History of Aveley in 1863 Whites Directory

Aveley 1863 Whites Directory

AVELEY is a long pleasant village, on a bold acclivity, about 2 miles N. of the river Thames and Purfleet, 8 miles S.S.E. of Romford, and 15 miles E. of London. Its parish has 930 inhabitants, and 2852 acres of land, including 162 acres of wood. It had anciently a market, and has still a pleasure fair on Easter Monday, It is conjectured to be of Roman origin, and the manor was held by Gilbert de Tani, in the reign of Henry II In 1505, it was granted by the Crown, to the Hospital of the Savoy, in London. After the dissolution, Edward VI. granted it to St. Thomas's Hospital, London, to which it still belongs; but a great part of the parish belongs to other proprietors, the largest of whom is Sir Thos. Barrett Lennard, Bart., who has a handsome seat here called BELHUS, or Belhouse, from the knightly family of Belhus, who were seated here in the reigns of King John and Henry III. The present mansion was built in the reign of Henry VIII., and is surrounded by an extensive park, containing some fine deer, and an abundance of large forest trees. It is a noble specimen of the Tudor style of architecture, and several parts of the park command extensive views over the Thames into Kent. The estate passed from the Barringtons to the Barretts, who held it more than two centuries, The late Sir T. B. Lennard was born in 1761, and was created,a baronet in 1801. He died in 1857, and was succeeded by his grandson, the present baronet. Estates called Bumstead and Bretts are in this parish; and the latter has an ancient moated house, now occupied by a farmer, but anciently the seat of the Le Bret family. The Churoh (St. Michael) is an ancient structure, with a nave and; aisles, a chancel, and a square tower of flint and stone, containing five bells, and crowned with a small wooden spire, erected in lieu of a lofty one, that was blown down in 1703. In the chancel are a few old brasses, and several neat monuments. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in K.B. at �14. 10s. 5d., and in 1831 at �272. The Bishop of Rochester is patron, and the Rev. R. M, White, M.A, is the incumbent, and has a good residence, and 9A. of glebe. The Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's are appropriators of the rectory, which has 30A. 3R 2P. of glebe. The tithes were commuted in 1841,- the rectorial for �461 5s, and the vicarial for �330 7s. A large National School was built here in 1844, at the cost of �600, on an acre of land given by the lords of the manors and in the village is an Independent Chapel, with a school, erected in 1815. The Poor-houses are three old tenements, occupied by poor persons, nominated by Sir Thos. B. Lennard, but the donor is unknown. For distributions of bread every Sunday, the poor have 52s. yearly, out of Tunney Mead and Capon Hills, left by John Lewty, in 1639, In 1847, Richd. Thos. Wood left the interest of. �100 for the poor.

POST OFFICE at Wm. T. Jackson's. Letters via Romford