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History of Brentwood in 1863 Whites Directory

Brentwood 1863 Whites Directory

Residents, Commercial, & Commercial2

BRENTWOOD is an improving town and chapelry, in the parish of South Weald, and has a station on the Eastern Counties Railway, It is seated on a pleasant eminence, in a picturesque and woody district, on the high road from London to Colchester, 11 miles S.W. by S. of Chelmsford, 6 miles W. of Billericay, and 18 miles E.N.E. of London. Its chapelry is a separate township, which contains only about 400 acres of land, and had only 1007 inhabitants in 1801, but in 1851 they had increased to 2205, and in 1861 to 2811 souls. Since the opening of the railway, in 1846, the town has been much improved, and, with its suburbs in South Weald and Shenfield, it has now more than 4000 inhabitants. Its market, formerly held on Thursday, has been long obsolete, but it has still , two fairs for cattle. etc, held on July 18th and 19th, and October 15th and 16th. It has a well endowed Grammar School, and is the head of large Polling and County Court Districts; and of a Police Division, for which petty sessions are held on the second and last. Tuesdays of every month. C. C. Lewis, Esq., the coroner, is clerk to the magistrates. The Police Station was built in 1844, at the. cost of about �2OOO, and Mr.William Bridges is the superintendent. The Gas Works were commenced in 1834, and have cost about, �6000, raised by a company of shareholders. In 1862, it was proposed to supply Brentwood with water from the South Essex Water Works, at Grays Thurrock. As afterwards noticed, Essex Lunatic Asylum, and Shoreditch Industrial Schools, built in 1853 and 1854, are in the suburbs; and on the Ongar road are the extensive MACHINE WORKS of Messrs. Burgess & Key, commenced some years ago, for the manufacture of reaping machines, etc. The partners in this firm are - Mr. William Burgess and Sir Kingsmill Grove Key, Bart., and they employ about 180 hands, of whom about 60 form part of the Brentwood or 3rd Essex Rifle Volunteers. Brentwood is in Billericay Union.
Brentwood was anciently called Burntwood, and being a great thoroughfare, it has several good inns and taverns. Assizes were once held here in the ancient Town Hall, which stood in High street, where its site is still held by Trustees, who contemplate the erection of a new Town Hall, now much wanted. Cphr. Thos. Tower, Esq., of Weald Hall, is lord of the manor of Brentwood or Costead Hall, but part of the soil belongs to smaller proprietors. Brentwood Hall Estate, which belonged to W. H. Kavanagh, Esq., was sold some years ago, in lots. The Hall is now the seat of Searles Wood, Esq., and part of the estate belongs to the National Freehold land Society. Camden supposed the Roman Station Casaromagus to have been near Brentwood, but his opinion is not supported by any other antiquary, though some Roman antiquities have been found in the neighbourhood, and there are traces of a circular camp on the south Western side of Weald Hall Park. The manor of Brentwood was given to St.Osyth Abbey by William de Wochendon Camerarius. At the dissolution it was granted to Lord Cromwell, and in 1553 to the Browne family; but in 1759 it was purchased by T. Tower, Esq., together with South Weald. The ancient CHAPEL (St. Thomas a Becket) was founded, in 1221, by the abbot of St. Osyth; but being too small for the increased population, it was converted into a National School in 1835, when the present CHURCH was finished, at the cost of �3500, raised by subscription, and a grant of �300 from the Church Building Society. This neat church is a white brick structure, in the early English style, consisting of a nave and aisles, with a tower containing two bells and a clock. The benefice is a perpetual curacy, valued at �124, in. the patronage of C. T. Tower, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. J. F. H. English, LL.D. A Burial Board, was established in 1862, for the purpose of providing a New Burial Ground for the chapelry. The ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, erected here in 1861, in lieu of the Old chapel, built in 1837, cost about �3000, and is a handsome stone fabric, in the early English style, with a tower and spire, and beautiful stained glass windows. Near it are schools for boys and girls, and a good house for the priests - Revs. J. Kyne and R. Debbaudt.In the New road is a neat INDEPENDENT CHAPEL, in the Italian and Grecian styles, erected in 1846-7, at a cost of �1600, in lieu of the old one, built by a congregation formed in 1707. A school is attached to it, and the Rev. H. P. Bowen is the minister. Here is a small Wesleyan Chapel, erected in 1840. The National Schools are supported partly by subscription, and are endowed with the interest of �500, left by John Offin, butcher, in 1840. The LECTURE HALL, built in 1856, at the cost of �650, belongs to Mr W. D. Daynes and other proprietors, and is used for public meetings, lectures, concerts, etc Here is a Harmonic Society, with much musical talent. The HUNTER MEMORIAL, at the east end of the town, but in Shenfield parish, is a handsome red granite obelisk, erected by subscription, in 1861, in memory of William Hunter, a native of Brentwood, who, at the early age of 19 years, was burnt here, in 1555, for his adherence to the Protestant religion. It cost about �350, raised by more than 200 subscribers.
The FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, at Brentwood, and the ALMSHOUSES, at South Weald, were founded by Sir Anthony Browne, serjeant-at-law, and afterwards a Judge of the Common Pleas. In the 5th of Philip and Mary, he obtained a license under letters patent to found a Grammar School in Brentwood, for the better instruction and education of the youth of the neighbouring country, to be governed by a master and two wardens, who should be a body corporate, with a common seal, etc, and be appointed by the founder's heirs, aa patrons of the school. By his will, dated Dec. 28th, 1565, he also bequeathed to the "master and wardens" five tenements in South Weald, as an almshouse for five poor folks of South Weald parish; and a messuage, close, etc, to such uses, and according to such ordinances as by him, his heirs, and executors, should be declared. He died without issue, and no ordinances for the regulation of the school and almshouses were made till 1622, when a body of statutes was ordained, under the authority of a decree of the Court of Chancery. The property of the charity, exclusive of the school and almshouses, consists of the schoolmaster's house and garden, an estate of 182A. 3R. 7P., at Chigwell; and the great tithes of Dagenham. The yearly income of the charity is now about �1300. When the Parliamentary Commissioners enquired into this charity, about 85 years ago, they found that the duties of the school were performed by a classical master and an English usher and two assistants, who had under tuition about 100 boys, of whom 20 were in the grammar classes. For the improvement and future regulation of the charity, the Commissioners deemed it proper to submit it to the consideration and judgment of a court of equity, but, though a decree was made in 1831, it was appealed against, and never prosecuted. The case was again brought into the Rolls Court, in 1846 ; but it was not till 1851 that a new scheme was sanctioned by parliament, under which the school is now free for Latin and Greek to boys of this and 17 surrounding parishes, but they pay �6 a year for the other branches of an English education. There are now 12 wardens, appointed by the owner of Weald Hall, as patron of the school and almshouses. At South Weald, ten new aImshouses were erected in 1854, in lieu of the five old ones. Yearly stipends of �20 each are paid to eight of the ten almspeople, and �25 to each of the other two. The rest of the income is applied by the master and wardens in repairing the school and almshouses, etc, and in supporting the Grammar School, which has now an efficient staff of masters, at the head of whom is the Rev. W. D. L. West, M.A. There is an exhibition of �6 per annum at Caius College, Cambridge, given by Dr. Plume, with preference to a scholar from Brentwood, Chelmsford, or Maldon.
The Poor of Brentwood have a yearly rent-charge of 20s. out of 2A. of land called Pottels, at Hullets Green, left by George Gittens, in 1711. For buying coals or wood they have the dividends of �150 Old South Sea Annuities, left by Joseph Massa, in 1771. They have also for distribution in coals the dividends of �1000 three-per-cent Reduced Annuities, left by Stephen Martin, Esq., in 1803. For distribution in money, they have the dividends of �115.18s. 2d. three-per-cent Reduced Annuities, purchased with �100 left by William Newman, in 1835. They have also a share of Waller's Charity, as noticed with South Weald. These distributiona are made by the minister and churchwardens.
BRENTWOOD POLLING DISTRICT for the Southern Division of Essex, comprises the parishes, etc, o� Brentwood, Childerditoh, Doddinghurst, East and West Horndon, Ingrave, Kelvedon Hatch, Mountnessing, Navestock, Chipping Ongar, Shenfield, South Weald, Stondon Massey, and Great and Little Warley.
BRENTWOOD COUNTY COURT DISTRICT comprises all the Polling District enumerated above; and also the parishes of Basildon, Blackmore, Bobbingworth, Great and Little Binstead, Bulphan, Corringham, Downham, Dunton,Fobbing, Fyfield, Greenstead, Horndon-on-the-Hill, Hutton, Laindon, Laindon-Hills, High Laver, Moreton, Nevendon, Norton-Mandeville, High Ongar, Orsett, Ramsden-Crays, Ramsden-Bellhouse, Shelley, Stanford-le-Hope, Stanford-Rivers, Theydon-Mount, and Vange. The Court House is in the New road, and the court is held every alternate month. Wm. Gordon, Esq., is the judge; C C. Lewis, Esq., registrar; C. Godfrey, high bailiff; and Benj. Bacon, bailiff. SHOREDITCH INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS, erected at Brentwood, in 1854, for the pauper children of the populous parish of Shoreditch, London, is a large building in the Elizabethan style, and has accommodation for 150 boys and 150 girls. Mr. Fras. and Mrs. Dening are governor and matron; and the teachers are -Mr. Thomas Nowell, Eliza King, and Eliz Bithray. ESSEX LUNATIC ASYLUM is pleasantly situated about a mile south of Brentwood, and comprises an extensive and handsome range of buildings, with accommodation for about 500 pauper lunatics. It was finished in 1853, at the cost of about �90,000, including the purchase of about 100 acres of land, of which eight acres form the site and pleasure grounds, etc, and the remainder is cultivated as a farm. It is in South Weald parish, on the Brentwood Hall estate, and was built from designs and plans by Hy. E. Kendall, Esq., of London. It is in the mediaeval style of the Tudor period, which is well adapted for the purpose, being substantial, cheerful, English in character, and very suitable to our climate. Its oriel and bay windows, clock and water towers, turrets, spires, gables, etc, give it a most picturesque appearance; and its stone dressings and red brick facings, interlaced with black, form a pleasing contrast. For the purposes of an asylum for those afflicted with the worst of human maladies, the site is well chosen, having cheerful and beautiful views, good falls for drainage, and an abundant supply of excellent water. The airing courts and gardens attached to the several wards are spacious and secure ; and are laid out with broad gravel walks, terraces, grass plots, and flower parteries. The entrance is through the eastern front, in which are commodious dwellings for the superintendent and other resident officers. The entrance hall and arcade communicate by cloisters or galleries with the patients wards. There are seven wards and two infirmaries on one side, and SIX wards and one infirmary on the other side; the whole accommodating about 600 patients - more than 150 in single and the rest in associated rooms. All the wards are spacious, light, and lofty; and are thoroughly warmed and ventilated. Work rooms are provided for sempstresses, shoemakers, tailors, etc; and school rooms for male and female patients; also, a large assembly room, where the patients often enjoy dancing, and musical entertainments. The chapel is in the centre of the west front, and is built of Kentish stone. It has 300 sittings, and has easy access with the wards on each side. The kitchens are fitted up with the best cooking apparatus, and they and the store rooms, cellars, etc, are sufficiently large, even if the asylum should be increased to double its present size. The water reservoir, at the bottom of the grounds, is supplied from copious springs, and holds 40,000 gallons. From it, the water is forced by a steam engine to a tank of 10,000 gallons, at the top of the water tower, whence it is sent in pipes to all parts of the asylum; which are also supplied with hot water from the boiler rooms in the basement, and through the mains which warm the galleries, etc This large and well-regulated "Asylum for the Pauper Lunatics of Essex and the Boroughs of Colchester, Maldon, and Saffron Walden," was erected pursuant to an Act of Parliament of the 8th and 9th of Victoria. The building was commenced in 1849 and finished in 1853. It cost, including subsequent enlargements and the purchase of about 100 acres of land, nearly �90,000, mostly borrowed by the county magistrates, to be repaid out of the county rates and the contributions of the three boroughs. In September, 1862, there were in the asylum 212 male and 280 female patients - all pauper lunatics. The principal OFFICERS of THE ASYLUM are - D. C. Campbell, M.D., resident medical
superintendent; A. R. Harrison, surgeon, medical assistant; Rev. Joseph. Sowter, chaplain; Mr. Charles Rayner, steward and clerk; and Mrs. Elizabeth Crabb, matron.
 


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