L I B RA RY 
 OF THE 
 
 U N I VERS ITY 
 or ILLINOIS 
 
 942.67 
 
 M45p 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 
 
 https://archive.org/details/parishofwalthamaOOmayn 
 
Waltham Abbey, in the year 1776. 
 
THE PARISH 
 
 OF 
 
 WALTHAM ABBEY, 
 
 ITS 
 
 HISTORY AYD ANTIQUITIES. 
 
 JOHN AIAYNAED. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 JOHN EUSSELL SMITH, 36, SOHO SQUAEE ; 
 
 AND BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. 
 
 1865. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 t 
 
 PAGE 
 
 As to Waltham being originally covered with trees . 1 
 
 The care of tbe poor and the sick was committed to the 
 
 priests . . . . . .2 
 
 Tbe marsbes, and tbe rights of tbe parishioners therein 3 
 Tbe extent of tbe forest . . . . .3 
 
 Tbe line of Kings from Canute to Harold tbe Second . 4 
 
 Tovy, tbe founder of Waltham . . . .5 
 
 Tbe religious plant whereon Harold founded bis monastery 7 
 IN’o college or religious school here before Harold’s time 8 
 Harold buried here with bis two brothers . . 9 
 
 Edward tbe Confessor assists Harold to found tbe 
 
 monastery . . . . . .11 
 
 Tbe picture of Harold once in tbe north window . 11 
 
 Tbe indentings of tbe pillars originally filled with brass 11 
 Of tbe congregations, ancient and modern . . 11 
 
 Tbe Holy Cross brought here by angels . . 12 
 
 Tbe list of tbe various manors which tbe Confessor gave 
 to Harold, and confirmed by charter to tbe monas- 
 tery . . . . . . .13 
 
 William tbe Conqueror laid claim to this Abbey as being 
 
 tbe personal property of Harold . . .14 
 
 Tbe Archbishop of Canterbury (on account of grievous 
 
 irregularities) suspends tbe Dean, absent and unheard 15 
 King Henry tbe Second changes Harold’s foundation . 15 
 
IV 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Thomas a Becket’s quarrel with the King . . 15 
 
 The Pope’s hull . . , . . .17 
 
 The power of the Popes over our ancient Kings . 18 
 
 King John and the Pope of Eome . . .19 
 
 King Henry the Third bestows on Waltham both a weekly 
 market, and an annual fair . . . .21 
 
 The quarrel between the men of W altham and the Abbot, 
 about the marsh-rights . . . .22 
 
 The Abbot’s lawsuit with the lord of the manor of 
 Cheshunt . . . . . .24 
 
 The monks and the loving women of Cheshunt nunnery 25 
 The site of the Abbey, bestowed on Sir Anthony Denny 25 
 
 The Church became a curacy or donative . . 26 
 
 The Abbey House . . , . .27 
 
 The Tulip-tree . . . . . .28 
 
 The Cotton-tree . . . . . .29 
 
 The two coffins discovered in the Abbey-garden . 30 
 
 The construction of the old Abbey-church when entire . 33 
 The Steeple . . . . . .35 
 
 The Church-bells,' both ancient and modern . . 35 
 
 Curiosities found during the late repairs . . 38 
 
 Good Friday a high day at Waltham, 50 years ago . 40 
 Waltham Church in olden times, tTte six obits . . 40 
 
 Our Lady’s chapel . . . . .42 
 
 Quotations from our churchwardens’ account books . 43 
 King Charles the Second grants a Brief to enable the 
 churchwardens to repair the church . . 57 
 
 Bishop Hall . . . . . .59 
 
 The dilapidated state of our church 60 years ago . 63 
 
 The beautiful painted glass window formerly in the choir 
 
 of the old Abbey-church . . . .64 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 V 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The remains of King Edward the First were brought 
 here on their way to interment in Westminster . 65 
 Waltham Cross , . . . . .66 
 
 The incident which led to the Keformation . . 67 
 
 Copped, or Copt Hall . . . . .70 
 
 Lord Thomas Cromwell, Bishop Cranmer and Cardinal 
 Wolsey . . . . . .71 
 
 The martyrologist John Fox, and family here . .75 
 
 Eobert Fuller, the last abbot of Waltham Abbey . 78 
 The Alms Houses . . . . .79 
 
 The right of cutting fire-wood on the forest . . 84 
 
 The Gunpowder mills . . . . .87 
 
 King Alfred stops the fiowing of the tide along the 
 
 marshes . . . . . .88 
 
 Sunday working here in war time . . .89 
 
 The grand stream of King Alfred . . .90 
 
 The fiour mill which Queen Maud gave to the Abbey . 91 
 The row of houses, formerly standing at the west end of 
 the church-yard . . . . .91 
 
 The pin factory and printing ground . . .92 
 
 f Baker’s Entry . . . . . .97 
 
 The larger Baptist Chapel . . . .98 
 
 George Fox, the founder of the Quakers . . 99 
 
 The Cemetery ...... 100 
 
 The Abbey-bridge and Gate-way . . . 101 
 
 The interior of the Church . . , .102 
 
 The Tomb of Sir Edward Denny . . . 103 
 
 The Tombs, in the church generally . . . 105 
 
 The Benefactions of Mr. and Mrs. Wollard . . 113 
 
 The Benefactions of Mr. and Mrs. Leverton , .114 
 
VI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Leverton School-house . . . .116 
 
 The confiscation of the minor monasteries . . 117 
 
 The crimes of the Abbots and Monks . . .120 
 
 King Henry’s warrant for the dissolution of the Abbeys 122 
 The Commissioners appointed to receive the surrender of 
 Waltham monastery .... 124 
 
 Sanctuary for the vilest characters afforded by the 
 
 Church 126 
 
 The number of the suppressed monasteries . . 127 
 
 The amount expended in the late repairs of the Church . 128 
 
WALTHAM ABBEY. 
 
 ‘‘ The chief trait in a history is its truthfulness.** 
 
 The compiler (who has traced his family in 
 Waltham Abbey, nearly four hundred years), being 
 fully aware of this, makes a strict point to insert no 
 information of a doubtful character. 
 
 Truthfulness being the aim, wo select authentic 
 information only ; and as a stepping stone to this, 
 we shall avail ourselves of that given by Thos. Fuller, 
 D.D., who first wrote a history of Waltham Abbey ; 
 he being the minister of this parish, in or about the 
 year 1648 ; and who, in his history, informs us 
 Waltham is so called from the Saxon word Aam^ 
 which signifies a town; and the word weald or 
 wealty that is woody ; it being anciently covered with 
 timber.^^ 
 
 We here pause to observe, that this assertion may 
 be accepted as referring to the greater portion of the 
 parish, but not so as to that part of it whereon the 
 town is built ; the rivers cut through it by King 
 Alfred, together with the site, chosen for the abbey, 
 are suSicient to prove that there were no trees on 
 this part, any more than on the contiguous marshes. 
 Dr, Fuller writes, Some will have it called 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 Waltham, quasi Wealthie-ham ; I wish they could 
 make their words good, in respect of the persons 
 living therein ; though, in regard of the soil itself, 
 indeed it is rich and plentiful/^ 
 
 From this we not only see Dr. FulleFs good 
 feeling towards the people of Waltham, but also that 
 they were generally poor. 
 
 It is not improbable that the poor, even in Dr. 
 Fuller’s day, still felt the loss of the gifts, or helps 
 they used to receive from the abbey ; the care of the 
 poor, and the sick, being committed to the religious 
 men of abbeys, &c. When they were dissolved, the 
 poor were left utterly destitute (there being no poor- 
 rates then), to shift as best they could for themselves, 
 and by appealing to the kindness and benevolence 
 of any who could render them assistance. 
 
 It was not until the reign of Queen Elizabeth, that 
 overseers of the poor were appointed in every parish, 
 and power given to the magistrates to lay a general 
 assessment on the inhabitants of each parish for that 
 purpose. 
 
 Waltham Abbey is seated on the Lea, 12^ miles 
 from London. The Lea is here parted into seven 
 streams, over which are as many bridges. 
 
 This town has large and fruitful meadows, whose 
 intrinsic value is much raised (says Dr. Fuller) by 
 
3 
 
 the vicinity of London^ the gra>ss whereof, when first 
 gotten an head^ is so sweet and luscious to cattle^ 
 that they diet them at the first entering therein^ to 
 half an hour a day^ lest otherwise they over-eat 
 themselves ; which some kine yearly do^ and quickly 
 die for it, notwithstanding all their keepers care to 
 the contrary/^ 
 
 Thus we have an ancient account of our valuable 
 marshes, which are commonable to every resident 
 renting to the amount of forty shillings per annum ; 
 and is open at all times for horses and colts, and for 
 cows by day. The parishioners of Cheshunt agree 
 to turn in, head to head, but their cattle are not 
 allowed to enter at the Waltham Abbey marsh gates. 
 On the other side of the town (observes Dr. Fuller) 
 stands a spacious forest, where fourteen years 
 since, one might have seen whole herds of red and 
 fallow deer. But these late licentious years have 
 been such a Nimrod, such a hunter, that all at this 
 present time are destroyed ; though I could wish this 
 were the worst effect our woful wars have produced.^^ 
 It may not be out of place here to note, that 
 between Dr. FulleFs time and the present, our 
 forest abounded in deer again. About 25 years ago, 
 in the winter time, and when the ground was covered 
 with snow, the writer once met with a herd of deer, 
 
 B 2 
 
4 
 
 in whicli there could not have been fewer than 
 hundreds; but since the Commissioners of Woods 
 and Forests have taken upon themselves (without 
 Act of Parliament) to sell the Crown forest 
 rights (after the mysterious dissolution of the Forest^ 
 or Forty-day Court) the deer have been driven off, 
 or destroyed, so that they are almost, if not quite 
 extinct. 
 
 The woful wars to which Dr. Fuller referred, were 
 in the time of King Charles the First. Oliver Crom- 
 well, who succeeded him, died in 1658, so that it 
 would appear very probable that Dr. Fuller did not 
 write his history of Waltham Abbey until about the 
 year 1654, if quite so early as that. He has, 
 nevertheless, by his studious researches, afforded us 
 information from the time of King Canute ; who 
 was the son of Swain, a former king, who died at 
 Thetford, in Norfolk, Feb. 3rd, 1014. Canute was 
 proclaimed in the March following, but failing to 
 gain the affections of his English subjects, he retired 
 to Denmark, and Etheldred the Second returned at 
 the invitation of his subjects. Canute returned in 
 the following year, 1015, landing his army at Sand- 
 wich. Etheldred retired to the north ; and by thus 
 avoiding a battle with Canute and his Danish army, 
 he (Etheldred) lost the affections of his subjects, and 
 
retired to London_, where he died in the same year. 
 Edmund^ his son_, surnamed Ironside, was crowned 
 at Kingston-upon-Thames, April, 1016; but from 
 some disagreement among the nobility, Canute was 
 also crowned at Southampton. In the June follow- 
 ing, Canute totally routed Edmund at Assendon in 
 Essex. Shortly after this defeat, Edmund met 
 Canute in the Isle of Alderney, in the Severn, where 
 a peace was concluded, and the kingdom divided 
 between them. Edmund did not survive above a 
 month after, he being murdered at Oxford before he 
 had reigned a year. He left two sons and two 
 daughters, from one of these daughters King James 
 the First of England was descended, and from him 
 our beloved Queen Victoria. 
 
 Canute was established in the year 1017 ; made 
 an alliance with Normandy; and in 1018 married 
 Emma, Etheldred^s widow; made a voyage to Den- 
 mark, attacked Norway, and took possession of that 
 crown in 1028 ; died at Shaftsbury, and was buried 
 at Winchester, anno 1036. 
 
 Dr. Fuller informs us that Canute had in his 
 army a man of great wealth and authority, named 
 Tovy, who was his standard-bearer, and who founded 
 a town here on account of the great delight he took 
 in the game, the place having plenty of deer. 
 
6 
 
 He planted only threescore and six indwellers 
 therein/^ It is most likely this number only was 
 allowed by the king^ his master. 
 
 Athelstan, Tovy^s son, proved a prodigal, and 
 quickly spent all his father^s goods and great estate, 
 so that, by some transaction, the place returned to 
 the crown.^^ 
 
 The writer deems it prudent to observe here, that 
 Dr. Fuller appears to have lost sight of the fact, that 
 at this period all the land was the property of the 
 king, who allowed only those whom he appointed, or 
 approved of, to reside in any locality ; and therefore 
 the writer feels persuaded that the son of Tovy 
 never possessed any personal right in the soil. 
 Nevertheless, it is evident from Dr. Fuller^ s account 
 of Athelstan, that he in some way lost all favour with 
 the king after his father^s decease. 
 
 King Harold the First, was the son of Canute, 
 and succeeded him in the throne, anno 1036, but 
 reigned only three years, dying April the 14th, 
 1039, and was succeeded by his younger brother 
 Hardicanute, King of Denmark, who died at 
 Lambeth, 1041, and was buried at New Winchester j 
 and was succeeded by a son of Queen Emma, by her 
 first husband Etheldred the Second. This leads us 
 to the reign of Edward the Confessor, who was 
 
7 
 
 . croATOed at Wincliester^ 1042 ; married Editha^ 
 daughter of Goodwin^ Earl of Kent^ in 1043; and 
 died Jan. 6tli^ 1066. This brings ns to the short 
 reign of Harold the Second^ the founder of the 
 Abbey of Waltham. 
 
 We have followed up the succession of these kings^ 
 that our younger readers may be able the better to 
 see the connexion between Edward the Confessor 
 and Harold^ his brother-in-law^ and William the 
 Conqueror ; who in the year 1051 visited Edward the 
 Confessor^ and no doubt arranged with him relative 
 to the succession of the throne. Seven years after this 
 visits William betrothed his daughter to Harold^, who 
 would have done well by continuing in his friendship^ 
 but Harold seeing the weakness of William^s title^ and 
 knowing his own influence with the English nobility^ 
 felt emboldened to resist the claim of William^ and 
 perished in the attempt to oppose him. 
 
 The time between the date 1017 (in which Canute 
 was estabhshed in the throne)^ to the year 1066^ in 
 which Edward the Confessor died^ is forty-nine 
 years; but as Harold founded his monastery four 
 years before the death of the Confessor (and most 
 hkely the same time elapsed before Tovy had well 
 established his little town) ^ we cannot fairly reckon 
 more than forty years out of this forty-nine^ for 
 
8 
 
 Tovy and his successors to have established their 
 religious plant. It is very probable Tovy erected a 
 chapel and appointed a priest to it ; and this priest or 
 his successor might have pretended to have dis- 
 covered a wondrous Cross, brought here by angels 
 in a most wonderful manner. Tovy dies (perhaps 
 before this cross was heard of), and Athelstan squan- 
 ders away all his father^s goods and great estate. 
 It seems, however, that this forty years was long 
 enough to establish a religious plant for Harold to 
 build a monastery upon ; but it is self-evident that 
 there was not an established college of many priests 
 here, as they must have starved when Athelstan 
 soon squandered away all his father^s goods and 
 great estate, unless the purchaser of the estate con- 
 tinued to support the priest, or priests. 
 
 If there had been any important establishment of 
 religious men, or any school here. Dr. Fuller would 
 have discovered it as well as other particulars. 
 
 This remark is made to refute the assertions of 
 some who have, in their history of Waltham Abbey, 
 added novelty to truth, and thus spoiled both novelty 
 and truth by producing an instrument calculated to 
 mislead ; as, the while they profess to be faithful, 
 they are false. 
 
 Harold, although he succeeded in planting him- 
 
9 
 
 self on the throne^ did not retain it a full year_, he 
 being slain at Hastings in battle-fight^ where Wil- 
 liam became victorious^ and assumed the title of 
 Conqueror; where either of their swords/^ (ob- 
 serves Dr. Fuller) if victorious, might have done 
 the deed, though otherwise, both their titles twisted 
 together could not make half a good claim to the 
 crown.^^ 
 
 Githa, the mother of Harold, with two religious 
 monks of this abbey (Osegod and Ailric), hardly 
 prevailed with the Conqueror, who at first denied 
 the burial of him, as his ambition had caused the 
 death of so many, to be entombed in Waltham Ab- 
 bey, although it was of his own founding; but 
 eventually William relented, and Harold, together 
 with his two brothers. Girth and Lofwin, who fell in 
 the same battle with him, were brought here, and 
 were buried in the choir of the old Abbey-church, 
 which stood at the east end of our present church. 
 This choir has long since been demolished; and 
 Harold^s tomb has been lost in the general destruc- 
 tion of this part of the edifice. 
 
 Dr. Fuller, in reference to this, says, Let not, 
 therefore, the village of Harold, on the north side of 
 Ouse, near Bedford, (properly Harewood, or Hales- 
 wood, on vulgar, groundless tradition), contest with 
 Waltham for this king’s interment.” 
 
10 
 
 The writer is aware that one or two historians, 
 who have followed the error of the one who first 
 asserted for fact, that there was a tradition, (notice 
 only a tradition, no proof,) that Harold fled from 
 the battle-field of Hastings, and lived in religious 
 retirement years after this event, at Chester; and 
 the writer is also aware that Mr. Palgrave, in his 
 History of England, has inserted this tradition, 
 which is utterly destitute of even the semblance of 
 truth, in support of itself ; and the more it is ex- 
 amined, the more it will discover itself to have 
 been the invention of him who recorded it, as though 
 it had been a tradition of long standing, whereas 
 such a thing was not heard of until it appeared in 
 the writings of the inventor of it; and therefore 
 without the incidents necessary to establish its pro- 
 bability. Was William the Conqueror so easily 
 deceived ? And was Githa, the mother of Harold, 
 such an impostor as to feign the death of him, 
 together with that of his two brothers, who fell 
 with him ! I trow not. 
 
 It is remarkable, that out of all the tombs in the 
 old choir, not one has been preserved ; and there- 
 fore Harold^ s is not to be found, any more than 
 those of his brothers, or any of the monks therein 
 entombed. 
 
11 
 
 Edward the Confessor^ to assist Harold^ (his 
 brother-in-law^) in founding his monastery, bestowed 
 Waltham, with lands contiguous, upon him; and in 
 every way facilitated the building of the Abbey, of 
 which nothing is now remaining save the nave, which 
 forms the body of our church. A structure of 
 Gothic design, very firmly built; and has been 
 observed to stand, perhaps, the most exactly east 
 and west of any in England. 
 
 Dr. Fuller informs us that a picture of Harold 
 in glass was in the north window of the church, till 
 ten years since some barbarous hand beat it down.-^^ 
 By comparing various dates, we find this picture of 
 Harold to have been broken in the time of King 
 Charles the 1st, during the civil wars, in which 
 Oliver Cromw^ell played so conspicuous a part. 
 
 The bold pillars of our church are wreathed with f 
 indentings, which (it has been affirmed) were origi- i 
 nally filled up with brass ; and if so (which there is | 
 no reason to doubt), must have added much to the 
 beauty of the building. The roof was originally 
 covered with lead, and not ceiled as it now is. 
 
 Dr. Fuller writes, The best commendation of 
 the church is, that on Lord^s days generally it is 
 filled with a great and attentive congregation.^^ 
 Farmer, who wrote his history of Waltham Abbey 
 
12 
 
 in 1736^ which is nearly a century after Dr. Fuller, 
 laments over the thinness of the congregation in his 
 day. At the present time, 1865, the congregation 
 perhaps is larger than it ever has been before in 
 any period since it was erected, which is now fully 
 eight hundred years. 
 
 Harold dedicated his monastery to a Holy Cross, 
 said to have been found far westward, and brought 
 to Waltham by miracle, as the popish party write ; 
 when the town received the addition of Holy Cross 
 to that of Waltham. 
 
 The writer has never yet met with any records 
 relative to what became of this Holy Cross, and 
 therefore cannot give any information concerning 
 it, save this only, that it was the subject of a Eomish 
 miracle ; and as but few persons are permitted to 
 witness the proof of their miracles, it may be pre- 
 sumed, that when this wondrous Cross had per- 
 formed its mission, the same angels who miraculously 
 brought it here, by the same means conveyed it 
 away again, and have not left one particle of it behind 
 for Waltham Holy Cross to venerate. 
 
 Harold^ s foundation was for a dean, and eleven 
 black canons ; each canon had a manor, and the 
 dean six, for maintenance. 
 
 In the charter of confirmation made by Edward 
 
13 
 
 the Confessor^ besides Northland^ in Waltham (the 
 one which Dr. Puller believed to bo that which 
 is now called North field) ^ wherewith the monastery 
 was first endowed,, together with seventeen lord- 
 ships^ or manors. The manors named in this charter 
 are these: 1st. Passefield (in High Onger) ; 2nd. 
 Walde (South Weald) ; 3rd. Upminsterj 4th. Walth- 
 fare (New Hall, in Boreham) ; 5th. Supperdene, or 
 Tippedene (a manor in Epping, whereon the Church 
 stands) ; 6th. Alwertowne {not known) ; 7th. Wode- 
 ford (Woodford) ; 8th. Lambehide (Lambeth) ; 9th. 
 Nesingan (Nazing) ; 10th. Brickindune (Bricken- 
 don, Herts) ; 11th. M.e\nko (in Bedfordshire) ; 12th. 
 Alichsea (in Bedfordshire) ; 13th. Wormeleia (Worm^ 
 ley, Herts) ; 14th. Nichelswell (Netswell) ; 15th. 
 Hitchche (Hicche) ; 1 6th. Lukendon (Loughton) ; 
 17th. West-Wealtham (West Waltham, in Berk^ 
 shire) ; all of which the king confirmed to the 
 monastery free from all guilds and payments^ in the 
 most full and ample manner ; witness himself^ Edith 
 his queen, Stignand archiepiscopus Dorobornensis, 
 Count Harold, and many other bishops and lords 
 subscribing the charter. 
 
 That the affairs of this monastery were in a very 
 unsettled state, when the death of its founder had 
 happened so suddenly, will be readily perceived ; and 
 
14 
 
 the only alternative left for the dean and canons^ 
 was to do their best to make the Conqueror their 
 friend by submitting to his will. 
 
 William laid claim to this Abbey as being the 
 personal property of Harold, and transferred their 
 possessions into the hands of Walcher, Bishop of 
 Durham. And at the time of the survey, they 
 appear to have held but half a hide of land. There 
 appears reason to believe that the dean and canons 
 compounded for their manors with Walcher, who 
 purchased the earldom of Northumberland, where 
 his behaviour brought on him the punishment of the 
 populace, who took the law into their own hands and 
 murdered him on the 4th of May, 1080; after 
 which, the charter of Edward the Confessor appears 
 to have been the means of saving the monastery ; 
 and not long after the Conqueror^ s reign we find 
 Waltham Abbey received considerable additions to 
 their maintenance. Maud the first queen of King 
 Henry the First, bestowed on them the mill at 
 Waltham ; and Adelisia, (second wife of the above 
 Henry) being possessed of Waltham, as part of her 
 revenue, gave all the tithes thereof, as well of her 
 demesne as all tenants therein, to the canons of 
 Waltham, 
 
 Dr. Fuller, in reviewing the prosperous days of 
 
15 
 
 the abbey^ remarks, with some degree of manifest 
 feeling, that a glutton monastery in former ages 
 makes a hungry ministry in our days/^ And sor- 
 rows over the idea of an abbey, and a parsonage 
 impropriate, worth eight pounds per annum, in the 
 same place; and adds, ^^had not Waltham Church 
 lately met with a noble founder, the minister thereof 
 must have kept more fasting-days than ever were 
 put in the Roman calendar/^ 
 
 The monastery, as Harold had instituted it, conti- 
 nued 115 years, (from the year 1064 to 1177). 
 
 In 1174, the Archbishop of Canterbury suspended 
 the dean, (Guido or Wido Rufus,) absent and un- 
 heard: he, as well as the canons, having been charged 
 with great and grievous irregularities. 
 
 Under very peculiar circumstances to himself. 
 King Henry the Second changed Harold^s founda- 
 tions, (from seculars of the Benedictine order) to 
 regular canons of the order of St. Augustine ; and 
 increased the number to sixteen. 
 
 My young friends will remember that King Henry 
 the Second, and Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of 
 Canterbury, were at variance. The cause of their 
 quarrel was this : Several of the priests, being found 
 guilty of infamous crimes and murders, the King 
 commanded that justice should be executed upon 
 
16 
 
 them with the same impartiality as upon those who 
 were not in holy orders. 
 
 Becket opposed him in this^ pleading that the 
 clergy were exempt from civil judicature ; at which 
 the King was so much displeased that he resolved 
 to curb the insolence of Becket. Beckefc^ aware of 
 this,, hurried off to Borne, and influenced the Pope 
 (Alexander the 3rd) in his behalf. Some time after 
 this a partial reconciliation was made between them, 
 and Becket returned to his see of Canterbury, 
 where, continuing his former insolence, some gentle- 
 men, to revenge the King^s quarrel, fell upon 
 Becket, and dashed out his brains in the Cathedral 
 Church of Canterbury. The King became alarmed 
 at this, and fearing the displeasure of the Pope, he 
 declared to him his innocence in the affair of the 
 murder of Becket ; nevertheless, at the same time, 
 he expressed his willingness to undergo such penance 
 as his holiness the Pope should see fit to impose, 
 although perfectly innocent of the death of Becket. 
 The Pope, however, makes him pay very dearly for 
 his absolution ; and he enjoins him to suffer appeals 
 to Borne ; to quit his claim to investitures ; to keep 
 two hundred men in pay for the holy war ; and that 
 in England they should celebrate the feast of that 
 glorious martyr St. Thomas a Becket. 
 
17 
 
 The words of the Pope’s bull are as follows 
 “We strictly charge you that you solemnly cele- 
 rate, every year, the birth-day of the glorious 
 Martyr Thomas, sometime Arch-bishop of Canter- 
 bury ; that IS, the day of his passion and that, by 
 devout prayers to him, you endeavour to merit the 
 remission of your sins.” 
 
 This poor pitiable King of England, trembling 
 under the power and cruelty of the Pope, is com- 
 pelled to strip himself, to walk barefooted,* and sub- 
 mit to be whipped by monks, some of whom give 
 him five lashes^ others give him but three. 
 
 This poor humbled King vows to erect an abbey 
 to the honour of God and St. Thomas a Becket, and 
 m order to fulfil his vow as well as he can, deputes 
 Galfry, bishop of Ely, and Gilbert, bishop of Lon- 
 don, as his commissioners, to receive of the Abbot 
 and Canons their resignation of the abbey to the 
 King, he having promised to honour Thomas a 
 Becket by endowing a monastery. 
 
 This done, the King proceeded to Waltham Ab- 
 bey on the 3rd of June, 1177, where Walter, bishop 
 of Rochester, on the part of the Archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, Gilbert, bishop of London, John of Nor- j 
 wich, and Hugh of Durham, met him, proceeded to ’ 
 change the old foundation, and to increase the num- 
 
 c 
 
18 
 
 ber of religious men tlierein_, the King having pro- 
 cured a charter from the Pope. 
 
 I need not say anything as to the charter of 
 confirmation given by King Henry the Second to 
 the abbey^ save that it established to the monastery 
 all their privileges and possessions^ old and new, 
 in the most liberal manner — all being established 
 (even to the appointment of a chapel in the abbey 
 to the honour of that glorious Martyr, Thomas a 
 Becket,) just as the Pope would have it. At this 
 time kings were but mere tools in the hands of the 
 reigning popes, to perform their pleasure. 
 
 We learn from NewcourPs Eepert., vol. ii. p. 628, 
 that Gruido, the late Dean, was present at the new 
 ordination, when the King gave him a manor during 
 life in exchange for his deanery, and to the former 
 Canons the value of their prebends during their 
 lives ; after to revert to the abbey. 
 
 It appears to be most probable that it was at the 
 new ordination the abbey was dedicated to St. 
 Lawrence, in addition to that of the Holy Cross. 
 
 Having hinted at the power of the Pope of Kome, 
 in the instance of King Henry the Second, the writer 
 fears lest his young friends should hastily conclude 
 that his was such a flagrant offence, that it called 
 for the interference of the Pope, who would not. 
 
19 
 
 perhaps, thus have acted had it not been a crime of 
 unusual magnitude ; whereas, the fact is, the Pope 
 generally cared more (when the Church was 
 affected) about the obedience of the kings, than 
 they did about their otherwise great crimes. The 
 Popes enforced the obedience of the kings, in all 
 they saw fit to dictate to them ; for instance. King 
 John offended the Pope by using too much freedom 
 of style in opposing the will of his holiness the 
 Pope, in refusing to allow Stephen Langton to be- 
 come archbishop according to the Pope^s appointing. 
 The Pope, to show his displeasure, and to chastise 
 him for his disobedience, interdicted the whole 
 kingdom ; so that there was no religious service, no 
 saying of mass, no reading of prayers for several 
 years. And, to the horror of the people, no burial- 
 ground or burial service was allowed for their dead, 
 who were buried out of consecrated ground like 
 dogs, without the help of the clergy ; who studied 
 the will of their master, the Pope, even to the 
 heightening of the afflictions, both of the people and 
 their King. At length, the Pope proceeds to ex- 
 communicate the King, and absolves his subjects 
 from their allegiance to him ; and next, he proceeds 
 to encourage foreigners to invade England (our own 
 dear native land,) guiltless ; assuring them that it 
 
 c 2 
 
20 
 
 would expiate all their other sins to conquer England 
 at his bidding. This so terrified the King^ that in 
 order to avert this calamity^ he is led to resign the 
 kingdoms of England and Ireland to Pandolphus^ 
 the Pope^s legate^ who haughtily received it from 
 King John^ the while he presented it to him on his 
 knees. Pandolphus received the crown from John^ 
 and insolently trampled it under his feet^ in the pre- 
 sence of the servants and attendants of this degraded 
 king. 
 
 This may suffice to show the power exercised by 
 the popes over our ancient kings^ and therefore 
 over our nation^ when our venerable abbey was in its 
 glory. 
 
 King Richard the First succeeded his father^ 
 (King Henry the Second^) and confirmed to the 
 abbey his fathers foundation^ and gave lands in 
 Waltham parish to Richard Fitz Archer to hold in 
 fee^ and hereditary of the abbey. The above 
 Richard Fitz Archer planted himself at Copped 
 Hall. 
 
 About this time, Hugh Nevil, with the consent of 
 his wife and son, gave the manor of Thorndon to the 
 monastery of Waltham. 
 
 King Henry the Third used often to retire to 
 Waltham Abbey, (it being the nearest mitered 
 
21 
 
 monastery to London^) to avoid the expense of 
 court keeping as much as possible. Not having it 
 in his power to bestow many fresh estates to the 
 abbey, he granted to the abbot and monks the tolls 
 arising from a weekly market, and an annual fair of 
 seven days’ duration; which he bestowed on Wal- 
 tham with a view of increasing the revenue of the 
 monastery. This fair, even in Dr. Fuller’s time, 
 had been divided into two of shorter duration ; one 
 held on the 3rd of May, and the other on the 14th 
 of September ; and a statute for hiring of servants, 
 held on the 25th of the same month. The weekly 
 market retains its chartered day, Tuesday. 
 
 This grant of a market and fair must have been a 
 greater boon to the people of Waltham and its envi- 
 rons, than we can well appreciate in the present day 
 of civil and religious liberty, until we come to reflect 
 upon the fact, that in former days persons were not 
 allowed to stroll about just as they pleased from 
 place to place, or to congregate together, only 
 under the sanction of the king or his officers. And, 
 although markets and fairs were chiefly granted to 
 enhance the revenues of religious houses, still we 
 cannot but look upon them as the means of pro- 
 moting the full flow of the civil liberty we now 
 enjoy. 
 
22 
 
 About the thirteenth year of the reign of King 
 Henry the Thirds Simon was made abbot; and 
 during his first year the men of Waltham came into 
 the marshy which the Abbot said formerly belonged 
 to the convent in common with the inhabitants; 
 and killed four valuable mares^ and drove away all 
 the rest belonging to the Abbots who put up with 
 this injury and took no steps in the matter. 
 
 The following year^ the same men waited upon the 
 Abbot on the Thursday before Easter^ in the name 
 of the whole parish, and requested him to remove 
 his mares out of the marsh. He refused ; adding 
 that if his bailiffs had placed his cattle where they 
 ought not, they would do well to have it amended ; 
 yet to defer the affair till the Tuesday after Easter. 
 On the Tuesday appointed, Richard, duke of Corn- 
 wall, brother to the king, came to Waltham, and at 
 the same time the men and women of the town re- 
 paired to the gates of the abbey to receive the 
 Abbot^s reply. He told them he could not decide 
 with them for the present, as he was going into 
 Lincolnshire to visit the Justice Itinerant : but by 
 his prior and other canons, he desired them to be 
 patient till his return, when he would mend what 
 was to be mended. They would not comply with 
 this request, and in the height of their excitement 
 
23 
 
 lost all due respect toward either the Abbot or his 
 royal guest^ and reviled and railed at the Abbot ; 
 then went off into the marsh, and in driving the 
 Abbot^s mares and colts out they drowned three of 
 them and injured ten more, and beat their keepers 
 who resisted, even to the shedding of blood/^ 
 When the Abbot returned, the townsmen, fearing 
 the consequences of their riot, desired a reconcilia- 
 tion, and preferred to pay him damage. But the 
 next day, when the performance of their promise 
 was expected, away went the Waltham-men with 
 their wives and children to London, to the King, 
 enraging him against the Abbot, accusing him, that 
 he would disinherit them of their rights, bring up 
 new customs, take away their pastures, and to use 
 their own words, eat them up to the bones and 
 that he had wounded and abused some of them who 
 stood defending their own rights. This false report 
 was believed by many, for a time, to the great dis- 
 grace of the convent of Waltham. The Abbot 
 would not put up with so great a wrong ; and 
 having episcopal power in himself, proceeded to the 
 excommunication of the rebellious Walthamites ; 
 who aimed to defend themselves and their rights by 
 the common laws of the realm ; and when the trial 
 came on, the Abbot made both his own rights and 
 
24 
 
 their riot to appear; and at the King’s Bench^ the 
 Walthamites were obliged to confess that they had 
 done evil^ and were amerced twenty marks to the 
 Abbots the which he not only remitted to them, but 
 also, on their submission, released them from the 
 excommunication. 
 
 As soon as the Abbot was done with this lawsuit, 
 he was occupied with another of more importance. 
 Peter, duke of Savoy, the King’s uncle, on whom 
 the King had conferred many manors, and amongst 
 them, that of Cheshunt. Peter contended, the Lea 
 (the river called the King’s Stream) divided Hert- 
 fordshire from Essex; and the Abbot maintained 
 that the small Lea stream, running nearly half a 
 mile to the west of the King’s Stream, was that 
 which divided the counties. The Abbot appears to 
 have gained his point at this suit, and the Duke 
 seems to have quitted his claim to all on the east 
 side of the small Lea river. But, soon after, a new 
 suit was commenced, which continued many years, 
 and was pending when the abbey was dissolved. 
 
 In the boundary of the Forest of Essex, all land 
 on the east of the Small Lea, is claimed as being in 
 this forest. Whether the forest was partly in 
 Hertfordshire or not, we must leave, as this dispute 
 was never decided. But the county of Essex is now 
 
25 
 
 generally allowed to extend as far as to the Small 
 Lea stream. 
 
 Dr. Fuller writes : Meantime^ while the Abbot 
 and monks of Waltham were vexed with the men of 
 Cheshunt, they found more favour (if public fame 
 belies them notD from some loving women in that 
 parish ; I mean, the holy sisters in Cheshunt nun- 
 nery. And Mr. Farmer, in his history of Waltham 
 Abbey, relates an incident of one Sir Henry Colt 
 waylaying the monks and catching them in a buck- 
 stall, (a trap to catch deer in,) as they were return- 
 ing from the nunnery ; and presenting them to the 
 King Henry the Eighth, who laughed at the trick, 
 and said, He had often seen sweeter, but never 
 mere beautiful or fatter venison.^^ 
 
 At the dissolution of the abbey. King Henry the 
 Eighth bestowed the site of it, with many large and 
 rich lands belonging thereto, on Sir Anthony 
 Denny ; and King Edward the Sixth confirmed the 
 same. 
 
 Sir Anthony died about the second of Edward the 
 Sixth, his wife Joan surviving him. She was the 
 daughter of Sir Philip Champernoon, of Modbury 
 in Devonshire. Dr. Fuller says she was a lady of 
 great beauty and parts, a favourer of the Eeformed 
 religion when the times were most dangerous.^^ 
 
26 
 
 When Anno Aschotwas imprisoned in the Compter, 
 Mrs. Denny sent eight shillings to her secreted in a 
 violet cloak to help her in her trial of persecution. 
 She was the daughter of Sir William Aschot in 
 Lincolnshire, and was under confinement for pro- 
 fessing the Eeformed religion ; she was removed to 
 the Tower and there racked ; and was so dreadfully 
 tortured, that not being able to stand, she was 
 carried in a chair to the stake in Smithfield, where 
 she was burnt, 1546. This is one of the persecu- 
 tions in the last year of the reign of Henry the 
 Eighth. Mrs. Denny must have feared when she 
 knew that poor Anne Aschot was racked to make 
 her divulge who her friends were, and if she had any 
 at court ; the Queen being suspected, and the King 
 just upon the point of giving her up to the will of 
 the bishops, the which, for her sake, was most pro- 
 videntially prevented by her wise dealing with the 
 King her husband. 
 
 Dr. Fuller informs us that Mrs. Denny bought 
 the reversion in fee of Waltham from King Edward 
 the Sixth, paying three thousand and hun- 
 
 dred pounds for the same, purchasing therewith 
 large privileges in the forest as by the letter patents 
 doth appear.^’ 
 
 The church became a curacy or donative, in the 
 
27 
 
 gift of those who held the site of the abbey^ with 
 only the small stipend of eight pounds per annum. 
 
 The grandson of the first Sir Anthony Denny^ Sir 
 Edward Denny, (who was created Earl of Norwich,) 
 settled on the curate and his successors a house, one 
 hundred pounds per annum, besides wood, &c. out 
 of the Claverhambury estate, situate near Copped 
 Hall in this parish. 
 
 On the site of the abbey the above Sir Edward 
 Denny built a noble mansion, which was called the 
 Abbey House ; this building was erected in the 
 reign of Queen Elizabeth. It was after some time 
 either rebuilt or beautified by Charles Wake Jones, 
 Esq. ; it had two wings, one on each side of the 
 front j it contained a hall forty-nine feet long, and 
 twenty-five feet six inches wide, twenty-eight feet 
 high, paved with fine white stone and square black 
 marble. 
 
 The entrance to this house was from the Home- 
 land over the abbey bridge into the court-yard 
 leading to the house, through an avenue of stately 
 sycamore trees ; long since taken away. 
 
 This house was pulled down in or about the year 
 1770; the stables were converted into a dwelling- 
 house, which was occupied by Mr. William Pigbone, 
 whose vault is in the churchyard, before ourLady^s 
 
28 
 
 chapel. After his decease^ (and before his affairs 
 were settled^) this house mysteriously caught fire, 
 and much of the furniture, together with some 
 writings of great value to the family, together with 
 the house, was destroyed in or about 1766. 
 
 After the necessary repairs, and rebuilding, this 
 house with its garden (called the Abbey Garden,) 
 was let to a market gardener ; and it has continued 
 to be a market garden, under different occupiers, 
 ever since. It contains about twelve acres of land, 
 which is generally walled in. In it stood the far- 
 renowned Tulip-tree of Waltham Abbey, which used 
 to blow with innumerable flowers in the months of 
 June and July. Great care was taken of this tree, 
 and many unsuccessful attempts were made to 
 propagate from it; and, as is the case with all 
 things related to time it died, having maintained its 
 situation in the garden, as a prominent feature, 
 more than three hundred years. In Lewises Topo- 
 graphical Dictionary, its circumference is stated to 
 have been nine feet six inches at that time ; but it 
 was much larger than this before it died. After it 
 had been dead some few years it was cut down, and 
 used in making various articles of furniture and 
 ornaments of curiosity. The wood of this singular 
 tree was very hard, and of a dark-brown colour. 
 
29 
 
 with very few marks or grains about it. The wood^ 
 perhaps^ was most chiefly prized on account of its 
 antiquity^ situation^ and size j it having been allowed 
 to have been the largest and the only one of the 
 sort known to have grown in England. Its height 
 was in proportion to the bulk of its stem ; and when 
 in its prime the top branches were perhaps fifty feet 
 high. 
 
 There was^ likewise^ another singular tree (in the 
 churchyard)^ which was called the Cotton-tree. In 
 the months of June and July^ the while the Tulip- 
 tree was in bloom, the churchyard used to be strewn 
 about in various directions with a downy substance 
 resembling cotton. This tree, perhaps never ex- 
 ceeded twenty-five feet in height, nor in circum- 
 ference more than five or six feet. It appeared to 
 be of the willow class and grew hollow, and one- 
 sided as willows do. Some mischievous boys once 
 stuffed it with shavings, &c. and set fire to it, but 
 the fire was extinguished before the tree was much 
 hurt. It stood some years after this event, and 
 made several new shoots at the top; but it was 
 impossible for it to make anything like wood, as it 
 was, at last, but the mere bark of one side of the 
 former tree, supporting a pollard-like top, composed 
 of a few stunted branches, one of which the writer 
 
30 
 
 now has in his possession, together with a piece of 
 the bark which is nearly three-quarters of an inch 
 thick^ and not in any way like the bark of the 
 willow-tree^ but rather more resembles that of 
 the elm. 
 
 The while Mr. Wollardheld the Abbey-garden^ in 
 digging to make a soil to plant in at the depth of 
 six feet, his men came upon the foundation of the 
 pillars of the choir, (in 1786,) a cavity at the bottom 
 of a wall, in which was mould to the depth of four 
 feet, and two of foundation; and then a stone coffin 
 bedded in the brick and stone-work ; the coffin was 
 of blue Pembroke marble, seven and a half feet long, 
 within it was a coffin of thin sheet lead, with a cross 
 faintly scratched upon it. On its being cut open 
 there appeared a corpse, which on the admission of 
 the air fell to pieces. At the bottom of the coffin 
 lay a mass of moist white matter, not much unlike 
 mortar in appearance and smell; in which were 
 fragments of something like thread, but very in- 
 distinct. 
 
 This, it must be remembered, is a more recent 
 discovery than that which Dr. Fuller refers to, as 
 having been found in the same garden by the gar- 
 dener of Sir Edward Denny, under a fountain, in 
 the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and was at that time 
 
31 
 
 thought to have been the coffin of King Harold; 
 but a full and impartial examination of the tomb 
 itself^ bearing as it did a cross fleury upon it^ toge- 
 ther with its generally too modern appearance for 
 Harold’s time^ greatly weakens the supposition; 
 and even Dr. Fuller admits of the doubtfulness of it^ 
 as we gather from his own words^ in which he says, 
 relative to this affair, that it was much descanted 
 on with art in other words, that it was much 
 questioned, if not in some instances disputed; so 
 that the one discovered by Mr. Wollard, having a 
 faintly scratched cross upon it, as though done in a 
 hurry, appears to have a better claim to the idea of 
 its having been that of Harold’s or one of his 
 brothers than the one before referred to. Or it may 
 be, even yet, that Harold’s vault has not been dis- 
 covered, although buried there, as the whole of the 
 foundations have not to this day been thoroughly 
 explored. But as Dr. Fuller has given (in his 
 Worthies of England, page 320,) the following re- 
 lative to that which he appears to have valued as the 
 tomb of Harold, we here insert it. 
 
 ^^The ensuing relation written by the pen of 
 Master Thomas Smith, of Sewardstone, in the 
 parish of Waltham Abbey, a discreet person not 
 long since dead. 
 
32 
 
 It so fell out that I served Sir Edward Denny, 
 (towards the latter end of the reign of Queen Eliza- 
 beth of blessed memory,) who lived in the abbey of 
 Waltham Holy Cross in the county of Essex, which 
 at that time lay in ruinous heaps ; and Sir Edward 
 began slowly now and then to make even and ready 
 some of that chaos. In doing thereof, Tomkins, his 
 gardener, came to discover (among other things) a 
 fair marble stone, the cover of a tomb hewed out in 
 hard stone. This cover, with some help, he removed 
 from off the tomb, which having done, there ap- 
 peared to the view of the gardener and Master 
 Baker, the minister of the town, (who died not long 
 since,) and to myself and Master Henry Knagg (Sir 
 Edward^s bailiff,) the anatomy of a man lying in the 
 tomb abovesaid, only the bones remaining, bone to 
 his bone, not one bone dislocated ; in observation 
 whereof, we wondered to see the bones still remain- 
 ing in such due order, and no dust or other filth 
 besides them to be seen in the tomb. We could not 
 conceive that it had been the anatomy of bones 
 only, laid at first in the tomb ; yet if it had been the 
 whole carcass of a man, what became of his fiesh, &c. ? 
 For, (as I have said above,) the tomb was clean 
 from all dirt and dust, besides bones. This, when 
 we had observed, I told them that if they did but 
 
33 
 
 touch any part thereof^ that all would fall asunder, 
 for I had only heard somewhat formerly of the like 
 accident. Trial was made, and so it came to pass. 
 For my own part, I am persuaded, that as the flesh 
 of this anatomy to us became invisible, so likewise 
 would the bones have been in some longer continu- 
 ance of time- O ! what is man then, which vanisheth 
 away like unto smoke or vapour, and is no more 
 seen 
 
 Here is cause sufficient to humble us to the dust ; 
 and to cause us to look up unto the Author and giver 
 of eternal life, for the salvation of our souls which 
 can never die, or decay. 
 
 We will now turn our minds to consider the con- 
 struction of the Abbey Church when in its perfected 
 state ; and first we observe it was a cruciform, or 
 cross-like shape. 
 
 In order the better to realise its shape and appear- 
 ance, let us proceed to the outside of the east end 
 of aur church, (the only remaining portion of the 
 once magnificent structure,) and there examine the 
 bold Saxon arch, now filled up, (and lately adorned 
 with a new window of coloured glass), — having re- 
 flected that this archway was originally the entrance 
 into the tower, and north and south transepts, thence 
 into the choir, (that part where the worship was per- 
 
 D 
 
formed) . Let us suppose that we have three more 
 similar arches in addition to the one still standings 
 and that we place one of the three opposite to it, 
 about thirty feet more towards the east ; and then, 
 the other two arches we erect, the one on the north 
 side and the other on the south, so as to form a 
 square ; the northern and southern arches leading 
 into the two transepts, and the eastern arch leading 
 into the choir. On the top of such four arches, and 
 supported by them, the tower, or old steeple stood, 
 having in it five large and tunable bells. In regard 
 to the size of this place, it will be necessary to bear 
 in mind that the square formed by these four arches 
 was thirty feet, the choir was ninety feet in length, 
 and fifty-five in breadth , the nave is one hundred 
 and eleven feet long, and fifty-five feet wide. In the 
 nave there were north, south, and middle aisles, but 
 in the choir there was only a centre aisle. In this 
 way one may be led to form a tolerable, if not quite 
 a correct idea of the shape and appearance of the 
 Abbey when in its prosperity. 
 
 As to the plan of the monastery itself, with all 
 its different dormitories and other offices, we must 
 leave, as there are no records affording information 
 on this point. 
 
 The present steeple was built chiefly, if not en- 
 
35 
 
 tirely, out of the old materials of the various ruins in 
 the reign of the cruel and persecuting Queen Mary ; 
 and stands as a monument erected to record the 
 horrors of her despicable reign. 
 
 This steeple is eighty-six feet high ; each foot cost 
 thirty-three shillings and fourpence in building ; it 
 was three years in building. The top thirty-three 
 feet cost forty shillings per foot^ on account of the 
 danger and difficulty of the work ; to complete which 
 the parish was obliged to sell the bells which they had 
 purchased at the dissolution of the abbey^ out of the 
 old tower, and had erected a wooden frame to hold 
 them in till the new steeple was ready to receive 
 them ; but they were obliged to sell their bells to 
 enable them to finish their steeple. Dr. Fuller, in 
 reference to this event, observes: ^^so Waltham, 
 which formerly had steeple-less bells, now had a bell- 
 less steeple/^ 
 
 This steeple was without bells some years, until 
 the parish became rich enough to purchase six. The 
 honorable James, Earl of Carlisle, at the expense of 
 £42. IO 5 . 6c?., gave chimes for these six bells, which 
 used to perform every four hours — at 4, 8, and 12 
 o^ clock. And the great bell used to ring at four in 
 the morning to call the apprentices up to their work, 
 and again in the evening at eight o^ clock, for them 
 
 D 2 
 
36 
 
 to leave work. So that from Michaelmas to Lady- 
 day she was called into requisition to arouse the 
 slumberers^ and again to remind the weary of the 
 approaching hour of rest. 
 
 After a time an effort was made^ and the number 
 of bells increased to eight. 
 
 The bachelors and maids of Waltham Abbey^ by a 
 voluntary collection amongst themselves^ purchased 
 the treble bell^ at the cost of £13. 12^. and the 
 parish (out of their funds) paid for the other. This 
 was effected in the time of Oliver Cromwell (in 1656)^ 
 when persons had lost the dread of Roman influence^ 
 and began to have more confidence as to the stabi- 
 lity of our National Church. 
 
 Before the late alterations (which are decided im- 
 provements)^ the chancel was parted off by a parti- 
 tion work^ which extended right across the church ; 
 most likely erected in the time of Queen Mary^ for 
 the sake of having the rood-loft restored. This par- 
 tition stood at the distance of thirty-four feet six 
 inches from the Saxon arch or east wall. 
 
37 
 
 The Inner Porch 
 
 through which we obtain a glimpse of the interior 
 of the church as it used to appear when the brass 
 chandelier formed so conspicuous a feature in the 
 place. 
 
 The chief entrance into the church is, noWy through 
 the steeple, under which is the above Inner Porchy 
 which appears to have been renovated and beauti- 
 fied in the reign of Henry III. or Edward 1.; about 
 this period the chapel, called Our Lady^s/^ was 
 erected in a corner formed by the south transept. 
 
38 
 
 Formerly the chief entrance was through the large 
 porch contiguous to Our Lady^s Chapel and Charnel 
 House, now converted into a school-room^ so arranged 
 that on Sundays it forms a large sort of gallery^ open 
 to the churchy the wall being taken away which for- 
 merly shut it off from the churchy when it was^ for 
 many years, occupied both as a school-room and a 
 vestry. 
 
 The south porch is now converted into the vestry, 
 wherein Moses and Aaron, taken away from the 
 altar-piece, together with the old sounding-board, 
 now used as a large table, are, with other things, 
 preserved. 
 
 During the late repairs an old axe, a key, &c. were 
 found; which appear to have been lost, perhaps 
 in the ruinous state of the Abbey, and had lain there 
 buried for many generations. They are now pre- 
 served in a glass case, as relics of antiquity belong- 
 ing to the church. 
 
 Those who saw our church during the late repairs, 
 when the galleries and pews were all taken away in 
 order to have it new floored, &c., had a fair view of 
 what this part of the Abbey was originally, when it 
 formed an outer porch, leading into the choir where 
 the worship was performed. 
 
 Before the late improvements, this edifice was 
 
39 
 
 clustered with things which were in opposition to the 
 architectural design of the building itself. An un- 
 sightly gallery, on the south side, extended nearly 
 half way along from the west end ; and at one time 
 the singing-gallery was perched up much higher 
 than the other on the west wall, the side nearest to 
 the south wall being chosen, for it gave it the appear- 
 ance of a box stuck up in the corner of a large build- 
 ing at a great height. This was removed some years 
 before the recent improvements, to give place to a 
 new organ gallery, the whole width of the west wall, 
 
 built to receive a new organ, the gift of Liver- 
 
 ton, who paid to Messrs. Flight and Robson, the 
 builders, one thousand pounds for it. This gallery 
 was built unproportionably high, and few persons, at 
 first, dared to look over the top of the pallisade 
 which formed the front. 
 
 Under this gallery there was another, so that there 
 were two galleries at the west end and one on the 
 south when the recent improvements were com- 
 menced ; and which have swept away every thing 
 which was out of the architectural order of the build- 
 ing, even to the partition which separated the 
 chancel from the church. 
 
 In the centre of the church, and suspended from 
 the ceiling, was alarge and handsome brass chandelier. 
 
40 
 
 which held thirty-six candles^ and used to be lit up 
 only on the evening of Good Friday^ when the church 
 used to be thronged with persons from the surround- 
 ing parishes for miles^ who were chiefly attracted by 
 the singing of the parish choir^ at that time de- 
 servedly in repute. The chandelier was removed in 
 effecting the restoration of our now beautiful church. 
 
 In 1662^ during the reign of King Charles II., the 
 King^s Arms, which cost the parish twenty pounds, 
 were set up. There was, previous to this, in this 
 church, the arms of Philip and Mary. 
 
 The late alterations of our church consist of 
 various and judicious arrangements, such as new 
 pews, a new painted glass window in the Saxon 
 arch, beautifying the ceiling, repairing and other- 
 wise improving the organ, and building the gallery 
 for it at a more proportionable height, new flooring, 
 cleaning the large pillars from the whitewash with 
 which they were almost plastered, restoring, painting, 
 etc., the which we need not further notice here. 
 
 In Waltham Church, of olden times, there were 
 established six obits. To defray the expense of 
 which, the parties prayed for (though dead and 
 buried, and therefore having no share in anything 
 in this world any more) left lands, etc., to pay the 
 priest for praying for their souls. Thomas Smith 
 
41 
 
 bequeathed a tenement in the corn market ; and 
 others gave lands in Upshire, called Paternoster 
 Hills^ and other lands elsewhere j one bequeathed a 
 stock of eighteen cows^ which the churchwardens used 
 to let out yearly to farm for eighteen shillings per 
 annum, settling their accounts at the feast of Michael 
 the archangel. 
 
 Dr. FullePs accounts of these obits we here insert 
 as instructive, since these superstitious obits are no 
 longer regarded necessary, or to be available of any 
 interest to the soul, whose destiny is eternally fixed at 
 the time of its departure from time into eternity. 
 
 Know, then, there were six obits which the 
 churchwardens did annually discharge ; namely, for 
 Thomas Smith and Joan his wife, on the 16th of 
 January ; for Thomas Friend, Joan and Joan his 
 wives, on the 16th of February; for Eobert Peest 
 and Joan his wife, on the 10th of April ; for Thomas 
 Towers and Catherine his wife, on the 26th of April ; 
 for John Breges and Agnes his wife, on the 31st of 
 May ; for Thomas Turner and Christian his wife, 
 on the 20th day of December. The charge of an 
 obit was two shillings and twopence, and if any be 
 curious to have the particulars thereof, it was thus 
 expended : — To the parish priest, fourpence ; to the 
 lady^s priest, threepence ; to the charnel priest. 
 
42 
 
 threepence ; to the two clerks, fourpence ; to the 
 children (these I conceive to be the choristers) three- 
 pence ; to the sexton, twopence ; to the bellman, 
 twopence ; for two tapers, twopence ; for oblation, 
 twopence. 0 the reasonable rates at Waltham ! two 
 shillings and twopence for an obit, the price whereof 
 in St. Pauhs in London was forty shillings ! For 
 (forsooth) the higher the church, the holier the service, 
 and the dearer the price, though he had given too 
 much that had given but thanks for such vanities.^^ 
 
 On the south side of the church stands Ike chapel, 
 called our Lady^s chapel, which appears to have been 
 built in a corner, formed by the south transept : the 
 break in the wall, still visible, near this chapel, shews 
 itself to be a remaining portion of one of the walls of 
 the transept. 
 
 This chapel appears to have been most beautifully 
 built, supported by buttresses, having on them both 
 niches and canopies; a charnel house under this 
 chapel is worthy of our notice, the arches of which 
 are still very handsome. Dr. Fuller says it is the 
 
 fairest I ever saw,^^ though at that time it was used 
 for no other purpose than to keep the bones in which 
 were from time to time dug up in the churchyard. 
 
 It is evident that this beautifully arched place, 
 was not at first intended ever to have been con- 
 
43 
 
 verted into a charnel-house^ but was built for a 
 ;^lace of especial worship ; perhaps for the perform- 
 ance of obitSj or prayers for the dead only. 
 
 There was a priest specially appointed to this 
 chapel called our Lady priest. In the reign of King 
 Edward VI., the account of the lands, etc., left 
 for the payment of these obits was delivered in — at 
 the same time saying that they were left for the 
 maintenance of a priest ; and that the said chantry 
 was then without any officiating priest. As we pro- 
 ceed, we shall see that the reading desk, belonging 
 to this chapel, was covered with silver. 
 
 We shall now proceed to gather information from 
 the churchwarden's accompt books, the which Dr. 
 Fuller inscribed into his history of Waltham Abbey. 
 The 34th of King Henry VIII. Anno 1542. 
 
 Imprimis, for watching the sepulchre, a groat. 
 This being found in each yearly account. Dr. Fuller 
 seems to be inclined to believe it to have been a 
 superstitious watching, in imitation of the soldiers 
 watching the sepulchre of Christ. 
 
 Item. Paid to the ringers at the coming of the 
 King^s Grace, sixpence.^^ The king had a small 
 house in the Eomeland, to which he often repaired, 
 at which times the bells were not rung, so that this 
 ringing was on some special occasion. 
 
44 
 
 Item. Paid unto two men of law for tlieir counsel 
 about the church-leases, six shillings and eight- 
 pence.^^ 
 
 ^^Item. Paid the attorney for his fee, twenty 
 pence."^^ 
 
 Item, Paid for ringing at the princess coming, 
 a penny.^^ 
 
 The 35th of Henry VIII., Anno 1543. 
 
 Imprimis. Received of the executors of Sir 
 Robert Fuller, given by the said Sir Robert Fuller 
 to the church, ten pounds/^ This Sir Robert Fuller, 
 was the last Abbot of Waltham Abbey ; and care 
 should be taken not to confound him with Dr. 
 Fuller, who was not an abbot, but a Protestant 
 clergyman, and who became the incumbent of 
 Waltham Holy Cross, rather more than a hundred 
 years after Robert Fuller the last abbot died. 
 
 The 36th of Henry VIII., Anno 1544. 
 
 Imprimis. Received of Adam Tanner, the over- 
 plus of the money which was gathered for the pur- 
 chase of the bells, two pounds four shillings and 
 eleven pence.^^ The king^s officers, at the dissolu- 
 tion of the abbey, sold the five bells in the old tower ; 
 and the parish purchased them by subscription. 
 
 Item. Received of Richard Tanner, for eight 
 
45 
 
 stoles, three shillings/^ A stole was a vestment 
 which the priest used to wear. 
 
 Item. Paid for mending the hand-bell, two- 
 pence.^^ This bell used to be carried in the sexton^s 
 hand at the circumge station of the sacrament, the 
 visitation of the sick, and such occasions. 
 
 Item. Paid to Philip Wright, carpenter, for 
 making a frame in the belfry, eighteen shillings 
 four pence."^^ The bells being bought by the 
 parishioners, were taken out of the decayed tower, 
 and a timber frame was made in the south-east end 
 of the church-yard, and a shift made for some years 
 to hang the bells thereon. 
 
 The 38th of Henry VIII., Anno 1546. 
 
 Imprimis. For clasps to hold up the banners in 
 the body of the church, eight penj^e.'’^ These banners. 
 Dr. Fuller informs us, were superstitious streamers, 
 usually carried about in procession. 
 
 Item. Paid to John Boston for repairing the 
 organs, twenty pence.^^ From this, it appears that 
 Waltham Church had in the year 1546, two organs ; 
 how large they were we can not say, nor whether 
 they were or were not much out of repair when 
 John Boston repaired them, charging ten pence 
 each. At the beginning of the seventeenth century 
 
46 
 
 Waltham Abbey sold an old organ to the church- 
 wardens of Cheshunt, which played five tunes. The 
 singers of Waltham Abbey rendering it of no use in 
 their church ; so that there was no organ in our 
 church from that time until 1819^ when Mr. Liverton 
 presented the present one to the parish. 
 
 The 3rd of King Edward VI. Anno 1549. 
 
 Imprimis. Sold the silver plate which was on the 
 desk in the charnel (?) weighing five ounces^ for 
 twenty-five shillings.^^ From this we see that at 
 least one of the reading desks was inlaid with silver, 
 and was the desk belonging either to our Lady^s 
 chapel, or to that which appears to have been called 
 the charnel, merely from the event of its having 
 had bones deposited in it when it had become use- 
 less as to that for which it was at first intended. 
 
 Item. Sold a rod of iron, which the curtain ran 
 upon before the rood, nine pence.^^ The rood was 
 an image of Christ on the cross, made generally of 
 wood, and erected in a loft, just over the passage 
 out of the church into the chancel. The rood-loft 
 contained not only Christ on the cross, but also his 
 mother, and his beloved disciple John, to whom 
 Christ commended the care of Mary his mother. 
 
 Dr. Fuller observes : — The church (forsooth) 
 
47 
 
 typified the church militant^ the chancel represented 
 the church triumphant ; and all who will pass out of 
 the former into the latter^ must go under the rood- 
 loft ; that is^ carry the Cross^ and be acquainted 
 with affliction/^ He expresses himself as prompted 
 to make these remarks on account of Harpsfield 
 (a Catholic)^ who might be presumed to be learned 
 in his own art of superstition^ pretended to be 
 ignorant of the reason for the rood institution. 
 
 Item. Sold so much wax as amounted to twenty- 
 six shillings.^^ The wardens appear to have bought 
 wax^ and to have had it made into candles by the 
 poor^ in order to save extra expense; and now 
 as the Reformation has let in a brighter light than 
 that of wax candles, the wardens sell off their stock 
 of wax, and give up this branch of business. 
 
 ^^Item. Paid for half of the book called Para- 
 phrase, five shillings.^^ By the seventh injunction 
 of Edward the Sixth, each parish was to procure 
 the Paraphrase of Erasmus, namely the first 
 part thereof on the Gospels, and the same to be set 
 up in some convenient place in the church.^’ In this. 
 King Edward the Sixth appears to have adopted the 
 same plan which his father (Henry the Eighth) 
 had used in regard to the Bible. On the 6th of 
 
48 
 
 May^ 1541^ Henry the Eighth commanded^ by pro- 
 clamationj that the new Bible then just published^ 
 the greater volume should be set up in every parish 
 churchy that the people might read therein. This 
 was to be done before All Hallowtide, under the 
 penalty of forfeiting forty shillings for each month 
 after that time. In the vestry of the parish church 
 of St. Michaehs^ Southampton^, there are preserved 
 to this day the reading desks where persons used to 
 read the Bible after the Reformation^ and the chains 
 by which the Bibles were fastened to the desk.’^] 
 ^^Item. Spent in the visitation at Chelmsford 
 amongst the wardens and other honest men^ fourteen 
 shillings and fourpence.'’^ This was the first visi- 
 tation (held by Nicholas Ridley^ then the new Bishop 
 of London) when our wardens were first called upon 
 to appear out of Waltham^ whose abbot formerly 
 held episcopal jurisdiction. 
 
 The 5th of Edward VI. Anno 1551. 
 
 Imprimis. Received for a knell of a servant to 
 the Lady Mary her Grace^ ten pence."^^ Mary^ after- 
 ward Queen^ at this time was residing at Copped 
 Hall (the former house stood in Waltham parish) 
 under the care and supervision of her brother^ 
 
49 
 
 Edward the Sixths during which time this servant 
 of hers died. 
 
 Item. Lost forty-six shillings by reason of the 
 fall of money by proclamation/^ Henry the Eighth 
 much debased the English coin^ to his own gain and 
 his subjects loss. His son decried bad money by 
 his proclamation^ and endeavoured to remedy this 
 wrong ; but^ dying so youngs he did but little in 
 this difficult undertaking ; and this was not remedied 
 until the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 
 
 Item. Received for two hundred and seventy- 
 one ounces of plate, sold at several times, for the 
 best advantage, sixty- seven pounds fourteeen shil- 
 lings and nine pence.'^^ At this time the clergy, here, 
 consisted of three priests, together with three cho- 
 risters, and two sextons ; this little fraternity was 
 (at this period) dissolved, and the remainder of the 
 rich plate of this abbey, which was found in their 
 possession, sold for the good of the parish. At the 
 dissolution, the King^s commissioners did not seize 
 on all the plate as they could have done. Lord 
 Rich (being interested in Waltham, and one of the 
 commissioners) befriended them as much as he 
 could, pleading the difficulties the parish would 
 have to encounter while building the new steeple at 
 the west end of that part of the Abbey which was 
 
 E 
 
50 
 
 allotted to them as their parish churchy which con- 
 sisted of the nave only^ of the then dilapidated 
 abbey-church. 
 
 Thus far we have seen the Eeformation favourably 
 proceedings and many persons becomings not only 
 ProtestantSs but real Christians; but alas^ a dark 
 cloud has ariseUs Edward is dead ! and his sister 
 Mary (a known Eoman Catholic) with whom Ed- 
 ward had found much trouble in curbing her dis- 
 obedience to the Protestant laws^ against which she 
 had rebelliously established mass^ and the whole 
 Catholic worship to be carried on^ by her kept 
 priests in her house of Copped Hall ; where Edward 
 had sent the before-mentioned Lord Eich and 
 others to effectually prevent this worship^ and these 
 unlawful proceedings^ to which she was obliged to 
 comply until Edward^s death. 
 
 This being generally known^ her religious senti- 
 ments caused trouble in the whole camp of the 
 Protestants ; and the sequel proved that their fears 
 were not groundless. 
 
 Edward^ the supporter of Protestantism^ is dead, 
 and Mary, the Catholic, ascends the throne; and 
 being no longer under restraint, determines to re- 
 establish Popery in the kingdom ; and the church- 
 wardens of Waltham Holy Cross are therefore called 
 
51 
 
 upon to ^ndo all they have been doing in the churchy 
 and the first thing they are called upon to restore 
 is the superstitious cross ; and we shall see^ as we 
 proceed^ that Dr. Fuller has well observed^ the 
 history of our church is the Church-history of Eng- 
 land/^ as every parish in the whole kingdom became 
 equally affected at this eventful and cruelly perse- 
 cuting reign. But to return to the churchwardens^ 
 account-book. 
 
 Anno 1554^ Queen Mary^ the third year after the 
 decease of her brother^ Edward VI. 
 
 Imprimis. For a cross with a foot^ copper and 
 gilt^ twenty-five shillings.^^ 
 
 ^^Item. For a cross-staff^ copper and gilt_, nine 
 shillings and four pence.^^ 
 
 ^^Item. For a pax, copper and gilt, five shillings.^^ 
 The pax had its origin from the words of the Apostle 
 Paul, Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.^^ 
 1 Cor. xvi. 20. And to prevent wantonness, the 
 pax (or the peace) was introduced'; and to shew the 
 unity of all assembled, they, by the proxy of the pax, 
 kissed one another by kissing the pax. 
 
 Item. For a pair of censers, copper and gilt, 
 nine shillings eight pence.^^ These were to burn 
 frankincense in, to perfume the church during divine 
 service. 
 
 E 2 
 
 UNIVERSITY Of- 
 
52 
 
 Item. For a stock of brass for the holy water^ 
 seven shillings.^^ By the canon the vessel to contain 
 the holy water must be of marble or metal^ and in 
 no case of bricky lest the spunginess thereof should 
 suck up the sacred liquor. 
 
 Item. For a chrismatory of pewter^ three shil- 
 lings four pence/^ This chrismatory was a vessel to 
 hold the consecrated oil^ used in baptism^ confirma- 
 tion^ and extreme unction. 
 
 ^^Item. For a yard of silver sarcenet for the 
 sacrament^ seven shillings eight pence.-’^ 
 
 Item. For a pix of pewter^ two shillings.’^ This 
 was a box in which the host or consecrated wafer was 
 kept. 
 
 ^^Item. For Mary and John_, that stands in the 
 rood-loft^ twenty-six shillings eight pence.^^ 
 
 Item. For washing eleven aubes and as many 
 head-cloths^ six pence.-’^ An aube^ or albe^ was a 
 priest^ s garment of white linen down to the feet^ 
 girded about his middle. Dr. Fuller informs us that 
 ^Hhe thin matter denoted simplicity; colour^ purity; 
 length (deep divinity !) perseverance ; and the cinc- 
 ture thereof signified the person wearing it prompt 
 and prepared for God’s service,” 
 
 Item. For watching the sepulchre^ eight pence.^^ 
 Thus we see that in Queen Mary^s reign the charge 
 
53 
 
 for this superstitious watching had become double 
 of what it was in the time of her father, Henry the 
 Eighth. 
 
 Item. For a processioner and a manuel, twenty 
 pence.^^ 
 
 Item. For a coparas-cloth, twelve pence.^^ 
 This was a linen cloth, to lay over or under the con- 
 secrated host. 
 
 Item. To the apparitor, for the bishop’s book 
 of articles at the visitation, six pence. This bishop 
 was (known by the name of) bloody Bonner he 
 who visited his diocese before it was sick, and made 
 it sick with his visitation. His articles were thirty- 
 seven in number, and his chief aim was the setting 
 up of complete roods, the which, if any man dared to 
 refuse, he might with tolerable certainty expect that 
 Bonner would procure a fire of faggots at the stake 
 for him. 
 
 Anno 1556, Queen Mary, the second year after her 
 marriage with Philip of Spain. 
 
 Imprimis. For coals to undermine a piece of 
 the steeple which stood after the first fall, two shil- 
 lings.^^ From this we learn that one part of this old 
 tower fell down, and that the remaining portion was 
 undermined to bring it down also. 
 
 The expense of all, relative to our church, ever 
 
54 
 
 since this time^ has been defrayed by the parish, 
 whose fostering care has brought it to the creditable 
 state in which it is at this date, 1865. 
 
 The changes in our national religion from the last 
 of King Henry the Eighth to the first of Queen Eliza- 
 beth demand our notice. In the short space of eleven 
 years, no fewer than four changes took place. Papist 
 when Henry the Eighth died j Protestant under Ed- 
 ward the Sixth; Papist (with a vengeance to it) 
 under Mary ; and Protestant again under Elizabeths 
 in 1558 : since which date Rome, with all her hatred 
 and machinations, has not been able to establish her 
 superstitious influence over our religion. Thank 
 God. 
 
 On the 17th day of November, 1558, Queen Eliza- 
 beth ascended the throne. We note this, in order 
 to shew how quickly our wardens commenced the 
 destruction of the abominations they had been, in 
 Mary^s reign, compelled to set up. 
 
 Anno 1558, Queen Elizabeth. 
 
 Imprimis. For taking down the rood-loft, three 
 shillings two pence.*^^ Surely their removing these 
 things out of the church was attended with much 
 more delight than was experienced when the wardens 
 were obliged to restore them, under the vigilant 
 
55 
 
 supervision of the cruel and bloodthirsty Bishop 
 Bonner^ in Mary^s reign. 
 
 Item. Received for a suit of vestments, being 
 of blue velvet, and another suit of damask, and an 
 altar cloth, four pounds.^^ 
 
 Item. For three coperasses, whereof two white 
 silk, and one blue velvet, two pounds thirteen 
 shillings fourpence.^^ 
 
 Item. For two suits of vestments, and an altar 
 cloth, three pounds.^^ This buying and selling 
 must have been attended with considerable loss. 
 
 Anno 1562. — Now the wardens begin again to 
 buy things to suit the simplicity of a Protestant 
 church. 
 
 Item. For a cloth of buckeram, for the com- 
 munion table, and the making, four shillings 
 
 Item. Paid for a bay nagge, given to Mr. 
 Henry Denny, for the abbey wall, three pounds seven 
 shillings.^^ This nag was presented to Mr. Denny, 
 by the parishioners, in grateful acknowledgment for 
 his benevolent gift, the which was of great value to 
 the parish. 
 
 Item. To labourers which did undermine the 
 wall, forty -five shillings nine pence.^^ No doubt this 
 was the wall (or rather the remaining walls) of the 
 whole building which ranged beyond the old tower. 
 
56 
 
 the materials of which enabled our wardens to carry 
 on a considerable trade in old materials for some 
 years ; the whole of which was expended in the 
 erection of our present steeple. 
 
 Anno 1563. — Imprimis. For an old house in 
 the old market-place^ thirteen pounds six shillings 
 eight pence. This tenement^ which let for nine 
 shillings per annum^ together with another of about 
 the same value^ in High Bridge-street^ then called 
 West-street^ was sold ; and the church lands let on 
 leases for twenty-one years. Want of money at that 
 time appears to have urged the parish to this 
 transaction. 
 
 Item. For the old timber in the little vestry of 
 St. George^s Chapel^ fifteen shillings.-’^ There is a 
 great probability that this chapel stood in the 
 grounds more especially appropriated to the 
 domestic offices of the monastery itself, and not a 
 part of the abbey-church so often referred to. 
 
 Item. Eeceived of Mr. Denny^ for one cope of 
 cloth of gold,, three pounds six shillings eight pence.^^ 
 
 Item. For two altar cloths of velvet and silk^ 
 two pounds.^^ 
 
 Item. Eeceived of Mr. Tam worthy twenty loads of 
 timber^ ready hewed, which he gave to the parish.’^ 
 
 Item. For taking down the stairs in the abbey. 
 
57 
 
 seven shillings eight pence/^ From this we gather 
 that there was more in Mr. Denny^s gift^ than the 
 merewall^ which called forth the gratitude of the 
 parish in the presenting of a nag horse in token of 
 their respect. 
 
 Item. For taking down the lead from the 
 charnel-house, and covering the steeple, eighteen 
 shillings.^^ The steeple required to be covered with 
 lead, and in order to accomplish this, they removed 
 the lead from off the charnel-house (our Lady^s 
 chapel) which remains tyled to this day. 
 
 Item. For the archdeacon^s man coming for a 
 record of all the inhabitants of the parish, four 
 pence.’^ From this it appears that Queen Elizabeth 
 wished to know the number of her subjects ; and to 
 have required this information at the hands of the 
 archdeacons. 
 
 Anno 1668, King Charles II. 
 
 Interest was made on behalf of this church with 
 the King, who, at the court held at Whitehall, the 
 7th of August, granted a brief to enable the wardens 
 to make collections within the neighbouring counties 
 towards the repairs of the church, then in a 
 dilapidated condition. The parish, in vestry, on 
 this account, resolved as follows : — 
 
 Imprimis. Most humble and hearty thanks we 
 
58 
 
 render to his Gracious Majesty, for granting a 
 collection by way of Brief, towards repair of our 
 church/^ 
 
 We give thanks also to the Eight Honourable 
 Earl of Manchester, Lord Chamberlain of his 
 Majesties household, for his favour in moving for and 
 procuring the same/^ Was all this trouble necessary 
 in order to make a collection for such a purpose ? 
 Surely it was, or else such pains to obtain it would 
 not have been employed. 
 
 March the 21st, 1669, the sum of one hundred 
 pounds was borrowed, which was employed and dis- 
 posed of in procuring the duplicates, printing the 
 briefs, and other incidental expenses.^^ 
 
 January 3rd, 1672, this hundred pounds was 
 repaid with interest, and an account given of the 
 money which had been employed for the furtherance 
 of the work.^^ 
 
 In 1674, forty-six pounds four shillings and ten 
 pence, was expended in the repairing (or rather in 
 the patching up) of the church. 
 
 In 1679, the sum of sixty-four pounds thirteen 
 shillings and five pence halfpenny, was laid out in 
 repairing the schoolroom (a small barn-like building) 
 which stood near the east end of our Lady^s chapel, 
 and since pulled down. It was a building erected 
 
59 
 
 on the site of the south transept ; the picture of this 
 place is still to be met with in some of the old 
 drawings of the church. 
 
 In 1678^ seventy-eight pounds five shillings and 
 twopence (the previous year) was expended in re- 
 pairing the church. 
 
 Thus, it appears, the money laid out upon 
 the church and schoolroom, amounted to one 
 hundred and eighty-nine pounds three shillings 
 and fivepence halfpenny ; and all the profit arising 
 from the collection by virtue of the brief, appears by 
 the accounts to have been only seventeen pounds 
 five shillings, the deficiency of the amount laid out 
 was supplied from the parish stock, assisted by 
 voluntary contributions from the more wealthy 
 parishioners. Surely this brief business could not 
 have been well persevered with. 
 
 Bishop Joseph Hall, D.D., held the living of 
 Waltham Abbey twenty-two years. He was one of 
 the four divines sent from England to attend the 
 synod held at Dort, to decide the controversy 
 between the Calvinists and the Arminians. In 1624 
 he refused the see of Gloucester, but in 1627 was 
 consecrated bishop of Norwich. He was suspected 
 of being inclined to the Puritans, by allowing many 
 of those to preach and lecture. He, in the life of 
 himself, acknowledges that he was three times on 
 
60 
 
 his knees before the King (Charles I.) to answer 
 this charge/^ In 1642 he was sent to the Tower by 
 Parliament^ with eleven other bishops^ who^ with 
 the Archbishop of York, protested against the 
 validity of the laws that should be enacted during 
 the exclusion of prelates from the Upper House. He 
 was released from the Tower after six months^ im- 
 prisonment, on giving bail for five thousand pounds, 
 and returned to Norwich, where he preached to 
 crowded audiences ; but, in 1643, he was stripped of 
 his dignities, his revenues and effects seized, being 
 very obnoxious to the ruling power on account of 
 his preaching and writings/ 
 
 Lloyd, in his Worthies, says Dr. Hall was born at 
 Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in Lincolnshire, July the 1st, 
 1574, where his father was bailey of the town, under 
 the Earl of Huntingdon. 
 
 There appears to be some discrepancy between 
 Lloyd and Parmer, (the writer of the history of 
 Waltham Abbey,) wherein he uses the following 
 words, this being the place of his (Dr. HalTs) 
 
 birth.^^ He also calls him Bishop of Chester, the 
 while Lloyd and others call him Bishop of Norwich. 
 Again, one might be led to suppose (from the manner 
 in which Parmer expresses himself) that Dr. Joseph 
 Hall was a bishop (and not an ex-bishop) when he 
 
G1 
 
 died ; whereas it should be remembered that after 
 he was stripped of his dignities^ he retired to a small 
 estate at Higham^ near Norwich^ where he attended 
 to all the duties of a faithful minister till his decease^ 
 which happened on the 8th of September, 1656, in 
 the 82nd year of his age. Farmer makes mention 
 of him twice : First, as Mr. Joseph Hall, curate of 
 this parish, and born therein, afterwards Doctor of 
 Divinity, and created Bishop of Chester. The main 
 body of whose books bear date from Waltham Abbey, 
 and who, by his will, gave a hundred pounds to this 
 parish."^^ Second, as the Eight Eeverend Father 
 in God, Joseph Hall, Bishop of Chester (this being 
 the place of his birth) gave by his will, dated 22nd 
 August, 1668, for the use of the poor, one hundred 
 pounds."^^ Farmer appears to have been wrong in 
 regard to the date of the will ; the Bishop died in 
 1656, and Farmer dates his will 1668. The parish 
 appears to have had some considerable trouble in 
 getting this hundred pounds, which cost them not 
 only long delay, but four pounds for law expenses : 
 and Farmer appears to have applied the dates from 
 the time when the parish got possession, and hence 
 the mistake as to dates ; but as to the mistake rela- 
 tive to Chester, or Norwich, we cannot account for, 
 unless Bishop Hall was first Bishop of Chester and 
 
62 
 
 afterwards Bishop of Norwich^ and as to the place 
 of his birth^ which of the two^ whether Lloyd or 
 Farmer is rights we must leave; the while, with 
 all deference to Farmers account, we give the 
 preference to Lloyd^s, he giving an account of his 
 parentage, on which point Farmer is silent. 
 
 Farmer observes, Notwithstanding this estate, 
 so given for repairs of the Church, yet there was in 
 November 27, 1673, another order made for a general 
 rate, at two pence in the pound, to be for repairs of 
 the Church.-’^ And by another order, dated 22nd 
 July, 1680, reciting that the church was out of re- 
 pair, and upon view would cost one hundred pounds 
 or thereabouts, to repair the same ; naming several 
 in trust to see the same done, and what should be 
 wanting for the doing thereof should be borrowed of 
 the hundred pounds that was given by Bishop Hall. 
 And it was ordered that the trustees for the Church 
 lands should make over their trust of the Church 
 lands to the trustees of the hundred pounds, and to 
 pay the whole rent of the same yearly, and every 
 year, until the principal and interest of the said 
 money shall be fully satisfied.^^ Notwithstanding 
 this good Prelate gave this money, yet there was 
 charge before it was received.^^ He then proceeds 
 to show that it cost the parish four pounds to obtain 
 
it ; and adds,, It is said,, that this hundred pounds 
 went for painting the altar-piece by the then church- 
 wardens/^ He also informs us that^ The rails in 
 the chancel that encompass the communion table for- 
 merly finely gilt^ were brought from Copt-Hall, and 
 used to surround a bed of state^ in which some of 
 our Kings of England were wont to repose them- 
 selves/^ There is also a curious altar-piece^ it is 
 the whole breadth of the churchy and parts off the 
 body of the church from the chancel,, in which is pre- 
 sented Moses and Aaron in their proper habiliments, 
 &c., and over it the King^s Arms, placed up inEhng 
 Charles the Second^s time, in the year 1662 , which 
 cost twenty-four pounds ; the charge of the altar- 
 piece, &c., was defrayed out of the hundred pounds 
 legacy given by the Bishop/^ Moses and Aaron 
 have been taken away, and the Arms of Charles II. 
 removed into the entrance under the steeple. 
 
 About fifty or sixty years ago our church again 
 fell into such a dilapidated state, that during the re- 
 pairs, which lasted some months, no divine service 
 was performed in it by its incumbent. During which 
 time a minister (a certain Doctor of Divinity, who 
 held a special license for preaching both within 
 and without our established churches) went several 
 times on the Sunday afternoons and preached among 
 
64 
 
 the ruins to large congregations. May the like 
 never happen again to our churchy is the heart- desir- 
 ing prayer of the compiler, whose ancestors have 
 worshipped within its walls for many generations. 
 
 In the choir of the old Abbey, was a very beautiful 
 painted glass window, which was removed at the 
 dissolution. The magistrates of Dort, in Holland, 
 intended this window for the chapel of King Henry 
 VII., then building in Westminster, and forwarded 
 it as a present to that monarch. He died before his 
 chapel was finished, and the window was placed in 
 Waltham Abbey instead of in Henry VlltVs chapel. 
 On the dissolution of this monastery, it was removed 
 to a chapel of King Henry VIII., at Newhall, in 
 Boreham in Essex, where it remained till this estate 
 came into the possession of John Olmius, Esq., who 
 sold the window to Edward Conyers, Esq., for fifty 
 pounds, for his chapel in Copped Hall. This house 
 being rebuilt by his son, John Conyers, Esq., the 
 parishioners of St. Margaret^s, Westminster, pur- 
 chased it from him for four hundred guineas, in 1758, 
 and set it up in their church, where it still remains, 
 to the envy of every Walthamite, who has the oppor- 
 tunity to dive into its beauties, the while they admire 
 the skill of its artists. 
 
 To this Abbey were brought the remains of King 
 
65 
 
 Edward wlio died at Burgliam-oii4lie-saiids^ on 
 his march to Scotland. He enjoined the Earl of 
 Pembroke^ and other of his nobles to inform his son 
 that it was his dying command that his heart should 
 be carried to the Holy Land^ attended by one 
 hundred and forty knights/^ and appointed to them 
 their wages for this service ; and that his corpse 
 should remain unburied^ and be carried in the van 
 till Scotland was reduced to obedience.^^ The 
 Council appear to have paid little regard to these 
 commands^ and to have ordered the Bishop of 
 Chester, his treasurer, assisted by the King^s house- 
 hold, to convey the royal corpse to Waltham Abbey, 
 where it arrived with great funeral pomp, attended 
 by many of the principal nobility, and Peter, Cardi- 
 nal of Spain, who went to meet it, and also numbers 
 of the clergy, who assisted the celebration of the 
 masses in the churches wherever it rested. The 
 body remained at Waltham Abbey fifteen weeks ; 
 during this time six religious men were chosen 
 weekly from the neighbouring monasteries to attend 
 it night and day ; and none were permitted to de- 
 part without especial license till the King^s remains 
 were removed to Westminster Abbey, where they 
 were interred on the 28th of October, in Edward the 
 
 F 
 
66 
 
 Confessor^s Chapel^ Anno 1307. See Walsingham^s 
 History of England. 
 
 On tlie higli road from London to Ware^ eleven 
 and a half miles from London^ and about one mile 
 from the abbey of Waltham^ stands the Cross^ 
 erected by this King^ in honour of his queen^ Eleanor. 
 When new^ it must have been a beautiful structure ; 
 round it were several statues of the queen,, together 
 with the arms of England^ Castile^ Leon^ Poitou, 
 &c. ; and when first erected, it occupied the centre 
 of a triangular green, formed by three roads. That 
 from London to Ware, passing by the west of it; 
 and that from Ware to Waltham Abbey went by 
 the north-east ; and that from Waltham to London 
 by the south-east. The green has been encroached 
 upon in such a manner as to deprive the public of 
 the south-east road entirely ; and on the north-east, 
 also in such a way as to force the road on to the 
 green, almost dangerously close to the Cross itself, 
 the while, on the south of it a house has been built 
 close to it, on a portion of the green between the 
 Cross and south-east road. Persons who have 
 known Waltham Cross for many years, can well 
 remember, when both the Falcon and the Four 
 Swans had each of them a roadway through their 
 yards into Waltham Lane. No doubt, at first, these 
 
67 
 
 ways were open to the public^ who being frequently 
 annoyed and hindered in their progress, by the 
 posting business carried on at these Inns, took to 
 the open green, and so formed that which is now 
 become the high road to Waltham Abbey. 
 
 Waltham Cross is in the parish of Cheshunt. 
 
 In 1795, preparations were made for removing 
 this Cross into the grounds of Sir William George 
 Prescott, of Theobles Park, the lord of the manor 
 of Cheshunt ; but after removing the upper tier of 
 stones, finding it too hazardous an undertaking, (it 
 was said) on account of the decayed state of the 
 ornamental parts ; they repaired, as well as they 
 could the damage they had done ; and removed the 
 scafiblding. 
 
 The writer has been informed, that the Government 
 prevented this intended removal ; which appears 
 very probable, as they repaired and restored it (as 
 much as possible under the attendant difficulties and 
 impediments) about thirty-six years ago. The 
 repeated mending of the road, has buried several of 
 the steps. And to have thoroughly restored it, 
 would have required the pulling down of the house, 
 built close to it ; and also the lowering of the road 
 very considerably. 
 
 One of the most important events that has hap- 
 
 F 2 
 
68 
 
 pened at Waltham Abbey, was that which led to 
 the Eeformation. 
 
 King Henry the Eighth happening to spend a 
 night or two at a small house which he had in the 
 Eome-land in 1529, his secretary. Dr. Stephens, 
 and his almoner. Dr. Fox, were lodged by the King^s 
 harbingers at the house of Mr. Cressey, of Waltham ; 
 at the same time Dr. Cranmer and the two sons of 
 Mr. Cressey, his pupils, were there, being obliged 
 to leave Cambridge on account of the plague. At 
 supper the conversation turning upon the King^s 
 divorce, and the courtiers knowing the sound judg- 
 ment of Dr. Cranmer, wished to have his opinion on 
 the subject ; he said, if the marriage is unlawful by 
 Divine precept or command, the dispensation of the 
 Pope cannot make it otherwise ; and that it appeared 
 to him an easier way to have the opinion of the 
 learned men of our own and foreign universities ; 
 for if they decided in favour of the King, the Pope 
 must soon come to a conclusion, which otherwise 
 would not be effected by long and fruitless negocia- 
 tions at the Court of Eome. 
 
 On their return to Greenwich, Dr. Fox acquainted 
 the King with the new suggestion j the King seemed 
 delighted with the idea, and in his blunt manner 
 declared, ^ that the man had got the right sow by 
 the ear.^ Cranmer was immediately sent for to 
 
69 
 
 Courts where he came very reluctantly^ and after 
 some conference^ the King ordered him to defend 
 his cause in writing, and committed him to the care 
 of the Earl of Wiltshire till it was completed. 
 
 The subject of this treatise was the unlawfulness 
 of the King^s marriage ; and in it was proved also, 
 that the Bishop of Borne had no authority to dis- 
 pense with the Word of God, nor the Scriptures. 
 
 On Cranmer^s presenting his book, the King 
 asked him, ^ whether he would abide by it before 
 the Pope V to which Cranmer replied, ^ That will 
 I do by God^s grace, if your Majesty send me 
 thither.'* He was shortly afterwards sent with the 
 Earl of Wiltshire, accompanied by several learned 
 men, on an embassy to the Pope. 
 
 The King, having conceived a great esteem for 
 Cranmer, (in the year 1632) made him contrary to 
 Cranmer^s own wish. Archbishop of Canterbury, and 
 continued his friendship to him during life ; and the 
 King in his will appointed him to be one of his 
 executors, and also of the Privy Council during the 
 minority of his son, Edward the Sixth. 
 
 On the decease of Edward, Cranmer was com- 
 mitted to the Tower, by Queen Mary, and in 1552, 
 suffered death at the stake for his adherence to the 
 doctrines of the Eeformation, of which he had been 
 one of the first promoters and greatest ornaments.*^ 
 
70 
 
 Thus it is obvious that Waltham Abbey was the 
 place where (under this apparently little incident) 
 the supremacy of the Pope met its first deadly 
 thrust ; the effects of which eventually delivered 
 both England and her kings from the galling domi- 
 nation of the See of Eome. 
 
 Dr. Puller writes^ — some years before the disso- 
 lution^ Eobert^ the last abbot of Waltham_, passed 
 over the fair seat of Copt-hall^ unto King Henry the 
 Eighth_, * * * in hope thereby to preserve the rest 
 of his revenues. However^ all would not do — so 
 impossible is it to save what is designed to ruin^ and 
 a few years after^ the abbey^ with the large lands 
 thereto belongings were seized on by the Kings and 
 for some months he alone stood possessed thereof.^^ 
 This erroneous informations led Farmer to make 
 the same mistake relative to the passing of this 
 fair estate whereas the matter will appear in 
 quite another light when the whole of the transac- 
 tions are brought before our view. 
 
 In the Treasury of the Exchequers is a list of the 
 various purchases made by ThomaSs Lord Cromwells 
 for the Kings Henry the Eighth ; amongst which 
 this (^^fair estatCs^^) of Copt-halls (rather Copped 
 Hall) is mentioneds together with Hampton Courts 
 St. James in the FieldSs Weston in HertfordshirCs 
 and lands of the Earl of Northumberland. 
 
71 
 
 Tlic above named Lord Thomas Cromwell^ was 
 chosen with Bishop Cranmer^ (after the decease of 
 Cardinal W olsey) by the King^ Henry the Eighth^ to 
 manage (with others^ and himself of course)^ his 
 general affairs in all things relative to religion and 
 state. Cromwell was not long in discovering his 
 favour towards the Eeformation ; and having been 
 instrumental in the demolition of some of the con- 
 vents^ the clergy dreaded his accession to power ; 
 he^ instead of attempting to sooth their ire_, injured 
 them still more,, by discovering an important secret 
 respecting their blind devotion to Eome. He had 
 discovered the while he was there^ that after the 
 English clergy had taken the oath of allegiance to 
 their sovereign^ the Pope dispensed with that part 
 of it which militated against his own usurped rights ; 
 so that the royal authority was abused^ and the 
 clergy were subject to an offence little short of 
 treason. The King listened to this with indignation 
 against the clergy. Cromwell,, knowing Henryks 
 passion for power and for money, pointed out the 
 means of effectually humbling the clergy, and of 
 confiscating their monastic property. In a trans- 
 port of joy he embraced Cromwell, and taking the 
 royal signet from his finger sent him to the Convo- 
 cation, then sitting, to declare the pains and penalties 
 which they had incurred. The bishops were at first 
 
72 
 
 astonislied at the accusation^ and attempted to deny 
 the fact; but Cromwell producing a copy of the 
 oath which they had taken to the Pope at their 
 consecration^ they were awed into silence ; and 
 offered eagerly to compound with his Majesty^ by a 
 free gift of one hundred and eighteen thousand 
 eight hundred and forty pounds. 
 
 The fortune of Cromwell was insured by this 
 exploit^ and he rapidly rose to the summit of power. 
 He was successively made a Privy Counsellor^ and 
 Master of the Jewel Office ; Clerk of the Hanaper, 
 and Chancellor of the Exchequer ; principal Secretary 
 of State, and Master of the Polls ; Keeper of the 
 Privy Seal, and Lord Cromwell ; and to crown all, 
 he was constituted Vicar- General, and Vicegerent 
 over all the spirituality under the King, who had at 
 this time assumed the title of supreme head of the 
 Church.^^ 
 
 So many honours accumulated by a person of 
 plebeian origin, (he being the son of a blacksmith, 
 at Putney, in Surrey), could not escape envy. The 
 total suppression of the monasteries was a bold and 
 novel step ; and as the rupture with the Court of 
 Pome was now complete, while the greater part of 
 the nation still professed Popery, the danger of the 
 man who had placed himself in the foremost ranks 
 of the Peformation, and been accessory to that 
 
73 
 
 impijrtant revolution^ is obvious ; and Cromwell felt 
 tlie necessity of caution in the exercise of his reli- 
 gious powers. Thus circumstanced^ he began by 
 publishing a few articles of faith essentially different 
 from the Romish ; but in such a manner as not to 
 shock the vulgar prejudices too strongly at once ; 
 some points he left doubtful^ and others he did not 
 touch. 
 
 His next point was to publish a translation of the 
 Scriptures^ and to get them into the hands of the 
 people j a copy of which was^ by royal sanction^ 
 placed in every church for the use of all ranks of 
 people. The Lord^s Prayer^ the Belief^ and the Ten 
 Commandments^ were likewise ordered to be taught 
 in the English tongue. 
 
 These judicious measures^ menaced the speedy 
 extirpation of the Romish religion^ and its blind 
 adherents were incensed to madness. Insurrections 
 broke out in different parts of the kingdom^ the 
 rebels boldly demanding that Cromwell should be 
 brought to punishment^ as a subverter of the laws 
 and religion of the land ; but the disturbances were 
 speedily quelled^ and the King only answered the 
 complaints of the insurgents by bestowing fresh 
 honours on Cromwell^ who was now created Earl of 
 Essex. 
 
74 
 
 Henry^ having lost his queen, Jane Seymour, 
 (mother of Edward the Sixth) turned his thoughts 
 towards a German alliance. Cromwell warmly 
 seconded his master^ s views, and brought about a 
 marriage between him and Anne of Cleves, who was 
 a Protestant ; in hopes thereby to strengthen his 
 interest against the popish faction, which continually 
 menaced him ; but this circumstance proved his 
 ruin. Anne was personally disagreeable to Henry, 
 who had a vitiated taste ; he ceased to live with her, 
 and fixed his roving affections on Catherine Howard, 
 niece to the Duke of Norfolk. The papists seeing 
 this, redoubled their clamours against the Earl of 
 Essex ; and some of the Bishops promised to procure 
 a divorce from the Princess of Cleves, on condition 
 of Cromwell being previously removed. Henry, 
 whom no tie of honour could bind when his passions 
 were concerned, gave up poor Cromwell, who was 
 arrested by the Duke of Norfolk at the council- 
 board, and immediately conveyed to the Tower. 
 Seven days after, he was accused in the House of 
 Lords of heresy and treason, and was condemned 
 unheard. His friends deserted him, and his enemies 
 triumphed over him with inhuman insolence. Cran- 
 mer, the Primate, alone maintained his cause, though 
 with ineffectual zeal ; and in the fidelity of Cranmer, 
 
75 
 
 he met with a recompense for his own attachment 
 to his friend and patron^ Cardinal Wolsey. 
 
 Cromwell^ Earl of Essex^ w^as brought to the 
 block on the 28th of July^ 1540^ in the forty-second 
 year of his age. He prayed fervently while on the 
 scaffold^ for the King^ and the welfare of his country^ 
 and then gave the signal to the executioner_, who 
 being either unskilful or nervously affected^ mangled 
 the unfortuate victim in a most shocking manner. 
 
 At the dissolution of Waltham Abbey^ Cromwell 
 was one of the commissioners sent here to receive 
 the surrender of the monastery from the abbot^ 
 Eobert Fuller^ and the monks. 
 
 This is not inserted for the mere purpose of 
 shewing this great proto-martyr of the Eeformation^ 
 but to enable my younger readers more readily to 
 perceive how the demolition of the monasteries and 
 nunneries of England was brought about ; and 
 likewise to be the better able to account for our 
 country being (as Dr. Fuller calls it) Eoman 
 Catholic again at the death of King Henry the 
 Eighth. 
 
 Another remarkable incident^ which must not be 
 omitted here^ is the fact that the martyrologist Fox^ 
 wrote his book of Martyrs in Waltham Abbey. 
 Tradition still points out a certain garret under the 
 
76 
 
 roof of the old buildings opposite the south wall of 
 the church-yard ; the end nearest to the market 
 place ; and which is probably the oldest building, 
 as relates to houses in the town. It has been altered 
 in various ways since the days of Fox ; when it, 
 most probably, formed one entire house, but now 
 converted into three. 
 
 That Fox had interest in Waltham Abbey will 
 appear very forcibly, when we reflect that his son, 
 Samuel, was located in this parish. In his Common- 
 Place Book, now preserved in the British Museum, 
 we And the following : 
 
 1600, the 8th daye of August, being Friday, 
 about midnight, was born, Sarah Fox, at Copt-hall ; 
 died 23 June, 1608 ; and lies buried at Waltham 
 Church, by my pue-dore.^^ 
 
 ^^Anno 1646, my brother. Captain Robert Fox, 
 died at my sister Wollston^s house, in Waltham 
 Abbey, about 12 at noon; and was buried in the 
 chancel, upon the 28rd of May, 1646.^^ 
 
 In this book of Samuel Fox, we also And the 
 record of the birth of his son Thomas, who became 
 a member of the College of Physicians ; and was 
 born in the palace of Havering. 
 
 It may not be out of place here, to observe that 
 Queen Elizabeth gave the Manor of Epping, together 
 
77 
 
 with Copped Hall and its demesne lands^ into the 
 hands of Sir Thomas Heneage; Samuel Fox was 
 steward ; and the while he was living with him at 
 Copped Hall^ Queen Elizabeth made Sir Thomas 
 Heneage keeper of the (then dilapidated) palace at 
 Havering. Sir Thomas made Samuel Fox the under 
 keeper ; and the while he resided in this palace his 
 son (Dr. Thomas Fox) was born. 
 
 Near the chancel of our church we find the vault 
 of the Wollaston family; and again their name 
 appears amongst the benefactors to the poor of this 
 parish in 1616. 
 
 From the above remarkable coincidences relative 
 to the Fox^s family^ we are led to the conclusion, 
 that the tradition, relative to the Book of Martyrs 
 having been written in Waltham Abbey, becomes 
 confirmed. 
 
 Mr. John Fox, the Martyrologist, died on. the 
 18th of April, 1587, and was buried at St. Giles 
 without Cripplegate, in the 70th year of his age, 
 where his son, Mr. Samuel Fox, erected a marble 
 monument, with a Latin inscription thereon, record- 
 ing his merits ; and as having been the means of 
 reviving the martyrs, as so many phoenixes from 
 oblivion. And we see that two of his sons and one 
 of his daughters, perhaps his only daughter, the 
 
78 
 
 above named Mrs. Wollaston,, resided in Waltham 
 Abbey after his decease. 
 
 The last abbot,, Eobert Fuller^ deserves notice 
 amongst the eminent men connected with Waltham. 
 He wrote a sort of leger-book^ of the possessions^ 
 revenues^ &c. of his abbey ; a large and beautifully 
 written volume^ containing four hundred and fifty- 
 six pages^ now preserved among the Harleian MSS. 
 in the British Museum. 
 
 We shall now leave the afiairs of the dissolution 
 of abbeys, and likewise of the Eeformation ; and 
 proceed to notice the charitable benefactions belong- 
 ing to our parish. 
 
 In 1579, Mrs. Margaret Gedney gave to the poor 
 of this parish, per annum, twenty shillings ; and 
 also twenty shillings per annum, for repairing of 
 the highways in the hamlet of Sewardstone. 
 
 Mr. Eobert Eamston, of Chingford, in 1585, gave 
 to the poor of this parish forty shillings per annum. 
 His tablet, (in old letter) was on one of the pillars 
 of the church, but now removed to the south wall. 
 
 In 1587, Mr. Eobert Brown of this parish, (servant 
 to Queen Elizabeth), gave to the poor of this parish, 
 a rent charge out of the Cock Inn, near the Mill, 
 thirty shillings per annum. 
 
 Mr. Eobert Catrow, of this parish, by will dated 
 
79 
 
 the 23rd of April_, 1597^ gave to the poor of this 
 parish twenty shillings per annnm^ to be given away 
 in bread ; a dozen on the first Sunday in November^ 
 and the same number on each following Sunday^ 
 until the money be expended. 
 
 Mr. Robert Dean gave a rent-charge of ten shil- 
 lings per annnm^ to the poor of this parish^ to be 
 given away in bread. 
 
 Mr. Henry Wollaston^ in 1616^ gave to the poor 
 of this parish^ out of lands in Holy Field, fifty shil- 
 lings per annum, to be spent in bread. 
 
 In 1691, Mr. George Woylet, jun. bequeathed to 
 the poor of this parish, out of lands and tenements 
 at Yardly, in Hertfordshire, forty shillings per 
 annum. 
 
 Mr. Robert Grub gave to the poor of this parish, 
 anno 1708, forty shillings per annum, to be dis- 
 tributed in bread. 
 
 Mr. John Edmondson left, by will, a house and 
 piece of ground opposite the Cock Inn, which fifty 
 years ago realised to the parish six pounds per 
 annum. 
 
 Mr. Green, purveyor to King James, built the 
 Alms Houses in 1626, for the abodes of four poor 
 widows of this parish ; he also gave an orchard and 
 barn contiguous, which then let for four pounds per 
 
80 
 
 annum. This was afterwards let to Government for 
 twenty-five pounds per annum. This rent is equally 
 divided amongst the widows who reside in these 
 alms houses. 
 
 Mr. Eobert Mason^ in 1807^ bequeathed, after 
 the decease of his nephew, Mr. Stockold, eight 
 hundred pounds, navy annuities, to rebuild the alms 
 houses ; and if any surplus remained, the money to 
 be given in weekly instalments to the four poor 
 widows. In 1818 these houses were rebuilt, and 
 made to accommodate eight instead of four. 
 
 A stone tablet bearing the following inscription^ 
 was placed in the front wall of the former alms 
 houses ; it has been studiously preserved, and now 
 occupies a place in the front wall of the newly 
 erected houses. 
 
 Birth is a pain ; life, labour, care, toil, thrall ; 
 
 In old age strength fails, lastly death ends all. 
 
 Whilst strong life lasts, let virtuous deeds be shown ; 
 
 Fruit of. such trees are hardly thereby seen or 
 known. 
 
 To have reward with lasting joys for ay. 
 
 When vicious actions fall to ends decay. 
 
 Of wealth overplus, lands, money, stock, or store. 
 
 In life that will relieve aged, needy poor, 
 
81 
 
 Good deeds defer not till the funeral right be past ; 
 
 In life-time what^s done is made more firm, sure 
 and fast ; 
 
 So ever after it shall be known and seen 
 
 That leaf and fruit shall ever spring fresh and 
 green. 1626. 
 
 In 1814, Mr. John Halfhide of this parish gave 
 two hundred pounds, navy stock, one moiety to the 
 minister and churchwardens of Waltham Holy Cross, 
 for ever in trust, the interest to be divided equally 
 among the poor widows pensioners from the said 
 parish, on the 19th of January yearly; the interest 
 of the other moiety to the treasurer of the Sunday 
 School, for the benefit of the institution. 
 
 An estate was left by William Lake and Thomas 
 Stock, in trust to Thomas Fox, Esq. and others, in 
 1637, for repairs of the church. 
 
 Another deed in trust from Edward Goulding, 
 Nicholas Hedge and Henry Williams, to Edward 
 Clayton and others, bearing date, the 26th of Sep- 
 tember, 1681; and a counterpart of Mr. Acourt^s 
 lease, dated December 20, 1683. 
 
 These deeds were in 1706, delivered into the 
 custody of Mr. Pigbone, the churchwarden. 
 
 The rents of the church estates at this time 
 
 G 
 
82 
 
 appear to have been thirty-three pounds per annum^ 
 as follows : 
 
 A messuage or tenement divided into two parts^ 
 let for ten pounds per annum. 
 
 Seven acres of land let for nine pounds. 
 
 Three acres of land^ called Pater-noster Hills^ and 
 two acres of land in one croft_, called Hostlage^ near 
 Wolmerford Bridge; and other lands called Church 
 Fields ; also one acre of meadow^ lying at Wolmer- 
 ford j these lands were let for fourteen pounds per 
 annum. 
 
 The trustees number twelve ; and who are to be 
 renewed perpetually^ as their number^ by deaths 
 or otherwise^ becomes reduced. 
 
 In 1736, the list of the trustees was^ 1st. Sir 
 Thomas Webster, Bart, of Copped Hall, (the former 
 house stood just within the bounds of this parish ; 
 but the present house is built just within the parish 
 of Epping, so close to Waltham, that it was only 
 determined by a law suit as to which parish it was 
 built in) ; 2nd. Ady Collard, Esq. ; 3rd. Thomas 
 Burg, Gent, (dead) ; 4th. Nathaniel Sawyer, Gent, 
 (dead) ; 5th. Edward Langton, Tanner ; 6th. 
 William Stock, Inn Keeper; 7th. William Pigbone, 
 Yeoman ; 8th. Charles Wake Jones, Esq. ; 9th. 
 Thomas Winspear, Gent.; 10th. John Eaton^ 
 
83 
 
 Yeoman; ' nth. Henry Thomson^ Gent.; 12tli. 
 Henry Pigbone, Yeoman, 
 
 In 1736, these rents amounted to only thirty- 
 three pounds; but in 1830 they realised ninety-one 
 pounds fourteen shillings ; now considerably more. 
 Chuechwaedens^ Account, 1830. 
 
 a. r. p. £. s. d. 
 
 Mr. Joseph Harding for 3 closes 
 of meadow land, situated at 
 Copt Hall Green, containing 11 011 33 2 0 
 
 — Thomas Ricketts for a close 
 of meadow land, situated at 
 
 Paternoster Hills, containing 6 2 24 25 0 0 
 
 — Joseph Luck for a close of 
 
 meadow land, adjoining to 
 Brickhill Common Field, con- 
 taining 2 320 1010 0 
 
 — John Martin for a piece of 
 
 arable land in Brickhill Com- 
 mon Field, containing 2 2 32 5 5 0 
 
 — Daniel Paul for a dwelling 
 house situated in Sewardstone 
 
 Street, in this town 9 9 0 
 
 — John Watts for a dwelling 
 house situated in Sewardstone 
 
 Street 880 
 
 23 1 7 91 14 0 
 
84 
 
 This parish consists of four divisions. The town^ 
 the hamlet of Sewardstone, Holy-field^ and Upshire, 
 each governed by separate officers ; but the paro- 
 chial rates are all carried to one general fund for the 
 benefit of the whole parish. 
 
 Waltham Abbey did not adopt the plan of 
 housing their poor^ till 1734; when they took a 
 lease of a large house in the Green Yard^ to establish 
 a workhouse for their indigent poor. 
 
 The parishioners have the right of keeping any 
 number of horses and other cattle on the forest, 
 only taking them off during fence month; which 
 according to forest laws, were fifteen days before 
 and fifteen days after old Midsummer day. Since the 
 clandestinely smuggling away of the Forest C^Durt, 
 this fence month is not regarded ; and therefore the 
 cattle remain on the forest all the year round. 
 
 The parish claims the marshes as their own pro- 
 perty ; and every person renting to the amount of 
 forty shillings in this parish, has an unlimited right 
 of common on the marsh, and in the Lammas lands, 
 i.e. Town-mead, the common fields in Broomstick 
 Hall, and Honey-lane. These two last are shut 
 every third year, and are opened on the crops being 
 cleared off for the reception of cattle. 
 
 The poor of Waltham Abbey, (together with the 
 
85 
 
 poor of Loughton, They don Bois^ and Epping), 
 formerly had the right of wood-cutting on the 
 forest^ each within their respective parishes, granted 
 to them by Queen Elizabeth, upon the tenour of 
 observing the rule which she gave them, and which 
 they were to retain as their charter ; which was, to 
 strike the axe into the boughs of the trees, at the 
 midnight of the 11th of November in each year, so 
 as to begin to cut the wood, as nearly as possible, 
 between the 11th and 12th of that month only; 
 after which they were to cut and bring it home at 
 their pleasure, throughout the season. 
 
 This right, in course of time, aroused the envy of 
 some persons who were a step higher than the poor ; 
 and Waltham Abbey first discovered those, who by 
 cunning and artifice, succeeded in depriving the 
 poor of this boon, by inducing them to partake of a 
 general drunk and supper on the 11th of November, 
 1641. 
 
 This supper, which was a snare, had the effect of 
 causing the unsuspecting poor of Waltham Abbey, 
 to forget their charter and their forest wood-cutting 
 rights. They were soon made sensible of their 
 error ; and were prevented from gathering up pieces 
 of fire-wood from off* the forest, by these very per- 
 sons, who kindly gave them so sumptuous a supper ; 
 
86 
 
 given as they were led to believe^ in admiration of 
 their good conduct^ as they were flattered^ and told 
 that no other parish could boast of such praiseworthy 
 and deserving poor^ as the parish of Waltham Ab- 
 bey. Butj alas ! they found out the snare too late, 
 and lost their charter through not attending to the 
 rule prescribed; so that Waltham Abbey held this 
 right only through the remaining portion of the 
 reign of Elizabeth, through the whole reign of King 
 James, and to the sixteenth of King Charles the 
 First. At this time, all parties well knew upon 
 what tenure the poor held this chartered privilege. 
 The same trick was tried at Loughton, but it did 
 not succeed, for although the poor accepted the 
 supper given to them on the 11th of November, 
 they kept a strict watch for the time for them to 
 use the axe, and duly secured their rights,, the which 
 they maintained to the present time. 
 
 In Waltham parish, the forest wood was allotted 
 into portions of different sizes, and appointed a part 
 to each farm or house having land belonging to it. 
 The larger the landholder, the greater his share of 
 the brush-wood on the forest. Thus they became 
 possessors of the wood, the right of the poor, with- 
 out either charter or prescription. 
 
 This information the writer derived from an old 
 
87 
 
 manuscript book of the Pigbones^ (an ancient family 
 of Waltham Abbey) ; the writer^s grandmother^ 
 being of that family^ had it in her possession^ and 
 from it he copied the dates and the facts many years 
 ago. 
 
 This parish also possessed Bdmondsea marsh ; 
 but they have now sold it to Government^ who 
 formerly paid ten pounds per annum to the parish 
 for lands cut through to form a navigable stream, 
 running by the Fining-house, (the bridge over 
 which Government keeps in repair) ; they also had 
 the accommodation of a foot-path and a road-way, 
 which was included in ten pounds rent. 
 
 The gunpowder mills here, were originally private 
 property ; and one hundred and thirty years ago, 
 were in the possession of Mr. John Wolton, who 
 used to supply the Government with great quan- 
 tities ; it then being the largest gunpowder factory 
 in England. 
 
 Government purchased it, and have continued to 
 add to it ever since. 
 
 In 1813, no fewer than thirty thousand barrels of 
 gunpowder were manufactured here ; and there is 
 very little doubt that three times that quantity 
 could now be made here in a year, if it were re- 
 quired, as the various buildings extend far on each 
 side of the town, especially on the north. 
 
88 
 
 A person coming from Waltham Cross has a fine 
 view of them, together with the church and town 
 directly before him. 
 
 The first bridge he arrives at (after the Kailway 
 Bridge), is called the Small- Lea Bridge, which takes 
 its name from the stream which flows under it. 
 
 The fine spacious and level marshes on either side 
 of him, are sure to attract his notice. These meadows 
 were formerly inundated by the tides from the 
 river Thames, which used to flow along this level as 
 far as to Hertford. 
 
 The Danes availed themselves of this water, to 
 annoy King Alfred and his army, in various parts of 
 Essex and Hertfordshire, which caused him to use 
 means necessary to secure to himself the streams he 
 needed, and at the same time to stop the flowing of 
 the tide, the which he effected by building Black- 
 wall, and by reserving water for his own accommo- 
 dation in diverted streams. By these means he 
 drained the water from off these meadows, leaving 
 the Danish mariners on the mud, to enjoy their 
 anxious waiting for the tide, which never (from that 
 day to this) has returned. 
 
 King Alfred appears to have accomplished this in 
 the year 876 ; and as Canute was not established in 
 the kingdom till the year 1017, it is evident that 
 this bed of mud had at least one hundred and forty 
 
89 
 
 years to dry in^ before Tovey founded liis little 
 neiglibourhood of Waltham, 
 
 The second bridge, is called the Barge-river 
 Bridge ; it is kept in repair by the trustees of the 
 river, who pay to the marsh- wardens, six pounds 
 per annum for the rent of the land, cut through 
 these marshes in the formation of this part of the 
 river, not much more than a century since. 
 
 Directly after passing over this bridge, we come 
 to another, contiguous to the King^s Arms, which 
 was rebuilt by Government between forty and fifty 
 years ago. At which time (the country being in the 
 height of war) they carried on their work, the same 
 on Sundays as on the other days of the week. 
 Horses were used in many of the mills at this time, 
 and as they used to pass round, they struck against 
 a spring which caused the ringing of a small bell, 
 to let the overseers of the works know if they were 
 duly at their work, and also at what speed their 
 work was progressing. These work -bells were to 
 be heard jingling from mill to mill, all the way along 
 the east side of our marsh, at the same time as our 
 parish bells were chiming for church. 
 
 The next we arrive at, is called the Fining-house 
 Bridge ; it belongs to Government, and is kept in 
 repair by their officers. 
 
90 
 
 Soon after passing over this bridge^ we arrive at 
 tlie County Court-house on our left hand. This 
 building was erected in 1849; and nearly opposite 
 are to be seen the Alms Houses^ before mentioned. 
 
 Proceeding along the street^ we come to the old 
 Barge-river Bridge ; this is the -grand stream of 
 King Alfred the Great, and which was made navi- 
 gable in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and was 
 forsaken, when the new cut (or branch of the Barge 
 Eiver) was opened through the marshes. The 
 stream which flows under this bridge, the lord of 
 the manor of Cheshunt contended for (with the 
 abbot) as being the boundary between the parishes of 
 Cheshunt and Waltham Abbey ; and also that which 
 divided the counties of Hertfordshire and Essex, 
 the while the abbot of Waltham protested that the 
 Small Lea stream was the one which divided these 
 counties, as before noticed. 
 
 Proceeding onward, we arrive at an opening, on 
 our left hand, which is called the Pome-land, where 
 the cattle market is now kept ; the rents whereof 
 at one time went to the Pope of Pome. It was 
 here that King Henry the Eighth had a private 
 house where he frequently resorted. Through this 
 triangle lies the way to the abbey gate^ which 
 might form an interesting object to the visitor. 
 
91 
 
 This was the original entrance into the hospitable 
 monastery; and was afterwards the way retained 
 for the fine mansion^ which was erected on its site. 
 
 We next arrive at the Cock Inn ; opposite which 
 stands the Liverton School-house^ endowed for boys 
 and girls^ who are both clothed and educated. Con- 
 tiguous to this house, the Police Station and Na- 
 tional School is erected. 
 
 By the side of the Cock Inn, stands the Mill, 
 which was given by Queen Maud to the Monastery 
 of Waltham. It now belongs to Government, who 
 let it. The present tenant is Mr. James Carr. 
 
 We are now in full view of the west end of our 
 venerable church, and church-yard. Pifty years 
 ago a whole row of houses extended all the way 
 along the west side (where the present wall stands), 
 and which entirely shut out the view of the church- 
 yard. The front of these houses faced the church- 
 yard, having a pathway in front, and a row of trees 
 before them ; the road, or street, at the back of 
 them was very narrow, too narrow indeed to admit 
 of any yard, or path, at their backs. There used to 
 be a small gate-way at the south-west corner of the 
 church-yard which led to the church, and was used 
 for the accommodation of these houses. These, 
 together with their thoroughfare, occupied some 
 
92 
 
 considerable portion of the ground now within the 
 walb besides much of that without, which is now 
 occupied for the widening of the road. These 
 places stood almost dreadfully in the way of the 
 traffic ; the last house formed a sharp corner in the 
 road, where the wall is now rounded off. This row 
 of houses was removed, by consent of the lord of 
 the manor, (they being copyhold, if not his own 
 property), and now after so long a time has elapsed, 
 a demand made upon the ground appears to be 
 likely to cause the parish to purchase this, which a 
 former lord of the manor so freely gave up for the 
 public good. 
 
 At one time, part of the flour-mill was used as a 
 pin factory. The late highly respected Mr. Francis 
 of Gracechurch Street and Waltham Abbey, (the 
 father of the present highly esteemed Incumbent), 
 some years ago, held not only part of this mill, but 
 also large factories, both in the Eome-land, and in 
 the way leading towards the Abbey-gates ; thus 
 employing a great number of men, women, boys, 
 and girls, in the manufacture of pins. 
 
 Mr. Littler at this time, carried on a large busi- 
 ness in calico printing, and employed a great many 
 men and boys. The printing ground was opposite 
 the Alms-houses. In Sewardstone Street, (at the 
 
93 
 
 corner of Quakers Lane^ opposite the Wesleyan 
 Chapel), there was a silk-mill, (now converted into 
 the Boys^ National School), which employed more 
 than fifty hands* These, together with the hundreds 
 employed in the Government works, in various 
 ways, besides the manufacture of gunpowder, ren- 
 dered Waltham Abbey a busy and populous town. 
 The population of the whole parish now is 5044, 
 the hamlets number nearly 3000 out of the 5044. 
 
 Turning our backs towards the mill, and looking 
 down the road, we see before us a small chapel, 
 (belonging to the high Calvinistic Baptists), and by 
 the side of it a baker^s shop ; contiguous to which 
 is a row of newly erected houses, facing the river, 
 which were built upon the site of an old building, 
 called the Baker^s Entry ; and which bore every 
 mark of having been built in the eleventh century ; 
 and on account of its great antiquity deserves a 
 passing notice here. 
 
 The river used to flow up to the w^all of this old 
 building, so that horses with their loads had to 
 wade through the water to get to the Green Yard. 
 This wall was about six feet high in the deepest 
 part, each end being about three feet above the 
 level of the ground at the beginning of the ford. 
 This wall had upon it wooden arches, which formed 
 
94 
 
 the outer supporters of rooms built over the foot- 
 way, each entrance to which had an arch, corres- 
 ponding with those on the side next the river. The 
 inner side, opposite the arches, was a plain wall of 
 wood and plaster work, the large old beams and 
 rafters shewing themselves most conspicuously. 
 The appearance of this place more corresponded 
 with the old Tithe-barns, (still to be met with in 
 several parts of Lincolnshire), than a large house; 
 and the writer feels no doubt, in asserting that this 
 place was originally the Tithe-barn belonging to the 
 monastery of Waltham Holy Cross. The covered 
 pathway under the rooms was about six feet wide, 
 and had posts at each entrance to prevent cattle 
 passing through. How long this place had been 
 occupied by persons in the Baking business, cannot 
 be easily ascertained ; but evidently long enough 
 for it to have derived the name of the Baker^s 
 Entry in the time of Cardinal Wolsey, and King 
 Henry the Eighth. If this old building was the 
 receiving house for the tithes, (of which there can 
 be scarcely be a doubt), can it be unreasonable to 
 presume that this place was also the bakehouse 
 belonging to the monastery, and where their bread 
 was made ? and if so its name was coeval with itself. 
 Let those persons who can yet well remember the 
 

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 ; f </ • ' - 
 
 .•v ' ' ■ ■ ' f' '^''; •' ■ ' ' ■', ' ■ ' ' 
 
 /jr •' •. > ' . - : / , ;■ • ^ 
 
 \ 
 
 
 4 
 
 k ■ 
 
 
 • ' . . ■», 
 
 
 # 
 
 
 4 
 
Baker’s Entry, 
 
 as it appeared after the road, by the side of it, was made. 
 
95 
 
 Baker’s Entry, call to mind the fact that under 
 this covered footpath there was but one doorway, 
 having a small window by its side in the corner, 
 and that very dark from the effect of the rooms 
 covering the way, which was very roughly paved 
 with large pieces of stone, and where no other door- 
 way appeared ever to have been made, than the one 
 for the accommodation of the baking business, and 
 which was sufficiently large enough to have received 
 the sacks containing the tithes into this building, 
 and they will readily fall in with the persuasion, 
 that this place was the Tithe-barn and Baking- 
 house for the use of the monastery. The road by 
 the side of this place was made by filling up this 
 part of the river nearest to the old wall, some few 
 years before it was pulled down, as represented in 
 the opposite engraving. This place may be said, 
 (without fear of contradiction) to have been the 
 oldest building in Waltham Abbey, save the church, 
 and more ancient than the old market-house, which 
 was erected by the abbot and monks in the begin- 
 ning of the thirteenth century, soon after the charter 
 for the fair and markets were granted by King 
 Henry the Third, in order to increase their emolu- 
 ments, by the tolls of this fair and market. The 
 market still is kept, although the market-house has 
 
96 
 
 been taken away from the market place^ on account 
 of its having become an eyesore in the way of those 
 houses it had been the means of building around it. 
 When first built^ the aim was shelter for market 
 people^ when there were but few, if any houses near 
 it ; but as the abbot had obtained leave to enclose 
 lands in Waltham, small houses arose by his per- 
 mission on easy terms to all who could obtain his 
 favour ; and this will account for houses being built 
 in such inconvenient situations, as these were which 
 stood on the north side of the old market place, where 
 the erection of them, not only caused the road at the 
 back to be turned out of a straight course, but 
 rendered it so narrow, that danger attended the 
 endeavour for two vehicles to pass each other in this 
 narrow roadway. But, at last the spirit of improve- 
 ment is awakened in Waltham Abbey, and the 
 parish purchased this row of five houses, which is to 
 be paid for by the interest of the money which they 
 received from Government for Edmondsea marsh ; 
 and this year, 1865, will long be revered as the 
 friendly period when this great inconvenience was 
 removed from our town, and the market place laid 
 open. 
 
 The road now occupies the ground whereon these 
 houses stood. 
 
97 
 
 Tlie old markefc-house^ pulled down 16th Dec, 
 1852^ was a square building of wood^ having a large 
 room at the top^ supported upon strong pillars of 
 oak, and which appears to have been used in olden 
 times as a corn mart ; and was entered by trap 
 doors from the under part which was furnished with 
 scales, weights, and measures for the market use. 
 Beyond the pillars which supported this room, 
 smaller pillars were erected to bear up the semi, or 
 half roof, under the inner part of the market-house, 
 for the accommodation of those persons who took a 
 stall at this market. This unsightly building was 
 pulled down at the request of the inhabitants, as it 
 had become a nuisance, on account of its affording 
 shelter for idle boys, and worse characters, both by 
 night and by day. The houses round this market- 
 house formed a perfect square, when the houses on 
 the north side were standing | their situation can 
 easily be found, as they stood nearly in a direct 
 line with the houses on the north side of Sun 
 Street. * 
 
 On the north, just under the shelter of the old 
 market-house (which had a road, or a cart way all 
 round it), stood the stocks, which were ornamented 
 with carved work, and having the date 1598 carved 
 in raised figures upon the front. 
 
 H ^ 
 
98 
 
 The cattle market of this town^ forty years ago, 
 was scattered chiefly among the public-houses in 
 Sun Street whose yards were thrown open to receive 
 pigs, sheep, calves, and cattle of every description. 
 The higglers had their respective houses and places 
 where they waited to receive eggs, fowls, butter, 
 &c., brought to the market for sale. 
 
 Some few years since, the Romeland was con- 
 verted into a cattle market, furnished with pens 
 for pigs, calves, and sheep ; and strongly railed 
 round for the purpose of having where to fasten 
 horses, &c. ; by which arrangement the focus of the 
 cattle market was brought into a more immediate 
 view, and the town much relieved from the bustle 
 and confusion caused by the driving of all sorts of 
 cattle in and out of the yards and gateways of the 
 various inns. 
 
 The town is composed of the following streets, 
 &c. High Bridge Street, out of which run others, 
 such as Powder-mill Street, the old Barge Yard, 
 the Romeland and Camps Alley. Leaving High 
 Bridge Street, we find on our left hand as we pro- 
 ceed towards the little Baptist chapel. Church 
 Street; the Bakers Entry lies before us; passing by 
 this we find the Green Yard one way, and Paradise 
 Row, where there is a Baptist chapel, rebuilt some 
 
99 
 
 thirty years since upon the site of one erected in 
 1729 ; passingthis building we arrive at Silver Street^ 
 on our left hand^ and Fountain Square^ together 
 with Black-boy Alley^ on our right. Proceeding 
 through the Square we enter Sewardstone Street, 
 which leads across the fields, to Sewardstone. 
 
 Quakers Lane leading out of Sewardstone Street, 
 appears to have received its name from the Quakers 
 chapel, erected in or about the year 1656. In the 
 Journal of George Fox, the founder of the sect, he 
 says, in the year 1654, w^nt to Waltham Abbey, 
 and had a meeting there ; the people were very rude, 
 gathered about the house, and broke the windows.^^ 
 It has been related for a fact that he (George Fox), 
 went out VN^ith his Bible in his hand, and reasoned so 
 forcibly with these disturbers that he won their re- 
 spect, and so efiectually appeased their wrath that his 
 followers increased here, till at last a meeting house, 
 or small chapel was built here, for their accommoda- 
 tion, in which George Fox often conducted the ser- 
 vice, and lectured to the people. The British School 
 now occupies the site of the Quakers chapel together 
 with its burying ground. Thereis also, situated nearly 
 at the end of this Lane, or Street, a chapel belong- 
 ing to the Wesleyan Methodists. We mext arrive at 
 the Market Place, and thence into Sun Street, at tlie 
 
 II 2 
 
100 
 
 bottom of wliich we find the Sewardstone Eoad^ the 
 direct way^ both to Sewardstone and also to the 
 Cemetery, opened in 1857. The first person buried 
 therein was Mr. Carter, at one time the proprietor 
 of the Waltham Abbey stage coach. The last per- 
 son interredin Walfcham Abbey Church-yard, was Mr. 
 John Chamness the brother-in-law of the writer. 
 Lastly we notice Farm Hill, where we find the gun 
 cap factory of Mr. Joyce, &c. 
 
 As to the town itself, it is like most other closely 
 built places, not very pleasant as regards its views ; 
 nevertheless, the inhabitants are not deprived, as 
 some are of rural scenery, as a great variety of views, 
 and pleasant walks both in the marshes and in the 
 fields are within an easy distance all round the town ; 
 and in the forest, which is available to all who love to 
 ramble in those uncultivated woods, where nature 
 undisturbed is seen in all its beauties ; while here 
 and there, distant and enchanting views, peep in 
 upon the rambleFs vision unexpectedly. 
 
 In the Abbey-fields we find 
 
 Harolds Bridge. 
 
 Various conjectures have arisen as to the original 
 use of the bridge; but it has been the general 
 opinion that it formed the entrance into the more 
 
Harold’s Bridge. 
 
101 
 
 sacred and secluded portion of the Monastery ; away 
 from the business offices and dormitories used by 
 the pilgrims^ and others who visited the monastery as 
 an hospital, &c., but as to its original use, we 
 leave; merely observing, that it has been generally 
 admitted to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest 
 elliptical arch in England. 
 
 Three of the strong supporting ribs of this 
 stone structure are still visible under the top cover- 
 ing. No doubt, when this bridge was first erected, 
 it was composed of five such ribs, together with or- 
 namental side walls ; but time has had the influence of 
 wasting, by degrees, not only these stone walls, but 
 also the two outer ribs which have decayed and 
 fallen by little and little into the stream beneath, till 
 it is but little more than the skeleton of the once 
 beautiful structure. 
 
 This bridge, or rather the remains of it, is 
 situate about two hundred yards from the one called 
 the Abbey-bridge, which was the general business 
 entrance into the monastery. 
 
 It has been asserted that this way had originally 
 a drawbridge. This appears very probable, as on 
 the south side of the still remaining gateway stands 
 the old watch tower, which shows itself to have been 
 
102 
 
 part and parcel of the Abbey when it was first 
 erected. 
 
 The present Abbey-bridge is composed of three 
 arches of brick, and appears to have been built for 
 the accommodation of the Abbey House which was 
 erected on the site of the Abbey, and did not re- 
 quire a drawbridge as the monastery is likely to have 
 done. 
 
 The air of Waltham Abbey, (especially of the 
 town, where there are so many streams running 
 through it) is by some persons considered too damp 
 and humid for general healthfulness ; but if we look 
 to the longevity of a great portion of the inhabitants, 
 we shall find that it is quite as healthy as any other 
 town in England. 
 
 We shall now proceed to view the interior of the 
 church, which possesses the remarkable property 
 of untiringness to the eye of the beholder. When a 
 person first enters this noble building, he very soon 
 becomes inspired as it were with a fervent admira- 
 tion, urging him to reverential devotion, which always 
 remains fresh, as it were, on every renewed visit 
 within these sacred walls. The bold cylindrical 
 pillars supporting three tiers of semicircular arches 
 built over each other on either side, all of which are 
 
103 
 
 ornamented with zig-zag mouldings^ have both a 
 pleasing and imposing effect. The two pillars at the 
 east (one on each side)^ have a well proportioned 
 spiral groove running round them from the base^ up 
 to where the arch begins ; the next two pillars are 
 plain; the next have zig-zag mouldings running 
 across each of them, so as to cause both sides of the 
 building to correspond ; the four next (two on each 
 side) are plain, and the arches supported by them 
 have pointed arches; — it is probable (as all the 
 other arches are of the Saxon order), that these were 
 broken during the building of the present steeple, 
 and were afterwards repaired in this shape. 
 
 The large Saxon arch, before mentioned, is also 
 decorated with the same indentings as the other 
 arches, and is now filled up with a new painted glass 
 window of exquisite and suitable design ; so much 
 pains has been taken, that the eye (even of the fre- 
 quent beholder) never wearies with the appearance 
 of the place itself, which ever and anon seems to 
 point to living eternity, the while it here and there 
 presents mortality by the tombs, of the long since 
 dead. 
 
 On the south side of the chancel is the tomb of 
 Sir Edward. Denny (the son of the before men- 
 tioned Sir Anthony Denny), whose effigy, life-size in 
 
104 
 
 armour^ lies under an arch of veined marble^ reclin- 
 ing on his left arni ; his lady in a black dress^ ruff 
 and veil^ at his side. On the front of the tomb, their 
 six sons and four daughters are represented as in 
 the act of prayer. The epitaph on this tomb 
 deserves a passing notice, as it discovers the con- 
 nection between Sir Anthony Denny, the first 
 possessor of the site of the abbey, and King Henry 
 the Eighth. 
 
 From the epitaph on this tomb of his son. Sir 
 Edward, we learn that he was counsellor of estate, 
 and executor to King Henry the Eighth : here then 
 we see Sir Anthony Denny as a royal favourite, to 
 whom the King granted the site of the monastery 
 and abbey of Waltham; his son. Sir Edward, suc- 
 ceeded him in this estate, and lies buried here with 
 Joan Champernon, his wife, who, beinge of Queen 
 Elizabeths Prive chamber, and of the Council 
 of Munster in Ireland, was governer of Kerry and 
 Desmonde, and Collonell of certain Iriche (Irish) 
 forces there ; departed this life about the 52nd year 
 of his age, the 12th Feb. 1599.^^ His lady was the 
 daughter of Peirce Edgecombe, of Mount Edge- 
 combe, Esq. ; she caused this monument to be erected, 
 and on the tablet has caused a long list of his virtues 
 and talents to be recorded, the which we omit here 
 
105 
 
 for brevity sake. Under one of the pillars of this 
 monument^ on a black marble pedestal is the follow- 
 ing : 
 
 Learn curious reader^ how you pass 
 Your once Sir Edward Denny, was 
 
 A Courtier of the Chamber, 
 
 A Soldier of the field ; 
 
 Whose Tongue could never flatter. 
 
 Whose Heart could never yield/^ 
 
 It was the son of this Sir Edward Denny, and 
 grandson of Sir Anthony, who settled upon the 
 Incumbent of Waltham Abbey, a hundred pounds 
 per annum, a house to live in, &c. 
 
 A little to the right of this tomb is a white 
 marble pillar, having an urn on the top of it, on 
 which is written in gold letters, Caroline.^^ Round 
 the base of the pillar is the following; ^^To the 
 memory of Caroline Chinnery, who died in the 21st 
 year of her age, on the 3rd of April, 1812, regretted 
 in the world for her accomplishments, but more 
 deeply lamented by her family for her virtues.^^ 
 And at the bottom is added, Walter Greenfell 
 Chinnery lies interred here in the same tomb ; he 
 died Nov. 19, 1802, in the 10th year of his age.^^ 
 
 On the floor of the chancel is a brass plate, to the 
 
106 
 
 memory of Henry Austin^ servant to the Eight Hon. 
 James^ Earl of Carlisle^ and Gentleman of his Horse ; 
 who departed this life^ 6th Nov. 1638. There are 
 also stones to the memory of the following persons : 
 Francis Atkins^ 4th^ 1640 ; Mr. Henry Acourt, 
 1704; and Hannah^ his wife, 1735; and their 
 nephew, James Acourt, 1769; Mr. Henry Travers, 
 1707 ; Colonel Peter Floyer, Knt., 1724; Capt. 
 Charles Floyer, 1732; and Mary his wife, 1725; 
 and their brother-in-law, Mr. Wolley, 1762 ; James 
 Smith, Gent. 1725; and his wife, Lucretia, 1726; 
 Mrs. Mary Smith, 1731 ; John Walton, Esq. 1757 ; 
 Ann Walton, 1772; Mr. Thomas Holmes, 1738; 
 and Susannah his wife, 1733; John Skirrow, of 
 Lippets Hill and Gilsted, in the county of York, 
 1799; and his youngest son William, 1801. On 
 one stone, the following lines are engraved. 
 
 Hie Haroldi in Coenobio 
 Carnis Eesurrectionem 
 Expectat Jacobus Eaphael 
 
 Gallus 
 
 Demum Scotus, denuo Anglus, 
 
 Denique nihil. 
 
 Anno 83 tat. 70, 
 
 Obit Mar. 30, anno 1686, 
 
 Here lyeth Mr. Swinefield. 
 
107 
 
 On another stone, near the communion table, is 
 the impression of a priest or abbot, with his crosier ; 
 but the brass belonging to it has long since been 
 taken away. 
 
 On the north side of the chancel, a fine tomb, 
 formerly enclosed within iron rails, to the memory 
 of Robert Smith, Esq. born at Banbury, in Oxford- 
 shire, Feb. 1637; died in March, 1697; we shall 
 omit the Latin inscription of fifty lines which are 
 upon this tomb ; the front of which is taken up by 
 the beautifully carved representation of a ship, in 
 white marble, bearing on it, the inscription, In- 
 DUSTEiA^^ ; likewise, on the front are exhibited naval 
 implements, trophies, &c. 
 
 On the north wall was a white marble tablet, in- 
 scribed as follows : To the memory of Francis 
 
 Wollaston, only son of William Wollaston, of Shen- 
 ton Hall, in the county of Leicester, Esq. ; and of 
 Elizabeth his wife, daughter and heiress of Francis 
 Cave, of Ingersby, in the county of Leicester, Esq. 
 He was the hope and joy of his parents and country 
 while he lived, and dyed much lamented, in the 17th 
 year of his age, 20th November, 1634, in the Middle 
 Temple, of the small-pox.^^ Now in the entrance 
 through the steeple. 
 
 The above Francis Wollaston, appears to have 
 
108 
 
 been the nephew of Mrs. Wollaston^ the daughter of 
 Mr. John Fox^ the martyrologist ; her brother. 
 Captain Eobert Fox, died at her house in Waltham 
 Abbey, twelve years after the above date ; and was 
 buried in the chancel. May, 1646. 
 
 Not far from this monument of Francis Wollaston, 
 we find another, thus : To the memory of James 
 Spillman, Esq., F.E.S. many years director of the 
 Bank of England, and a Commissioner of Greenwich 
 Hospital, died 21st November, 1763 ; and of Hester 
 his wife, one of the sisters and co-heiresses of Sir 
 Wm. Welly, of Fen Ditton, in the county of Cam- 
 bridge, who departed this life, Aug. 3, 1761. This 
 monument was erected by their only child, Julia, 
 wife of George Carter, of Warlies, iu this county 
 
 Another in the same aisle, to the memory of 
 Edward Parker, Esq. born 1736, died 1780. 
 
 On the south wall, is a tablet to the memory of 
 Mr. Comfort Wilkes ; ob. 26th January, 1799, aged 
 76; and his wife Margaret, 2nd November, 1783, 
 aged 69. On the fioor are stones to the memory of 
 John Barks, 1765 ; and of Ann, the wife of Edward 
 Parker, 1780. 
 
 On one of the pillars in the north aisle, was a 
 marble tablet to Eobert Dunton, died 18th July, 
 1811, aged 73; and Mary his wife. On another 
 
109 
 
 pillar, is a tablet to the memory of Edward Hillers- 
 den. Esq. of Sewardstone, in this county, died Jan. 
 1784, aged 67 ; and his wife, Louisa Sophia Charlotte, 
 died May 26, 1798, aged 80; and their daughter 
 Sophia, died Nov. 6, 1801, aged 57. 
 
 On the second pillar from the communion table, on 
 the north side, was a brass plate, with the effigies of 
 the deceased and his wife, with six sons and four 
 daughters behind them in the posture of devotion, 
 and the following inscription in old English cha- 
 racters; ^^Here under lyeth buryed near to this 
 pillar, the bodyes of Thomas Colte, Esquyer, and 
 Magdelen his wife, who has issue between them VI. 
 sonnes and IV. daughters. Which Thomas, de- 
 ceased the XXIX day of June, M.CCCCCLIX, and 
 the said Magdelen, who was the causer of this 
 monument, deceased the last day of November, 
 M.CCCCCXCI, whose bodies and souls God send a 
 joyful resurrection.-’^ This was made 1576.-’^ Now 
 on the south wall. 
 
 On one of the pillars on the south side, was a large 
 brass plate to the memory of Edward Stacy and his 
 wife. They are drawn kneeling at a stand with 
 books, their son in the same attitude behind him : 
 out of his mouth appears to flow the following words . 
 Domine die arumoi^ salus tuo ego sum. Out of the 
 
110 
 
 lady^g^ Misertus fuisti mulieri Cananece; Miserere 
 mei. On the top, is De profundis ad te, Dominey 
 ut de profundis peccatorum liberes nos. Under the 
 figures : Edward Stacy, of Waltham Holy Cross, 
 in the county of Essex, gen. of ye age of LXXII 
 , years, died the 17th of March, 1555, leaving one son 
 Francis Stacy. — Katherine, his only wife of the age 
 of threescore and eighteen, died the XXI Vth day 
 of Feb. anno 1565.^^ Added to this, are three verses, 
 which we must not omit here, as they form a very 
 good specimen of the poetry of Queen Elizabeth's 
 day. 
 
 This tyme we have desired. Lord, 
 
 When we might come to thee ; 
 
 That from this state of sinful life 
 Dissolved we might be : 
 
 But thou, 0 Lord, didst tyme prolonge 
 Our lives for to amende. 
 
 That so in tyme we might repente 
 Of all did thee offende. 
 
 And now here. Lord, in clay we lye. 
 
 Thy mercy to expect. 
 
 Hoping that thou hast chosen us 
 To rest with thine Elect. 
 
Ill 
 
 This is now on the South wall. Indeed many were 
 removed during the late repairs. 
 
 On a white marble tablet, near the small door 
 on the south side of the west end is the following : — 
 
 In a vault under the Vestry room are deposited 
 the remains of Mrs. Sophia Wood (wife of Mr. John 
 Wood), who departed this life 26th June, 1841, aged 
 66 years. 
 
 Also Mr. William Clark, brother of the above 
 Mrs. Wood, died 20th Jan. 1847, aged 66 years. 
 The above named Mr. John Wood died Sept. 10th, 
 1854, and was interred in the church-yard. 
 
 At the east end of the church, likewise Mrs. Sally 
 Page, sister to the above Mrs. Wood and Mr. Clark, 
 died 16th March, 1856, aged 83 years. 
 
 Just over the tomb formerly enclosed in iron rail- 
 ings is the tomb of Mr. and Mrs. Leverton. 
 
 Under this is the pillar of Catherine Chinnery 
 removed from the other side of the church. Also 
 by the side of this, is a tablet to the memory of 
 Francis John Borthwick Cole, wife of John Cole, of 
 the inner Temple, London, gent. ; who departed this 
 life on the 11th August, 1822, aged 35 ; and was 
 interred in a vault under the vestry of this church. 
 
 On the north wall, near the east window is a tomb. 
 
 To the memory of James Austin of High Beech in 
 
112 
 
 this County^ Esq._, formerly of Kingston, in the 
 Island of Jamaica, who departed this life 4th June, 
 1803, aged 50 years/^ 
 
 On the north side of the west end of the church, 
 is a white marble tablet bearing the following in- 
 scription. 
 
 In a Vault in the middle Asle, lieth the remains 
 of Mrs. Mary Denton, wife of Mr. Robert Denton of 
 this Parish, who departed this life the 4th of June, 
 A. D. 1795, aged 44 years. 
 
 Also the remains of Mr. Robert Denton, (afore- 
 said), who departed this life July 18th, 1811, aged 
 73 years. 
 
 Mors Janua Vitae. 
 
 Also of their only daughter, wife of John Chase, 
 Esq. she died at St. Heliers, Jersey, Nov. 6th, 1841.^^ 
 But in order that I should not become tedious we 
 shall at once proceed to the steeple entrance, and 
 examine the tablets containing the charitable bene- 
 factions to the parish as there recorded. 
 
 A, D. 
 
 1579. Margery Gedney of London, before named. 
 1585. Robert Rampston, before mentioned. 
 
 1587. Robert Brown do. 
 
 1597. Robert Catrou do. 
 
 1597. Robert Dean do. 
 
113 
 
 1616. Henry Wollaston. 
 
 1691. George Waylett, jun, 
 
 1708. Kobert Grubb. 
 
 1708. John Edmonson^ Esq. formerly of this parish, 
 gave to the Churchwardens and Overseers of 
 the Poor the rents, &c. of a granary and gar- 
 den opposite the Cock Inn, in this town, for 
 the purpose of teaching four poor children to 
 read., 
 
 1814. John Halfhide, mentioned before. 
 
 1825. Miss Jane Dobson late of Mary Street, St, 
 Pancras, Middlesex, gave £100 Stock in the 
 South Sea Annuities for the benefit of the 
 poor of this parish, who actually reside at 
 Waltham Abbey, the dividends whereof are 
 directed to be paid and distributed by the 
 Clergyman and the Churchwardens on or about 
 the 29th October yearly. 
 
 1 626, Green, purveyor to King James the First, 
 
 gave four Alms Houses in West Street, as 
 noticed before. 
 
 1807. Eobert Mason gave £800 (before noticed), by 
 means whereof these Alms Houses were re- 
 built, and four additional rooms for four more 
 widows added thereto. 
 
 1826, Mowbray Wollard, late of this town, gardener, 
 
 I 
 
114 
 
 gave tlie sum of £1350^ and directed tlie an- 
 nual interest thereof to be applied as follows, 
 viz. 2^ Qd weekly to each of the four widows 
 occupying the four upper rooms which were 
 added to Greenes Alms Houses, and 1^ a piece 
 weekly to five poor men, and five poor women, 
 inhabitants of the Workhouse, for providing 
 themselves with any little comforts not allowed 
 in the Workhouse. 
 
 1839. Mary Wollard, widow of the above Mowbray 
 Wollard gave £800, New three and a half per 
 cent, annuities to four Trustees, and directed 
 that the interest thereof should be applied as 
 follows, viz. — 
 
 £20 per annum to be expended in bread and 
 distributed amongst such poor inhabitants 
 of this parish (being settled parishioners) as 
 such Trustees shall think deserving. 
 
 The residue of the said interest (after paying 
 contingencies) to be distributed annually in 
 money, clothing, or otherwise amongst such 
 poor and deserving inhabitants of this town, 
 (being settled parishioners) as such Trustees 
 shall think fit. 
 
 A. D. The Leverton Benefactions. 
 
 1819. Thomas Leverton, Esq. of Bedford Square, 
 
115 
 
 London^ in his life time presented the Organ 
 to this Parish and erected the same at his 
 sole expense. 
 
 1823. The said Thomas Leverton by his Will gave 
 £6000 Stock in the Three per cent, consoli- 
 dated annuities upon trusty to apply the 
 dividends after the decease of his widow^ as 
 follows, viz. : — 
 
 £80 per annum, educating and clothing 20 
 boys and 20 girls. 
 
 £10 per annum, for books and stationery, 
 for the schools. 
 
 £30 per annum to the Master for teaching 
 reading, writing, and arithmetic. 
 
 £20 per annum to the Mistress for teaching 
 reading and needlework. 
 
 £10 per annum, (viz. £5 to each,) to two boys 
 or girls for apprentice fees. 
 
 £5 per annum, (viz. £1 to each,) to five chil- 
 dren as a reward for good behaviour in 
 their first servitude. 
 
 £12 per annum, (viz. £1 to each,) for a cloak 
 and gown for six poor women, and for 
 a coat for 6 poor men. 
 
 £5 per annum to be expended in bread every 
 Christmas day and given to the poor. 
 
 I 2 
 
116 
 
 £3 per annum for keeping his Monuments in 
 repair. 
 
 £5 per annum for contingencies. 
 
 £180 per annum. 
 
 1824^ Mrs. Rebecca Leverton^ widow of Thomas 
 and Leverton^ Esq. in her life time of her own 
 
 1827. free bounty commenced the establishment of 
 these schools^ upon the plan intended by her 
 deceased husband^ (but with alimited number^) 
 and 15 poor boys and 10 poor girls are now 
 educated and clothed at her sole charge^ at 
 the School House called the Leverton 
 School.^^ 
 
 1824. The executors of Mr. George Fawbert^ for- 
 merly of this Parish^ under a bequest of the 
 residue of his estate to them to distribute in 
 such Charities as they might think proper^ 
 applied a part thereof in the purchase of a 
 messuage^ &c. at the corner of High Bridge 
 Street opposite to the west entrance to the 
 Church,, which they pulled down^ and erected 
 on the site thereof a School House,, for the 
 children to be educated by means of the 
 Leverton donations^ and the same is now called 
 the Leverton Schools.^^ 
 
117 
 
 In the cliurch-yard are the vaults of the families 
 of Pigbone^ Smith, Jessop, Leverton, Zane, Bridges, 
 &c. ; besides grave-stones and rails too numerous to 
 be inserted here. 
 
 But before I close, as I have given an account of 
 the dissolution of the Convent of Waltham, I deem 
 it prudent ta make an allusion to the smaller monas- 
 teries, and shew the manner in which they were 
 conveyed into the hands of Henry the Eighth. 
 
 In his 27th year, anno 1539, a motion was made 
 in Parliament, that to support the King^s state, and 
 supply his wants, all religious houses not worth 
 more than two hundred pounds per annum, should 
 be placed under his control. This proposition met 
 with little opposition, in either the Upper or the 
 Lower House, and the Act was passed. The preamble 
 was as follows : 
 
 For as much as manifest sin, vicious, carnal, 
 and abominable living is daily used and committed, 
 commonly in such little and small Abbeys, 
 cc Priories, and other religious houses of Monks, 
 Canons and Nuns, where the congregation of such 
 f ^ religious persons is under the number of twelve 
 persons, whereby the governors of such religious 
 houses and convents spoil, destroy, consume, and 
 utterly waste, as well the Churches, Monasteries, 
 
118 
 
 Priories, principal Houses, Farms, Granges, Lands, 
 Tenements, and Hereditaments, as the Ornaments 
 of the Churches, and their goods and chattels, to 
 the high displeasure of Almighty God, slander of 
 good religion, and to the great infamy of the 
 King^s Highness and the Eealm, if redress should 
 not be had thereof. And, albeit, that many con- 
 tinual visitations have been heretofore had by the 
 space of two hundred years, and more, for an 
 honest and charitable reformation of such un- 
 thrifty, carnal, and abominable living ; yet, never- 
 theless, little or no amendment is hitherto had ; 
 but their vicious living shamefully increaseth and 
 augmenteth, and by a cursed custom so grown 
 and infested, that a great multitude of the religious 
 persons in such small houses, do rather choose to 
 rove abroad in apostacy, than to conform them- 
 selves to the observation of good religion. So 
 ^Hhat without such small houses be utterly sup- 
 pressed, and the religion therein committed to the 
 great and honourable monasteries of religion in 
 this realm, where they may be compelled to live 
 religiously for reformation of their lives, there can 
 else be no redress or reformation in that behalf. 
 In consideration whereof the King^s most Eoyal 
 Majesty, being supreme Head on earth under God, 
 
119 
 
 the Church of England, daily studying and 
 devising the increase, advancement, and exalta- 
 tion of true doctrine and virtue in the said Church, 
 to the only Glory and Honour of God, and the 
 total extirpating and destruction of vice and sin, 
 having knowledge that the premises be true as 
 well by Campts of his Visitations, as by sundry 
 credible informations j considering also, that divers 
 ^^and great solemn Monasteries of this Eealm, 
 wherein, thanks be to God, religi(jn is right well 
 kept and observed, be destitute of such full num- 
 bers of religious persons as they ought and may 
 keep, have thought good that a plain declaration 
 should be made of the premises, as well to the 
 Lords Spiritual and Temporal, as to other his 
 loving subjects, the Commons in the present Par- 
 ^^liament assembled. Whereupon the Lords and 
 Commons, by a great deliberation, finally to be 
 resolved, that it is, and shall be, much more to 
 ^^the pleasure of Almighty God, and the honour 
 ^^of this his Eealm, that the possession of such 
 small religious houses, not being spent, spoiled 
 and wasted for increase and maintenance of sin, 
 should be used and converted to better use, and 
 ^^the unthrifty religious persons, so spending the 
 ^^same, be compelled to reform their lives; and 
 
120 
 
 thereupon most humbly desire the King^s High- 
 ness^ that it may be enacted^ by authority of this 
 Pa|*liament^ that his Majesty shall have to him and 
 to his heirs for ever, all and every such Monas- 
 teries, &c/^ 
 
 By the passing of this Act of Parliament, no 
 fewer than three hundred and seventy- six convents 
 were dissolved ; and in the whole diocese of Bangor, 
 not one was left standing, there not being any that 
 were valued at seventy pounds per annum. Ten 
 thousand pounds worth of plate and moveables were 
 sold, and the money brought into the treasury ; 
 besides this, thirty thousand pounds per annum 
 were added to the Crown by this transaction. 
 
 As soon as the possession of the smaller convents 
 were secured, the crimes of the larger were seen 
 into. Speed in his History of Great Britain, page 
 791, col. 1, the third edition, relates the crimes 
 proved against the abbots and monks of the larger 
 abbeys, which caused them also to fall into the 
 hands of his Majesty. 
 
 In Battle Abbey, there were fifteen monks who 
 were all found guilty of that sin which caused fire 
 and brimstone to be poured upon Sodom. 
 
 In Canterbury, there were eight monks who were 
 guilty of the same crime. 
 
121 
 
 In St. Augustine^ one^ wlio was both a whore- 
 master^ and guilty of the Sodom sin. 
 
 In Chichester^ two, both of them guilty of the 
 abominable crime. 
 
 In the Cathedral Church, John Hill had no less 
 than thirteen kept women. 
 
 In Windsor Castle, five monks kept amongst 
 them no fewer than twenty-five women. 
 
 In Shuldred Monastery, the prior and two others 
 kept nineteen women. 
 
 In Bristow, William the abbot had four women 
 in his keeping. 
 
 In Mayden Bradley, the prior had five women. 
 
 In Bath Monastery, Richard Lincombe kept seven 
 women, and was guilty of the abominable sin. 
 
 In Abington Monastery, Thomas the abbot kept 
 three women, and had two children by his own 
 sister. 
 
 In Bermondly Abbey, John White the prior kept 
 no fewer than twenty women. 
 
 This statement has been attested with the au- 
 thority of Henry Stephen's Apology for Herodotus, 
 taken from a book containing the vileness discovered 
 at the visitation of Monasteries. And it was gene- 
 rally reported, that the Abbots made provision for 
 their lusts in the leases, that their tenants should 
 furnish them with fuel for their wantonness.^^ 
 
122 
 
 This being proved to have been the state of this 
 Holy Catholic Churchy it is not to be wondered at, 
 that the laity cared not into whose hands it was com- 
 mitted for the sake of its being purged ; so it was 
 an easy matter for the King, who had been invested 
 with absolute power over the smaller religious houses, 
 to usurp authority over the larger ; neither is it sur- 
 prising that such a man as Henry the Eighth should 
 lose all regard for such a depraved Church, or that 
 he should be led to look upon religion as a mere 
 trifle in itself, and might be turned into any shape 
 which might best suit his political purpose, or fur- 
 ther his vitiated caprice ; the propriety, or impro- 
 priety of which, no one dared to question. 
 
 The King thus having absolute power over the 
 Church proceeds to issue warrants to his Commis- 
 sioners to take, (or in other words, to claim,) the 
 surrender of all the Abbeys. 
 
 We here insert a verbatim copy of the warrant. 
 
 Henry the Eighth by the grace, &c. to our 
 trusty, &c. 
 
 For as muche as We understand that the Mon- 
 astery of W. is at the presente in such State, as 
 the same is neither used to the Glory of God, nor 
 the Benefyte of our Common- Wealth, We let you 
 wit that therefor being mynded to take the same 
 
123 
 
 into our owne Hands for a bettor Purpose, like as 
 We doubt not but the Head of the same will be con- 
 tented to make his Surrender accordingly ; We for 
 the spesyall Trust and Confydence that we have in 
 your Fidelity, Wisdomes and Directions have, and 
 by these Presents do authoryze, name, assygn and 
 appoint you, that immediately repayring to the 
 sayd Howse, ye shall receave of the sayd Head 
 such a wryting under the Convent Seal, as to your 
 Discretyon shall seem requisite, meete, and con- 
 venient, for the due Surrender to our Use of the 
 same, and thereupon take possessyon thereof, and 
 so all the Goods, Chatties, Plate, Jewells, Impli- 
 ments, and Stuff, being within or apperteyning 
 thereunto. And further causyng all Goods and 
 Implements to be indifferently sold, either for 
 reddy Mony, or Days upon suffycient Suetyes, so 
 that the same Day pass not one Year and a Halfe, 
 ye shall deliver to the sayd Head and Brethren 
 such Part of the sayd Mony and Goods, as ye by 
 your Discresyons shall think meet, and conveny- 
 ent for their Dispeche. And forther, to see them 
 have convenyent Pensyons by your Wisdoms 
 assigned accordingly ; which done, and moreover 
 seeing the rightful and due Debts thereof payed 
 and satisfyed, as well of the Revenews as of the 
 
124 
 
 sayd Stuffy as to Reason and good Conseyens 
 apperteyneth^ and your Charges reasonablie al- 
 lowed^ ye shall proceed to the Dissolution of the 
 sayd Howse^ and farther^ in your Name take pos- 
 sessyon of the same to be kept to our Use and 
 Profyte. Ye shall furthermore bringe and con- 
 vaye to our Tower of London after your sayd 
 Discresyons all the rest of the sayd Mony, Plate, 
 Juells and Ornaments, that in any wise come to 
 your Hands by meane of the Premysses, or of any 
 Part thereof, straitely chargeing and commandyng 
 all Maires, Sheryffes, Baylijffes, Constables and all 
 other OflS.cers, Ministers and Subjects, to whom in 
 this Case it shall apperteyne, that unto you and 
 every of you in Execution hereof, they be helpinge, 
 aydinge, favoringe and assistinge, as they will 
 answer unto us to the contrary at their uttermost 
 Perills,^^ &c. Given^^ &c. 
 
 The Commissioners appointed to receive the sur- 
 render of Waltham Monastery were Thomas Crom- 
 well, (at this time the chief favourite of Henry, who 
 exalted him when it was to his own interest to do so, 
 and at last sacrificed him as has been noticed before), 
 Thomas Lee, Richard Laiton, Doctors of Civil Law, 
 Thomas Bedell, Dean of Cornwall, Thomas Bartlett, 
 Public Notary, and others. 
 
125 
 
 This work of dissolving the religious houses began 
 in the month of October^ 1539^ the 27fch of King 
 Henry the Eighth, only four years after the Pope 
 had excommunicated him. Poor Cromwell did not 
 long survive the dissolution of the monasteries, being 
 brought to the block on the 28th of July following ; 
 so it is obvious that as he lived only nine months 
 after the dissolution was commenced, he had no part 
 in advising the King to dispose of the Church pro- 
 perty in the reckless way he did : granting, giving, 
 and cheaply selling sites, parcels, lands, &c. &c. to 
 lords of manors, to hold to themselves as their own 
 personal rights, tithes, tolls of markets and other 
 profits, formerly the emoluments of the Church, thus 
 making the clergy and the poor subservient to and 
 dependent upon the rich favourites of the Court, 
 We must not, however, be led to suppose that Henry 
 utterly destroyed all the Church because he brought 
 about the dissolution of monasteries and scattered 
 their property, for he retained the Bishops and pro- 
 moted learning by maintaining and even founding 
 Colleges and Universities. In fact, the great work 
 which he had undertaken required a longer time to 
 adjust than was allotted to his life ; for it must be 
 remembered that he died in the year 1547 ; so that 
 from the time when the dissolution of the Abbeys 
 
126 
 
 began until he died was not quite eight years ; no 
 doubt much was unsettled, and unfinished, which he 
 had intended to have done ; and this being the case, 
 it is not unlikely that many estates became the pos- 
 sessions of those who at first were placed in them to 
 take care of them until they should be required ; and 
 who seeing the opportunity laid claim to these 
 estates, protesting that they were given to them by 
 the deceased King ; be this as it may, it is evident 
 that out of this chaos arose the glorious Eeforma- 
 tion, from which has sprung up that civil and reli- 
 gious liberty which we now enjoy. One proof that 
 Henry the Eighth did not dispose of every thing 
 belonging to the Abbey is that Edward the Sixth 
 granted Thomas Golding, Esq. the Guild belonging 
 to the Charnel-house, which was considerably en- 
 dowed with land and houses. 
 
 I have but one more remark, that is, that this de- 
 praved Church had a custom of affording sanctuary 
 for the vilest characters, one of whom was interred in 
 our church. Eobert Passelew, who was one of the 
 King^s instruments for gathering up money, used so 
 much rigour in his office that he utterly ruined many 
 persons who were so unfortunate as to fall into his 
 hands. So unsafe were private men^s estates at a 
 time when their prince fell into want. This Eobert 
 
127 
 
 Passelew was archdeacon of Lewis ; and for the good 
 service he rendered to the King, (Henry the Third,) 
 he was within a little of being made Bishop of 
 Chichester, but the Bishop withstanding the King in 
 this affair his election was disannulled. In 1234, he 
 with others, was called to a strict account for the 
 King^s treasury ill spent, or worse employed ; and 
 was obliged to take sanctuary and seek thus for 
 safety from the King’s wrath. After a time he was 
 admitted into the favour of the King ; and at length 
 leaving the troubles which attended the Court, he 
 lived privately at his parsonage of Derham in Nor- 
 folk ; but died at his here in Waltham Abbey, the 
 sixth day of June, 1252. Thus this vile Church 
 could afford sanctuary even for the robbers of the 
 King ; and moreover for murderers who had money 
 or interest enough with the Church to obtain it ; 
 and so tenacious were the monks of this their pri- 
 vilege that if an offender against the civil law had 
 the officers of justice at his heels, and he could 
 succeed in laying hold of the latch of the door, the 
 officers of the King might not tear him thence. 
 
 But such times we trust are gone for ever ; and 
 we therefore add. Amen. 
 
 The number of Monasteries suppressed in England 
 and Wales were 313, Priories 290, Prieries 122, 
 
128 
 
 Nunneries 142^ Colleges 152, and Hospitals 129 ; in 
 all, 1148. 
 
 This Church was repaired by the parishioners, in 
 the year 1859 and 1860, under the authority of a 
 Faculty from the Consistory Court of Eochester. 
 
 The inhabitants, landowners, and various bene- 
 factors voluntarily contributed £400, with which sum, 
 aided by a donation from the War llepartment, and 
 a grant from the Society for Building and Eepairing 
 Churches, the Bast-end was rebuilt, the present seats 
 were provided to replace galleries and pews, a new 
 gallery was erected, the Organ was reconstructed 
 and enlarged, several memorial windows were placed 
 in the Church, and other important works executed. 
 
 The substantial repairs in the Chancel were paid 
 for by Sir Charles Wake, Baronet, and some of those 
 in the main building were charged to the rents of the 
 Church estate. 
 
 The whole amount expended, was about £5000. 
 
 The Eev. James Francis, Incumbent. 
 
 James Carr, John Thomas Brett, Ceorge Francis, 
 Churchwardens. 
 
 William Burgess, Architect. 
 
129 
 
 0^ antique Waltham^ let the remote Past 
 In multifarious accents lisp her tale. 
 
 When the sombre veil of monkish ignorance 
 Enveloped all^ and sainted plebeians 
 DrawFd in servile chains (to worship what^) 
 
 Whilst the stalhd hierarch fattens on the glebe. 
 
 Ere the glad dawn of Reformation chased 
 The dreaded gloom afar ; the scene forbids 
 The timid muse relate. With wide renown^ 
 
 O Abbey^ thou art crownM^ time immemorial 
 Speaks loud thy fame, and fills the nation’s ear. 
 
 Thy calm retreat afforded once repose. 
 
 For men of noble and ignoble name. 
 
 Yea, Kings, thy rustic bowers did ofP adorn. 
 
 And mighty Nimrods scan^d thy suburbs o’er. 
 Chasing the roebuck and the fallow deer. 
 
 Nor ever Buckingham nor Hampton could 
 Outvie this rural seat with royalty. 
 
 And wealthy, not more graced. And here the old 
 Stately sacerdotal Pile, of ancestral 
 Ambition and of Grothic art, ’midst the days 
 Of murky persecution stands, a bold 
 Memento of the sanctity long past. 
 
 And more, what worthy prelates of distinction have 
 Her rostrum mounted, and with gravity 
 Held forth (as luminaries shone,) and for 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 The truths by faith received^ unflinchingly 
 Stood firm, dauntless of the pillory and stake, 
 
 To which they, with their kindred might have falhn. 
 But phoenix-like, they being dead yet speak. 
 
 And from their ashes rise, a numerous seed. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 G. NORMAN, PRINTER, MAIDEN LANE, COVENT GARDEN.