"It hath a very ancient and fish-like smell."- The Tempest, Act II., Sc. 2. Situation and Extent of the Parish-Census Returns-Etymology-Early History and Foundation of Barking Abbey-The Abbey Burnt by the Danes-Rebuilt by King Edgar-William the Conqueror takes up his Abode there-The Importance of the Abbey in Saxon Times-The Convent Damaged by an Overflow of the Thames-Curious Entries of the Revenues of the Abbey - Dissolution of the Abbey-The Abbey Gateway-Extent of the Original Buildings-Noted Abbesses-Manorial Estates of the Abbey-The Parish Church-The Rural Deanery of Barking-The Manor of Barking-The Story of Osborne's Leap-The Manor of Clayhall-Malmains-Bifrons-Eastbury House-The Road to Tilbury-Barking Town-Barking Creek-The Outfall of the Main Drainage Works-Powder Magazine, &c.-The Roman Entrenchment at Uphall. LITTLE or no romance now attaches to the parish" a meadow," denoting a meadow of birch-trees; of Barking, though once it was holy ground. It but more probably a corruption of Burgh-ing, "the lies at a short distance eastward of the district meadow fortification." This latter presumption which we have just explored, on the opposite side seems to be borne out by the fact that an "enof the Roding, which, below the town, before campment" is still to be traced of the most falling into the Thames, widens out into Barking extensive dimensions-being more than forty-eight Creek, a great place for small coasters. But more acres in extent-on the north side of the town, practical interests have superseded the halo of and which we shall visit in due course. It may be sanctity which once hung around it. Barking is remarked that the syllable -ing, generally as by no means the little fishing village which it was a termination, is very frequent throughout Essex : at one time reputed to be, but a town which has as Margaretting, Ingrave, Mountnessing, &c. been of late years much improved, with good houses and shops, and a population of 8,000, the number of its inhabitants having nearly doubled in the course of the last quarter of a century. Its name, possibly, is derived from the AngloSaxon beroc, or beorce, "a birch-tree," and ing, As was usually the case with parishes in which large monastic houses stood, Barking was very extensive, being nearly thirty miles round, reaching up to the borders of Hainault Forest, on the north of the Chelmsford Road, and including the hamlets of Ilford, Chadwell, Ald Barking.] THE ABBEY. borough Hatch, and Barking Side.* But most of these have been cut off, and erected into separate ecclesiatical districts. The advowson belongs to All Souls College, Oxford, to which it was given by William Pownsett, of Loxford, who had been steward to the last abbess. It was proposed as far back as 1650 that the parish should be divided into three. The entire parish contains upwards of 12,300 acres, and, according to the census returns for 1881, the population of the whole amounts to nearly 17,000. 517 London (the founder also of Chertsey), who died here in A.D. 685, and was buried in St. Paul's, where his shrine was one of the chief attractions.* The abbey was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, and was of the Benedictine Order. St. Ethelburgha, sister to Erkenwald, was abbess of the convent, where she led an austere life, and where she died in the odour of sanctity in 676. She was succeeded by her sister, Hildelha, who died in 700. Edilburga, wife of Ina, King of the West Saxons, having lived during her widowhood as a nun here, Barking is believed to have formed part of the demesne lands of the East Saxon kings; but little or nothing is known of its early history until the foundation of the abbey, about the year 670, in the reigns of Sebbi and Sighere, kings of the East Saxons; the founder was a grandson of Uffa, the first Saxon king of the East Angles, and the first bishop who sat in the see of London after the erection of St. Paul's by Ethelbert. This was one of the earliest, as well as largest, of conventual houses near London, and its site must have been chosen, not for its beauty, but its solitude. It owed its foundation to St. Erkenwald, Bishop of See ante, pp. 490, 495. 1 was canonised after her death, as also were two of her successors. The history of the abbey is briefly told. It was burnt by the Danes, A.D. 870, and, after having lain desolate for a century, was rebuilt by King Edgar, as an offering in satisfaction for an insult offered by him at Wilton to a holy recluse, the same who became Abbess of Barking, and was canonised as St. Wulphilda. Under its Saxon abbesses Barking became one of the sacred spots of England, and Bede gives us, in his "Ecclesiastical History," a long list of the miracles worked within its walls.+ * See "Old and New London," Vol. I., p. 236. At the Conquest it was a place of note, and the Conqueror is said to have visited the place on his way to take up his abode at the Tower of London. Here, under the shadow of the venerable abbey church, and within a few miles of the reputed tomb of his rival Harold, William withdrew after his illomened coronation; and here he established a Court, which gradually attracted many, if not most, of the nobility of the south of England, thus making it for a time the head-quarters of "rank and fashion -a strange contrast to the present appearance of the place. Richard of Barking became Abbot of Westminster, Councillor to Henry III., Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and Lord Treasurer of England. He died A.D. 1246, and was buried in his abbey church. The convent, under Algifa, Queen Maude, Adeliza, and other great Norman ladies, became one of the chief places of education of the daughters of noble families; here was also a school for youths, and amongst the children here brought up were the two sons of Catharine, widow of Henry V. Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester, after her husband's murder, found a refuge in the Abbey of Barking, and died here A.D. 1399. "On her brass in Westminster Abbey," observes Mr. Thorne, "she is represented as a nun of Barking." In right of their large temporal estates the Abbesses of Barking held a seat in the great council of the kingdom, those days-"probably," suggests Mr. Thorne, "to assist her in her efforts to reclaim the drowned lands." It may show the importance which was attached to this abbey in former times when it is stated that the Church of All Saints, or Allhallows, in Tower Street, had the distinguishing title appended thereto by the Abbess and Convent of Barking, to whom the vicarage originally belonged. King Richard I. added a chapel to the Church of AllhallowsBarking; and Edward I. presented a statue of "Our Lady of Barking" to the treasures of the church. The abbess possessed thirteen knights' fees and a half, and she held her lands of the king as a barony; and though her sex prevented her from attending the king in the wars, yet she always furnished her quota of men, and had precedence over the abbesses. In her convent she always lived in great state; her household consisted of "chaplains, an esquire, gentlemen, gentlewomen, yeomen, grooms, a clerk, a yeoman cook, a groom cook, a pudding-wife, &c." The following curious entries from the records of this house, extracted from the Harleian MS., 433, are worth the notice of the antiquarian readers : "Maistr. William Talbot hath the psonage of Alhalowes Berking, of London." "Elizabeth abbess of Berking hath annuyte of xv li. graunted by Docto. Talbot pson of Berking in London, and the same graunt to hir and hir successors is confirmed by the king." "A licence given to M. Chaderton dean of Berking, and to the chanons there to graunt to Elizabeth abbesse of Berking an annuyte of xv li. to them graunted by yre." "The pryor and convent of the Holy Trinitie in London have a licence to graunt for ever unto th' abbess of Berking an annuyte of xx li. of al yre lands in London." It has often been asked whether women ever sat and voted in the Upper House of Parliament. As a step towards the solution of the question, The amount of the rents received from several attention may be drawn to the fact that in the of the above places, as well as the kind of houseSaxon times four abbesses-those of Barking, hold anciently kept up in this monastery, appears Wilton, Shaftesbury, and St. Mary's, Winchester-from the following statement preserved among the held seats in the Witenagemot, or great council of Cottonian manuscripts and in the Monasticon, and the kingdom. But whether they voted is not which, for its curiosity, we are induced to give at satisfactorily known. It appears that the Abbess length. of Barking enjoyed precedence above her other sisters. It would seem that the first blow to the prosperity of the abbey was caused by a breach of the river banks at Dagenham, which flooded its lowlying lands, and caused a "public appeal" for assistance. The "Harleian Manuscripts" tell us that King Richard III. issued a license to the Prior and Convent of the Holy Trinity, in London, to grant the Abbess of Barking an annuity of twenty pounds-which was a large sum in "This is the charthe longynge to the office of the celeresse of the monasterye of Barkinge as hereafter followethe: "First she must luke whanne she commethe into here office, what is owynge to the said office, by diverse fermours and rent gedererers, and see that it be paid as soone as she may." She was then to receive "yerly of the collectore of Werley" at the two feasts of St. Michael and Easter, each 1. s. And of the collectors of the following places the following sums. Bulfanne Anniversaryes.— 519 saries, that is to say, Sir William Vicar, Dame Alys Merton, Dame Mawte the kynge's daughter, Dame Mawte Loveland, and William Dun: and also to purvey for xii gallon good ale for the pittance of William at the day of anniversary. yearly v 1. Mockinge iiii. 1. and of the "fermes of the covent, and to the said foure doubles, to eche lady ther " lx. s. Of the collector of Hockley at the and double ij. d. for their cripsis and crumkakes alway payd at Shroftyd. two feasts of Easter and Michælmass x. 1. TollesAnd also sche must pay for v anniverbury, *** Wigberewe x. 1. Gynge at Stone, xlviii. s. Slapton viii. 1. Of the fermour of Lytlyngton xv. l. Uphall "by yere" vi. 1. xiii. s. iv. d. Dunneshall lvi. s. viii. d. Wanynges iv. 1. x. s. Of the collector of Barkinge "of the rentis and fermes of Barkinge and Dagenham, to the longing to the sayd office, by the yere, xij. l. xviii. s." "Of the chanons of Seynt Powles," a rent of xxii. s. "Of the prior and convent of Seynt Bartholmewes in London,” xvij. s. And of John Goldington for a yearly rent of divers tenements at "Seynt Mary Schorehogge," xxii pence. For a tenement in Friday Street yearly xxiii. s. and iiii. d. "but it is not knowen wher it stonds," and "she shuld receive yerly xxx. s. of the rent of Tybourne, but it is not paid." Then follow the various particulars the cellaress was to provide for the convent. The Issues of the Larder.-" And also she must be charged with all the orskeyns that she selleth; and of all the inwardes of the oxen; and with all the tallowe that she selleth, coming of hyr oxen: also of every messe of the beyofe that she selleth and all these be called the yssues of the larder. The foryn Receyte. -“And also yf she sell oney hey at ony ferme longynge to her office, she must charge her selfe therwith, and it is called a foryn receyte. "Some totalis of all the said charthe. Beyinge of Greynys." Wher of what parte of the said some sche must purvey yerly for three quarters malte, for the tounes of St. Alburgh, and Cristmasse, eche of them xij. bushell, and than must sche pay to the brewer of each toune xx. d. And then must sche purvy for a quarter and seven bushells of whete fore pitaunce of William Dune, Dame Mawte Loveland, Dame Alys Merton, Dame Mawte the kynges daughter: and for russeaulx in Lenton and to bake with elys on Schere Thursday. And then must sche pay to the baker for bakinge of every pitaunce vi. d. And also sche must purvey for one bushell of greyne beanes for the covent ayenst missomer. Offeringes and Wages, and Gyftes of the Selleris.—“ And also sche must pay in offryng to two celleresses by yere xii. d. and then shall sche pay to the steward of howshold, what tyme he brynght home money from the courtis, at eche tyme xx. d. and then schall sche gyve to the steward of howshold at Cristymes xx. d. and to my lady's gentylwoman xx. d. and to every gentilman xvi. d. and to every yoman as it pleaseth her to doo, and gromes in like case: and then must sche bye a suger looffe for my lady at Cristmas: and also sche must pay to hyr clerk for his wages thirteen shillings fourpence; to hyr yoman cooke twenty-six shillings eightpence and sche shall pay for a gown to her grome coke and her poding wief by the yere ii. s. Fitance of the Cov.nt.-"And also sche must purvy for iii. casse of multon for the covent, for the pitaunce of Sir William Vicar: also sche must purvey for a pece of whete, and iii. gallons melke for firmete on Seynt Alburgh's daye: also she must purvey iiii bacon hojis for the covent, for pitance of Dame Alys Merton, and Dame Mawte the kinge's daughter, at ii times in wynter; and sche must bye vi grecys, vi sowcys for the covent, and also vi inwardys, c. egges to make white podinges: also bred, peper, saferon for the same podinjes : also to purvey iii galons gude ale for besons. And also to purvey marybones to make white wortys for the covent: and then must sche purvey at Seynt Andrewestyd a pitance of fysche for my lady and the covent : and then must sche pay at Shroftyde to every lady of the covent, and to iiii doubles, for their cripcis, and for the crumkakes to every lady and doubill ii. d. and thanne must sche purvey for my lady abbess against Shroftyd, viij. chekenes also bonnes for the covent at Shroftyd. Also iiii galons melke fur the covent the same tyme and yen must sche purvey for every Sonday in Lenton pituance fysche for the covent and also to be sure of xii stubbe elles and Ix. schafte eles to bake for the covent on Schere Thursday: and also one potel tyre for my ladye abbess the same day, and two galons of rede wyne for the covent the same day and also to purvey three galons of good ale for Beying of Store.-" And sche must purvy for xxii. gud the covent every weke in Lenton, and to have one galone oxen by the yere fore covent. Providence for Advent and Lentten. "Also sche must purvy for two cadys of heryngs that be rede for the covent in Advent and for vii cadys of red heryng for the covent in Lenton and also for three berell of white heringe for the covent in Lentyn: and also sche must purvey for xii. c. lib. almondes for the covents in Lentyn, and for xviii salt fish for the covent in Lentyn; and for xiv. or ellys xv. salt salmones for the said covent in Lentyn and for three peces and xxiv. 1. fyggis: and one pece reysenez for the covent in Lenton. And also for xxviiil. 1. ryse for the covent in Lenton; and for viii galons mustard for the covent. Ruscheaw Sylver.-" And also sche must pay to every lady of the covent, and also to the priorisse, to two celeresse and kechener, for ther doubls, for ther rushew sylver, by xvi. times payable in the yere to every lady, and doubill at eche time ob. but it is paid nowe but at two times that is to say, at Ester and Michelmes: also sche must paye to every lady red wyne for the covent on Ester evyn and also to purvey for three casse of multon for the covent, for the pitaunce of William Dune; and also to purvey for every lady of the covent, and v double to every lady, and double di. gose delivered at the fest of the Assumption of our Lady. Eysylver.--" And also sche must pay to xxxvii ladyes of the covent for their eysylver fro Michelmes tyll Allhallowday, to every lady by the weke i. d. ob. and then to every lady by the weke fro Allhallowe-day tyll Advent i. d. ob. q. and then to every lady be the weke fro advent Sonday till Childermas day i. d. q. and then to every lady for the same eysylver be the weke fro Cheldermesday unto Aschwednesday i. d. ob. q. and then fro Ester unto Michelmasse to every lady be the weke i. d. ob. and then must sche paye to eche lady for ye eysylver for eche vigill fallyng within the yere ob. and then must sche pay to the priorie eche weke in the yere, except Lenten xxxii. egges, or elles ii. d. ob. q. in money for them every weke, except : iiii weke in Advent, in the wheche sche shall not pay but xvi. egges be the weke and also sche must pay to the said priorie for every vigill fallynge within the yere viij. egges, or elles ob. dim. q. and iiii. part of q in money for the same. Beyinge of Butter." And then must sche purvey for fest butter of Seynt Alburgh for xxxvii lades and iiij. doubles, that is to say, the prioresse, ij. celleressys, and the kechener, to every lady and double i. cobet, every disch conteynyng iii cobettes: and then must sche pay to the sayd ladys and doubles for the storying butter by v tymes in the yere, that is to wite, in Advent, and three tymes after Cristmas, to eche lady and double at every ob. and also sche must purvey for the said lades and doubles for the fest butter at Ester and Whitsontide, lyk as sche dyd at Seynt Alburgh's tyde: also sche must purvey for the sayd lades of the covent, and the said iiii doubles, and the priory for ther fourtnyght butter fro Trinitie Sonday unto Holy Rounde daye, that is to seyd, to every lady double, and priory, at eche fourtnyght betweene the sayd two festes i cobette butter, iii cobetts makyng a disch: and also sche must purvey to the said ladys with ther doubles to the fest butter of Assumption of our Lady, to every lady and double i. cobett butter. Hyreing of Pastur." And then must sche be sure of pasture for her oxen in tym of yere, as her servants can enfourme her. Mowyng and making of Heye.-" And also to see hyr heye be mowe, and made in time of ye yere, as yeryng requeryth. Costys of Reparations." And thanne must sche see that all manner of howses within her office be sufficiently repayred as well withought at hyr fyrmes, manners, as within the monastery. :: This ys the Forme of brening of the Celeresse Beofe; foist the Clerke shall enter into her Boke as followeth.-"The Satyrday the xx daye of September she answereth of iiii or v messes remayning in store of the last weke before, and of lxiii messes of beofe comyng of an oxe slayn that same weke and also sche must answere of iiii. xx messes of beofe be byr boughte of the covente, of that they lefte behynd of ther lyvere paying for every messe i. d. ob. las in all by i. d. ob. summa cxlvii. messe, thereof delyvered to eche lady of the covent for iii dayes in the weke iii messe of beofe, that is sonday, tewesday, and thursday: and thanne schall sche pay to the priory for the seid iii dayes vi messes of beof, for eche day ij messe; and yff there fall no vigill in the sayd iii dayes, and where there falleth a vigill in ony of the iii. and the next settyrday sche must loke what beof every houshold will have, and thereafter must sche purvey her beofe in the market; for she shall stey but every fortnyght, and yff sche be a good huswyff. The Lovery of Red Herynge in Advent.-" First sche schall delyvere to eche lady of the covent every weke in Advent for monday and wednysday, for eche day to every lady iii heryngs and to the priory every weke in Advent for the sayd ij days viii heryngs. The Levery of Almonds, Rysse, Fyggs, and Reyssons in Lenton.--"First to my lady abbesse in almondes for Advent and Lenttyn iiii. 1. and to every lady of the covent for Advent and Lentten ii. 1. almondis, and to the prioresse ii celarisses and kechenere for ther doubill to eche doubell ii. 1. Rysse. And eche lady of the covent for all the Lentten D. 1. ryse, and eche of the said iiii double to eche double for all the Lentten D. 1. rysse. Fyges and Reysons." And eche lady of the covent every weke in Lenton i. I. fyges and reyssons, and eche of the sayd iiii doubles every weke in Lentton i. 1. fyges and reysons, and to the priori every weke i. 1. fygs and reysons. Levery of Herynge." And to every lady of the covent for every day in the weke in Lentton iiii heryngs red and white, that is, every lady xxviii herynges be the weke, and to the priori be v dayes, that is, monday, tewsday, wedynesday, thursday, and sattyrday; and the sonday they recevy fische, and for the friday fygs and reysons. Levery of Fis he.--"And to every lady of the covent in Lentton eche oder weke, one messe salt fysch, and to the prioresse i celleresses and kechener for the doubles eche other weke in Lentten, to eche double i messe salt fysch; and to the priory eche other weke in Lentton ii messe salt fysch, every salt fysch conteyning vii messe. Levery of Salt Salmon.—“And to every lady of the covent in Lentton eche other weke i messe of salt salmon; and like wyse to eche of the sayd iiii doubles i messe of salmon ; and in lykewyse each other weke to the priorye ii. messe of salt salmon yeldyng ix messe. The Levery of Sorose-"Be it remembered that the celeresse must se that every lady of the covent have hyr levery of sowse fro my lady abbesse kychen at Martynmese tyme; and every lady to have three thynges; that is to say, the cheke, the ere, and the fote, is a levery; the groyne aud two fete ys anodyr levery; soe a hoole hoggs sowsse, shall serve three ladyes. And thanne must sche have for three doubles in lyke wyse, to every double three thyngs; and the three doubles be the prioresse, the high celeresse and the kychener; the under celeresse schall not have of double: and then must gyff to every lady and double beforesaid of sowce of hyre owne provisione two thyngs to every lady; so that a hoole hogg sowse do serve four ladyes. Pitaunce Pork." Anl sche must remember to aske for the covent at my lady abbesse kychen allwey at Martynmesse pittaunce porke for every lady one messe, and for foure doubles, that is to sey, the priorisse, two celliresses, and the kychener, to every double one messe: and then must sche purvey pittaunce porke for the covent, wheche longeth to hyr owne office, for to doo at two tymes in wynter, and that is, ones for Dame Alys Merton and another for Dame Mawte the king's daughter, at eche tyme to every lady one messe, and eche double one messe; and every hogge shall yield xx messe. Pittaunce Mutton. -"And also sche must aske for the covent at my lady abbesse kychen pittaunce mutton three tymes in the yere, betweene the Assumption of our Lady and Michelmasse, at eche tyme to every lady one messe, and to the priorisse the high celleresse, and to the kychener for three doubles, for every double one messe, and every mutton shall yelde xii messe. And then must sche purvey for pittaunce mutton for the covent wheche longeth to hyr owne office to doo at two tymes in the yere, that is, once for Syr William Vicar, and another tyme for William Dune; to every lady and doubell beforesaid, one messe mutton at eche tym, every mutton yeldynge xii messe. Soper Eggs." And the under celeresse must rememder at eche principal fest, that my lady sytteth in the fraytour; that is to wyt, five tymes in the yere, at eche tyme shall aske the clerke of the kychen soper eggs for the covent, and that is Estir, Wytsontyd, the Assumption of our Lady, Seynt Alburgh, and Cristynmasse, at eche tyme to every lady two eggs, and eche double two eggs, that is the priorisse, the celeresse, and the kychener. Rusheaulx in Lenton.-"Also sche must remembir rusheaulx in Lenton, that my lady abbesse have viii of the. |