History of Blackmore

Blackmore, the Village c1955
Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection.

History of Blackmore >> White's Directory 1848

White's Directory of Essex 1848

Blackmore
Reproduced courtesy of Footsteps.
Quality reproductions of old photographs.

BLACKMORE. 3½ miles West North West of Ingatestone, and East by South of Chipping Ongar, is a pleasant village, though in a low situation. It has in its vicinity numerous springs, strongly tinctured with sulphate of iron, and forming the chief sources of the river Can. Its parish contains 709 souls, and 2,576 acres of land, of which 90 acres are waste, 92 wood, and 1,046 pasture and meadow land. Henry VIII. granted a fair here an the 2lst of August, and it now continues three days - two for cattle, and the last for pleasure. The small hamlets of Hook-end and Wyatt's-Green, are on the south side of the parish. The soil is in several manors, and belongs to the Crickitt, Parker, Vickerman, and other families. Here was a Priory for canons regular of the Augustine order, founded by Sir John de Saundfort, in the reign of Henry II. It was dissolved in 1627, when its revenues were valued at £85.9s.7d. and granted to Cardinal Wolsey, but on his attainder, the possession of the priory again reverted to the Crown, and were granted, in 1540, to John Smyth, Esq., whose family was long seated at Smyth's Hall, now belonging to the representatives of the late Charles Allex. Crickitt, Esq., together with the manor of Copsheaves. Near the churchyard is Blackmore House, which, with the manor of Blackmore, belonged to the priory, and was afterward one of the houses of pleasure to which Henry VIII. resorted, and where his natural son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset was born. When the king was here, his courtiers said he was gone to Jehricho, a bye name which the house still retains; and the small river Can, which runs near it, it is sometimes called the Jordan. The Smyths sold this mansion to Sir Jacob Acworth, who modernised and greatly enlarged it. His daughter conveyed it in marriage to Sir George Wheate, and it afterwards passed to the Prestons; but is now the seat of C.R. Vickerman, Esq. The manor of Fingreth on the north-side of the parish, belongs to the devisees of the late C.G, Parker, Esq., and was long held of the king, in capite, by the qrand sergeanty of being chamberlain to the Queen, and of keeping the door of her chamber on the day of her coronation.

Blackmore
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Quality reproductions of old photographs.

The Church (St. Lawrence,) is a very ancient building, except the wood-framed tower, which contains five bells, and is crowned by a spire. The nave, aisles, and chancel, form part of the old priory church. In a window, over the door, is a representation of the martyrdom of St.Lawrence, in stained glass; On a monument in the chancel, are full length effigies of Thomas and Margaret Smyth; who died about 1594. The rectory is a impropriation, valued in K.B. at £6.13s.4d., and belonging to the representatives of the late C.A. Crickitt, Esq., who are also patrons of the perpetual curacy, which is worth only about £80 a year; though it was augmented with £400 given by Thomas Smyth, Esq., in 1720, and £200 of Queen Anne's Bounty. The tithes were commuted in 1847, for £561 per annum, The Rev. Bridges Harvey is the curate. Here is a neat Baptist Chapel and Infant School, built in 1841, by Mr. Ashley Barrett.