High Country History Group blog closing 30 September 2026

 This blog will deleted on 30 September 2026

For information on all aspects of the High Country in Essex visit http://www.highcountryhistorygroup.org 

High Country History Group goes Online

 A new free-to-view website containing all the articles, talks etc of the High Country History Group has been launched today. Go to www.highcountryhistorygroup.org 

Closure of High Country History Group blog

 With the closure of the High Country History Group in summer 2026, this blog will be deleted at the end of September.

Closure of High Country History Group

 After 26 years the High Country History Group met for the final time in July 2026.

High Country History Group

 We have been back in our usual meeting place for just over a year following the pandemic.  Our 2023 programme will be posted here soon.

Lockdown Easing but Still on Zoom

The High Country History Group continues to meet monthly but on Zoom pending the ending of the current and unusual situation.  To become a member of the Group please and to receive links to meeting please contact us via the link. 

High Country History Group on Zoom

Keeping contact with our Members is a priority during these unprecedented times.  We will continue to produce the Journal quarterly, making it available by email to those who have this facility and in printed form to those members who are not online.

We experimented with a forty-minute informal meeting on Zoom on the day of our last scheduled meeting, 23 April, with some success.

This coming Thursday, 28 May, in a change to the originally advertised programme, Andrew Smith will talk about 'Rogationtide around Stondon Massey' showing a short film in Zoom and talking about Revd. Reeve's day of reenacting the beating of the bounds in 1909 using a document from 1828.

Members have received an invitation.  To join the High Country History Group please contact via this page.

High Country History Group. Meetings Suspended Until Further Notice

19 March 2020

Dear members

Suspension of meetings of

High Country History Group due to coronavirus outbreak

You will all be aware by now of the need for social distancing in light of the coronavirus pandemic to prevent a peak in demand from our health service.  We have seen within the last couple of days the closure of public buildings, including museums, and postponement of events such as Concerts.  Church buildings are also closed for Public Worship (although many church communities are being creative and doing things differently).

So sadly, you will not be surprised to learn that for the time being the High Country History Group will not be meeting.   Our AGM and talk for next week, 26 March, is therefore postponed.  Our meetings are therefore suspended “for the duration”, referencing the words used in 1939.

I will remain Secretary and Acting Treasurer until we hold an AGM, and Martyn will remain Chairman.  Our Committee will meet online by email as necessary.

We will continue to produce The Journal quarterly.  The March edition will be posted to you.

I therefore invite you to pay your membership fee for 2020/21 to help with this expense.  If you can do this online that would be appreciated otherwise a payment by cheque is acceptable and will be cleared when I next go to town and visit the Bank.  The membership form was attached to the AGM Papers, although I emphasise again the postponement of the AGM.

Although we meet only eight times a year, I am very conscious of the loss of social contact this will bring to many.  One of the strengths of these social groups is the opportunity to get together and share the things that we have in common, which might not only be an interest in history.  Doing things together is something most human beings do very well.

So I am going to ask you to do something. 

Next Thursday, when we will not be able to meet, would you mind sitting down and writing something for the Journal?    

Some ideas.   

Writing of your childhood memories. 

Boris Johnson says the country is on a wartime footing with government intervention in the economy as well as restrictions of movement. To what extent is that true? 

Did you live through the Second World War. What was it like?  Did people panic buy and hoard toilet rolls?

Or, are there any historic parallels with the Covid-19 outbreak?  I am thinking about ‘Foot and Mouth’ (2001); ‘Spanish Flu’ (1919), ‘Great Plague’ in London (1665) and Eyam Derbyshire (1665), the ‘Black Death’ (1348/49), not that many of you will remember the latter.

These are not essays, but just ideas.

Please send them all by email (or post to me). We can publish anonymously if you wish.  I know many of you are not writers but doing this together would be a lovely thing to do, and help us stay connected to one another.

My intention is to keep in contact with you as a Group.  If you do have a need please contact me.

With kind regards

Andrew Smith

Secretary

High Country History Group

High Country History Group Programme 2020

Update: 19 March 2020.  Due to the coronavirus outbreak our meetings are regrettably suspended until further notice.

Talks/Events – High Country History Group

2020

Date	Topic	Speaker
27 February	Tudor Education in Essex	Tony Tuckwell
26 March	Annual General Meeting	Committee
23  April	The Inns of Court	Rosemary Tiffen
28 May	The Plant Hunters	Maggie Piper
25 June	The Home Guard	Neil Wiffen
23 July	Life and Death in  the Workhouse	Dr. Mark Carroll
22 October	William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement.	Mark Lewis
26 November

High Country History Group Programme 2019

The High County History Group meets on the fourth Thursday evening in the month at Toot Hill Village Hall, starting at 8pm.  Membership is £10 annually (£15 family membership).  Entrance fee to meetings £1 (Visitors £3), except AGM and Christmas when special refreshments are served members £2 (Visitors £5).

Our programme for 2019 is as follows

Date	Topic	Speaker
28 February	Postcards from the Front 1914-1919	Kate Cole.
28 March	Annual General Meeting.  ‘Empire Under Revolt’.  Amateur film shot by ‘Captain Ronald Reed in India, 1930-1932’ deposited at the Imperial War Museum	Andrew Smith
25  April	‘Tower of London and its prisoners.’	Brian Darcy
23 May	The Princess Alice Disaster 1878	Martyn Lockwood
27 June	The Darcy Spice Apple	Neil Wiffen
25 July	The National Memorial Arboretum	Maggie Piper
24 October	Talk to be announced	Anne Padfield
28 November	Blackmore Anniversaries	Andrew Smith

Programme for 2018 Announced

Talks/Events – High Country History Group

2018

Date	Topic	Speaker
22 February	The Work and Collections of the Epping Forest Museum	Catherine Howard
22 March	Annual General Meeting and Film Show
26  April	The Budworth Family of High Laver, Greensted and Ongar.	Martyn Lockwood
24 May	One Day in the Battle of Britain – 29th October 1940	Neil Wiffen
28 June	The Bardfield Painters	Jacqui Eykelbosch
26 July	The Tidal Thames – its Folklore and Traditions	Mark Lewis
25 October	More Essex Churches ‘Then and Now’	Andrew Smith
22 November	Christmas Party and ???

Journal No. 62 (December 2016)

The latest Journal of the High Country History Group contains the following items:

- Greensted Hall, the Seat of Captain Budworth

- Essex Churches Then and Now: a talk to be given by the Essex Society for Archaeology and History on 27 April 2017

- Homeless in Stanford Rivers

- Captain Atherton Harold Chisenhale-Marsh 9th (Queen's Royal) Lancers

- Zeppelins Commemoration, September 2016: Memorial unveiled at Billericay, and Zepfest at Little Wigborough

- Apotrophic Marks

- Hainault Forest

- Listed Buildings in the High Country - 1. Theydon Mount

- Book Reviews

- From The Papers

- Essex Archaeological Society visit to the High Country in 1908

- Programme for 2017

Journal No. 61 (September 2016)

The quarterly Journal of the High Country History Group contains the following items:
- Green Man Public House, Toot Hill - an update
- Verdun Oaks
- Toot Hill Windmill
- Memorials against the Police
- Threatened Closures of Stapleford Tawney and Theydon Mount Schools in 1911
- Extensive Fire at Greensted
- St James Church, Matrden Ash, Ongar
- The Post Office Rifles at Ongar
- Amelius Mark Richard, 1st Baron Lambourne (1847-1928)

Journal No. 60 (June 2016)

The quarterly Journal of the High Country History Group contains the following:

- The sad story of Mr Mikkish

- World War II Airfields in Essex

- The Token Coinage of Essex in the Seventeenth Century

- Zeppelins Over Essex: Sources for Talk

- The Green Man Public House, Toot Hill

- Richard Mulcaster, Rector of Stanford Rivers 1598

- Hill Hall, Theydon Mount - a Haunting!

- The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales

Journal No. 59 (March 2016)

Members of the High Country History Group will have received their quarterly edition of The Journal. Included this time:

- Notable Anniversaries in 2016

- The Tolpuddle Martyrs and Greensted

- Second World War Airfields in Essex

- No 277 Squadron RAF

- Ahnentafel Numbers

- Ongar Union Workhouse Staff 1901

- Zeppelins Over Essex 31 March 1916: forthcoming talk on 31 March 2016

- Revelations of 'Club Life' at Stanford Rivers

- Ongar Association Against Murderers, Housebreakers, Horse and Sheepstealers and Felons of every description

- The Rules of Navigation

- The Woodman Public House

- Saving The Century: Victorian Society Exhibition

- Book Reviews: (1) Colchester Castle: 2000 Years of History. (2) Jim Reeve. Secret Chelmsford.

Journal No. 58 (December 2015)

Members of the High Country History Group receive a quarterly journal. In this edition are the following items:
- Ogborne's History of Theydon Bois and Theydon Mount
- White Bear Public House, Stanford Rivers
- Essex Excavations: The Fenwick Treasure found at Williams and Griffin, High Street Colchester, and the mansion at Marks Hall
- 16th Century Greensted Wills
- Craven Ord, FRS, FSA, of Greenstead Hall, Antiquary and Brass Rubber
- News In Brief
- National Library of Scotland maps
- Essex Witch Trials
- Programme for 2016.

Journal No. 57 (September 2015)

There is certainly a variety of interesting items in the latest edition of The Journal, sent to members of the High Country History Group recently. These include:
- John Carey map of North Weald, c.1790
- Leverton Charities, Waltham Abbey
- Ongar and District Cottage Hospital, 1928-1939
- A Guide to St Martin's Church, Ongar
- More about the Petres of Stanford Rivers
- First World War Trunk returns to North Weald Station
- Private Victor Albert Burton
- Never Mind The Dovecotes
- Epping Workhouse and the case of Mary Ann Reid
- From the Greensted Registers
- WWII: If the Invader Comes
- Mother and Son: Elizabeth Blount and Henry Fitzroy, born Blackmore
- From the Papers

Journal No. 56 (June 2015)

The quarterly Journal of the High Country History Group was issued recently to members. Contents this time:

- Ongar's First War Memorial

- Stanford Rivers Vestry Minutes - 2nd October 1817

- Christmas in the Trenches

- Royal Visit to Greensted Church

- Rector in Court Scene

- Theydon Mount Constable

- Insolvent Debtor

- The Petre's of Stanford Rivers

- Leverton Charities, Waltham Abbey. A manuscript volume in private hands

- Theydon Mount Wills: Family Connections using Wills preserved during the reign of James I (1603-1625)

- The 1831 Census for Stapleford Tawney

- Vestry Order Book for Stapleford Tawney (commenced 1824)

Journal No. 55 (March 2015)

The High Country History Group (established 1999) produces a quarterly Journal for its members.  The latest edition contains the following items:

- Law and Order

- Benefactors to the Poor of Stapleford Tawney

- Fire at the Blue Boar, Abridge

- Theydon Mount Wills during the reign of King James I (1603 - 1625)

- Essex Quarter Sessions Order Book (1652 - 1661)

- What the Papers Say (1945 - 1955)

- Memories of Theydon Mount

- Tragedy at Theydon Bois 1940

- The Essex Great War Archive Project

- Notable Anniversaries in 2015

High Country History Group Annual General Meeting, Thursday 26 March 2015

THE HIGH COUNTRY HISTORY GROUP

GREENSTED, STANFORD RIVERS, STAPLEFORD TAWNEY & THEYDON MOUNT

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

to be held Thursday 26 March 2015, 8pm,

at Toot Hill Village Hall

As a member of the Group, you are invited to the 15^th AGM, followed by films introduced by David Welford.  As usual the formal business of the meeting will be conducted speedily. The evening will conclude with cheese and wine.  Members: £2.  Guests welcome: £3.  Please bring these papers with you.

Agenda

1. Welcome and apologies for absence
2. Minutes of previous AGM – will be read
3. Matters arising
4. Reports
1. Chairman’s report
2. Secretary’s report
3. Treasurer’s report: Separate attachment. It is recommended that the membership fee increases to £10 (2014: £7) individual, £15 (2014: £10) for family membership. (Please complete the enclosed form.)  This will be the first increase since 2012 and will fund our increased number of meetings and offset increased postage costs.
5. Presentation of the draft accounts (enclosed)
6. To elect the Committee:  nominations for all posts on the committee are invited.
7. Any Other Business.  This should be communicated to the Secretary before the meeting.
8. Date of next Annual General Meeting: 31 March 2016.