The church stood north of Church House Farm in the west of Aldham; its dedication is not known. The modern dedication to St. Margaret and St. Catherine dates only from the last years of the 19th century and is probably derived from inscriptions on the two remaining bells, which themselves date from c.1400 and the early 16th century, respectively.
The church had a chapel on the north side, dedicated to St. Anne and probably added when the church was enlarged in the 14th century; the chapel may have been built by James at Lee, a local landowner. It became ruinous and was demolished before the mid 18th century. The south aisle was probably built by the Tey family, who owned the manor of Aldham Hall. In 1524 there was a Trinity guild.
At the Reformation several of the clergy vestments were sold, in compliance with instructions; one of the bells and some candlesticks were also sold. As in other parishes, a Bible was purchased and also a pulpit and a communion table in place of the altar. The window glass was replaced and the church whitewashed. Some of the money from the sales was given to the poor of the parish.
In the reign of the pro-Roman Catholic Mary Tudor the rector was deprived of the living because he had married during the relaxation of the ban on married clergy under Edward VI. In 1557 a former rector bequeathed ornaments for the altar. In 1560 his brother, then rector, and also a supporter of the old religion, was deprived because he would not conform to Elizabeth I's Act of Uniformity. A later rector, in 1586, did not wish to use the Book of Common Prayer because of his puritan beliefs.
During the Civil Wars the rector, Daniel Falconer, supported the royalist cause and Archbishop Laud's church policy and was ejected by the puritans, to be succeeded by their appointees.
Several 18th century rectors held Aldham with one of the Colchester benefices and employed curates. Philip Morant, the historian of Essex, who was rector 1745-1770, also held the living of St. Mary at the Walls in Colchester, where he lived, though he frequently visited Aldham and preached there. His successor served Aldham for almost fifty years but lived at Marks Tey in the rectory house because the Aldham parsonage was small and in poor condition.
Hugh C. Jones, rector 1823-1840, was also Archdeacon of Essex and vicar of West Ham. He built a parish school for Aldham and a new rectory house. He and his curate founded the Aldham and United Parishes Insurance Society in 1826, a contributory insurance system which was designed for the many agricultural labourers in this and nearby parishes; it continued until 1951.
His successor, Charles Bannatyne, rector 1840-1882, built the Bannatyne almshouses opposite the present church and arranged for the removal and rebuilding of the church on its present site, largely at his own expense, in 1854.
The old church was by then in a very poor condition; centuries of burials had left the churchyard higher than the brick floor of the church, so that the floor was damp and the walls green with slime from lack of adequate ventilation. The walls were supported by large brick buttresses; inside, wooden posts had replaced the remains of the old stone pillars between the nave and the south aisle. There was a small bell turret and a singers' gallery at the west end.
In 1853 there was discussion as to whether the church could be repaired and there was some opposition to the proposal to move it to a more central site, though this was eventually agreed by a majority.
The old church was to be demolished and the materials re-used so far as practicable. The architect was Edward C. Hakewill, whose plans were modelled on the old church, enlarged. Most of the timber and the stone window frames were re-used, with some additions. To the chancel, nave and south aisle were added a vestry and a tower with spire. The roof materials were re-used but the timber of the chancel roof was obtained from elsewhere as it was larger than the old roof. The chancel arch, stone piers and all the flooring were new. Some remains of the old wooden panelling were used under the new pine pews. The 14th Century South Porch, with its Decorated style wooden tracery, was re-installed with a new flint and rubble base. The old doors were also re-used; they date from c.1300 (tower door - see picture) and the 14th and 15th centuries. The care with which features were copied from the old church extended to the replica of a staircase turret - probably originally leading to the roodloft - which stands in the corner formed by the meeting of the chancel and south aisle walls, with a replica doorway in the aisle. The south windows of the aisle were, however, replaced by three lancet windows. The 18th century communion rails were kept.
The old churchyard continued in use until c.1887; it was officially closed in 1965 and the tombstones were removed and placed along the south wall of the present churchyard. In 1966 Philip Morant's tombstone from the old church was placed against the south wall of the chancel.
The east window (by Thomas Ward) was installed in 1855 as a memorial to Morant; there is also a wall plate, erected by his son in law, in the north wall of the chancel. He is also commemorated in the village sign, erected opposite the church in 1994.
The church plate includes a cup and cover of 1730 and a paten of 1727. Earlier plate was stolen from the church at the Reformation. Other items were given by 20th century donors.
From 1951 the parish has been held jointly with Marks Tey, where the rector became incumbent of both parishes and as a consequence the rectory house was sold. The parishes have separate parochial church councils. From 1980 to 2000 the small parish of Little Tey was also held with Marks Tey and Aldham, until its return to Great Tey.
The parish registers of Aldham from 1559, with other parish records, may be seen in the Essex Record Office, Wharf Road, Chelmsford, CM2 6YT. (telephone 01245 244644). Microfiche copies are available in the Local Studies room in Colchester Public Libtrary.
Copy of history written By: Angela Green, July 2001, revised July 2009
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