All Saints' Church Doddinghurst
Points of Historical Interest in All Saints Churchyard
There are several graves of historical interest in the churchyard. The numbers refer to the plan produced by Essex Society of Family History who completed a survey in 1996.
Several other former rectors of All Saints are also buried here near the path as you approach the porch:
Though the current building dates from the thirteenth century, there has been a church on this site since about the seventh century so many, many people have been buried here. Most of the graves have long since disappeared. The oldest remaining grave (214) is that of the Snow family. It is a large flat stone with a carved shield of arms and much of the inscription is illegible. Reverend Nathaniel Snow was Rector of All Saints from 1666 until his death in 1683.
Next to this impressive gravestone is a cross on a triple plinth (213). This marks the grave of another former rector of All Saints, Reverend Bridges Harvey who died in 1848.
Several other former rectors of All Saints are also buried here near the path as you approach the porch:
- Reverend William Manbey (8) who died in 1879. He founded the village school in 1857.
- Reverend William Callendar (13) who died in 1887. The inscription states that he was rector of this parish but according to church records this was not the case. The rector at that time was Reverend Francis Stewart who oversaw the magnificent Victorian restoration.
- Reverend Frederick Archer Adams (226) who died in 1928, having been rector of All Saints for 31 years. Strangely, his wife, Marianne Adams (97), who died in 1936, is buried behind the church. Until her death Mrs Adams owned the advowson to the church, which meant she had the right to choose and appoint the rector. In her will she left this patronage to the Diocese of Chelmsford.
- The Lagden family, who lived at Cowes Farm and set up the Lagden’s Charity (£15 yearly distributed in coals to the poor of Doddinghurst and Kelvedon Hatch). There are eight Lagden graves (17,18,21, 34,36,37 and 38).
- The Littlechild family (25, 40), who lived at Wishfields Farm and was linked to the Lagdens by marriage.
- The Day family (20, 26) who lived at Days Farm.
- The Baker Family and the Dove family (4,5,6,7,9) who lived at Doddinghurst Hall.
- George Mills (64), who lived in Stocksfield and died aged 19 in 1941. He was working at a coal merchants near Brentwood Station when it received a direct hit during an air raid.
- Matilda and Dennis Curme (74) who were a mother and son aged 44 and 13. They were killed by a V2 rocket in Stratford in 1945. Matilda’s parents lived in Pear Tree Lane and Matilda and Dennis were probably staying there at the time as her husband was serving overseas as a corporal with the RASC.
- Private Cyril Bixby (109), whose name is commemorated on the headstone, was killed in action in Singapore in 1942, aged 25. He is buried in Kranji War Cemetery.:
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