NORTH OCKENDON
North Ockendon was a small country parish of
1,709 a. (fn. 1) It lay 19 miles east of London, between
Brentwood and Grays Thurrock. Its medieval name
of Ockendon Setfountayns derived from the lords of
the manor. In 1935 the parish was divided between
two urban districts: the south-west corner was added
to Thurrock, the rest to Hornchurch. (fn. 2) In 1965 Hornchurch became part of the London borough of
Havering. (fn. 3)
North, east, and west of North Ockendon a succession of narrow parishes used to run southwards
from a northern wooded slope, but North Ockendon,
unlike them, was broader east to west and had a
lower and more level terrain with a central plateau
whose greatest height, east of Whitepost Farm, was
135 ft. The soil contains deposits of brick-earth and
gravel. (fn. 4) For a short distance the Mardyke formed the
parish boundary in the east. Until 1900 water supplies for the parish came chiefly from wells. (fn. 5)
The recorded population of North Ockendon in
1066 was 17; in 1086 it was 23. (fn. 6) In 1327 14 householders, and in 1523 26 householders, were named
in the tax lists. (fn. 7) In 1670 North Ockendon had 33
houses. (fn. 8) There were 243 inhabitants in 1801, a number which rose, with fluctuations, to 351 in 1891 and
thereafter declined to 291 in 1931. (fn. 9)
The pattern of settlement in North Ockendon was
established in the Middle Ages and has changed little
since; it consists of a nucleated village and outlying
farms. Of the latter, Baldwins, in the south-west of
the parish and formerly moated, is the oldest. It
presumably took its name from the 14th-century
lords of the manor, but the present building is a
timber-framed house of the 16th century. (fn. 10) The
main road or street from Brentwood to Grays divided
the parish and was crossed by a road running east
from Bulphan to Upminster and Romford. At this
cross-road the village developed, and it still includes
the 15th-century blacksmith's house and a 16th- and
17th-century house, now the post office. (fn. 11) From
Bulphan to the village the road (Fen Lane) mattered
less to the inhabitants of North Ockendon than to
those of the parishes eastwards who wished to reach
Romford market and London; hence the frequent
complaints about its upkeep between 1589 and
1645. (fn. 12) A lane ran north from this road (fn. 13) past Home
Farm to Brasenose Farm, which in 1513 was given
to the Oxford college of that name by Sir Richard
Sutton. (fn. 14) The western stretch of the road from the
village towards Upminster was formerly known as
Cole Street. (fn. 15) From it a lane ran south to the hall and
church, and further west Pike Lane crossed it and
continued south as Pea Lane. (fn. 16) Pea Lane divided at
Dennises Corner, and both branches became Dennises Lane. One continued south into South Ockendon; the other turned west towards Aveley, Rainham,
and Corbets Tey. In the Middle Ages a green lane
may have run south from Cranham past Cranham
Hall and Stubbers to Baldwins. The stretch between
Cole Street and Dennises Lane survived as a road
until 1814, when it was moved west to the parish
boundary at the wish of John Russell of Stubbers. (fn. 17)
In 1974 the lane to Baldwins was a farm-drive.
The only important bridge in the parish carried
the road to Bulphan over the Mardyke. It was known
as Kennetts (or Kynes or Kinyttes) bridge, and the
lord of the manor of North Ockendon was charged
with its maintenance. (fn. 18) Sir Thomas Littleton (d.
1710) rebuilt it 6 ft. wide, but in 1775 Richard Benyon established public responsibility for any further
widening. (fn. 19)
In 1848 an omnibus ran daily to Romford to meet
the trains. (fn. 20) The London, Tilbury and Southend
railway's line from Upminster to Grays was opened
in 1892; the nearest station was South Ockendon. (fn. 21)
There was a post office by 1839. (fn. 22)
A friendly society at the White Horse was registered in 1818. (fn. 23) Richard Benyon built a reading room
c. 1885 in Church Lane; in 1895 it had 40 ordinary
members. (fn. 24) Vestry meetings were held there from
1906 to 1910. (fn. 25)
Among the notable people connected with North
Ockendon were two members of the manorial family: Edward Littleton (b. 1626, fl. 1694), barrister,
judge in Barbados 1670–83, and later agent for the
island, published economic tracts; his nephew, Sir
Thomas Littleton (d. 1710), was Speaker of the
House of Commons, 1698–1700, and Treasurer of
the Navy, 1701–10. (fn. 26) Of the rectors Robert Wilmot
(fl. 1568–1608; rector, 1582–5) published a tragedy
acted before Elizabeth I; Henry Tripp (d. 1612;
rector, 1570–82) was an author and translator. (fn. 27) At
Stubbers William Coys (d. 1627), the botanist, was
renowned for his gardens, in which he grew in 1604
the first yucca in England. (fn. 28)
MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES.
Before 1066
the manor of (NORTH) OCKENDON, which comprised the greater part of the parish, was held by Earl
Harold as 2 hides less 40 acres. (fn. 29) William I took for
himself almost all Harold's lands in Essex, but by
1075 he had granted North Ockendon and Feering
to Westminster Abbey in exchange for the manor of
Windsor (Berks.). (fn. 30) In the early 12th century North
Ockendon provided 5s. towards the support of the
monks, and in the 14th century a like sum went to
the sacrist. (fn. 31) The abbey retained the overlordship of
the manor until the Dissolution. (fn. 32)
In 1086 one hide of the manor was held of the
abbey by William the chamberlain. (fn. 33) The manor was
granted to Henry son of Wlvred in 1125 for a rent of
£10 a year, which in later centuries was assigned to
the cellarer. (fn. 34) William of Ockendon apparently held
the manor c. 1155, when he yielded the church to the
abbot of Westminster. (fn. 35) Between 1201 and 1203
there was litigation over a carucate of land in North
Ockendon which Christine of Moulsham claimed as
one of an unspecified number of sisters. Her
opponent was Ralph of Setfountayns (de Septem
Fontibus) of Chelsea (Mdx.). In the settlement
Ralph received the carucate; in return Christine and
her son Hubert were to hold of Ralph the lands in
Ockendon previously held by her husband William
son of Osbert. (fn. 36) This settlement seems to have been
the basis of the Setfountayns possession of the manor,
which in the 13th and 14th centuries was named
OCKENDON SETFOUNTAYNS. Ralph died c.
1210. (fn. 37) He was succeeded at Ockendon and Chelsea
by his son William who was still living in 1230. (fn. 38)
The manor descended in the Setfountayns family,
until the end of the 13th century. Ralph of Setfountayns, son of William, held the advowson of North
Ockendon in 1254 and was still alive in 1286. (fn. 39) He
was succeeded by his son Thomas, who died in or
after 1297 without issue, leaving as heirs his sisters
Cecily and Isabel. (fn. 40) Isabel had married William
(son of) Baldwin (d. 1316) who was in North Ockendon in 1305. (fn. 41) She died before the division of the
family estates in 1315. Her heir was her son, Baldwin
son of William (d. 1323), who took the manor of
North Ockendon and the alternate presentation to
the rectory. (fn. 42) Within two years of Baldwin's death
his widow Emme married Nicholas of Brundish, and
in 1329 they presented to the rectory. (fn. 43) Baldwin's
heir was his son John de Baudechon (Bauchon,
Bauchun), who seems to have died by 1373, leaving
a widow Margaret. (fn. 44) She held the manor until her
death in 1390 or 1391, when it passed to Poyntz
Poyntz of Tockington (Glos.) in right of his wife
Eleanor who was probably the granddaughter of
William son of Baldwin. (fn. 45)
Poyntz Poyntz had died by 1412 when his son
John held the manor. (fn. 46) John Poyntz (d. 1447) was
succeeded by his son, another John (d. 1469 or
1470). (fn. 47) The manor then went in turn to the younger
John's sons, Thomas and William: Thomas had died
by 1481 when William and his father-in-law jointly
presented to the rectory. (fn. 48)
William Poyntz (d. 1504) was succeeded by his
sons John (d. 1547) and Thomas (d. 1562); Thomas's
heir was his son (Sir) Gabriel (d. 1607), who devised
the manor to (Sir) John Morris alias Poyntz of
Chipping Ongar, the husband of his late daughter
Catherine (d. 1603) and their heirs male, with remainder to Audrey, the daughter of his late son
Thomas. (fn. 49) North Ockendon descended with the
manor of Chipping Ongar until the death in 1643 of
Poyntz Poyntz. (fn. 50) John Morris, nephew of Sir John
Morris alias Poyntz then attempted to secure North
Ockendon by methods which included forgery and
an armed attack on North Ockendon Hall. (fn. 51) North
Ockendon descended, however, in accordance with
Sir Gabriel's will, to his granddaughter Audrey (d.
1648) and her husband, Sir Adam (Poyntz-) Littleton, Bt. (d. 1647). It then passed with the baronetcy
until the death in 1710 of Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt.,
Speaker of the House of Commons, and later
Treasurer of the Navy. (fn. 52) Sir Thomas, who left no
issue, devised his estates to his kinsman, Capt. (later
Vice-Admiral) James Littleton (d. 1723). (fn. 53) On the
admiral's death North Ockendon passed, under the
will of Sir Thomas, to Mrs. Elizabeth Meynell (d.
1726), a granddaughter of Sir Adam (Poyntz-)
Littleton. (fn. 54) From this time the Hall was occupied by
tenants.
Mrs. Meynell was succeeded by her son, Littleton
Poyntz Meynell, who died in 1751 or 1752. (fn. 55) His
successor was his son Hugh who sold North Ockendon in 1758 to Richard Benyon, the former governor
of Fort St. George, Madras. (fn. 56) Benyon was already
lord of the manors of Newbury, in Ilford, and Gidea
Hall, Romford, and North Ockendon descended
with Newbury until 1891. (fn. 57) In 1840 the manor comprised 1,135 a. (fn. 58)
Richard Benyon (formerly Fellowes) (d. 1897) was
succeeded by his nephew, James H. Fellowes, later
Benyon (d. 1935). (fn. 59) In 1937 Henry, son of J. H.
Benyon, sold North Ockendon, together with the
other Benyon estates in Essex, to pay death duties. (fn. 60)
G. Gunary, the tenant, bought the Hall farm with
223 a. (fn. 61)
North Ockendon Hall lay within a moated enclosure immediately south of the churchyard. The redbrick house was of 16th-century origin with additions
of the early 18th and the 19th centuries. (fn. 62) It was
damaged by bombing in 1944 and later demolished. (fn. 63)
The site is now occupied by modern bungalows, one
of which incorporates a fragment of an old outbuilding. Several garden walls, probably of the 16th
and 18th centuries, also survive. The northern arm
of the moat has been filled in and partly built over;
the east and outer west moats are little more than
ditches; but the south and inner west moats are still
wide and water-filled.
The manor of GROVES, which is to be distinguished from Groves manor in South Ockendon, lay
on either side of Cole Street at the junction with Pike
and Pea Lanes. Courts leet were held in 1518 and
1519 and recorded on rolls of the manor of North
Ockendon, held of Westminster Abbey by the
Poyntz family. (fn. 64) In 1570 (Sir) Gabriel Poyntz and
his wife Audrey (d. 1594) were said to hold half of
Groves manor for her life. (fn. 65) In 1608 Groves was
regarded as a free tenement of the manor of North
Ockendon, with which it descended. (fn. 66) In 1650 it was
settled on William, the second son of Sir Adam and
Lady (Audrey) (Poyntz-) Littleton, but in 1676
Dorothy, William's daughter and heir, sold it back to
Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt. (fn. 67) Thereafter it remained
with the North Ockendon estate, passing to the
Meynells and Benyons. (fn. 68)
By 1774 the capital messuage of Groves was
named Manor Farm. (fn. 69) It contained 130 a. in 1725
and 265 a. in 1775. (fn. 70) The present (1974) house, built
c. 1900, stands SW. of the junction of Pea Lane and
Ockendon Road.
The estate called STUBBERS originated as a free
tenement of the manor of North Ockendon. (fn. 71) It lay
in the north-west of the parish and in Upminster
south of Corbets Tey, and took its name from
William Stubber, yeoman, who formed the estate in
the years between 1439 and his death in 1484. (fn. 72)
Elements of his estate derived from properties recorded in 1419, 1427, and 1436; and two deeds of 1334
and 1337 presumably indicate, although in a way not
now clear, the earliest history of these acres. (fn. 73) After
Stubber's death the estate passed to Nicholas Davy,
who added to it, and then to John Davy (d. 1525). (fn. 74)
In 1533 the latter's son, another John Davy, sold
Stubbers to Robert Warren (d. 1544), merchant
tailor of London. The estate then comprised 60 a.
and was occupied by Thomas Butler. (fn. 75) Warren's son
Jasper sold the estate in 1563 for £320 to his Welsh
brother-in-law, Roger Coys of London. (fn. 76) Roger was
succeeded by his son William (d. 1627), the botanist,
and he by his son Giles. (fn. 77) The estate had grown, and
in 1629 comprised 160 a., including 103 a. in North
Ockendon. (fn. 78) In 1642 Giles Coys sold Stubbers for
£2,000 to Bernard Hale, later Master of Peterhouse,
Cambridge (d. 1663), and his sister Dionis; in 1647
it passed to her, with other property, on her marriage
with Sir Thomas Williamson. (fn. 79) Williamson sold
Stubbers in the same year to Edmund Hoskins of the
Inner Temple, London, and Hoskins sold it in 1660
to Sir Benjamin Wright, Bt., of Cranham Hall, from
whom it was bought in 1662 by John Meyrick (d.
1663), merchant of London. (fn. 80) In 1689 Meyrick's
widow Isabella, with his son Francis, sold the estate
to Sir William Russell, alderman of London. It then
consisted of 207 a. (fn. 81)
Stubbers descended in the direct line from Sir
William (d. 1705) to his son William Russell (d.
1727), his grandson William Russell (d. 1754), and
great-grandson John Russell (d. 1787). (fn. 82) It then
passed in turn to John's sons, William (d. 1810),
John (d. 1825), and Joseph (d. 1828). (fn. 83) Their mother
Mary had been the sister of Champion Branfill (II)
(d. 1770) of Upminster, and Joseph Russell devised
Stubbers, which in 1840 comprised 405 a., to the
young Branfill heir, Champion (V), who took the
name of Russell. (fn. 84) He died in 1887 and was succeeded
by his son Champion B. Russell (d. 1945), whose
younger son, John N. Russell, lived at Stubbers until
the estate was sold to the Essex Education Committee
in 1947 for use as a youth centre. (fn. 85) In 1965 ownership was transferred to the G.L.C. on the formation
of the London borough of Havering.
Stubbers mansion, originally of the 16th century,
was several times altered and enlarged in the course
of the next 300 years. (fn. 86) Major alterations were apparently made in the late 17th century after Sir William
Russell's purchase of the estate, and the north hall
and main oak staircases of that date were retained in
later schemes. In the late 18th century a formal north
front was added. This was built of stock brick, with
three storeys and seven bays, the central three bays
having a raised parapet. It was given an elaborate
Doric porch, and the skyline was enlivened by Coade
stone urns. About the same time the south drawingrooms on the ground and first floors were modernized, the latter in Adam style; a stone balcony with
iron balustrading was added to the first floor of the
south front; and a dairy with vaulted ceiling and
Adam decoration was built on the east side. An
orangery, a dovecot (dated 1797), kennels, and stables
were also built. It was at Stubbers that William
Russell (d. 1810) kept the pack of hounds from which
originated the Essex Union hunt. (fn. 87) The house was in
good condition in 1923 but was rapidly decaying in
1954. In 1960 it was demolished. (fn. 88)
The gardens of Stubbers were famous among
botanists in the time of William Coys, and Coys's
walled gardens east and south of the house survived
until c. 1800. They were then removed on the advice
of Humphry Repton, who retained, however, Coys's
avenue of limes which ran southwards to the east of
the house. The present walled garden beyond the
fishpond, with an additional north-south crinkle-crankle wall, presumably dates from this period.
Repton's suggestion that the neighbouring road
should be diverted further west was carried out in
1814. (fn. 89) It is doubtful, however, whether the scheme
devised by Repton was completed. (fn. 90) The temple
indicated by Repton as extant in 1796 south of the
house is not to be found on Chapman and André's
map or on the tithe map (1841), although they both
give the icehouse on the eastern boundary of the
estate. (fn. 91)
Stubbers cottage, of two storeys, thatched, and
timber-framed with stock-brick infilling, dates from
about 1800. In 1974 it was derelict. (fn. 92)
ECONOMIC HISTORY.
North Ockendon has
always been a purely agricultural community, increasingly occupied with arable farming. There were
eight ploughs on the manor in 1086: two on the holding of William the chamberlain, two on Westminster
Abbey's demesne, and four belonging to the men.
No meadow or pasture was recorded, but there were
110 sheep on the demesne. There was woodland
enough for 300 swine, but in fact the woods held only
30. In 1066 the manor had been worth £4; in 1086,
including William the chamberlain's holding, it was
worth £12. (fn. 93) The Domesday figures must, however,
be used with caution. The abbey's estate of 22/3 hides
was exactly a quarter the size of (South) Ockendon
manor; yet in the 19th century the parish of North
Ockendon was three-fifths of the size of South
Ockendon. (fn. 94) The most striking figure relating to the
abbey's manor is thus that of the swine pastures: in
1086 the abbey's manor, though small, was evidently
densely wooded. The woodlands, however, disappeared early. By the 14th century the manor of
North Ockendon was usually said to have no more
than 10 a. of woods. (fn. 95) In 1868 there were less than
11 acres of woods out of 1,709 acres in the whole
parish. (fn. 96)
No early figures for arable have been found, but in
1731 1,022 a. out of the 1,137 a. of North Ockendon
manor were arable. (fn. 97) The parish contained 1,257 a.
of arable in 1840, 1,482 a. in 1868, and 1,019 a. in
1916. (fn. 98) A single landowner controlled most of the
parish from the 11th century to 1937; the community
therefore consisted largely of tenant-farmers. In the
mid 1750s the tenants of the manor estate were said
to pay their rents more promptly than any others in
Essex. The net annual income was £941; the estate
was valued for sale at the high figure of 30 years purchase; and the price suggested was more than
£30,500. (fn. 99) In 1829, however, 5 of the 6 Benyon
farms were in poor condition for lack of manure and
from bad cropping. A six-year rotation of crops was
therefore recommended: barley or oats; beans or
peas; wheat; clover; wheat; a year of fallow ploughed
four times, with turnips at the tenant's option. (fn. 100) In
the later 19th century wheat, beans, and peas were
the chief crops. (fn. 101)
In 1840 there were 11 holdings over 20 a. held by
9 farmers. Four farms had between 209 a. and 328 a.,
three between 119 a. and 199 a., the other two about
20 a. each. Only 271 a. out of 1,558 a. in cultivation
were meadow or pasture. By 1916 meadow and pasture had increased to 523 a., 162 a. of the arable were
market-garden land, and there were 8 farms. Two
had about 40 a., the rest between 198 a. and 332 a.
Of the 1,550 a. then in cultivation, 666 a. were farmed
by members of the Eve family, which then farmed
also at Cranham and Rainham. In the 1960s the
parish still had no manufacturing industries, but the
acreage used for market-gardening had increased,
and some gravel-pits had been opened. (fn. 102)
The existence of a windmill is first indicated in
1610 when John Cramphorne paid £20 a year for the
mill, a cottage, and 16 a. (fn. 103) There are references to
millers in 1626 and 1690, and the windmill in 1643. (fn. 104)
Millers can be identified almost continuously from
the 1720s to 1840, but in the latter year the mill, a
post mill, was pulled down. (fn. 105) In the 18th and 19th
centuries it had stood south of Fen Lane. (fn. 106)
Agrarian discontent in North Ockendon in the
early 19th century has left no clear evidence behind,
but in 1830 the tenant-farmers feared incendiaries,
and one farmer kept five men on watch nightly. (fn. 107)
In the north of the parish there are deposits of
brick-earth. There were perhaps brickworks there in
1574, when there is a reference to a brick-maker. (fn. 108) In
1840 there were two enclosures called Brick Clamps,
a Brick Land field, a Sand Pit field, and four other
pits in the parish. (fn. 109)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
The abbot of Westminster in 1273 or 1274 claimed gallows and the assize
of bread and of ale in North Ockendon manor. (fn. 110) The
manor also had view of frankpledge and a court leet,
but only a few court rolls for the period 1506–1623
have survived. (fn. 111)
Among the parish records are churchwardens'
accounts (1787–1922) which include vestry business
and parish appointments; overseers' rates (1771,
1828–87) and accounts (1745–1873); and surveyors'
rate books (1833–95), accounts, and bills (1828–95). (fn. 112)
The vestry met in the parish church, and its meetings were normally attended by five or six farmers,
who shared the parish offices between them. From
1745 to 1773 and again from 1787 to 1793 there was
often a vestry dinner at Easter. There was a vestry
clerk in 1791 and from 1796 to 1829.
North Ockendon had two churchwardens in
1637, (fn. 113) but there was only one from 1787 to 1823.
The assistant curate appointed one of the churchwardens in 1825, 1827, and 1828, and the return to
two wardens in 1823 probably marked the introduction of a rector's warden. (fn. 114) Normally North
Ockendon had one overseer, but in the years 1823–4
and 1825–7 the account was submitted in the name
of two. In one year, 1824–5, the overseer claimed a
salary. There was a single constable 1788–1813;
thereafter there were two, the junior in 1813–15
being termed the headborough. The constables did
not submit separate accounts, but recovered their
expenses from the churchwardens or overseers.
There were normally two surveyors, striking their
own rates.
The vestry always provided out-relief for the poor.
In addition there was a 'parish house', first mentioned in 1761. In 1769–70 a new house was built
south-east of the village, but it was soon too small.
In 1786 there were reckoned to be 85 poor within the
parish and another 35, belonging to the parish, resident in South Ockendon. Five years later there were
96 in the parish and 47 outside. In 1789 some of the
poor were sent to Great Warley workhouse. North
Ockendon poorhouse was enlarged in 1791. From
that year to 1797 the master of the workhouse and
his wife received 4s. a day, and the parish paid for the
maintenance of the poor. After 1797 the master provided their food and clothing, at first for 3s., but by
1813 for 5s., a week per head. Numbers in the workhouse between 1797 and 1799 varied from 13 to 21;
then they dropped until the period 1808–14, when
they were between 14 and 23. From 1819 or 1820 the
parish apparently adopted a system whereby several
persons received money for the care of the poor. In
addition paupers were sent to South Ockendon
workhouse between 1823 and 1825. From 1825 there
were once again paupers at the North Ockendon
workhouse under a master or mistress. When North
Ockendon became part of Orsett union in 1835, the
parish retained the former workhouse, converting it
into six dwellings, one of which was in 1840 assigned
rent-free to a pauper family. (fn. 115)
The parish also helped the poor in other ways.
Between 1746 and 1808 sixteen children of the poor
were apprenticed. 'Club' contributions were paid
from time to time between 1778 and 1829, and in
1819 the parish therefore received a 'club' payment
for a parishioner.
At first the poor received only casual medical aid,
but in 1765 and from 1777 a doctor was retained by
the parish. Casual payments to doctors continued,
however, and in March 1820 the parish doctor
received, in addition to his retainer, the large sum of
£40 for attending the parishioner whose 'club' payment had earlier gone to the parish.
The cost to the parish of the poor was diminished
by the income from a farm in Horndon-on-the-Hill,
bought in 1647 with a bequest from Richard Poyntz
(d. 1643). (fn. 116) In 1745–52 a 6d. rate produced a little
less than £20 and was enough, with the farm's rent,
to take care of the poor. After revaluation, c. 1755,
2s. rates producing about £95 a year were used for
the next 30 years. Thereafter the income from rates
rose: for a decade it was about £150, and in the
40 years from 1795 to 1835 it averaged £318 a
year. (fn. 117)
CHURCH.
A church, attached to Westminster
Abbey's manor of (North) Ockendon, existed by
1075, and it was then said that the judgment of fire
and water was held there by ancient custom. (fn. 118) The
specification of a particular church is most unusual,
and its meaning uncertain. (fn. 119) In 1212 the abbot of
Westminster acknowledged that the advowson belonged to William of Setfountayns, tenant in demesne
of the manor. (fn. 120) The advowson descended with the
manor until 1315. At the partition of the Setfountayns estates in that year, Baldwin the son of Isabel
of Setfountayns and William (son of) Baldwin, and
his aunt, Cecily of Setfountayns, widow of Richard
de Heyle, agreed to present to the rectory alternately.
This arrangement was confirmed by the Court of
Common Pleas in 1347, and was observed by the
descendants of the two sisters, or their nominees,
until 1526. Isabel's descendants held the manor of
North Ockendon, Cecily's heirs and successors the
manor of Chelsea (Mdx.). (fn. 121) After 1526 the advowson
rested solely with the lords of North Ockendon
manor until the 20th century. A presentation was sold
in the 18th century, and in the 19th century kinsmen
of Richard Benyon de Beauvoir (d. 1854) presented
to the rectory. (fn. 122) In 1954 the advowson passed from
H. A. Benyon to the Bishop of Chelmsford. (fn. 123)
The value of the rectory was 15 marks in 1254, and
£10 5s. in 1291. (fn. 124) In 1535 it was £16 13s. 4d. (fn. 125) By the
18th century it had risen to £160. (fn. 126) Its gross annual
value c. 1830, was £557. (fn. 127) In 1840 the tithes were
commuted for £500. (fn. 128) The glebe, reckoned to be
30 a. in 1610, consisted of 39 a. in 1840. (fn. 129)
The rectory house, which faces south to the
church, was rebuilt c. 1750 in brown brick with red
dressings. (fn. 130) The principal front, of 5 bays with a
central doorway, was given 3 storeys but the rear had
only two. Additions in the 19th century included a
third storey in the rear, a two-storeyed service block
to the north, and bay-windows on the west. (fn. 131) The
house was damaged by bombs in 1944. (fn. 132) In 1958 the
upper storey of the north wing was removed and the
top storey of the main house adapted as a separate
flat. (fn. 133) The Church Commissioners sold the rectory
in 1976. (fn. 134)
As a small country parish with only moderate
revenues North Ockendon often had non-resident
rectors. John Palmer, rector 1526–31, was already
rector of Langdon Hills; Henry Tripp, rector 1570–
82, was rector of St. Stephen, Walbrook (Lond.),
1572–1601; Robert Wilmot, rector 1582–1608, was
also vicar of Horndon-on-the-Hill; and Edward
Herbert, rector 1658–97, was also rector of Cranham
from 1669. Assistant curates were appointed
occasionally in the 16th and 17th centuries, and
regularly after 1730. (fn. 135)
John Benson, rector 1546–54, was deprived by
Bishop Bonner for having married. (fn. 136) William Jackson, rector 1619–57, was suspended for flippancy in
1636, but became a member of the Chafford classis
in 1645 and in 1650 was described as learned and
resident in the parish. (fn. 137) A 'register' was appointed in
1653 in accordance with the statute of that year. (fn. 138) In
1688 the rector, Edward Herbert, not only read
James II's declaration of indulgence but penned a
defence of his action. (fn. 139)
The church of ST. MARY MAGDALEN,
Church Lane, comprises chancel with north vestry
and Lady chapel, nave with north aisle and south
porch, and a west tower. (fn. 140) Its walls are of ragstone
and flint with dressings of Reigate stone. The nave
and chancel were built in the later 12th century but
the south doorway is the only surviving feature of
that date. A north aisle was added in the mid 13th
century; it has the unusual feature of a normal
arcade of three bays to the east and a plain arch
piercing the nave wall to the west, but the reasons for
this are unknown. The north chapel, which has an
arcade of two bays to the chancel, was added c. 1300.
The chancel may have been remodelled at or soon
after this time. The north aisle was given a new doorway and windows in the later 14th century. In the
15th century the tower was added; (fn. 141) the chancel arch
and part of the arcade were rebuilt; at least one new
window was put into the nave; and the whole building was reroofed.
In 1840 the church was restored and an organ
gallery built. A more complete restoration involving
the renewal of much of the exterior stonework including the windows, was carried out in 1858; the
vestry was added and probably the porch which replaced a timber-framed structure of unknown date.
The cost of the restoration was met by Richard
Benyon (formerly Fellowes, d. 1897), lord of the
manor, and the work was supervised by Richard
Armstrong, the architect who later rebuilt Cranham
church for Benyon. (fn. 142)
Repairs to the interior were necessary in the earlier
17th century, and in 1685 the communion table was
ordered to be set altarwise under the east window
and railed off. (fn. 143) During the 19th-century alterations
some of the monuments and furnishings were lost. (fn. 144)
The font which dated from c. 1200 was replaced by
another. (fn. 145) The medieval glass, which was at first rejected, was re-set and later replaced in the windows:
an unidentified female saint dates from the 13th century, and a Magdalen from the 15th. (fn. 146) Their elaborate
canopies are of the 14th century, as are the heraldic
shields now in the west window of the tower.
The church has some fine monuments. There are
16th-century brasses to William Poyntz (d. 1504)
and his wife Jane (d. 1502), to Thomasyn Ardall (d.
1532), the wife of first Robert Latham and then
Roger Badby, and to John Poyntz (d. 1547); a modern brass commemorates Edward F. Evans, rector
1919–30 (d. 1933). Early indents to William (son of)
Baldwin (d. 1316) and Baldwin son of William (d.
1323), and a fragment to John Bauchon (d. 1373?)
are now concealed by the floors of the chancel and
Lady chapel. The other monuments, chiefly to members of the Poyntz and Littleton families, include a
series erected by Sir Gabriel Poyntz (d. 1608) to
himself, his son (d. 1597), and his Poyntz predecessors at North Ockendon. Larger and more elaborate,
but of similar form, was the monument erected by
Sir Gabriel to his daughter and son-in-law; its style
is virtually duplicated by the monument to Sir James
(d. 1623) and Richard Poyntz (d. 1643). Most elaborate and largest of them all is the monument to Sir
Gabriel and his wife. (fn. 147) The neighbouring monument to Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt. (d. 1710), is of
white marble with a bust over a lengthy inscription
framed by composite columns; the segmental pediment supports two cherubs and an achievement of
arms. The chancel monuments include a bust of
John Russell (d. 1825) by William Behnes, and a
medallion of his widow Elizabeth (d. 1838) by
Thomas Smith. (fn. 148)
In 1552 the church had four bells. There are now
six: four were cast by Miles Graye in 1621; the fifth
was by Philip Wightman in 1695; the treble, by
Mears and Stainbank, was hung in 1934. The 15th-century ladder-stairway to the bell-chamber has
solid treads and chamfered runners. (fn. 149)
The plate includes two chalices and patens. The
older pair are of 1561; the newer of 1646. The latter
were bought with a bequest for the purpose by
Richard Poyntz. (fn. 150) The two large flagons, which
matched them and were presumably also of 1646,
were sold in 1842 to buy 'permanent ornaments' for
the church. (fn. 151)
The church chest has a panelled lid; the front is
inlaid with the initials W.P. and M.P. and the date
1557. The organ, for which a gallery was built in
1840–1, was replaced in 1908. (fn. 152)
PROTESTANT NONCONFORMITY.
An application was made in 1725 for the house of John
Mayes, blacksmith, to be licensed for Presbyterian
meetings. (fn. 153) There is no later record of organized
nonconformist activities in the parish. In 1856 many
of the inhabitants were said to be Dissenters; (fn. 154) presumably they attended the chapels in South Ockendon.
EDUCATION.
In the 1750s the vestry was paying
for the education of poor children at a dame school. (fn. 155)
In 1786 there was a Sunday school for 10 poor children. (fn. 156) It seems to have survived until at least 1819,
when 30 or 40 attended. There were 5 dame schools
in the parish in 1819, with some 70 pupils. (fn. 157) A new
Sunday school was opened in 1826 by the assistant
curate. (fn. 158) By 1833 the earlier dame schools seem to
have closed, but two others existed in 1839 when the
Sunday school, with 37 children, was maintained by
local Churchmen. (fn. 159) In 1840 there was also a private
night-school. (fn. 160)
St. Mary's Church of England school, Church
Lane, originated in 1842 when a day-school and
teacher's house were built by subscription on land
in Church Lane owned by Richard Benyon de
Beauvoir (d. 1854), lord of the manor. (fn. 161) Benyon and
his successors remained the owners of the school. By
1846–7 the school had 55 pupils. (fn. 162) It received annual
government grants from 1871. (fn. 163) It was enlarged in
1869 and 1881, and in 1902 was rebuilt by James
Benyon for 80 children. (fn. 164) In 1936 the school was
reorganized for mixed juniors and infants. (fn. 165) It was
damaged by bombs in 1944. (fn. 166) In 1947, when there
were only 30 pupils, the county council suggested its
closure. (fn. 167) It remained open, however, and in 1955
was granted Aided status. (fn. 168)
CHARITIES FOR THE POOR. (fn. 169)
Richard Poyntz
of Barningham (Suff.) son of Sir James Poyntz of
North Ockendon, by his will proved 1644, left £200
for the poor of North Ockendon. (fn. 170) In 1647 the
legacy, supplemented by £24 belonging to the parish,
was used to buy about 40 a. of land called Steeden
(or Sticking) Hills at Horndon-on-the-Hill. (fn. 171) The
annual income, which fluctuated between £25 in
1787 and £50 in 1877, was used to provide clothing,
coal, bedding, and money for the poor. (fn. 172) From 1887
to 1890 the land was unlet and uncultivated. In 1912
the land, then 48 a., was sold for £960. In the 1920s
the income was distributed in money and coal.
Sir William Russell of Stubbers (d. 1705), by his
will, left a £3 rent-charge from a house in Water
Lane (Lond.) to provide £1 to the minister of North
Ockendon for a sermon on St. Simon's and St. Jude's
day, 5s. to the clerk, and £1 15s. to be distributed to
the poor with the advice and consent of Russell's
descendants living at Stubbers. (fn. 173) In 1835 eight years'
income, received in arrears, was used to provide
clothing and blankets for the poor. By 1837 the income was being given in bread on the sermon day.
The sermon seems to have lapsed during the Second
World War, but was revived in 1975.
Daniel Russell (d. 1788) left £500 in trust, the
income to be distributed to the poor by the Russell
family. By 1837 the annual income of £15 was being
used to provide clothing for the poor, and in 1869–70
bread was distributed. (fn. 174)
Remembrance Cottages, Church Lane, North
Ockendon, were conveyed to trustees in 1930 by
Champion Branfill Russell of Stubbers, as almshouses. (fn. 175) Memorial Bungalows, Fen Lane, were
built in 1971 as alms-houses by Pamela and John N.
Russell in memory of their parents. (fn. 176)
In 1937, after local complaints about the administration of the charities, the Charity Commission
drew up a Scheme regulating the use of the charities
of Richard Poyntz, William Russell, and Daniel
Russell. After payment for a sermon, the income was
to provide for money and medical care for the poor.
In 1975 the income was spent on the upkeep of
Remembrance Cottages and Memorial Bungalows,
and for gifts of money to the old and needy.