Essex Journal (Autumn 2018)
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EssexJOURNAL A REVIEW OF LOCAL HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGY Autumn 2018 Martin Stuchfield discusses fourteenth century female Essex brasses, and much more Jennifer Ward Special EJ 20 Questions: The Watkins The Society was founded in 1887 by a group of Cambridge undergraduates keen to preserve and record monumental brasses. Early research into brasses focussed chiefly on English brasses of the medieval and early modern periods. Today, however, the field is much wider. Chronologically, it extends to brasses of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and geographically to those of Continental Europe. Membership will particularly benefit those with an interest in genealogy, ecclesiology and the study of costume, armour and heraldry, as well as those interested in church monuments. The Society aims: To encourage the appreciation of brasses, indents of lost brasses and incised slabs by publications, lectures and meetings. To preserve brasses by assisting with grant funding conservation and providing advice on their care. To promote the study of brasses, indents of lost brasses and incised slabs, and to encourage and disseminate original research. To Record lost and stolen brasses and those remaining in private hands. www.mbs-brasses.co.uk Registered Charity (no. 214336) AUTUMN 2018 Vol.53 No.2 EssexJOURNAL ISSN-0014-0961 Incorporating Essex Review he ESSEX JOURNAL is published twice a year under the management CONTENTS of an EditorialBoard consisting T Editorial 59 of representatives of theFriends of Historic BALH Award 60 Essex, theEssex Record Office (on behalf News from the Essex Record Office 61 of the Essex County Council), the Essex Society for Archaeology and History and Clacton VCH Group update 62 the Honorary Ed itor. It is recognised that A new home for a medieval knight 63 the statutory duties of the County Council Dr Jennifer Ward: an appreciation preclude the ERO from sharing in the Dr Maureen Scollan 67 financial commitments of the consortium . Face to face with a thirteenth century knight Richard Harris 68 Chairman: A. Corder-Birch: ‘The portraiture of a man cut in wood’: [email protected] the fourteenth century effigy of a priest at Hon. Editor: N. Wiffen, MA: St John the Evangelist’s church, Little Leighs [email protected] Christopher Starr 71 Hon. Treasurer: G. Willden: Shaped from the Landscape: [email protected] Great Baddow’s medieval deer park Hon. Secretary: S. Butler Gloria Harris 78 [email protected] Glamour in Brass: a portrayal of the Hon. Membership Sec : fourteenth century lady in Essex [email protected] Martin Stuchfield 86 Thoby Priory, its lands and its post Dissolution changes The annual subscription is £10.00. Michael Leach & James Kemble 93 Cheques made payable to ‘Essex Journal’ to: Dismantling the Monasteries 30 Main Road, Broomfield, Chelmsford, Ken Crowe 102 CM1 7EF Book Reviews 110 or visit: Anthony Goodman, www.essexjournal.co.uk/subscribe Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent John S. Lee, The Medieval Clothier Notes to contributors Kate J. Cole, Contributions are welcome and should be sent in a Word Brentwood & Around through Time format to the Honorary Editor at the email listed above. Michael Foley, General correspondence can either be emailed or posted to: Secret Brentwood 30 Main Road, Broomfield, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 7EF. The Editor is more than happy to discuss any proposed Lynn Haseldine Jones, articles as he does not guarantee that unsolicited material The Golden Age of Buckhurst Hill depicted in Postcards will be published. Contributors are requested to limit their John Garwood & Adam Brown, articles to 2,500/4,000 words, other than by prior The Philp Collection Special agreement with the Editor. Style notes are available. EJ 20 Questions? Brenda and Elphin Watkin 113 Disclaimer Items printed in the Essex Journal do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or Editorial Board. Contributors, on behalf of the Essex Journal, have made every effort to trace and acknowledge ownership of all copyrighted material and to secure permissions. The Editor would like to hear of any inadvertent omission in the acknowledgement of copyright material. Copyright All written material, unless otherwise stated, is the copyright of the Essex Journal. Enquiries to the Editor. Cover illustration: Detail of Joan, daughter of Sir John de Cobham, wife of Sir John de la Pole, at Chrishall. (Reproduced by kind permission of Martin Stuchfield) EssexJOURNAL 58 EJ Editorial ell, yet another special issue of you very much Essex Journal (EJ) this time dedicated Chris for your Wto historian, author and tutor, valued opinions, Dr Jennifer Ward who turns 80 this year. The cheerful responses Editorial Board is extremely pleased that we can and willingness to mark this milestone but, as ever, it is the generosity help with research and enthusiasm of all the contributors to this issue projects. that really makes it so special. I do hope that Jenny As ever I hope is as thrilled as I am with the results, in particular there is something the bagging of one of the contributors who has for everyone in the eluded even the tenacious Jenny in the past – issue, from the just for you Jenny, this once and never again! BALH award, to One of the pleasures of working at the Essex an update from the Record Office (ERO) is that it has allowed me ERO, to the Home to meet so many historians who are working in Guard in Clacton and the county. In some cases this has moved on to the move of the Thomas Stapel brass. This latter partnership working and, as mentioned elsewhere update from Martin Stuchfield is so important in the issue, Jenny was of major importance that I wanted to feature it. Just the pictures of regarding The Fighting Essex Soldier conference the move are awe inspiring – well done Martin that was held back in 2014. In advance of the and all concerned with safeguarding such an conference Jenny guest curated a display of important brass and keeping it on public display. fourteenth and fifteenth century documents that Let us hope that it is a final move for the venerable highlighted various aspects of life on the home front brass of Sir Thomas Stapel. in Essex during the Hundred Years War. I assisted Richard Harris kicks off with a piece on a by ordering up the documents and then producing thirteenth century seal that has to be seen to be them to the Searchroom for Jenny to assess. An believed. It is so small yet so fine and so old – enjoyable hour or two was had listening to Jenny how proud Sir Andrew Blund must have been explain the documents with an incredible lightness of it. Great to feature Dr Christopher Starr, a of touch. What appeared to me impenetrable Latin contributor to my very first edition of the EJ back was read without any difficulty: ‘This is the earl of in 2007. Will we ever know the identity of the Oxford going on pilgrimage to Bury [St Edmunds]’, priest commemorated – who knows what archival Here’s a payment of 6d’ and so on. Out of this material is still out there that might help with document display came an article in the Spring answering that. 2016 issue of EJ which featured Jenny on the Gloria Harris looks at the history of Baddow cover: ‘Dr Jennifer Ward discusses Essex and the Park, one of many parks in Essex which demonstrate Hundred Years War’. A few months passed and that there is still much to be discovered about their at another ERO event Jenny was very pleased to history, not all has been written about yet. Martin tell me that she had been booked to give a talk Stuchfield brings his truly encyclopaedic knowledge on the strength of this cover after it had been seen of brasses to discuss those that survive in the county on display. Jenny reported that the person who from the fourteenth century that commemorate invited her to give the talk said that because she women. was on the cover of the EJ then she must be a To finish off we have articles by Dr Michael ‘proper historian’ – how we laughed. I’m just Leach and Ken Crowe looking at aspects of pleased to have played such a part in Jenny’s religious houses and the reformation. What a development as a historian! treat. As ever a selection of book reviews before I know from liaising with all the contributors the issue ends with the ‘Twenty Questions’ piece that they are all profoundly appreciative of her which features Brenda and Elphin Watkin. I’ve inspiring research as well as the support that Jenny had the pleasure of assisting ‘Team Watkin’ at has generously given over the years, myself included. ERO and it is always lovely to see them and hear On more than one occasion in our communications their opinions in stereo. What a wonderful finale regarding the content of this issue a comment along to this issue and a first for EJ with not one, but the lines of ‘If only I could ask Jenny her opinion two respondents or as Brenda said when we of this’ has been said. I just hope that we have all were discussing this, ‘BOGOF’ and on that done Jenny justice. In the absence of being able to note I will! ask Jenny her advice, the eagle-eyed among you will notice that in several of the articles the name Cheers, of Dr Christopher Thornton, editor of the Essex VCH, appears. I’m sure the contributors will be Neil in agreement with me when I thank Chris for all his advice and input in to not only the EJ but in many historical topics across the county.