Tiptree, Essex Genealogy

Parish History
By the time of the Domesday Book, 1086, Great Braxted, including rights over Tiptreeheethe (Tiptree Heath), were taken over by Eudo Dapifer and tenanted by Richard de Sackville. The name Tiptree also features in the records of Tiptree Priory, which stood just within the parish of Great Braxted, on the edge of Tiptree Heath. The priory was founded by the Tregoz family at some point prior to 1218, but no precise foundation date is known. The area simply remained part of the Great Forest of Essex, there being no parish of Tiptree, but gradually individuals claimed sections of land and built cottages. The High Flyer public house opened in 1771, when the area was used for training soldiers prior to service in the American War of Independence. The development of arable land during the Napoleonic wars led to a local enclosure act and land began to be brought into cultivation. There was a fair in July of each year and by 1759 horse racing had become a prominent part of the event. An advert from the Chelmsford Chronicle of 1787 records, "Notice is hereby given that the Bettting Day of the Fair will be Wednesday, the 11th July, the booths etc. to be paid for when hired." It also announces the playing of cricket. Apart from the fair, Tiptree Heath had a relatively unsavoury reputation. To the hovels though were added a chapel and a forge. In 1841, John Mechi, who had started as a clerk in London and then developed a successful business as a cutler, bought land and a farmhouse which he developed as Tiptree Hall. He saw potential in the relatively marshy land, invested in the use of manure, drainage and steam engines and led the improvement of the local roads. He is believed to be one of the leaders of the movement to set up the ecclesiastical parish of Tiptree. He was Sheriff of London in 1856 and published on the subject of farming; finally the parish church of St Luke's was built in 1856.

Tiptree St Luke is a former chapelry in Great Braxted, Essex Ancient Parish which was created as an ecclesiastical parish in 1858 as the parish of Tiptree Heath after objections.

In 1855 the first stone was laid on a twelve acre site donated by the Earl of Verulam and the church consecrated in on Friday 17 October 1856 at 12 noon by the Bishop of Rochester. It was built by Mr Wells of Bermondsey to a design by Mr Ewan Christian at a cost of £1,850. It was designed to sit 500, the whole of the seats were open, four-fifths being free. No incumbent was appointed until 1859 when the Rev’d Henry Frend, who had been nominated in 1857, took up the post and moved into the newly completed parsonage.

The new parish of Tiptree Heath was created mainly from parts of the parishes Inworth, Essex, Messing, Essex and  Tolleshunt Knight, Essex. The incumbent of Tolleshunt Knights was of the opinion that too much of the population of Tolleshunt Knights were included in the new parish. However on 29 June 1858 the Ecclesiastical Commissioners were able to serve the formal notices on the Patrons and Incumbents of the parishes affected and on 11 November 1858 the new ‘Parish of Tiptree Heath, formally came into existence, being effective from 24 June 1858, the date of the publication of the order in The London Gazette.

“That the Church of Saint Luke, Tiptree Heath should be appropriated and used as the Parish Church of the new district, and should be included in the Deanery of Witham, in the Archdeaconry of Colchester and the Diocese of Rochester” In 1955, the year after he became incumbent, the Rev’d Christopher Temple Chandler was asked to hold the living of Tolleshunt Knights in plurality with Tiptree. This meant that that each parish would elect their own Parochial Church Council and churchwardens, but that the incumbent would be Rector of both parishes. This arrangement existing until the incumbent changed. In 1960 it was agreed that there would be a union of the parishes whereby only one set of wardens and one PCC would be elected, the arrangement to continue in perpetuity. The formal order in Council was signed in February 1961.Union with Great Braxted, Essex In 1986 the Reverend A Bickersteth was approached by the Archdeacon to take on the Parish of Great Braxted. Great Braxted retaining its own PCC and churchwardens. The scheme was formally confirmed by the Privy Council and took effect from 1 August 1987.

Tiptree is a village and civil parish in Essex, England situated between Colchester and Chelmsford which for local government purposes is part of the Colchester District in the county of Essex. Tiptree is administered by Colchester Borough Council and Essex County Council and lies in the Parliamentary constituency of Witham.

It is known internationally as the home of the large preserves company, Wilkin &amp; Sons, whos products are known and sold the world over with the village name featured prominently. The village also has a windmill, which can be seen from the north end of the main street, Church Road.

In addition to the Church of England parish of St Luke there are three further churches, Kingsland Church, Tiptree United Reformed Church and the Roman Catholic Church, St John Houghton - Mass Centre.

Contributor please create separate linked pages for these churches.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
Parish registers Tiptree St luke Microfilm copy of original at the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford.

Contents: item 14. Baptisms, 1859-1899 -- item 15. Baptisms, 1899-1950 -- item 16. Baptisms, 1950-1968 -- item 17. Marriages, 1859-1942 -- item 18. Burials, 1859-1932 -- item 19. Burials, 1932-1958 -- item 20. Marriage banns, 1905-1937 -- item 21. Marriage banns, 1937-1955 -- item 22. Marriage banns, 1955-1966 -- item 23. Marriage banns, 1975-1982.

High reduction (42x) microfilm. Use high magnification reader.

Chapelry formerly known as Tiptree Heath. Later changed to a parish. Renamed Tiptree in 1957.

Essex Record Office, Chelmsford, no.: D/P561/1/1-10.

Online images are available Seax - Essex Archives Online From the Essex Record Office for parish registers St Luke and Bishop's transcripts.

Bishop's transcripts for Tiptree Microfilm copy of original at Essex Record Office in Chelmsford, England. Essex Record Office, Chelmsford, no.: D/CR 373.

Baptisms, burials, 1859-1877. FHL BRITISH Film 1702646 Item 3

Essex Online Parish Clerks (OPC)

Poor Law Unions
Witham Poor Law Union, Essex

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Essex Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Websites
Contributor: add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.