THE HISTORY OF SILVER END - HOW THE VILLAGE GOT ITS NAME

The 19th century map-makers place the name close to the cluster of buildings in Western Lane, - precisely where old Emma Upson located "Old Silver End."

Its mention in Pigot's 1839 directory revolves around Thomas Beckwith who kept the Western Arms: he had five entries as blacksmith; grocer & draper; joiner & carpenter; Western Arms; and wheelwright. A probable relative, William Beckwith appears as blacksmith, carpenter and beer-seller in the Pigot 1832 list - but with no Silver End address. Since Boars Tye Green had an established history at that time, we need to examine the possible origin and emergence of 'Silver End' as the name of the modern village.

I didn't have a lot of time to do this when at Rivenhall but the puzzle roused my curiosity and I embarked on what I hoped was a scholarly approach to the question. I first turned to 'The Place Names of Essex' by Reaney, newly out in 1969. I was disappointed; the only Silver End mentioned was at Belchamp St.Paul's (1777) with no explanation. Since then I have searched in vain in such authorities as John Field's book of 1980 and A.D. Mills' dictionary of 1991. I have been back to Eilert Ekwall's Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names 4th Edition 1960 but with the same result Margaret Gelling, in the Rodwell's Vol.2 of "Investigations" into the parish, (1993) says "SILVER END. The meaning of 'silver' in place-names appears to vary from name to name. Cf. Smith 1956, pt 2 119,-'In some place-names and stream-names it might allude to the colour or appearance, and in field names and some place names there might be a jocular reference to the richness of the ground or an allusion to rent paid'....' So my solution is hypothetical.

I was lucky in the course I followed since, from 1966,1 had set out to transcribe the whole of the parish registers from 1639. I have this work here with me as I write. Since I was busy in the parish during the day, I bought new registers and made myself write one page every night in bed before going to sleep. This made me familiar with the local surnames. Something I read prompted me to look for the sort of surname which might have a connection with the locality. Back in the 1940s when I had first served on a church council I had known a fearsome churchwarden who rejoiced in the name of 'Sivell'; Sivell's End would be a good starting point.

Suffice it to say, there were no Silvers - I would have spotted that had I met them; there were no Sivells either. But there was a Saville family. In the list of cottage-dwellers of 1808, John and Sarah Saville nee Raven, raised the classic situation whereby one parish clerk 1807-1812 called them 'Sable'; and his successor 1814-1818 called them 'Saville'. The 'v' and 'b' presented a problem to the semi-literate.

Then I struck oil! There was a family called 'Siveley'/'Sibley' living in the parish in the mid - 18th century. But were they living in the north of the parish? There is no other contemporary evidence. William Sibley, born c.1720, married Elizabeth Green at Rivenhall," both of this parish" on Thurs. 27 October 1743. They produced at least 6 children and lived locally until their deaths in 1764 and 1766 respectively. Elizabeth was described in the register as "Widow Seville. .aged 46." A James Sable turned up in the census returns of 1871 and 1881. He and his family lived near Egypt Farm: James, a son of William, who was born c.1756 might have been this second James' ancestor. I will pursue this next time. Meanwhile I checked "Old Silver End" in my copy of the 1841 Census but found no Sables. There were four uninhabited dwellings in the Western Lane area. The enumeration district (No. 8) was entitled "All that part of the Parish of Rivenhall from the cottages beyond the Mill to the Church." i.e. Wither's Farm to Rivenhall. The only cottages called "Silver End" were those in Western Lane. The two early records of the name 'Silver End' are therefore Pigot's reference in 1839 and the location by the Western Arms in the 1841 Census.

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