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Ardleigh Alresford Beaumont cum Moze Bentley, Great Bentley, Little Bradfield Brightlingsea Bromley, Great Bromley, Little Clacton, Great Clacton, Little Dovercourt Elmstead Frating Frinton Harwich Holland, Great Holland, Little Kirby, Le Soken Lawford Manningtree Mistley Oakley, Great Oakley, Little Osyth, St Ramsey Tendring Thorpe Le Soken Thorrington Walton On Naze Weeley Wix Wrabness |
The following are extracts from the History, Gazetteer,
and Directory of the County of Essex by William White
published in 1848.
WixWIX, or Wicks, a parish of 808 souls, and 3043 acres of fertile land, has two small neighbouring villages, called Wix Cross and Wix Green, 5 miles N.E. by E. of Manningtree; and several scattered houses. The manor of Wix or Park Hall belonged to Queen Edera, in the Confessor's reign, and to Walter the Deacon, at the Domesday Survey. This Walter was ancestor of the noble family of Hastings, from whom the manor passed to the Bohun, Stafford, Merick, Philipson, and other families. It is now held by E. W. Garland, Esq., but a great part of the soil belongs to Sir J. R. Rowley, Bart., Lady Bellew, M. Constable, E. Norman, E. T. Burk, I. Everett, N. Cutting, A. Runnacles, C. Grant, and a few smaller owners. On the Abbey farm, belonging to C. Grant, Esq., was a Nunnery, in a field where some remains of the moats which surrounded it may still be traced. It was of the Benedictine order, and was founded in the reign of Henry I., by the sons and daughter of William the Deacon. In 1525, it was given to Cardinal Wolsey towards the endowment of his intended Colleges at Oxford and Ipswich, but on his fall, in 1528, it reverted to the Crown, and was granted in 1530, to Sir Adam Fortescue. The ancient Church (St. Michael) was given to the nunnery by the founders, after being long in a ruinous and neglected state, the greater part of it fell down in the early part of the last century. What now remains is only the aisle, which was repaired and fitted up for divine service about 1740. The perpetual curacy, worth only £150 per annum, is in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. Geo. Wilkins. It was augmented in 1719 with £400 by subscription and Queen Anne's Bounty. The great tithes belong to the principal land owners, and have been commuted for £840 per annum. The National School was built in 1843, and has about 50 scholars. For teaching seven poor children of this parish, the schoolmistress receives £5 a year out of Clays farm, left by Robert Clark in 1731. Here is a small Wesleyan Chapel and School, built by subscription in 1842, on land given by Mr. Thomas Nicholson. | |
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