History of Thorrington

Thorrington, the Church 1900
Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection.

History of Thorrington >> White's Directory 1848

White's Directory of Essex 1848

THORRINGTON is a village and parish containing 531 souls, and 1930 acres of land, 8 miles South East by South of Colchester, and 2½ miles North of Brightlingsea. The village is on a commanding eminence, and the parish is bounded on the east by a rivulet which runs southward to Brightlingsea creek. At the Conquest, the manor was given to Odo, Bishop of Bayeaux, and it afterwards passed to the Anesty, Valence, Hastings, and other families. In 1521, it was sold, with about one-third of the soil of the whole parish, to the Executors of Margaret, Countess of Richmond, for the use of St. John's College, Cambridge, to which it still belongs. The other principal landowners are W. W. Hawkins, Esq., W. Anston, Esq., Miss Borthwick, Miss Reeve, and several smaller owners, partly copyholders, subject to arbitrary fines.

The Church (St. Mary Magdalen,) has a nave, chancel, and north aisle, and a tower built of brick and stone, and containing five bells. It was rebuilt or extensively repaired in 1477. The rectory is consolidated with that of Frating, as noticed. The glebe here is 22A. 8R. 7½P., and the tithes have been commuted for £484 per annum. The glebe house is a small cottage. Here is a small Wesleyan Chapel; and a house and garden belonging to the poor, but the donor is unknown.