Nevendon: A brief history Geographically,
Nevendon is situated some 29 miles south east of London, set back 4 miles from the passing River Thames in the county of
Essex. The earliest known reference to Nevendon can be traced back to the reign of Edward the Confessor, 1042-1066, when it was known
as Newenden. The Domesday Book of 1086 refers to it as Nezendena. The name is believed to be of Saxon origin dating from the Anglo-Saxon
occupation of south east Essex. Since then there have been a number of spelling variations like Nevendene and Nevenden, as seen on Chapman
and Andre's map of 1777. Its small population dating from before the creation of Basildon new town in 1949 was mainly centred around
Nevendon Road, Burnt Mills Road, Borwick Lane and Timberlog Lane.
The name Nevendon appears to have evolved from the word dun, the Anglo-Saxon term for hill.
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales by Rev. John Marius Wilson
The Reverend John Wilson edited these impressive topographical volumes between 1870 and 1872. They included a brief description of Nevendon.
NEVENDON, or Newendon, a parish in Billericay district, Essex; 2½ miles N by W of Pitsea r. station, and 4½ S E of Billericay.
Post-town, Battle-Bridge, under Chelmsford. Acres, 991. Real property, £1, 380. Pop., 205. Houses, 39. The property is divided
among a few. The manor appears on record so early as the time of Edward the Confessor. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Rochester. Value,
£230. Patrons, the Representatives of the late S. Kevall, Esq. The church comprises nave and chancel, and was recently in disrepair.
White's gazetteer and directory In the 1800s the
publisher William White of Sheffield produced a small history of Nevendon in his yearly gazetteer and directory. Reproduced here is the entry
information for Nevendon from the 1848 edition.
NEVENDON, or Newendon, is a small parish and straggling village, in a pleasant valley, 4½ miles South East by East of Billericay, containing
216 souls; and 974 acres of land. Before the Conquest, it was held by three proprietors, and it afterwards passed to the Mareschall,
Fitz-Lewis, Berdeford, Blackmore, Bavin, and Eachus families. It is in two manors, called Nevendon, or Bromfords Hall and Frerne, or Fryerne,
and belongs to various owners. The Church (St. Peter,) is a small ancient structure; and the rectory, valued in K.B. at £11.13s.4d., and in
1831 at £225, is in the patronage of the Rev. V. Edwards, and incumbency of the Rev. L.T. Edwards, M.A., who has a good residence.
The inhabitants of note are listed as: Rev. Lawrence Tucker Edwards M.A., Rectory
Joseph Marsh, beerhouse and shopkeeper
William Such, victualler, Cricketers Farmers: Charles Abrey, Hall
Daniel Archer
Abraham Bell
Henry Harrison
Mrs. Mary Hills
Mrs. Sarah Murray
William Sparrow
Source: William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Essex 1848 White's Directories
The publisher William White of Sheffield issued a yearly series of gazetteer's and directories covering the United Kingdom. These began in 1826 in partnership with
William Parson, but from 1831 were solely the work of White. William White continued to produce these until 1898 when his company was absorbed
into Kelly's (Frederic Festus Kelly) trade directory, which continued into the twentieth century. Kelly's Directory of
Essex, 1894 NEVENDON (or Newendon) is an ancient parish, 3 miles north from Pitsea station on the London,
Tilbury and Southend railway and 1½ miles south-west from Wickford station on the Great Eastern railway, 29 from London, 6 south-east from
Billericay, and 10 south-east from Brentwood, in the Mid division of the county, Barstable hundred, Billericay union, Brentwood county court district and
petty sessional division, and in the rural deanery of Danbury, archdeaconry of Essex and diocese of St. Albans. The church of St. Peter,
thoroughly restored in 1875, is an edifice of stone, in the Early English style, and now consists of chancel, nave, vestry and a small wooden bell turret on
the western gable, containing 1 bell: the windows of the chancel are stained and it retains an aumbry: in the north wall of the nave is a cinque-foiled
piscina niche and there are traces of a stoup near the south doorway: there are 60 sittings. The register dates from the year 1669. The living is
a rectory, average tithe rent-charge about £200, net yearly value £I41, with 7 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of trustees, and held since 1892 by
the Rev. Willie McGowan M.A. of Durham University. The land is held by several proprietors. The soil is heavy loam; subsoil, clay and
gravel. The chief crops are wheat and beans. The area is 991 acres; rateable value, £837; the population in 1891 was 149.
Parish Clerk, Charles Smith. Post Office.- Arthur Moss, sub-postmaster. Letters through Battles Bridge S.O. by messenger, arrive at
7.50 a.m.; returning at 5.10 p.m. The nearest money order & telegraph office is at Wickford. Box cleared at 5. 10 p.m. Postal orders are issued
here, but not paid. National School (mixed), built in 1886, for 35 children; average attendance, 25; Miss Charlotte Taylor, mistress.
McGowan Rev. Willie M.A. Rectory
Moss Arthur, grocer, Post office
Mumford Henry, Jolly Cricketers P.H.
Raven George, beer retailer
Pigott William, farmer, Nevendon Hall & Frampton farms
Kelly's Directory of Essex, 1914 Identical entry to 1894 edition for opening paragraph with the exception that
Nevendon is now within the rural deanery of Wickford and diocese of Chelmsford. The church of St. Peter, thoroughly
restored in 1875, is an edifice of stone, and now consists of chancel (which is in the Early English Style), nave, vestry and a small
wooden bell turret on the western gable, containing 1 bell: the windows of the chancel are stained and it retains an aumbry: in the
north wall of the nave is a cinque-foiled piscina niche and there are traces of a stoup near the south doorway: there are 100
sittings. The register dates from the year 1651. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £I45, with 7 acres of glebe and
residence, in the gift of the Right Rev. Bishop Stevens D.D. and held since 1911 by the Rev. Alfred Watson
Hands Th.A.K.C. The land is held by several proprietors. The soil is heavy loam; subsoil, clay and gravel. The chief
crops are wheat and beans. The area is 1012 acres; rateable value, £947; the population in 1911 was 229. Sexton,
Thomas William Smith. Post Office.- Thomas William Elliott, sub-postmaster. Letters through Wickford, Essex, arrive at
7.30 a.m.; sunday, 7.30 a.m. ; dispatched at 9.50 a.m. & 5.55 p.m. ; sunday 10.a.m. The nearest money order & telegraph
office is at Wickford, 1½ miles distant. Wall Letter Box in Nevendon road cleared, 5.40 p.m. ; sundays 9.50
a.m. Public Elementary School (mixed), built in 1886, for 32 children; average attendance, 22; Mrs Millard, mistress.
Marked thus ** receive letters through Vange, Pitsea. Marked thus * receive letters through Basildon,
Billericay. PRIVATE RESIDENTS. **Bartley Henry, Ilfracombe House
Bedwell Harry, Revenscroft
England Mark,
Kelowna
Gwilliam Albert Joseph, Ashburton
Hands Rev. Albert Watson Th.A.K.C. Rectory
**Newett Alfred, Gordon
house COMMERCIAL. *Allen John Bryant, assistant overseer
Elliott Thos. Wm. grocer, & post office
English Frank N. beer retailer
**Hall Robert K. coal dealer
**Kuchemann Henry Caspar, wood carver, Ruskin lodge
**Lay A. G. & Co. market gardeners
Masters Ellen Winterbon (Mrs), farmer, Nevendon hall
Mumford William Walter, Jolly
Cricketers P.H.
Prentice Henry Charles, farm bailiff to T.W. Offin esq
Weir William, jobbing gardener
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