The local history society for the Leyton & Leytonstone area of east London
The ‘Walthamstow Slip’ is shown, a narrow strip of land which was part of Walthamstow parish even though either side was in Leyton parish. The parish boundary has been diverted to put Lea Hall and adjacent buildings in Leyton, though the long lawn, bounded all round by an avenue of trees, extends across the Walthamstow Slip and into Leyton again.
‘An Account of Moyer House in Leyton’ by Frederick Temple has been edited by David Chapman. Written in 1958, this is a short essay on the home of the Puritan Moyer family from about 1650. The only representation of the house is a sketch made by Jared Hill about 1739. The building was on the south side of what is now Hainault Road near the junction with Leyton High Road. Temple gives some detail on Lawrence Moyer who refused to conform to authority after the Restoration of the monarchy. The family did keep strong links with the parish church of St Mary’s, Leyton. Jared Hill mapped the lands belonging to the Moyer family in 1739 and part of the map is reproduced in the booklet. The house is not shown as L-shaped on the map itself. From the death of John Moyer in 1763 Moyer House was the home of his widow Frances and their younger daughter Catherine. The older daughter Lydia had married John Heathcote. In 1785 the building was assessed as having 69 windows, and therefore larger than appears from the Jared Hill sketch. Catherine spent all her life of 92 years in Moyer House, which was demolished in 1831 on her death. David includes a family tree for the Moyer family.
David adds an ‘Afterword’ about the triangle of land where Hainault Road meets the High Road. Leyton & Leytonstone Historical Society member Les Capon took part in an archaeological dig which found nothing except old ditches, but after that had taken place the housing development was extended to include the sites of the Three Blackbirds pub on one side and the social services office closer to the junction. It is not known whether any archaeological exploration took place of the latter, the site of a ‘holy well’ which David is convinced was there or very close to it. He also believes the entrance pillars to Moyers House survived until the 1940s and may possibly still be in a Council store somewhere.
Publications about Lea Hall and Moyer House
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