I hold strong beliefs that the Parish of
Rayne, Bocking, Bollinghatch and
Naylinhust
were the cradle for our English 'Joslin's' that we now call the Essex
Joslin's.
The early records of Joslin (by various spelling) in the Parish
registers of Rayne amount to hundreds of Joslin entries
between 1500 and 1800
but with very few in the last two hundred years.
Our ancestors moved out to work
in the Notley's the Waltham's, Chelmsford, Heybridge and Maldon, Terling,
Braintree and North to Colchester and into Suffolk and West to the Rodings,
Bishop Stortford and Hertfordshire.
London attracted a lot of Joslin's with its
abundance of work and even in those days, more money.
In 1635 Thomas Joslin
who was born at Bollinghatch settled his family in New England (Massachusetts)
and we now have more Joslin's in the United States than here in the United
Kingdom.
Other Joslin's have settled in most of the old British colonies around the
world;
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Malta and other
countries.
Richard Patrick Joscelyne who now lives in the United States has
undertaken a vast amount of research
into the Joslin's of Rayne and the
surrounding area and has become the expert on understanding the 17th and 18th century Joslin's.
In February of 2004 Margaret and I visited Rayne
for Joslin research and a few photograph for this page,
we were met by Ben &
Mary Joscelyne who kindly drove us to All Saints at Rayne and then to St
Michaels at Braintree.
Unfortunately the old Parish Churches these days have to be kept under lock and
Key most of the time;
All Saints is no exception, I had previously contacted the
Vicar and we were met by Mrs Pertwee of Rayne Hall
who was a great help
in supplying details of the history and present day affairs of the Church and
the village.
The old etching of the original Church was hanging on the pouch entrance wall
and is thought to depict the Church in the 1700's,
The photo on the right was
taken on a damp day this year,
only the brick tower (1510) and a few items
inside remain of the old Church that was rebuilt in 1840.
The Church is fortunate in possessing Parish Registers dating back to 1558,
the first year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The majority of these are
in the custody of the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford but a photographic copy
of the first entries
can be seen framed on the north wall of the Nave opposite
the south door.
Pictures of the old Norman Church hang on the north wall and in
the west entrance beneath the Tower
along with the famous 'Capel Helmet'.
In his will
Sir Giles Capel directed, that his best helmet and his arming sword should
be set over his
"Funeralls" according to the device of the herald,
and for
nearly three hundred years the helmet hung on an iron bar over his altar shaped
tomb
When the church was pulled down in
1840 all the Capel tombs were destroyed
except the fine heraldic brass to Lady
Katherine Capel, 1572.
The helmet was removed by the builder, William
Parmenter of Bocking.
It was found with another on a peg in his workshop by
a Miss Courtauld, later Madame Arendrup.
She bought it and gave it
to Baron de Cosson, the then greatest living authority on the history of
arms
and armour. It was exhibited in London and later acquired by the
Metropolitan
Museum of New York who sent the copy back to England.
Details from a directory on Rayne written in the 1840’s
RAYNE,
or Raine, is an ancient village on the river Brain, or Podsbrook, and on the
Roman and modern road from Colchester (Camalodunum) to St. Albans (Verulamlum).
It is about a mile and a half west from Braintree, in the union of which It Is,
and 7 miles east of Dunmow, and 9 miles north-west of Witham and the Eastern
Counties Railway.
The parish contains 1,460 acres, and a population in 1841 of
355.
The assessment of real property to the Property Tax was, in 1843,
£2613.0s.10d.
The
Church, dedicated to 'All Saints' is very ancient, and supposed to have
been built in the reign of King Henry II.
The floor is paved with painted tiles,
and the steeple is of brick. This church was anciently famous for its altar to
the Virgin Mary,
and much frequented by pregnant women who sought a safe
delivery, and, according to tradition,
with such success, that the advice became
a common proverb, "Go ere long and say your prayers at Rains."
The
living is a rectory valued P. R. at £406. Over the Podsbrook is a bridge, by
which the high road passes.
Here are some clay beds of great depth used In the
manufacture of white bricks.
RAYNE GENTRY.
Andrews Richard,
Esq. Old Hall,
Raynes Richard,
Esq. Rayne lodge,
Brunwin Thomas,
Esq,
Carless Mrs. C,
Rolfe
Mrs. A.
Rayne Hall,
Rolfe
Daniel Clapton,
Esq. Rayne Hall ,
Rolfe
Robert,
sen. Esq,
Rolfe
Robert Philemon,
Esq.,
Rolfe
Thomas,
Esq. Rayne Hall ,
Tabor
Clement,
Esq.,
Willis Rev. Thomas,
Parsonage
TRADERS.Barnard William,
boot & shoe maker,
Bentell Arthur,
miller,
Brunwin Isaac,
farmer
Cook
Jacob,
boot & shoe maker,
Cornell Wm.,
beer retailer & shoe maker,
Dodd
Robert,
beer retailer,
Fuller Thomas,
blacksmith,
Goss
Edwd.
ironfndr & agricl. Implmt. maker,
Lake
William,
shopkeeper
Newman Oswald Robert,
' Cherry Tree,' butcher & maltster
Newman Samuel.
auctioneer, surveyor, carp. builder, cooper & wheelwright ,
Page
Philemon,
bricklayer
Pluck
Nehemiah,
boot &shoe maker,
Potter Thomas,
blacksmith,
Puplett James,
baker & shopkeeper
Rix
William,
baker,
Rolfe
Philemon,
miller,
Vale
Samuel,
boot & shoe maker,
Willis George,
' Black Swan'
POST
OFFICE
George Wallis,
receiving house ‘Black Swan'. Letters arrive every morning
(by foot
post) from Braintree at 7; delivered at 7.15 a.m. dispatched at 6 p.m.
Rayne in Kelly's directory of 1901
RAYNE
(or Raine)
is a pleasant village and parish, on the river Brain or Pods brook,
and on the
road from Braintree to Bishop Stortford,
with a station on the Bishop Stortford,
Dunmow and Braintree section of the Great Eastern railway, a miles west from
Braintree,
7 miles from Dunmow, 10 north-east from Chelmsford and 46 from
London, in the Eastern division of the county.
Hinckford hundred, petty
personal division of Hinckford South (Braintree bench, Braintree union and
county court district,
rural deanery of Braintree, archdeaconry of Colchester
and diocese of St, Albans.
The church of All Saints, rebuilt in 1840, is
an edifice of brick in the Tudor style, and consists of chancel with vestry,
nave. South porch and a lofty embattled western tower with crocketed pinnacles,
and containing a clock and 5 bells:
the tower was built by Sir William Capel,
whose arms Appear in the brickwork near the foundation, on either side of the
belfry door:
the old church, supposed to have been built temp. Henry II. was
once famous for an altar and chapel on the south aide,
erected in honour of the
Blessed Virgin: of the present structure the tower is by far the most ancient
part:
there are memorial windows, besides several mural monuments and a large
brass, with
arms to the
Capel family:
there were interred here Sir Giles Capel kt. ob.1556. a
distinguished leader at the sieges of Terrouenne and Tourney,
and the battle of
Spars, all in 1513, and to his wile; Sir Edward Capel kt. oh. 1577 and
his daughter Grace. ob. 1587;
Sir Henry Capel kt. ob. 1588 and
Katherine (Manners) his wife, daughter of Thomas, 1st Earl of Rutland
K.G. ;
Henry Capel esq. 1615 and Thomas, son of Sir Arthur
Capel, 1621: there is also a brass with arms and inscription to
Lady
Manners, ob. 1572 in 1867 the chancel was restored and the vestry enlarged and
is 1884 the church was entirely re seated
and the windows newly glazed and the bells
re hung by
subscription. In 1901 an oak screen was erected by Mr J, L. D. Rudkin,
as a
memorial to her late Majesty Queen Victoria. The register dates from the year
1558. The living is a rectory.
Net yearly value £280, with 27 acres of glebe and
residence, in the gift of the Earl of Essex, and held since 1898 by the
Rev.
Charles Hutchinson M.A. of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Here is a
Congregational chapel, built in 1907,
with 200 sittings. Rayne Hall. situated
close to the church. and now a farm house, is a timbered structure the old part
of which was
erected by the Wells family and the later by Sir Giles
Capel, between 1510 and 1520 The manor house of Barnard's
was situated is the north part of this parish, in an inclosure called "Chapel
Field." upon a small ascent near the river, when there are
still traces of the
house and of the moats that encompassed it: in the hollow from the road to the
house were fish ponds.
Edward Symonds M.A. rector here, temp. Charles 1.
was a learned author, and wrote various political and theological works.
Dr.
Richard Kidder, Bishop of Bath and Wells 1691-1703, and famous as a divine,
was also rector of Rayne from 1664 to 1674.
The interest of £167, left by Mr.
Ralph Polley of this parish, in August, 1831, is distributed in bread.
The
Earl of Essex, who is Lord of the manor,
Mr.
Sherwood,
Messrs. G. E. and A. D. Brunwin and Mr. F. Richardson
are the
principal landowners.
The soil is loam and mixed soil; subsoil, clay and gravel.
The chief crops are wheat, barley,
oats, peas,
beans and pasture land. The area
is 1,707 acres;- assessable value, £1,367; the population in 1901 was 387.
Parish
Clerk, Samuel Hance.
Post
Office. William Edgar Hawkes, sub-postmaster.
Letters arrive by
cart from Braintree at 5-45 & 11-35 a.m. dispatched at 3-15 & 7-30 p.m. Sunday 7-30 p.m
Police
Station, Alfred William Soanes constable
Railway
Station, William Sawyer, station master
PRIVATE RESIDENTS Blyth
C. S.
Medley house,
Brunwin George Eastace,
Haverings
Brown
Mrs.
Rodston. Haseldean,
Burt
Edward Bennett.
Staneway,
Catchpole Mrs
Oak villa
Gale
Marmaduke Henry
Littledale, Rayne place
Gormley H. P.
Old hall,
Hutchinson Rev. Chas.
M.A. (Rector). Rectory,
Hutley Charles,
Rayne hall
Jones
Miss,
The Laurels,
Livermore Charles,
Rayne House .
Rolfe
Daniel C.
Grove cottage
Taylor Mrs.
Cyprus house,
Vanghan
Miss, Turners,
William James B.
Goulds house
COMMERCIAL.
Barnard John,
farmer, Mounts farm,
Blyth
C.S.
agricultural implement maker,
Brarne Mary (Mrs.),
farmer, Pound fm,
Brunwin George E.
farmer & landowner, Haverings
Carder Walter,
bricklayer,
Hawkes William Edgar,
grocer & draper, Post office
Hunter James,
farmer, Rayne farm,
Hutley Charles,
farmer, Rayne hall,
Lewis
Solomon,
beer retailer
Linsell Alfred,
farm bailiff to Mr. Fred Richardson, Old hall,
Overall Alfred,
‘Cherry Tree’ P.H
Richardson William Arthur,
farmer. Rayne lodge,
Rolfe
Sarah Ann
(Miss), dress maker
Thompson William,
thatcher. New rd,
Turner Jonathan,
blacksmith,
Wallis James Peter,
‘Swan’ P.H
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