Blackmore: Notes from the Parish Registers

Notes from Blackmore Registers, pre 1812 from the Browne transcript kept at Blackmore; subsequently from registers in Essex Record Office

Nurse Children

Burials

1608

Christopher Tucke son of Charles of London, a nurse child with Tho

30^th May

Thomas Baule son of Rich^d  of London a nurse child with Thomas Grove 3 June

1609

(Blank) Whight of London nurse child of Thos Willit 13 May

1610

(Blank) (Blank) a nurse child of London with Thomas White (May) or (June)

1669/70

William Glinne a nurse child with Thos Browne of Fryerning (Dec or Jan)

Baptisms

John son of Elizabeth Powton of Blackmore wife of Isaac 2-5-1819

Charles son of Robert Groves and Elizabeth Powton wife of Isaac 2-8-1829

Joseph son of Robert Groves and Elizabeth Powton of Fryerning 11-9-1831 base born

Maria Harris daughter of Robert labourer Transported for life and Mary 19-3-1826

May Oakley son of May and Esther 11-3-1827. I have seen this male christian name in baptisms and marriages.

Selected occupations

Surgeon: George Spratt baptisms 1814, 1816.  Nathaniel Barlow 1833 – 1848

Schoolmaster: Henry Mullocks 1836-48

Cow doctor: Collop 1833 etc

Organ builder: Thomas King of High Ongar 1847

Drawing Instrument Maker: Francis Voisey of Blackmore 1856

Prostitute: Frederick base born son of Rebecca Sparrowhawk of Blackmore 31-10-1851

Fanny Piper illegitimate daughter of Eliza Sarah, domestic servant, of Blackmore born at Norton Mandeville. C. 19-2-1854

The following are not described as base born

Joseph Roast, son of John “Baker of Blackmore deserted his wife and family” and Harriet born at Writtle 26-10-1846 C. Blackmore 30-12-1855

and Sarah Ann, born at Writtle, Oct 1848. C. Blackmore 30-12-1855

Edward, born at Writtle 28-12-1852 C. Blackmore 30-12-1855

Charles Richard, born Chelmsford Union House C. Blackmore 30-12-1855 (and presumably an infant)

1663

William Boones base son of Philip daughter in law to Giles Batsford, C. May 5^th

1836-7 Six burials record the cause of death

Males: Oct A2 Inflammation, Nov A55 Liver complaint, A70 Dysentry, Jun A50 Drowned.

Females: Dec B2 Inflammation Jan B59 Dropsy.

Bishops Stortford: Essex References in Parish Registers

Essex Review

Extract from No. 122. Volume XXXI (April 1922) & No. 123. (July 1922)

Essex References from the Parish Register of Bishop Stortford, Herts, 1561-1712.

J L Glasscock wrote: “The first volume of the Stortford Register is a parchment book of 204 leaves measuring 12¼ inches by 8 inches and contains 408 closely written pages”.

Items for the local area, much abridged from complete list, are:

“Marriages

Beauchamp Roding

1709.  June 14.  William Rost of Beauchamp Roding and Mary Wakelin of White Roding

Berners Roding

1628.  Augt 12.  William [blank] and Joan of Barinsh Rothing

1697.  Jany 31.  Robert Story of Barnish Roodin and Charity Rily of Marg. Rooden

Blackmore

1680.  Octr. 19.  John Read of King’s Hatfield [Hatfield Regis aka Hatfield Broad Oak]  and Hester Marige of Blakemore w.

1706.  Feb 6.  William Clark of Blackmore and Dorothy Lacy of Chipping Ongar

Bobbingworth

1674.  March 30.  Robert Paveley of Bovinger and Elizabeth Moore of Thackstead

1678.  Augt 21.  John Crab of Bovinger and Hannah Radley of Much Hallingbury

Brentwood

1626.  Sept 29.  Edmund Phillips of Burntwood and Peninnah Boltwood of Stortford

Chelmsford

1697.  Dec 28.  Francis Stevengton of Chelmsford and Elizabeth Cranvield of Bardin [Berden] b.s.

Chipping Ongar (see Blackmore)

1677.  Feby 12.  William Judd of Hatfeild Brodocke and Mary Redmell (?) of Chipping Onger

Epping

1621.  Octr 2.  Francis Mathew and Sara Chester of Epping

1673.  Sep 28.  Thomas Archer of Epping and Ann Boram

1701.  June 2.  William Colston of Epping and Elizabeth Westwood of Farnham

1701.  Sep 16.  William Gaywood of Epping and Elizabeth Hills of Netteswell

Fyfield

1631.  Jan 3.  Thomas Stanes of Fyfeild and Millicent Duke. Lic

1668.  June 29.  Richard Britten and Elizabeth Hamshire of Fyfeild

1682.  Oct 5.  Robert Adams wid.  and Joan Humfreys both of Fyfeild

1682.  Feby 12.  Simon Thoroughgood of Moreton and Elizabeth Guy of Fyfeild

1687.  Nov 18.  Issac Morril of Fiild and Mary Eve of ye same

1705.  Nov 22.  Robert Ramsey of Fifield and Anne Barnes

Greensted

1627.  Augt 8.  Thomas Welton wid.  and Sarah Foard both of Greensted

High Ongar

1682.  Dec 26.  Abraham Wright and Grace White both of High Ongar

1703.  May 20.  Zachary White and Hester Salmon both of High Ongar

Moreton (see Fyfield)

1627.  Jan 31.  Thomas Mott of Writtle and Elizabeth King of Morton

1683.  Dec 27.  John Perry and Katharin Ramsey of Moreton lic

1687.  Feb 15.  Thomas Dennis of Ugly wid. and Sarah Nailer of Morton.  s.

1690.  Jan 22. Thomas Jones and Mary Parker b.s.  and of Morton

North Weald

1683.  Oct 9.  William Stanes of North Weal Bassett and Mary Thorowgood of Geldesden [Gilston, Herts].

Ongar

1699.  May 30.  James Bawcock of Ongar in Essex and Elizabeth Skyll

Shelley

1680.  Sep 30.  Henry Durrington and Anne Little both of Shelley near Ongar

Stanford Rivers

1702.  Sep 30.  Edward Knight and Mary Pavett both of Stanford Rivers

Stondon

1637.  Jan 15. [blank] Locke and a widow of Stondon, by lic

Theydon Mount

1685.  Thomas Jennings of Harlow and Martha Monck of Thoydon Mount

Burials

Brentwood

1682.  May 23.  Simon Rutland son of Simon a Grocer Bachelaus of Physick and Practioner at Brentwood in Essex where he died and brought to his native Towne bur. in the church.

Chelmsford

1628.  Oct 4.  Elizabeth Julian of Chelmesford (?)

1702.  Nov 23.  Mrs Judith Rochill of Chelmesford in Essex w.

Moreton

1703.  Dec 3.  Sarah Smith wife of Joseph Smith of Moreton

Widford: Parish Registers

Essex Review

Extract from No. 121. Volume XXXI (January 1922)

The Parish Registers of Widford

G W Saunders says that the number of marriages during the seventeenth century in the small parish of Widford is “startling”.  The Rector between 1637 and 1678 was George Guy, a “gentleman [who] had a pliable conscience and would probably not trouble to ask awkward questions, so that under his gentle rule Widford became a veritable Gretna Green for couples wishing to be speedily joined in the bonds of holy matrimony”.  He adds: “The position of the church, quite close to the Great Road, and not far from Chelmsford, would be an additional advantage”.

“The following instances are typical:

1657.  William Earing p. Writtle and Elizabeth p. Ingatestone

1664.  William Bickner p. Hatfield Peverel and Jane Devenish p. Brentwood

1667.  John Bigg p. East Hanningfield and Joyce Reynolds p. Blackmore

1671.  Henry Eering p. Pritewell and Pricilla Cutchy p. Springfield

1674.  Samuel Tyler p. Rumford and Elizabeth Packman p. Woodham Ferris

1675.  Thomas Malden p. Rochford. Clerk and Collector and Mary Spurgeon of Much Baddow

1677.  William Burton p. Theydon Bois and Elizabeth Burr p. Hornchurch

1681.  John Davenish p. Kelvedon and Elizabeth Lingard p. Writtle

1688.  William Gladwin p. Purleigh and Sarah Bridges p. Burnham

1689.  Christopher Fowler p. Hackney gent. And Mrs Frances Mildmay from Little Baddow

1696.  Andrew Hubbard of Great Burstead and Elizabeth Lemon p. West Hanningfield

1703.  George Hewitt p. Rayleigh and Sarah Bridges p. Burnham

1716.  Robert Foster of Chignal St James and Elizabeth Norris of Brick Chignal

1723.  Thomas Myhill p. Finchingfield and Frances Marter p. Downham

1724.  Thomas Adams p. Chipping Ongar and Elizabeth Corney p. Bobbingworth

1732.  Edward Wallis p. Barmish Roding and Ann Emberson p. Chignal Smealey”.

Blackmore: Monumental Inscriptions

Received 16 March 2011

Hi Andrew, I am still plugging away at my family tree of the Norris. I have found out with the help of my cousin via the Essex Record Office there are quite a few more relations baptised, married and buried in St Laurence Blackmore as well as St Mary the Virgin High Ongar. I wonder if there is a document anywhere where the details of who and where are buried in the Churchyard. I am proposing sometime this year when I come down from Suffolk to visit the churches to see if I can find any graves of my ancestors as I love to try and put a photo on my family tree site. Can you give me any help or point me in the right direction.

Regards

Linda Windley

Replied 18 March 2011

The Essex Society for Family History carried out a survey of Blackmore churchyard in 1997 with plan, inscriptions and location of graves. The results are available to view at the Essex Record Office: reference ERO T/Z 151/109. I could not find on SEAX reference to a survey of the churchyard at High Ongar.

Best wishes

Andrew

Stondon Massey: High Country Strays in Stondon Massey Parish Register

I am currently writing a biography of Revd. Edward Henry Lisle Reeve (1858 – 1936), who was Rector of Stondon Massey for 42 years and a local historian. In the Essex Record Office are many of his manuscripts but in the Church Safe is a certified copy of the Parish Registers for 1708 – 1791 in his hand. This article has been produced with thanks to the present Rector and churchwardens.

A stray, I understand, is someone who turns up in the records of other parishes. Stondon Massey has many of them. Rev. Reeve wrote:

“Out of 121 marriages between 1708 and 1754 entered in the book only 17 show one of the parties to have belonged to Stondon. In every other case both bride and bridegroom belonged to outside parishes. And this is the more strange seeing that in the succeeding 37 years after 1754 no fewer than 68 marriages are entered showing either a Stondon bride or bridegroom. Sometimes, again, a wedding is entered when a ceremony took place elsewhere. Mr Thomas Smith united the Curacy of Blackmore in 1756 to his other cures, but it is embarrassing to find the following in the Stondon books in 1744:

July 18^th. “Married at Blackmore John Baker Batchelor and Martha Belcher Spinster, Both of the Parish of Danbury in this County”.

“One wonders whether other Rectors were as much in request for tying the nuptial knot as Mr Smith, and whether, in cases where the entries were merely records of their work done in other parishes, the parishes interested were favoured with a copy for their own books. Otherwise the work of hunting up materials for a pedigree must be felt to be a harder one than has been realized hitherto.

“It is, I fear, extremely probable that our Rector was known to be a man who would ask no awkward questions. Previous to 1754 any marriage performed by a priest was accounted valid, though it might not be legal; and, although the officiating clergyman was liable to heavy penalties in such a case, the law was not often put in force, if the parson could be found ready to run the risk. The increase in so-called “Stondon” marriages after 1754 points some way, and tends to show that somehow Mr Smith still contrived to remain a popular clergyman”[1].

Reverting to the ‘certified copy’, the following entries exist relating to people living in the High Country parishes.

Married Jan 17 1709/10. John Glascock of Bovingworth [Bobbingworth or Bovinger] and Sarah Rust widow of Stanford Rivers parish.

Married Apr 20 1730. John Bridges and Sarah Thorougood both of the Parish of Stanford Rivers.

Married Feb 20 1730/1. James Crosingham of the Parish of High Ongar And Susannah Young of the Parish of Stanford Rivers.

Married May 6 1734. Richard Warne & Elizabeth King both of the Parish of Stanford Rivers by Licence.

Married June 22 1734. Benjamin Archer of ye Parish of Knavestock [Navestock] singleman and Rebecca Robjant of yr Parish of Stanford Rivers singlewoman.

Married Apr 16 1741. John Smith of Stanford Rivers Batchelor and Dinah Cox of ye same Parish Spinster.

Married Dec 17 1742. Ebeanezer Nichols of the Parish of Horn-Church [Hornchurch] singleman and Elizabeth Whybrew of the Parish of Stanford Rivers singlewoman.

Married Apr 17 1743. John Stanes, singleman of the Parish of Chipping-Ongar and Sarah Boulter of the Parish of Stanford Rivers singlewoman.

Married Nov 24 1749. Married Mr Matthew Webb singleman and Mary Eaton singlewoman both of the Parish of Stanford Rivers.

Married Dec 25 1749. Edward Brocas singleman and Elisabeth Barker singlewoman, the man of the Parish of Grinstead [Greensted], and the woman of the Parish of High Ongar, both of this county.

Married 17 Dec 1749. Robert Halls singleman and Margaret Kelly singlewoman, the man of the Parish of Matching; the woman of the Parish of Stanford Rivers – by license.

---

[1] Reeve. A History of Stondon Massey in Essex (1900) p103.

Blackmore: Jennings family

Received: 27 January 2011

Hello Andrew

My maternal grandfather lived with a Mrs Ann “Granny” Jennings in Blackmore, Essex from about Oct 1908 until 1920 when Mrs Jennings died. He was 12 years old when she died and after her death he lived for a short time with her son (Albert) and his family in Plumstead.

I have just accessed your website (via a Google search for “Widow Jennings Blackmore Essex” – your website was the first in the results list) and see in the transcript of the 1910 Electoral Register for Blackmore there is a Widow Jennings listed. It is probable this is the same person my grandfather lived with for 12 years:

Number : A148

Name of Elector at full length, Jennings

Surname first Widow

Place of Abode Blackmore, Ingatestone

Nature of Qualification Dwelling house

Description of Qualifying Property In village

Does anyone in the Blackmore Local Area History group have more information about Mrs Jennings, particularly in the 20 years prior to and including her death?

I also wonder if Blackmore Primary School was around in 1915 – I don’t know where my grandfather went to school before he entered into Barnardos care in 1922, but it would make sense that he attended the school closest to where he was living. Are you able to help with this? I have looked on the Blackmore Primary School website (http://www.blackmore.essex.sch.uk/) and the Blackmore Village website (http://www.blackmorevillage.co.uk/) but have found no clarification.

In the 1911 census my grandfather is listed as a visitor, along with Mrs Jennings, at her son’s home at 36 Warescot Road, Brentwood (see transcript of census record below).

Birth Name / Relation / Condition / Sex Age / Year / Occupation / Where Born

JENNINGS, Albert / Head / Married / M 38 / 1873 / Gardeners Labourer / Wethersfield Essex

JENNINGS, Ellen / Wife / Married / F 35 / 1876 / West Hanningfield Essex / [married] 5 years

COX, Lily Grace / Adopted / F 5 / 1906 / Hackney London / Daughter

JENNINGS, Yves Rahder / Son / M 3 / 1908 / Kelvedon Common Essex

Paul August Ladermann

JENNINGS, Ann / Visitor Mother Widow / F 67 / 1844 / Wethersfield Essex

RUST, Charles / Visitor / Nursechild / M 2 / 1909 / Homerton London

WEST, Thomas / Lodger / Married M 57 / 1854 / Road And Sewer Maker / Fobbing Essex

RG number: / Piece: / Reference:

RG14 / 9996 / RG14PN9996 RG78PN526 RD193 SD1 ED1 SN169

Registration District: / Sub District: / Enumeration District: / Parish:

Billericay / Brentwood / 1 / Brentwood

Address: / County:

36 Warescot Road Brentwood / Essex

Kind regards and many thanks in advance

Susan Jenkins

Upper Hutt, New Zealand

Replied: 27 January 2011

Susan

Can you confirm for me that your grandfather was Charles Rust.

Thanks

Andrew

Received: 28 January 2011

Hi Andrew

Yes he’s the one, born 12 May 1908 in Hackney. So on 2 April, 1911 when the census was taken he would have been nearly 3 years old.

Kind regards, Susan

Replied: 31 January 2011

Hello Susan

Thank you for your e mail. I will publish our correspondence on the blog: www.blackmorehistory.blogspot.com

Let me start firstly with the school, which was built in 1877 and remained in use until 1970, when a larger one came into use to cater for the growing population around Blackmore. It is now a private house, sympathetically restored in the last two years. I do not know of any log books retained but it is highly likely that Charles Rust went there. I cannot find any record of Charles in my notes.

Turning to the Jennings. In the St Laurence, Blackmore, Burial Register are two entries.

John Jennings, age 69, was buried on 12^th April 1907.

Ann Jennings, age 75, was buried on 13^th September 1920.

These are the only Jennings entries in the Register covering 1893 to 1992.

Ann Jennings is recorded as a widow on the 1910 Electoral Register. We usually think that women did not have the vote at all until after the First World War. However, women who owned property could vote in parish and county elections (not general elections to Parliament) after 1907.

Regards

Andrew

High Ongar: Parish Registers

Received

5 January 2011

Dear Sir:

I notice that you have the Registers for High Ongar, 1538-1623. I have a family that lived in that area during those years, and wonder how I can either have someone check to verify place and date or receive a photocopy of the events. I live in California. The LDS Church has filmed some of the records, but not the early years that are of interest to me. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. If you have someone available to check the registers for me, I will provide the names and dates.

Sincerely,

Peggy Schulz

Replied

15 January 2011

Hello Peggy

Thank you for your E mail. The High Ongar registers of baptisms, marriages and burials are held at the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford. However early copies have been digitised and are available to view online. Follow this link: http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/displayParishContents.asp?selAlphabet=H&selParish=7437&selChurch=7469

Andrew

BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - October 2009

Welcome to this month’s round-up of local history and heritage in and around Blackmore, Essex.

A Farming and Family Centenary Celebration

Descendents of Arthur Henry Smith had a party recently to celebrate one hundred years of farming at Jordans Farm in Mountnessing. It was to there, in 1909, that my grandfather became a tenant farmer on land owned by Lord Petre. My cousin still farms the same land which is a great achievement and cause for celebration. The gathering, attended by many family and friends, provided an opportunity to view photographs and other memorabilia. Those into family history displayed their research and in preparation for the occasion I researched Arthur’s ancestors.

Researching a Smith family line at first sight sounds a daunting task given the fact that the name is common so I went with an open mind to the Essex Record Office one Monday morning. I had already obtained the census record for 1901 (when Arthur, aged 16, was living with his family) and the free listing of the 1881 census (obtainable from Ancestry.co.uk). But within the space of three hours I had established the name of my gt gt gt gt grandfather, Henry, through using census records back to 1841 and parish registers copied onto microfiche. Why? It quickly became apparent that my family had lived throughout the nineteenth century in the parishes of Stock and Buttsbury.

I will be posting my findings shortly on http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/smith.html.

This month’s photo is of Jordans Farm, taken in 1954, with thraves (known as stooks elsewhere) of corn in the foreground.

Early Essex Parish Registers Online

In April 2009 ‘Blackmore Area Local History’ reported that the Essex Record Office had embarked on a project, called ‘Essex Ancestors’, to digitise and put on-line through SEAX (the catalogue of archives) colour images of original Anglican Parish Registers (except marriage registers less than 50 years old). Early Parish Registers for local parishes are now available to view through SEAX (http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/default.asp). ‘Blackmore Area Local History’ will monitor progress and hopefully provide links this autumn to images through the ‘Parish Registers’ page of the main website. In the meantime Registers can be viewed on microfiche at the Searchroom.

The major advantage is that wherever you are in the world you can look up ancestors from the comfort of your armchair without going to Chelmsford. Those American friends, for example, looking for the Smyth family in Blackmore can see the original register entries for the first time and no doubt copy extracts. In this respect this is a marvellous innovation.

But is there a downside? If all Registers and Census material goes online will this mean a reduction in the footfall of visitors to archive searchrooms. As someone said to me when I visited the Record Office recently, this can be no substitute for talking with others during your coffee break as often other ideas come to the fore through networking. At a time when the National Archives (at Kew) is likely to close to the public every Monday, in order to make cuts, I am quietly concerned that access to original documents – e.g. church records, wills, inventories, house sales – could become more restricted. I can see the dilemma: an attempt to increase access to records and make cuts to the front line service. Taken to its extreme there must be a danger that these vast store houses of history and local interest become the preserve of academics, frightening off casual visitors and enthusiastic amateur historians. I trust that those responsible for our heritage have a policy which ensures that these records continue to be available for all, and attract people from all walks of life to learn about the past.

This is not a criticism, just an observation. At present I have found most archivists to be very approachable and only too willing to point people in the right direction.

Historic Villages advertised by Beresfords Estate Agents

An innovative way of advertising local properties, amenities and, for this site, history has been created by Beresfords, a local estate agent. Local villages are covered in short ‘You Tube’ presentations.
For Writtle, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRSN99s1fJk
For Ingatestone (and a quick mention of Mountnessing, Stock, Fryerning and Blackmore) go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUnoKY2fivU&feature=related
For Shenfield, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_xswZXg0G4&feature=related
For Brentwood, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qg0fnqTAB4&feature=related

Runwell

David Mallinson, from Denver Colorado USA, wrote on 13th September 2009: “I read with great interest your blog entry (http://blackmorehistory.blogspot.com/2009/07/runwell-revd-suckling-memorials-1845.html) with respect to Fleming's (or Flemyngs's) Hall [Runwell] as my family owned the property from 1908 to 1986, and I myself lived there from 1967 until the property was sold in 1986.

“I note the source for the excellent rendering of the front of the house is the Rev Alfred Suckling's work 'Memorials of the antiquities and architecture, family history and heraldry of the County of Essex’ (John Weale, London, 1845). I would imagine that copies of the above work are hard to find nowadays, having said that do you know the whereabouts of any copies?”

The book itself is very rare but available through the Essex Libraries Network. The Essex Record Office has a copy. I purchased a very tatty copy, minus cover and all plates, from E bay a couple of years ago for about £20. I believe that in the book business this copy is called a "breaker" - all the good bits removed and sold on as framed pictures, unless, of course, one is interested as much in the text. Either that or I have just invented a new word for the Oxford English Dictionary.

London Underground

A sightseeing site in Botswana has been quick to pick up the reference in the Mangapps Farm Railway Museum item to the London Underground. It has added it to the numerous links on its history. See http://www.sightseeing.co.bw/search/History_Of_The_London_Underground_.html

Links

For an extensive list of links to other sites go to: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/externallinks.html

BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - April 2009

Welcome to this month’s round-up of local history and heritage in and around Blackmore, Essex.

Blackmore Area Local History: additions to main website

A major enhancement to the partner site http://blackmorehistory.co.uk/ has just gone live. Twelve neighbouring parishes to Blackmore have their own web pages covering transcripts of the ‘A People’s History of Essex’ (by D W Coller, 1861) and ‘Durrant’s Handbook for Essex (by Miller Christy, 1887).

In addition, and in response to requests made via search engines, visitors will find a list of Parish Registers held at the Essex Record Office and information about access to SEAX, the Record Office’s on line catalogue. This can be found under http://blackmorehistory.co.uk/parishregisters.html. The commentary to Blackmore’s Parish Registers is transferred to a new web page, http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/blackmore_parish_registers.html and there is a new page devoted to Stondon Massey’s BMD records under http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/stondon_parish_registers.html

Other new items include photographs taken from the top of the church towers at Ingatestone and Fryerning; scenes “then and now” from Mountnessing and Shenfield; and, for Stondon Massey, information about local families (Baines and Gosling). The Stondon Massey page also includes an extract from ‘Antiquities’ (by Revd. Alfred Suckling, 1845).

Blackmore parish has a new index page (http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/blackmore.html) giving links to all relevant information on the history and heritage of the village.

There is also a web page devoted to Private Fred Garnham, a Stondon man, who died at the beginning of the First World War. His family has very generously shared his story and enclosed copies of postcards sent to his wife from Norwich just as his Regiment were about to go to France. His photograph is also published. This can be accessed via the ‘Great War Gateway’ or the ‘Stondon Massey’ webpage.

Other pages on the Blackmore Area Local History site have been enhanced with fresh links and anchors to aid navigation around a site which has almost doubled with Phase II going live.

The new parishes pages are:
Doddinghurst: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/doddinghurst.html
Fryerning: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/fryerning.html
High Ongar: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/high_ongar.html
Ingatestone: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/ingatestone.html
Mountnessing: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/mountnessing.html
Norton Mandeville: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/norton_mandeville.html
Shenfield: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/shenfield.html
Stondon Massey: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/stondon_massey.html
Willingale Doe and Willingale Spain: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/willingale.html
Writtle and Highwood: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/writtle.html

The next stage in the development of the website will be to build more information on the work of previous local historians. As well as Miller Christy and D. W. Coller, mentioned above, there will be web pages and links created for local clergymen and historians: Revd. Walter Layton Petrie, Revd. E. H. L. Reeve and Revd A. I. Suckling (http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/a_i_suckling.html). Suckling’s work will appear on this blog from May.

Phase II provides the website architecture for even more information to be posted. Comments, and indeed contributions, are always welcomed.

Henry VIII

Henry VIII’s reign of England began on 21st April 1509. To celebrate, we will be devoting a week on this blog to the events in Blackmore during his memorable reign.

Windmills Week

At the end of this month ‘Blackmore Local Area History’ will be remembering 25 years since the official re-opening of Mountnessing Windmill to the public with a short series on these local industrial monuments. The photo this month (top) is of Thaxted Windmill.

Friends of Historic Essex

‘Friends of Historic Essex’ is a group which supports the Essex Record Office, for example, through volunteer work maintaining archives to supporting the purchase of artefacts. For more information follow the link to their website: http://www.historicessex.org.uk/index.htm

SEAX Upgrade

Essex Record Office (http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/dis/cha.jsp?channelOid=13813) has produced a major upgrade to its archive catalogue. SEAX (http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/default.asp) can now be viewed on-line directly through internet search engines such as Google.

Parish Registers

‘Essex Ancestors’ is a major project under way by staff at the Essex Record Office to digitise and put on-line through SEAX (the catalogue of archives) colour images of original Anglican Parish Registers (except marriage registers less than 50 years old). It is a mammoth tusk which will take years to complete. Work is almost complete producing digital copies of Registers up until 1700 – 32000 pages in total - and plans are afoot to upload these onto SEAX. ‘Blackmore Area Local History’ will monitor progress and hopefully provide links to images through the ‘Parish Registers’ page of the main website. In the meantime Registers can be viewed on microfiche at the Searchroom.

Doddinghurst’s Parish Registers commence in 1560. ‘Mouse’ is looking for the Ashby family, dating back to c1580-1590. A trip to the Essex Record Office from Staffordshire is a fair hike. Can anyone help? See link: http://searches2.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ESSEX-UK/2001-03/0985296755

Writtle Archives

On Thursday afternoons at the Writtle Christian Centre, near the church, ‘Writtle Archives’ is open for those who wish to view transcripts of the parish registers for Writtle and Highwood. Photographs, memorabilia, newspaper cuttings and a list of census data and monumental inscriptions are also available. For more information go to: http://www.writtlecommunityassociation.org.uk/id14.html

Gann family of Stondon Massey

Harlowirish has posted a photo of the grave of James Thomas Gann (died 16th July 1920) with associated memorial to his son Herbert, who died during the First World War. Previous entries for this family are on this ‘blog’, covered during our commemoration of the Great War. Follow this link to the photo and for comments subsequently made. http://flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/2652610043/

More Stondon Massey Memorials

Again courtesy of ‘Harlowirish’ is the war grave of Herbert Hasler (http://flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/2652612547/in/photostream/) and Robert Ellis (http://flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/2653432104/in/photostream/) both buried at St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey.

Saffron Walden

The ‘Recorders of Uttlesford History’ (http://www.recordinguttlesfordhistory.org.uk/index.html) held an extremely successful history fair at the Town Hall, Saffron Walden on 28 March 2009. Several history groups and societies from the north west of the county were present, each with displays of their locality. There was also the opportunity to view ancient documents associated with the town, one of which was ordering the public whipping of a thief in the market place in the year 1735 until her body bled. For the news story (of the History Fair!) visit http://www.saffronwaldenreporter.co.uk/content/saffron/news/story.aspx?brand=SAFOnline&category=NewsSaffron&tBrand=HertsCambsOnline&tCategory=newslatestSAF&itemid=WEED03%20Mar%202009%2009%3A24%3A06%3A970

‘Stop the M12’

No. Don’t panic! About twenty years ago a vigorous campaign against proposals to build a motorway between the Margaretting interchange of the A12 and the M25 near Navestock prevented the desecration of the countryside of this area. Until recently a white board with bold red letters ‘Stop the M12’ was on the corner of a farmer’s field in Highwood, somewhat obscured by trees. It has recently disappeared. I do wish I had photographed it.

Hospital demolished

St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping, has been razed to the ground. It was the former Victorian workhouse for the Epping Union. A similar building in Braintree has found another use: as flats, and is being marketed in the local newspapers.

Links

For an extensive list of links to other sites go to: www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/externallinks.html.

Blackmore: Parish Registers

Some notes for family historians who may have ancestors from Blackmore in Essex.

Blackmore’s old Parish Registers are kept at the Essex Record Office (http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/dis/gui.jsp?channelOid=13813&guideOid=14788 ) in Chelmsford.

Records for Blackmore survive from 1602.

Baptism Registers cover the period 1602 to 1961.
Marriage Registers cover the period 1602 to 1992.
Burial Registers cover the period 1602 to 1893.

Records since that date are kept in the Church Safe.

I have a transcription of burial records for the period 1893 to 1920.

For information relating to any of the above, click on the ‘comments’ section below.

Blackmore: Look Up Exchange. Burial Register. From 1893 (to 1920)

Family historians visit the Essex Record Office to check for the burial of their forbears. The Burial Register for Blackmore, Essex, after 1893, however, is kept in the church safe and not generally available for viewing. I have a transcript of the first 224 entries covering the years 1893 to 1920. Please send an enquiry, via the 'Comments' section if you think that I might be able to help (or so to 'Aask Andrew' - see 'labels' (left) and do the same).

(Years covered: 1893 (from 20 October), 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920 (to 1 July). Extent: Persons buried at the Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore, Essex)

Blackmore: Priory Church of St Laurence

Extract from the former Guide to the Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore, written in 1966 by Constance Simmons. Text updated for this blog. This Guide was superseded by a newly written edition in 2005.

It has been suggested that the earliest possible date for the first building of the church is 1150, but a more likely date is 1170. The earliest style of architecture in the present church is late 12th century. Remains of this can be seen at the west end of the Nave, in the doorway to the Tower and the arches up in the walls north and south of the West End.

We know that Richard, Bishop of London (1155-62) gave authority for the foundation of the priory. It was endowed by the de Samford Family who held the Manor of Fingrith. The Foundation was for a prior and 12 canons of the Augustine Order. There are records of the Priory of Blackmore sending canons to act as ministers at nearby Margaretting, Willingale Andrew (Willingale Spain), and further afield, at Great Hormead in Hertfordshire.

There are indications that the original priory church had a lofty nave with side aisles which had lean-to roofs at a lower elevation. There is a string on each outer side of the west end arches where the side aisles roofs rested. The west wall of the nave was an outside wall and the Norman doorway was the main entrance.

The Priors worshipped regularly each day. Their route through the cloisters into church was illuminated by means of a cresset stone.

During the 13th century the priory must have flourished. The north aisle is 13th century, early English in style and may have been part of an enlargement project. The stone pillars of the north aisle probably date from this period. Later still, towards the end of the 14th century, one roof was erected over the nave and side aisles, with good rib mouldings and with bosses and shields at the intersections.

The bell tower was built in 1400. It is one of the finest of its kind. We now know that the nave roof, north door and bell tower are all contemporary.

Blackmore Priory was one of the first monastic establishments to be dissolved by Henry VII. In 1527 many of the smaller communities were liquidated – conclusive evidence that this had continued as a small priory. It was granted with its endowments to Cardinal Wolsey. Later it was returned to the Crown (1529). Next it was given to Waltham Abbey (1531) which later was dissolved with other larger monasteries and our priory was returned to the Crown.

John Smyth bought the Priory from Henry VIII in 1540. He was auditor to the King. The Smyth family were to hold an influential place in the life of the village for five generations, through to 1721. Various inscribed slabs in the floor of the Church indicate a succession of Smyths.

The Smyths built Smyth Hall half a mile from the church using material from the priory including stained glass. Smyth Hall was demolished in 1844 and some of the stained glass found its way to Brizes at Kelvedon Hatch.

Throughout the middle ages, the parishioners of Blackmore had used the Nave of the church to meet as well as attend worship. John granted the parishioners use of the Chancel but when his son, Thomas, inherited the Priory he claimed the chancel to be his own and removed the right of the chancel (1581), but the parishioners asserted their claim to the church. The claim was upheld in the Ecclesiastical Court in 1583.

The north and south dormer windows and the brick piers and arches of the south arcade belong to the Tudor period, but whether they were built before the period of destruction or were part of the reinstatement, it is almost impossible to decide.

From 1600 to the present time there have been no structural alterations of importance.

Blackmore's Parish Registers of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials date from 1602. During the Civil War and under the influence of the Puritans the Church suffered neglect and disuse – as the gaps in the old Church Registers show.

Archdeacons visited the Church in 1686 and directed repairs which were – or were not – carried out. The existence of five bells in the tower was noted. These had been cast in Colchester about 1646.

In 1877 and 1898 - 1902 extensive restorations were carried out. In 1905 a carved wooden screen was erected at the entrance to the chancel. This will now be seen on the north side of the chancel enclosing the vestry, having been moved in 1988.

Kitchen and toilet facilities were created in the north west corner in 1990 and a Children's corner enclosed in the south west corner, and renamed the Rainbow Corner, in 2005.