Parish Registers (10)

Taken from the archives of the Essex Society for Archaeology and History: S/SEC/4/1, dated 1858

22.   Historical events

At Cold Norton it is recorded:

“Memoranda

“Anno Domini 1683

“Memorandum that a great frost began December 18 or thereabouts which continued till February.  This frost was so violent that several people for several days went backwards and forwards over Fambridge Ferry upon the ice in which River as low water there is nineteen foot of water at least as I was told by the ferryman.  Richard Clarke.”

At Purleigh:

“Mem. Novemb ye 26 1703 about one of ye Clock in ye morning, there arose ye most outragious tempest ye ever was heard or read of in England it held till seven a eight o’clock in ye morning it layd naked most peoples dwelling houses, Barns, Stables & all other houses, & multitudes of them were levell’d unto ye ground – it blew down, Steeples, unkept our Churches & made thousands of tall & sturdy oakes, elmes & other trees root & body & branch toosubmit to ye violence of an outragious blast yt brought you to the ground & made tm fit fired for ye flames.”

St Leonards, Colchester, records “entries of Briefs from 1703 to 1713, also 2 King’s letter collections for S.P.G. in 1742 & 1752. The largest collections appear to have been for two Palatinate Briefs; & for the Protestants in the Principality of Orange.”

Miscellaneous

Items which do not fall under any of the above questions from Barking include:

“Baptisms

“1653. July 24 … Francis, the sonne of an AEthiopion

“1682. Sep 17 … Jonas a Ni**o Baptized att Church

“Marriages

“1669. Ap. 14 … John Brookes & Margaret Salter widdow maryed by license at ye Fleet Chappel, London.

“Burials

“1593. Jan 30 … Richard Stephens otherwise called Bald Dicke

“1595. Aug 24 … Thomas Poiner, Servt of Mr Powle, Slaine by the fall of a gate post.

“1662. Jan 2 … - Ewers a Quakee

“1708. Ap. 24 … Queene of ye Gipsies.

Rev. W P Babington, Manningtree wrote, “I find therefore nothing to communicate but the following, which is somewhat curious:

Jan 17 1746

Nathaniael Cutton made oath that 11 calves which were going to be driven from Mistly in Essex to Bergholt in Suffolk were not then nor had not been ever infected with any distemper.”

Rev John H Sperling, Wicken [Bonhunt] Rectory, gives details of register commencement dates adding, “Just now I am restoring my church and building a new Rectory house, and as I am my own architect I shall have very little time”.