HISTORY OF THE DISTRICT

The  pages below provide details of some extraordinary events , extraordinary people and the live and times of ordinary people.

To make navigation easier the pages have been put into groups.

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Parish Churches

Religious Buildings & Religious History

Essex At War

Individual Village History

Buildings and other physical features

Life in this area

Events

Old picture gallery

Biographies of some people connected with this area

Other Eastern Essex Pages

Pages relating to Essex or the UK

 

 

 

PARISH CHURCHES

Althorne Church

Bradwell-on-Sea Church

Burnham on Crouch Church

Cold Norton Church

Creeksea Church

Dengie Church

Latchingdon Church

Mayland Church

Mundon Church

North Fambridge Church

Purleigh Church

St Lawrence Church

Southminster Church

Steeple Church

Stow Maries Church

Tillingham Church

Woodham Mortimer Church

Woodham Walter Church

RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS & RELIGIOUS HISTORY

Baptist Church History How the Baptists opened churches at Burnham, Southminster and Tillingham

Beeleigh Abbey An Abbey of the White Canons that owned much land in the Dengie 100

Methodist Chapels Opening and closure of  five Methodist Chapels in Eastern Essex

Other Religions Churches in Burnham on Crouch   Pics of Baptist, Jehovah's Witness , Roman Catholic and United Reform Church

Peculiar Peoples Church Tillingham and Steeple - Now called as the Union of Evangelical Churches

Ruined or Closed Churches Details of the many closed or ruined churches

St Peters Chapel , Bradwell on Sea One of the oldest chapel in the UK

Stansgate Priory, Steeple A Cluniac Priory sacked by Henry 8th

ESSEX AT WAR

Asheldham Camp

The story of the defensive fort built by the Saxons at Asheldham

Bradwell Bay Airfield

The World War Two airfield

Burnham RNAS Airfield

World War One Airfield

Essex Regiment

Over 20 pages of information on the Essex Regiment via the family history index

HMS Asheldham  

Modern Warship who carries the name of Asheldham

Home Guard

Home defence in World War Two

Napoleonic War

Essex was in the front line of the invasion threat by Napoleon

Othona Fort

A Roman fort of the Saxon Shore

Stow Maries Airfield

Fighter base in World War One

Thames Barges at War

The role that these unlikely heroes played in the two World Wars

World War 1

The effect on Eastern Essex

World War 1 Graves in Eastern Essex

Details of local graves of World War 1 casualties

World War 1 Naval Deaths

The story of the service and death of some Naval Troops from this area

World War 2

The effect on Eastern Essex

World War 2 Graves in Eastern Essex

Details of local graves of World War 1 casualties

VILLAGE HISTORY

Bradwell on Sea

 

Burnham on Crouch

 

Purleigh

 

Southminster

 

Tillingham

 

Woodham Walter

 

Village Population 1817

Population Statistics for Eastern Essex Villages in 1817

Village Population 1829

Population Statistics for Eastern Essex Villages in 1829

BUILDINGS AND OTHER PHYSICAL FEATURES

Bradwell Bay Airfield

A frontline World war Two airfield

Bradwell Lockup

One of the few village lockups remaining

Bradwell Power Station

Seen for miles from the Blackwater Estuary

Burnham Historic Buildings

Details of some on the 117 listed buildings in Burnham Town Centre

Burnham Clock tower

The best known building in Burnham on Crouch

Burnham Cottage Hospital

The story of the Cottage Hospital

Burnham Foundry

An important feature of Burnham now closed

Burnham Museum

Burnham's fine museum

Cinema History

details of the current and past cinemas

Conservation Areas

Lists the conservation areas in East Essex- Concentrations of fine buildings

Creeksea Place

Creeksea Place was the seat of the Harris Family`

Crouch Valley Railway Line

The story of the branch line

HMS Beagle and HMS Kangaroo

The part that the Coastguard Watch vessels played in the fight against smuggling

Islands

Details of the Islands in the Crouch and Blackwater

Linnett's Cottage

Linnetts Cottage was home to the premier wild fowler

Mangapps Railway Museum

Working Steam trains and railway history

Othona Fort

The Roman Fort of Othona

Parish Pumps

Pictures and details of Parish pumps to be found in the area

Red Hills

Red hills were lift by ancient man. The reason why recently solved

Rose Inn

Story of a local Pub

Southminster Maltings

Maltings and Breweries were important features- Southminster was the biggest

Stow Maries Airfield

A front line World War One Airfield

Tucker Brown Boatyard

One of the best know boatyards in town

Watermills

Details of local Watermills

Windmills

details of local windmills

Woodham-Maldon Railway Branch Line

The now defunct railways branch line

Workhouses

Workhouses existed in most villages in the 1800's

LIFE IN THIS AREA

Domesday Book Life

Local extracts from the Domesday Book

16th Century Crime

Crimes committed in Elizabethan Times

16th Century Life

Facets of life in Elizabethan time

17th Century Crime

Assize records from the 17th century

17th century Life

facets of life in the 17th century

18th Century Life

Facets of life in the 18th century

Burnham Town Council

History of Burnham Town Council from its formation in 1974

Burnham Urban District Council

The life of Burnham UDC until it was abolished in 1974

Essex Dialect

Some examples of Essex Dialect

Farm Labourers

Nearly half the population were farm labourers- this is their story

Folklore

It's surprising how many examples of folklore contain some truth

Industrial Revolution

The effect on this area of the Industrial Revolution

Iron Age

Eastern Essex in Iron Age

Local Shopping Ads 1932

Local ads from a 1932 magazine

Local Legends

Tall stories handed down through the generations

Markets and Fairs

Markets and Fairs have been held since 1218

Newspapers in the 1800's Where the local Victorians got their local news

Old Essex Recipes

Local recipes

Oyster Fishing

Oysters was the best know product in the 1800's

Parliamentary Representation

MP's for this area

Policing East Essex

The story of local policing

Prehistoric Era

Our area in prehistoric times

Roman Times

Romans lived in this area

Saxon Life

The Saxons followed the Romans to invade

Schools 1812 to 1870

School life before compulsory education

Shipwrecks

The story behind some of the many shipwrecks on the sands off our coast

Slavery This area boasted anti slavery campaigners and slave owners

Smugglers

Smuggling was a favourite activity

Thames Barges

Barges played a vital role in this area

Visit by Daniel Defoe in 1722

The author Daniel Defoe paid a visit in 1722 and wrote down his views

Coastguard Watch Vessels- Crouch

The part that the Coastguard Watch vessels played in the fight against smuggling

Wild fowling

Thousands of wildfowl were killed each year at sea and in the decoy ponds

Witches

Like many other areas witches and warlocks were identified and burnt

EVENTS

Earthquake 1884

The effects on Eastern Essex of the biggest UK earthquake

Great Fire of Burnham 1927

The story of the Great Fire

Floods

The Great flood of 1953 and other floods

Infamous Murders

The murder of Police Sergeant Eve and then Stanley Setty

Jacobite Rebellion

The part that Eastern Essex played in the 1715 rebellion

Mary Simpson's Trial 1795

Mary Simpsons trial set the precedent for gleaning corn in the UK

Murder at Bradwell Church

Rome imposed an Italian Rector in 1325  - the result Murder

Peasants Revolt 1381

The affects on our area of the rebellion led by Wat Tyler

Duke of Edinburgh hero and villain

In 1882 the Duke Saved one boat but left nine sailors to drown

OLD PICTURE GALLERY

Althorne

 

Asheldham

 

Bradwell on Sea

 

Burnham on Crouch

 

Cold Norton

No old pictures listed yet for Cold Norton

Dengie

No old pictures listed yet for Dengie

Latchingdon

 

Mayland

No old pictures listed yet for Mayland

Mundon

No old pictures listed yet for Mundon

North Fambridge

 

Osea Island

 

Purleigh

 

St Lawrence

 

Southminster

 

Steeple

 

Tillingham

 

Woodham Mortimer

No old pictures listed yet for Woodham Mortimer

Woodham Walter

No old pictures listed yet for Woodham Walter

BIOGRAPHIES OF SOME PEOPLE CONNECTED TO EASTERN ESSEX

Thomas Abel Bradwell Rector hung, drawn and quartered for opposing King Henry 8th
Mary Adams According to the story -  in 1652 Mary gave birth to the Ranters Monster

Sir Henry Bate Dudley

What a man! - Playwright, Newspaper Editor, Duelist, Rector, Socialite, Highway builder, prize winning sea defence expert, JP, war leader Bate Dudley did it all and in style.
Samuel Levy Bensusan S L Bensusan is an author who has been called the Essex Laureate
Phillip Scott Burge Captain Burge was a RFC Air Ace with 13 kills in World War 1
Dr Peter Chamberlen A pioneer in medicine who invented birthing forceps

Charles Darwin

The links of Darwin and HMS Beagle to Essex

William Ely

The story of William Ely & Sons - Wheelwrights of Southminster

Margaret Gatty

Margaret Gatty was one of the most acclaimed children's authors of her day
Hugh Owen Captain of Essex Cricket Club and member of MCC team v Australia
John Robert Blayney Owen England International Footballer and Rector of Bradwell

Rev Alexander John Scott

Rev Scott was not only the Chaplain who heard the last words of Nelson at Trafalgar but he was a long serving local Rector
The 1st Viscount Stansgate   WW1 hero  and first of the Wedgewood Benn family of Labour Politicians

George Washington

The link between President George Washington and Essex

Essex Saints

Six Saints have strong connections with this area

Historic People

Pen pictures of some important people

Literary People

Inspired artists and authors who have connections with this area

Olympic Champions

Details of the Olympic Champions from 1908, 1920 and 1936 that came from Eastern Essex

OTHER EASTERN ESSEX PAGES

Bookshop

Books on this area available from Amazon

Forum

Essex Family History Forum is your free forum to post requests for information or share information with other people interested in this area

Maps Page

Old Maps of Eastern Essex are pictured on this page

PAGES RELATING TO THE WHOLE OF ESSEX OR THE UK

Essex Congregational Union The formation of the Congregational Union in 1798 and it's first 50 years

Watch Vessels- UK

A list of the Coastguard Watch Vessels in the UK

 

 

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