Parish of St Andrew, Enfield , Church of England

Enfield was the second-largest parish in Middlesex, covering 12,460 acres. The boundaries of the parish were marked by Cheshunt, Northaw, South Mimms, Monken Hadley, East Barnet and Edmonton, and by the river Lea.

By 1691 each of the four wards of the parish had a representative churchwarden. Vestry meetings were held monthly, usually in a room at the church, chaired by the vicar. From around 1580 an overseer of the poor was also appointed for each ward, and a beadle was appointed from 1750. The workhouse was situated at Chase Side although some of the poor were farmed out and children were apprenticed. A surveyor of highways is first mentioned in 1705 and by the end of the century there was a surveyor for each ward. In 1836 Enfield joined Edmonton Poor Law Union and used their facilities; the workhouse at Chase Side was converted into a school.

The church of Saint Andrew is situated on Market Place, at the centre of Enfield. The building dates to the 14th and 15th centuries but has been heavily restored over the years, and was extended in 1824.

Source of information: A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 241-243 (available online).