In 1588 27 residents from various parts of the old parish petitioned JPs Sir Charles Morison and Francis Heydon about the alehouse in Mill End run by Richard Heyward. Poor men were wasting their time and money there, so that their families were suffering. By investigating the identities of the petitioners, JPs and alehouse-keeper it is possible to reconstruct local attitudes and social alignments. (From this distance in time it is impossible to locate Heyward’s alehouse.)

Brian Thomson has been looking at early records in TfL’s archive relating to a proposed link between Croxley and Watford Junction. Then, as now, there were objections to the routing of the line and the potential cost of the work.

We know from various surviving wills from the early sixteenth century that many parishioners bequeathed money towards candles, or new items of plate, or vestments. A few, however, did not respect the building or the way in which religion was practised there. Indeed, a serious arson attack was committed in 1522, destroying the rood loft, wasting over 200 pounds of wax and emptying the font.