History of Stambridge

You may also be interested in visiting the Rochford District Community Archive. This website preserves memories of the past for the benefit of future generations.

Time Line

Iron Age 750 BCE- 50 CE

There is evidence that Great Stambridge existed as a settlement in the Iron Age (earlier than 500 BCE), and again in Saxon times. Excavations at Hampton Barns found that at one time a creek had formed there and two distinct village settlements of huts had developed. Hut doors were discovered and pottery dating from 500 BCE. It is thought, though, that the occupants were forced to move to the Continent because of deteriorating weather conditions and variations in the water table.

Romans 43-450

As far as we know, there were no Roman settlements in Stambridge though Roman remains have been found in Rochford.

Saxons 450-793

Between 450 and 740 CE Britain was invaded by the Jutes from Jutland, Angles from south of Denmark and Saxons from Germany. Britain was divided up into the Seven Kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex, Essex, Sussex and Kent. The Saxons divided their territories into Hundreds, one of which was the Rochford Hundred.

The Saxon villagers at Great Stambridge had a stockade to defend themselves against attack from the sea and river and they showed great care in building it. They cleared about 30 ft. of turf and then cut a ditch. Timbers were carefully placed, stakes driven in on both sides and the centre filled with turf. A palisade was then built on top.

Vikings 793-1066

Stambridge originally consisted of two parishes: Great Stambridge and Little Stambridge.

The original stone church of St.Mary’s and All Saints, in Great Stambridge, was built about 1020-40. It was shaped like two boxes, the larger being the nave and the smaller the chancel. There may have been a wooden church before that.

The tiny church of St. Mary’s at Little Stambridge was probably built around the same time.

Normans 1066-1154

William I the Conqueror and The Domesday Book

Both Great and Little Stambridge are mentioned in the Domesday Book. Each consisted of two inhabited areas or “manors” in the surrounding forest.

After the Norman Conquest Earl Sweyn, who lived at Rayleigh, was a tenant of Great Stambridge under the Bishop of Bayeux who, in turn, held it from the King. In 1086, the time of the Domesday survey, there were ten families of farm workers, two ‘beasts’, 25 swine and 58 sheep. The manor we know as Barton Hall was held under Sweyn by a man named Wiard; he had two families of farm workers, one slave family, and pasture for 100 sheep.

Little Stambridge, like all feudal lands, was the property of the King, but a Norman named Thierri Pointel had taken possession and had been allowed to remain. He had in his manor two small farmers and five families of farm workers. The smaller manor, probably that known as Coombs, was the property of Canterbury Cathedral and their tenant was Ralf Baignard.  There were seven farm workers’ families and pasture for 200 sheep.

The Domesday Survey was made to calculate the taxable value of the country. It omits much that we would like to know, but the picture of Stambridge it leaves is of four small settlements in the Essex forest, each grouped round its manor house, very largely cut off from the rest of the world.

Barton Hall or Bartons, once a mediaeval mansion, now long since demolished, stood at the extreme eastern end of Great Stambridge parish overlooking the water on an arm of Bartonhall Creek. After the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror gave this Manor to Sir Auvrai Le Breton who had come over from Normandy with the King and fought with him at the Battle of Hastings.

The Plantagenets 1154-1399

When Sir Auvrai le Breton died, his son Richard inherited Barton Hall. He was a popular courtier and spent much of his time at the court of Henry II. At this time, Sir Richard Le Breton was the close friend and confidante of Prince William, the King’s brother. Richard found Stambridge, being nearer to the Court, a convenient place to live. Besides, the Royal Forest of Essex, stretching as it did to the extreme boundaries of Rochford Hundred, included Stambridge and frequently the King with Prince William and their courtiers would hunt this way, passing the night in the conveniently situated, out-of-the-way, Barton Hall.

Sometime about 1250 the south wall of St. Mary’s and All Saints Church, Great Stambridge, was taken down, a row of supporting arches built in its place (you can see the remains of a south door, probably for the priest, now filled in) and the church extended by the south aisle being added on.

In 1264, Rochford was granted the right to hold a market and Stambridge would have benefitted considerably from this.

About 1350 the east wall (the altar end) of the church was taken down and the chancel enlarged by extending it eastwards.

Houses of Lancaster and York  1399-1485

About 1450 the church tower was built (without the brick parapet) and the north porch built.  Visitors can still see the ancient main timber frame.

Tudors 1485-1603

Hampton Barns, one of the three manors in Great Stambridge in earlier times, stood on Hampton Barns Creek. In 1517 it was known as Hampton Barons and from 1549 Hampton Barnes.

Stuarts 1603-1714 (with an interlude under Cromwell)

In 1605, Mary Forth of Gt. Stambridge Hall married John Winthrop in Gt. Stambridge Church. She died at his home in Suffolk when she was 32 but John went on to become Governor of Massachusets. There is a window commemorating him in the church, paid for by the Winthrop Society in the USA. Follow this link for more.

The Lord of the Manor at Little Stambridge was Sir James Bourchier and, in 1620, his daughter Elizabeth married Oliver Cromwell who, in a varied political and military career, became Lord Protector of England. Oliver would have visited Little Stambridge frequently. For more about Cromwell, click here.

In 1670 the Governors of Charterhouse at a Court held before the Chief Justice of the King’s forests, claimed within this Manor the right of pillory and gallows and examination of weights and measures.

Hanoverians 1714-1901

Broomhills was the 18th century home of John Harriot, one of the founders of the Thames River Police. He was born in Stambridge, in 1745. After a little schooling he was placed in the navy, served in the West Indies and the Levant, and was shipwrecked on the Mewstone Rock off the Australian coast. He was quite an adventurer.

During the 1790’s, the Thames was a very busy highway and crime was rife. Merchants were losing an estimated £500,000 a year (equivalent to over £46 million in 2015) of stolen cargo from the Pool of London by the late 1790s. Around 1797 Harriott prepared a scheme for the establishment of a river police force for the Port of London. He joined forces with Patrick Colquhoun and philosopher, Jeremy Bentham. Armed with Harriot’s proposal and Bentham’s insights, Colquhoun was able to persuade the West India Planters Committees and the West India Merchants to fund the new force.

Colquhoun reported to his backers that his force was a success after its first year, and his men had “established their worth by saving £122,000 worth of cargo and by the rescuing of several lives.”

The Thames River Police led up to Robert Peel’s ‘new’ police three decades later. Along with the Bow Street Runners, the Thames River Police was eventually absorbed into the Metropolitan Police in the 19th century.

The brick parapet was added to the tower of Great Stambridge church in about 1803 when, with the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars, there were fears of a French invasion. The extra height was needed so that it could house a beacon, one of a network that would be used to warn if an invasion fleet were seen off Foulness.

The church at Little Stambridge was refurbished in 1870 but, as it only catered for the residents of Little Stambridge Hall, it was demolished in 1891. The two parishes were then united to form the parish of Stambridge. A number of gravestones may still be found among the trees. The former Rectory is in Apton Hall Road.

20th Century

1904

In 1904 the Rankin family built a shed, with a corrugated roof, as a place for the farm workers to relax. Later on, it would become the Memorial Hall

World War I 1914-18

In March 1918, the group of local farmers clubbed together to buy what is now known as the Memorial Ground and gave it to the residents of Stambridge with the Parish Council as Trustees. After World War I, Harold Rankin built the front part of the Memorial Hall and dedicated it to the memory of the eleven Stambridge men who lost their lives in the war.

There is a Roll of Honour for those who died in World War I. Follow this link.

World War II 1939-45

A very important contribution to our success in World War II was on our doorstep. Canewdon had one of the very earliest radar stations. Their tall towers could be seen for miles and was one link in a chain around the south and east coasts.

Floods of 1953

The Floods of 1953 affected much of Stambridge including Mill Lane and parts of the main village. A contemporary account noted many pockets of land were above the flood level in spite of being near the river.

“At some distance down the lane by the river past the church stands “Waldons”.  It is a modern house set on a peninsular, south of Bartonhall creek and north of the River Roach.  Built between two sea walls, it former name was, appropriately “Wallsend”.  It is known that in earlier years a farmhouse stood on the site.  The present house was built in 1953 to replace an old wooden structure, and although the East Coast floods of that year caused considerable damage to property in the vicinity of the water, Waldons stood above flood level and was unaffected.”

 

History of Stambridge Church

It is difficult to say how long St.Mary’s and All Saints church has stood on this site. The original stone building is believed to have been built around 1020-40 and so was standing when William of Normandy landed in 1066. But there may have been a wooden church before that. The River Roach can be seen from the churchyard, but as the church stands on rising ground it is safe from floods or high tides.

The original stone building was shaped like two boxes, the larger being the nave and the smaller the chancel.

Sometime about 1250 the south wall was taken down, a row of arches built in its place (you can see the remains of a south door, probably for the priest, now filled in) and the church extended by the south aisle being added on.

About 1350 the east wall of the chancel was taken down and the chancel enlarged by extending it eastwards A hundred years later the tower and the north porch were built. You can still see the ancient main timber frame.

The early 1500’s saw the Reformation in England and monuments, glass and rood screens were removed from many churches so there are no ancient monuments or glass in our church.

By around 1800 it became clear that we were likely to go to war with Napoleon. There were fears of a French invasion and the Essex Coast was put into a state of defence. The old network of beacons was re-instated and improved and, as part of that, a brick parapet was added to the church tower so that a beacon could put higher up.

The clergy vestry on the north side was added around 1900.

The only parts of the original church still standing are the north wall, from the tower to the clergy vestry, and a small piece on the south side of the tower.

 

Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Bourchier

Around 1600, the Bourchier family of Worcester came into possession of the manor of Little Stambridge. Sir James Bourchier was a wealthy leather merchant who also had a town house on Tower Hill by the Tower of London and another country estate at Felstead in Essex. His children were born there and the sons were educated at Felstead School.

Sir James’ eldest son was Richard and a boyhood friend of his was Oliver Cromwell. When Sir James brought his family to stay in the manor house at Little Stambridge, Cromwell would often join them for a few days. And so he met Richard’s sister, Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Oliver fell in love and married at St. Giles, Cripplegate, in 1620.

In 1628, he was elected MP for Huntingdon, his home town, and two years later became a Puritan.

When the Civil war began in 1642, Cromwell was sent to organise the defence of Norfolk. He was noted for his organisational skills and bravery and Cromwell was put in charge of the cavalry in the eastern counties. His reputation was further enhanced when his cavalry made a notable contribution to the Battle of Marston Moor. When the New Model Army was formed, Cromwell was made General of the Horse and he played an important part in the defeat of the King in the Battle of Naseby.

When the Civil War ended with Parliament victorious, Cromwell played a part in trying to keep Parliament united. He also tried to smooth things between Parliament and the army in 1647 when the army mutinied and refused to disband. He played a prominent part in the second Civil War and was the prime mover behind the decision to execute the King in 1649 and the establishment of the Commonwealth. In 1653 he was elected Lord Protector. After his death from natural causes in 1658 he was buried in Westminster Abbey but after the Royalists returned to power in 1660 they had his corpse dug up, hung in chains, and beheaded.

Oliver and Elizabeth’s daughter, Frances, married Lord Robert Rich who lived with the Earl and Countess of Warwick at Rochford Hall. Lord Rich had the alms houses built which are still there opposite the railway station.

 

John Harriott

Broomhills was the 18th century home of John Harriott, one of the founders of the Thames River Police. He was born in Stambridge, in 1745, where his father, who had been in the Royal Navy and merchant marine, had settled a couple of years earlier. After a little schooling he was placed in the navy, served in the West Indies and the Levant, and was shipwrecked on the Mewstone Rock off the Australian coast.

Harriott served in the Seven Years’ War under Admiral George Pocock at the Battle of Havana (1762), and during the recapture of Newfoundland. After the peace of 1763 he joined the merchant service, went up the Baltic Sea, and, as mate, made voyages in the American and West Indian trade. He spent several months living among Native Americans in 1766 and then returned home.

In 1768 Harriott received a military appointment in the East Indies. He arrived at Madras in time to take part in General Smith’s operations against Hyder Ali. Subsequently he was posted to a sepoy battalion in the Northern Circars, where he also did duty as deputy judge-advocate and acting chaplain for some time. A matchlock wound in the leg, received when in command of four companies of sepoys sent against a rajah in the Golconda district, rendered him unfit him for further active service.

After visits to Sumatra and the Cape of Good Hope, he returned home about 1781.

Harriott married, and after trying his hand at underwriting and the wine trade, settled down as a farmer. In 1781–2  at great cost, he reclaimed Rushley Island, part of the Foulness group of islands. The island, of 200 acres, between Great Wakering and Foulness, was under several feet of water at spring-tides. He enclosed it with an embankment three miles long. He then erected farm-buildings and sank wells on it. For this project the Society of Arts awarded him a gold medal. They also gave him a prize for an improved road harrow for levelling ruts. Harriott at this time was a surveyor of roads and an Essex magistrate as well as a farmer. The island is now owned by  the MOD but it is still farmed.

In 1790 the destruction of his farm by fire brought Harriott to the verge of ruin. He emigrated with his family to the United States, where he remained in an unsettled position for some years, and then returned home again in 1795.

On 31 October 1797 Harriott, then described as of Prescott Street, Goodman’s Fields, in the county of Middlesex, patented an improvement in ships’ pumps, which was adopted in the navy, and he set up a small factory. He subscribed to William Pitt’s loyalty loan, and suggested improvements in the organisation of volunteer corps and sea and river militia.

During the 1790’s, the Thames was a very busy highway and crime was rife. Merchants were losing an estimated £500,000 a year (equivalent to over £46 million in 2015) of stolen cargo from the Pool of London by the late 1790s.

Around 1797 Harriott prepared a scheme for the establishment of a river police force for the Port of London. He joined forces with Patrick Colquhoun and philosopher, Jeremy Bentham. Armed with Harriot’s proposal and Bentham’s insights, Colquhoun was able to persuade the West India Planters Committees and the West India Merchants to fund the new force. They agreed to a one-year trial and on 2 July 1798, the Thames River Police began operating with Colquhoun as Superintending Magistrate with an office at Westminster and with three special justices, one of whom, Harriott, was to reside at the police office in Wapping.

With the initial investment of £4,200, the new force began with about 50 men charged with policing 33,000 workers in the river trades, of whom Colquhoun claimed 11,000 were known criminals and “on the game”. Police cutters patrolled the River Thames. Crime was reduced but the force received a hostile reception by those dockyard and wharf workers not wishing to lose an illicit income. A mob of 2,000 attempted to burn down the police office with the police inside. The skirmish that followed resulted in the first death for the new force with the killing of Gabriel Franks.

Nevertheless, Colquhoun reported to his backers that his force was a success after its first year, and his men had “established their worth by saving £122,000 worth of cargo and by the rescuing of several lives.” Word of this success spread quickly, and the government passed the Marine Police Bill on 28 July 1800, transforming it from a private to public police agency.

Later in 1809 charges of fraudulent behaviour were brought against Harriott by clerks in his office but the case was thrown out by the King’s Bench in 1810.

The Thames River Police led up to Robert Peel’s ‘new’ police three decades later. Along with the Bow Street Runners, the Thames River Police was eventually absorbed into the Metropolitan Police in the 19th century.

In 1808 he published his autobiography “Struggles through Life”. Harriott continued his duties with the Thames Police until his health broke down some nine months before his death. He died at Burr Street, Spitalfields, on 22 April 1817 and is buried in the cemetery of Stambridge Parish Church