The Village in the Suburbs – A History

This book is the culmination of many years of delving into the life and lives of a unique community on the edge of the Green Belt in the London Borough of Redbridge. Born here, the author is one of many who have campaigned locally to keep the countryside of Aldborough Hatch open for all to enjoy.

This is not an official – nor is it an unofficial – history of Aldborough Hatch. Rather it is a lively, often amusing and sometimes revealing journey across the centuries – from the time when the forest of Essex covered much of Fairlop Plain to the present day when the traffic on the A12 on its southern boundary roars past on its way into mainland Europe and far beyond. If St. Peter’s Church features large in this book, this is because it has been at the very heart of Aldborough Hatch for the past 150 years and much local history is tied up within its walls.

But this is no dull catalogue of the past, for the pages bring to life little-known facts such as that Aldborough Hatch had its own “Lover’s-walk”, that the Dick Turpin has its roots in a Beer House in a cottage, that diarist Samuel Pepys visited, and poet John Donne and politician George Lansbury lived here, that Lulu’s Boom Bang-a-Bang started life here, that in 1862 villagers hereabouts spent the evening engaged in “rustic sports”, that the first lady Churchwarden at St. Peter’s was elected in 1915 (three years before women had the vote) and that actor, producer, director and author Bryan Forbes lived here and Hollywood superstar Rock Hudson visited a home here.

Published in 2012 to coincide with the 150^th Anniversary of the Consecration on 6^th March 1862 of St. Peter’s Aldborough Hatch, the book includes maps dating back to 1777 and in addition to the history of Aldborough Hatch Chapel, St. Peter’s and St. James, the stories behind Cuckoo Hall, St. Chad’s Well, the farms in Aldborough Hatch, Fairlop Airfield, Fairlop Waters, Newbury Park Station and the Ilford War Memorial Gardens.

Aldborough Hatch

The Village in the Suburbs – A History

120pp in full colour with 143 photographs, 13 illustrations and 10 maps

Publication March 2012 – ISBN 978-0-9561877-2-7

£14.99 plus £2.50 postage and packing in UK

Pre-Publication Offer £12 (plus £2.50 postage if sent by mail in UK)

Please make cheques payable to Ron Jeffries

Available direct from the Publisher: Ron Jeffries, 37 Spearpoint Gardens, Aldborough Road North, Aldborough Hatch, ILFORD, Essex IG2 7SX

Tel: 020 8599 7250; Email: ronjeffries@live.co.uk

The house was demolished in about 2007.

Residents of Paulatim lodge:

In 1871 George Raymant aged 71 years a Wharfiner (keeper or owner of a wharf) born Bloomsbury, London. His wife Charlotte who was 3 years older than him and born Great Minden, their children Charlotte 36yrs, Ann 41yrs and Ellen 34 yrs.

By 1881 only Charlotte, Ann and Ellen were living there along with a cook, housemaid and groom, which is pretty much how it remained up to 1901 when the domestic staff included Maria Dixon shown as a companion.

21 Jul 1773

A thirteen year lease of Cumyns Esq deceased. Spacious and elegant villa, with roomy attached and detached offices, park, pleasure ground, kitchen garden, with excellent walls, richly cloathed with choice fruit trees, canal, fish pond etc and a small farm, with its requisites, in the whole about four score acres.

Called Aldborough Hatch, desirably situate about two miles beyond Ilford in Essex. The gravely soil on which it is seated renders it perfectly dry and healthy, the surrounding prospects noble, among which the River Thames and the itinerant objects, moving thereon beautifully picturesque.

6 May 1791

The valuable freehold and copyhold estates of Pinson Bonham Esq deceased. These two lots desirably situate at Aldborough Hatch, three miles from Ilford on the border of Hainault Forest, and only ten miles from London, in the county of Essex.

Lot 1, A genteel villa, with attached and detached offices, lawn, pleasure ground and kitchen walled garden and abundantly stocked with choice fruit trees, hot house and green house, the surrounding enclosures of rich land in the highest state of cultivation, contains ninety acres within ring fences well supplied with water. Also two cottages and a Smith’s shop.

A second auction was held at the end of May for the sale of household furniture, pictures, prints, 6 butts and 15 hogsheads of beer and ale, brewing, garden and dairy utensild, orange trees, green house plants, together with valuable live and dead farming stock and implements and other effects. The furniture comprises fourt-part bedsteads with damask cotton and other furniture, beds and bedding, pier glasses, cabinet work in wardrobe, chest of drawers, dining, card, sideboard and Pembroke tables and chain steel stoves, wilton carpets and kitchen utensils.

The farming stock consists of 5 useful draught geldings, a pony, 8 cows, 25 ewes and a ram, swine and poultry, an excellent wagon, five carts, harness, ploughs and harrows, iron and wood, land rollers, 2 stumps of well got hay, a quantity of straw and fire wood.

Lot 2. A nett ground rent of two pounds ten shillings per annum for a term of 40 years, issuing out of two brick dwelling houses and offices and gardens near the above in the possession of David Samada Esq.

6 May 1791

A desirable freehold farm, situate at Little Heath on the border of Hainault Forest in the parish of Barking, a small distance from Aldborough Hatch, one mile from Chadwell, three from Ilford and Romford and only ten miles from London, containing 45 acres of rich meadow and arable land, lying exceedingly compact within a ring fence well timbered and watered with a dwelling house and proper out buildings, two cottages and unlimited right of pasturage upon the forst, the whole on lease to Mr Shonk, for an unexpired term of 6 years from Michaelmas 1791 at £60 per annum.

16 Oct 1793

A very compact freehold estate agreeably situate at Avery Hatch near Aldborough Hatch, 2 miles from Ilford, a short distance from Epping Forest, and only 8 miles from London, comprising a commodious modern built brick dwelling house of four rooms on a floor, neatly fitted and finished, well suited with offices, pleasure grounds and gardens, and 8 enclosures of land containing 42 acres, refreshed by a sheet of water, on lease which expires at Michaelmas 1793, to John Quinton Esq at £110 per annum.

April 1829

To be let, a very desirable residence suited for a large family at a moderate rent, containing three sitting rooms, study and man’s pantry, 13 excellent bed rooms, two dressing rooms, water closet and two stone staircases, two gardens walled in. Coach houses and stabling for 8 horses and a small paddock. Situated at Aldborough Hatch near Ilford, nine miles from London, one and a half from Turnpike road.

3 Mar 1840

The valuable materials arising from the capital mansion called Aldborough Hatch House, situate a short distance from Ilford and Romford, in lots to be taken down at the expense of the purchasers.

The house is brick built with double parapet front and is in most substantial repair.

The timbers comprising the roof, girders and frame work, together with the excellent batten and fir floors, oak sash frames, sashes and fittings, carved marble chimney pieces, massive panel doors and fittings are all in excellent condition.

The hall is paved with marble slabs 15 inches square. The staircases are also in stone with ornamental balastrades and are almost equal to new. The fixtures in the house will be sold at the same time together with an excellent Turret Clock. Handsome Palisade iron fence, with entrance gates and Portland stone coping, and a conservatory 19 feet by 11 feet fitted with sashes in large squares and flower stage.

22 Sep 1851

A small detached freehold villa residence with tastefully disposed lawn and gardens, meadow land, and convenient out houses and premises, situate at Aldborough Hatch in the parish of Barking and district of Saint Mary, Great Ilford, Essex. The estate is distant only 9 miles from London and abuts upon an excellent road, three miles from the town of Ilford and the railway station there and within one mile and a half from the district church and half a mile from the highly picturesque borders on Hainault Forest. The house is admirably screened from the road by belts of fine healthy shrubs with a small well trimmed lawn beautifully adorned with with thriving American and other valuable plants of good shape and has a fish pond on either side of the carriage drive entrance.

The internal arrangements of the residence are as follows: an entrance lobby, a breakfast room, drawing and dinning rooms, kitchen, dairy, pantry, washhouse, closets, four bedrooms and two staircases. The out buildings consist of a green house, summer house, shed and gardener’s tool house, two stall stable, with loose horse box and coach house, also root and poultry, houses and piggeries. The premises are well supplied with water, the kitchen garden is enclosed and intersected by gravelled walks and adjoining thereto is a paddock, orchard and a valuable meadow. The whole property compromises about 5 acres and a half of land and is in the occupation of James Panlin Esq under a yearly tenancy.

St James' Church, Little Heath. Kindly supplied by Ron Jeffries.

It was erected by the only gentleman in the neighbourhood, Captain Ibbetson and was built in the grounds of his house, Little Heath House, under his own supervision and to his own design and without the assistance of an architect.

The chapel was in the form of a patriarchal cross, the builders and labourers were all local men, residents of Chadwell Heath. The cost was around £2000 and presumably built because there was no church nearby or not within 4 miles. Many local residents admitted they had not been to church for some time. This may go some way to explaining the breach of Sunday trading laws at the Crooked Billet!

The Essex Standard and General Advertiser of Wed 13 Aug 1862  reports that The Hon. Rev. Henry Bertie D.C.L, vicar of Great Ilford commenced the opening ceremony with morning prayer, the Rev. John Chittenden previously a missionary in California read the first lesson and Rev. George Martin Braune formerly vicar of Wistow Yorkshire read the second lesson and that Rev. W. F. E. Knollys preached. The organist was Mr Dawson and the choir of Barking Church were also in attendance.

After the service a meal was had in a marquee erected in the grounds.

Ernest Ibbetson born about 1830 in London was Lieutenant in Hertsfordshire Militia and Captain of 29th Middlesex Riffles, later a Major. He and his wife Frances lived at Heath House for many years and can be found in the 1861, 1871, 1881 census.

From the map it looks that Little Heath House and the chapel were roughly where Hargeaves Scout Camp is today or very close by.

** Update, Ron Jeffries’ soon to be published book “Aldborough Hatch – The Village in the Suburbs – A History” will include information on St James’ Church, Little Heath as well as St. Peter’s Church, Aldborough Hatch. Further information can be seen here: http://www.stpetersah.org.uk/ **

Certainly Mr Threadgold (Fridgold) was the landlord accused of Sunday Trading:

On 26 Aug 1854 at the Ilford Petty Session there was a general meeting of licensing victuallers. The room was apparently ‘crowded to excess’. The chairman requested the Inspector of Police for the various districts to advise on whether there had been any complaints made against any of the houses. There had been only three, The Green Gate, Plaistow, Marks Gate Dagenham and the Crooked Billet Padnalls Corner.

All had convictions for Sunday trading. The first 2 received cautions but the landlord of the Crooked Billet had been convicted of Sunday Trading for the previous three successive years. The Bench suspended hs license for two weeks while they considered its renewal.

In Oct of the same year Foster Fridgold was summoned by the police at Ilford Petty Sessions. The police reported that on Sun 10 Oct 1858 at about a quarter to twelve o’clock, they entered teh defendent’s house by the back door and found five persons in the front room and six in the back room. They were all men and all were smoking and drinking.

The defendant asked the Chairman “If I and my wife go to church on a Sunday morning whether the police are legally right in making a forcible entry into my house in my absence?” The Chairman answered “you must leave some one in charge of your premises to admit the police if necessary. I am very glad to hear of your going to church, but you are, no doubt guilty in this instance. You are fined the mitigated penalty of £3 and costs.”

In 1861 Francis Felton age 46, a beer seller born St Sepulchre, was living there with his wife Ann and nephew Jeffrey Layton and a lodger.

St Chad's 'then'

It was originally a Chapel-of ease to the Dagenham parish church until such time as Chadwell Heath became a separate parish in 1895.

St Chad's 'now'

The following Obituary gives us a clue:

“Mr Henry Gillard Glindoni who died in his 61st year last week, was a constant exhibitor at the London art exhibitions for over 40 years, chiefly of figure subjects inspired by history or fiction. His pictures have been regularly hung at the Royal Academy since 1873, whilst many appeared at the Old Water Colour Society and in Suffolk Street.

The Studio, 132 Mill Lane, Chadwell Heath

For many years he was an associate of the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours and lived at 40 Brewer street until he removed to Chadwell Heath Essex some 14 years ago. His pictures occasionally occur in the sale room; two are in the Sunderland Art Gallery, “To be or not to be” and “Signing the Marriage Contract”  [The Times, Thursday, Nov 27, 1913; pg. 11;]

Henry Gillard GLINDONI was born Henry Frederick Gillard GLINDON in 1850 Kennington, the son of Robert William and Esther nee Gillard. Both his parents died young so Henry and his siblings spent their childhood with grandfather Francis Robert Glindon.

Francis was known by his middle name Robert, born about 1799 in Dublin he was a singer and song writer and scene painter, he turned to sceen painting when his voice failed him. His ditty ‘The literary Dustman’ was published in 1832 and he financed the Colosseum Diorama and Exhibition Space, Regents Park. He was responsible for the enormous diorama “London by Night” the Colosseum’s opening attraction.

Robert had been married twice, first in 1820 to Mary Ann Adams who died in 1827 and then to Sarah Harris in 1829. Sarah died in 1849 so Robert was left to bring up his granchildren alone. The Collosseum closed in 1864 just 2 years before Roberts death in 1866. Robert was buried at Kensal Green.

In 1871, a year before Henry began exhibiting at the Royal Academy he was living with his uncle Frederick Young and aunt Sarah in Kentish Town. Henry is listed as a landscape painter. No doubt Henry leaned some of his skills from his grandfarher, helping him paint scenes in the theatre. Ten years later Henry is married to Ruth, living in Chelsea and has a six month old daughter Esther.

At the turn of the century Henry moved to Chadwell Heath, in 1901 he was living at The Studio, Mill Lane, with his wife and daughter, now a school teacher, his mother in law Ann Wheeler, sister in law Harriet Cave and neice Alice Cave.

Henry Gillard Glindoni R.B.A., A.R.W.S  died on 20^th Nov 1913.  He had 79 paintings shown at the Royal Society of British Artists, elected a member in 1879, over 40 works seen at the Royal Watercolour Society, ehibited at the Royal Institute of Painters in Oil, the Royal Etchers Society, at Manchester City Art Gallery, Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery.

Some of his noteable works:

• “The Puritan” (R.A. 1877),
• “Long Live the King” (R.B.A. 1876),
• “Prince Henry before Judge Gascoigne” (R.A. 1881),
• “The Vow and Vengeance” (R.B.A. 1884),
• “For England’s Glory” (R.B.A. 1885, £100),
• “Called to the Front” (R.A. 1900).

Sources:

Census 1841 – 1901, The variety stage a history of the music halls from the earliest period to the present time by Charles Douglas Stuart and A. J. Park.  Published 1895 by T. F. Unwin, Ancestry.com

Buckingham Road Cemetery, Ilford

It covers a large area and joins St Mary’s churchyard. It is run by the council. who are currently restoring it. Unfortunately they were forced to remove the Victorian Chapel  which fell victim to dereliction and vandalism.

The first burial at Buckingham Road was on 4 Sep 1881.

Facing the cemetery gate is the memorial to Sir Peter Griggs 1850 – 1920 first member of Parliament for Ilford.

The war memorial inscription:

Their name liveth for evermore.
On these panels are commemorated those members of His Majesty’s Forces who gave their lives for their country in the Great War 1914 – 1918. Whose graves in this cemetery but are not marked by separate headstones.

Left hand panel
527053 Pte J. C. HETHERINGTON Royal Army Medical Coprs 12.3.1919
J. N. KIRKPATRICK ordinary seaman RN d/49613 H.M.S “Chester” 1.6.1916
29478 Private J. H. MOORE Essex Regiment 10.8.1919 age 29
515376 Private S. E. NEWBOROUGH London Scottish 1.12.1918
9893 Serjeant H. NUNN Royal Lancashire Regiment 17.4.1920 age 31
G/20779 Private J PHILLIPS The Queen’s 1.8.1919 age 42

below centre panel

War Memorial

P/19314 Lance Cpl W. F. EDEN Military Police Corps 15.8.1920 age 21

Right hand panel
221538 Sapper W. PHILLIPS Royal Engineers 3.4.1919 age 35
46086 Private W. S. SMITH Bedfordshire Regiment 21.10.1918
W.F.TURNER Ord. SMN. RN. J/44380 H.M.S “Chester” 29.6.1918
J. WALKER Sto. 1st CL RN 310955 H.M.S. “Pembroke 11″ 1.5.1916 ag 40
8193 Corporal J. W. G. WHITE Army Pay Corps 9.2.1919 age 33
9999 Rifleman E. J. BOTTEN The Rifle Brigade 1.3.1921 age 38

Base section
Left hand panel (eroded)
Lance Corporal L BAINBRIDGE General Service Corps 23.5.1944
Driver L. T. BATCHELOR Royal Army Service Corps 17.11.1945
Private I BLOOMFIELD Army Catering Corps 23.8.1947
Telegraphist J. D. CRONIN RNVR H.M.S. “Cornfield” 13.3.1951
Private T.V.B DAVIES The Middlesex Regiment 1.6.1946

Centre panel
Sapper W.W.F. DENNEY Royal Engineers 29.11.1946
Sergeant (W.OP/AG) W. A. DISMORE Royal Air Force 23.10.1940
Marine W. H. FARRELL Royal Marines 30.9.1943
Lance Bombardier W. H. FOX Royal Artillery 19.4.1941
A.C.W. 1st Class Janet M. HOOPER Women’s Auxiliary Air Force 24.2.1945

Right hand panel
Able Seaman R.E. HUNT Royal Navy 2.10.1947
Private A. G. PERKS Reconnaissance Corps R.A.C. 13.9.1944
Flight Sergeant E. G. READING Royal Australian Air Force 24.10.1943
Private G. W. REED The Middlesex regiment 2.9.1941
Sergeant (F/Eng) F. J. WARD Royal Air Force 30.8.1944

St Mary the Virgin, Ilford

The church was built between 1829 and 1831 on land owned by John Scrafton Thompson of Clements and designed by James Savage. The tower was built in 1866 as a memorial to John and Elizabeth Davis.

The church still has a churchyard as well as there being a large cemetery, Buckingham Road Cemetery, adjoining it. Buckingham Road cemetery which was originally called Great Ilford Cemetery and is run by the council. The first burial at Buckingham Road was on 4 Sep 1881.

As part of a restoration plan the Buckingham Road Victorian chapel was demolished having become derelict while the cemetery is also being tidied and made a more pleasant place to visit.

The original burial registers held at the Record Office indicate whether the burial took place in the churchyard.

For details of our genealogy research service click here or for headstone photos here.

Records available:

St Mary's then and now

Registers of Baptisms   1831 -1949

Bishop’s transcrips of Bapt.  1831 – 1861

Registers of Burials  1833 – 1937

Bishop’s transcrips of Burials  1831 – 1861

Marriages  1835 – 1924

Bishop’s transcripts of mar. 1835 – 1847

Banns register  1850 – 1869