Showing posts with label Writtle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writtle. Show all posts
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Friday, 6 April 2012
BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - April 2012
Welcome to this month’s round-up of local history and heritage in and around Blackmore, Essex.
Blackmore Ancestors
My booklet, previously called ‘Hatched, Matched and Despatched’, has had a makeover and is now available again as ‘Blackmore Ancestors’. The 24-page booklet “does not regurgitate the contents of the [Baptism, Marriage and Burial] Registers [of Blackmore, Essex] but uses two late Victorian sources – one written appropriately in the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee (1897) – to comment on the social changes of the parish over the past 400 years”. It is available from Megarrys and the local church, priced £2, and sold in aid of funds for the Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore.
Titanic connections
An event which cannot be avoided on television at the present time is the maiden voyage and sinking to the SS Titanic one hundred years’ ago on 15 April. The Catholic Priest of St Helen’s Church, Ongar, was one of those who perished. Father Andrew writes in the Spring 2012 edition of the Stondon Massey News (follow link http://www.stondonmasseypc.co.uk/local-information/parish-magazine/ ) how Father Thomas Byles helped women and children get into the few lifeboats which were available and how he ministered to those who would likely perish by giving absolution and blessings. “he then began the recitation of the rosary”. Many times Father Byles was asked to board a lifeboat, but he refused. A survivor recalled that he could distinctly hear the priest’s voice as his craft left the stricken vessel. Father Byles is commemorated in a stained glass window at the church: “Pray for the Reverend Thomas Byles, for eight years Rector of this Mission, whose heroic death in the disaster to SS Titanic, earnestly devoting his last moments to the religious consolation of his fellow passengers, this window commemorates.”
Scott of the Antarctic
Less has been made in the media of the expedition by Captain Scott and his comrades one hundred years ago – which is a shame. The party were just a few days too late to be the first to reach the South Pole and all perished on their return journey. Captain Oates, whose family lived at Gestingthorpe in the north of Essex, is famously recorded as saying “I am just stepping outside for a moment … “.
Miscellaneous
Blackmore: ‘Antique Road Trip’ televised 21 February 2012. Megarrys in Blackmore village green featured. http://www.antique-teashop.co.uk/?p=638
Fryerning: Unusual church photo. http://ellispictures.com/2012/02/24/the-church-at-fryerning/
High Ongar: British Legion branch closes after 82 years. http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/post-British-legion/story-15351662-detail/story.html
Ingatestone: Old bottles discovered on High Street fire station site. Former dump. http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/Old-bottles-unearthed-builders-dig-deeply/story-15587726-detail/story.html
Stondon Massey: William Byrd article ahead of Cardinall Musick’s tour. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/73e967be-597c-11e1-abf1-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1qfnHxThM . For more visit http://www.williambyrdfestival.blogspot.com
Writtle: Lead stolen – again. It is part of a major problem in which thieves target historic buildings for personal gain, which caring one jot about the consequences on the local churchgoers and community. Hands off I say!! http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/Writtle-church-victim-second-lead-theft/story-15295682-detail/story.html
Links
For an extensive list of links to other sites go to: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/externallinks.html
Monday, 1 August 2011
BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - August 2011
Welcome to this month’s round-up of local history and heritage in and around Blackmore, Essex.
Books for Sale
‘William Byrd: Some Notes’ is just one of many titles now available from Megarry’s Antique and Tea Shop on The Green at Blackmore (open Wednesdays through to Sundays). Judy, the owner, has given some space over to the sale of books in aid of church funds, which are £2.00 each. Megarry’s is a traditional antique shop which has tea and cake available for those who wish to stay a while. The owner has been awarded the top (five star) rating for food preparation and hygiene from the local authority. Books available also include, in an ever changing selection: ‘A Short History of Blackmore’, ‘The Bell Tower at Blackmore’ and the Church Guide Book. ‘Hatched, Matched and Despatched’, which tells the story of Blackmore’s parish registers (BMD) is out of print but the text is available online. A completely new edition will be written in due course. For more information on Megarry’s follow this link: http://www.teashopblackmore.co.uk/essex_antiques.htm
Reeve trilogy
Fascinating material has been received of the life and times of family during the early nineteenth century. Two commonplace books, one by Edward Reeve (1785 – 1867) written towards the end of his life at Ongar, and the other ‘Jottings’ (dating from 1881) by his grandson Edward Henry Lisle Reeve – Rector of Stondon Massey between 1893 and 1935 – are being edited and transcribed into three booklets which will go on sale this autumn. The project is well under way.
Blackmore Area Local History
The site continues to grow thanks to correspondence with people interested in local history and family heritage. Keeping up with postings is always a challenge given other commitment but hopefully many answers can be found by visitors.
Primarily the website (http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk ) covers the parishes of Blackmore, Stondon Massey, Ingatestone and Fryerning but with coverage of neighbouring parishes too: Highwood and Writtle, Norton Mandeville, Willingale, High Ongar, Doddinghurst, Shenfield and Mountnessing.
The blog covers a wider area but is more focussed on those villages listed above. Follow these links to see what is available parish by parish:
Norton Mandeville (which includes Norton Heath) http://www.blackmorehistory.blogspot.com/search?q=Norton
Willingale (which includes the ancient parishes of Willingale Doe and Willingale Spain) http://www.blackmorehistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Willingale
Links
For an extensive list of links to other sites go to: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/externallinks.html
Friday, 18 June 2010
Ingatestone: Finch Family
Received
2 May 2010
Can you help us trace our family ancestors from Ingatestone and Writtle.
John Finch born Ingatestone / Margaretting about 1811, a farmer, married Charlotte (Coleman, Mills or Adams?) in about 1836.
Charlotte was from Writtle.
Their children were Charlotte born 1837 Emily born 1838 Sarah Anne born 1839/40. Possibly a William and a Frederick were also born.
Kindest regards
Trevor Kirby
Devon
Replied
3 May 2010
I do not have any records of this family but will post your entry on the blog.
Regards
Andrew
2 May 2010
Can you help us trace our family ancestors from Ingatestone and Writtle.
John Finch born Ingatestone / Margaretting about 1811, a farmer, married Charlotte (Coleman, Mills or Adams?) in about 1836.
Charlotte was from Writtle.
Their children were Charlotte born 1837 Emily born 1838 Sarah Anne born 1839/40. Possibly a William and a Frederick were also born.
Kindest regards
Trevor Kirby
Devon
Replied
3 May 2010
I do not have any records of this family but will post your entry on the blog.
Regards
Andrew
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - June 2010
Welcome to this month’s round-up of local history and heritage in and around Blackmore, Essex.Listed Building to be bought for £1
Blackmore, Hook End and Wyatts Green Parish Council are about to purchase a listed building for just £1. The telephone box which stands outside the Post Office has been declared redundant by BT and will have its equipment removed. It is a traditional K6 variety designed about 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and has been accorded Grade II listed status, probably because of its location. Parish Councils across the land are being asked to “Adopt a Red Telephone Kiosk” rather than see them disappear from our streetscape. We reported on a similar situation at Stondon Massey in January 2009. The Council “agreed that the kiosk located in Blackmore Village would be purchased, at a nominal fee of £1 but the kiosk in Wyatts Green should be removed by BT.” A photograph of the telephone box to be preserved was published in ‘Blackmore Area Local History News’ in December 2009. Photographed this month is the ill-fated kiosk at Wyatts Green.
Listed Buildings
‘British Listed Buildings’ appears to be newly-published on the website. The pages are arranged parish by parish.
Ingatestone & Fryerning: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex/ingatestone+and+fryerning
This includes Howletts Hall (Grade II listed) on the Chelmsford Road which is commonly regarded as being in Blackmore but, as I found when investigating an Ernest Knight of neighbouring Ganders Hall, is actually just over the parish boundary.
An overview of Essex parishes can be found by taking the following link: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex
This means links for ‘Blackmore Area Local History’ parishes are:
Blackmore: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex/blackmore
Doddinghurst: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex/doddinghurst
High Ongar: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex/high+ongar
Mountnessing: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex/mountnessing
Norton Mandeville: not listed
Shenfield: not listed
Stondon Massey: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex/stondon+massey
Willingale: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex/willingale
Writtle: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/essex/writtle
Cooperative at Blackmore
Chelmsford Star Coop took over the Nisa store in the centre of Blackmore village on 20 April 2010.
Roman Discovery at Harlow
A Roman brick kiln has been discovered by workers building at new playground at Prentice Place, Potter Street, Harlow. The place name is a bit of a giveaway. For more information see: http://www.harlowherald.co.uk/content/hlwherald/news/story.aspx?brand=HLHOnline&category=NewsHarlow&tBrand=HertsCambsOnline&tCategory=newslatestHLH&itemid=WEED29%20Apr%202010%2009%3A15%3A30%3A293
War Memorial Research Project Group
The work of this Group to identify all the names carved on Blackmore’s War Memorial has been completed and online publication is now under way. If you have any information on those who died or survived from Blackmore and the surrounding area from the First World War we would be very pleased to hear from you.
Supporting ‘Help For Heroes’
Lyndon March, whose family originally hail from Ingatestone, and Connor Mayes (otherwise referred to as ‘The Dynamic Duo’) are a couple of teenagers who will be taking part in a 350 mile sponsored bicycle ride from London to Paris in support of ‘Help For Heroes’. You can follow and support their fund raising efforts on http://connormayes.blogspot.com/2010/04/blackmore-area-local-history-essex-home.html. They tell me that for every £10 they raise Virgin Giving will be donating a further £2.95 towards their target of £3,000. I am delighted to lend my support to them and their cause. Come on lads!!!
Family Histories
New online:
Adams family, of Doddinghurst, Blackmore and Brentwood: http://www.lintywhite.com/adams.html
Memories of the Buttle family at Stondon Massey are shared on ‘Francis Frith’: http://www.francisfrith.com/stondon-massey/memories/my-time-spent-in-stondon-massey_140471/
Links
A countryside walk taking ramblers on a circular route via Norton Mandeville and Blackmore has been published online at http://mediafiles.thedms.co.uk/Publication/EE-Ess/cms/pdf/9%20Countryside%20Walks%20in%20Brentwood%20-%20Blackmore%20&%20Norton%20Mandeville.pdf
A new website for the churches of Greensted, Stanford Rivers, Stapleford Tawney and Theydon Mount has been published: http://highcountry.org.uk/
For an extensive list of links to other sites go to: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/externallinks.html
Saturday, 1 May 2010
BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - May 2010
Welcome to this month’s round-up of local history and heritage in and around Blackmore, Essex.Aubyns, Writtle
On the picturesque green at Writtle, Aubyns dated c.1500 is going through a substantial renovation (see photo). The architect and owner very generously have on display at present in the garden a photograph of the property following a devastating fire which damaged the central hall range on 30 July 1936 but kept intact the two cross wings. The property borders Church Lane and shows evidence of part of the building once being a shop. For the news story go to: http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/news/WRITTLE-Hall-s-Aubyn-s/article-1638594-detail/article.html; a blog entry of work in progress click http://www.pascott.co.uk/blog/?p=29’; and a Flicker picture from 1989: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7733434@N04/3077157135
Aerial Photograph of Blackmore
The picture last month was an aerial photo of Blackmore village but one made into a jigsaw puzzle. Fiendishly difficult to complete I am told; it was a Christmas present from a relative.
Burial Register (1893 – 1992) Look Up Service
The webmaster has a transcript of Blackmore’s Burial Register, with kind acknowledgment to the Vicar and Churchwardens of the Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore. The Register covers the period 1893 to 1992. The original is in the Church safe and not deposited at the Essex Record Office.
I recently received the site’s first enquiry, which I could readily answer. “I have just discovered that my great grandfather, Daniel Walker, was the publican at the Prince Albert in 1906 & 1908. He died on 27 May 1912 aged 66 and I wonder if you have a record in your burial transcripts. Your website is quite amazing - your passion for your hobby shines through, keep up the good work. Regards from sunny NSW Australia”. Daniel Walker was indeed buried at Blackmore on 31 May 1912. He was 66.
War Memorial Research Project Group
The work of this Group to identify all the names carved on Blackmore’s War Memorial is almost complete but inevitably there are some gaps in biographies which remain to be filled. The good news is that all names have been identified sufficiently to allow the obelisk to be accurately re-engraved. The professionals are coming to The Green this month. One of the interesting aspects of the Project is the number of people who have made contact through this blog and the partner website. If you have any information on those who died or survived from Blackmore and the surrounding area from the First World War we would be very pleased to hear from you.
Supporting ‘Help For Heroes’
Lyndon March, whose family originally hail from Ingatestone, and Connor Mayes (otherwise referred to as ‘The Dynamic Duo’) are a couple of teenagers who will be taking part in a 350 mile sponsored bicycle ride from London to Paris in July 2010 in support of ‘Help For Heroes’. You can follow and support their fund raising efforts on http://connormayes.blogspot.com/2010/04/blackmore-area-local-history-essex-home.html. I am delighted to lend my support to them and their cause. Come on lads!!!
Memories of Stondon Massey
Brian Buttle, who now lives in Australia, has posted on the Francis Frith website his memories of Stondon Massey in the 1930s and 1940s. He recalls the American airmen over here with their chewing gum. For more see: http://www.francisfrith.com/stondon-massey/memories/my-time-spent-in-stondon-massey_140471/
Ingatestone Hall
Information about summer 2010 opening: http://www.eastofenglandtouristboard.com/lets-go/thedms.aspx?dms=13&w=800&campaign=289&soc=289&feature=1&venue=0229801
Doddinghurst
The London Family History Centre holds various transcripts relating to Doddinghurst: http://www.londonfhc.org/content/catalogue?c=5&p=England,England,Essex,Doddinghurst&f=1
Summer Afternoon Teas
The newly refurbished Priests House next to All Saints Church Doddinghurst will be open for afternoon teas on summer Sunday afternoons (16 May, 20 June, 18 July, 15 August, 19 September) between 2.30 and 4.30pm. In aid of church funds.
At the Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore, the famous Teas In The Tower is on the 1st Sunday in the month from May to October, 2.30 to 4.30pm.
Finally, the church at Stondon Massey is open to visitors on the 2nd Sunday in the month from 2.30 to 4.30pm, from May to September. The duty stewards will be more than happy to boil the kettle for you.
Writtle Archives
Essex Life features Writtle Archives: http://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/writtle-archives-19646/
New Flicker Pictures
Ingatestone Hall – a window: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris37111/4524970437/
Blackmore Area Local History
http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/ has gained in popularity in recent months. When 40 visitors clicked on the website in the week ending 11 April this took the total count to over 1000. This means that over 500 hits have occurred since November. Latest statistics show that in the week ending 25 April there were 47 hits, which is a new record.
Thought
“When an old man dies a Library burns down”.
Links
A walk around Mountnessing: http://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/walk-around-mountnessing-19645/
For an extensive list of links to other sites go to: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/externallinks.html
Monday, 12 April 2010
Writtle: Local Heroes
John Trusler’s book ‘Local Heroes. The Villagers of Writtle Who Gave Their Lives in The Great War’ (2008) charts the First World War and, with pictures, commemorates those who died. He lists and remembers not only those who are commemorated on the War Memorial but also those who had a connection with the parish. This 252 page A4 book is a major study of the life and times.
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
Friday, 18 December 2009
Writtle: Two Emma Tock
Signs on entry to the county town declare, ‘Chelmsford. Birthplace of Radio’. The story of wireless in Essex is little known and much forgotten.
In 1899, Guglielmo Marconi opened the world’s first radio factory in Hall Street, and later, in 1909, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics “in recognition of [his] contribution to the development of wireless telegraphy": (http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1909/). The name Marconi is synonymous with Chelmsford. Many men and women once had apprenticeships with this electronics Company, now a shadow of its former self following the end of the Cold War. But in terms of the wireless the year 1920 saw the beginning of the first broadcasting service. Captain H J Round had developed the first transmitter over which Dame Nellie Melba was heard in June that year. This famous artiste was sponsored by Lord Northcliffe of the Daily Mail to give a 30 minute concert over the airwaves, and many listened in. But the service was sporadic.
An except from ‘Essex Pie’ tells the story of how radio came to Writtle. “We received a letter from head office saying that the amateurs, in the form of the Radio Society of Great Britain, wanted the Marconi Company to design, install and maintain a station on their behalf and that we had better do the job at Writtle.” P. P. Eckersley: 'The Power behind the Microphone', 1941. (http://www.vam.ac.uk/activ_events/adult_resources/memory_maps/historical/writtle/index.html)
So it was in 1922, broadcasting from an ex-Army hut in Lawford Lane in Writtle, “Two Emma Tock”, 2MT Writtle, became the first regular entertainment broadcaster (http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/radio_history/gtnames/round/hjround.php). Beginning on 14th February on Tuesday evenings for just half an hour Captain P P Eckersley entertained listeners with gramophone records and merry banter. Programmes were planned in a nearby public house – the Cock and Bell – now Blue Bridge Restaurant and Bar (renamed and opened about two years ago) and if some stories are to be believed the pub piano was occasionally rolled down the road to the makeshift studio. These were pioneering days!
The website http://www.2mtwrittle.com/ says:
‘2MT Writtle – The Birth of British Broadcasting’ by Tim Wander charts the full story of the early struggle to achieve a national broadcasting service in this country – from the famous 1920 broadcast of Dame Nellie Melba in Chelmsford, through Writtle’s sparkling success to the birth of the BBC in 1923.
“Peter Eckersley became Britain’s first DJ, and the light-hearted spirit which pervaded the whole proceedings and sheer joie de vivre that bubbled across the ether were not only a first but truly unique in the history of broadcasting.
“Often a one-man show, but always a team effort, the radio station known as 2MT at Writtle established an individuality all its own which forever remained a pleasant memory to its broadcast audience and wrote a crucial chapter in the history of radio and broadcasting.”
In 1982, Essex Radio (now no more) produced a documentary ‘Sixty Years of Radio’ commemorating the beginning of regular commercial broadcasting.
Today the ex-Army Hut from which 2MT was broadcast is housed at the ‘Chelmsford Science and Industry Museum’ at Sandford Mill, Chelmsford. It is open to the public on Sundays in August each year. Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society have a report for 2009 (http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/sandfordmill/sandford-2009-08/sandford-2009-08.htm) and photographs of the hut where radio commenced ( http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/sandfordmill/sandford/sandford.htm).
Further reading:
Page from BBC Essex website about ‘Marconi Day’ celebrations held at Sandford Mill in April 2007: http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/content/articles/2007/04/24/marconi_feature.shtml
Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2MT
In 1899, Guglielmo Marconi opened the world’s first radio factory in Hall Street, and later, in 1909, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics “in recognition of [his] contribution to the development of wireless telegraphy": (http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1909/). The name Marconi is synonymous with Chelmsford. Many men and women once had apprenticeships with this electronics Company, now a shadow of its former self following the end of the Cold War. But in terms of the wireless the year 1920 saw the beginning of the first broadcasting service. Captain H J Round had developed the first transmitter over which Dame Nellie Melba was heard in June that year. This famous artiste was sponsored by Lord Northcliffe of the Daily Mail to give a 30 minute concert over the airwaves, and many listened in. But the service was sporadic.
An except from ‘Essex Pie’ tells the story of how radio came to Writtle. “We received a letter from head office saying that the amateurs, in the form of the Radio Society of Great Britain, wanted the Marconi Company to design, install and maintain a station on their behalf and that we had better do the job at Writtle.” P. P. Eckersley: 'The Power behind the Microphone', 1941. (http://www.vam.ac.uk/activ_events/adult_resources/memory_maps/historical/writtle/index.html)
So it was in 1922, broadcasting from an ex-Army hut in Lawford Lane in Writtle, “Two Emma Tock”, 2MT Writtle, became the first regular entertainment broadcaster (http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/radio_history/gtnames/round/hjround.php). Beginning on 14th February on Tuesday evenings for just half an hour Captain P P Eckersley entertained listeners with gramophone records and merry banter. Programmes were planned in a nearby public house – the Cock and Bell – now Blue Bridge Restaurant and Bar (renamed and opened about two years ago) and if some stories are to be believed the pub piano was occasionally rolled down the road to the makeshift studio. These were pioneering days!
The website http://www.2mtwrittle.com/ says:
‘2MT Writtle – The Birth of British Broadcasting’ by Tim Wander charts the full story of the early struggle to achieve a national broadcasting service in this country – from the famous 1920 broadcast of Dame Nellie Melba in Chelmsford, through Writtle’s sparkling success to the birth of the BBC in 1923.
“Peter Eckersley became Britain’s first DJ, and the light-hearted spirit which pervaded the whole proceedings and sheer joie de vivre that bubbled across the ether were not only a first but truly unique in the history of broadcasting.
“Often a one-man show, but always a team effort, the radio station known as 2MT at Writtle established an individuality all its own which forever remained a pleasant memory to its broadcast audience and wrote a crucial chapter in the history of radio and broadcasting.”
In 1982, Essex Radio (now no more) produced a documentary ‘Sixty Years of Radio’ commemorating the beginning of regular commercial broadcasting.
Today the ex-Army Hut from which 2MT was broadcast is housed at the ‘Chelmsford Science and Industry Museum’ at Sandford Mill, Chelmsford. It is open to the public on Sundays in August each year. Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society have a report for 2009 (http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/sandfordmill/sandford-2009-08/sandford-2009-08.htm) and photographs of the hut where radio commenced ( http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/sandfordmill/sandford/sandford.htm).
Further reading:
Page from BBC Essex website about ‘Marconi Day’ celebrations held at Sandford Mill in April 2007: http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/content/articles/2007/04/24/marconi_feature.shtml
Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2MT
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - December 2009
Welcome to this month’s round-up of local history and heritage in and around Blackmore, Essex.Christmas Greetings
Blackmore Post Office, on a snowy day in February 2009.
The Making of Modern Britain
Andrew Marr’s prequel to the ‘History of Modern Britain’ is completing its six programme run on BBC television. ‘The Making of Modern Britain’ covers the period from the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 to the end of the Second World War in 1945. Programme 4, which covered the 1920s, is of local interest. Part of the programme is devoted to the development of radio. There is a scene outside the Marconi works at Chelmsford, and the recollection of Dame Nellie Melba’s visit to the town in 1920 to broadcast songs across the wireless. The film then moves to the green at Writtle and village sign to tell how regular weekly broadcasts began in February 1922 in an ex-army hut with the call sign 2MT. The broadcasts were planned in the former Cock and Bell pub, now the Blue Bridge restaurant. Viewers see a shot of this building. E P Eckersley was the first presenter from whom Marr says “Terry Wogan. Late Night Talk Shows and Radio One all began”. An item on 2 Emma Tock (2MT) Writtle appears on the blog this month. Mention was also made that Winston Churchill was returned in the 1920s as a Conservative MP for Epping. This great man appears in every programme, such was his stature in Britain and British politics. The accompanying book is highly recommended to me by a friend.
Gardeners World
Also on TV, Carol Klein charted the role of women in horticulture in a special edition of Gardeners World. She visited Warley Place telling the story of Ellen Wilmott, one of the greatest plants-women of the early twentieth century. The grounds are now in the hands of the Essex Wildlife Trust.
Dudness. Essex. Where is it?
Braisher T (aka Tamsin) wrote recently on http://www.forum.familyhistory.uk.com/showthread.php?t=12269:
“Hi. One of my ancestors is repeatedly listed on censuses as having been born in Dudness, Essex. Web searches only show up other census entries for Dudness - I can't find any reference to a past or present place with this name! Anyone have any ideas?”
… later adding …
“I've found another return for the same ancestor with what looks to be Dodenhurst. So maybe Dudness could be a contraction of Doddinghurst in Brentwood? Or maybe that's just wishful thinking!”
I can actually say with some confidence that the parish in question is Doddinghurst. When my grandfather signed up for a second tour of duty in the Army following the First World War his papers say he was born in “Doddnerst”. (He wasn’t born there but that is not the point.) Put on an Essex accent and you end up with various spellings. Durrant’s Handbook of Essex 1887 – produced in Chelmsford - (p91) refers to “Doddinghurst (often pronounced Dod’n’st)”. Good luck in finding your Duddinghurst ancestors!
High Ongar War Memorial
Thanks to Paul HP, a record of the names on the War Memorial at High Ongar is recorded on ‘Flicker’. Follow this link to Private George William Wright (mistakenly transcribed as C. W. Wright) and others. http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/2650362307/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/2650355825/in/set-72157606060437269/
The whole set for St Mary’s Church, High Ongar and the War Memorial can be viewed on http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157606060437269/.
‘Harlow Irish’ Essex Sets
Paul HP is a prolific photographer and contributor to ‘Flicker’. He covers the following parishes:
Abbess Roding (St Edmund’s Church): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157606186424388/
Beauchamp Roding (St Botolph’s Church): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157606166867196/
Berners Roding (redundant church of All Saints): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157606167114963/
Fryerning (St Mary the Virgin): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157605988835733/
Greensted-juxta-Ongar (St Andrew’s Church): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157606056093562/
High Laver (St Andrew’s Church): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157606094038559/
Little Laver (St Mary The Virgin): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157606201886616/
Magdalen Laver (St Mary’s Church): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157605980880193/
Matching (St Mary The Virgin): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157606202687060/
Norton Mandeville (All Saints’ Church): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157606226657703/
Willingale (St Christopher’s Church, Willingale Doe & St Andrew’s Church, Willingale Spain): http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/sets/72157606073345672/
Finally for the whole Essex collection go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/collections/72157607893278437/
Porter Family in Writtle
Andrea63 on Genes Reunited gives some information about the Porter family of Writtle, who emigrated to Australia, but asks questions about “joining the dots”. See link: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=418197.msg2837844;topicseen
Blackmore Families Index
Some Blackmore families on the web:
Arthy: http://www.earthy.net/Essex2_census.html
Sutton: http://www.sevenoaksart.co.uk/sutton.htm
Wakelin: http://www.researchmyfamily.com/McGg80.htm
Woolley: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/d.tappin/DataWOOLLEY.htm
William Byrd Biography
Another biography of the local Elizabethan composer of Stondon Massey has appeared on the internet. Go to: http://arts.jrank.org/pages/1058/William-Byrd.html
A Civilian in The Second World War: The Diaries of E J Rudsdale
Eric Rudsdale (1910 – 1951) was a curator at Colchester Castle Museum in Essex. Since the age of 10 he had kept a diary but, feeling that the outbreak of the Second World War was a tumultuous moment decided to maintain regular entries about the north Essex town and its area. “The aim of this blog is to show, through Eric’s observations, how the town and the people he knew were directly affected by war. The diary extracts, therefore, have been edited to reflect this aim and, as Eric did not always write an entry in his diary every day, there are days when no entry appears in this account. Where necessary, short commentaries will be provided to give the historical context for the events he describes in his journal.” Although not in our area this is a ‘Blog of Note’ for all historians and recorders. http://www.wwar2homefront.blogspot.com/
1939 Census
The BBC has reported calls for a census taken on the outbreak of the Second World War to be released. The emergency headcount was taken for the purpose of issuing Identity Cards. After the 1921 census, which is due for release in 2022, genealogists will have to wait a whole generation for more data to be made available. A census was not taken in 1941, and the 1931 census was destroyed by fire. For more on 1939 see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8363341.stm
Essex Police
Martyn Lockwood has written a new book entitled ‘The Essex Police Force’ covering 170 of policing in the county. For more follow: http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/4762543.POLICE_FORCE_THROUGH_THE_AGES/
Blackmore Area Local History
This project is now two years old so it is appropriate to take stock and announce plans for 2010.
The database continues to grow with at least 50 pages now on the main website and 350 entries on this blog. Without having a hit counter on this blog it is difficult to know the number of people who visit but in the first year of its operation (to 31 October 2009), the main site http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/ received 514 visitors.
Between 2005 and 2008 I was involved in producing scripts for two productions of ‘Through Changing Scenes’ at the churches of Blackmore and Stondon Massey. The event led to the creation of two books: ‘Blackmore. A Short History’ and ‘Stondon Massey. A Short History’ both of which are currently available. These are extended versions of the text used in the performances. These events will not be repeated – because it is right to move on to other projects – but it seems a shame to leave them unpublished. I have decided to add the original scripts to the site. The Blackmore script may be found on http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/blackmore_through_changing-scenes.html and the Stondon Massey script on http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/stondon_through_changing-scenes.html
Also new to the website is ‘Blackmore. Then and Now’ (http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/blackmore_then-and-now.html). This includes copies of postcards I have from the early twentieth century with comparative photographs taken recently.
Until recent years I lived in Ingatestone so I have known of the large houses in Station Lane for a lifetime. These were built by architect George Sherrin who died in 1909. We remember his work on the blog this month with additional pictures now on the Ingatestone page (http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/ingatestone.html).
Plans for the website for the next year include:
- uploading photographs taken in Ingatestone High Street in 1985
- creating a series of pages called ‘Blackmore. The Library Collection’ which will feature photographs I received from a collector who had a display in the former Blackmore local library back in the 1980s.
The blog will continue with local history news and feedback from readers. I am not planning new online projects for publication next year because I want to spend some time “off line” pursuing an historical topic.
Over the years (since 2004) I have written a number of booklets for sale in aid of church funds at Blackmore and Stondon Massey. Some sell well whilst others languish on the bookstall for months. I have decided to confine publications to a shortlist of best sellers. The final shortlist will appear on this blog soon. I am considering the publication some of the more obscure, but nonetheless interesting, material online.
The purpose of ‘Blackmore Area Local History’ is to share knowledge of local heritage. It is always a pleasure to receive contributions, comments and questions from readers. The worldwide web is a fabulous resource and means of sharing and encouraging further research. The Internet has opened opportunities for contact to be made from people all over this planet – from people in America and Australia, to other places in Essex as well as literally around the corner to where I live.
Thanks for visiting the sites. Enjoy!
Links
For an extensive list of links to other sites go to: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/externallinks.html
Friday, 21 August 2009
Writtle: 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 extent of Writtle, which is the largest parish in Essex, is its only present distinction, though, in former days, it appears to have been one of the most important. By Horsley it is considered as the Caesaromagus mentioned in the fifth Iter of Antoninus, and the distance of that station, twenty-eight miles from London, agrees well with the position of modern Writtle. But, “notwithstanding the pompous name of this station,” says Dr. Henry, (Caesar’s seat,) “its very ruins are now so entirely ruined, that its exact situation cannot be discovered; but by the distance from London, and the direction of the road on which this rout (Iter v.) proceeds, it must have been at or near Chelmsford.”
No indications, I believe, of Roman Castrametation are visible here at the present day to determine this point. At a period far remote from that in which some Roman commander made choice of Writtle for a military station, the inglorious John, from causes not now remembered, erected in the same village a royal palace, a few inconsiderable ruins of which are said to be remaining on the village green, about a quarter of a mile to the left of the public road leading towards Chelmsford.
The disappearance of all these vestiges of ancient importance shew in a very striking light the instability of human grandeur, where neither the stupendous labours of Roman ambition, nor the luxuries of royalty, have left a wreck behind.
The ecclesiastical history of this place is well determined, but remarkable for the frequent changes it has experienced. From the shape of the font, carved in very hard stone, a church must have existed here from a very ancient period; certain however it is, that in 1143 King Stephen granted it to the priory of Berrnondesev, in Surrey; eighty years subsequent to this donation, King John obtained possession of it, whether by the right of purchase or exchange, or by an arbitrary stretch of violence, so common in the annals of his reign, I know not; but by him it was bestowed on the hospital of the Holy Ghost, at Rome, belonging to the English resident there, and its funds destined to the maintenance of the poor and infirm. In the second year of Edward the Third’s reign, this appropriation was confirmed. Being afterwards seized as belonging to an alien hospital, it was obtained by William of Wickham, who augmented the revenues of his new college at Oxford with its impropriation, and presented to the warden and fellows the patronage of the vicarage. With this body both still remain, being exempt from all episcopal jurisdiction, and subject in spiritual matters to the commissary of that college alone.
The church consists of a lofty nave and chancel with two aisles, north and south porches, and two small transepts or chapels; that on the south side being of red brick, and about Henry the Eighth’s era. The tower is square, and being built of red brick in 1802, is consequently tasteless and inelegant. Over the west door of this tower is inserted a curious piece of sculpture, preserved probably from the ruin of the older structure.
The interior of the edifice is remarkably light and pleasing, and had not an oaken roof been laid over it of too flattened an arch, the tout ensemble would he exceedingly fine. This roof is sustained in the nave by an arcade of five pointed arches resting on cylindrical pillars, finished with round and plainly moulded capitals; while the columns of the chancel, though of like form, have octangular capitals. The first arch eastward of the nave is much wider than any other in the church; and that at the west end is as remarkably contracted. It would be difficult to account for these incongruities, which, besides detracting from the beauty of the structure, must have added materially to the expense of its erection.
BENEFACTIONS TO THE POOR OF WRITTLE.
“A.D. 1506. Thos. Hawkins gave about sixty acres of land to endow Alms Houses in the churchyard.
“1591. William Horne gave for bread, £2 13s. 4d.
“1605. Edward Hunt gave two tenements, and yearly to two poor persons inhabiting the same, £1.
“1634. Dorothy Davis gave for bread, £2 13s. 4d.
“1737. Eleanor Jones gave for bread, £1.
“1774. John Blencowe gave for the education of poor children of Writtle and Roxwell, £1200.
“1776. Sarah, Viscountess Falkland, annually for bread to the poor who attend the church, the interest of £121 0s. 8d., vested in the 2 per cents.
“1811. William Francis Henry, Baron Petre, gave the timber for the frame work of the bells.
“1811. Mr. Henry Lambrith gave one hundred pounds towards the expense of recasting the bells, Bumstead’s Farm, Parken’s tenements in Greenbury, East Hays, in Church Haw Street, one tenement, two shillings yearly from a piece of ground near the leet.
“The organ was the gift of Thomas Penrose, D.C.L., Vicar; and P. C. Labouchere, Esqre, of Hylands, 1821, and an addition was given to the organ by Henry Lambrith, Esqre.”
MONUMENTS.
Writtle church must at one period have possessed a fine collection of sepulchral brasses, as the numerous matrices robbed of these ornaments evidently prove. Of those which remain, four lie on the floor near the chancel door, two warriors and their wives; the inscription is reaved, but by their costume we may infer that they flourished during the reign of Henry the Seventh. The position of the whole group, which exposes it to the constant tread of the congregation, is highly injurious to its preservation.
On a fantastic mural monument against the north wall of the chancel is this inscription
M. S.
Edward Pinchon et Dorothea Weston una olim caro unum nunc cadaver hoc in tumulo
Christum expectat,
Vixére singulari erga Deum fide
Pan inter se concordia,
Nec aliâ erga homines charitate,
Hoc si fib maestisso dicenti non credis
Interroga viciniam,
Interim cave mali quicquam de illis dicas
Nam etiam mortui bone audiunt.
On the top of this monument, in allusion to ears of wheat carved there, are these lines:-
Petra erat X. R. S.
Si non moriatur, non reviviscit,
Vos estis die agricultura,
Messores nos savit, fovet, lavit, coget, renovabit,
congregabunt.
Arms: Pinchon quarters Weston; Gules, 3 pears or; and a chev. reversed of the second. In the third quarter; Argent, two bendlets engrailed sab. 4 qr. as the first.
2. Near this place lies interred the body of that truly great and good man, the Rt. Hoñble Sir John Comyns, Knt., late Lord Chief Baron of his Majesty’s Court of Exchequer, universally esteemed one of the brightest ornaments of the Bench, and ablest lawyers of his time, who departed this life on the 13th day of November, 1740, aged 73. That a character of so much piety, learninge, and merit should not be buried in oblivion, but remain as a shining example to others, this monument (out of duty and gratitude) was humbly erected to his memory by his Nephew and Heir, John Comyns, of Hylands, Esq 1759.
Cui pudor et justitiae soror
Incorrupta fides, nudaq: veritas
Quando ullam invenient parem.
This monument bears the arms of Comyns, and a marble bust of the Chief Baron.
3. An altar tomb of Purbeck marble, of the style of the fifteenth century, projects from the north wall of the chancel; it bears no inscription, but has the following armorial ensigns attached to its side, engraved on brass plates:-
1st. A martlet, charged with a mullet for difference, on a chief, five balls.
2. The same shield impales quarterly, - 1st, two lioncels pass. guard. crowned. 2nd, three bendlets int. a bordure. 3rd, two bars, and a bend, surtout. 4th, a fret, and a chief.
3. The first shield also impales quarterly 1 and 4, barry of four, on a chief, a lion pass, guard. 2nd and 3rd, ermine, on a chief, two mullets.
4. Over the vestry door is a mural monument in the taste of the sixteenth century, on which are rudely carved the kneeling effigies of a man with four sons before a faldstool, on the other side of which are similarly placed those of a female and her daughters. The inscription is as follows:-
Nere unto this place resteth in peace the bodie of Edw. Elliott, late of Newland, in the countye of Essex, Esqre, Soñe of John Eliot, of Stortford, in the countye of Hartford. He tooke to wife Jane, one of the daughters of James Gedge, sone and heire of Margaret Gedge, one of the daughters and heires of Thomas Bardfield, of Shenfields, in the countye aforesayd, by whom he had issue iiij sonnes, and vj daughters, whereof he left living iij sones and five daughters. The lived together in married estate xxxviij yeres, and he deceased the xxij day of Decemb. in the year of our Lord, 159e; aetatis 60.
Above this inscription are some verses too high to be read from the ground, but this circumstance is probably little to be regretted.
5. To the memory of Frances, late wife of Richard Comyns, Esq Serjeant-at-Law, who dved ye 30 of Sepr, Auno Dni. 1773.
6. On the floor of the nave lie the effigies. The inscription is lost; but at their feet stand two groupes of children, consisting of six sons and two daughters. The arms attached are, a chev. int. 3 mullets.
7. Here Iyeth interred the body of Catharin Petre, wife of Joseph Petre, of Fittelers, in the county of Essex, Esqre, daughter of Sir William Andrews, Baronet, who dyed ye 3 of December, 1700, in the 32 year of her age.
Arms: Petre impales Andrews,
8. Within the altar rails lies a floor stone, with an inscription to the memory of the Rev. John Birch, LL.B.
9. Here lyeth the body of John Pynchon, of Writtle, Esqre, son of Sir Edward Pynchon, of Writtle, Knt., who departed this life ye 30 day of July, 1654. And also ye body of Edward Pynchon, Gent., son of ye said John Pynchon, Esqre, who departed this life ye 12 day of Febry, 1672. And also ye body of Ann Pynchon, wife of ye said John Pynchon, Esq who departed this life ye 10 day of May, 1675.
10. Hic jacet
Quod mortale fuit
Godfridi Thacker,
Nup Hospitij Grayensis, Ar:
Qui obiit undecimo die Aprilis,
Anno Salutis humanae
MDCCIJ°.
AEtatis suae,
LVIIJ°.
Hic etiam jacet
Bridgetta Thacker,
Soror Godfridi,
Quae obiit, 24° die Maij,
Anno Domini 1732,
AEtatis suae 81.
11. Agatha,
Conjux Johis Rogers
Civis Londini, Soror Thomae Houghton hujus ecclesiae
Vicar - quae
Raris casibus puerperij
Mature gavida invito obstetricantis ingenio
Partum non enixa difficulter obdormuit.
H.SS. xvi die Augusti, 1684.
12. H.S.S
Elizabetha, uxor Thomae Swallow, LL.B, hujus ecclesiae Vicar; Filia Artheri Hyde de Hinton Daubney, in Agro Southton, Armig. quae ob. 2 die Julij, Anno Dom. 1728, aetatis suae 29.
H. S. S.
Thomas Swallow, LL.B., hujus parochiae cum capella Roxwell annexa Vicarius. Ob. xxij Aug. MDCCLV, aetatis suae LXVIIJ.
13. Randall Adams, Esqre, eldest son of John Adams, Esqre, late of Writtle, departed this life 9 day of April, A.D. 1725, aged 55 years. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Weever, of South Luffenham, in the county of Rutland, Esqre, and had issue by her two Sons and two daughters, who all survived him.
14. George Emport, of Calveley, in Cheshire, Esqre, and Elizabeth, his wife, one of the daughters of Will. Comvns, of this parish, Esqre. She departed this life, 14 day of Nov. 1731 aged 56 ; he upon the 7 November, 1735, aged 84.
15. Bene nata - bene erudita,
Forum ingenio et virtutibus insignis,
Christ cultrix frequens et sincera,
Annos 27 vixit
Bella Comyns,
Morbo lento et incurabili
Fortitudine plusquam femineâ diu luctata,
Graviora passa dum filiolas
Praematura morte extinctos
Flevit,
Quietam solamen et immortalitatem
Quam meruit felicem,
Adsecuta est,
Prid Iduum, Oct. 1738.
Amoris et pietatis ergo, hoc marmor posuit
Johannis Comyns de interiori Templo Armig.
Fidelissimam lugens quam comitari maluit uxorem.
16. Here lyeth buryed the body of Edward Bowland, Gentleman, who departed this life, with blessed memorye, the 14 of September, 1609.
Here lyeth Jone, the wife of Edward Bowland, Gent., who dyed the 18 of Aug. Ano Dni. 1616.
17. On a brass plate affixed to the wall are two figures kneeling before a faldstool.
Obiit xiiij die Augusti, 1606.
Vivit post funera virtus.
Neere to this place resteth the bodie of Edwarde Hunt, late of Wrytle, Gent., who lyvinge was muche beloved, releeved the poore, and by his laste will gave in perpetuytie two almshouses in Churche Lane, wth an yerely allowance of twentye shillinges for their better maintenance, and also hath willed for ever to ye poore of this prishe, to be yerely distributed on Good Fryday, x shillinges, wch somes are lymytted to be paid out of a parcel of lande called Appesfield, in Chelmsforde parishe, as by his saide wille at large appeareth.
Saturday, 13 June 2009
Farewell Essex FM
This is the final week or so of local radio station ‘Essex FM’. It is pretty sad when local identity is erased and passes into history. The broadcaster which began life as Southend based ‘Essex Radio’ on 12 September 1981 is being renamed ‘Heart’ – and badged as a new radio station - from 22 June becoming absorbed into a quasi national network. Other internet sites are not slow to be critical that Essex FM’s parent company is re-branding a product which is successful and has a high audience share. I have to say that I rarely hear Essex FM these days but when Essex Radio was first launched in 1981 I was much younger – weren’t we all! - and an avid listener.
Essex Radio was the first commercial radio station in the county, and part of the Independent Local Radio network. The BBC did not make an appearance until 5 November 1986 when BBC Essex was launched. Often BBC local radio stations were, and are still, called ‘Radio Norfolk’ etc but with its competitor being called Essex Radio it was stuck.
I digress. In its early years Essex Radio broadcast a range of music programmes including folk (Dennis Rookard, Sunday afternoons), and jazz (with Eddie Blackwell, station controller). Jeff Bonser and (Revd.) Peter Elvy presented the Sunday morning religious programme. There was ‘Saturday Night At Home’ with John and Penny Ledigo, and Alan Bell presented the Top 30 singles in Essex on Sunday afternoons, then, of course, played on 45rpm. The No. 30 record on the first Sunday – 13 September 1981 - was by Portmouth Sinfonia called ‘Classical Muddley’, send up of the massively successful ‘Hooked On Classics’ by the ‘Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’. This Orchestra (the RPO) was also commissioned to provide the jingles for this station. One was: “Just received an invitation, RSVP. A sentimental journey to Essex with me, I’m inclined to have a mind of taking a trip to Essex, Why don’t you take a train or plane and hurry on down … It’s somewhere special that we’ve found, Stay around”. Essex County Cricket Club won the Sunday League in 1981 and during the inaugural Top 30 Roger Buxton provided updates from the County Ground in Chelmsford. This was truly local radio for the first time. The dial had been turned from London’s Capital Radio.
The county woke up to Jon Scragg on weekday mornings and drove home to Terry Davis’ Drivetime programme. Timbo (Tim Lloyd) was an extremely popular and slightly zany late-night presenter of the Chris Evans genre. Terry Davis won an on-air local radio song contest with ‘The Number One Song’, can you believe it! It was the closedown song which ran “1431 on my radio … “, one of the medium wave transmitters the station broadcast on before it split frequencies a few years later to become ‘Breeze’. Essex Radio initially broadcast for 18 hours a day – much more than BBC national radio –from 6am to midnight, before extending to 20 hours then broadcasting around the clock.
In 1982 the station produced a serious documentary entitled “60 Years of Radio” in which Steve Wood (head of news) narrated the story of the development of radio from Marconi and 2MT (two emma tock) Writtle to the then present day. It included extracts from numerous sound archives and was sold on cassette tape to Essex Radio devotees. I still have the tape somewhere.
The compact disc did not make its appearance until 1983, and I remember believing at that time that it would not catch on. I relented and bought my first CD player in 1986.
Reverting to the RPO, at Christmas 1981 Essex Radio released ‘Christmas Carousel’, a medley of Christmas carols sung by the Chelmsford Cathedral Choir. I bought that single. On the B side there was the station theme ‘Listen To Essex’.
This was a commercial radio station backed by Keddies in Southend and TOTS nightclub. Downturn Records, that had a shop in Brentwood, advertised in Essex Radio’s early days, but the memorable ads were ‘H W Stone’ using the March from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, “Da da da da da HW Stone. The Essex people” and a specialist garment outlet using the wartime song ‘Bless ‘Em All’ with words changed to “Fit them all. Fit them all. Fit the long and the short and the tall. Field Brothers of Westcliff is certain it’s true, With so many sizes is sure to fit you”.
I think that there was a genuine enthusiasm that exuded from all the presenters. It seemed a friendly station appealing to all ages. I remember, for instance, asking for a request to be played on Lindsay King’s Sunday Requests programme (she succeeded John Wellington) on 16 October 1983 in connection with the Boys’ Brigade centenary celebrations. Many people I met that day, both young and old, had heard the request. My brother and I even had the Essex Radio T-shirt. I saw Keith Rogers with a small crowd of people at an Outside Broadcast in Chapel High, Brentwood one lunchtime and spoke to him afterwards. In summer 1985 Keith Rogers hosted the Top 100, a countdown of the hundred most popular records of a past year in a programme lasting six hours.
Later, in search probably of a niche market, Essex Radio adopted the ‘Greatest Memories. Latest Hits’ tag after doing an April Fools Day spoof in which the presenters went on strike. Gordon Kay, of Allo Allo fame, was one of the guests who took to the turntables.
I was surprised how much stuff I remember but, like the pirate stations of a previous generation, Essex Radio was ‘my’ local radio station. Its original strap-line was “Essex Radio. Somewhere Special”. So although I don’t really listen to Essex FM, I’m sad to learn of its demise.
After writing this I discovered this fantastic link:
http://www.zen77094.zen.co.uk/vintagebroadcasting/essex.htm
Essex Radio was the first commercial radio station in the county, and part of the Independent Local Radio network. The BBC did not make an appearance until 5 November 1986 when BBC Essex was launched. Often BBC local radio stations were, and are still, called ‘Radio Norfolk’ etc but with its competitor being called Essex Radio it was stuck.
I digress. In its early years Essex Radio broadcast a range of music programmes including folk (Dennis Rookard, Sunday afternoons), and jazz (with Eddie Blackwell, station controller). Jeff Bonser and (Revd.) Peter Elvy presented the Sunday morning religious programme. There was ‘Saturday Night At Home’ with John and Penny Ledigo, and Alan Bell presented the Top 30 singles in Essex on Sunday afternoons, then, of course, played on 45rpm. The No. 30 record on the first Sunday – 13 September 1981 - was by Portmouth Sinfonia called ‘Classical Muddley’, send up of the massively successful ‘Hooked On Classics’ by the ‘Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’. This Orchestra (the RPO) was also commissioned to provide the jingles for this station. One was: “Just received an invitation, RSVP. A sentimental journey to Essex with me, I’m inclined to have a mind of taking a trip to Essex, Why don’t you take a train or plane and hurry on down … It’s somewhere special that we’ve found, Stay around”. Essex County Cricket Club won the Sunday League in 1981 and during the inaugural Top 30 Roger Buxton provided updates from the County Ground in Chelmsford. This was truly local radio for the first time. The dial had been turned from London’s Capital Radio.
The county woke up to Jon Scragg on weekday mornings and drove home to Terry Davis’ Drivetime programme. Timbo (Tim Lloyd) was an extremely popular and slightly zany late-night presenter of the Chris Evans genre. Terry Davis won an on-air local radio song contest with ‘The Number One Song’, can you believe it! It was the closedown song which ran “1431 on my radio … “, one of the medium wave transmitters the station broadcast on before it split frequencies a few years later to become ‘Breeze’. Essex Radio initially broadcast for 18 hours a day – much more than BBC national radio –from 6am to midnight, before extending to 20 hours then broadcasting around the clock.
In 1982 the station produced a serious documentary entitled “60 Years of Radio” in which Steve Wood (head of news) narrated the story of the development of radio from Marconi and 2MT (two emma tock) Writtle to the then present day. It included extracts from numerous sound archives and was sold on cassette tape to Essex Radio devotees. I still have the tape somewhere.
The compact disc did not make its appearance until 1983, and I remember believing at that time that it would not catch on. I relented and bought my first CD player in 1986.
Reverting to the RPO, at Christmas 1981 Essex Radio released ‘Christmas Carousel’, a medley of Christmas carols sung by the Chelmsford Cathedral Choir. I bought that single. On the B side there was the station theme ‘Listen To Essex’.
This was a commercial radio station backed by Keddies in Southend and TOTS nightclub. Downturn Records, that had a shop in Brentwood, advertised in Essex Radio’s early days, but the memorable ads were ‘H W Stone’ using the March from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, “Da da da da da HW Stone. The Essex people” and a specialist garment outlet using the wartime song ‘Bless ‘Em All’ with words changed to “Fit them all. Fit them all. Fit the long and the short and the tall. Field Brothers of Westcliff is certain it’s true, With so many sizes is sure to fit you”.
I think that there was a genuine enthusiasm that exuded from all the presenters. It seemed a friendly station appealing to all ages. I remember, for instance, asking for a request to be played on Lindsay King’s Sunday Requests programme (she succeeded John Wellington) on 16 October 1983 in connection with the Boys’ Brigade centenary celebrations. Many people I met that day, both young and old, had heard the request. My brother and I even had the Essex Radio T-shirt. I saw Keith Rogers with a small crowd of people at an Outside Broadcast in Chapel High, Brentwood one lunchtime and spoke to him afterwards. In summer 1985 Keith Rogers hosted the Top 100, a countdown of the hundred most popular records of a past year in a programme lasting six hours.
Later, in search probably of a niche market, Essex Radio adopted the ‘Greatest Memories. Latest Hits’ tag after doing an April Fools Day spoof in which the presenters went on strike. Gordon Kay, of Allo Allo fame, was one of the guests who took to the turntables.
I was surprised how much stuff I remember but, like the pirate stations of a previous generation, Essex Radio was ‘my’ local radio station. Its original strap-line was “Essex Radio. Somewhere Special”. So although I don’t really listen to Essex FM, I’m sad to learn of its demise.
After writing this I discovered this fantastic link:
http://www.zen77094.zen.co.uk/vintagebroadcasting/essex.htm
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
BLACKMORE HISTORY NEWS - April 2009
Welcome to this month’s round-up of local history and heritage in and around Blackmore, Essex.Blackmore Area Local History: additions to main website
A major enhancement to the partner site http://blackmorehistory.co.uk/ has just gone live. Twelve neighbouring parishes to Blackmore have their own web pages covering transcripts of the ‘A People’s History of Essex’ (by D W Coller, 1861) and ‘Durrant’s Handbook for Essex (by Miller Christy, 1887).
In addition, and in response to requests made via search engines, visitors will find a list of Parish Registers held at the Essex Record Office and information about access to SEAX, the Record Office’s on line catalogue. This can be found under http://blackmorehistory.co.uk/parishregisters.html. The commentary to Blackmore’s Parish Registers is transferred to a new web page, http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/blackmore_parish_registers.html and there is a new page devoted to Stondon Massey’s BMD records under http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/stondon_parish_registers.html
Other new items include photographs taken from the top of the church towers at Ingatestone and Fryerning; scenes “then and now” from Mountnessing and Shenfield; and, for Stondon Massey, information about local families (Baines and Gosling). The Stondon Massey page also includes an extract from ‘Antiquities’ (by Revd. Alfred Suckling, 1845).
Blackmore parish has a new index page (http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/blackmore.html) giving links to all relevant information on the history and heritage of the village.
There is also a web page devoted to Private Fred Garnham, a Stondon man, who died at the beginning of the First World War. His family has very generously shared his story and enclosed copies of postcards sent to his wife from Norwich just as his Regiment were about to go to France. His photograph is also published. This can be accessed via the ‘Great War Gateway’ or the ‘Stondon Massey’ webpage.
Other pages on the Blackmore Area Local History site have been enhanced with fresh links and anchors to aid navigation around a site which has almost doubled with Phase II going live.
The new parishes pages are:
Doddinghurst: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/doddinghurst.html
Fryerning: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/fryerning.html
High Ongar: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/high_ongar.html
Ingatestone: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/ingatestone.html
Mountnessing: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/mountnessing.html
Norton Mandeville: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/norton_mandeville.html
Shenfield: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/shenfield.html
Stondon Massey: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/stondon_massey.html
Willingale Doe and Willingale Spain: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/willingale.html
Writtle and Highwood: http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/writtle.html
The next stage in the development of the website will be to build more information on the work of previous local historians. As well as Miller Christy and D. W. Coller, mentioned above, there will be web pages and links created for local clergymen and historians: Revd. Walter Layton Petrie, Revd. E. H. L. Reeve and Revd A. I. Suckling (http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/a_i_suckling.html). Suckling’s work will appear on this blog from May.
Phase II provides the website architecture for even more information to be posted. Comments, and indeed contributions, are always welcomed.
Henry VIII
Henry VIII’s reign of England began on 21st April 1509. To celebrate, we will be devoting a week on this blog to the events in Blackmore during his memorable reign.
Windmills Week
At the end of this month ‘Blackmore Local Area History’ will be remembering 25 years since the official re-opening of Mountnessing Windmill to the public with a short series on these local industrial monuments. The photo this month (top) is of Thaxted Windmill.
Friends of Historic Essex
‘Friends of Historic Essex’ is a group which supports the Essex Record Office, for example, through volunteer work maintaining archives to supporting the purchase of artefacts. For more information follow the link to their website: http://www.historicessex.org.uk/index.htm
SEAX Upgrade
Essex Record Office (http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/dis/cha.jsp?channelOid=13813) has produced a major upgrade to its archive catalogue. SEAX (http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/default.asp) can now be viewed on-line directly through internet search engines such as Google.
Parish Registers
‘Essex Ancestors’ is a major project under way by staff at the Essex Record Office 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). It is a mammoth tusk which will take years to complete. Work is almost complete producing digital copies of Registers up until 1700 – 32000 pages in total - and plans are afoot to upload these onto SEAX. ‘Blackmore Area Local History’ will monitor progress and hopefully provide links to images through the ‘Parish Registers’ page of the main website. In the meantime Registers can be viewed on microfiche at the Searchroom.
Doddinghurst’s Parish Registers commence in 1560. ‘Mouse’ is looking for the Ashby family, dating back to c1580-1590. A trip to the Essex Record Office from Staffordshire is a fair hike. Can anyone help? See link: http://searches2.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ESSEX-UK/2001-03/0985296755
Writtle Archives
On Thursday afternoons at the Writtle Christian Centre, near the church, ‘Writtle Archives’ is open for those who wish to view transcripts of the parish registers for Writtle and Highwood. Photographs, memorabilia, newspaper cuttings and a list of census data and monumental inscriptions are also available. For more information go to: http://www.writtlecommunityassociation.org.uk/id14.html
Gann family of Stondon Massey
Harlowirish has posted a photo of the grave of James Thomas Gann (died 16th July 1920) with associated memorial to his son Herbert, who died during the First World War. Previous entries for this family are on this ‘blog’, covered during our commemoration of the Great War. Follow this link to the photo and for comments subsequently made. http://flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/2652610043/
More Stondon Massey Memorials
Again courtesy of ‘Harlowirish’ is the war grave of Herbert Hasler (http://flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/2652612547/in/photostream/) and Robert Ellis (http://flickr.com/photos/harlowirish/2653432104/in/photostream/) both buried at St Peter & St Paul Church, Stondon Massey.
Saffron Walden
The ‘Recorders of Uttlesford History’ (http://www.recordinguttlesfordhistory.org.uk/index.html) held an extremely successful history fair at the Town Hall, Saffron Walden on 28 March 2009. Several history groups and societies from the north west of the county were present, each with displays of their locality. There was also the opportunity to view ancient documents associated with the town, one of which was ordering the public whipping of a thief in the market place in the year 1735 until her body bled. For the news story (of the History Fair!) visit http://www.saffronwaldenreporter.co.uk/content/saffron/news/story.aspx?brand=SAFOnline&category=NewsSaffron&tBrand=HertsCambsOnline&tCategory=newslatestSAF&itemid=WEED03%20Mar%202009%2009%3A24%3A06%3A970
‘Stop the M12’
No. Don’t panic! About twenty years ago a vigorous campaign against proposals to build a motorway between the Margaretting interchange of the A12 and the M25 near Navestock prevented the desecration of the countryside of this area. Until recently a white board with bold red letters ‘Stop the M12’ was on the corner of a farmer’s field in Highwood, somewhat obscured by trees. It has recently disappeared. I do wish I had photographed it.
Hospital demolished
St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping, has been razed to the ground. It was the former Victorian workhouse for the Epping Union. A similar building in Braintree has found another use: as flats, and is being marketed in the local newspapers.
Links
For an extensive list of links to other sites go to: www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/externallinks.html.
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