Friday 27 August 2010

Blackmore: Woollard family (2)

Received
29 July 2010

Hello,

Would you have any information on the Woolard dating before 1622. I am looking for relatives of Captain William Woolard who settled in Virginia around that date (Wife : Anna Cooper, niece of Justinian Cooper). Many thanks in advance.

Yours sincerely,

Mary Dortch

Replied
29 July 2010

Hello Mary. Sorry I cannot help but will post the entry on the blog. Someone may have the information – you never know!

Andrew

Friday 20 August 2010

Great Waltham: Ford End Church

St John The Evangelist Church, Ford End was built by Chancellor in 1871. In 1985 its polygonal apse was being demolished. Work was still in progress when I visited and photographed the building on 16 August that year.

Thursday 19 August 2010

Wednesday 18 August 2010

Pleshey: Twenty Five Years Ago (3)

Like many other rural villages the village shop, 'Mount Stores and Post Office', is now no more. This was photogaphed in Pleshey on 16 August 1985.

Tuesday 17 August 2010

Pleshey: Twenty Five Years Ago (2)

The White Horse (photographed on 16.8.1985), mentioned in Durrant's Handbook for Essex (1887) as an Inn, near the church is still open for business. Further down the hill is The Leather Bottle, once a Ridley's public house, also remains open.

Monday 16 August 2010

Pleshey: Twenty Five Years Ago (1)


Twenty five years ago (on 16 August 1985) I made my first ever visit to Pleshey, but failed to see the motte and bailey and understand the fact that an outer bailey encicles the village. Holy Trinity Church at the end of the street was built in 1868 by Frederic Chancellor, the well known Chelmsford architect.

Sunday 15 August 2010

Stondon Massey: William Byrd Festival

Members of the congregation at St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey, have announced plans to hold a 'William Byrd Festival' next May at the ancient church.

The ‘William Byrd Festival’ aims to:
- raise funds towards the upkeep of the ancient St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey (Essex), and its immediate surroundings
- raise the awareness and appreciation of William Byrd (c1539/40 – 1623), the Elizabethan composer, who died in 1623 having spent the previous 30 years as a resident of the village of Stondon Massey.

For more information visit the Festival blog, http://www.williambyrdfestival.blogspot.com/

Friday 13 August 2010

Blackmore: Longbourne Family

Received
17 July 2010

Hello,

I am currently researching an ancestor of mine who lived in Blackmore named William Thomas Longbourne. He owned the Jericho Priory in Blackmore in the 1840s and 1850s. Similarly, his half-brother, Charles Ranken Vickerman, mother, Ann Freemantle Longbourne Vickerman, and other family are listed as living on Church Street in Blackmore in the 1851 census before moving to Mountnessing.

Do you have any information on the Longbourne/Vickerman families who lived in Blackmore? I am based in London and if you have an office or centre in Blackmore, I'd love to visit.

Thank you so much for your help,
Nick Perkins

Replied
18 July 2010

Hello Nick

Thanks for your enquiry. I should start by saying that ‘Blackmore Area Local History’ is not a business but a forum to record and exchange information on family, local and social history for this part of Essex. I do this as a keen amateur historian for pleasure.

For information about your family, a good starting would be the page on the main website devoted to Jericho Priory, which stands in Church Street by the Priory Church of St Laurence, in Blackmore (http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/blackmorepriory.html ). Additionally the Names Index gives references to Longbourne and Vicerman (http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/historyindex.html ). You need to be aware that Jericho Priory, Jericho House and Blackmore House are all names for the same premises.

During the course of research into the Priory Church of St Laurence, I discovered your family held the advowson, the right to appoint the parish priest at Blackmore, from 1887 to 1899, succeeding the Crickitt (or Crickett) family. They made only one appointment, that of Revd. Walter Layton Petrie in 1888, who remained Vicar until 1922.

Reverend Thomas Raffles Hoskin succeeded Reverend William Callender on 25th May 1883. He was appointed by the Bishop of St Albans, “by reason lapse”. He died whilst Vicar and was succeeded by Walter Layton Petrie on 5th May 1888, “on the presentation of John Vickerman Longbourne of Peacocks in the Parish of Margaretting”. [Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies. DSA 1/14/1 f318]

On 2nd February 1899, “the advowson a perpetual right of patronage of and the presentation to the Church and Cure” was transferred from “Charles Rankin Vicerman Longbourne, of Number 7 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex, Solicitor, and his heirs and assigns … to be vested in the Bishop for the time being of the said Diocese of Saint Albans … the Right Reverend John Wogan. [This] will in our opinion tend to make better provision for the cure of Souls in the parish”. The document is in the Essex Record Office [ERO D/C/Pc96].

Best wishes

Andrew

Received
21 July 2010

Andrew,

Thanks so much for your help. Do you know of a local history or genealogy society in the Blackmore area? Thanks for all the work you have done on the website.

Best,
Nick

Replied
23 July 2010

Hello Nick

Blackmore does not have a local history, heritage of genealogy group. The nearest history societies are at Ingatestone, Brentwood, Ongar and the High Country, the latter of which I am a committee member. Stock’s history society gives more emphasis to family history. In the neighbouring parish of Willingale the village has just launched a ‘Willingale Community Archive Project’.

Thanks for your kind comments on the website. Hopefully this fills the gap.

Regards

Andrew

Friday 6 August 2010

Blackmore: Survivors of WW1 Not Recorded

The Blackmore War Memorial (Essex) lists 81 men who came through the First World War and returned home.

One of the tasks of the Blackmore War Memorial Research Project Group was to establish an accurate transcription of those recorded on the faded cross. A primary document used to establish the full names of those commemorated was the Electoral Register for 1918 which, by Act of Parliament, greatly extended the list of eligible voters, including women over 30 years old for the first time. The Register includes ‘absent voters’. These include Frederick John Belsham, who lived in the village; Frank Johnson Knight, who lived at Walnut Tree Cottages; and, Daniel Martin, who lived at Chapel House. These names are omitted from the War Memorial and it is surmised that these men did not want their names included. Poignantly we found Albert Edward Barker, The Bull, as an absent voter who had died a year earlier.

In addition to those recorded on the War Memorial there are a number of men entered in the Parish Registers whose profession was described as ‘Soldier’.

Arthur Burton and his wife, Rosetta, had four children baptised on 29th August 1915: Elsie Miriam, Winifred, Rosetta May and, Stanley Arthur Burton.

James Alexander Whittaker and his wife Mabel had their son, James Alexander baptised on 20th August 1916.

Albert William Cooper, of High Ongar, had his son Leonard Neville baptised on 21st January 1917.

Sidney William Wakeling, from Brentwood had his daughter, Emily Lillian baptised on 12th May 1918.

Harry Newson, from Radley Green, Highwood, had his daughter Winifred May, baptised on 4th May 1919.

Ernest Robert Wicks, of Swallows Cross, Blackmore, has his son Ernest Laurence baptised on 17th August 1919.

George Albert Sankey, of Blackmore, ‘Soldier’, married Annie Neville on Christmas Day 1917. Their son John Lancaster Sankey was baptised on 28th September 1921. George was still a Soldier by profession.

Albert Hardy, from Blackmore married on 14th August 1918.

Thursday 5 August 2010

Blackmore: WW1 Descendants

The Blackmore War Memorial Research Project Group investigated the names of those carved on the local War Memorial who are listed as having served and come through World War One. They had a number of descendants some of whom are recorded in the Baptism Register for Blackmore (Essex) [ERO D/P 266/1/11].

- Ronald Walter John, son of Samuel John and Ethel Florence Brazier on 23rd June 1921. Samuel’s profession given was ‘Royal Navy’.

- Reginald Brian Stokes, son of Alfred Stokes and Adelaide Hart on 31st March 1916. The family lived at ‘Nine Ashes, High Ongar’. Alfred’s profession given was ‘Insurance Agent’.

- Ivy Alma Florence, daughter of Alexander and Eliza McLaren on 29th September 1917. The family lived at High Ongar. Frank’s profession given was ‘Soldier’.

- Harold Arthur, son, and Phyliss Maud, daughter of George Cyril and Edith Newcombe on 11th November 1917. Harold’s profession given was ‘Soldier’.

- Eva Frances, daughter of Frank Charles and Emily Louisa Penson on 15th August 1915, and of Charles Frank, son on 9th September 1917. Frank’s profession in both cases was given as ‘Soldier’.

- Walter John, son of Ernest John and Florence Ann Wager on 22nd September 1919. Ernest’s profession given was ‘Soldier’.

Tuesday 3 August 2010

Stondon Massey: Church Fund Raising Event

TABLE TOP SALE AT THE HISTORIC NORMAN CHURCH OF ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL, STONDON MASSEY

To help recover the costs of a new roof at St Peter and St. Paul church Ongar Road, Stondon Massey, the congregation are holding a table top sale, at the church, on Saturday afternoon 7th August from 2 – 4pm.

On sale will be books, bric-a-brac, jewellery, cakes and home produce and plants. There will also be face painting and glitter tattoos as well as refreshments including cream teas.

It will also provide an opportunity to view this beautiful Norman church where William Byrd, the famous Elizabethan composer, is buried. He died in 1623 and there is a memorial commemorating the tercentenary of his death inside the church. His music was featured recently in the BBC Sacred Music series.

Sunday 1 August 2010

BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - August 2010

Welcome to this month’s round-up of local history and heritage in and around Blackmore, Essex.

A Folk Song A Day

Jon Boden’s website is a musical journey into our past. Since Midsummer Day a new song has been posted every day. Highlights include:
A Blacksmith Courted Me - http://www.afolksongaday.com/2010/07/27/a-blacksmith-courted-me/; Danny Deever - http://www.afolksongaday.com/2010/07/11/danny-deever/ ; and, Tyne of Harrow - http://www.afolksongaday.com/2010/07/01/tyne-of-harrow/ - all of which I have added a comment. For more about the project read the article which appeared in The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jul/28/jon-boden-a-folk-song-a-day

Henry Moore

‘Harlow Family Group’ is a well-known sculpture in the New Town by Henry Moore. At the Gibberd Gallery in the Civic Centre (Harlow, Essex) an exhibition of the artist’s work has commenced and will continue until 30 October 2010. (Admission Free. Open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm, Saturday 9.00am to noon. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays). Having recently visited the major exhibition at Tate Britain in London (which closes 8 August) and visited Moore’s home, grounds and studio at Perry Green in Hertfordshire, this local exhibition, entitled ‘Sheep’, is not to be missed.

Henry Moore is probably Britain’s greatest twentieth century sculptor. He is best known for his large scale human forms, sometimes with distorted torsos, wrong sized and shaped heads and limbs. His ability to form body shapes is said to be based on his memories of rubbing his infirm mother’s shoulders and back as a child. At the Tate Britain exhibition it was suggested that his work was dark and sensual but in my view it omitted the fact that he began studying sculpture at Leeds – he was the only student – following service in the First World War at Cambrai. The pitiful sight of dismembered bodies on the battlefield must have had a lasting influence on his work. If was after his London studio was bombed in The Blitz of the Second World War that he came to Hoglands, at Perry Green, where he remained until the close of his life. Anyway, I know little about modern art but find it interesting and, unlike a Constable masterpiece such as ‘The Haywain’, something which always engenders discussion among viewers.

Edward Henry Lisle Reeve

Readers of this site will know that I am very interested in the life and times of Revd. Reeve (photograph above) who was Rector of Stondon Massey from 1893 to 1935. I have decided to write a biography of this man but wonder whether any of his descendents survive – hence this appeal. He and his sisters died unmarried but we know of a Wheatley family who was related to him through the previous marriage of his mother.

Issac Taylor of Stanford Rivers

Pages from the ‘Dictionary of National Biography’ (http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Dictionary_of_National_Biography_volume_55.djvu/423 , http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Dictionary_of_National_Biography_volume_55.djvu/424 and http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Dictionary_of_National_Biography_volume_55.djvu/425 ) give a biography of Issac Taylor, an artist, author and inventor who was born in Lavenham, Suffolk in 1787 – remembered in the Lavenham Guildhall owned by the National Trust - and died at Stanford Rivers in 1865. “A portrait of Isaac Taylor of Stanford Rivers is the property of Henry Taylor of Tunbridge Wells, and a crayon portrait by his nephew, Josiah Gilbert, is in the National Portrait Gallery.”

Family History

Samuel Wilson, born 1801, Writtle: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=bkev8tjhpa3e8kjd8ssh3009u2&topic=23988.0

New Photos

Fryerning Church font: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stiffleaf/4739185699/
Mountnessing Windmill: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43012441@N07/4798961727/

Links

For an extensive list of links to other sites go to: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/externallinks.html