Marks (manor house)
Marks was a manor house located near Marks Gate at the northern tip of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in London, England, the house standing on what is now Warren Hall Farm.[1] The name Marks (historically Markes) is believed to have been derived from the de Merk family who build the original manor in the 14th Century.[2] The manor house was demolished in 1808[3]
History
The Manor lay partly in the parish of Dagenham and partly in the Liberty of Havering[3] with notable burials and marriages being carried out in the parish church in Romford, located in the market place. Although originally constructed by the De Merk family, by 1488 the manor was owned by the Heton Family[4] and was still in the same family in 1556 when the manor was described as having 3 messuages, 300 acres land, 80 acres meadow, 200 acres pasture, 60 acres wood located variously in the parishes of Havering, Hornchurch, Dagenham and Barking.[4] The owners, Thomas and Elizabeth Hales, sold the manor in 1557 to James Bacon and in 1584 it was claimed by Lady Anne Bacon and granted by her to her son Francis Bacon. However a survey made for him soon after this describes the building as a great house in decay[4] and there does not seem to be any evidence that Francis Bacon ever resided at Marks, so that by 1589 George Hervey had been installed as tenant, going on to purchase the manor outright in 1596 for £1500. On his death in 1605 Sir George Hervey bequeathed 'the Manor of marks in Hornchurch in the Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower held freehold' to his son Sir Gawyn Hervie, Knight[5] who lived there until his death in 1627.[6] An illustration tilted 'Marks House' showing a moated Elizabethan house probably dates from around this time, and a map dated 1618 shows Marks house as being just within the Liberty of Havering with a windmill nearby to the East.[7] From this time the house appears to have been remained within the family again as a document of 1652 is signed by Carew Hervey Mildmay of Marks.[7]
An extensive collection of archives of the estate is held by the National Archives.[8][9]
References
- ^ Mills, A.D. (2001). Dictionary of London Place Names. Oxford.
- ^ a b "Dagenham: Introduction and manors". Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 2016-09-04.
- ^ a b c Spaul, J.E.H. (1971), "Francis Bacon's connections with Marks Manor house", Romford Record, 4: 32–37
- ^ Spaul, J.E.H. (1974), "The settlement of Sir George Hervey's estate: 1605-1610", Romford Record, 6: 21–39
- ^ Spaul, J.E.H. (1973), "The strange career of Sir Gawen Harvey of Marks", Romford Record, 5: 19–27
- ^ a b "Parishes: Havering-atte-Bower". British History Online. University of London. 2015. Retrieved 2016-09-04.
- ^ "Marks Manor". National Archives. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ^ "Marks Manor archives". National Archives. Retrieved 4 September 2016.