Widdington History

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WIDDINGTON, an ancient village, 5 miles South of Saffron Walden, and 2 miles South East of Newport Station, has in its parish 377 souls, and 2006A.1R.32P. of land, mostly freehold. and partly copyhold, subject to arbitrary fines. It is near the source of the river Cam or Granta, and is in two manors. That of Widdington Hall, belongs to Sir Francis Vincent, Bart., and was held by Robert Gernon at Domesday survey, and afterwards by the Playz, Howard, Vere, and other families. The manor of Prior's Hall was given at an early period to an alien priory, from which it was taken by Edward III., who gave it to William Wickham, Bishop of Winchester. The latter bestowed it on New College, Oxford, founded by him, and to which it still belongs.

The Church (Virgin Mary,) a small plain building, was partly rebuilt in the 16th century. The ancient tower fell down some years ago, and a small wooden turret supplies its place above the west end, which has been rebuilt of brick. In the chancel wall, two slender pillars, with ornamented bases and capitals, support a semi-circular arch, with a Saxon moulding. The rectory, valued in K.B. at £25, and in 1831 at £512, is in the patronage of Lord Braybroke, and incumbency of the Rev. C. A. Campbell, M.A., who has a commodious brick residence, and about 40A. of glebe. The tithes were commuted in 1840 for £570 per annum.

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The murder of James Perry 1729

The Gentleman’s Magazine 1762

reported at the end of December 1762,

That “one day last week Mr Woodley Saywell, of Widdington Essex, having spend a Christmas evening with a neighbour, in his return home fell into a deep ditch full of water, and the next morning was found suffocated.”

 COURT IN SESSION: SESSIONS ROLL EASTER

1609

 Examination of Robert Ayleworth of Debden, carpenter, who saith that on Friday last, he met Henry Okeeman late to Widdington, and asking him how he did, said that no man was troubled with such a whore as he had unto his wife, and that Banson and she had robbed him of all his goods and of the evidence of his house and that they had left him with so much as a shirt to shift him withal, and that being in his chamber one knocked at his chamber window and he knowing it to be Banson did draw forth his sword and stepping towards the window there stood a stool between the window and him, whereat he overthrew himself and rising again and thrusting open the window to have strucken at Benson, who hasted away to run to his own house. And he further saith that Okeeman did tell him that his wife and Banson had concluded to run away within two or three nights after, and that if the said okeeman durst be seen he could tell such a tale against Banson as should cost him his life, and Okeeman did request this examinant to make Sir William Cutts acquainted therewith for his poor children's sake.

Taken before and Subscribed by Sir William Cutts, knt.

COURT IN SESSION: SESSIONS ROLL MICHAELMAS 1665

Information of William Rickarby of Widdington

who saith that on 18 aug., he did see Margaret wife of Nicholas Gylby of Widdington carry away out of Parsing Croft an armful of barley, also that Jane Rickner wife of (blank) Rickner did also take antoehr armful in a faield called Parsonage Croft being the tithe corn of Dr. Nicholas Searle of Widdington, and thy carried it into a field called Bradley Field and went behind the hedge and made up their bundles.

Mark of: William Rickarby.

White's Directory of Essex 1848 - list of inhabitants.

If you wish to trace any of these people on the census returns, the nearest census date for this 1848 directory is the 1851 census. This can be obtained from ancestry.co.uk or genesreunited.co.uk:

Note: the directory lists the names in the following order: Surname, First Name. It also abbreviates names. These have been reversed and typed in full to assist research.