Boundaries and Extent of Little Ilford-Census Returns-The Parish Church- Mr. Lethieullier's House at Aldersbrook-Ilford Gaol-The "Three Rabbits "-West Ham-Its Division into Wards-Population-Market and Fairs-Chemical Works and Factories-The Parish Church-A Curious Fresco-Upton Park-Forest Gate-Taverns and "Tea-Gardens "-Emmanuel Church - St. James's Church-Extent and Population of Forest Gate-Pawnbrokers' Almshouses-Legg's Almshouses-Former Condition of Stratford-The Abbey of StratfordLangthorne-Pumping Station of the Metropolitan Drainage Works-St. John's Church -Christ Church-St. Paul's-St. Francis of Assisi-Congregational Church -Town Hall-Stratford New Town-Vegetable Market-Old Ford-Bow Bridge-Roman Roads. LITTLE ILFORD, which nearly adjoins its great sister south-west, is a quiet, out-of-the-way village. The River Roding, winding its way through fields and market-gardens, forms its boundary on the east, separating it from the parish of Barking. On the south and west lie East Ham and Stratford, whilst to the north the parish stretches away to Wanstead, and includes within its boundary in that direction the City of London and Manor Park Cemeteries, the former covering upwards of 250 acres, and the latter about 45 acres. They are both neatly laid out, and planted with trees and evergreens of the ordinary type.

In 1871 Little Ilford had a population of 675, which during the next decade had become nearly 1,000.

The church, which hides itself in a grove of elms and chestnuts, and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is poor and uninteresting. It is built of brick, and consists of chancel, nave, north chapel, and bell-turret. From the frequent coats of plaster it is impossible to make out the date of its erection, but two of the windows at the west end of the nave are as early as the Norman era, and may, indeed, be Anglo-Saxon. Among the monuments preserved from the old church is one on the north wall of the chancel to William Waldegrave, who died in 1610, and his wife, who died in 1595; it comprises coloured effigies of the deceased, with kneeling figures of their three sons and four daughters. There is a brass to Thomas, son of Sir John Heron, private secretary to Henry VIII. He died at Aldersbrook, in this parish, in 1517. Another brass

records Anne, only daughter of Barnard Hyde, of London, who died in 1630, and her brother William, who died in 1614. One of these brasses represents a lady in a ruff of the Jacobean type, and also includes a baby in swaddling clothes. Two more brasses, long buried under the floor, were discovered in 1883, by the Vicar, the Rev. | Arthur Shadwell, a son of the late Vice-Chancellor Sir Lancelot Shadwell. There are also monuments to the Fry family, formerly residents, and well known for their philanthropy; also to the Lethieulliers, a family whose name occupied a high position in Essex in the last century. One of these latter monuments-to be seen in a sort of chapel on the north side of the nave-commemorates the learned antiquarian whose writings we have had occasion to quote in describing this neighbourhood. The inscription runs as follows:-" In memory of Smart Lethieullier, Esq., a gentleman of polite literature and elegant taste, an encourager of art and ingenious artists, a studious promoter of literary inquiries, a com panion and a friend of learned men ; industriously versed in the science of antiquity, and richly possessed of the curious productions of nature, but who modestly desired no other inscription on his tomb than what he had made the rule of his life-to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with his God. He was born Nov. 3rd, 1701, and died without issue Aug. 27th, 1760."

This Mr. Lethieullier lived for some years at Aldersbrook, a manor-house in this parish. He is said to have much improved the grounds, in which he built a small "hermitage," as a shrine for many

West Ham.]

WEST HAM CHURCH.

503 to disclose the picture anew, and under the super- the line of the arch in that crowded manner usual, intendence of the Rev. R. N. Clutterbuck, of as Mr. Clutterbuck remarks, with medieval limPlaistow, it was successfully developed, though ners. They are singularly irregular in size, the apparently in a less perfect condition than when largest being placed just over the crown of the exposed in 1844. Its situation was upon the arch, and diminishing as they approached the caps eastern part of the wall of the north clerestory, and of the columns. All were nude, with their hands it extended as far as the second pendant of the either joined in prayer or extended as if in adroof, measuring eight feet in width by five in miration. Among the group were two eccleheight. It does not appear that more than this siastics with red mitres, and a cardinal with a red was visible when previously exposed; but, from hat. some heads which were found on the south side of the chancel arch, it seems clear that this is only one wing of the subject, which probably extended over the east wall of the nave, and to an equal distance on the north and south sides. The whole subject undoubtedly represented the 'Final Doom of Mankind.' Upon the east wall was doubtless depicted our Lord as Judge. The right wing, which remained, represented the Reward of the Righteous,' and the left the 'Condemnation of the Wicked,' but not a trace of the latter could be discovered. Was this a forecast of the theology of to-day?

The writer of the pamphlet above referred to also noted a figure with a beard, which is supposed to represent a 'monk, friar, or priest,' and a royal personage wearing a crown of gold. The two angels mentioned as raising the blessed were larger than the other figures, and in pretty good preservation: their faces painted with care, and not without dignity. They were vested in white albs, without cincture or apparels. Close to the angle of the wall, where the painting was much mutilated, three demons were visible; one seemed to be falling headlong, as if to denote the abortive malice of the evil spirits unable to hurt the redeemed, now placed beyond their power. It appeared to the author of the pamphlet that the lower one had a person in his arms, as if bearing him away, with an expression of malicious pleasure in his countenance. The writer also conceived that he saw in this part of the picture the representation of flames in which others were tormented, which he supposed to be the suburbs of Hell.' If such existed, it might possibly have represented Purgatory, but it was not apparent either to Mr. Clutterbuck or myself. The Doom of the Lost' was no doubt depicted upon the opposite wall, upon the left hand of the Judge, and there was but the least possible space upon the north side for the introduction of any other portion of the

The picture upon the north wall, representing the Resurrection of the Just,' was executed not in distemper, but in oil colours, on very rough plastering, and covered also part of the stones of the arch; in one place, where a beam of the aisle-roof comes through the wall, it was continued upon the surface afforded by its section. It appears to be the work of the latter part of the fifteenth century, and was of inferior, though somewhat elaborate, execution. The upper part of the painting, extending as high as the wall-plate, and forming a background to the whole, was richly grouped, though rudely executed, tabernacle work, chiefly white shaded with grey, the windows and crochets strongly outlined in black; and some of the windows were coloured red. From the general | Judgment scene. Since I offered a brief unpretreatment, it seems clear that this tabernacle work is a conventional representation of the Heavenly Jerusalem. In the niches were several celestials, each wearing a circlet, with a small cross over the forehead, and among them two of the heavenly choir playing upon gitterns. At the lower part of the painting, below the basement of the canopy, were two angels raising the righteous by the hand. They seem to have issued through the portcullised gates behind them. There are two of these gates at the lower part of the picture, besides that in the upper part of the canopy, into which one of the blessed is entering. From one of them the angels who are assisting the risen seem themselves to have issued, and to be leading the righteous into the other. The risen saints were grouped along

meditated description of this painting at the meeting of the Institute, the Rev. R. N. Clutterbuck has kindly placed in my hands the memoir which he has prepared for the Journal of the Essex Archæological Society; and in the present report I have, with his permission, availed myself of his more detailed observations. As the picture was very imperfect, and wholly unintelligible except to those who could read it by a scaffold, Mr. Clutterbuck observes that he could not suggest any sufficient reason for its preservation, all the rest of the plastering having, moreover, to be removed, for the purpose of pointing the inner masonry. There were indications that the whole interior of the church had been freely polychromed in distemper, but only one small portion of

charity board. In West Ham Lane is the West Ham, Stratford, and South Essex Dispensary, erected in 1878, on a site given by Mrs. Curtis.

volumes on subjects in natural history, upwards | benefactors, whose gifts are distributed by a local of 600 of which, it is said, had never before been described. Here, too, is the tomb of James Anderson, LL.D., the editor of "The Bee," and author of several papers on agricultural and industrial subjects.

Dr. George Gregory, author of the "Economy of Nature," a "Dictionary of Arts and Sciences," and a translation of Bishop Lowth's "Lectures on the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews," was vicar here from 1804 till his death, in 1808.

Dr. Samuel Jebb, a noted physician in his day, author of several professional works, and editor of the works of Aristotle and Bacon, was baptised in West Ham Church, in 1729, and lived in the parish for many years. He was the father of Dr.

* "Archæological Journal," No. 89, 1866, pp. 63-65

The Congregationalists, Unitarians, Wesleyans, and other Nonconformist bodies, have chapels here, and there are several schools.

The hamlet of Upton lies about a mile to the north-east of West Ham Church, its northern extremity bordering on the London road. Here are one or two interesting old houses, notably the "Cedars," formerly known as Upton Lane House. It was for many years the residence of Mrs. Elizabeth Fry, the prison reformer, sister of the late Mr. Samuel Gurney, the equally weil-known philanthropist, who lived at Upton Park, close by. His

* See ante, p. 368.