ESSEX HERONRIES.
173
creeks, and sheets of inland water contiguous to its great woodlands,
but I find but few references to them. The names of the parishes of
Henham and the Hennys may have some reference to this bird.
Herongate (East Horndon) certainly has; also the manors of Heyrons,
or Heyronys, or Hewes, in Danbury ; of Hayrons, or Hyrons, in High
Easter (spelled Herons in Norden's map); of Hayrons, in Althorne ;
of Herons, in Fyfield; of Heron, or Herne, in East Horndon; of
Heyn's Green, in Layer Marney; and, more doubtfully, of Ernis's,
or Erins, in Hatfield Peverel. The name of the ancient manor of
Ardern Hall, in Horndon-on-the-Hill, is very suggestive, One of the
bounds of the borough of Maldon, mentioned in the charter of
Henry II. (1155), is Buherne, probably meaning the protected
heronry, or the heron's habitation. The presence and association of
the Heron family has previously been referred to (Essex Nat., i.,
142); the Henshaws were also connected with Essex; and the crest
of the Haines', an important Essex family, is "a stork rising proper"
—perhaps more correctly, a heron. The Heron and Heme families,
also, bore herons in their arms.
To return to more certain ground. In Norden's description of
Essex, written in 1594, we find "Towlshunt Darcye. Nere wch. is a
fayre heronrye" (Camden Soc. ed. p. 26). To this Heronry I can
find no later reference; it certainly does not exist now. Dr. J. H.
Salter, of D'Arcy House, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, a first-class sportsman,
writes me, "There are no solitary nests of herons hereabouts, and
there have been none during my residence here—about 24 years."
The two extinct Heronries at Belhus, Aveley, and Heron Hall,
East Horndon, mentioned by Morant in his "History of Essex"
(1768), are fully alluded to in a note I contributed to the Essex
Naturalist (i., 142); I can add nothing further.1
I have visited the disused Heronry at Mucking, but have no in-
formation further than that already given (Essex Nat., i., 142).
I have also been over the site of a Heronry in Mersea Island.
This was in Bower Hall Grove, which was stubbed up by Mr.
Thomas Harvey about forty years ago; an ancient inhabitant told
me there were usually from twelve to fifteen nests, and occasionally
twenty; I cannot learn that herons have built on the island (a very
likely place) since this grove was stubbed. In Durrant's "Handbook
for Essex" Mr. Miller Christy says, under Goldhanger (p. 108),
1 The Belhus Park Heronry is referred to in Palin's "More about Stifford," p. 98. The East
Horndon one in Wright's "History of Essex" (vol. ii., p. 550).