistress Philippa Fewilliams, daughter of Sir William Fewilliams, my best bracelet of gold fro remembrance.

To my cousin Jane Lucas and her husband, in my chamber a home made coverlet, a testem and curtains of blue say, a quilt of green sarcenet, a chair of red velvet and 2 stools suitable appertaining to the Great Chamber, a cupboard pane of damask edged with silver and £20.

To John Wilford, the eldest son of my brother £20; to Jessam, his other son, £15; and to William Wilford, his youngest son, £15. To Humphrey Nashe, son of my sister NAshe, £20. To Elizabeth Wilford, my brother's eldest daughter £40, and the fir chest in my own chamber, to Joan Wilford, his second daughter £30; and to Margaret Wilford, his third daughter £20. To Elizabeth Lewcas, daughter of Jane Lucas £13.6s.8d. To my cousin Elizabeth Lyllingsley £13.6s.8d. To Margaret Arthur, wife of one Arthur, a gilt silver pot with cover which Sir Thomas Smith had of gift from the inhabitants of Walden, and one of my French gilt salts.

To my brother George 10 quarters of wheat and 10 quarters if oats, so that he be no let or impediment to the quiet taking away of any the goods I have left my friends, remaining at Hill Hall or on the ground there, or elsewhere, which, if he be, then this my gift to be void. To John Smith, his eldest son, and to Richard Kirby, each a black cloak. To my sister Petytt one of my tin parcel cups. To my cousin John Wood a cap of velvet set with aglets and a brooch of gold. To Richard Lewter and his wife a bedstead of walnut tree in the Inner Chamber to the Great Chamber, a testem of green and red sarcenet, and am old chest with iron bars in my own chamber. To Mr Cheveley and his wife, a stone jug footed with silver. To my cousin William Heyward, a gilt wine silver pot. To Katherine Bartley, 2 partlets²⁸ and a pair of sleeves of velvet. To my cousin George Nicholls of Walden a little chain of gold. To parson Shawe the bedstead in one of the chambers over the workhouse. To John Wybard 40s. To Walter Rawlyns £6.13.4d, the warrener's bedstead, and a barrel chest in my own chamber.

To my servants Robert Dawkes one of my parcel gilt cups. John Trapps 30s. and John Lightfoot 40s. and a cow.

To Mr Archdeacon Mullens to preach at my burial a black gown, and if he should die then to some other good preacher.

To Robert Westlowe a young heifer and 2 young shots. To John Wilson 20s. and I remit to his wife the 40s. she oweth me

To Philippa Wilson, my god daughter, a heifer and 2 young shots

To the poor people of (Theydon) Mount 40s. Theydon Garnon 40s. and Stapleford Tawney 20s. To the poor people at the time of my burial £4. To the amendment of highways where most need is, to be bestowed at the discretion of my executors, £40. To poor maid's marriages £6.13.4d.

Tp Philip, son of Widow Taylor £3. To Elizabeth Taylor £4. A bedstead of wainscot in one of the chambers over the workhouse. To Philip Board 40s. To John Andrews and his wife my gilt silver cup.

To every of my servants half a year's wages from the quarter before my death, if they be then in my service, i.e. William Clarke, William Woodruff, John Buggs and Samuel Howell. To these my other servants half a year's wages, i.e. Thomas Ayestropp, Thomas Reve, Thomas Rewle, John Drenter (Dreuter?), Phlip More, John Sharp Francis Wybard and Edward Price.

To my servants of husbandry half a year's wages, i.e. Thomas Browne and besides 2 ewes, 2 lambs and 2 shots, Philip Boerd and besides 1 weanling calf, and Harry Paltock, John Jackson, Thomas Dymsdalle and Richard Asterfeye. To my maidservants, a black cassock, i.e. Elizabeth Taylor, Amy. Agnes, Amy Dosset, Katherine Rawlyns and Philippa Bord, and more to Elizabeth Taylor a little fir chest and a wainscot chair in my own chamber.

To Philip Rawlyns, my godson, 2 ewes and 2 lambs. To the wife of Walter Rawlyns a smock, a kercher" and a table cloth of my own spinnings. To goodwife³⁰ Taylor a smock, an ewe, 1 lamb, a kercher and a table cloth. To goodwife Ededropp 1 ewe, 1 lamb a smock and a kercher.

To Mr Archer the lawyer one of my white silver wine pots.

I will that the charge and order of my funeral shall be at the discretion of my executor. The residue of all my goods to be distributed to his discretion. I ordain my brother Richard Copland overseer.

Witnesses: Robert Marbeck in medicino doctor. William Hayward, grocer. Proved 13h July 1579.

Programme 2006/2007

1-3 September

Visit to the
Battlefield of Waterloo
led by Major Graeme Cooper

24 September

Walk to Lambourne
led by Patrick Griggs

Meet at 2.30 pm in the lay-by opposite Crowthers' Nurseries on the Passingford Bridge to Abridge Road. Walk to Lambourne Church for a guided tour of the church. The walk is gentle and very beautiful through Ape's Grove.

12 October 2006

Guildhalls'
Anne Padfield

23 November 2006

'Smuggling along the Essex Coast'
Dan Johnson

22 February 2007

'The History of Auctions'
Tim Turner

29 March 2007

Annual General Meeting

(The talk for April 2007 is to be arranged.)