South Weald Parish comprises the two townships of South Weald and Brentwood, the former of which contains 4654A 2R 37P  of land and 1,450 inhabitants; and the latter 2,362 inhabitants, but only 460A 3R 25P  of land. Brentwood, commonly called a chapelry and hamlet, is an improving market town, with a station on the Eastern Counties Railway, as afterwards noticed. South Weald has a pleasant village of that name adjoining the park of Weald Hall, 1½ mile W of Brentwood, and includes the larger village of Brook Street, on the London road, one mile W S W of Brentwood; and many scattered houses at Weald-Side, Coxtye or Cockshall Green, Pilgrim's Hatch, and other parts of its extensive township, which is bounded on the west by the Ingerbourn rivulet, and watered by several smaller streams. C.T. Tower, Esq., of Weald Hall, owns the greater part of the parish, and is lord of the manors of South Weald, (3296A), Calcot or Caldecot, (376A), and Costead Hall or Brentwood. (656A). Dias Santos, Esq, is lord of the manor of Bawdes or Dounsels, (412A); Frederick H Hirst, Esq, is lord of the manor of Ropers, (84A); and Lord Petre is lord of the manor of Tillingham Hall, which has 289A in this parish, but is mostly in Childerditch parish. The manor of Bawdes estends into the parish of Kelvedon Hatch, Doddinghurst, and Shenfield, and forms a separate constablewick. called Doddinshurst List. Before the Norman Survey, most of the parish belonged to Waltham Abbey. It was afterwards divided into the above named manors, which were held by the Tuke, Browne, Frith, Leech, Roper, Hall, Wright, Wheatley, and other families. Weald Hall, the seat of C T Tower, Esq. is a large and elegant mansion, in an extensive and richly wooded park, in which are beautiful gardens and pleasure grounds, a flock of Cashmere goats, and an ornamental tower, commanding extensive prospects. The hall has six fine Ionic columns in the centre of the principal front, and is chiefly of modern erection, with part of the ancient building modernised. It was purchased with the estate by the late Thos Tower, Esq, about 1760, of the heirs of Lucy Barry, who married the eldest son of Edward, Earl of Derby. It had previously been the seat of the Smiths who greatly improved the house and grounds. How Hatch, a neat brick mansion in a small park, is the seat and property of the Rev William Tower, and near it is another seat called Rochets, belonging to Miss Jarvis, but occupied by Mrs F Hills. Luptons is the seat of E V Ind, Esq, and Mascalls, near Brook 8treet, is the seat of G S  Collyer, Esq. Boyles or Bowells, a seat and estate, near Brook Street, formerly belonging to Blackmore Priory, and afterwards to the Tukes and other families, is now the property and residence of J S  Lescher, Esq, who has a valuable museum of antiquities, works of art, etc. Wesbury Lodge, a neat Gothic mansion, is occupied by H Dearsley, Esq, and Great Ropers, a large brick mansion on an eminence, in woody lawn, is the pleasant seat of F H Hirst, Esq. Many smaller proprietors have estates in the parish. Near Weald Hall is a chalybeate spring, to which the public are allowed free access, and near the park are traces of a single-ditched circular camp.

The Church (St. Peter,) is a handsome building on an eminence, and its lofty and massive stone tower, which contains five bells, is seen at a great distance. The tower was built in the reign of Henry VII.. but the nave and chancel are much older. In the latter are many monumental memorials of the Browne, Wright, Gittens, Smith, and other families and one in memory of Rear Admiral Tower, who died in 1837. The rectory was given with the manor to Waltham Abbey, and is now in the impropriation of C T  Tower. Esq. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £26 13s 4d, and is now at £653, is in the patronage of the Bishop of London, and incumbency of the Rev. C A Belli, M.A., who has a good residence, and 14A of glebe. The tithes were commuted in 1839. A Hospital for lepers was founded in Brook Street by the Bruyn family, and the estate is still known as “The Spital”. There are five Almshouses in the village of South Weald, founded by Sir Anthony Browne, as noticed with Brentwood Grammar School, at a subsequent page. The following charities belong chiefly to the hamlets in South Weald:-

The Church House was given by Edward Lamb for the repairs of the church, and is let for about £12 a year. For the same purpose, John Wright, in 1586, left a yearly rent-charge of £2, out of land now forming part of the estate called Boyles.

Humphrey Waller, in 1601, gave a cottage and garden in Aveley (now let for £6), directed the yearly rent to be divided among the poor of the hamlets of Brentwood and the Uplands; and it is distributed in the proportions of two-fifths to the former , and three-fifths to the latter. They also have a yearly rent charge of £7, out of a house in Halstead, left by John Wright, in 1602. One third is given to the poor of Brentwood, and the remainder to those of the Uplands. The latter comprise all South Wheald township. A cottage in “Doddinghurst List”, usually occupied rent free by a poor family, was given to the parish by George Gittens, of Bishops Hall, in 1711, for the distribution of 30s yearly to the poor of South Weald and Brook Street. In 1754, Sarah Wright left £100 to be invested by the vicar and churchwardens, and the yearly proceeds to be applied in paying 5s each to the industrious poor of South Weald on the 23^rd April. This charity now consists of £106 three per cent consolidated Bank Annuities. In 1822, Wm Jefferson left £100 of the same stock, and directed the yearly dividends top be applied in distributions of bread to the poor of South Weald, by equal moieties on Christmas Day and the 19^th of January.