According to our search of the Archives at St. John's College (the owners of the property from the late 15th Century to c. 1950), Rawreth Hall as it stands now was rebuilt in 1811, although some of the original buildings and features within the curtilage are still in existence today, such as the Essex Barn, the timber-frame of the Cart Lodge and the Historic Moat.
However, Rawreth Hall as the seat of Rawreth Hall Manor has been in existence since the late 13th Century.
Rawreth Hall, therefore, has a very deep and intriguing history. Part of this is documented below - in its original language - from a variety of sources through the ages.
We continue to try and learn more about the history of Rawreth Hall. If you have any information (including any historical pictures) please do contact us.
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The History and Topography of The County of Essex, by Thomas Wright, Esq. of Trinity College, Cambridge (1831)
RAWRETH. This parish is in the north-west corner of the hundred. It extends, westward, to Wickford; to Rayleigh on the south: is bounded on the north by the river Crouch; by Hockley on the east. Battle-bridge, over the river Crouch, is partly in this parish. The name is written Raureth, Rawreth, Ragel, Raree, Raurith, Raurere, Ragerin. The distance from Rochford is six, and from London thirty-two, miles.
It is not mentioned in Domesday; and is therefore supposed to have been made to form a manor after the writing of that record. Odo, bishop of Bayeux, had lands here on either side of it. In the reign of king John it was granted to Hugh de Barneval; in 1253, belonged to Henry de Barneval; and to William Sandon, the king's cook, in 1266.
RAWRETH HALL. The mansion of this manor is distant three quarters of a mile, south-east, from the church. William Gofford, or Gifford, held it of the king in 1284; and it belonged to his heirs and successors of Bowers Gifford, till it passed to John, son of William Doreward, in 1385; some individuals of this family having previously had possessions here. John Doreward dying without issue, in 1495, the estate passed to his sister Elizabeth, who was married to Thomas Fotheringhay, whose three daughters, co-heiresses, conveyed their shares to several proprietors; one moiety of which having been appropriated to St. John's college, Cambridge, the remainder has since been conveyed to that foundation.
Pages 601-602
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The History and Antiquities of the County of Essex by Rev. Philip Morant, Vol 1 (1763-1768)
RAURETH-HALL, the Maner-houfe, is about three quarters of a mile fouth-eaft from the Church.
William Gofford, or Gifford, in 1284, held one fee in Raree of the King, in capite, of the Barony of Rayleigh - Gundred, widow of Robert Gifford, at the time of her deceafe in 1299, held 120 acres of arable, 4 acr. of meadow, 2 of wood, and 8 s. rent, in the vill of Raurere, of the King as of his honor of Reylie, by the fervice of the 4th part of a knight's fee: and was fucceeded by her fon - Robert.
K. Richard II. in 1385, confirmed to John Doreward, fon of William, and to Catharine his wife, in general tail, remainder to the faid John, this maner of Raureth with appertenances, to hold of the King by knight's fervice. The Doreward family was poffeffed of this maner before that year; for Infemia de la Beche held the other maner here partly of William Doreward, in 1361. John Doreward, abovefaid, at the time of his deceafe, 12 November 1420, held the maner of Raureth-Hall of the King, in capite, by the fervice of one knight's fee; and two tenements called Delamares, and Borells, with 200 acres of land belonging to them in that village; Borells took its name from William Borel, attainted for felony in 1352, who held a garden, and one croft of land containing three acres of arable, in Wickford, called Wefterneft-Croft of the fee of Sandones in Raureth, by the fervice of 2 s. per ann.
- John Doreward Efq; fucceeded his father; and by his marriage with Blanch, eldeft daughter of Sir William de Coggefhall, obtained a confiderable addition to his eftate. He was Speaker of the Houfe of Commons in 1413, and departed this life in 1462. or 1465. leaving four fons, and one daughter. - John, his eldeft fon had this eftate after him; and dying in 1476, was fucceeded by his fon - John, who dyed in 1480, without iffue: Whereupon his uncle - William Doreward Efq; inherited. He had a fon named - John, who at his death, in 1495, left no iffue: and a daughter.
Elizabeth, married to Thomas Fotheringhay, Efq; Thefe had three daughters, that became coheirs to the Dorewards Eftates; namely, Magaret, wife of William Beaupre; Elena, firft wife of Henry Thurfby Efq; and next of Thomas Paleman Efqrs. and Chriftian, wife of John de Vere, afterwards the 14th Earl of Oxford.
Margeret Beaupre, the eldeft daughter, is recorded to hold this maner at this time of her deceafe 10 February, 1513, and - Edward Beaupre was her heir.
But this maner feems to have been parcelled out. For Elena, and her fecond husband Thomas Paleman Efq; held a moiety of this maner in 1519, Chriftian, the youngeft fifter dying without iffue.
Andrew Edmonds Efq; at the time of his deceafe 23 June 1523, held alfo a moiety of this maner. - Chriftopher, his fon and heir was but a year and a half old.
Of Mr. John Edmonds, or his executors, this moiety was purchafed, in 1525, by St. John's College in Cambridge, with money left by Mr. Hugh Afhton a private founder.
How any part of this eftate came to the Crown, we do not find. But K. Henry VIII. in 1525, granted the maner of Rawreth, among many others, to Cardinal Wolfey, upon whofe praemunire, it reverted to the Crown. Though this is called in the grant, The Maner, it could be only a moiety.
George White of Hutton, Efq; was poffeffed of this moiety, at the time of his deceafe 15 June 1584. - Richard was his fon and heir. This moiety was purchafed fome years ago, for the ufe of private foundations, by St. John's College in Cambridge, which hath now the whole Maner.
Pages 284-285 (with original spellings)
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Essex 1818 (page 148)
Proceeding about a mile farther, we arrive at RAWRETH, or Raureth, situated at an angle in the road, from whence the church is about a mile distant. Rawreth Hall, the manor-house, is also about a mile from the church on the south-east.
http://www.essex1818.pafweb.net/page148.shtml
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White's Directory of Essex 1848
RAWRETH, a village and parish on the south side of the vale of the Crouch, and on one of the tributary streams of that river, 2½ miles North West of Rayleigh, has 387 inhabitants, and 2377A.IR.19P. of fertile land, extending to Battle Bridge, on the Crouch, where there are several houses and a mill in this parish. The Master and Fellows of St. John's College, Cambridge, are lords of manor of Rawreth Hall...
http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/placeR/essexr06a.html
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Kelly's Directory of Essex 1933
RAWRETH (or Raurehithe) is a village and parish near the river Crouch, over which is a bridge of one arch, called Battle Bridge, communicating with Rettendon... There are wharves at Battles Bridge, partly in this parish and partly in Rettendon. The Master and Fellows of St. John's College, Cambridge, who are lords of the manor of Rawreth Hall, and Sion College, London, who hold the manorial rights of the manor of Beeches, are the principal landowners. The soil is a heavy loam; subsoil, various. The land is principally arable. The area is 2,746 acres; the population in 1931 was 663.
http://deadpubs.co.uk/EssexPubs/Directories/Rawreth.shtml
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Rochford District Council, Heritage Guide
To the north west of Rayleigh is Rawreth Village. Historians suggest two origins of the name, firstly that it came from Ravengar who was the Saxon owner of the manor of Beches or secondly, the Saxon translation of a Heron stream.
Property of note included ... Also Rawreth Hall, the seat of the manor was granted to Cardinal Wolsey in 1525 by Henry VIII and reverted to the Crown upon his death. In the early 1900s Horatio Bottomley, planned to cash in on the potential population explosion after the arrival of the railway to Rayleigh in 1889 by opening up a small brickfield to erect plotlands type houses. The first building was in actual fact a public house called the Bricklayers Arms, known at the time by locals as the Klondyke. Unfortunately the scheme failed and he was jailed for fraud.
The area is mainly agricultural in nature with dispersed centres of population and pockets of industry. Historically, most of the farmhouses in Rawreth were moated manors, many of which survive today.
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Hunting recollections (volume II) by Miss Tawke
1884, November 24th.
Met at Rayleigh, found in Pound Wood; out on the north side pointing for Rawreth Hall, but turning left-handed along the brook we went over Lime House, through the Plantations and on to Coombe Wood ; without dwelling a moment they were away on the west side, crossing the Pitsea Road on to Bowers, to Canvey Island ; and this good run only came to an end when we reached the river Thames.
Tiger managed to subside into a ditch, but I can't complain much as during the twenty years I rode him he only gave me three falls. He was a very powerful horse, and if he did put a foot wrong, he could generally recover himself before I had time to fall off. It used to be said of Tiger, he could climb a tree or go down a well in safety.
1885, December 6th. Monday. Rayleigh.
Dull day, strong S.W .wind. Found in Pound Wood and ran to ground, the earths not being stopped. Found again in a hedgerow in Beak Hall, and ran across Rawreth Hall to Trundels, over Stubbers Lodge, Batts Hill, to Hockley Hall Wood, and lost in the Bull Wood.
A good run in the open for about thirty-five minutes.
http://www.archive.org/stream/huntingrecollect02tawk/huntingrecollect02tawk_djvu.txt
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