Little Stambridge, Essex Genealogy

England   Essex

Parish History
Little Stambridge was a small village and parish, with a manor house, a short distance from Rochford in Essex, now a hamlet of scattered houses. Its little church of Saint Mary (registers from 1654) with a tiny nave and chancel was restored and reopened in 1870 but did not last. The parish was united with Great Stambridge in 1889 and the little church was demolished in 1894. All that remains of the churchyard are some ancient gravestones in a wooded area of a garden.

In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Little Stambridge like this:

STAMBRIDGE (Little), a parish in Rochford district, Essex; 4¾ miles N by E of Southend r. station. Post town, Rochford, under Chelmsford. Acres, 600. Real property, £1,338. Pop., 125. Houses, 26. The manor belongs to J. Tabor, Esq. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Rochester. Value, £177.* Patron, the Lord Chancellor. The church is good. Stambridge is a civil parish in the District of Rochford in Essex, England.

It is located north of the River Roach between Rochford and Paglesham

The name "Stambridge" means "Stone bridge". The only bridge in the parish is now brick-built over the small stream that rises in Canewdon, flows under the road just south of the Royal Oak, and into the Roach near "Waldens".

Little Stambridge Manor Timeline

16th century: House. 16th century or earlier origin, main range and west crosswing with later alterations and additions. Red brick faced with some black headers. Red plain tiled roofs, hipped to left crosswing. Original chimney stack to left (west) or left crosswing, offset with attached shaft moulded capping, large chimneystack to rear of main range and end stack to right of main range, rear right wing stack. Eaves cornice. 2 storeys. 2:5 window range of small paned vertically sliding sashes. Ground floor and right return of crosswing, small paned French windows, semi-circular fanlights with tracery. There is a pilaster between second and third windows of main range. Doorway to right of pilaster, 6-panel door, fluted surround, brackets to moulded and dentilled open pediment. To right is a narrow parapeted extension. Right return doorway, recessed 6 panelled door, moulded pilasters with capitals and bases, moulded frieze and pediment. Moated site.

circa 1587: The Manor was purchased by Thomas Bowcher who died in 1594 having almost certainly never lived there. His son Sir James Bourchier (c1572-1635) did live at the Hall at the date of the heraldic visitation in 1634. He died 1635. (The Transactions of the Essex Archaeological Society Vol II New Series 1884 describe the descent of the Manor of Little Stambridge in the family of Bourchier (http://www.southfarm.plus.com/Genealogy/Brch1.html)).

1636: Thomas Bourchier, Lord of the Manor. See Little Stambridge Court Rolls

1716: Richard Perry in possession of Manor of Little Stambridge. See map by William Cole.

1717: ?Richd? Perry, Lord of the Manor held a court. See Little Stambridge Court Rolls.

1751-06-02: Sarah Perry, Lady of the Manor. Court held by Edmund Tyrell, steward.

1753-06-03: Sarah Perry, Lady of the Manor. Court held by Edmund Tyrell, steward.

1753-07-15: Sarah Perry, Lady of the Manor.

1755-07-15: Sarah Perry, Lady of the Manor.

1756/1757: Philip Perry, Lord of the Manor.

1778: Phil. Cade of Greenwich, Lord of the Manor. See ERO D/DU 190/22 (http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/default.asp)

1781-07-12: Edward Isaac Harridge so David/Sarah christened at Little Stambridge.

1781-07-12: Elizabeth Sarah Harridge do David/Sarah christened at Little Stambridge (born at Pitsea Hall).

1782-11-11: Sarah Harridge buried at Little Stambridge.

1782-11-29: David Harridge, Lord of the Manor held a court. See Little Stambridge Court Rolls (http://www.serendib.co.uk/Genealogy/littlestambridge/littlestambridge.htm)

1782/3: c30 year gap in the records, between Phil. Cade and David Harridge?

1795-03-02: David Harridge, Lord of the Manor held a court. See Little Stambridge Court Rolls

1799: Edmund Taylor married Elizabeth Sarah Harridge at Little Stambridge.

1801-11-04: Edward Isaac Harridge buried at Little Stambridge.

1802-04-30: David Fulford Harridge so David/Sarah born at Little Stambridge Hall.

1804-03-04: Sarah Ann Harridge do David Young/Ann christened at Little Stambridge.

1806-01-28: Edward Young Harridge so David Young/Ann christened at Little Stambridge

1806-01-28: Thomas Herbert Harridge so David Young/Ann christened at Little Stambridge.

1807-01-31: William Henry Harridge so David Young/Ann christened at Little Stambridge.

1807: David Harridge (aka David Snr, 1730-1807) buried at St Mary, Little Stambridge.

1807: David Harridge (aka David Snr, 1730-1807) leaves Manor of Little Stambridge in will to his son David Young Harridge for the term of his natural life only. Then to David Fulford Harridge.

1809-02-01: Eliza Hanson Harridge do David Young/Ann christened at Little Stambridge

1810-06-04: Frederic Harridge so David Young/Ann christened at Little Stambridge

1810/1821: Little Stambridge mentioned in will of David Young Harridge as being in possession of his son David Fulford Harridge.

1821: David Young Harridge was buried at Little Stambridge

1828-02-18: Will of David Fulford Harridge written. Leaves Little Stambridge manor 'to the use of' his father-in-law John Carter who predeceased him (died 1838) and John Bridges (unknown, presumed to be a solicitor). This will was proved 1840-04-09, administration being granted to his widow Sophia (who died 1882-01-27, no sign of a will). His son David Henry Harridge does not mention the manor in his will of 1851.

1833: David Fulford Harridge leased manor to James Keyes. 14 years. See ERO D/DS 254/35 (http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/default.asp)

1870: Little Stambridge church restored and reopened.

1873-03-12: James Tabor, Lord of the Manor.

1889: Little Stambridge and Great Stambridge parishes united.

1894: Little Stambridge church demolished.

1933: Little Stambridge Hall the seat of H. Donald Rankin.

Present (2006): In possession of Rankin family.

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
Contributor: Include here information for parish registers, Bishop’s Transcripts, non conformist and other types of church records, such as parish chest records. Add the contact information for the office holding the original records. Add links to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection

Online images are available Seax - Essex Archives Online From the Essex Record Office

Census records
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Index for the Census may be searched at FamilySearch Historical Records

http://www.1881pubs.com/ for details of public houses in the 1881 census

Poor Law Unions
Rochford 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

Web sites
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