THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 149
parish of Dagenham, like the adjacent ones of Hornchurch and Upminster, is
long and straggling, extending about seven miles from north to south, is barely
two miles at the extreme width, and consists of 6,556 acres. On the north, the
wooded heights of Havering, South Weald, and Upminster were pointed out, and
eastward, over the River Beam (which is at its source known as the Bourn, and
then as the Rom, as it passes through Romford), the Manor House of "Brittons"
was seen, the ancient seat of the Ayloffes of Hornchurch.
Passing southward to the village, which consists of two "streets," the vicar,
Dr. Moore, joined the party, and on the way to the church the remains of the
large old house of the Comyns was shown, now divided into cottages ; and the
exterior of the vicarage, dating from 1663. The church is dedicated to Saints
Peter and Paul, and here the notable features were pointed out by the vicar, and
notes on the architecture and monuments were given by Mr. Crouch. The
chancel is Early English work, and on the north side is a vicar's chancel. The
nave and embattled tower, with spire, were rebuilt in 1800, at a cost of £6,000 a
portion of the old tower having fallen at the end of the last century and destroyed
part of the church. The debris was only partly removed, the remainder being
left, and the flooring placed over it, so that until the restoration in 1878, the nave
was about two feet above the level of the chancel, which was reached by steps.
At this date the north gallery was also removed, and the ceilings of nave and
chancel painted in a curious pattern of green trefoils and leaves. The original
altar stone of Purbeck marble, with the five crosses representing the wound
marks, was then discovered, broken in two pieces, and was placed on the top of
the communion table ; the piscina, also of Purbeck, was opened out, and the
three-light east window filled with stained glass in memory of Rev. T. Lewis
Fanshawe, father of the present owner of "Parsloes," who was vicar for forty-one
years, dying in 1858. Among the monuments in the vicar's chapel is a fine one,
with life-size standing effigies of Sir Richard Alibon, knight, who died in 1688,
and his dame, by whom the memorial was erected. The inscription records that
he was advanced by King James II. "to be one of the Justices of the Court of
King's Bench, being the first of the Romish faith these 150 years." Close by, on
the floor, are a series of slabs inscribed to the Uphill family. Richard Uphill
was standard bearer to William and Mary, and Queen Anne, and died in 1717.
Adjoining these is one in memory of Thomas Comyns, M.D., who died in 1656.
On the walls are monuments to Jonathan Loyd, "faithful pastor of Dagenham,"
1654, and an armorial one to James Harvey, of Wangye House, 1627, who had
seventeen children. A notice of one of his daughters, Elizabeth, who married
Richard Heigham,and her brass effigy in East Ham Church, may be found in the
"Journal of Proceedings," E. F. C, vol. iv., p. cxlv.
On each side of the chancel walls are trophies of helmets, gauntlets, and a
sword. On the north is an altar tomb of Purbeck, with effigies in brass of Sir
Thomas Urswick of Marks, with his lady in "butterfly" head-dress, and thirteen
children. He was M.P., Recorder of the City of London, and was knighted by
Edward IV. in 1471 on the battlefield of Tewkesbury (the last of the Wars of the
Roses). In all probability he rebuilt the half-timbered Manor House of "Marks."
He died in 1479, and was here buried. No inscription is now remaining, and the
brass of the four sons has been stolen during the last two years ; but in Weever's
time, 1631, a portion of the label bearing his name was extant. A careful copy of
this brass was published by the Cambridge Camden Society in 1840, with notes by
"E. I. C." From this we gather that nothing of his parentage or private life is