Post Office Directories

Henham, or Henham-on-the-Hill, was so named before the reign of King Edward the Confessor. It is in the Bishop’s Stortford Union and Hundred of Uttlesford, 2 miles north-east from Elsenham station, 39 miles from London, and 6 miles north-east of Bishop’s Stortford. The area of the entire parish is 2,958 acres, and its population, in 1851, was 941. The church stands pleasantly on the hill, and is large, with a nave, two aisles, chancel, tower and spire, and ring of 5 bells. The living is a vicarage, value £ 350; the Rev. A.H. Bellman, M.A.., is patron and incumbent. Here is a National school. Pledgedon, a hamlet of Henham, in Clavering Hundred, of about 1,190 acres, is about 1 1/2 miles south-east of Henham. It stands high, and was in existence in the reign of King Edward the Confessor. Its population, in 1851, was 157.

Traders

Post Office – Benjamin Little, receiver. Letters by way of Bishop’s Stortford arrive 9 a.m.; dispatched 6 p.m.

National School, Mrs Mary Stallibrass, mistress

The nearest money order offices are at Thaxted & Bishop’s Stortford.

1871

TRADES PERSONS
PARISH CLERK

POST OFFICE – Henry Gardiner, receiver, letters, by way of Bishop’s Stortford, arrive at 9am; dispatched at 6pm. weekdays; on Sundays, at 10am. The nearest money order office is at Stansted. Here is also a letter box near the ‘œCrown,’ Pledgdon; cleared weekdays at 6.30pm. & 10.30.am. on Sundays.

CARRIER – Rice has a small conveyance for parcels to & from Bishop’s Stortford on Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays

COMMERCIAL

Parish Clerk, Charles Turner

Post Office – Henry Gardiner receiver. Letters through Bishop’s Stortford arrive at 8.30 a.m.; dispatched 6 p.m. weekdays; on Sundays, at 10 a.m. The nearest money order office is at Stansted. Here is also a letter box near the ‘Crown’, cleared week days at 6.30 p.m. & 9 a.m. on Sundays.

Insurance Agent – Imperial Fire, T.H. Ward

National School, Mrs Catherine Dennison, mistress

Carriers – W.J. Watson, to ‘Saracen’s Head’, London, Tuesday, returning on Thursday; Rice has a small conveyance for parcels to & from Bishop’s Stortford on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays

1882

Henham (or Henham-on-the-Hill) is a parish in the Western division of the county, Bishop’s Stortford union and county court district, hundreds of Clavering and Uttlesford, Newport rural deanery, Colchester archdeaconry, and St Albans diocese, 1 1/2 miles north-east from Elsenham station, 39 from London, and 6 miles north-east from Bishop’s Stortford. The church of St Mary the Virgin is a large ancient structure in the Perpendicular style, consisting of a chancel, nave, aisles, south porch, and a western tower,  urmounted by a short spire and containing 5 bells; there is an ancient octagonal font and an oaken pulpit, the sounding board of which has been taken down and converted into a reading desk: an ancient oak screen divides the chancel and nave: in the chancel there is a marble monument to Samuel Feake, esq., formerly President and Governor of Fort William, Bengal, East Indies, which family held the estate of Henham Hall in the 18th century: Walter, Lord Fitzwalter, ob. 1408 and was here buried. The register dates from the year 1539. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £ 390, with residence, in the gift of, and held by, the Rev. Arthur Horatio Bellman, M.A.., of Caius College, Cambridge. The Congregational chapel, capable of seating 500 persons, was erected here in 1864, at a cost of £ 1,000 which was left by will for this purpose by the late Edward Sandford, esq., of Bollington Hall, in the parish of Ugley, who died in June, 1863. There is also a room built by voluntary contributions, and opened at the same time, which is used for lectures and a Sunday school. Charities amounting to £ 44 yearly are distributed in kind. The Devisees of the late Joseph Baxendale, William Canning, and William Charles Smith, esqrs, are the principal landowners; the former are lords of the manor, but there are several small owners. The soil is chiefly a strong clay and loam; subsoil clay. The crops are wheat, oats, barley and roots. The area is 2,958 acres; rateable value, £ 7,051; and the population in 1881 was 812. Little Henham is a hamlet in Clavering hundred, a mile and a half to the north, containing one farm and a few cottages. Pledgedon, a hamlet of Henham, in Clavering Hundred, 2 miles south-east of Henham, adjoining Elsenham.

Parish Clerk, Charles Turner

Post Office – Henry Gardiner receiver. Letters through Bishop’s Stortford arrive at 8.30 a.m.; dispatched 6 p.m. weekdays; on Sundays, at 10 a.m. The nearest money order & telegraph office is at Stansted.

Board School (for Henham & Chickney), built in 1875 for 170 children, with an average attendance of 120; Charles John Housden, master; Mrs Elizabeth S. Housden, mistress

Carriers – Rice, for parcels to & from Bishop’s Stortford on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays

Commercial

1894

Henham (or Henham-on-the-Hill) is a parish 1 1/2 miles north-east from Elsenham station on the Great Eastern (Cambridge) railway, 6 miles north-east from Bishop’s Stortford and 34 from London in the Northern division of the county, Clavering and Uttlesford hundreds, Saffron Walden petty sessional division, Bishop’s Stortford union and county court district, and in the rural deanery of Newport , archdeaconry of Colchester and diocese of St Albans. The church of St Mary the Virgin is a large ancient building of stone in the perpendicular style, consisting of a chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, south porch, and an embattled western tower with short spire, containing 5 bells and a very fine clock, placed in 1887 by Salisbury Baxendale esq. as lord of the manor; together with about 400 other contributors, including the school children: there is an ancient octagonal font and an oaken pulpit, the sounding board of which has been taken down and converted into a reading desk: an ancient oak screen divides the chancel and nave: in the chancel there is a marble monument to Samuel Feake, esq., formerly President and Governor of Fort William, Bengal, whose family held the estate of Henham Hall in the 18th century: Walter, 5th Baron Fitzwalter, who died in 1407, was buried here. The register dates from the year 1539. The living is a vicarage, average tithe-rent charge £ 321, with 11 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Mrs Thurlow, and held since 1891 bythe Rev. John Thurlow M.A., of Caius College, Cambridge. The Congregational chapel was erected in 1861, at a cost of £ 1,000, left by will for this purpose by the late Edward Sandford, esq., of Bollington Hall, in the parish of Ugley, who died in June, 1863: it will seating 500 .There is also a room, opened at the same time, used for lectures and a Sunday school. Charities amounting to £ 30 yearly are distributed in kind. Salisbury Baxendale who is lord of the manor, Sir Walter Gilbey bart, Miss Canning and Joseph Charles Thomas Smith esq M.A. J.P. are the principal land-owners; but there are several small owners. The soil is chiefly a strong clay and loam; subsoil clay. The crops are wheat, oats, barley and roots. The area is 2,958 acres; rateable value, £ 6,392; the population in 1891 was 813. Little Henham is a hamlet in Clavering hundred, a mile and a half to the north, containing one farm and a few cottages. Pledgedon, a hamlet of Henham, in Clavering Hundred, 2 miles south-west from Henham, adjoining Elsenham, and Pledgden Green, 2 miles south-east from Henham, has a few cottages.

Sexton, Charles Turner

Post & M.O.O.,S.B. & Annuity & Insurance Office – Henry Gardiner sub postmaster. Letters through Bishop’s Stortford arrive at 8. a.m.; dispatched 6.30 p.m. weekdays; no Sunday dispatch. The nearest telegraph office is Elsenham

County Police Station, John Whiting, constable.

A School Board of 5 members was formed 27 July 1874 for the united district of Henham & Chickney; H. Baker, Bishop’s Stortford, clerk to the board; Charles John Housden, Henham, attendance officer

Board School (mixed), built in 1875, for 170 children; average attendance 130; Charles John Housden, master; Miss Bessie Chapman & Miss Kate Warden, assistant mistresses

Carriers – William Warner, for parcels to & from Bishop’s Stortford on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays

Private Residents

1902

Henham (or Henham-on-the-Hill) is a parish 1 1/2 miles north-east from Elsenham station on the Great Eastern (Cambridge) railway, 6 miles north-east from Bishop’s Stortford and 34 from London in the Northern division of the county, Clavering and Uttlesford hundreds, Saffron Walden petty sessional division, Bishop’s Stortford union and county court district, and in the rural deanery of Newport , archdeaconry of Colchester and diocese of St Albans. The church of St Mary the Virgin is a large and ancient building of stone in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, south porch, and an embattled western tower with short spire, containing 5 bells and a very fine clock, placed in 1887 by Salisbury Baxendale esq. as lord of the manor; together with about 400 other contributors, including the school children: there are two piscinae, an ancient octagonal font and an oaken pulpit, the sounding board of which has been taken down and converted into a reading desk: an ancient oak screen divides the chancel and nave: in the chancel there is a marble monument to Samuel Feake, esq., formerly President and Governor of Fort William, Bengal, whose family held the estate of Henham Hall in the 18th century: Walter, 5th Baron Fitzwalter, who died in 1407, was buried here. In 1897 a sum of £ 600 was expended in opening out the original oak roof, repairing the nave, enlarging the organ & c.; there are 400 sittings. The register dates from the year 1539. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £ 290, with 10 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of and held since 1896 bythe Rev. Joseph Monk M.A., of St Catherine’s College, Cambridge. The Congregational chapel was erected in 1861, at a cost of £ 1,000, left by will for this purpose by the late Edward Sandford, esq., of Bollington Hall, in the parish of Ugley, who died in June, 1863: it will seating 500 . There is also a room, opened at the same time, used for lectures and a Sunday school. Charities amounting to £ 30 yearly are distributed in kind. William Fuller Maitland esq of Stansted Hall, who is lord of the manor and lay rector, & Sir Walter Gilbey bart. of Elsenham Hall, who is the lord of the manor of Pledgden hamlet, are the principal land-owners. The soil is chiefly a strong clay and loam; subsoil clay. The crops are wheat, oats, barley and roots. The area is 2,992 acres; rateable value, £ 8,988; the population in 1901 was 700.

Post & M.O.O.,S.B. & Annuity & Insurance Office – Mrs Martha Gardner, sub postmistress. Letters should be addressed Stansted R.S.O. Letters through Stansted arrive at 8. a.m. and 2 p.m.; dispatched 2.40 & 10 p.m. weekdays; Sunday 9a.m.. The nearest telegraph office is Elsenham, 2 miles distant

Little Henham is a hamlet in Clavering hundred, a mile and a half to the north, containing one farm and a few cottages.

Pledgedon, a hamlet of Henham, in Clavering Hundred, 2 miles south-west from Henham, adjoining Elsenham, and Pledgden Green, 2 miles south-east from Henham, has a few cottages.

Sexton, William Turner

County Police Station, John Whiting, police sergeant

A School Board of 5 members was formed 27 July 1874 for the united district of Henham & Chickney; H. Baker, Bishop’s Stortford, clerk to the board

Board School (mixed), built in 1875, for 170 children; average attendance 117- 33 boys, 31 girls & 53 infants; Benjamin Thomas Hood, master; Miss Alice Warden, assistant mistresses

Carriers
–
William Warner, for parcels to & from Bishop’s Stortford on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays

Private Residents

1914