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WOODFORD, CHINGFORD & NEIGHBOURHOODS

Pigot's Essex 1832-3 Trade Directory

WOODFORD is a village, in the parish of Woodford St. Mary and hundred of Becontree; eight miles from London, and the like distance from Epping. This is one of the most delightful villages within the like distance of the metropolis: the air is good, - the views beautiful and extensive; and the rides and walks, through the woody and umbrageous scenery, render it an enchanting place of retreat to the long pent-up citizen; its charms are, indeed, appreciated by many opulent families; and the villas and grounds on all sides, which are tastefully interpersed amongst the rural glades, heighten the general effect of the natural beauties that here abound. Amongst the seats that ornament Woodford and its immediate vicinity may be particulary named, 'Woodford Hall,' M.B. Pearse, Esq.; 'Woodford Grove,' Wm. Mellish, Esq.; 'Higham,' Jeremiah Harman, Esq.; 'Gwyn House,' Mrs Burmester; and 'Claybury Hall,' J.R. Hatch, Esq., &c. Nor is this place deficient in means of affording convenience to the short-tarrying visiter, as there are some good Inns, the principal of which is the 'White Hart.' Woodford and its immediate charming vicinity have long been deservedly celebrated for the number and excellence of the establishments for the educations of youth of both sexes; some of these seminaries are of the most respectable and efficent kind; while the situations they occupy are acknowledged to be eminently conducive to the health of the pupil.

The church is a handsome structure, faced with cement; and its interior is very clean, and neatly fitted up for the accommodation of the respectable congregation that assembles within its walls: at its eastern end is a fine painted window; and in the church, as well as in its cemetery, are many very handsome monuments; in the latter is a yew tree of extraordinary dimensions, its boughs shadowing a space of ground about 180 feet in circumference. - Here are two schools, supported chiefly by contributions; and a chapel for independent dissenters. The living of Woodford is a rectory, in the incumbency of the Rev. William Boldero; the present curate is the Rev. Thomas Bourdillion. The population of the parish, by the returns for 1831, was 2,548; being an increase, within the preceding thirty years (since 1801); of 803 inhabitants.

CHINGFORD, without any pretensions to regularity in the arrangement of its buildings, is a pleasing and respectable rural village; and the church adds much to the idea which may be formed of the 'picturesque and beautiful:' this unostentatious edifice is situated on an eminence, clothed in a verdant and ancient garb of ivy, - and, though sombre and antique in appearance, is a feature in the landscape by no means out of unison with the whole. The village is situated on the north-west of Woodford, and the parish is bounded by the river Lea. The living of Chingford is a rectory, in the incumbency of the Rev. Boothby Heathcote. The parish contained, according to the returns for 1831, 963 inhabitants.

POST, Letter Box at George Liddle's, WOODFORD; at Robert Hoye's, Woodford Row; and at John Jeffries', Woodbridge - Letters are despatched every morning at nine, and every afternoon at four; and from Richard Imms', CHINGFORD, every morning at a ¼ past eight, and every afternoon at a ¼ past three.

COACHES. To LONDON, Rounding and Barnard's coaches, every morning at eight, nine and ten, except Sunday, when they go at seven, and every evening at six in summer, and five in winter - and John Pettengill's coach, from his house, Woodford row, every morning at eight, except Sunday, when it goes at seven.

To LONDON, eight coaches call at the White Hart Inn, and three at the Woodford Wells Inn, daily.

CARRIERS. To LONDON, James Houghton & Elizabeth Spears, from Woodford, daily (Sunday excepted) - Jas. Messer, from his house, Woodford brige, every Mon. Wed. and Sat. morn. at nine, and Wm. Hunt, every Tues. Thurs. & Sat.morn.

 

White’s History, Gazetteer & Directory of Essex ~ 1848

Submitted and Transcribed by Essex Villages

 

CHINGFORD an irregularly built but pleasing rural village, is picturesquely situated on the east side of the river Lea, in the south angle of Waltham Hundred, 9 miles N. by E. of London, and 4 miles S. of Waltham Abbey.  Its parish is within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, and contains 971 inhabitants, and 2459 acres of land, including a large tract of open common land, and about 200 acres of wood, on the western side of Epping Forest. 

The surface in many places rises high, and commands varied and extensive prospects.  The parish has several handsome seats, and had its name from the Saxon Chinz or King’s ford which crossed the river Lea near the site of the present bridge; beyond which, on the Middlesex side of the valley, is the Edmonton Station on the North-Eastern Railway.  The chief manor, called Chingford St. Paul’s was given by Edward the Confessor to the dean and Chapter of St. Paul’s, but was granted by Edward V1. to Sir Thomas D’Arcy.  Queen Mary took it from the latter, and gave it to Susan Tongue and her heirs.  In 1467, it was conveyed to John Leigh, whose descendants resided here more than a century, and in 1691, sold it to Robt. Snell, Esq., of Hertfordshire.  It has recently been sold by Col. Snell to R. Hodgson, Esq., the present lord of the manor, in which the copyholds are subject to certain fines.  The manor of Chingford Earls, or Comitis, was held by the Bourchiers, Earls of Essex in the 15th century, and previously by the Gernons and Montfichets.  In 1608, it was purchased by Thos. Boothby, Esq., and it is now held by the Rev. Robert Boothby Heathcote, who has a handsome residence at Friday hill.  The copyholds in this manor are subject to arbitrary fines. 

The other principal landowners are Mrs. Wood, of Mount Echo; Capt. A. P. Hamilton, of the Mount; John Dean, Esq., of White Hal; Sir R. S. Ainslie, Bart., of the Rolls, (Chigwell;) and the Misses More, of Edmonton.  An estate, called Scotts-Mahews, alias Brindwoods, is held of the rector of Chingford; and on every alienation, the following singular ceremony takes place:-“The owner and his wife, and man and maid servant, attend singly on horseback, and at the parsonage the owner does his homage, and pays his relief, as follows: He blows three blasts with his horn; carries a hawk upon his fist; and his servant has a greyhound in a slip, both for the use of the rector that day.  He receives a chicken for his hawk, a peck of oats for his horse, and a loaf of bread for his greyhound.  They all dine, after which the master blows three blasts, and they all depart.”

The Old Parish Church, dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, is a low, small, ancient structure, of flint and stone, profusely covered with ivy of enormous growth.  The pews, &c., in the nave have been removed, and the chancel is now only used for funerals and other occasional duty.  In the latter are several handsome marble monuments, belonging to Leigh, Boothby, Heathcote, and other families.  One has kneeling effigies of Sir Robt. Leigh and his wife, and on the floor is an antique brass, in memory of Robt. Rampston. 

The New Church, which stands on the green, in a more central situation, is a large structure, and was built by the present rector, at the cost of about £5000, in 1843-4, of white brick, with ornamental devices in black flint.  It is in the Gothic style, and has an embattled tower, crowned by a handsome spire, and containing a clock which has three dials, and strikes the quarters.  The interior is neatly fitted up, and has sittings for about 700 hearers. 

The rectory, values in K.B. at £14. 5s. 5d., and in 1831 at £595, is in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. Rt. Boothby Heathcote, B.A., the lord of one of the manors, who resides at Great Friday Hill, but has l5a. of glebe, and a handsome modern Rectory House, now occupied by the curate. 

The tithes were commuted in 1842, for £515 per annum.  Here is a National School for both sexes.  For distribution in coals, the poor have dividends of £400 three per cent. Reduced Annuities, derived from the charities of John, Ann, and Rebecca Popplewell.  For distribution in bread, they have £3 yearly from Rampston’s Charity, (see Walthamstow) and an annual rent-charge of £3, left by Thomas Boothby , out of Chingford Earls estate.  The poor widows of the parish have 1¾ a. of marsh land, let for £4.

Post Office, at Mrs Jane Williams’s.

Letters received and despatched twice a-day, via London

 

Allen Wm. tailor and shopkeeper

Bayley Wm. gardener

Binden Thomas, harness maker

Claxton Wm. National schoolmaster

Conner George, gentleman

Cox Thomas, shoemaker

Dean John, Esq., White Hall

Dunsford Wm. gardener

Goldacre Robt. vict. Kings Head

Hamilton Capt. Arthur Pp., Mount

Hartshorn Wm. builder

Heathcote Rev. Robert Boothby, B.A. rector, Great Friday hill

Herbert Edmund, smith and farrier

Hill John, builder

Johnson Henry, parish clerk

Knight Edward, gentleman

Lea Thomas, grocer and glass cutter

Legleitner Alphonso, corn miller

Martin Edward, cattle dealer

Matthews Joseph, blacksmith

Mills James, forest keeper

Nutting Eliz. National schoolmistrs

Pinder Thomas, saddler

Reid Rev. Jno. M.A. curate, Rectory

Robinson Samuel, butcher

Russell Samuel, butler

Servey Alfred, jeweller

Stevens Daniel E., gentleman

Stubbings James, swine dealer

Swain Chas. vict. Bull and Crown

Thompson Charles, shoemaker

Wallace Jas., Esq., Little Friday hill

Ward Joseph, grocer and draper

Watkins Wm. forest keeper

Wood Mrs Eliza, Mount Echo

Worby Wm, cattle dealer

 

Bakers

Day Thomas

Turner Joseph

 

Beerhouses

McNarrin Mary

Turner Mary

Wheeler John

 

Farmers

Appleby Charles

Bird James

Bruhle George

Burrell Wm

Cole James

Humphreys Jerh., Chingford Hall

Humphreys Wm. Green Farm

Martin Eliz.

Perry George

Reeves Geo. Wm.

Small Jno. Hatch

Wanger Geo. Ths.

Warren James

Wheelwrights

Reynolds John

Vale Jno. Hatch

 

Railway

Trains from Edmonton Station to London, &c, Omnibuses and Carriers from Woodford

 

Transcribed by CG

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales...., by John Marius Wilson. circa 1866

CHINGFORD, a village and parish in Epping district, Essex. The village stands on the verge of the county adjacent to Epping Forest and the river Lea, 2 miles NE of Water-Lane Junction r. station, and 9 and ½ NNE of St. Paul's, London; and has a post-office under Woodford, London, NE. The parish comprises 2,766 acres. Real property, £7,270. Pop.,1,174. Houses, 236. The property is subdivided. The manor belonged anciently to St. Paul's, London. Chingford Hall is the seat of the Merringtons. The living is a rectory in the diocese of London. Value, £538. Patron, J. Heathcote, Esq. The old church is a low ancient ivy-clad edifice; and the new one was built in 1845.

Transcribed by Noel Clark

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