Programme

Our 2023 programme: 23 Feb: '1926' - our speaker is our Chairman, Martyn Lockwood. 23 Mar: Annual General Meeting. 27 Apr: 'John Ray' - Jennifer Rowland. 25 May: Napoleonic Invasion Plans - Neil Wiffen. 22 Jun: 'Jersey under the Jackboot: the occupation of Jersey during WW2' - Patrick Griggs. 27 Jul: 'The Life and Times of William Byrd (c1540-1623): A Local History' - Andrew Smith. 26 Oct: 'The Prison at Hill Hall' - Anne Padfield. 23 Nov: Pre-Christmas meeting. Talk to be confirmed. Admission: Members £1, Non-members £5 Annual Membership: £15 (Family: £30)

Thursday, 18 February 2016

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.

Wednesday, 20 January 2016

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

Tuesday, 5 January 2016

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...

Saturday, 2 January 2016

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.

Friday, 20 November 2015

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.

Friday, 30 October 2015

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

Thursday, 15 October 2015

'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. 

Saturday, 22 August 2015

Monday, 3 August 2015

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)

Monday, 13 July 2015

'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.

Thursday, 18 June 2015

'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

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

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.

Saturday, 9 May 2015

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...

Thursday, 16 April 2015

Friends of Essex Churches Trust: Spring Study Day. Wednesday 6 May 2015.

ESAH160: Friends of Essex Churches Trust: Spring Study Day,...: FRIENDS OF ESSEX CHURCHES TRUST SPRING STUDY DAY Wednesday 6th May 2015 Our Spring Study Day will be led by Dr Christopher Starr. The day includes a visit to Stapleford Tawney and Stanford Rivers churches.

Saturday, 11 April 2015

ESAH160: The Society's Archives: Parish Registers

ESAH160: The Society's Archives: Parish Registers: Online historical research is an almost expected feature of our digital age.  In recent years the Essex Record Office, in its role as Di...

Saturday, 21 March 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 15th 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.

Saturday, 7 March 2015

'The Wonderful World of Disney: Collecting Classical Antiquity': a Lecture at Ingatestone, 20 March 2015

The Essex Society for Archaeology & History
Presents
The Morant Lecture 2015
The subject of this year’s lecture is
The Wonderful World of Disney
John Disney (1779-1857) was a Barrister and Archaeologist and son of Rector John Disney. John Disney inherited his father’s antiquities, upon his death and continued to add to the collection. In 1850 Disney donated most of the sculptures to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. John Disney established the Chair of Archaeology.  The Disney family lived at the Hyde in Ingatestone and their monument is in Fryerning churchyard.
Presented by
Professor David Gill
Professor David Gill is a Professor of Archaeological Heritage and Director of Heritage Futures at the University Campus Suffolk.
On Friday 20th March 2015 at 7.30 pm
Venue: St Edmund & St Mary’s Church, Ingatestone

Members £5.00 in advance, Non-members and on the door £6.00. Booking required For refreshments PLEASE contact                 Dr Graham Gould on 02085561423, email drgegould@aol.com