144 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
be noted Sir Nicholas Coote, who married the daughter of Sir Geo. Hervey, of
Marks ; and Timothy Lucy, the brother of Shakespeare's "Justice Shallow," of
Charlecote.
All having been safely gathered into the carriages, a start was made for Haver-
ing, by way of the lane crossing the high road at right angles, and leaving Chad-
well Heath with its three windmills on the left. The deep moat by which it was
surrounded serves still to record the site of the ancient half-timbered manor-house
of Marks, a grand house once, with brick battlemented towers and drawbridge,
quaint windows and gable ends, and secret hiding places for religious or warrior
fugitives in the troublous times of old. The park is broken up, and the fine old
trees are gone, but the fish pond may still be seen, and outside the moat are some
buildings of red brick, ivy-clad and picturesque, but of later date than the old
mansion, and serving the farmer's use under the name of "The Warren." In
this fortified house (which was perhaps built for him) lived Sir Thomas Urswick,
Recorder of London and Member of Parliament, knighted on the battlefield of
Tewkesbury, the last of the "Wars of the Roses," by Edward IV., in 1471. He
died here 1479, and was buried in Dagenham Church, where brasses still may be
seen of himself, his wife, and their thirteen children. (Engraved in Ogborne's
"History of Essex.")
Later on it was the property and residence of Sir George Hervey, and his son,
Sir Gawin Hervey, at whose death it passed to his nephew, Carew Hervey Mild-
may, who was born here, and here lived the balance of his life. During the Civi
Wars he was colonel in the Parliamentary Army, and in 1648 this house was
attacked by a troop of Royalists, but he escaped from a window across the moat,
and a few days later took active part in the Siege of Colchester.
The Mildmays resided here till 1784, when the last male of his race, Carew
Hervey Mildmay, died, aged 93, who had lived in great style, and rode to
and from Marks in the family coach and six, and on Sundays as many as six
coaches would carry himself and guests to Romford Church. Then the old house
went to decay, the family portraits, etc., were removed to Moulsham Hall, and it
was pulled down in 1808.
A little to the north are Marks Stone and the Warren Stone (1642), the boun-
dary of Hainhault Forest, and just beyond is Marks Gate, named from the gate
formerly here to prevent cattle straying off the forest.
The route lay along Collier Row to Chase Cross, commonly, but erroneously,
known as Cheese Cross, and so to Havering, where the party was met by the
Vicar, the Rev. F. Tugwell, and, by the courtesy of Mrs. Mcintosh, an
"assembly" was called in the fine grounds of Havering Park, from whence a
delightful view of the surrounding country was obtained. Under the shade of
the trees in the house-garden Mr. Crouch gave a resume of the more notable
records of the district, from which the following extracts are taken :—
The Royal Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower was originally one parish, that of
Hornchurch, but it now comprises the parishes of Havering, Romford and Horn-
church, which, until the Charter of 1465, formed a portion of the Becontree
Hundred.
In early Saxon days, Havering was the abode of the Kings of Essex, but little
is known of its history before the time of Edward the Confessor (1042-1066), who
either restored or rebuilt the Palace. It was his favourite residence, the only
drawback to its seclusion being (so saith the legend) the songs of the nightingales
which abounded in the Royal Bower, and disturbed the saintly King in his evening
meditations. We need only allude to the legend of the ring, which is said by the old