History of Belchamp St. Paul

St. Andrew's Church, Belchamp St. Paul
©Robert Edwards
Photograph by kind permission of Robert Edwards,
contributor to the Geograph Project

History of Belchamp St. Paul >> White's Directory 1848

White's Directory of Essex 1848

BELCHAMP ST. PAUL'S is a long straggling village, on an eminence, from 2 to 3 miles South East of Clare, and its parish contains 731 souls and 2500 acres of land, bounded on the north by the river Stour. A cattle fair is held on December llth, on Cole-Green, at the south end of the village. The secondary name applied to the parish is derived from its being given by King Athelstan to St. Paul's Cathedral, London. The Dean and Chapter of that church are still lords of the manor, and proprietors of several tithe-free farms. J. Sperling, Esq., the Rev. E. Pemberton, Thomas Moss, William Carter, J. and T. Hills, E. Gardiner, and several smaller owners have estates here, partly copyhold, subject to fines equal to two years' rent. Several of them have neat residences here, viz. Paul's Hall, Hole House, and Sheering Place. At Cole-Green there was anciently a chapel, appropriated to a chantry founded by John Coker. At the suppression it was granted to Thomas Golding, whose family long held a great part of the parish under the lord, of the manor.

The Church (St. Andrew,) is an ancient structure with a square tower and six bells. It stands on a commanding eminence, and the nave bas a north aisle, and the the chancel a fine east window, with some remains of stained glass. The chancel contains some very ancient oak seats, and several memorials of the Golding and Pemberton families. The Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's are appropriators of the rectory, and patrons of the vicarage, valued in K.B. at £14, and in 1831 at £247, and now enjoyed by the Rev. John Vandermeulen, M.A., who resides abroad. The Rev. E. Pemberton, M.A., is the curate, and resides at the Vicarage House, an old mansion with pleasant grounds. The glebe is 80A., and the tithes were commuted in 1840, the vicarial for £200, and tbe rectorial for £288. The latter are held by lessees. Here are National and Infant Schools, and the former has an endowment of 2A.37P. of land, purchased in 1748 by subscription, and a donation of the lords of the manor.