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Sarah Catherine Martin (c. 1766 – 1826), author of the nursery rhyme "Old Mother Hubbard", who is buried in the churchyard of St. Nicholas Church, Loughton.
The original parish church of ST. NICHOLAS stood beside Loughton Hall. After the building of the new parish church of St. John in 1846 most of the old church was demolished, but the chancel was preserved as a mortuary chapel until 1877 when it also was removed. The old church consisted of nave, chancel, north aisle, south porch, and weather-boarded tower with shingled spire. Nave and chancel were of the same width (about 18 ft.) and together measured about 60 ft. in length. A sketch of 1821 shows a large 15th-century window at the east end of the chancel. This is said to have been replaced before the final demolition of the church by an iron window. In the south wall of the chancel there was a two-light window, and also a low-side window. The aisle of the church measured about 18 ft. by 54 ft. At its east end there was a chapel divided from the rest of the aisle by a wooden screen with a central doorway. The tower was of two stages, the lower of which projected to allow space for a vestry.