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SIR THOMAS COXHEAD OF GAYNES PARK ~ ESSEX ENGLAND History of the Manor he owned c1800
The next known owner of Gaynes Park was the Earl of Anglesey (d. 1686), who was holding it in 1662. (Footnote 34) It is possible that Turner was acting on his behalf in the above conveyance. The manor apparently descended with the earldom of Anglesey until 1761. (Footnote 35) It then passed to Arthur, son of the 6th earl, who was held to have succeeded to the family's title of Viscount Valentia although he failed to secure recognition as Earl of Anglesey. (Footnote 36) In a 17th-century document the total rents from the Gaynes Park estates (including Hemnalls) were stated to be £251. (Footnote 37)
Valentia retained Gaynes Park until about 1792. (Footnote 38) He sold it to Sir Thomas Coxhead, who died in 1811 leaving it to William Coxhead Marsh, described as the natural son of Sarah Marsh late of Ashwell (Herts.). (Footnote 39) Marsh had been living at Gaynes Park from about 1806. (Footnote 40) From 1811 Gaynes Park descended in the Marsh (later Chisenhale-Marsh) family. The present owner is Mr. Hugo Chisenhale-Marsh. (Footnote 41) In 1840 W. C. Marsh owned 718 acres in Theydon Garnon, of which 497 acres were in his own occupation. (Footnote 42) He also owned 18 acres in Theydon Mount. (Footnote 43) In 1873 Thomas Coxhead Chisenhale-Marsh owned a total of 1,361 acres in Essex, with an estimated gross rental of £2,357. (Footnote 44) Part of the increase, but not all of it, is accounted for by the acquisition of the manor of Theydon Garnon (see above) in 1858.
In the 17th century Gaynes Park Hall was described as a well-built brick house with gardens, orchards, yards, stables, and outhouses, enclosed with brick walls and fish ponds, and it was said to have cost £8,000 to build. (Footnote 45) This house existed in 1696 but had been demolished by about 1740. (Footnote 46) By 1777 a new house had been built about ¼ mile farther north. (Footnote 47) This was usually known as Park Hall. A print of 1818 shows a long white front of two stories having a central bay flanked by Venetian windows. (Footnote 48) After the middle of the 19th century Thomas Coxhead Chisenhale-Marsh incorporated this building in a large stone mansion of Kentish rag which he completed in 1870. (Footnote 49) The house is in Tudor style with a pierced parapet and many gables.
The manor of HEMNALLS seems to have comprised the north-west corner of the ancient parish of Theydon Garnon. The modern Hemnall Street in Epping, which runs parallel with High Street to the south-east, was formerly just within the boundary of Theydon Garnon. The name probably derives from the family of Henry de Emhal' (c. 1248) and Roger de Hemenhal (c. 1254) who may have come from Hempnall (Norf.). (Footnote 50)
Hemnalls is first referred to as a manor in about 1340, when Adam de Welle granted a rent which issued partly from it (see Gaynes Park, above). At the inquisition made after Adam's death in 1345 Hemnalls was described as a tenement in Theydon Garnon and Theydon Bois, held of John Fitz Walter by service of 26s. a year. The jurors did not know whether it was held by knight service or by socage. (Footnote 51) It was referred to again as a manor in 1387 and was always subsequently so termed. (Footnote 52) In 1461 it was said to be a member of Gaynes Park (Footnote 53) but in 1507 and 1612 to be held of the manor of Hubbards Hall in Harlow at a rent of 26s. (Footnote 54)
From about 1340 to 1811 the tenancy in demesne descended with the manor of Gaynes Park, except for two brief periods when that manor appears to have been granted separately (1475 and 1485). On the death in 1811 of Sir Thomas Coxhead Hemnalls passed under his will to his widow Deborah for life, with remainder to Thomas Coxhead Marsh of Union Wharf, Wapping (Mdx.), who was also the natural son of Sarah Marsh of Ashwell (Herts.). (Footnote 55) T. C. Marsh died, apparently without children, in 1847, and Hemnalls passed under the terms of Sir Thomas Coxhead's will to W. C. Marsh of Gaynes Park. (Footnote 56) T. C. Marsh appears to have spent his later life in Paris, where he had a hotel. (Footnote 57) He owned no land in the parish of Theydon Garnon in 1840, (Footnote 58) so that by that time, if not earlier, his interest in Hemnalls consisted only of the manorial rights, if any. Since 1847 Hemnalls has once again descended along with Gaynes Park.
The site of the ancient manor house is not known.
References to the Archers are found very early in the history of Theydon Garnon, but the first of them to become important was Henry Archer who on his death in 1616 held a capital
messuage of the manor of Hemnalls. (Footnote 59) His successor was his son Sir John Archer (d. 1682), a justice of the Common Pleas. John Archer, son and heir of Sir John, died without issue in 1707, leaving the estate to William Eyre of Gray's Inn on condition that he should adopt the name of Archer and marry Eleanor Wrottesly, John Archer's niece. Eleanor died without issue and William Eyre (now William Eyre Archer) later married Susanna, daughter of Sir John Newton, Bt.
Their son John Archer succeeded to the estate in 1739 although he had no connexion by blood with the original family of Archer. (Footnote 60) He died in 1800, leaving as his heir his daughter Susanna, who in 1770 had married Jacob Houblon (d. 1783) of Hallingbury Place. (Footnote 61) She went to live at Coopersale at her father's death. The house had been unoccupied since her mother's death in 1776. (Footnote 62) In 1819 Susanna adopted the name of Mrs. Houblon Newton. (Footnote 63) She died in 1837, the estate passing to her grandson John Archer-Houblon. (Footnote 64) In 1838–40 he owned 703 acres in Theydon Garnon and 18 acres in Theydon Mount. (Footnote 65) He was also owner of 82 acres in Theydon Bois when the tithes of that parish were commuted in 1850. (Footnote 66)
After 1837 the Coopersale estate descended along with Hallingbury Place in the Archer-Houblon family. Coopersale House was successively the residence of Mrs. Mary Anne Archer-Houblon (d. 1865), widow of John Archer Houblon (d. 1831), Miss Harriet Archer-Houblon (d. 1896), and Mrs. Eyre. (Footnote 67) It then remained for some years unoccupied. (Footnote 68) The contents of the mansion were sold in 1908, and the whole Coopersale estate in 1914. (Footnote 69) Coopersale House was then bought for a religious order which occupied it during the First World War. In 1920 it was sold to Mr. E. Camps. From 1936 to about 1944 it belonged to Mr. Dudley Ward who sold it to Countess Howe. It was bought in 1946 by Major Jocelyn Hambro, who is the present owner. (Footnote 70)
In 1920 the house was a large three-storied mansion, roughly L-shaped on plan. (Footnote 71) It contained fittings dating from the early 17th century but the structure itself had been altered and enlarged at subsequent periods. The north-east wing, which had mullioned and transomed windows, was probably built about 1670–80. The principal block had a Georgian front of nine bays and a modillion eaves cornice with a central pediment. The sash windows and other details were of the 18th and early 19th centuries, but some older carved chimney-pieces had been preserved internally.
At the back of the house two grotesque brackets of the 17th century had been incorporated in a Georgian doorcase. The ground-floor room on the left of the entrance hall was of two stories and may have represented the great hall of the original house. At a later date it was used as a chapel and had a painted ceiling thought to represent William III casting out popery. Two semicircular bays on the south front were probably part of the improvements made by Mrs. Susannah Houblon Newton after 1800. (Footnote 72) At some period panelling and a carved overmantel were removed to Hallingbury Place. (Footnote 73)
Immediately after 1920 the house was greatly reduced in size. The second story of the principal block was removed and most of the north-east wing demolished. The sash windows were replaced by mullioned and transomed casements of 17th-century design. Panelling and carved chimney-pieces from the demolished rooms were reused and the principal staircase was reconstructed with balustrades from the northeast wing. (Footnote 74) In recent years some of the panelling has been taken out and three of the 17th-century chimneypieces are missing.
A gateway north of the house has a four-centred brick arch of the 17th century. The lake
below the house on the south is probably the work of John Archer between 1739 and 1776.
(Copyright 2003-2004 University of London & History of Parliament Trust)
On 6 April 1661 the manor and lordship of Gainspark was mortgaged for 1000 years for the sum of £31,500. It included the 'capital messuage known as Park Hall' together with the manor and lordship of Hennalls and lands in Theydon Garnon, Theydon Bois, Theydon Mount, North Weald Bassett and Epping
Father: William Coxhead Marsh Family:
Marriage: 2 DEC 1829 in probably Theydon Garnon, Essex
Ainslie, Gilbert Farrer Dr MA DD of Cambridge and Hall Garth
Father: Ainslie, Henry Dr MA MD FRCP of Dover St. and Children:
Ainslie, Emily Valence GAYNES PARK.
Local properties of interest must start with Gaynes Park, which was the capital monor of the parish. The word Gaynes or Gains, the dictionary tells me, means pasture, so it is possible that the area being a mix of forest and arable land, it was so named. Gaynes Park was the largest of the three manors of the parish of Theydon Garnon; the other two being Garnish Hall at Hobbs Cross, and Hemnalls, long since gone. I do not think it necessary to go back further than the period in the last century when the Marsh family acquired the property. Thomas Coxhead Marsh was the Lord of the Manor, and it is still in the family today as far as I know. Hugo Chisenhale-Marsh, who died on 3rd May 1996, just two weeks short of his 81st birthday, was Lord of the three Manors. The estate consists of 750 acres of farmland and 350 acres of woodland. It is said that if you started on the eastern side of Epping Station bridge, one could walk as far as North Weald Station and still be on Gaynes Park estate land. Gaynes Park house is now used for other purposes, as Hugo had moved to Horns Farmhouse several years ago. The family had connections with Charrington's Brewery, hence two of the public houses still sell Charrington's beers. The Marsh family held to Theydon Garnon church and was associated with it for some years. There is much evidence of their patronage. They owned, at one time, almost all of Coopersale, except for the area Coopersale House, and some arable land which belonged to John Archer-Houblon. The Archer-Houblons owned the next largest property in the parish; John succeeding to the estate in 1739. As a point of interest, one of the Houblon ancestors was Sit John Houblon, who founded the Bank Of England, and whose portrait is on the current fifty pound note. I will digress for a moment here. In researching information I cam upon this. At the battle of Agincourt a certain Simon de Bois was an excellent archer in Henry V's army, and sometime after the battle, on returning home the king held an archery contact at Havering-atte-Bower. Here Simon surpassed himself. So much so that the king commanded him to change his name to Archer. He then, was the progenitor of the Archer family. To return now to John, a descendent. He died in 1800 but left a daughter Susanna, who in 1770 had married Jacob Houblon of Hallingbury Place, who died in 1783. Susanna went to live at Coopersale House on her father's demise as it had been unoccupied since her mother's death in 1776. In 1819 Susanna adopted the name of Houblon-Newton. She died in 1837. The estate passed to her grandson John Archer-Houblon, who died in 1865. His daughter, Miss Harriet Archer-Houblon, who did much good work providing the school, the church and the vicarage, died in 1896, and the house remained empty for some years. The contents of the house were sold off in 1908, and the whole estate was sold in 1914, when it was bought for a religious order, who occupied it during the First World War. In 1920 it was bought by Mr. H. E. J. Camps.
Will of Thomas Coxhead Marsh , formerly Merchant of Hotel or Mansion House No 16 Rue Matignon Paris, France. 15 April 1847 PROB 11/2054 Will of Mary Ann Langdale , In the Service of Mr and Mrs Coxhead Marsh of London 23 August 1847 PROB 11/2061 For Thomas Coxhead Marsh's will see P.C.C. 340, 1847.
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