mund, earl of Arundel, in the reign of Edward the Second; but he being beheaded by the procurement of Roger lord Mortimer, it was granted again to the Surrey family. In 1461, John Scot, Esq. held this manor. In 1592, it came to the Petre family, who are still proprietors. The manor of Copfold Hall, otherwise Cold Hall, has an exceedingly pleasant mansion house: being situated on an eminence, it commands an extensive view over Gallywood Common, Stock, &c. as well as toward Danbury: it is an elegant modern building, with gardens laid out in a pretty taste. The manor belonged to the countess of Oxford, in 1360, and Thomas de Lambowrne held it. William Cheyne, Esq. possessed it in 1371: it was next in the Cloville family, whence it came by marriage into that of Tanfield; it was sold from that family to Henry Bishop, Esq. (many years under sheriff for this county,) and his two daughters and coheirs, who afterwards released their right to Mr. Bishop. Upon which he sold it to Richard Benyon, Esq. and he to Richard Holden, Esq. It is now the property of William Vechell, Esq. Among the monuments in the church is the following quaint epitaph: Sacred to the memory of Peter Whitecombe, late of Ingate stone, Esq. and Julian, his wife, married forty-two years. She died January 12, 1666, aged seventy. He died November 12, 1666, aged seventy-seven. She on this clayen pillow layd her head, As brides do use the first to go to bed. He miss'd her soone; and yet ten months he trys The approach to Chelmsford is through MouLSHAM, which is only separated from the former by the river Cann, over which there is a stone bridge. Before the Conquest the manor of Moulsham, Mulsham, or Mulsho, was part of the possessions belonging to the church of Westminster, and continued to be the property of that church till its dissolu tion as a monastery, when Moulsham came to the crown. VOL. VI. No. 131. Ff Henry . Henry VIII. granted it in 1540 to Thomas Mildmay', Esq. one of his auditors, for 6221. 5s. 8d. at twenty years purchase. With this grant was given all the rights and sprivileges thereto appertaining, with a water mill called Mulsham Mill, and lands and woods known by the name of Mulsham Frith; together with all the lands, tenements, messuages, mills, &c. lying in the parishes of Chelmesforde, Great Badow, Widforde, Stocke, and Writtle, and in the hamlet of Mulsham; to have and to hold to the same Thomas Mildmay, Esq. and his heirs for ever*. On the manor of Moulsham stands what remains of the mansion house of this great and antient family, distin. guished This manor is thus recorded in the antient survey taken in 1591; from which we had the foregoing description of Bishop's Hall, &c. "The maner of Mulsham is one antient entire maner, lying together within itself in severalty, holden of the queen's majesty in chief, and not holden or any way chargeable or contributory to any castle, honor or other common or, special seigniory. And it hath belonging unto it, in soils, demesnes and wastes more than thirteen hundred acres of good sorts of country soil, both in clay and sand. And also has the rents, cus. toms, and services of more than two hundred convenient tenancies, holding of the same maner by free deed, and copy of court roll. And there is belonging of common poor vicinage more than fifteen hundred acres, called Galle-wood common, situate in the parishes of Much Badow, Stock, Ging Margaret, and Chelmsford aforesaid, but divided from the maner of Chelmesford by one main river. "The maner place of Mulsham, commonly called Mulsham Hall, at this day is the seat of Sir Thomas Mildmay, knt. In former times it had no proprietory dwelling upon the same, but used by fermers, and under fermers, by reason whereof it was grown into great ruin and decay, until about the thirty-third or thirty-fourth year of king Henry the Eighth. Thomas Mildmay, Esq. did build the same very beautifully, so as it was then accounted the greatest esquire's building within the said county of Essex. And since that time it is much bettered, augmented, and beautified by the same Sir Thomas Mildmay. "This maner is seated in a very good wholesome air, upon the sand, and gravel, not moted or compassed with waters, but hath sufficient store of ponds, and water courses. And hath conveyances brought into the house, into each office, of very good wholesome spring water abundantly. And of wood it hath great store. To P92 guished by the name of Moulsham Hall. It is delightfully Exha placed on an easy ascent about a quarter of a mile on the east side of the town of Chelmsford, and stands nearly east, west, north, and south. The grand front commands Danbury Hill. It is very regular, and on the top of it were three statues, representing Diana, Apollo, and Mercury under these were the family arms in basso-relievo, carved in free stone. The other parts of the house had a view of the London road, the town of Chelmsford, the park, gardens, &c. This fine structure was rebuilt by Benjamin earl Fitzwalter, and was planned with the nicest skill and judgment, to render it completely elegant, and at the same time truly commodious. The pilasters, cornices, entablatures, and other decorative ornaments, were of stone. In the inside was a quadrangular court flagged. It had a gallery on each floor round it, by which means an easy "To the said maner place are many fair gardens, and orchards belonging, replenished with great store of good, and some rare kinds of fruits and herbs. "There belong to it a dove-house of brick; a fair game of deer imparked; a great warren; a goodly fishing course both in private ponds and common river; a very good water mill, and great store of other like necessary provisions. This maner hath three hamlets within the same, viz. the hamlet and street of Mulsham; the hamlet and street of Wideforde, and the hamlet of Galvelwood, which do contain many good ha-. bitations and tenancies, and are all holden of the said maner either by free deed, or copy of court roll, or at the will of the lord of the said maner. "In the hamlet of Mulsham there is one Grammar school, with convenient stipend for the master and usher; and is in the gift of Sir Thomas Mildemay, knt. lord of the said maner. (This is the school of royal foundation, that was afterwards removed into Chelmsford.) And there is also within the said hamlet one hospital or poor house, for the maintanance and relief of divers poor leprous and lazer people; which are put in and out by the said lord. And within the said hainlet also is one antient cross, or building, with a prison for the hamlet. And the cross serveth sometime as a market cross, for sale of pease in the season, and for flesh, and other mean victual. "The hamlet having no market proper to themselves, but as they are partakers of the market of Chelmesford for the Friday only, and other imes in their own croas.” access was obtained to all the different apartments, without the inconveniency of making any of them a passage. The principal rooms were large and well disposed. `The grand hall at the entrance lofty, and the cieling curiously wrought with fret work. In the several apartments were many pictures of the antient part of the Mildmay family, particularly Sir Walter, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and founder of Emanuel College, Cambridge, in the year 1587; Sir Thomas Mildmay, auditor of the court of augmentations in the reign of Henry the Eighth, in the year 1540; and a royal sporting piece of as much expression as can possibly rise from canvas; the late earl of Fitzwalter and his lady; lord Ancram; lord Holdernesse; the old duke of Scomberg on horseback, attended by a black, bearing his helmet; William Mildmay, Esq. son of Sir Thomas Mildmay, of Barnes, taken in the year 1605; a capital performance; Sir Henry Mildmay, a branch of this family, representing him as dead and laid out, covered with a black velvet pall. It is said that he died abroad, and that a faithful servant who accompanied him, employed a limner to draw him after his decease. The situation of Moulsham Hall commands every thing necessary to form a pleasing landscape. It is on a small rise that commands a beautiful vale of pasturage and meadow land, where the Chelmer and Cann unite their streams. The gardens were neatly laid out; the park prettily disposed, and on the north side a large sheet of water. In short it had almost every advantage to render it a commodious house and a delightful country seat; the building having been executed under the direction of Leoni, the famous Italian architect. We are very sorry to add, after such a description of this magnificent mansion, that after it came, by marriage, into the possession of the late Sir Henry Pawlet St. John Mildmay, he sold the whole estate to government for the purpose of making barracks. In consequence the house, gar. dens, grounds, &c. have been disposed of, this year, (1809) by by public auction, and one of the ornaments of the county of Essex destroyed. It is to be hoped that the present ba ronet, who possesses more of the Mildmay in his blood than his predecessor, will discontinue this desolation of the estates of his noble maternal ancestors, who were equally an ho nour to themselves and their country. Within this hamlet near the river, stood a house of Dominican Friers. In the reign of Edward the Second, about the year 1320, one Thomas Langford, a friar of this house, by hard study and perseverance, compiled an universal chronicle from the foundation of the world to his own days. He was likewise the author of several other curious pieces. The building was a composition of brick, flint, and free stone. The kitchen remained till within the eighteenth century, and was esteemed a great curiosity; the roof be ing supported and decorated in the manner of the theatre in Oxford. The site of it is now called the Friers. At the Dissolution it was valued at 91. 6s. 5d. It afterwards came into the Mildmay family. Belonging to the same family, in the field called Long Stumps, between Moulsham Hall and Gallywood Common, stood a chapel, which belonged to the abbey of St. Osyth. Sir Thomas Mildmay gave six tenements within the said hamlet for the use of six poor people, to be called Beades Folks, or Alms People. The bishop of London for the time being is appointed sole trustee. But the appointment of proper persons to fill these tenements, is vested for ever in the owner, for the time being, of Moulsham Hall.* At the time this charity was given, these houses were rented at 31. 6s. 8d. † The In consequence of the recent purchase of Moulsham Hall by government, it is supposed that as the care of the school, and of these almshouses, devolves to the state; the new proprietors will be as good benefactors and patrons as the Mildmays. † A prior endowment was granted by Thomas Mildmay, Esq. grandfather to the above Sir Thomas, which is evident from the following extract of his wilt; in which he bequeaths "twenty marks yearly out of his tythes of Terling, to the masters, governors, &c. of the free school of Chelmsford, |