Volume I - Little Baddow History Centre

“tenement and orchard called Heards” for the old rent of 4d. Benjamin Livermore
acquired it from John Lince in 1838; he converted it into two timber, lath and plaster
and tile cottages, often called Livermore’s cottages, and they survived into the
twentieth century still in the Livermore family’s possession.
Benjamin Livermore operated the Paper Mill, owned by G.W. Aylmer, which had
recently become part of Middlemead. Previously it had been in Hatfield Peverel, and
in a 1589 survey was described as “an anntient water myll called Huskerdes myll
being both a Corn myll and a Fulling myll, having a goodly large pond or dame to
serve the said Myll with water at all tymes”. In the seventeenth century paper-making
was started there – perhaps the first in Essex.
Sketch map
The family of Reade alias Carter held from the manor of Mowden Hall in Hatfield
Peverel a customary cottage “with Garden platt or backyard” called Pickards or
Piccottes, for which they paid 2s. a year and 3 fat capons at Christmas. This adjoined
a piece of freehold land measuring 40’ x 18’ and another customary piece upon which
a cottage was built, both belonging to Tofts manor, and held by the Reade family
from before 1469. In 1524 there was a Johanna Pikkottes in Middlemead, possibly a
descendant of Richard Picard who paid tax in 1327 and may have given his name to
the Mowden Hall cottage. On her husband’s death in 1619 Widow Carter als. Rede
was living in the Tofts cottage (by then called Wickhay cottage), paying 2s.2d. per
annum. Pickards and the land seem to have been sold by her husband and in midcentury
Alice Nevell left them to her grandson, Samuel Hurrell. Meanwhile Samuel
Jeggons had come into possession of Wickhay cottage and the freehold land which
now also had a cottage on it and was rented at 10d. He was reprimanded at the 1655
court for allowing the barn belonging to Wickhay cottage to “fall downe to the
ground”. The tenement was seized by the Bailiff and Jeggons allowed to resume the
tenancy only on paying a fine of £3 and promising to erect a new barn. Immediately
after this he surrendered the tenements to John Mabbs, on whose death in 1675 they
went to his son and were in the occupation of Samuel Walford. In the next century
they were transferred to the Perry family and finally to James Meagle, who had a
cooper’s shop there and held adjoining land which had been taken from the green. He
left the tenements and land between his two daughters, of whom the survivor was
Elizabeth Sweeting. She and her husband sold the whole to General Strutt in 1807,
but were permitted to remain in Wickhay cottage for their lives paying £1.1.0. per
year. This cottage, probably a recent rebuilding, consisted of “a Parlour, keeping
(living) room, Kitchen, Buttery and Pantry with two sleeping Rooms above”. A
dispute arose because they had held back part of the garden to retain their manorial
rights as copyhold tenants. The general told them “It is my wish to settle it
amicably.” When the matter was finally settled, Mrs Sweeting mentioned at the court
that she had stipulated that she should be permitted to draw water from the well
within the copyhold premises. The cottage on the freehold land was occupied at this
time by one of the Gibson family and later probably by James Peacock. The cooper’s
shop had been converted by Mrs Sweeting into a dwelling house. Opposite these
cottages there was a “dip” for water which was piped from the spring and stream
beside Holybred wood.
In 1620 Widow Lyeman held two cottages and gardens containing in all just over an
acre and fronting on Wickhay green,for which she paid 3s.8d. rent. These seem to
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