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History of Sible Hedingham

Sible Hedingham, the Almshouses, Swan Street 1953
Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection.

History of Sible Hedingham >> White's Directory 1848

White's Directory of Essex 1848

Sible Hedingham
Reproduced courtesy of Footsteps' Shop on Ebay.
Quality reproductions of old photographs.

HEDINGHAM (SIBLE) is an extensive and pleasant village on the western side of the vale of the Colne, opposite Castle Hedingham, 3 miles North West of Halstead. It has a fair for toys and pleasure on Easter Tuesday, and in its two principal streets are many neat houses, and several good inns and well-stocked shops. Its parish contains 2322 inhabitants, and 5248 acres of fertile land, rising in gentle undulations from the river Colne, and several of its tributary streams, and including Morris Green, Southey­Green, Crouch Green, and many scattered farmhouses, etc. Some of the best Essex hops are grown here in small plantations in different parts of the parish. In 1838, a quantity of fossil bones were dug up in a field, near Swan street, Ashhurst Majendie, Esq., is lord of the principal manors, but the greater part of the soil belongs to John Cutts, C.A. Hilton, G. Nottidge, W. Seymour, J. Taylor, and W.B. Wigson, Esqrs.; the Rev. Joseph Fenn, the Ironmongers' Company, London; Mr. John Eley, and several smaller free and copy holders. Part of the latter are subject to arbitrary, and the rest to certain fines. The six principal estates and reputed manors are Preyers, Boure Hall, Greys, Graveshall, Blois, Prayours, or Glascocks, Hawkwoods, and Sparrows, which derived their names from their ancient owners. At the Domesday Survey, Sible Hedingham was held by Roger Bigod, whose daughter conveyed it, in marriage to the De Veres, of Castle Hedingham.

St. Peter's Church, Sible Hedingham
©Robert Edwards
Photograph by kind permission of Robert Edwards,
contributor to the Geograph Project

The Church (St. Peter,) is a spacious and handsome structure, with leaded nave, aisles, and chancel, and an embattled tower, containing five bells. It is supposed to have been built about the reign of Edward III., and from the numerous ornaments of hawks carved in stone, the Hawkwood family are believed to have been the principal contributors towards the erection. A recess in the south wall formerly contained a splendid monument in memory of Sir John Hawkwood, a famous warrior, but the whole of it is gone, except a part of the canopy. The large and elegant circular window at the east end was given by the late patron in 1824. Four of the side windows are also enriched with stained glass. There were six obits here; and a chantry was founded by the friends of Sir John Hawkwood, for one chaplain here, and another at Castle Hedingham. The house where the chantry priests resided had been an hostelry for tbe entertainment of pilgrims, and still bears the name of "the hostage." The rectory, valued in K.B. at £22, and in 1831 at £905, is in the patronage of the Trustees of the late Thomas Warburton, Esq., of Hackney, and incumbency of the Rev. Henry Warburton, B.A., who has a good residence, and 52A,. of glebe. The tithes were commuted in 1840 for £1515 per annum, subject to parochial rates. In the village is a Baptist Chapel, built in 1807, and an old Friends' Meeting House, but the latter is now used by Independents. Here is a commodious National School.

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