ECONOMIC HISTORY
In the Middle Ages
the separate manors of Great and Little Birch
occupied the main part of the parish and small
areas of neighbouring parishes. William a
Birches manor lay in the south-east extremities
of Birch and perhaps also in Layer-de-la-Haye. (fn. 64)
Other small parts of Birch belonged to other
manors, for example, Easthorpe, (fn. 65) and Fillol shall or Felix Hall, Kelvedon, (fn. 66) or to religious
houses, like Tiptree priory. (fn. 67) The complex pattern may result from assarting.
In 1086 there was woodland for 100 swine on
Great Birch manor and for 40 on Little Birch
manor. (fn. 68) In 1194 wood from Birch and
Easthorpe manors was sold for £4 8s. (fn. 69) In 1605
Little Birch manor included 100 a. of woods and
underwoods called Nothes, Parmenters, and
Chamberlaines or Chamberleyes. (fn. 70) In 1638
Hawkins wood (14 a.) and Honfield wood were
recorded. Chestwood extended into north-east
Birch from Layer-de-la-Haye. (fn. 71) About 1800
there were several coppice woods on Great Birch
manor. (fn. 72) In 1841 there was 143 a. of woodland,
mostly in the east of the parish. (fn. 73) Heathland,
probably former woodland, included Birch
heath west of Birch Hall, and Layer Breton
heath which extended into the south of Birch. (fn. 74)
The value of Great Birch manor, assessed as
3 hides, fell from £6 in 1066 to £5 in 1086, while
the value of Little Birch manor, assessed as 2
hides less 4½ a., remained £3. William a Birches
manor, assessed as 1½ hides and 18 a., was worth
50s. in 1066, and 40s. in 1086. (fn. 75) In 1327, when
Birch was assessed with Easthorpe for taxation,
John Gernon, the lord of Easthorpe and Birch
manors, was the highest assessed of the 21 tax payers. (fn. 76) Great and Little Birch occupied a
medium position in the assessment of Lexden
hundred in 1524 when Thomas Tey and Robert
Forster were the highest assessed of the 40 tax-
payers. In 1662 five houses had more than four
hearths. (fn. 77)
Between 1066 and 1086 the number of
ploughteams on the demesne of Great Birch
manor decreased from 3 to 2½ and those belonging to the men from 8 to 6, suggesting a small
decrease in arable farming; there was also a sokeman with 13 a. who had another half team. The
number of villani fell from 13 to 6, and of servi
from 6 to 4, but bordarii increased from 5 to 17.
There were slightly fewer demesne stock: the
number of cattle fell from 20 to 10, swine from
35 to 34, sheep from 140 to 120, and goats from
40 to 20; but the stock of horses increased from 1
in 1066 to 3 in 1086. On Little Birch manor
between 1066 and 1086 the number of ploughs
on the demesne remained 2, with another 2
belonging to the men. The number of bordarii
remained 12, but the number of servi decreased
slightly from 6 to 5. Stock increased: the number
of cattle rose from 2 to 7, sheep from 38 to 80,
swine from 5 to 33, and in 1086 there were also
33 goats and 2 horses. On William a Birches
manor in 1066 there were 3 servi; in 1086 there
were no servi but instead 3 bordarii who had half
a ploughteam. In 1066 there were only 3 cows
and 20 sheep, but in 1086 there were 3 cows, 60
sheep, 14 swine, 7 goats, and 1 horse. In 1086
Great Birch manor included 16 a. of meadow
and Little Birch manor had 12 a. (fn. 78)
On Great Birch manor in 1195 there were 252
sheep and 4 cows, and 2 ploughteams made up
of 16 oxen and 4 horses. There were also 8 sows
and a boar, which suggests the production of
meat for sale. (fn. 79) Corn, presumably wheat, was
grown in 1204. (fn. 80) Arable predominated in the
large amounts of land held by the Sayer and
Birch families in the 14th century. (fn. 81) In the early
15th century the Baynard family managed Birch
Hall, Easthorpe, Messing Hall, and Harborough
(Messing) manors together, leasing to tenants
landholdings ranging from ½ a. to 40 a.; wheat
and oats were grown. (fn. 82)
The proximity of Colchester and the road to
London affected Birch's economy. In the period
1381-1560 between 10 and 19 men from Birch
became Colchester burgesses, about half of them
in the period 1501-60. (fn. 83) Colchester merchants
and gentlemen sometimes invested in land and
houses in Birch, for example, Thomas Christmas (d. 1520) merchant and bailiff, Robert
Smith (d. c. 1652) Colchester baymaker, and
John Scarlett (d. 1706). (fn. 84) Other investors came
from other Essex parishes and from London, (fn. 85)
including in 1647 a clothier from Great Cog-
geshall and in 1659 another from Braintree. (fn. 86)
In the 16th and 17th centuries wheat, barley,
oats, and peas were grown, and cattle, pigs, and
sheep reared. (fn. 87) Small portions of land in Birch
and Layer-de-la-Haye, referred to as doles in
1607, were probably meadow. (fn. 88) A field called
the Great Rye field, next to Bottingham heath,
was recorded in 1610. (fn. 89) Apart from the usual
rural craftsmen and tradesmen like blacksmiths,
wheelwrights, and farriers, (fn. 90) a bricklayer was
recorded in 1627, a tailor in 1653, a butcher in
1616, a charcoalburner in 1631, and a chandler
in 1779. (fn. 91) There were two clothiers in 1606. (fn. 92)
In 1689 there were 72 rateable holdings in
Great and Little Birch parishes held by 62
owners, 45 of whom had tenants in occupation.
In 1758 land tax was levied on 45 persons, some
of whom were bailiffs or agents, and in 1763 on
58. (fn. 93) In the 18th century the main farms were
of c. 100-200 a., for example, Garlands farm was
209 a. in 1702, Heath farm 135 a. in 1750, Scotts
and Theadoms farms 108 a. and Boarded Barn
farm 105 a. in 1773, and Shemmings farm 96 a.
in 1784. (fn. 94) In 1777 Great Birch manor farm com-
prised 193 a. of arable and pasture, and 7 a. of
meadow. (fn. 95)
In 1718 the lease of Nevards farm in Birch
and Layer-de-la-Haye specified that the tenant
was to have a fallow year after every two grain
crops, undertake systematic hedging and
ditching, manure the land, build a potash house,
and apply potash to the land. He was also to
plant six crab apple stocks every year and graft
them and ensure that the cattle would not
damage the orchard. (fn. 96) The lease of Hill farm in
1755 also required that the land was to be
manured, and no more than two grain crops
were to be grown without a fallow year, but turnips were allowed instead of the fallow, and in
the lease of 1781 peas and beans, or clover, could
be grown in the third year. (fn. 97) In 1760 Hill farm
was described as 'chiefly of good turnip land and
meadows'. (fn. 98) A lease of Birch Hall farm in 1774
also allowed peas and clover in the fallow year;
crops there included rye in 1783. (fn. 99)
In the 18th and 19th centuries the Round
family built up a large estate. By 1796 James
Round was the highest taxed of 29 land tax-
payers, and in 1826 Charles Round the highest
of 47. (fn. 1) By 1841 the Rounds owned the eastern
half of Birch, the rest of the parish having many
different owners. The Rounds and some of the
others also owned significant amounts of land
outside the parish. (fn. 2) From the later 18th century
the acreage of some farms increased: the
Harrisons at Copford Hall increased Hill farm
in Birch from 170 a. in 1760 to 212 a. in 1766,
and by 1800 James Round's Birch Hall farm was
398 a. (fn. 3)
In 1801 in Great and Little Birch the main
crops were wheat (598 a.), barley (285 a.), and
oats (261 a.); beans, peas, turnips and rape, rye,
and potatoes were also grown. (fn. 4) The lease of Hill
farm in 1814 specified a 4-course rotation: (1)
wheat or winter corn, (2) peas, beans, oats,
barley, or other spring corn, (3) clover or other
artificial grass seeds, (4) fallow and summer till age. The tenant was obliged to give the owner
three days' work a year with a wagon, two men
and four horses, or cart nine chaldrons of coals
for him. (fn. 5) In 1841 of the 3,070 a. of titheable land
in Birch 2,540 a. (83 per cent) was arable, and
222 a. (7 per cent) meadow. (fn. 6) C. G. Round took
a close interest in his leased farms which
included Garlands, Wood House, Gate House,
Birch Holt, and Roundbush. In 1843 Garlands
farm of 209 a. was nearly all arable except for
11 a. of pasture; wheat, oats, beans, swedes, and
turnips were grown, and there were cows, pigs,
and poultry. The land was said to be 'but moderately farmed' and C. G. Round suggested
improvements, including drainage and the
application of lime and chalk. In 1844 Wood
House farm of 56 a. was also mostly arable. The
land was 'well suited to turnip husbandry' and
'in a creditable state of cultivation'. The tenant,
a butcher, applied plenty of manure to the land
from the the large quantity of stock he kept in
a small pasture. (fn. 7)
In 1851 most people worked in agriculture
and the usual rural crafts and trades. There were
194 or more agricultural labourers, 9 farmers, 2
farm bailiffs, and a cattle dealer. Old Holt farm
(424 a., although most of it was outside Birch)
employed 20 labourers, Hill farm (224 a.) had
12, Heath farm (221 a.) 11, and Garlands (210
a.) 10. (fn. 8) In 1870 arable farming still predominated, the chief crops being wheat, beans, and
barley. (fn. 9) In 1871 there were 10 farmers, 209 agricultural labourers, and 3 shepherds. Some farms
had increased in size: Birch Holt was 717 a.,
Gate farm 480 a., Garlands 414 a., and Hill farm
370 a. (fn. 10)
Of the 4 blacksmiths in 1851, the one at Heckford bridge employed 3 men. The 3 silkweavers
may have been outworkers for London firms.
Six people worked in shoemaking, and there
were 5 teachers, a house painter, a superintendent of works, a police constable, and a bricklayer.
Women and girls in paid work were mostly domestic servants, but a few were dressmakers,
needlewomen, laundresses, or teachers. By 1871
as many as 46 women and girls were employed
as tailoresses or dressmakers, probably mostly
on outwork for Colchester firms. About 12
people worked in the butchers', bakers', grocery,
and drapery shops in Birch. (fn. 11)
Farmworkers who joined the National
Agricultural Labourers' Union came into confrontation with the resident main landowner,
James Round, M.P., in 1874 when they demanded higher wages, and there was a lockout; (fn. 12)
the school authorities allowed boys over 10 years
old to be employed on the farms temporarily.
Children often missed school to augment a
family's income, for example, by helping with
the harvest, picking up acorns, or beanstalking. (fn. 13)
Agricultural depression was evident from the
1870s. Some farms were sold, including Hellens
Farm in 1876, described as first-class arable or
accommodation land. (fn. 14) In 1879 the tenant at
Gate House and Lukes farms felt unable to continue unless his rent was reduced. (fn. 15) The
decreased demand for labour caused wages to
fall and young people to move away. Some
people emigrated. Many families lived in overcrowded conditions because they could not
afford higher rents. Families with allotments
were likely to have a better standard of living. (fn. 16)
The churchwardens apparently let allotments of
½ rod and 1 rod in White Horse field. (fn. 17) Some
attempts were made to diversify: by 1891 there
were a few stockmen in the parish, and the
farmer at Little Lukes was growing seeds in
1898. The employment pattern of those who
remained in the parish did not change much,
but tailoring overtook domestic service as the
main paid work for women and girls. (fn. 18)
In 1905 there were 8 holdings of 1-5 a., 5 of
5-50 a., and 13 of 50-300 a. The main crops
were wheat (334 a.), oats (273 a.), and barley
(200 a.), and peas, mangolds, beans, turnips
and swedes, potatoes, cabbage, vetch or tare,
lucerne, kohl rabi, and rye were grown. There
was 102 a. of bare fallow, 212 a. of mown grass,
266 a. of grazed grass, 174 a. of mown clover,
and 7 a. of grazed clover. Owner-occupation
accounted for only 150 a. of the land, 1,892 a.
being rented. Livestock amounted to 81 horses,
74 cows, and 36 adult pigs. Woodland had been
much increased, to 246 a. (fn. 19) In 1907 the Rounds'
managed woodland included oak, ash, hazel,
hornbeam, birch, chestnut, and pine; under wood was cut for rake-handles, linen props,
thatching rods, hurdle stuff, birch brooms, and
faggots. (fn. 20) In 1914 there was a market gardener. (fn. 21)
Four Scottish families acquired tenancies on the
Birch Hall estate in the early 20th century. (fn. 22)
Between the World Wars wheat, beans, and
barley remained the principal crops, and sheep,
pigs, and poultry were reared. (fn. 23) A tenant of
600 a. on the Birch and Messing estates had a
dairy herd of 30 cows, grew cereal crops, and
also mangold, turnip, and Essex red clover for
seed; he developed contract pea-growing as a
sideline. (fn. 24) In 1937 Garlands, Lukes, and
Winterfloods farms each had more than 150 a.,
the rest were smaller; there was one poultry
farm. Between 1906 and 1937 Hollington Bros.
wholesale clothiers had a small factory in the
parish at Birch Street. A petrol station was
opened by 1933. (fn. 25) Hutton Builders Ltd., estab-
lished in 1872, (fn. 26) had more than 100 employees
before 1939; besides local work, contracts
included ones for construction at Colchester
barracks and at Lambeth County Court. (fn. 27)
After the Second World War the Rounds and
the Macaulays farmed most of the land. In the
1940s most of the employment inside the parish
was still in agriculture, for example, the Rounds
employed twenty men and five women at their
600-a. Hellens farm in 1946. Children still
sometimes missed school to work, usually on pea
and potato picking. (fn. 28) In 1947 the Essex County
Show was held at Birch Park. (fn. 29) Lt. Col. J. G.
Round sold some of his land, (fn. 30) and Strutt and
Parker managed the farms from the early 1950s.
Machinery was modernized, fertilizers introduced, and reservoirs created for irrigation
schemes. The farming became almost entirely
arable, mainly sugar beet and wheat, with a
reduced workforce of contract labour. Some
early potatoes were grown in the 1960s and early
1970s on the irrigated, light soil east of the
Maldon road using female labour. Fields were
amalgamated and many hedges removed, and in
1990 up to 200 a. was put to grass under the
government's Set Aside scheme. (fn. 31) In 1999 rheas
were reared at Birch Holt farm. (fn. 32)
One mill was recorded on Little Birch manor
in 1086, and another on Great Birch manor in
the 13th century (fn. 33) where a windmill was re-
corded c. 1400. An unidentified field on Great
Birch manor called Fullingeslond c. 1400 and
ffulleresland in 1427 may have been near the site
of a fulling mill. (fn. 34) A watermill belonged to Little
Birch manor in 1605, perhaps that which stood
half a mile north-east of Little Birch church in
the 18th century and stopped working between
1785 and 1810. (fn. 35)
A post mill about half a mile north of Great
Birch church, known as Birch mill, was recorded
in 1724. In 1774 it belonged to James Round
who leased it with the watermill. It was auctioned in 1855, and apparently removed by the
purchaser and probably re-erected in Layer-de-
la-Haye. Another post mill, at Birch Green
immediately west of Mill House, was probably
built in the late 18th century. It was not used
from 1894 until c. 1905, then operated un-
profitably until c. 1910. It was demolished in
1962. (fn. 36) The surviving red-brick Mill House
appears to be mostly early to mid 19th century.
Field names suggest there were once brick
kilns north of Birch Holt and that gravel may
have been extracted beside the Maldon road and
in the east of the parish for many centuries. A
gravel pit was recorded in 1758. Until 1862 the
lease of some farmland in the centre of the parish
included the right to take and sell gravel. (fn. 37) Birch
sand and gravel pit was opened in 1939 on
Maldon Road when Birch airfield was built. It
was acquired by the Amey Roadstone Corporation Ltd. c. 1974, but demand fell and production declined so that the pit was worked only
sporadically. Part of it was closed in 1984 and
the site landfilled, grass planted and a lake created. (fn. 38) The Playle Engineering Co. Ltd. was
established c. 1960 by P. Playle. (fn. 39) Local people
increasingly worked outside the parish in
Colchester and other towns, and also in London.