"Parish Register's" book of 1653; it is most confused and irregular; Burials end in 1677, but three later entries are found. Book iii. contains a separate Register of Births from 1696 to 1706. Books ii. and iii. have been lately well re-bound, and transcribed; the transcript is in the possession of the Vicar and Churchwardens.

This is the Return of 1830; but some time after that date the Iron Chest was wholly neglected and allowed to become a mass of rust, and Book i. has become almost illegible, and is in pieces. Book iii. has not been seen by the present Incumbent.

Book i. consists of two books bound together long since. The original Book i. was of parchment, with entries from 1538 to 1655; it had a second part on two paper leaves of the same size with entries from 1660 to 1667. With this is bound a parchment Book of eight leaves about 4 inches taller, being the Civil "Parish Register's" Book of 1653 to 1660; which is followed on the same tall leaves by a part from 1668 to 1678. Vicar John Litchfield wrote all from 1645 to 1667, having been both Vicar and Civil Parish Register.

Book i. is a Civil "Parish Register's" Book; there is a gap in Burial entries; no doubt a Burials in Woollen Book has been lost.

See E.R., iv., 24.

(53) EASTWOOD.

Book i. Bap. 1685-1812.

Bur. 1685-1820.

Book ii. Mar. 1686-1812.

There are considerable gaps in Baptisms between 1713 and 1734 and in marriages between 1721 and 1749. No new Register of Marriages was introduced in 1754 in consequence of Hardwicke's Act of 1753, and there is "no alteration in the entry of Marriages after 1754."

Book i. is an original Paper Book: Book ii. is transcribed from Book i. 1558-1580, and is Parchment. Book iii. was continued without a gap through the Commonwealth period, having become the Civil "Parish Register's" Book 1653-1660. Book iv. is a Burials in Woollen Book. Books vi. and vii. are "Stamp Act" Book. This fine set of Registers is practically perfect, though a Paper Book ii. seems to have been lost after the usual Transcription into the present parchment Book ii. in 1598, while Book i. was preserved because the Transcript began in 1558, the first year of Queen Elizabeth, as a contemporary note in the Book points out.

Book i. probably once contained Baptisms from 1556: it appears to have lost about two leaves from the beginning, for there is no "heading " or title to the Baptisms, as there is to the later divisions, Marriages and Burials: the book is otherwise complete.

A note was added to the Return of 1830 that the Register of Marriages was "deficient 1809-1812"; but as the population of the parish was, and is, very small, probably no Marriage had been solemnised within those years. In later times only one Marriage was solemnised in eleven years.

HISTORIANS

OF ESSEX.

VI. A

GENTLEMAN.

BY EDWARD A. FITCH.

From his somewhat interesting autobiography (E.R. v. 114120), it may be easily gathered that Peter Muilman had a very fair opinion of himself, if he may not be called vain-glorious. It was evidently no false modesty that prevented him from claiming the entire authorship of the Gentleman's History of Essex.

The only copy of this work in the British Museum (King's) Library contains no less than four dedications :-(i.) Peter Muilman (signed) to the King, (ii.) The Author to the Public, (iii.) To P. Muilman, by the Editor, (iv.) Editor to Reader. The first is as follows::

May it please Your Majesty,

In dedicating this History of Essex to Your Majesty, there is no Necessity to recite those eminent Virtues, with which the whole impartial World is convinced Your Majesty is endowed. Dedications are generally filled with fulsome Flattery; I shall not be accused of that Fault, in saying that, as all your Subjects enjoy their valuable Rights and Privileges under Your Majesty's mild Government, they will most readily join with me in devoutly praying, that there may never be wanting Princes of Your glorious Line, to sway the Sceptre of Your Majesty's extended Empire.

May I be allowed to express my most dutiful Thanks for Your Majesty's gracious Protection of this Work; and for allowing me the great Honour to dedicate and present it to Your Majesty.

Your Majesty's Most Obedient,

and Most Dutiful Subject,

and Servant,

PETER MUILMAN.

The style and spelling of his autobiography at once proves sufficiently that he could not have written The History, and in the Preface signed by him and dated September 1773, we read: "In the Writing-Part I have very little contributed, except in my own Parishes of the Hedinghams and the Yeldhams, where my Property lies." The editor's Dedication "to Peter Muilman, Esq.," dated Dec. 21, 1772, is still more conclusive, we therein read (p. iii.) "But there are besides private Obligations, which render this Duty indispensible; I mean your Assiduity in assisting the Compilation. Your name has, for that Reason, an undoubted Right to stand in the Front of it. Under this Sanction it is therefore determined to send it Abroad."

Muilman's autobiography rectifies many statements in the

obituary notice, generally accepted as correct, which appeared in Gentleman's Magazine (vol. 60, p. 183), commencing "At his house in Mary-la-Bonne, aged 77, Peter Muilman, esq., of Kirby Hall, Essex, a very eminent merchant, of London. He was born in 1713; married April 28, 1749, to Mary, daughter of Rich. Chiswell, an eminent and wealthy bookseller.

He says himself he came at 14 years of age from Holland in February, 1722*, hence he was born in December, 1707. That date, however, does not agree with his monumental inscription, nor, indeed, does it agree with itself. Again, he says himself he married in April, 1734; this is confirmed by the curious commemoration medal, struck, it is said, according to the Dutch fashion, illustrated in Gentleman's Magazine, September, 1788, Pl. III., Fig. C. It bears a view of Kirby Hall, and the date 28 April 1774, with arms between. The inscription reads, above the busts: Living in lawfull wedlock 40 years. Pet. Muilman, A. 68. Mary Chiswell, A. 61. This would prove him to have been born in December, 1705, which is probably correct; but the dates of his marriage do not agree with those of the Debden register (see below). Muilman's wife, as he tells us himself, was daughter of Richard Chiswell, M.P. for Calne, &c., and therefore granddaughter, not daughter, as is said in the obituary referred to, of Richard Chiswell, the eminent bookseller, by his second wife, daughter of Richard Royston, bookseller to Charles I. and II. Mary Muilman was born in 1713; Richard Chiswell, the St. Paul's Churchyard bookseller, died May 3rd, 1711; so she must have been daughter of Richard Chiswell, the Turkey merchant, M.P., and director of the Bank of England. Peter Muilman and Dudley Foley married the two daughters of Richard Chiswell (Gentleman's Magazine, lxvii. 250).‡ There are monuments to both in Debden Church.

Peter Muilman's brother Henry, referred to as his partner in

*This date is confirmed by a monument in the vestry of Castle Hedingham church. It is to Van Heyla, and was removed from All Hallows on London Wall when that church was pulled down in 1766" at the sole cost and charge of Peter Muilman, of London, Merchant, and of Kirby Hall, in this Parish, who in 1722 came also from the Netherlands."

†There is one in the British Museum. It was engraved by T. Pingo.

11727. Dudley Foly, of ye parish of St. Lawrence Jury, London, merchant, single man, and Elizabeth Chiswell, of ye parish of St. Botolph, extra Bishopgate, single woman, Married June ye 20th, in ye parish church of Debden, in ye county of Essex, by Bernard Mould, Rector of Widdington, Essex.

1733. Peter Muilman, Gent., of ye parish of St. Botolph, extra Bishopgate, London, Batchelor, and Mary Chiswell, of ye same parish, Spinster, Married April 17th (Debden Parish Registers, see East Anglian ii. 53.)

the autobiography, was a notable man. He was a director of the South Sea Company, probably being joined by Peter after the bubble burst in 1720, and was "renowned in antient story* for having married the once gay, once beautiful, Teresia Constantia Phillips, of famous memory, who died some years ago in Jamaica" (Nichols' Lit. Anec., iii. 610-1). He owned and resided at Dagnams, Romford, and in the History, (iv. 286), we read : "The copper plate of the house, prefixed, is the gift of Henry Muilman, Esq., to whom we return our particular thanks." Henry Muilman died suddenly, as he was sitting in his chair, May 5th, 1772.

Again, in the obituary notice we read :

In 1772 Mr. Muilman printed "An Essay explaining the mode of executing an useful Work intituled A New Description of England and Wales as a continuation and illustration of Camden" by a subscription of 3000 guineas, the survey to be divided into six equal parts, and a year allowed for each; the subscribers to be proprietors and trustees; queries to be circulated all over the Kingdom. In 1775 he presented to the King what he called an Address from the Society of Antiquaries, desiring his assistance – recommendation to the archbishops and clergy, and to the lords-lieutenants in each county to return answers to the queries which he circulated in the Morning Post. The King approved, and promised to recommend, but the Society of Antiquaries, not choosing to be so committed, advertised against him, and he withdrew himself by a formal resignation, from among them; but afterwards resuming his seat at their meetings, and reflecting on certain eminent characters among them, drew on himself a sentence of expulsion the same year, having been elected a member in 1770.

"Peter Muilman, Esq., of London, Merchant," was elected F.S.A. January 25, 1770.

Muilman's autobiography shows him to have been a strong politician. I have a newspaper cutting signed by him, dated Chelmsford, Jan. 22 (Wednesday night), 1772. "To Capt. Marriot at Sible Hedingham. Dear Sir, On death of Sir Wm. Maynard, canvass for Dan Mathew." He died, as has been said, in Marylebone, London, on February 4th, 1790, and was buried at Debden in this county. In the south chancel of the east of that church is an heraldic marble monument with the following inscription :

In the Vault at the South East corner of this Church
are deposited the Remains of

Peter Muilman Esq. of Kirby Hall in this County

*See An Apology for the conduct of Mrs. T. C. Phillips, more particularly that part of it which relates to marriage with an eminent Dutch merchant (H. Muilman), 3 vols. 8vo. London, 1748-9 (four or five editions). Also A Counter-Apology or genuine confession taining the secret history, amours

of M

con

P- -etc. 8vo. 1749 These relate to Teresia Constantia Phillips, afterwards Muilman; see also her letter to the Earl of Chesterfield, on female education, Monthly Review, ii. 447.