Place:Littlebury, Essex, England

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

the following text is based on an article in Wikipedia

Littlebury is a small village and civil parish in north-west Essex. It has a population of around 600 which includes the three hamlets of Chapel Green, Littlebury Green and Catmere End. It also includes parts of the estate of Audley End.

It lies around a mile and a half from the market town of Saffron Walden and fifteen miles south of Cambridge, the nearest city. The village is located on the medieval London to Newmarket road (now the B1383 and A11) as well as the River Cam. A Roman road crossed the parish at Littlebury Green, which is referred to as Streetly Green in some historic records.

The parish was owned by Ely Abbey from the ninth century, and was retained by the Crown following Dissolution. In 1601 it was sold to Thomas Sutton and in 1603 fell to the Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk. It passed between the Earls of Suffolk, owners of Audley End house, until in 1762 it was bequeathed to Lord Braybrooke.

The architect Henry Winstanley (1644-1703) was a resident of Littlebury. He was clerk of the King's works at Newmarket and Audley End under Charles II and built the first Eddystone lighthouse.

Other residents include Thomas Sutton (1532-1611), Master of the Ordnance in the North, and Joan Bradbury, widow of Thomas Bradbury who founded a school in the 17th century.

The parish was part of the Saffron Walden Rural District from 1894 until 1974. Since 1974 it has been located in the Uttlesford District of Essex.

Research Tips

• A map of Saffron Walden Rural District.
• The Recorders of Ucclesford History provides a series of webpages on most of the parishes in Ucclesford District. They also host transcriptions from various parishes provided by local family history societies.