ESSEX SOCIETY FOR ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY (Founded as the Essex Archaeological Society in 1852) Digitisation Project ESSEX ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY NEWS WINTER 1987 TO SEPTEMBER 1992 (Nos. 101 to 115) 2014 ESAH REF: N1101115 Essex Archaeology and His_tory News Winter 1987 THE ESSEX SOCIETY for ARCHAEOLOGY & HISTORY Ni!:\1/:::.:LETTEF~. NUI1BE}~ ... .. ............. l C 1 From the Pl-esident . ... ....... l News from the Society' s Council. Don ' t b2 late for the Fair. .4 ( : i.JU r ses . .. ... .. .4 Current Ex hi b i tions. Librari a n' s Report. 6 Book Revi ew . ... .. 6 New Essex Publicati ons. 7 Q From past Transactions. '-' Excavat i ons at Audley End. t;) A possibl e Roman road a t Gr eat Braxted .. 1 1 Excavat i ons at Uphall Camp . .. .. .. 12 Editor ; Rose ~ a r y Jef feries, 40 Glenbervie Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 3JT Telephone Southend l0702l 710807 COPY FOR SPRING ISSUE NOT LATER THAN JAN 31st Cover ;- As ignet ring from Glebe Farm, Barling , Courtes y of Southend Museum , The opinions expressed in this publicat1on are those of the contributors and not neccessarily those of The Essex Society for Archaeology & History and its Officers. j_ FROJtf THE PRESIDENT. But c:an' t we 1wpe for more than that? Edmond Jfalone once found Dr Johnson sitting in his room The parish historian has a roasting apples and reading difficult task, with restri­ a Mstory of Birmingham. ctions on every side. She Tllia staggered even Jfalone, (or he) will often find ~tbo was himself a :far-gone that no great events have reader. e ~'er taken place in her 'Don't you find it rather parish, and that no famous dull?', he ventured to personages have been seen enquire. there. The parish ma.Y be 'l'es, ' said Johnson, 'it is sm..~ll and may always have dull.' been sparsely populated, and it may rarely have figured Jfalone then noticed the in ~ritten records. Occasio­ apples, and remarked that he nally the parish itself may supposed they were for have disappeared long ago, medicine. like East Lee and West Lee, whi eh are now part of the 'Why no, ' said Johnson, • I tow~ of Basildon. The hist­ believe that they are only ory of these two ancient there because I wanted some- parishes is so obscure that thing to do. I have been Jrforant, in his History of confined to the house for a Essex and even Dr Percy week, and so you fin~ me Reaney, in his Place Names roasting apples and reading of Essex did not fully the history of Birmingham. ' grasp it. Both those par­ ishes ceased to exist in As a society for Archaeology the early 15th century, but and Hi story we do not, of while West Lee was merged in course accept Dr Johnson 's Langdon Hills, East Lee de­ words as a final verdict on clined into an extra­ the writing of parochial parochial place, and became hi story, but we must admit Jr·nown as Lee Chapel. I that it can be pretty dull. remember my surprise, many Perhaps we should qualify years ago, when Nancy Briggs this: if the history of pointed out to me that the Birmingham or of Jrfuch Essex Record Office posses­ Binding in the Harsh seems sed a tithe award for this dull to the reader who does place -that was the final not know those places, it clue to its remarkable will often be of compelling change of status. These may interest to those who have seem technicalities of grown up or settled there. little interest to the 2 general reader; yet tney Some parish histories are shed light on the parochial the >vork of a lit"etime. One system of medieval Essex, as of these is on the table well as urging us to find beside me as I write. I out more about the vanished remember the author starting parish churches of East Lee it about thirty-five years and West Lee, and about ago. lfmv it is .all Wr-itten their priests, some of k'hose and she is planning to names are on record. The publish it herself, ~"ith parish historian; if he <"or help from a friend who has a she) knows what to look for, word processor. She would will find that technical­ probably agree with me when ities spring to life in I say that the hardest part every place. of her work has been the •vr it i ng rather than the During the past 30 years research. I think it was Ray there has been a remarkable Jenkins who said that he increase in the writing of found writing history harder Essex history, but not very than the work of a Cabinet many writers have bad the minister: it was, he added, determination and patience like pushing a heavy weight to complete substantial and up hill. Not a few parish properly annotated parish histories are started hope­ lJistories. Those who do so fully, but left stranded deserve medals, especially half way up the hill. Per­ when, as often happens, they haps we might all resolve, hat-·e risked their own money even before the New Year, to in publication. During re­ dust off our unfinished pro­ cent years I have had the jects and get them moving pri \'ilege of reading, before again. publication, three admirable parish histories: Nolly W. R. Powell. Deacon's Great Chesterford, published in 1984, David Thornton's Plough and Bail U977), ['lhich relates to NEWS FRON THE SOCIETY'S Tollesbury, and stifford COUNCIL saga (198 0), by Doree n Dean and Pamela Studd. These and Our President, Ray Powell, many other items will be has assembled a strong new found in V. C. H. Essex, team to fi 11 the remaining Bibliography Supplement, vacancies among the Soc­ , which is due for publication iety's honorary officers. 7 n December 1987. Vie Gray, the County Arch- 3 ivist, comes in as Actine run smoothl_y and efficien- Hon. Secretary. to be ,1elped tly. From her daytime post by an Assistant Secretary in behind the desk at the Essex the person of Janet Smith, a Record Office in Chelmsford, newcomer to the county but June has a fine vantage not to local histor.v. Work point from which tc spot as an archivist in the places of interest in the Staffordshire Record Office county, and to this she adds and for the Extra-Hural a keen interest in vernac­ Department of Keele Univer­ ular architecture which sity have equipped her well should make for some excit­ for her new post of Prin­ ing new sorties into the cipal Archivist in the Essex countryside. Essex Record Office and for this new role in keeping the The Society's Publications Society's wheels turning. Committee has known for some time that the Editor of Compiling a progra1IJ111e of Essex Archaeology and Hist­ activities for members calls ory, David Clarke, planned for tenacity and a fund of to combine retirement from good.ideas, both of which Dr the post as Curator of Col­ Janet Cooper has amply dis­ chester's Nuseums with rel­ played since she became Ed­ inquishment of the editor­ itor of the Victoria County ship, but have now 1 earned History of Essex last year. with sadness that the next Her .many years on the volume, Number 18, is to be Council of the Oxford Arch- his last. There will be time itectural and Historical later to say much more about Society have been a useful David's labours and achie­ training ground (though she vements for the Society. did not know it at the time.> For the moment, however, for the post of Programme both Publications Conmtittee Secretary which she has now and Council have been de­ taken up, with responsibi­ lighted to bear . that D1 lity for ensuring a good and Owen Bedwin, former Presi­ varied range of meetings dent and recently Council for members. Secretary of the Society, and sometime Editor of the In this she will draw enorm­ Sqssex Archaeololfical Col­ mously upon the help of our lections has agreed to new Excursions Secretary, edit Volume 19 and, if other ~s June Beardsley, who will conmdtments permit, to con­ take on the all-important tinue as the Society's Ed­ task of ensuring that the itor. Society's summer excursion 4 Finally, as a new step to ticipants can choose between increase t11e efficiency and a stand in the market-place financial sure--footedness of which fringe the central the Society, the Council, on parade ground or a stall in 17th October, approved the one ot· the marquees whi eh establishment of a Finance will stand alongside the and Membership Services Com­ moat. mittee to assist Council by undertaking detailed monit­ Details, prices and bookings poring of the budget and by from: Eileen Ludgate, looking in detail at what Shovellers, Stickling Green, the Society offers members Clavering CB11 4QX CTel. and how it does it. Comments 079985 365) from members on this last point would be greatly wel­ Book soon; space is not comed and should be address­ unlimited. ed to the Hon. Secretary whose address appears on the ****'*****************'***** inside back cover of the News. COURSES Palaeography Veekend Friday 26th to Sunday 28th DON'T BE LATE FOR THE FAIR February 1988. Details from: The Secretary, Rollup, rollup! There's Belstead House, Belstead, still time to guarantee a Via Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 place for yourself at the 3NA. <Tel. Ipswich 686361> Essex History Fair. If your local history society is not ************'*********''''* already booked to show itself off at Til bury Fort Debden House Courses 1988 on 12th June 1988; if you're a local craftsman looking to There are-still vacancies on display your wares; if you the following courses:- have books or other histor­ ical materials to sell- then ENGLISH TOWNSCAPES make sure you don't miss Friday 19th - Sunday 21st out.