CHRISHALL
WHITE'S DIRECTORY OF ESSEX 1848
CHRISHALL is a village and parish among the hills bordering upon Herfordshire and Cambridgeshire, 7 miles W. of Saffron Walden. It contains 521 souls, and 2694 acres of land. In some old records, it is variously called Carshall, Christeshale, &c. Lord Dacre is lord of the manor of Chrishall-bury, and owner of the Grange estate. Another manor, Cheswick Hall, or Flanders, belongs to J. H. Wilkes, Esq., and here is a small manor belonging to the Rectory. The Lucy, Rivers, Crawley, Penruddock, and other ancient families, were formerly owners here. Sir John James, who was knighted in 1665, built the Hall, in a park of 300 acres, afterwards converted into a wood, and the mansion into a farmhouse. An estate, called Crawley-bury, was a seat of the Crawleys, and afterwards passed to the Bendish, Brown, Boyle, and other families. The Church (Holy Trinity,) is a fine antique structure, consisting of a nave and aisles, a chancel, and a stone tower, crowned by a handsome spire, and containing four bells. It was appropriated, at an early period, to Westminster Abbey, and contains some ancient brasses, one of which is in memory of Sir John de la Pole, who died in the 14th century. An elegant monument in the chancel is in memory of Sir John James, knight, who died in 1676. In 1558, the rectory was given to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, to whom it still belongs. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £19, and in 1831 at £200, is in the patronage of the Bishop of London, and incumbency of the Rev. George Everth, M.A., who has a good residence, and 1A. 35P. of glebe. The rectorial tithes were commuted at the enclosure in 1819 for an allotment of 470A. 2R. 32P. The Vicarial tithes nave been commuted for £214 per annum. In 1562, LETTICE MARTIN left an estate here in trust for the benefit of the poor of 33 parishes. At the enclosure, the land bequeathed by her was exchanged for 79A. 1R. 19p., now left for £55. 10s. per annum, of which £5. 4s., as the portion belonging to Chrishall, is distributed a Christmas among the aged poor. With the other 32 parishes, we have stated their respective shares, which vary in amount agreeable to the donor's will. In 1836, the acting trustee, Mr. Wilkes, had in hand a balance of £200. The poor of Chrishall have a yearly rent-charge of 20s., left by Thos. Elkin in 1615, and now paid out of 2A. 8P. of land belonging to J. H. Wilkes, Esq.
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales...., by John Marius Wilson. circa 1866
CHRISHALL, a parish in Saffron-Walden district, Essex; 4 miles W of Audley-End r. station , and 5½ W of Saffron-Walden. Post-town, Elmdon, under Saffron-Walden. Acres, 2,690. Real property, £3,241. Pop., 643. Houses, 123. Part of the land is common. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Rochester. Value, £304. Patron, the Bishop of Rochester. The church has a canopied brass of the 14th century, and two other brasses.
Transcribed by Noel Clark
Is the following Myth, Legend or Fact?
"The old village, which stood about a mile away from the present one, was completely destroyed by fire about 500 years ago. Legend says that the fire was started deliberately in order to cleanse the village after an outbreak of plague. The victims of the plague were buried in a single grave, whose site is marked by a yew tree, and it is said that on no account must that part of the churchyard be opened. Shadowy figures have occasionally been reported dancing about the ancient grave."
Provided my Ann Major