xxxviii
Journal of Proceedings.
counties of Essex, Middlesex, and Hertfordshire. Some have supposed
that the elevated parts of the village gave rise to its name from nat*, a
nose or promontory, and ing, a meadow or pasture, which derivation is
in strict harmony with the knoll on which the church is built. We
have no early documentary record of the antiquity of Nazing beyond
what is mentioned in the Great Charter, Carta Antiqua, of Edward the
Confessor, and the Domesday Survey. Nazing was one of the seventeen
lordships bestowed by King Harold on his college at Waltham. Prior to
that, in the time of Edward, there appears to have been another estate
here which belonged to three freemen, and at the survey to Ralph, the
brother of Ilgar. In early British days Nazing and all the surrounding
country formed part of the great Forest of Essex, since called Waltham
Forest. In the reign of Henry III. (1216) license was granted to the
Abbot of Waltham to impark the Woods of Nazing and Epping, and in
the tenth year of that reign (122G) there was an exchange between the
Abbot of Waltham and the Crown, by which it was settled that the
woods of Nazing and Epping should be without the forest. So in the
thirteenth year of Henry III. (1229) license was granted to enclose and
impark Nazing Wood Common, and in 1341 to enclose it with a deep
ditch and high fence, so that the king's deer might not trespass upon it.
Thus the common, anciently the great woods of Nazing, became extra
forestal, and acquired the name of Nazing Park. Consequently, when
the Corporation of London took charge of the remains of the old Forest
of Essex, under a claim for inter-commonage, Nazing. Common was
excepted from the effects of the judgment, and the common consequently
forms no part of the Forest. By an indenture, dated 22nd July, 1651,
the Earl of Carlisle and his wife conveyed to trustees (previously
reserving to himself and heirs a hundred acres, in two allotments of fifty
acres each) the remainder of Nazing Wood Common, which was assigned
for ever to trustees for the owners of certain ancient houses then in the
parish. This was confirmed during the Protectorate Government by a
private Act of Parliament, and again on the Restoration. In 1778 an
Act of Parliament was obtained by Mr. William Palmer to regulate the
management of stocking, &c., of Nazing Common by five trustees, to be
chosen annually on the 21th June. There are now ninety-eight ancient
rights of commonage which belong to houses or farms scattered over the
parish, each occupier being allowed to turn out ten sheep and two head
of great cattle (horses or cows) for ten months in the year. No persons
can avail themselves of these common rights unless they reside or draw
smoke within the parish. The common consists of about 470 acres.
On Nazing Marsh there are 653 leases, divided according to the size of
the farms, and which admit as many cows to graze from old May-day to
old Midsummer-day, but not to remain all night. The freeholders and
copyholders of Nazing have the right of fishing in Nazing Marsh waters.
The parish church of Nazing, in which the Pilgrim Fathers and their
ancestors worshipped, is dedicated to All Saints. It is a spacious
structure built of stone and flint, rough cast and weather beaten,
propped by brick buttresses, and much patched ; chiefly perpendicular
in style. It comprises nave and north aisle, chancel, and north tower
of brick, embattled, containing five bells, and with an octagonal stair
turret at the south-east angle, and short shingled spire. There is a
large perpendicular window in the lower part of the tower, and a similar
one above of moulded brick. The porch is built of wood, and paved
with red tiles placed upon their edges, and packed closely together, and
with two coffin-shaped stones (grave stones ?) in the middle of the porch
leading directly into the church. Ou the exterior of the chancel end of
the south wall is a small round sun-dial, with an inscription nearly