MISTLEY, a village and a parish in Tendring district, Essex. The village stands on the river Stour, and on the Manningtree and Harwich railway, at the junction of the line to Walton-on-the-Naze, and at the N boundary of the county, ¾ of a mile ESE of Manningtree; was formerly called Mistley-Thorn; commands extensive and beautiful views along the Stour and into Suffolk; is a seat of petty-sessions; carries on considerable commerce in corn, malt, and coals, from a good quay, which was much extended in 1849; and has a post office under Manningtree, and a railway station with telegraph. The parish comprises 2,115 acres. Real property, £7,565; of which £52 are in gas-works. Pop., 1,539. Houses, 342. The manor belonged, at Domesday, to Henry de Ramis; and passed to the Rainsforths, the Baynings, and others. Mistley Hall belonged to the De Veres, passed to the Rigbys, and to Lord Pitt Rivers; was sold, with the estate around it, in 1845; and was then taken down, to make way for extensive building operations. The living is a rectory, united with the vicarage of Bradfield, in the diocese of Rochester. Valne, £916.* Patron, the Rev. Dr. Hayne. The church was built, on a spot about a mile NW of the previous church, in 1778. Remains of the previous church, and the burying-ground connected with it, still exist. There are a national school and alms houses.

(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))