Blackmore Area Local History: Buttsbury

Showing posts with label Buttsbury. Show all posts

Thursday, 1 March 2012

BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - March 2012

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

Cardinall’s Musick launch Byrd Tour 2012

William Byrd (see picture), composer and one-time resident of Stondon Massey, is the focus of a nine-month tour by Cardinall’s Musick. Under the direction of Andrew Carwood the internationally renowned Choir begin their series of concerts at the Wigmore Hall in London on Monday 5 March. The tour will include two short concerts at St Peter and St Paul Church, Stondon Massey, on Sunday 2 September. The Financial Times has carried an interesting article giving information on Byrd and heralding the tour: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/73e967be-597c-11e1-abf1-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1nN4pStYi . For the latest tour information go to http://www.cardinallsmusick.com/news/byrd-tour-2012 and specifically follow the link to the William Byrd Festival blog, http://www.williambyrdfestival.blogspot.com/ .

Petre Chapel Refurbishment at Ingatestone

The Petre Chapel in Ingatestone Parish Church, the resting place of John Petre patron to the aforementioned William Byrd, has just been refurbished. See http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/Historic-chapel-time-400-years/story-15214431-detail/story.html

Antique Road Trip

Megarrys Antique Shop on The Green, Blackmore, was featured on the BBC day-time show 'Antique Road Trip' on 21 February. It was recorded last August. Since then there has been an influx of visitors to the village.

Dr Livingstone I presume

Ongar United Reformed Church hosted a talk on the explorer and missionary David Livingstone. Before going to Africa the young man stayed in Ongar for about nine months. He is famously recalled locally for being lost for words when about to give a sermon one evening at Stanford Rivers Congregational Church. Ongar URC is one of the oldest non-conformist chapels in the country, having been formed in 1662. It celebrates its 350^th anniversary in May.

Miscellaneous

Buttsbury churchyard accident: Drivers misjudge sharp bend at Buttsbury Church causing road accident – locals refer the two right-angle turns as ‘dead cyclists’ bend’, warning of extreme care required on this country lane. http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/smash-danger-road/story-15130659-detail/story.html

Doddinghurst history: http://www.tonicbooks.com/post/2012/02/15/Doddinghurst-History.aspx

Fry family of Blackmore: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=qnco05i3o09jr8lrjaf2mk1jc2&topic=580830.0

Greensted Church theft: http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/Thief-takes-painting-church-service/story-15130653-detail/story.html

Links

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

Friday, 10 February 2012

Ingatestone: Canon Hudson

‘Edward Freeman Hudson. 1906-1989’ is the simple title of a limited-edition book written by the late Kenneth Langford in 1995. I discovered a copy of it while browsing in a secondhand bookshop in Colchester recently. Canon Hudson, as he was known by all parishioners, was the Rector of Ingatestone and Curate of Buttsbury from 1952 (sixty years ago) to 1988. His epitaph in St Mary’s Church, Buttsbury, describes him accurately as “A loving Priest and true friend to all”. I remember him well, as would all who lived in Ingatestone during those years. The book is an interesting and insightful read.

Canon Hudson loved Ingatestone and its people. He was involved in many aspects of village life: taking assemblies at least three days a week at the (CofE aided) Junior School; as Chairman of Governors of all three schools; a regular visitor to Brownies and other local organisations; taking a full and active role as parish priest and taking an interest in wider diocese activity. He was a highly educated man who enjoyed reading, and drew on his extensive knowledge to illustrate his sermons. The parish magazine, ‘The Tower’, had a significant contribution by him, giving news of local events and personal reflections. I remember someone calling it the “I magazine”, but given a chance to read it today the monthly editions would say much about a mid-twentieth century village. It demonstrates a priest in touch with his parishioners, and must have provided Mr Langford with plenty of source material to create the biography. Canon Hudson’s ministry was at a time of an enormous growth in the local population as Ingatestone developed into a small dormitory town. Ingatestone was one of the first villages on the ‘great Essex road’ to be bypassed. Until then the Rectory overlooked open fields.

But he was very much of his time. He did not like calling people by their Christian names – and it is unimaginable that he would have been called Canon Edward. He regarded himself as an ‘English Catholic’, having a closer working relationship with the Catholic Church than “dissenters” – with whom he had “many friends and no enemies”. He was against the ordination of women priests, writing that he hoped that the motion would be “crushingly rejected”. Mr Langford wonders what he would have made of the decision to accept women priests, just four years after his death. The only woman who attended his committal service was his widow. Without doubt he was a highly respected community leader and, says the author, easily capable of becoming a Bishop. Despite offers he would not leave Ingatestone.

It seems also he had a part in saving St Mary’s Church, Buttsbury, from demolition in the 1950s. The old village had ceased to be a civil parish in the 1930s, being amalgamated into Stock and Billericay, and the old church in the country had been war-damaged requiring extensive repairs. He wrote in ‘The Tower’, “people come to Buttsbury for peace and rest, and find it. … The present popularity of Buttsbury with its stark unadorned beauty and penetrating peace is not surprising”.

Thursday, 1 July 2010

BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - July 2010

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

Blackmore War Memorial

This morning Blackmore’s War Memorial is screened and fenced off from the public with a notice ‘Cleaning In Progress’. Work will be under way very soon to re-carve the names of those listed who fell or served in the First World War. The work of the Blackmore War Memorial Research Project Group is complete – save for any new discoveries – with most of the findings published online and created in a first draft in book form.

Brentwood War Memorial

With Armed Forces Day held very recently, Brentwood Borough Council has come in for some stick from the local newspaper over the state of the town’s War Memorial at the junction of Shenfield Road and Middleton Hall Lane. Work is to commence on its restoration soon.

Doddinghurst Surgery

Local residents are to have a new surgery built. The price of improving the facilities for thousands of patients is to build the premises on identified green belt land.

New Photos

Buttsbury Church: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11332007@N03/4660504786/

Links

Ingatestone Hall: http://www.ingatestonehall.com/index.php

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

Thursday, 1 April 2010

BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - April 2010

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

Aerial Photograph of Blackmore

This was a wonderful opportunity to take an aerial photograph of the village. See picture this month.

War Memorial Research Project Group

Work continues to identify and tell the stories of those from Blackmore who died and of those who survived the First World War. Some interesting contacts have been received from descendents.

Walk and Talks

The Essex Society for Archaeology and History visited Blackmore on 27 March to hear a presentation by me on the village’s history and its church. The occasion took the form of a walk around the historic green, highlighting points of interest, and a guided tour of the church and bell tower. Photographs, booklets and other items of interest were placed on a ‘show and tell’ table. A fellow local historian, Bruno Giordan, also made a large contribution to the afternoon’s proceedings. Members’ tea followed.

Two days’ previously I gave a 20-minute presentation at the AGM of the High Country History Group entitled ‘1911 and all that’ which covered family, local and social history derived from the recent census release. Other topics covered by speakers included the 1841 census in Greensted and the redundant church at Berners Roding. Cheese and wine concluded the evening. Spot the connection between the two events!

On the Wireless

At the beginning of the month Tim Wander was the speaker at the annual lecture given by the Chelmsford Museums. The audience – many of who were ex-employees of the great electronics firms which operated in the county town, and amateur radio fanatics – heard this Marconi man speak about the development of radio and of ‘Two Emma Tock’ Writtle. The month of March also saw the death of Dennis Rookard, a local and hospital radio presenter, whose specialist field was folk music. He produced a number of documentaries including one I came across on the web devoted to Capt. Eckersley’s pioneering antics in 1922. Go to: http://www.travelingsounds.com/Title.aspx?titleId=392

Grim Story: Death leap from aeroplane 75 years ago

The story of how two young women jumped to their deaths from a Hillman Airways ‘plane which took off from Stapleford Tawney aerodrome is recalled here: http://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/content/havering/recorder/news/story.aspx?brand=RECOnline&category=newsRomford&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsromford&itemid=WeED26%20Feb%202010%2009%3A56%3A59%3A430

Greensted Church

An article from the Guardian series of newspapers: http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/5045265.ONGAR__Spotlight_on_Greensted_Church/

Oliver Cromwell

‘Oliver Cromwell’ is the only surving steam engine of the Britannia class of locomotives which operated in the days of British Rail along the main railway line through Ingatestone. The following item gives news of it being back in steam again in Norfolk. Go to: http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/eveningnews24/norwich-news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=xNews&itemid=NOED12%20Mar%202010%2007%3A46%3A26%3A453

New Flicker Pictures

Puddingstone by ancient church at Buttsbury, taken on 1 March 2010 by Peter Herring: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hornbeam/4397863540/
Man of Straw at Stapleford Tawney, taken on 17 February 2010 by Barry Slemmings: http://www.flickr.com/photos/barryslemmings/4373479245/
Writtle Village Sign, taken on 18 February 2010 by “terryjoyce2155”: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boxster986/4368507287/

Links

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

Friday, 1 January 2010

BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - January 2010

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

Two thousand and Ten, or Twenty Ten?

Received wisdom – from the BBC, listening to the radio on Boxing Day – is that this year should be called ‘Twenty Ten’ not ‘two thousand and ten’. It made me wonder whether, with reference to twenty-twenty vision, the year so expressed implies a dodgy eye and a visit to the optician. The changing of another decade, and the end of the first ten years of the new millennium, gives a moment’s reflection as to where those years have gone. “Who knows where the time goes”. As a local historian I recognise that the efflux of time can be quite an enemy. Capturing memories is important, especially of the sometimes more trivial items which disproportionately say more about the way we lived in the past than sometimes the set piece events. How many people have a photo of the former village shop at Pleshey for example?

A local historian from Ingatestone wrote to the Brentwood Gazette recently saying that nothing had been mentioned of the opening of the Ingatestone Bypass and Secondary School, both in 1959. As an Ingatestone resident I remember a conversation in the late 1980s with an elderly man who I talked to over dinner at a conference in Derbyshire. He asked from where I came from. When I said Ingatestone he immediately knew of its narrow main street and how the traffic got held up there on the main London road before the bypass was built. He was a lorry driver before he retired. The Ingatestone bypass was one of the first dual carriageways to be built on the London to Ipswich road, apart from ‘three mile hill’ which passes Hylands Park beyond Margaretting, now no longer (since 1987) the main A12 route. The retired lorry driver had nothing positive to say about Ingatestone but it was a marvellous insight to years gone by.

If you have story to tell I would be pleased to hear from you. Get those glasses on and start scrawling. Happy twenty ten!

Traditional New Years Day Morris Dancing at lunchtime, Leather Bottle, Blackmore.

Not to be missed. Blackmore Morris Men. A photo here is from 2006: http://gallery.future-i.com/England/1181-1200/pic:newyearsday-2006/full-size

Blackmore War Memorial

A minute from the ‘Meeting of the Blackmore, Hook End & Wyatts Green Parish Council’ held on 15th October 2009 (courtesy of the Blackmore Village website: http://www.blackmorevillage.co.uk/):
War Memorial
Mr Ted Hall is applying for the relevant grant, with the help of Cllr Giordan. It was noted that there were some discrepancies between the Parish records regarding the names displayed on the memorial and Cllr Giordan is attempting to produce an accurate text. The meeting agreed that this should not delay the grant application.
Action: Cllrs Town/Giordan
There are in the village a few people who are interested in the names of those inscribed on the Blackmore (Essex) War Memorial and, like me, have done some research. We will be meeting in the Leather Bottle next week to compare notes and establish an accurate transcription.

Second World War

Linked to the above project is the recent creation of a new web page on the website dedicated to the men and women who served during the Second World War: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/blackmore_ww2.html

Sir Stephen Powle of court and country: memorabilia of a government agent ...

Google Books has recently published a book by this intriguing title, written by Virginia F. Stern, published in 1992. “This biographical study is based on copious sixteenth- and early seventeenth-century materials previously unexplored: letters, diaries, and legal records kept by Stephen Powle. His legal education, struggles to achieve independence from an autocratic and parsimonious father, and his attachment to Lord Burgley as a surrogate parent are documented.”

Sir Stephen Powle’s connection with Blackmore (Essex) is that he became lord of the manor of Blackmore when he married Margaret Smyth, the widow of Thomas Smyth of Smyths Hall, in 1593. Thomas and Margaret are commemorated with a tomb in the Priory Church of St Laurence, being erected by Sir Stephen Powle himself (see picture). The website displays the text relevant to Blackmore but on my computer it is difficult to read. However a link to Amazon enabled me to purchase the book from America for an extremely small amount of money. Having read the book over the Christmas season it has yielded more information on the Smyth family, which I will share this month.

New Tiles for Old: Appeal to Re-roof Ancient Church

News from Stondon Massey Church:

The present tiles on both faces of the Nave Roof at St Peter and St Paul Church, Stondon Massey (Essex) have, over a very long time, become fragile and subject to wind damage and failure. Regular replacements are becoming more frequent and therefore more expensive.

A generous legacy from a much loved church member has given the Church PCC a God sent opportunity to change this situation. Our Diocesan architect has recommended that as the existing condition of the roof is poor and the fixings are deteriorating, we should re tile and in so doing protect the church and in particular, the ceiling beneath.

Having approached a number of grant making bodies who were unable to offer funding, we have had the good fortune to be offered a grant of £8,000 by “Friends of Essex Churches”. Friends of Essex Churches have helped us before and in turn welcome support from individuals in their charitable work.

We are much encouraged and with a current shortfall of £2,000 the PCC are looking for ways to bridge the gap between the money available and the estimated total of £28,000, so that a contract may be placed. The Diocesan Advisory Committee endorses our proposal.

Donations to “St Peter & St Paul PCC” may be sent to our Hon Treasurer, c/o The Vicarage, Church Street, Blackmore, Ingatestone, Essex. CM4 0RN.

Wheal family of Stondon Massey

The family history community has been corresponding on a Woolnough family but thrown up the following entry: “Cornelius [Wheal] in [the] 1871 [census] in Mile End Old Town: Corneal Wheal, 23, boarder, pork butcher assist., born Essex, Stondon Massey”. He was christened “Cornel Wheal, 02 JAN 1848 [at] Stondon-Massey, Essex. Parents: James Wheal and Mary Wheal“. Later “Found 1901 [census], in Forest Gate, West Ham: Corneal Wheal 53, widower, butcher's assist., b. Stondon Massey, Essex; Mary Page 81, mother, b. High Ongar, Essex; Sarah Chambers 42, sister, b. Stondon Massey, Essex”. The full sequence of correspondence can be found on http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=peqt2bakma8k847l5opq4t5do7&topic=422599.msg2871390

Dennis family, Blackmore

Anne Dennis, born 1874, Blackmore, is mentioned on the following Australian site as living in East Ham in 1901. This is another example of someone who moved away from the village depopulating the parish at the end of the nineteenth century: http://www.genesreunited.com.au/family-history-records/1901-Census/dennis/Anne/results.aspx

Family Histories

Knight. Blackmore. http://www.gillandtony.com/genealogy/names12.htm
Rolph. Blackmore, Writtle and neighbouring parishes. http://www.gillandtony.com/genealogy/names18.htm
Shuttleworth. Blackmore. http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/th/read/SHUTTLEWORTH/2008-02/1201872037
Farrow. Norton Mandeville. http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=q6ravpvepiob83cs09q4aclmv6&topic=393573.0
Elizabeth Betts. High Ongar. http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=364390.msg2830940;topicseen
The following pages are an excellent example of putting ancestors within the context of the area in which they lived. This family historian has an interesting story to relate.
James Bettis (1825 -1872), Stanford Rivers. http://www.pjbettis.co.uk/?p=1603
William Bettis (1861 – 1927), Stanford Rivers. http://www.pjbettis.co.uk/?p=1575

Pictures

Rectory Cottage, Willingale. A new entry on Geograph: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1612851
The Baroness’ House, The Green, Writtle. A new entry on Flicker: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldcurmudgeon/4038316146/

Buttsbury Ford

It’s part of our local heritage that the ford – Buttsbury Wash – on the back road from Buttsbury Church to Billericay is often deeper than you think. The road dips and turns slightly to the left as it crosses the River Wid, a meandering stream in the summer but a raging torrent after heavy rainfall in the winter. It’s deceptive too. As a local I was once nearly caught out: my car nearly stalled as it negotiated the depths. So cross, if you dare, with extreme care. Beware lest the river engulfs your car. A story of the crossing is given here: “Fire Brigade statistics show it to be the worst location of its kind in the country” http://cheaper-cars.co.uk/511145-First-Aid-for-Flooded-Cars.html

Edith’s Streets

A blog is dedicated to the history of square kilometres in the London area. A recent post refers to a Mr H. S. Ashton of Ingatestone who gave land for a playing field at Woodford Bridge: http://edithsstreets.blogspot.com/2009/12/londonessex-border-woodford-bridge.html. Does anyone know who Mr Ashton was?

Prince Albert public house, Blackmore

A list of publicans and residents down the years may be found by following this link. http://londonpublichouse.com/EssexPubs/Blackmore/palbert.shtml

Parish Registers

The following webpage contains a list of surnames appearing in ancient parish registers of Bobbingworth, Fyfield, Greensted, Lambourne, Moreton, Ongar, and Stapleford Tawney in our local area: http://www.archive.org/stream/listparishregis03crisgoog/listparishregis03crisgoog_djvu.txt

Stanford Rivers’ Sermons

The National Library of Australia has in its collection ‘XXXI [31] sermons preached to the parishioners of Stanford-Rivers in Essex [microform] : upon serveral subjects and occasions / by Charles Gibbes’. This is a collection of preaching in the Church of England dated during the 17th century (1604 -1681). (http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1752554?lookfor=preached&offset=158&max=33736)

Blackmore Area Local History: Stondon Worthies

Three new web pages have just been published on the main website devoted to local celebrities of Stondon Massey. They are:
William Byrd: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/stondon_william_byrd.html
John Carre: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/stondon_john_carre.html
Nathaniel Ward: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/stondon_nathaniel_ward.html

Turning Pages

Fans of the composer William Byrd will learn that Lady Nevells Books can be viewed at the British Library. http://media-newswire.com/release_1108127.html

Byrd Edition Volume 12

A review of the ongoing cycle of William Byrd’s work presented by The Cardinall’s Musick under director Andrew Carwood is given on http://www.classical.net/~music/recs/reviews/h/hyp67675a.php

Links

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

Thursday, 31 December 2009

Ingatestone: The Rectory Facing Demolition

Twenty years ago today (31 December 1989) these pictures were taken of Ingatestone Rectory which faced demolition to make way for Rectory Close between Willow Green and Wadham Close. Earlier that year Canon Edward Hudson had died. His memorial can be seen in Buttsbury Church.

Thursday, 1 October 2009

BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - October 2009

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

A Farming and Family Centenary Celebration

Descendents of Arthur Henry Smith had a party recently to celebrate one hundred years of farming at Jordans Farm in Mountnessing. It was to there, in 1909, that my grandfather became a tenant farmer on land owned by Lord Petre. My cousin still farms the same land which is a great achievement and cause for celebration. The gathering, attended by many family and friends, provided an opportunity to view photographs and other memorabilia. Those into family history displayed their research and in preparation for the occasion I researched Arthur’s ancestors.

Researching a Smith family line at first sight sounds a daunting task given the fact that the name is common so I went with an open mind to the Essex Record Office one Monday morning. I had already obtained the census record for 1901 (when Arthur, aged 16, was living with his family) and the free listing of the 1881 census (obtainable from Ancestry.co.uk). But within the space of three hours I had established the name of my gt gt gt gt grandfather, Henry, through using census records back to 1841 and parish registers copied onto microfiche. Why? It quickly became apparent that my family had lived throughout the nineteenth century in the parishes of Stock and Buttsbury.

I will be posting my findings shortly on http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/smith.html.

This month’s photo is of Jordans Farm, taken in 1954, with thraves (known as stooks elsewhere) of corn in the foreground.

Early Essex Parish Registers Online

In April 2009 ‘Blackmore Area Local History’ reported that the Essex Record Office had embarked on a project, called ‘Essex Ancestors’, to digitise and put on-line through SEAX (the catalogue of archives) colour images of original Anglican Parish Registers (except marriage registers less than 50 years old). Early Parish Registers for local parishes are now available to view through SEAX (http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/default.asp). ‘Blackmore Area Local History’ will monitor progress and hopefully provide links this autumn to images through the ‘Parish Registers’ page of the main website. In the meantime Registers can be viewed on microfiche at the Searchroom.

The major advantage is that wherever you are in the world you can look up ancestors from the comfort of your armchair without going to Chelmsford. Those American friends, for example, looking for the Smyth family in Blackmore can see the original register entries for the first time and no doubt copy extracts. In this respect this is a marvellous innovation.

But is there a downside? If all Registers and Census material goes online will this mean a reduction in the footfall of visitors to archive searchrooms. As someone said to me when I visited the Record Office recently, this can be no substitute for talking with others during your coffee break as often other ideas come to the fore through networking. At a time when the National Archives (at Kew) is likely to close to the public every Monday, in order to make cuts, I am quietly concerned that access to original documents – e.g. church records, wills, inventories, house sales – could become more restricted. I can see the dilemma: an attempt to increase access to records and make cuts to the front line service. Taken to its extreme there must be a danger that these vast store houses of history and local interest become the preserve of academics, frightening off casual visitors and enthusiastic amateur historians. I trust that those responsible for our heritage have a policy which ensures that these records continue to be available for all, and attract people from all walks of life to learn about the past.

This is not a criticism, just an observation. At present I have found most archivists to be very approachable and only too willing to point people in the right direction.

Historic Villages advertised by Beresfords Estate Agents

An innovative way of advertising local properties, amenities and, for this site, history has been created by Beresfords, a local estate agent. Local villages are covered in short ‘You Tube’ presentations.
For Writtle, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRSN99s1fJk
For Ingatestone (and a quick mention of Mountnessing, Stock, Fryerning and Blackmore) go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUnoKY2fivU&feature=related
For Shenfield, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_xswZXg0G4&feature=related
For Brentwood, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qg0fnqTAB4&feature=related

Runwell

David Mallinson, from Denver Colorado USA, wrote on 13th September 2009: “I read with great interest your blog entry (http://blackmorehistory.blogspot.com/2009/07/runwell-revd-suckling-memorials-1845.html) with respect to Fleming's (or Flemyngs's) Hall [Runwell] as my family owned the property from 1908 to 1986, and I myself lived there from 1967 until the property was sold in 1986.

“I note the source for the excellent rendering of the front of the house is the Rev Alfred Suckling's work 'Memorials of the antiquities and architecture, family history and heraldry of the County of Essex’ (John Weale, London, 1845). I would imagine that copies of the above work are hard to find nowadays, having said that do you know the whereabouts of any copies?”

The book itself is very rare but available through the Essex Libraries Network. The Essex Record Office has a copy. I purchased a very tatty copy, minus cover and all plates, from E bay a couple of years ago for about £20. I believe that in the book business this copy is called a "breaker" - all the good bits removed and sold on as framed pictures, unless, of course, one is interested as much in the text. Either that or I have just invented a new word for the Oxford English Dictionary.

London Underground

A sightseeing site in Botswana has been quick to pick up the reference in the Mangapps Farm Railway Museum item to the London Underground. It has added it to the numerous links on its history. See http://www.sightseeing.co.bw/search/History_Of_The_London_Underground_.html

Links

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

Friday, 22 May 2009

Buttsbury: Revd. A. Suckling. Memorials (1845)

The following is taken from Revd. Alfred Suckling’s book, ‘Memorials of the antiquities and architecture, family history and heraldry of the County of Essex’ (John Weale, London, 1845).

The name of this village, which has at different periods been written Botulnesbury, Buttesbury, and Butsbury, is derived by Mr. Morant from Botolph’s Burgh, the fortified place of Botolph, but who this Botolph was, he does not inform us. As the church is dedicated to Saint Mary, and was anciently appropriated to the nuns of Saint Leonard’s, at Stratford-le-bow, there does not appear to be any thing beyond mere conjecture in this derivation.

The church is a donative, with cure of souls, in the gift of Lord Petre, who is also possessed of the great tithes. Its certified value is £14 per annum, and the service, which, till very lately, was only once a month, is now performed every other Sunday. It is a very humble fabric, by no means improved by modern alterations, and comprises a nave with north and south aisles, and a chancel: at the west end a small tower contains one bell. In the nave are rather highly pointed arches sustaining the roof, with this peculiarity, that a portion of the surface of the wall runs down in a narrow strip to the floor, thus dividing the column, and allowing pilasters only to support the mouldings of the arches. The east window, which was large and full of tracery, is closed with masonry.

The following memorials are engraved on floor-stones in the body of the church:-

1. Here lyeth the body of Edward Francklin, Gent., aged 63 yeares, obiit 15 Aug. 1680.

2. Here lyeth interred ye body of Ann, late wife of John Lockey, Gent., of Albrehaeh, and third daughter to Edward Francklin, Gent., of Burchbury in Essex, who dyed ye 10th day of June, 1688.

The font is square and plain: in the chancel stand two old chests of oak.

Sunday, 2 November 2008

War Memorials Locally