High Country History Group

From the Chelmsford Chronicle 23 January 1891.

The monotony of the Petty Session at Ongar was on Saturday relieved by a number of prosecutions under the Licensing Act, affecting the management of the Holly Tree Working Men’s Club, Stanford Rivers, where an infringement of the law was discovered by police officers, who in disguise, worked as wood choppers in the neighbourhood, and were introduced to the club. Five summonses were down for hearing, the information in each being laid by Inspector Robinson. There was a crowded court, and the utmost interest was manifested in the proceedings, which at times were of an amusing description. The Magistrates on the Bench were the Rev. E.J. Reeve (chairman), Sir Chas Smith, and F. Carter, Esq. Capt. Showers (chief constable) and Mr. R. Somerset (deputy chief constable) were also present.

The first case was against John Edwards, described as a labourer of Stanford Rivers, who was charged with having on the 6th December, at the Holly Trees Working Men’s Club, unlawfully sold beer by retail, without being duly licensed.

Mr Grubbe, barrister appeared for the prosecution and said that the Club was registered in the month of August last year (1890) as a friendly society. It was alleged to have been established to afford to its members the means of
social intercourse, mutual helpfulness, mental and moral improvement, and rational recreation

The subscription was 6d per quarter, payable in advance. Assuming that the Holly Tree was a bona fide club, the police had no right to go there in the ordinary course of things; therefore, in order to find out whether the performances were of the innocent description the rules led them to suppose, they were obliged to recourse to stratagem. A police sergeant and a constable dressed themselves in working men’s clothes and worked as woodmen in the neighbourhood for some time, and on the 6th December the sergeant presented himself at the club. He said to the manager, James Edwards, “Is Bob Dorrington here?” Dorrington was a man known in the neighbourhood. Some other conversation ensued, with the result that the sergeant was introduced as friend of the defendant, under the name of ‘Thompson.’ Defendant asked ‘Thompson’ to drink, and they had a game of dominoes. The sergeant afterwards said, “I’ll pay now for a pint,” and he laid 2d. in front of the defendant, whereupon the latter ordered the beer. The liquor was brought in by the manager, who took the 2d., and the transaction was complete. With regards to the other charges they related somewhat upon the same principle.

Police Sergeant Harry Laver, examined by Mr Grubbe, deposed, I am stationed at Ingatestone. I visited the Holly Tree Working Men’s Club at Stanford Rivers on the 6th Dec. I went in the front door, and opened the door on the right of the passage and saw the manager and three others sitting round the fire, among them being the defendant. I said to the manager, “Is Bob Dorrington here?” He said, “No.” “Oh,” I said “he told me he he’d be here tonight. I am at work with him.” He said, “You’re not a member are you?” I said, “No, what’s the subscription?” “Sixpence,” he replied. I said “I don’t want to pay that, as I may not be about here after Christmas.” Defendant and the manager had a whispered conversation, and the later asked me my name. I replied, “Thompson.” I was then introduced as a friend of the defendant, who handed me a glass of ale. When the mug was empty I said to the defendant, “I’ll pay for a pint, how much is it?” Defendant replied, “2d.” I laid the money on table in front of the defendant, who pushed the 2d to the manager, and he picked it up. The manager did not see who put the money down. There were two notices hung up in the room – one against gambling, &c., and the other cautioning against visitors paying for refreshment served to them.

Mr Atkinson, “I think you changed the role of a policeman for that of a wood-chopper, and went in dressed as a labourer? – Witness: Yes. [laughter]. Cross examination continued: I was not informed that I was not a member, and could not be served. I had been t work with Dorrington on the 4th, 5th and 6th. Dorrington told me he was a member of the club, and I had made an appointment with him that evening. I put the money down and James Edwards, the manager supplied the beer. I said to the defendant, “You are particular here to what they are at Halstead.” I said this to throw of suspicion.

Inspector Robinson (see photo), stationed at Ongar, said: I know the Holly Tree Working Men’s Club. It is not a licensed house. The defendant John Edwards does not hold a licence to sell beer by retail.

In reply to Mr. Atkinson, Mr. Grubbe said the other cases were not on all fours with the present, and would be taken separately.

Mr. Atkinson then addressed the Bench for the defence. He submitted that he has a perfect answer to the case in law. He quoted the case of Newman v Jones, which related to a working man’s club at East Ham, where a stranger was brought in and paid for brandy, &c., which was supplied. He was convicted, but the decision was reversed on appeal. He also quoted Newell v Hemmingway, and contended that this was not a sale. Bone fide clubs were not sellers of liquors under the Act of 1872, which was never meant to apply to such cases. It was mean and despicable for policemen to go around and dress themselves in working men’s clothe, and act as they did.

He then called
James Edwards, who said he was the steward of the club, and recollected ‘Mr Thompson’ coming on the 6th Dec. [laughter]. He said he was a woodman, working “down by Goaling’s place.” [renewed laughter]. Witness called his attention to the rule forbidding non-members purchasing liquor. The sergeant entered his name in the visitors’ book as ‘J.S. Thompson,’ and he said he was a member of the Halstead Club. He asked whether we played for anything, and on being told “No,” he added, “You are particular here; at Halsted we can do what we like.” He then said, “Well, we’ll play for amusement, then.” [laughter]. John Edwards paid for the beer that was drunk, and witness saw no other money pass than by him.

By Mr. Grubbe: John Edwards paid for the beer. I cannot remember how many times he had it. Mr. Grubbe: I see that ladies are admitted to this club – witness: So they are to every club [laughter] – Oh! I see on the 6th Dec. There were two ladies there – Mrs Woolmore and Mrs Feast. They were introduced probably by their husbands? – Yes – How late do you keep this club open? – We generally close at 11, but if a party likes to stop they can do so as long as they like. So long as there are four members in the club it cannot be closed. – You can stop in the club then all night, as long as there are four members? – Yes, but I live on the premises. – Children do not come in? – No – well, the limit of age is 16. – Do babies ever come? [laughter] – Of course if a wife comes in she brings her baby – she don’t leave them out in the yard. [roars of laughter]. – They would be very unwise if they did. Do you enter babies names in the visitor’s book? – No of course not [laughter]. – Was it a fact that on the 6th of Dec. there were two babies there? – I don’t know – can’t recollect. [laughter]

John Edwards gave corroborative evidence, adding that he depended on ‘Mr Thompson’ being a visitor, and little thought that he was a police officer in disguise. Witness paid for the beer they drank together, and the evidence given by Sergt. Laver was not correct. Cross examined: ‘Thompson’ offered to pay for one pint of beer. There was 2d lying on the table. I do not know who laid it there. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. [laughter] ‘Thompson’ asked me the price of a pint before I saw the money on the table

The bench retired, and after a few minutes deliberation, the Chairman said: We have given this case our best attention, and find John Edwards unmistakeably guilty of the offence with which he is charged. We will now go on to the next case.
_______________

James Edwards was next charged with a similar offence on the 8th and 10th of Dec.
Mr. Grubbe said that on Dec.8th the sergeant, he believed still under the name of Thompson, visited the club about 6.15 in the evening. The defendant, who was a member as well as the steward, was the only person present at the time. Soon afterwards a man named Houchin came in, and after some beer had been drunk, Thompson asked the defendant to fill the mug with beer again. He did so, and when he brought it in, Thompson laid down 2d. upon the table. The defendant picked it up and said nothing. That was a direct sale by the defendant to a person whom he had not right to sell to, and who was not a member of the club. – The evidence and the defence were the same as in the first case.

The Chairman intimated that the decision of the bench was against te defendant.
________________

The charge against Frank Houchin, hay dealer, Stanford Rivers, for similar offences, on the 8th and 9th of Dec., was then proceeded with.
Mr Grubbe said the case was similar to the others, with the exception that on the 9thSergt. Laver visited the club in company with Pc Chenery, of Gosfield, who was also disguised as a woodman.
_______________

A further summons against James Edwards was next proceeded with for unlawfully selling beer to Pc Chenery, on Dec. 10th.
Police-sergt. Laver gave evidence that he was made a member on the suggestion of the defendant and received a card of membership endorsed ‘S. Thompson.’ The name of ‘Rand’ was on the card, but had been scratched out, and the witness’s nom de guerre was written over it. After the witness and Pc Chenery had been drinking, the latter handed the mug to the defendant and asked him to fill it up. He did so and brought it back. Chenery then aid 6d on the table and defendant picked it up and brought him back 4d change. Shortly afterwards witness asked defendant if he could lend him a bottle to put some whisky in, and on his asking for half-a-quartern he gave it him in a glass bottle. [The bottle containing the whisky was here produced]. Chenery laid down 4d on the table in payment, and the defendant picked it up.

Mr Atkinson: It is the first time in my experience that a person has been summoned for selling beer, and then a charge of selling whisky is brought against him.
Mr Gubbe: If you wish, a summons can issue for the selling of the whisky.
Mr. Atkinson: Oh! no. “Sufficient for the day is evil thereof.” [laughter].

_____________

The bench retired, and on re-entering the court the Chairman said: We convict in every case, after very careful consideration. And I may say, on behalf of myself and my brother magistrates, that the evidence given by the police officers is worthy of great praise. They gave their evidence in a very straight forward and clear manner. Indeed we think they are particularly worthy of commendation in that respect. Before giving the convictions and cost we must express our disapprobation of the manner in which this club is conducted. They seem to have set their own rules as defiance, and the whole thing is carried on in a very loose and irregular manner. They have all the advantages of a public house without having paying a licence and being under restrictions.

The first defendant John Edwards, will be fined £2.10s. and 15s.6d. costs, or, in default, month’s imprisonment.

There are two cases against James Edwards, and he will be fined £2.10s. in each, with £1.6s.6d. costs, or two month’s imprisonment. In this case the offence is aggravated, as he was the manager of the club, and ought to have known the rules thoroughly well.

With regard to Houchin, we have taken the lenient view of the cases because he may not have made himself master of the rules, as he ought to have done. We give him the benefit of the doubt, and fine him £1 in each case, with £1.6s.6d costs, or a moth’s imprisonment.

The defendants were granted a fortnight for payment.

Mr. Atkinson gave notice of appeal.

Death through Excessive Drinking at the
Stanford Rivers Holly Tree Club

The Newsman, October 17th 1891

An inquest was held at the Ongar Union-house into the death of William Berry, hay and straw carter, aged 44 years, of Stanford Rivers. He was a member of the Holly Tree Workmen’s Club. Surgeon Dr. Grattan said he had died of epileptic convulsions aggravated by excessive drinking.

James Edwards, manager of the club gave evidence.

After the jury had given their verdict, the Coroner, Mr. Lewis was requested to forward a report of the case to the Home Office in the hope that something might be done to regulate the Holly Tree Club.

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THE SAID CLUB PREMISES WERE?

Martyn Lockwood

2015 was an exciting year for historical anniversaries, with a number of landmark dates commemorated through a host of events and exhibitions.

2016 looks set to continue the trend.

Feb: 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Verdun.

Mar: 80th anniversary of first flight of a Spitfire.

April: 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare.

April: 200th anniversary of the birth of Charlotte Bronte.

May: 90th anniversary of the General Strike.

April: 100th anniversary of the Easter Uprising in Dublin.

July: 100th anniversary of the first battle of the Somme.

July: 50th anniversary of England winning the World Cup.

July: 150th anniversary of birth of Beatrix Potter.

Aug: 300th anniversary of the birth of Capability Brown.

Sept: 350th anniversary of the Fire of London.

Sept: 100th anniversary of tanks used in battle for the first time.

Oct: 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings

Nov: 60th anniversary of the Anglo-French assault on Suez.

Dec: 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbour

Dec: 80th anniversary of King Edward VIII signing of instrument of abdication.

And if that is not enough for you the Victoria & Albert Museum will be sorting through its smalls in April for an exhibition that examines the history of underwear through the centuries. More than 100 men's and women’s garments and accessories, as well as photographs, films, packaging and fashion plates, will be on show.

Commemorations of First World War anniversaries will also continue through 2016, including an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum to mark the centenary of the battle of Jutland.

In August 1838, upon their return from Australia, George Loveless his wife and four children and James Loveless, his wife and one child, together with James Brine who was single, were installed in New House Farm, Greensted, which consisted of some eighty acres of arable and pasture land. The lease on the farm had been paid by the Central Dorchester Committee and had a further seven years to run. The price paid by the Committee for the farm was £600, plus a further £40 for furniture. The land was in poor condition and difficult to farm - one of the fields is still known as 'Starve Goose Field'!

Thomas Standfield, wife and five children were also re-located to Essex on a farm at High Laver, which consisted of some forty-three acres. The farm was described as in a dreadful condition – three years untenanted and the house in ruins. The committee paid £100 for the farm.

James Brine, aged 26, married Elisabeth Standfield, 21, daughter of Thomas Standfield, in Greensted church, in 1839.

The Dorchester Committee organised a Chartist association in Greensted, following the six points of 'The People's Charter':

1) Manhood Suffrage,
2)Voting by secret ballot,
3)Payment of MPs,
4) Annual Parliaments,
5) Abolition of property qualifications for MPs and
6) Equal electoral districts.

The presence of the Loveless family in Greensted was not well received by the Rector of Greensted, Revd. Ray, who preached against their chartist activities. He felt that the foundations of decent society were being undermined; paternal, beneficial order where everyone knew his proper place must be restored. He alerted the Home Office.

According to the Essex Standard:

"George Loveless, instead of quietly fulfilling the duties of his station . . . is still dabbling in the dirty waters of radicalism and publishing pamphlets to keep up the old game."

Another article in newspapers published in December 1839 said:

“The new settlers at Greensted and High Laver had not been long established among the hitherto quiet and well-conducted population of these parishes before they began to agitate, and to agitate in a manner and with a degree of success which showed but too plainly that their mission of mischief had not been entrusted to unpractised of unskilful hands. Chartist newspapers were quickly seen in active circulation. The beer shops in which they were to be found became more frequented and more noisy than heretofore. A Chartist Association was formed at Greensted, and by the combined or alternate influence of persuasion and of terror, nearly the whole of the agricultural labourers in that and adjoining parishes were induced to join it…..”

Eventually both families emigrated to Canada.

During the mid 1930's, it was realised by the Royal Air Force that it needed to build larger and better equipped airfields if another War with Germany was going to be a possibility. After the severe cutbacks of the 1920's and with government policy being not to fight another major war for at least ten years, it would be a large expansion indeed. Many purpose built airfields were established, and these were to be on a permanent basis. Built with brick barrack blocks and other permanent buildings, they were also to include bigger aircraft Hangars for servicing and maintenance, comfortable Officers and airmen’s quarters and dining halls, in fact they were as modern as could be at the time. The design and architecture gave the impression of being older than they were, benefiting from the ideas of one of the great architects of the time, Sir Edwin Lutyens.
By the latter part of the decade, it was realised that even more airfields would be needed. After many potential airfield sites were surveyed, a period of increased building took place on suitable sites with agricultural land being requisitioned under the Emergency Powers Act of 1939. Landowners and Farmers had no immediate recompense, nor grounds for appeal, and many did not get their land back until long after the war was over.
These airfields were for hostilities only, born out of the need to expand quickly, their standard of build was not at all like the large permanent airfields. Most buildings were of temporary brick construction with many types of huts employed to serve different purposes. Their life was not expected to be that long, probably ten years or so. The level of luxury at these airfields was non-existent, cold and damp with sparse heating and mud everywhere. It was no easy life on these temporary wartime airfields.
After the war many were abandoned, and quickly fell into disrepair, although some did continue for some time in one form or another. Many of the buildings were removed if no other use could be found for them. The miles of concrete from the perimeter tracks and runways was lifted over the post war decades, and was used to supply the hardcore hungry road building market and releasing land once more to agricultural use.
Below is a list of airfields that were located in Essex. Some had been constructed during the First World War to combat the Zeppelin threat and others were requisitioned by the RAF when war broke out in 1939. An example of the latter is Stapleford Tawney which opened as Essex Aerodrome in 1933 as a base for Hillman's Airways, which provided a service to Paris and other European cities using De Havilland DH.84 Dragon and DH.89 Dragon Rapide biplanes. Requisitioned by the RAF in 1940.

RAF Andrews Field 1942 - 1945. USAF
RAF Birch 1942 - 1945 RAF and USAF
RAF Boreham 1944 - 1945 USAF
RAF Boxted 1943 – 1947 USAF
RAF Bradwell Bay 1940 – 1946 RAF
RAF Chigwell 1938 - 1964
RAF Chipping Ongar 1943 – 1959 RAF and USAF
RAF Debden 1937 – 1975 RAF
RAF Earls Colne 1942 – 1955 RAF and USAF
RAF Fairlop 1941 – 1945 RAF
RAF Gosfield 1943 – 1955 RAF and USAF
RAF Great Dunmow 1943 – 1948 RAF and USAF
RAF Great Sampford 1942 – 1948 RAF
RAF Hornchurch 1915 – 1962 RAF
RAF Little Walden 1944 – 1958 RAF and USAF
RAF Matching 1944 – 1946 RAF and USAF
RAF North Weald 1916 - RAF
RAF Ridgewell 1942 – 1957 RAF and USAF
RAF Rivenhall 1944 – 1946 RAF and USAF
RAF Rochford 1914 - RAF
RAF Stansted Mountfitchet 1943 – 1958 RAF and USAF
RAF Stapleford Tawney 1940 - RAF
RAF Stow Maries 1914 RAF
RAF Wethersfield 1944 – 1970 RAF and USAF
RAF Wormingford 1917 – 1920 & 1943 – 1962 RAF

No. 277 Squadron was formed on the 22nd December 1941 at Stapleford Tawney from various ASR detachments in the south of England covering the South-East coast and English Channel.
It operated Lysanders and Walruses throughout its career, adding Defiants in May 1942, Spitfires in December 1942 and Sea Otters in November 1943. In November 1944 it took over the Warwicks of No 276 Squadron and these were used to drop airborne lifeboats to survivors.
The squadron was disbanded on 15 February 1945 at Hawkinge but remained on standby until 26 February when its duties were transferred to No 278 Squadron.

Westland Lysander IIIa, air/sea rescue aircraft of 277 Squadron

Now what might you ask is an Ahnentafel Number? If you are interested in family history then this is for you.

An Ahnentafel is a list of one's ancestors with each one numbered in a sequential manner that makes it easy to calculate relationships. The Ahnentafel method is the most common method of numbering ancestors. Ahnentafel is a German word that translates as “ancestor table” or, literally, a list of one’s ancestors.

In an Ahnentafel numbering system, the base person is assigned the number one. The father of each person is assigned a number equal to double the child’s number. The mother of each person is assigned a number equal to double the child’s number plus one. As a result, the number of any child is one-half that of their parent, ignoring any remainder. For the first four generations, the numbers assigned a given person and their ancestors reflect the following relationships:

1. person
2. father
3. mother
4. paternal grandfather
5. paternal grandmother
6. maternal grandfather
7. maternal grandmother
8. great-grandfather
9. great-grandmother
10. great-grandfather
11. great-grandmother
12. great-grandfather
13. great-grandmother
14. great-grandfather
15. great-grandmother

Apart from No. 1, who can be either male or female, all even-numbered persons are male, and all odd-numbered persons are female.

The table below shows how the system works in a diagrammatical form.

8. great-grandfather
4. paternal grandfather-|
| 9. great-grandmother
2. Father--|
| | 10. great-grandfather
| 5. paternal grandmother-|
| 11. great-grandmother
|
1. You-|
|
| 12. great-grandfather
| 6. maternal grandfather-|
| | 13. great-grandmother
3. Mother--|
| 14. great-grandfather
7. maternal grandmother-|
15. great-grandfather

The primary disadvantage of Ahnentafel numbers is that the size of each number when going back many generations becomes quite large. Someone with a documented line of descent from Charlemagne may be using Ahnentafel numbers in the billions.

True ahnentafel lists the person's full name, along with dates and places of birth, marriage, and death, if known.

The following staff was employed at the Union Workhouse at Stanford Rivers at the time of the 1901 Census:

Edwin Tredwell 31 years Master
Mary Margaret Tredwell 40 years Matron
Edgar Catchpole 32 years Porter
Mary Ann Catchpole 36 years Ass. To the Matron
Jenny Mary Crawford 44 years Caretaker (girls)
Ellen Mary Parham 31 years Hospital Nurse
Mary Ann Carker 25 years Hospital Nurse.

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 31st 1916”.

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 31st 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.

Until the later part of the 19th century it was the responsibility of victims of crime to finance the prosecutions of those who had committed the crime against them. This would include the witness expenses; the cost of the solicitor or barrister who presented the case, and even the clerk who transcribed the depositions would levy a charge.

These charges were often prohibitive and so rural communities formed mutual subscription societies to prosecute criminals. Many were started in the C18th and early C19th before police forces were established. The police gradually took on the role of prosecuting criminal cases, while high profile cases became the responsibility of a public prosecutor. As a consequence, many associations more or less disappeared by the beginning of the twentieth century.

The scheme worked as follows: Members of the scheme would pay an annual subscription to the association, and if they became a victim of crime, advertisements would be placed in the local newspapers offering a reward for information leading to the conviction of the felons responsible for the crime. If the offender were apprehended, the association would also fund the cost of prosecuting him. In short, it was a form of insurance.

The first Essex association was formed in 1765, at Colchester. Other associations followed although some targeted specific offences. The Billericay Association was concerned with horse theft (a capital offence), the town being situated on a coaching route and therefore susceptible to such crime. In Halstead in 1800, following a spate of farm fires, an association was formed to specifically address the offence of arson. Not only did they fund advertising and any prosecutions, but also paid armed watchmen to guard vulnerable premises. As the situation escalated they provided the funds for a ‘Bow Street Runner’ to be hired to investigate the offences, and for a reward of 100 Guineas to be offered.

At Braintree, a particularly distressed town at the start of the 19th century due to the rapid decline of the cloth industry, an association
was established to prosecute persons hoarding grain with a view to making excess profits as food prices increased.

List of Associations local to the High Country:

Blackmore Assn for the Prosecution of Thieves, Felons & Co. - 1798

Chelmsford Association for Apprehending & Prosecuting Animal
Maimers & Thieves - 1797

Epping Association for the Security of Lives & Properties of the Inhabitants of the Epping Division - 1818

Fyfield Association for the Prosecution of Felons – 1803

Ongar Association Against Murderers, Housebreakers, Horse &
Sheepstealers & Felons of every description - 1787

Ongar, Harlow and Half Hundred of Waltham Prosecution Association – 1788.

South Weald & Brentwood Assn for the Prosecution of Felons – 1800.

Two manuscript volumes produced by different students cast light into the world of navigation. Both are in the archives of the Essex Society for Archaeology and History. The student’s names are unknown, it is uncertain that these relate to Essex, but both are likely to be of late eighteenth century date.

Having only rowed a boat on the water of Billericay Lake Meadows and more recently steered for five minutes, under very close supervision, a Thames Sailing Barge on the River Blackwater, I was interested to see how a would-be mariner learned his craft.

The larger bound volume of over 500 pages begins with the basic principles of geometry. The student is taught to draw and label circles then triangles of various shapes before going on to calculate longhand, the area of a square, rhomboid, then circles, for example, “What is the circumference of a circle whose diameter is 40?”

He is then required to master three dimensional objects: the solidity of cones, spheres, spindles, paraboloids - things that look like rugby balls and sections of them. The longhand calculations run to a few rows in the student’s best book as the mental gymnastics becomes ever greater.

At about a third of the way through the book, the student writes “Of Artificer’s Work” having explained that “artificers estimate, or compute the value of their works by different measures”. Glazing and masons, painting and plastering, flooring partitioning and roofing, brickwork & c. are all considered. A number of exercises follow.

Next the student encounters “logishalls sliding rule” with a lengthy explanation of its use. As an ‘O’ Level Maths pupil in the 1970s, when exams forbade the use of calculators, I remember using ‘Logarithm Tables’, never being able to master a slide rule. I have not had cause to use either since.

At about halfway through the manuscript volume the student, probably an apprentice, titles a page ‘Navigation’ and defines the topic “how to conduct a ship through the wide and pathless ocean, to the smallest part of the world the safest and shortest way in passage navigable”. He learns of latitude distances from London to Rome, Finisterre and Cape Rogue in South America, and longitude between Cape Finisterre and Barbados, Barcelona and Lisbon. A Mariner’s Compass is then drawn showing 32 points and angles.

‘Plane sailing’, the simplest form of navigation is then explored, the student illustrating one diagram with a ship in full sail. At this point all those exercises in geometry begin to be applied. The student is then taught to master a complex course by means of further exercises.

Winds and tides are then considered. It is here “the immortal Sir Isaac Newton” is mentioned in connection with “his great principal or gravity and attraction” and an understanding of “all bodies within
the solar system”: the moon, sun, earth, stars. The class then defines a leap year (using the year 1806 as an example), epact of a year, and “the moons age” (using the example 29 April 1784, and epact in the calculation). It is at this point the student mariner is able to calculate high water at any place using the moon’s age and produce a “table of times” for a given place. Equipped with this “At what time will it be High water at London August 29th 1796?” is then calculated, followed by Dover and Torbay on different days.

In the final section of the course, the student learns how to adjust the course of the ship caused by wind, swell, current etc. The final pages are devoted to ‘A Journal of a Voyage from London to Madeira In The Nancy of London, A B Commander. Kept by George Foster Mate”.

It is not known whether George Foster was the student.

The second manuscript book, with a coloured frontispiece of a sailing boat upon the high seas, is about half the size of the former. It begins with the title ‘Navigation’, considering much the same syllabus. The illustrations are of better quality: one of a map showing
the navigation of St Georges Channel, the coastline of England, France Spain and Portugal and Barbary coast, where the Cape Nord Islands are situated and drawn with a little more accuracy than the African coastline. The year 1810 is mentioned and at the end is a log,

“In the Brig Nancy of Mary Port. William Harkness Commander. Kept by William Johnstone Mate”.

The vessel left Lizard Point bound for Maderia on April 25th 1813.

In the second of our series looking at the public houses of the area we arrive at the Woodman Public House, which is situated on the busy A113.

The building dates from 1674, although there may have been an earlier Inn on the site. The present structure is weather boarded, with cross wing at the west end and hipped gable to the front. The main block has a gabled dormer and a central chimney stack with three shafts set diagonally.

Advertisement Chelmsford Chronicle 11 November 1881

To Publicans and Dealers

TO LET that OLD-ESTABLISHED BEERHOUSE, “THE WOODMAN,’ Stanford Rivers, with Three Acres of Meadow Land and a Common Right, with large barn and numerous outbuildings. – For particulars apply to Mr. R. Earthy, the Brewery, Brentwood.

Licensees

The following is a list of the holders of the licence for the Woodman as can be currently ascertained.

? Thomas Heslop
1877 Joseph Piggott Beerhouse Keeper
>1879 John Mitson
Dec 1879 George Havis Beerhouse Keeper
April 1882 Maria Havis
1883 Charles Littlechild
Dec 1883 Robert Pavitt
Dec 1885 C. Owers
1890 Frederic Murton Beer Retailer
1894 Mrs. Emily Murton Beer Retailer
1902 William Frederick Rowe Beer Retailer
1914 - 1930 Frederick Will. Murton Beer Retailer
1933 John George Shepherd Beer Retailer
1937 - 1953 Harry Tipple Woolterton
1970’s Frederick Creasy

A touring exhibition of Essex libraries during 2015 celebrated the work of the Victorian Society with an accompanying 48-page pamphlet illustrating buildings lost before the Society’s foundation in 1958, indignity expressed over the demolition of the Euston Arch in London, the renaissance of London St Pancras hotel and station, and other failures and successes in the preservation of Victorian church, industrial and other buildings. St Erkenwald’s Church, Southend-on-Sea (designed Walter Tapper, built 1905-10) was demolished in 1995 its congregation having departed a number of years earlier due to the crippling cost of heating and maintenance. St Mark’s Church, Silvertown (see illustration, being a photograph from c1880), designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon and built 1860-62 (incidentally the same architect as Great Birch), found a new use after fire in 1981 as the Brick Lane Music Hall.

1. Colchester Castle: 2000 Years of History

Colchester Museum’s new guide book was launched in December 2015 at a special evening for ‘Castle Pass’ (season ticket) holders. The black cover is adorned by an Iron Age gold coin with barley ears and the letters CAMV for Camulodunum. Highly illustrated with objects both large and particularly small on display this 78 page one hour read tells the story of Colchester from its origin down to 1648.

The book complements rather than accompanies the visitor. Although there is a fold out plan showing the location of key exhibits this book would be a difficult to follow case by case guide. It includes an interesting account of the building of the Castle and its subsequent creation of a Museum.

This is a fabulous book of a fabulous museum. Tom Hodgson and Philip Wise have done a marvellous job in writing an accessible overview. It is a must have for anyone interested in Colchester’s and Essex’s history. Price: £6.
Andrew Smith
2. Secret Chelmsford: Jim Reeve.
Published by Amberley Publishing.
Jim Reeve is a local historian and has written a number of books on Essex. Secret Chelmsford is his latest. As I spent my formative years in Chelmsford I was looking forward to discovering some of the ‘hidden secrets’ of the town. I was disapointed. The title is misleading. It consists of a number of different aspects of the history of Chelmsford that have been repeated in many other books on the subject. The chapter on Law and Order appears to be composed mainly from the History Notebooks issued by the Essex Police Museum, with little original material being added. Indeed his definition of Chemsford appears to extend to Coggeshal and the exploits of the Coggeshall Gang (yes another History Notebook).
I found the book disjointed and contained a number of factual errors, which is a shame. An example says that the original cathedral was built in the C13th. Unfortunately Chelmsford did not have a Cathedral until 1914. The chapter entitled Secrets of Chelmsford’s Public Houses, lives up to its name, as in the majority of cases he fails to enlighten his reader as the their locations in the town.
I cannot recommend the book, which cost £14.99.