Roxwell
White’s Directory of Essex ~ 1861
Submitted and Transcribed by Paul H. Cogdale
ROXWELL, a pleasant village near one of the sources of the river Can, 4½ miles W. by N. of Chelmsford, has in its parish 827 souls, and 4,755 acres of land, including 120a of wood, 86a. of waste, and many scattered houses, extending northward to Boyton Cross and Chalk-end; and more than two miles south, to the small villages of Radley-Green and Cook’s Mill Green; the latter of which is partly in Writtle parish.
The soil is cold and moist--springs being found everywhere in digging a few feet; and the river Can, and its tributaries, flowing through, and nearly half encompassing the parish.
Most of the manors in Roxwell, including Boyton Hall, Mountneys, &c., form part of Lord Peter’s lordship of Writtle; but a great part of the soil belongs to other proprietors, the largest of whom is T.W. Bramston, Esq., M.P., of SKREENS, a large neat mansion, in a beautiful park, about a mile west of the village. The manor of Skreens, was held by the Skreene family in the 15th century, and was purchased by Richd. Weston, in 1554. It was sold in 1635, to Sir John Bramston, Kt., lord chief of the King’s bench, whose ancestor, Wm. Bramston, was sheriff on London, in 1394. The house was built by Thomas Bramston, Esq., about 1710, but it and the grounds were greatly improved by his successor. Thos. Wm. Bramston, Esq., M.P., the present owner of Skreens, Tye Hall, and other estates in this parish and neighbourhood, has sat in three parliaments for the South Division of this county.
The Church (St. Michael,) is a small ancient structure of stone, with a wooden turret and three bells. The interior is remarkably neat, and contains a handsome marble monument, bearing a Latin inscription, from the pen of Cowley, recording the virtues, learning, and honors of Lord Chief Justice Bramston, who died in 1654, aged 78. The benefice is a donative curacy, annexed to the vicarage of Writtle, and the great tithes of the two parishes belong to New College, Oxford. All the tithes were commuted in 1839, for the yearly rent of £1,020 to New College, and £43 to the Vicar.
The National Schools, with dwellings for the master and mistress, form a neat building, erected in 1834, at the cost of £500, by T.W. Bramston, Esq., and have room for 300 children. As noticed with Writtle, £27. 6s 8d is yearly applied towards the support of these schools, from Blencowe’s Charity.
The poor of Roxwell have the following yearly doles, viz. :-20s. from New College, Oxford; 6s. 8d. out of Boggis Farm, left by one Dorothy Davis, in 1634, and £1 paid out of Chalk-end Farm, under the name of the Poor Monk’s Gift. The rents of a garden and two pieces of land, called Church Lands, are carried to the churchwarden’s account. The poor have also the rent of a house and garden, formerly used as the Workhouse.
In the following Directory of ROXWELL PARISH, those marked 2 are at Cook’s Mill Green, and 3 at Radley Green.
Bramston Thomas Wm., Esq., M.P., Skreens
Bright Wm. Schoolmaster
Casterdine – veterinary surgeon
Cheek Sarah, vict., Hare and Hounds
Cooch Joseph, corn miller
Crush James, gentleman
Harvey Mary, blacksmith
Kirkham James, carpenter
Knight Thomas, baker
Page John, wheelwgt., Boyton Cross
Porter Wm., vict., Chequers
Rutter James, boarding school
Turner Rev. Thos., curate,
Vicarage
Farmers
Abbott William, Broadgates
Abbott Joseph, How street
Batt Daniel, Peppers Green
Blatch Thomas, Bolden Hatch
Christy James, Great Boyton Hall
Cooch Thos. and Chas., Hill Farm
2 Darby George II Nevill Mrs. Boyton
2 Greenwood Jas. & Son, (cattle dlrs)
Gower Thomas, Eleys Farm
Gandy Ann, Mountneys
Horsnell John, Stone Hill
Josling John, Elms
Matthews Porter, Wares
3 Norrington William Long
Page Lewis II 2 Pinchon William
Ram William, Newland Hall
Stone William II Surrey Louisa
Tippler William, senr., Lightfoots
Tippler William, junr., Duke’s Farm
Turpin Robert, Ponty pools
Young Michael, Bull’s Hatch
Beer Houses
Hartley Mary
2 Maryon Joseph
2 Perry Thomas
Butchers
Porter William
Thorn John
Shoemakers
Oddy William
Palmer Thomas
2 Perry Thomas
Shopkeepers
Cannon Eliz.
2 Darby George
3 Jester Peter
Stone John
POST OFFICE at Sarah Mead’s. Letters from Chelmsfd.daily
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales...., by John Marius Wilson. circa 1866
ROXWELL, a parish, with a village, in Chelmsford district, Essex; on the river Chelmer, 4½ miles W by N of Chelmsford r. station. It has a post-office under Chelmsford. Acres, 4,755. Real property, £5,879. Pop., 986. Houses, 183. The property is divided among a few. The manor belongs to Lord Petre. Skreens is the seat of T.W. Bramston, esq. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Rochester. Value, £250. Patron, New College, Oxford. The church was repaired and enlarged in 1854. There are a national school, and charities £28.
Transcribed by Noel Clark