Haverhill, Essex Genealogy

England   Essex   Essex Parishes

Parish History
Haverhill is an ancient parish lying partly within the county of Essex, but chiefly in Suffolk. Here is both an 1848 and 1870 historical perspective for this parish:

HAVERHILL (St. Mary), a market-town and parish, in the union of Risbridge, partly in the hundred of Hinckford, N. division of Essex, but chiefly in the hundred of Risbridge, W. division of Suffolk, 20 miles (S. W.) from Bury St. Edmund's, and 56 (N. N. E.) from London; containing 2451 inhabitants, of whom 2152 are in Suffolk. This place was formerly of greater extent than it is at present: it had a castle, of which the only memorial is preserved in the name of a farm now occupying the site; and tradition reports the existence of a second church, of which there are no traces. The greater part of the town was destroyed by fire in 1665, from the effects of which, though it has recently experienced some improvements, it has not entirely recovered. It is pleasantly situated in a valley, and consists of one spacious street, nearly a mile in length, the eastern extremity being in Essex, and the southern in Suffolk; many of the houses have been rebuilt, and the town is amply supplied with water. The manufacture of fustians, formerly carried on, has been superseded by that of an article called "drabbet," used for loose frocks worn by labourers, and in making which about 500 persons are employed. An extensive ale and porter brewery was established in 1800. In 1813, Mr. Richard Roberts introduced the manufacture of silk; and many hands are engaged in the manufacture of straw-plat. The market is on Friday; and fairs are held on May 12th for cattle and toys, and October 10th for toys only. The powers of the county debt-court of Haverhill, established in 1847, extend over the registration-district of Risbridge, and two adjacent parishes. Constables, aletasters, and other officers, are annually appointed at the court held for the manor. The parish comprises about 2500 acres. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £6. 5.; patron, Sir G. H. W. Beaumont, Bart.; impropriator, J. Sperling, Esq.: the great tithes have been commuted for £656. 14. 6., and the vicarial for £220. The church is a large ancient structure. There are places of worship for Baptists and Independents; and a national school supported by subscription. Numerous coins have been dug up in the churchyard.

From: Samuel A. Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 444-447. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51015 Date accessed: 11 April 2011.

HAVERHILL, a small town, a parish, and a subdistrict, in Risbridge district, Suffolk and Essex. The town stands on a head stream of the river Stour, and on the Colne Valley and Cambridge railway, 1¾ mile E of the boundary with Cambridgeshire, and 13¼ NW of Halstead; consists chiefly of one street, nearly a mile loug, partly in Suffolk, partly in Essex; was once a more important place than now, and had a castle of the Greys of Codnor; suffered much injury by fire in 1665; has acquired benefit from the opening to it of railway communication; and has a post office‡ under Newmarket, two banking offices, a chief inn, a corn exchange, a church, four dissenting chapels, and both national and British schools. The church is ancient, with a tower; and contains a few old monuments. Fifty gold coins, supposed to be of Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, were found in 1785. A weekly market is held on Friday; a fair is held on 12 and 13 May; and brewing, malting, straw plaiting, and the manufacture of drabbets and umbrella silks are carried on.—The parish comprises 2, 549 acres. Real property, £7, 493. Pop., 2, 434. Houses, 506. Pop. of the Suffolk portion, 2, 173. Houses, 454. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Ely. Value, £220. Patron, Sir G. H. W. Beaumont, Bart. Ward, who attended the Synod of Dort, was a native.—The sub-district contains nine parishes, and an extra-parochial tract. Acres, 18, 289. Pop., 7, 328. Houses, 1, 484.

John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870)

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
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Census records
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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
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 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
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