Finchingfield, Essex

Description
Finchingfield, a village and a parish in Essex. The village stands on an affluent of the river Pant, 5 miles ENE of Thaxted, and 9 NW from Braintree station on the G.E.R., and has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Brain-tree. The parish comprises 8430 acres ; population of the civil parish, 1584; of the ecclesiastical parish of St John the Baptist, 1162; and of the ecclesiastical parish of Cornish Hall End, which is noticed separately, 506. The manor was held in the reign of Edward III. by John de Compes for the service of turning the spit at his coronation. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of St Albans; gross value, £546 with residence. The church, an ancient building of flint, contains some interesting tombs and monuments. There is a Congregational chapel. Spains Hall is a chief residence.