SKIPPERS ISLAND PAPERS
59
This partly explains the uncertainty of various sources as to
which parish or parishes the island was anciently situated, for
Morant in his standard book of 1768 states that it is in Moze, but
the tithe map and award shows it in Kirby-le-Soken. Other books
at the Essex Record Office suggest that it was divided between
the three parishes of Moze, Walton and Kirby-le-Soken.
The Archivist at the Record Office told me that in some places,
such as Canvey Island, the pasture area was often divided between
several manors inlying from the low ground near the sea, so as to
give each of them a proportion of the pasture land. Here again
we have the possibility that in ancient times what is now Skippers
Island was three islands in the three parishes of Moze, Walton and
Kirby and the three Manors of Moze, Beaumont-cum-Moze and
Birch Hall. It is not possible on the very limited information 1
have to carry the matter any further. It is however possible to
find a third name, for the Archivist at the Essex Record Office
tells me that in the Gentlemans History of about 1778 it was
called Sunk Island. This however may have been a temporary
name acquired during some period of disrepair of the sea wall and
consequent flooding.
It is worth putting on record that I am told that the Island
was farmed by Mr. Eagle of Walton Hall until about 1932. If the
causeway from Birch Hall to the island were repaired and raised
it would be possible for vehicles and animals to cross for six hours
out of twelve, which would make cultivation possible once more.
As to the Manor of Birch Hall the Victoria History of Essex
shows that it is mentioned in Domesday Book under the name of
"Birichou" (Bircho), which was held by Ingelric of St. Paul's of
London as one manor and as three hides, is held of the count by
Robert:
"Then 6 bordars; now 8. Then 2 serfs; now 1. Then 2
ploughs on the demesne; now none. Then 1 plough belonging to
the men; now 2. There is wood (land) for 10 swine, (and) pasture
for 100 sheep. Then 2 rounceys; now none. Then 8 beasts; now
none. Then 13 sheep; now none. Then 6 swine; now none. It
was the worth 60 shillings; now 4 pounds and 7 shillings".
A footnote states that the manor "had clearly been part of the
soke of Eadwulfsness, which belonged to the canons of St. Paul's
and which included Kirby". A further note adds that this was
"a remarkable instance of a manor on which the plough teams
had decreased from 3 to 2, while all the live stock had disappeared,
being valued nearly 50 per cent higher than it was before! "
It would only be necessary to re-write this note with all my
conjectures changed into a "History of Skippers Island", but I
am not a historian, so I will not by so doing add one more piece of
evidence in support of the memorable statement by the late Mr.
Henry Ford, the famous manufacturer of motor cars for the
million, that "History is Bunk".