History of Great Maplestead

St. Giles' Church, Great Maplestead
©Robert Edwards
Photograph by kind permission of Robert Edwards,
contributor to the Geograph Project

History of Great Maplestead >> White's Directory 1848

White's Directory of Essex 1848

MAPLESTEAD, (GREAT) a scattered village, 2½ miles North by West of Halstead, has in its parish 452 souls, and 1892A. of land, finely undulated, and bounded on the west by the river Colne. John Sperling, Esq., is lord of the manor, and has a handsome seat here called Dynes Hall, in a beautiful and finely wooded park. This mansion was built about 1570, by William Dean, Esq., and was sold in 1667, to Marl Guyon, Esq., who rebuilt a great part of it in a very superior manner, and was knighted in 1676, when he was high sheriff of the county, The estate was purchased about 1740, by Henry Sperling, Esq., an ancestor of the present owner. Other estates in the parish are Byham Hall, Wallasses, Hoppoles, Caxtons, and Hosedens or Hodings. The Rev. James Sperling, M.A., has an estate and neat modem mansion, called Monks Hall. Richard Myall, Esq., owns the estate and fine old mansion of Chelmshoo House. John Freeborn, Esq., has an estate here, and a neat residence called Lucking House. Here are several smaller owners, partly copyholders, subject to arbitrary fines.

The Church (St. Giles,) is a small ancient building, with a tower and three bells. The chancel has a semicircular east end, and on the south side is a chapel belonging to Dynes Hall, and containing two costly monuments in memory of Sir John Dean, Kt., and his lady. On the first, beneath an arch, supported by pillars of black marble, is the effigy of the knight, in armour, reclining on his left arm; and above are figures of his eight children, in devotional attitudes. Lady Dean's monument has her figure beautifully executed, as well as that of her son, in amour, at her feet. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at £8.3s.4d., and in 1831 at £161, is in the patronage of R. Myall, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. James Sperling. M.A., who is also impropriator of the rectory, formerly held by Stratford Abbey. Mrs. Gee, of Earl's Colne, has an estate in the parish, and has built and supports a school here for poor children, whom she also partly clothes. For a sermon on Ash Wednesday, the vicar has 20s. a year out of Park-fen meadow, purchased with £20 left by Lady Mary Saunders, in 1668. The poor have 40s. a year out of Hoppoles farm, left by William May, in 1741; but a yearly rent-charge of 6s.8d., left to them by William Bendlowe, in the 16th of Elizabeth, out of a tenement and 16A. of land, at Bocking, has not been paid since 1824. An old double tenement is occupied by paupers, and was long the parish workhouse.