From the Times Newspaper

July 1st, 1875

Murder.
Yesterday morning, at the Ongar Petty Sessions, before the Rev. R.B. Tower, Captain Budworth, and other magistrates, Walton Burton and John Williams, farm labourers, were charged with the willful murder of John Butcher, also a farm labourer, of High Ongar.

It appeared that the prisoners and Butcher were labourers employed at Castle Farm, Ongar. On Tuesday, while engaged in the fields, the prisoners and Butcher quarreled, and threatening language was used on both sides. Later on in the evening Butcher was discovered lying insensible in a field. He had received dreadful injuries, and died in the course of a few hours. Mary Ann Monk, a single woman, of High Ongar, said that while drawing water from a spring she heard a voice exclaim "I’ll kill you" She then saw one of the prisoners strike Butcher on the head with something he had in his hand; Butcher fell, and the prisoners then ran off, leaving him on the ground. Charles Winger, labourer, gave similar evidence, adding that when the deceased was on the ground he saw Burton strike at him several times. Dr. Potter stated that he examined the deceased. He found a fracture of the skull, which was the cause of death, and a bad bruise over the left eye. Police constable Terry deposed to having apprehended the prisoners. Williams said, "I was going home, and Butcher attempted to strike me on the head with a glass bottle. I took the bottle from him and struck him down backwards." The Bench committed the prisoners for trial at the next Chelmsford Assizes on the charge of willful murder.

12th September 1910

ATTACK ON A CONSTABLE.- At Ongar on Saturday George Day, of Waterloo Terrace, Bethnal Green, was charged with grievously wounding, and Joseph Hil, of Duckett Street, Stepney, with assaulting, Constable Henry Lindsey. According to the evidence, a party of men from the East-end of London had been ' rounding up " horses in the fields at Stanford Rivers, near Ongar, and when spoken to they attacked the owner and Constable Lindsey. Afterwards they ran off to an inn. When the con- stable entered the house Day was stated to have thrown four tumblers in succession at him, cutting his head, ear, and neck. Notwithstanding his injuries Lindsey secured Hill, who had first struck him, and locked him up in the village smithy. A crowd tried to rescue Hill, but the blacksmith, named Tyrell, kept them off with an old sword. Hill was sentenced to two months' imprisonment and Day was committed for trial at the Essex Assize.

2nd November 1956

Work on electrifying the six-mile section of the Central Line beyond Epping to North Weald, Blake Hall, and Ongar will begin early in 1957. London Transport announced yesterday. It will take between 12 and 18 months to complete and will cost ?100,000. This section of the line is at present operated by a steam shuttle service. After electrification, the shuttle will be run with two-car trains of normal tube type, at the same frequency as the present service. London Transport say that the number of passengers at present using the line beyond Epping would not justify the running of full-length trains through from Central London. If the traffic grows as expected, the question of through trains will be reviewed.