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St Margarets Church , Purleigh The church was built in the 14th century but has a major
restoration in 1892. This restoration was paid by Americans in memory
of Laurence Washington who was Rector from 1632 to 1643 . The reason
for this generosity? Rector Washington was Great Grandfather of the
first president of USA. The Bell Public house still
stands alongside the Church. Rev Washington enjoyed his beer and was a
regular visitor to the Bell. The churchyard bears a memorial to murdered policeman Sergeant Eves
How do I contact Purleigh Church? Contact details for the Rector, Churchwarden, Junior Church and Genesis Group can be found by clicking on the following link. Once contact details are noted use the back button to return to this site. Contact details are not carried on this site for reasons of compliance with the Data Protection Act.
www.essex-family-history.co.uk
for the story of the Washington Family.
The chancel remains 14th century as does the stained glass in the heads of the chancel.
The incumbents of Purleigh Church go back as far as 1220 when William De London was Rector.
Another
famous incumbent was Edmund Freake who officiated from 1567 to 1575 .
He then went on to become Canon ofWestminster, Chaplain to Queen
Elizabeth 1 and Archbishop of Cantebury. Although his wife outlived him
she was brought back to Purleigh for burial. to read the story of his murder.
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