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14
Essex Army at Acton.
In November, 1642, a few days before the Battle
of Brentford, the Lord General (the Earl of Essex) and
the Earl of Warwick, marching with their forces out of
London, made Acton the place of their rendezvous.
Cromwell met at Acton.
When Cromwell returned to London after the
Battle of Worcester, he was met at this place by the
Lord President, the Council of State, many of the
nobility, the House of Commons, the Lord Mayor,
Aldermen and Common Council of the City of London,
&c., &c., forming in the whole a train of more than 300
coaches. The Recorder of London accosted him with a
congratulatory speech on the occasion.
The Manor.
The Manor of Acton has belonged to the See of
London from time immemorial.
The Church.
The Church, which is dedicated to St. Mary,
stands in the centre of the town. It consists of a
chancel, nave, two aisles, and south chapel, clustered
pillars and pointed arches, and many of the windows are
of stained glass. The Church was rebuilt, except the
tower, in the year 1866, upon the site of the original
church of about 600 years old, which had been much
altered. The square tower, with battlements, was built
in the year 1876, and much resembles the Old Tower of
the reign of Henry VIII.
Baxter.
Richard Baxter, the celebrated Nonconformist divine,
resided many years in this parish after the restoration;
his house was near the church where he constantly
attended divine service and sometimes preached, having
a licence for so doing, provided he uttered nothing against
the doctrines of the Church of England. Sir Matthew
Hale was his contemporary at Acton.