| Contents |
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| List of Maps | iv |
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| List of Tables, Graphs and Family Trees | iv |
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| List of Photos | v |
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| List of Drawings | vii |
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| List of Facsimiles | viii |
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| Preface | x |
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| Maps of Essex and the Area Around Witham | xii |
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| Acknowledgements | xiii |
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| Map of Modern Witham and Some Historic Sites | xiv |
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| Chapter 1 - Introduction: Witham Before 1500 | 1 |
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| Chipping Hill | 1 |
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| Newland Street | 2 |
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| Fields and Outlying Settlements | 2 |
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| Later Medieval Witham | 3 |
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| Chapter 2 - Population and Society | 4 |
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| Numbers | 4 |
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| Movement | 4 |
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| Plague and Disease | 6 |
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| Society | 9 |
| 1523 - Lay Subsidy | 9 |
| 1636 - Ship Money | 10 |
| 1673 - Hearth Tax | 12 |
| Probate Value of Goods at Death | 15 |
| Inventories | 15 |
| Total values | 17 |
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| Chapter 3 - Building and Living Conditions | 21 |
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| Building Construction | 21 |
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| Brick | 27 |
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| Window Glass | 33 |
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| Decoration | 33 |
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| Accommodation | 34 |
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| Living Conditions | 41 |
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| Chapter 4 - Roads and Transport | 44 |
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| Routes | 45 |
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| Road Conditions | 48 |
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| Bridges | 51 |
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| Means of Transport | 55 |
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| The Post | 59 |
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| Chapter 5 - Land and Agriculture | 62 |
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| Land | 62 |
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| Manors of Chipping and Newland | 62 |
| Demesne of Chipping and Newland | 69 |
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| Outer Manors | 66 |
| Powershall | 73 |
| Blunts Hall | 77 |
| Howbridge Hall | 79 |
| Ishams (Little Howbridge) | 83 |
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| Vicarage (Hog End) Manor | 84 |
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| Other Large Farm Units (Over 50 Acres) | 84 |
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| Smaller Units (50 Acres or Less) | 88 |
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| Sizes of Holdings and Farming Units | 90 |
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| Agricultural Methods | 92 |
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| Methods in Witham | 92 |
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| Meadows and Hay | 98 |
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| Woodland and Wood | 100 |
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| Grain Crops | 103 |
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| Hops | 105 |
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| Garden Crops | 105 |
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| Horses | 107 |
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| Cattle | 107 |
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| Pigs | 108 |
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| Sheep | 110 |
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| Chapter 6 - Processing, Crafts and Trade | 111 |
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| The Role of Witham in the Area | 111 |
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| Regulation of Commerce | 116 |
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| Processing | 118 |
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| Craftsmen | 122 |
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| Tradesmen | 129 |
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| The Market | 138 |
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| Chapter 7 - The Cloth Industry | 143 |
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| Before 1500 | 143 |
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| 1500 to 1540 | 143 |
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| 1540 to 1600 | 144 |
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| 1600 to 1628 | 145 |
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| 1629 to 1650 | 147 |
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| c.1650 Onwards | 147 |
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| Clothiers | 150 |
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| Distribution Centres | 156 |
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| Carding and Combing | 158 |
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| Spinning | 160 |
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| Weaving | 161 |
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| Fulling | 167 |
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| Roughing | 169 |
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| Shearing | 170 |
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| Tentering | 170 |
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| Chapter 8 - People | 173 |
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| County Families | 173 |
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| The Southcott Family | 173 |
| Witham Place | 175 |
| Judge John Southcott | 177 |
| Elizabeth Southcott/Southwell | 178 |
| John Southcott esquire | 179 |
| Edward Southcott esquire | 180 |
| Sir John Southcott | 180 |
| Sir Edward Southcott | 180 |
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| The Barnardiston Family and William Towse | 181 |
| Dame Katherine Barnardiston | 182 |
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| The Gentry | 185 |
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| The Garrard Family | 186 |
| John Garrard(1) | 186 |
| Jerome Garrard(1) | 189 |
| Jerome Garrard(2) | 190 |
| Robert Garrard(2) | 191 |
| Jerome Garrard(3) | 192 |
| Jerome (Jerry) Garrard(4) | 192 |
| John Garrard(2) and John Garrard(3) | 192 |
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| The Armond, Brodway and Jackson Families | 193 |
| George Armond(1) | 193 |
| John Armond | 195 |
| George Armond(2) | 197 |
| Elizabeth Armond | 197 |
| Thomas Brodway and Abigail Jackson | 197 |
| Adam Jackson and Robert Jackson(1) | 198 |
| John Jackson(1), junior, and Sarah his mother | 199 |
| John Jackson(A), senior | 199 |
| William Jackson(A) | 200 |
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| The Gravener Family | 200 |
| John Gravener(1) | 200 |
| John Gravener(2) | 200 |
| John Gravener(3) | 202 |
| John Gravener(4) | 202 |
| John Gravener(5) | 203 |
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| The Barwell Family | 203 |
| Robert Barwell(1) | 205 |
| Martha Barwell(1) | 206 |
| Robert Barwell(2) | 206 |
| Newman Barwell | 207 |
| Sarah Barwell and Martha Barwell(2) | 208 |
| Robert Barwell(3) | 208 |
| Robert Barwell(4) | 210 |
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| Middling People | 212 |
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| The Poor | 216 |
| Poverty and the life cycle | 217 |
| The care of the poor | 220 |
| Dame Katherine Barnardiston's Gifts | 223 |
| Almshouses | 224 |
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| Chapter 9 - Postscript | 226 |
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| Constants | 226 |
| Chronology | 227 |
| Religion and politics | 229 |
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| Suggested reading | 230 |
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| Notes | 231 |
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| Index | 266 |
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| An impression of the central part of Witham in about 1680 (end paper) |
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