White’s Directory of Essex 1848

“CHRISHALL is a village and parish among the hills bordering upon Herfordshire and Cambridgeshire, 7 miles W. of Saffron Walden. It contains 521 souls, and 2694 acres of land. In some old records, it is variously called Carshall, Christeshale, &c. Lord Dacre is lord of the manor of Chrishall-bury, and owner of the Grange estate. Another manor, Cheswick Hall, or Flanders, belongs to J. H. Wilkes, Esq., and there is a small manor belonging to the Rectory. The Lucy, Rivers, Crawley, Penruddock, and other ancient families, were formerly owners here. Sir John James, who was knighted in 1665, built the Hall, in a park of 300 acres, afterwards converted into a wood, and the mansion into a farmhouse. An estate, called Crawley-bury, was a seat of the Crawleys, and afterwards passed to the Bendish, Brown, Boyle, and other families.

The Church (Holy Trinity,) is a fine antique structure, consisting of a nave and aisles, a chancel, and a stone tower, crowned by a handsome spire, and containing four bells. It was appropriated, at an early period, to Westminster Abbey, and contains some ancient brasses, one of which is in memory of Sir John de la Pole, who died in the 14th century. An elegant monument in the chancel is in memory of Sir John James, knight, who died in 1676. In 1558, the rectory was given to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, to whom it still belongs. The vicarage, valued in K.B. at 19, and in 1831 at 200, is in the patronage of the Bishop of London, and incumbency of the Rev. George Everth, M.A., who has a good residence, and 1A. 35P. of glebe. The rectorial tithes were commuted at the enclosure in 1819 for an allotment of 470A. 2R. 32P. The Vicarial tithes nave been commuted for 214 per annum.

In 1562, LETTICE MARTIN left an estate here in trust for the benefit of the poor of 33 parishes. At the enclosure, the land bequeathed by her was exchanged for 79A. 1R. 19p., now left for 55. 10s. per annum, of which 5. 4s., as the portion belonging to Chrishall, is distributed at Christmas among the aged poor. With the other 32 parishes, we have stated their respective shares, which vary in amount agreeable to the donor’s will. In 1836, the acting trustee, Mr. Wilkes, had in hand a balance of 200. The poor of Chrishall have a yearly rent-charge of 20s., left by Thos. Elkin in 1615, and now paid out of 2A. 8P. of land belonging Wilkes, Esq.”