Great Wakering Parish (Rochford Hundred).

Great Wakering Tithe Award (Essex Record Office D/CT376A), dated 1838, shows a rent-charge of £657-2-0 payable to the Lay Impropriator, Thomas Clough of Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire, and £290-6-0 to the vicar, Rev. Bernard Osborn of West Tilbury, sequestrator of vicarial tithes and Rev. William Pritchard alias William Pritchard Gee, vicar now residing beyond the seas. The total acreage of the parish was 2784 acres 1 rood 5 perches. Of the 2295 acres which were subject to tithes, 1850 acres were arable and 445 acres meadow and saltings. 60 acres were rectorial glebe and 2 acres vicarial glebe not in the hands of the owner.

The Tithe Commissioners were William Blamire and J. W.Buller, Assistant Commissioner Roger Kynaston. Robert Baker of Writtle was Valuer and Surveyor. The Tithe Map dated (D/CT376B) was surveyed at a scale of 6 chains to the inch (13.3 inches to a mile). It measures 46x66 inches.

In Domesday, Wachelinga(m) was held by Swein of Essex as one manor for 5½ hides. One hide was held in this manor by Garner and W (Morris, 1983). Wacrinense (monasterium) was documented in c1150), Wakering (e) Magna in 1254 and Muche Wakeryng in 1431-42, translated as 'the settlement of the followers of Wacor' (Ekwall, 1960; Reaney, 1935),

There were two manors: 1. Great Wakering. John de Nevill (died 1282) had the manor which Robert de Brus held under him for one knight's fee. Henry Bouchier, Earl of Essex, held it at his death in 1483. The manor house, demolished before Morant's time, stood at Pales Pitt at the entry to the Street. 2. Barrow-Hall, whose house stood half a mile west of the church (in 1875 in Little Wakering), was once called Berrewera and Villa de Berwe. In 1503 Sir John Shaa held the manor. Adams Fee named from Adam Fitzsimon alias Aldhams Fee alias Aldermans was a reputed manor which went with Barrow Hall, a farm on the road to the church (Morant, 1768).

The church dedicated to St Nicholas was given to Beeleigh Abbey, the rectory being in its gift until 1283 when the Bishop of London appropriated the Great Tithes. At the Suppression of the Monasteries, the rectory was granted to the Master of the Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr in Southwark, then in 1551 to John Gresham (Morant, 1768).

Landwick (tithe parcel 193) is Landwyk in 1348, probably 'dry land dairy farm'. Oxenham (parcel 176) is Oxonhamme in 1358, 'oxen enclosure'. Aldborough (Oldbury, OS c1875) (parcel 60) is Eldebery in 1419.
Polstead (parcel 28) is Polstede in 1326, dwelling at a pool or pit'. Rebels (parcel no. 8) is Ravels in Chapman and André's map (1777).

References:
Ekwall, E, 1960. Dictionary of English Place-names. Oxford.
Morant, P, 1768. History and Antiquities of County of Essex, i, 304.
Morris, J, 1983. Domesday Book - Essex. Phillimore.
Reaney, P.H, 1935. Place-names of Essex. Cambridge.

According to a medieval tradition, Wakering (probably Great Wakering) was the site of a monastery during the seventh century AD.
Two Christian cousins of King Ecgberht of Kent, named Æthelred and Æthelberht, were murdered at Eastry, a royal dwelling in the Kingdom of Kent, during King Ecgberht's reign (664–673). They were prevented by a miracle from being buried at Canterbury, and were taken instead to an existing monastery at Wakering in the Kingdom of Essex and enshrined there as saints.
Ecgberht's brother and successor, King Hlothhere of Kent, is said by William of Malmesbury to have ridiculed the idea of their sanctity.

WACHELINGA [(Great) Wakering] is held by Suen in demesne as 5½ hides. Then as now (semper) 2 villeins, and 18 bordars, and 2 ploughs on the demesne; and a third could be employed (fieri). Then 3 ploughs belonging to the men; now 5. (There is) wood(land) for 40 swine, (and) pasture for 300 sheep. Then 4 rounceys (runcini), 9 beasts (animalia), 38 swine, (and) 115 sheep. Now 4 rounceys, 2 beasts, 110 sheep, (and) 27 swine. It was then worth 9 pounds; now 10. Of this manor Garner and W[ ] hold 1 hide, and have 2 ploughs; and it is worth 30 shillings in the above valuation (in eodem pretio).

This book is about the Rayner Family of Great Wakering including their connection with the Peculiar People. It also covers life in Wakering in the 19th and early 20th Century

The book was published in 1987 by A Rayner Bsc (Econ), Boston Spa, Yorkshire and was printed by the Cambridge Press Printers, Shoeburyness. ISBN: 0-9512628-0-7

The contents of this booklet have been compiled by Albert Rayner Bsc(Econ) FCA, born 27 December 1902 only son of John and Matilda Rayner.

Albert, known affectionately as Bert, lives near Leeds and is still very active, both as a financial director to an engineering firm in High Wycombe and as Honorary Treasurer to Age Concern, Leeds. Bert, in kindly undertaking to write this booklet has, for the past five years, devoted a tremendous amount of energy and time in research at:

The Peculiar People a sect principally confined in membership to Essex have occupied of late a considerable amount of public attention, owing to the prosecution of members of that body for the consequences ensuing from their refusal to call in medical aid to their children. They had their origin towards the middle of the Nineteenth Century, through the preaching of James Banyard, of Roch His teaching had a marked influence upon the agricultural population, and during the course of the last fifty years it may be said to have entirely changed the thought and habit of hundreds of the men and women of South Essex. The Peculiar People are honest, sober, and industrious, caring for their own poor. They are mostly cultivators of market gardens or agricultural labourers, though in the towns many have entered into business, and some have become pos sessed of considerable means. It is said in respect of one district, Daws Heath, Thundersley, that they found it of evil repute, and by their missioning zeal and industry transformed it into one of the most prosperous agricultural communities of the County. James Banyard's father was a ploughman at Rochford Hall, and as he grew up the son followed a simila