History of Boreham

Boreham
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History of Boreham >> White's Directory 1848

White's Directory of Essex 1848

Post Office, Boreham
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BOREHAM, a scattered image on and near the Colchester road, and the Eastern Counties Railway, from 3 to 4 miles North East of Chelmsford, and 5 miles South West of Witham, has in its parish 1,054 souls, and 3,740 acres of land, including 162A. of wood, and 40A. of waste. The soil is various, but generally very fertile, and the surface picturesquely undulated. The Chelmer bounds the parish on the south, and receives here a tributary stream from the woodlands, near New Hall. The parish was formerly divided into six manors, viz. :- Old Hall, New Hall, Brent Hall, Porter's, Culverts, and Walkefares; but the soil is freehold, and most of it belongs to Sir John Tyssen Tyrell, Bart., one of the parliamentary representatives of the Northern Division of Essex, who resides at BOREHAM HOUSE, a large and handsome white brick mansion, originally built by Benjamin Hoare, Esq., about 1730, and embellished with fine marbles, and other materials taken from New Hall. It is approached by an avenue of stately trees, between which, there is a fine sheet of water. The centre is in the Vanbrugh style of architecture, and the wings are light, and terminated by arches, flanked by columns. The principal apartments are of large dimensions, and fitted up with much taste. The park is rich in sylvan beauties, and commands fine views of the vale of the Chelmer. The Tyrell Family is descended from Sir Walter Tyrell, who accidentally slew King William Rufus, and held the manor of Langham, in Essex. For fifteen generations after him, the head of the family was always knighted; and in 1673, Sir John Tyrell was created a baronet, but the title became extinct in 1766. The late Sir John Tyrell married the heiress of William Tyssen, Esq., of Waltham House; Herts, and was created a baronet in 1809. His son, the present worthy baronet, was born in 1795, and succeeded to the title and family estate in 1832, since which year, he has sat in parliament for the North Division of Essex. He is colonel of the West Essex Militia, and married the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Pilkington, Bart., of Chevet, Yorkshire. NEW HALL, a large ancient mansion on the north-west side of the parish near Springfield, was so called to distinguish it from the ancient manor-house, which stood near the church.

Red Lion, Boreham
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Boreham Church (St. Andrew,) is an interesting structure, exhibiting every style of architecture, from the Saxon of the ninth, to the perpendicular Gothic of the fifteenth century. A square embattled tower, containing six bells, rises between the nave and chancel. The latter is spacious, and on the south-side of it is the Sussex chapel, built by Sir Thomas Ratcliffe, as a burial place for his family. In the vault beneath, are 12 coffins, bearing various dates, from 1581 to 1643. In the chapel is a splendid monument, erected by Thomas, Earl of Suffolk, to perpetuate the memory of his noble relatives and himself. On the top are recumbent effigies in armour, of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Earls of Suffolk, of the Ratcliffe family; the latter of whom was the founder of the chapel, and died in 1683. The inscriptions are in Latin, engraved in deep tables of black marble, with costly borders of Egyptian perphyry. After being many years in a ruinous state, Richard Hoare, Esq., obtained a faculty to repair this chapel, and to use it at as a burying place for his family. In the chancel are several mural tablets, belonging to the Bramston family; and in the churchyard is the handsome mausoleum of the Walthams, built in 1764, of stone and white brick, in imitation of the octagonal Temple of the Winds, at Athens. The last of the family who died at New Hall, was interred here. The rectory of Borham was appropriated at an early period, to the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, but it now held by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and let on lease to T.W. Bramston, Esq. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £14.3s., and in 1831, at £432, was endowed with part of the great tithes in 1292. The Bishop is patron, and the Rev. Henry Brown, M.A., incumbent. The tithes were commuted in 1841 - the vicarial, for £440, and the rectorial, for £680 per annum. But these rents will vary with the average price of corn, every seven years. National Schools were built in the Tudor style, in 1847, for about 120 children.

CHARITIES. In 1716, Edmund Butler, Esq., vested in trust, an estate of 193A. to provide for the education and clothing of poor children, of the parishes of of Boreham and Little Baddow. This estate is now let for only £120 a year, being heavy poor land. It lies within a ring fence, in the parishes of Stow Maries, Cold Norton, Woodham Ferrers, and Purleigh. In 1830, the trustees purchased two cottages at Little Baddow, now let for £11; and they have also £430 three and a half per cent stock, purchased with savings of income. They pay £25 each to the schoolmasters of Boreham and Little Baddow, for the education of 50 poor children, (boys and girls,) of whom they provide clothing for 20 in each parish; supplying them with shoes and stockings yearly, and with clothes, hats and bonnets, every other year. William Allen, T. Hodges, and others, were appointed trustees in 1811. For teaching six poor girls, a schoolmistress in Boreham, has a yearly rent charge of £3, left by Robert Clough, in 1726, out of a house, and 20A. of land, now belonging to Mr. Stubbings. In 1652, William Ward left a yearly rent charge of £6 out of Culverts Farm, to be given in clothing to four poor widows, by the churchwardens, who also distribute among the poor parishoners, in bread, the dividends of £119.11s.8d. three per. cent. Consuls, purchased with 3100 left by Lady Falkland, who, in 1776, left various sums to other parishes, for charitable uses. Boreham parish sends two poor men to Tweedy's Almshouses, at Stock.