148
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
and minor streets in addition to the main thoroughfares following the lines
of the old Roman roads would begin to be developed, and the place would
re-assume its importance as a town. New Street (anything called new is sure to
be old) being the approach to the Bishop's residence, would naturally be formed
at this time. The Church, too, would become a matter of solicitude with the
Bishop, and under his auspices a more substantial Norman building would no
doubt replace the old Saxon fabric. The Normans introduced the feudal system,
and the establishment of the Manor of Chelmsford, alias Bishop's Hall, was the
consequence.
Previous to and at the time of the Conquest, Moulsham belonged to the Abbot
and convent of St. Peter's, Westminster, and here was established the Manor of
Moulsham. There was also another Manor known as Beckeswell, which appears
to have embraced lands near Galleywood, and of which perhaps the name of
Bexfields (a farm there) is a corruption. This Manor, however, appears to have
become absorbed in that of Moulsham. It is a somewhat curious coincidence that
half the lands forming the parish of Chelmsford should in former days have
belonged to the See of London, and the other half to the Abbey of Westminster,
and therefore I emphasize the fact.
It does not appear, however, that the Abbots of Westminster took any great
interest in their Moulsham property ; at any rate, we can find no record of their
having benefited the town in any way.
In 1198 William de Sancta Maria was chosen Bishop of London, and he is the
next man to whom Chelmsford is indebted. King John began his reign in 1199,
and one of the earliest acts of the Bishop was to obtain from the King a licence to
hold a market, and in the following year a licence to hold a fair. There is a tradi-
tion that King John built a palace at Writtle, the site of which is supposed to be
near Lordships Farm, and therefore in addition to the pleasure of granting the
Bishop's request, he may have been desirous of showing his personal interest in the
town by granting these charters. Having deprived Writtle of the honour of being
Caesaromagus, I make amends by according to it the honour of being the site of a
King's Palace. The rights and privileges obtained under the Market and Fair
Charters were attacked by Edward I. in 1284, but being defended by Richard de
Gravesend, the then Bishop of London, they were subsequently confirmed by the
said King. This Bishop founded a Priory at Maldon, and therefore no doubt was
often in residence at Chelmsford.
Chelmsford now gradually assumed the position of the principal town in the
county; no doubt its central position assisted in this development. When, how-
ever, it actually became the chief or capital town of Essex, I have not as yet been
able to determine ; but that it was a town of some importance as early as the time
of Edward III. is proved by the fact of its returning four members to Parliament in
the second year of his reign—namely, in 1327. It may be interesting to quote the
names of these first four members, as some of them are not strange to our ears
now. Their names are William de Mascall, John de Thorpe, John le Marescal,
and William Wendover.
Our forefathers did not seem to be particularly enamoured of the privilege of
returning members to Parliament. Possibly they had to pay their members, and
did not consider the game worth the candle. At any rate, they appear only to
have exercised their privilege upon this one occasion.
In the fourth year of the reign of Richard II. (that is, in 1380) occurred the
famous rebellion of Wat Tyler. This rebellion really had it origin at Brentwood,
in Essex, but it rapidly spread through all the adjoining counties. The Essex