The First Blitz (WWI Documentary) (BBC)

BBC World War One At Home, Little Wigborough, Essex Zeppelin Crash

Annual General Meeting and 'Zeppelins Over Essex: 31 March 1916'. Thursday 31 March 2016

The High Country History Group has its Annual General Meeting, which will be conducted speedily to make way for out talk, and cheese and wine at the end of the evening.

Zeppelins over Essex: 31 March 1916

Blackmore residents had a very close shave a hundred years ago when the German Zeppelin L14 dropped bombs in the parish.  The stained glass in what is now the kitchen of St Laurence Church commemorates the night with these words: “This window is erected as a thank-offering to Almighty God for the protection in the Great Air Raid of March 31^st 1916” (see illustration).

Andrew Smith has researched what happened that night and tells the story in a presentation to be given to the High Country History Group on 31 March 2016 (8pm Toot Hill Village Hall), and this summer, on 16 June, at the Friends of St Laurence Church Blackmore AGM.

The Rector of Stondon Massey, Revd. Reeve recorded details in his ‘Notes for a Parish History’:  He lived at the Rectory, what is now Stondon Massey House.

“At 11.45[p.m.] a Zeppelin dropped a series of bombs at the point where is the junction of Stondon with the parishes of Blackmore and Kelvedon Hatch: within easy distance of Soap House Farm.  A machine-gun had been lately established at Kelvedon Hatch to watch for the raiders … causing it to drop the bombs hurriedly.

“Large numbers of persons from Brentwood and the surrounding district visited the spot next day, and the large craters caused by the bombs, some 15 feet in diameter and varying from 3 to 9 feet in depth, were the astonishment of all.  The whole saucer-like cavities were left entirely clean by the explosion. … Nine of the thirteen holes were quickly found: and fortunately no life was lost or building injured. … Our windows at Stondon Rectory were violently shaken and considerable alarm was naturally caused.

“Further enquiry shows that the bombs dropped on March 31^st fell between the Soap House and the corner of Blackmore between the Church and Miss Barrett’s house.  Two were dropped in the lane near the site of the old Blackmore Mill.  The remaining holes were to be found in a straight-line across the fields to Miss Barrett’s at very short intervals.  Many panes of glass were broken in the house by the concussion.”

Four people were killed in Braintree that night by the same Zeppelin crew.  To hear the full story come along to Andrew’s talk.

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.

Essex Heroes and Villains: Thursday 25 February 2016

Our next meeting, on Thursday 25 February at 8pm, will include a talk by our Chairman Martyn Lockwood on 'Essex Heroes and Villains'.  Everyone welcome. Toot Hill Village Hall. Members £1. Visitors £3. includes refreshments and book sale.

Chelmsford Museum on the hunt for stolen ancient Roman coins found near Good Easter in mid-1990s | Essex Chronicle

Chelmsford Museum on the hunt for stolen ancient Roman coins found near Good Easter in mid-1990s | Essex Chronicle

Essex Record Office: 'Essex Archives Online'

New look for ERO's online catalogue

Users of the Essex Record Office online catalogue, Seax, will notice a big change on Thursday 21 January.

We have been busy working on an updated version of the site, which is going to be renamed Essex Archives Online.

We have tidied the site up to give it a cleaner look, and make it easier for you to find what you are looking for. See below for a sneak preview of how the new site will look.

The main changes you will notice will be in how the site looks rather than how it works. The changes will not affect any subscriptions or information you have saved on the system.

You will still be able to access the service through the existing web address but can now also reach it directly via www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk

The site will include user guides should you need any help in navigating it, and as always you can contact us on ero.enquiry@essex.gov.uk should you need any assistance.

To allow the changes to take place, the site will not be available 9.00am-10.00am GMT on Thursday 21 January; we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Happy searching!

The ERO Team

ESAH160: Theft of Coins from Chelmsford Museum: Urgent

ESAH160: Theft of Coins from Chelmsford Museum: Urgent: I regret to advise you that the Chelmsford Museum have suffered a theft in the course of which 14 of a display of 16 late Roman coins were...

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.

Next Meeting. 26 November 2015, 'The 1980s - A Decade of Disasters on Land, Sea and Air'

The final meeting of the High Country History Group for the year will be on Thursday 26 November, 8pm, Toot Hill Village Hall.  Our speaker will be one of our members, Patrick Griggs.  "In the late 1980's the UK experienced spate of air crashes, train derailments, fires on the Underground and also ship collisions which lead to much loss of life but also gave rise to many changes to safety regulations. As a specialist in marine and aviation law Patrick was involved in the legal aspects of many of these case and will give us a glimpse of what happened behind the scenes after these cases ceased to be headline news."

We will also have a huge history bookstall so that you can stock up on Christmas reading.

The evening will round off with wine and mince pies.  All welcome. Visitors £3, Members £2.

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

'Anglo Saxon Life' of theme of next talk - 22 October 2015

Just a quick note to remind you that our autumn season begins next Thursday, 22 October, with a talk by Peter Jennings on ‘Anglo Saxon Life’.  Members £1, Visitors £3 including tea / coffee as usual.

We will also have a book sale. 

Essex Industrial Heritage Fair. Braintree Museum. Saturday 10 October 2015

ESAH160: Essex Industrial Heritage Fair. Braintree Museum. ...: Final details of this special event are now available.  This promises to be an interesting day. Follow this link

Heritage Open Days in Chelmsford area: 10-13 September 2015

Historical and heritage events in and around the Chelmsford area this September.

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)

'The History of the Hoffmann Company, Chelmsford: 1898-1989' - 23 July 2015

The High Country History Group will be welcoming as our speaker Stephen Norris, author of the definitive history of Chelmsford from 1888 to 2012. The subject will be about one of the world's leading ball bearing manufacturers that shaped the town during the twentieth century: Hoffmans. 

Everyone welcome at Toot Hill Village Hall, Toot Hill Road, Ongar. CM5 9LR.  Thursday 23 July. 8pm. Members: £1, Visitors, £3.

'Canons, Cloisters and Castles' - 25 June 2015

The High Country History Group meet on Thursday 25 June at 8.00pm at Toot Hill Village Hall.

The guest speaker is Tony O'Connor from the Epping Forest Museum. His local history talk is called ‘Canons, Cloisters and Castles’

 

Details of his talk:

 

The Epping Forest District includes a wealth of monuments from the medieval period, from our market towns, through historic parish churches and the castle at Ongar, to the great abbey of Waltham Holy Cross. This talk explores this rich legacy and the story of the people who created it.

Everyone welcome. Members: £1. Non members: £3.  Including refreshments

Next Meeting, 28 May 2015

We are in an unusual situation where the last Monday in May – Bank Holiday Monday – is before the fourth Thursday in May.  Our meeting will be on Thursday 28 May, 8pm, Toot Hill Village Hall, when Nick Dobson, who gave a talk ‘Christmas in The Trenches’ last year, makes a welcome return.  His topic this time will be ‘An Underground Guide to Literary London’. 

We also have some books for sale this time for you to peruse over tea and biscuits.

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

ESAH160: Essex Record Office Wills Online

ESAH160: Essex Record Office Wills Online: The Essex Record Office has announced that ‘Essex Ancestors’ their online subscription service which allows users to view digital images o...