Greenford Parva (Perivale)

GREENFORD PARVA.

Name.

The name of Perivale, by which this place is now generally known, does not occur in any records of a more ancient date than the 16th century. Norden says, "Perivale more truly Purevale," alluding to the fertility of the vale wherein it is situated. I think it more probable that the name of Perivale has arisen from a gradual corruption of Parva, an addition given to this place in most ancient records, to distinguish it from the other Greenford, which is considerably larger both as to extent and population.

Situation, boundaries, extent, &c.

Greenford Parva lies in the Hundred of Elthorne, about a mile and a half distant from the Uxbridge road, and eight miles from Tyburn turnpike. The parish, which is bounded by Greenford Magna, Ealing, and Harrow, contains about seven hundred acres, a third of which only is arable. The soil is for the most part clay, in some parts gravel. This parish pays the sum of 91 l. 11 s. 1½d. to the land-tax.

Manor.

When the survey of doomsday was taken, Ernulfus held three hides in Greenford, of Geoffrey de Mandeville: the land was one carucate and a half, on which one plough was employed. Two villeins held half a hide, and there were two cottars and a slave; pannage for forty hogs. The land was worth twenty shillings, but produced only ten, when granted to Geoffrey de Mandeville. In the Confessor's time it was worth forty shillings. This land had been held by two sokemen; one of them was a canon of St. Paul's, who had two hides, and might alien them at his pleasure. The other was a servant of Ansgar, the master of the horse, who could not make any grant without his master's leave. In the same village Ansgot held half a hide under the said Geoffrey, which land was two oxgangs. This land was valued at three shillings, and had been in the tenure of Azor, a servant of Ansgar, who could not alien it without his master's leave. Some of these estates, but what part cannot be easily ascertained, lay in the parish of Great Greenford, were afterwards granted to the priory of Ankerwyke, and formed the manor of Stickleton, which was held under the Bohuns, (heirs of the Mandeville's,) as superior lords of the see: the manor of Greenford Parva, or Cornhull, was held under them in like manner by the Beaumonts (fn. 1). Ælveve, at the time of taking the Norman survey, held half a hide in Greenford of the King, which had belonged to Leuric, a servant of Earl Lewin, who had the power of aliening it to whom he pleased. It was valued at ten shillings; in the reign of the Confessor at twenty shillings.

Manor of Cornhill, alias Greenford Parva.

The manor of Cornhull, Cornhill, or Greenford Parva, with the advowson of the church, belonged to Walter de Langton, Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry (fn. 2), who surrendered it to the King (Edw. II.) in exchange for the churches of Cestreton and Worsfield in Warwickshire (fn. 3). The King soon afterwards granted it to Henry de Beaumont (fn. 4), in whose family it remained (fn. 5) till aliened anno 1387 by John de Beaumont to Thomas Charlton (fn. 6). This manor, said in the record to have been late Sir Thomas Charlton's, was granted by Thomas Hall, anno 1435, to William Eastfield, citizen of London (fn. 7). After passing through some other families (fn. 8), it came to Sir Robert Southwell, who died seised of it anno 1516 (fn. 9). From 1521 to 1559, it appears to have been the property of Sir Humphry Browne (fn. 10), and in 1573 of Henry Millet (fn. 11), Esq. from whom it descended by female heirs to the families of Lane and Harrison (fn. 12). After the death of John Harrison, Esq. it was sold anno 1767, to Richard Lateward, Esq. (fn. 13) who, dying anno 1777, bequeathed it to John Schrieber, Esq. who has taken the name of Lateward, and is the present proprietor.

Besse-place.

A house called Besse-place, with certain lands thereto belonging, being parcel of the possessions of Henry Morgan, attainted for high treason, was granted, anno 1613, to John Levingston, subject to a see-farm rent of forty shillings (fn. 14).

Church.

Monuments.

The church is a small ancient structure, built of stones and flints, and covered with red tiles. It consists of a chancel and nave; at the west end of which is a wooden tower and low turret. The inside is neat, and has been lately whitewashed and repaired. In the windows of the chancel are some remains of painted glass, among which are figures of St. Matthew and St. John. On the north wall of the chancel are the monuments of Thomas Lane, Esq. ancient bencher of the Temple (fn. 15), 1652; John Harrison, Esq. (fn. 16) 1722; and John Clerke, Esq. (fn. 17) 1792. On the south wall those of Joan, wife of John Shelbury, Gent. and relict of George Millet, 1623; Elizabeth, wife of John Lane, Esq. (fn. 18) 1655; Lane Harrison, Esq. (fn. 19) 1740; Richard Lateward, Esq. (fn. 20) 1777; and Temperance, wife of John Lateward, Esq. 1790. On the floor of the chancel was lately a brass plate to the memory of George Myllet, Esq. 1600; within the rails of the communion-table is the tomb of Martha, wife of Mr. James Wildman, 1789. On the north wall of the nave is the monument of John Gurnell, Esq. (fn. 21) 1748. On the floor is the tomb of Henry Myllet, 1500, with small figures in brass of himself, his two wives, and fifteen children.

Church-yard.

In the church-yard are the tombs of Henry Wyatt, twenty-two years rector, 1683; Elizabeth Greenhill, 1696; George, son of William Greenhill, Esq. of Abbot's Langley, 1706; William Brownbill, thirteen years rector, 1719; Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Peter Colleton, Bart. who died at her house at Ealing, 1721; Mr. Robert Cromwell, 1723; John Arnold, of Furnival's-inn, Gent. 1730; Matthew Cockett, citizen and goldsmith, 1731; and captain John Johnson, 1767.

Rectory.

The rectory and advowson of Greenford Parva, appear to have been invariably connected with the manor. The rectory was rated, anno 1327, at six marks (fn. 22); in the king's books it is said to be 50 l. clear yearly value. Mr. Beard, rector of this parish in the year 1705, in answer to queries relating to the church, says, that it had all the tithes and two acres of glebe; that it had never been rated before at more than 36 l. but that the assessors had then lately raised it to 50 l. He mentions a Polyglott Bible and Castell's Lexicon, as belonging to the church, to which they were given by an unknown benefactor (fn. 23). Robert Cromwell, of Paddington, in the year 1722, bequeathed six pounds per annum for an afternoon sermon on the first Sunday in every month, which benefaction being a rent-charge on certain lands in Hayes, has been several years in arrears. John Gurnell, Esq. left 5 l. per annum to repair his tomb and the parsonage-house.

The present rector is the Reverend James Maidman, instituted in 1789.

Parish register.

The register of Baptisms in this parish is carried no farther back than 1707; that of Burials only to 1720.

From the comparative number of Baptisms it appears, that this little village has been considerably depopulated within the last fifty years. The manor-house has been pulled down within a much shorter period. From the number of burials nothing can be gathered, as the greater part of those who have been interred there were not parishioners. The present number of houses is five only.

Extracts from the Register.

"George Augustus Elliot, of the parish of Ealing, was buried in July, 1753." Eldest son of the late Lord Heathfield, the gallant defender of Gibraltar.

"Philip Fletcher, Dean of Kildare, was buried May 12, 1765." Dr. Fletcher was brother of the Bishop of Kildare (fn. 24) : he was author of a poem called "Truth at Court," much read soon after the accession of his present majesty, and another in Dodsley's collection, called "Nature and Fortune."