saffron
walden
historical society

Featured image for “Reverend John Hanson Sperling: 1825-1894”
September 4, 2026 • posted in Articles

Reverend John Hanson Sperling: 1825-1894

The Rector of St Margaret’s Parish Church, Wicken Bonhunt in the mid-19th century exemplified a section of Anglican clergy
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Featured image for “Horham Hall Farm, Thaxted, 1807”
August 29, 2026 • posted in Articles

Horham Hall Farm, Thaxted, 1807

About one and a half miles out of Thaxted on the Broxted- Elsenham road (B1051) near Armigers Farm, there is a private road leading to Horham Hall,
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Featured image for “Quakers Celebrate 350 years in Saffron Walden”
August 23, 2026 • posted in News

Quakers Celebrate 350 years in Saffron Walden

A small group of Quakers began meeting in Saffron Walden in the middle of the 17th century, before non-conformist religions were tolerated. Magistrates initially persecuted the Quakers and they were heavily fined for meeting openly.
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Featured image for “Strethall Lad does OK”
August 22, 2026 • posted in Articles

Strethall Lad does OK

More often than not, history is concerned with the activities of the great and the good. It is a rare event indeed to be able to give an account of the adventurous life of a farm labourer born in a remote rural community almost 200 years ago.
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Featured image for “Return of ‘The Cuckoo’”
August 15, 2026 • posted in Articles

Return of ‘The Cuckoo’

Some years ago while perusing the stock in a well-known Saffron Walden antique shop, I chanced upon an unusual, and at the time unidentified iron object
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Featured image for “Radwinter to Beeleigh Abbey”
August 13, 2026 • posted in Recommended Reading

Radwinter to Beeleigh Abbey

This booklet is attractively presented with a subtitle designed to lure the reader in by referring to a medieval route of paths and a river cutting through the ‘Heart of Essex’
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Featured image for “The Map that Changed the WORLD”
August 7, 2026 • posted in Recommended Reading

The Map that Changed the WORLD

This book is about English geologist William Smith and his great achievement, the first geological map of England, Wales and southern Scotland.
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Featured image for “Reuben’s Corner”
July 25, 2026 • posted in Recommended Reading

Reuben’s Corner

This book has been referred to as a minor classic. It covers the early part of the author’s life, in the village of Ashdon.
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Featured image for “Hunger Marchers in Saffron Walden (‘We refuse to starve in silence’)”
July 18, 2026 • posted in Articles

Hunger Marchers in Saffron Walden (‘We refuse to starve in silence’)

The Hunger Marches took place in Britain between 1922 and 1936 against a background of severe unemployment
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Featured image for “Samuel Pepys and Saffron Walden”
July 6, 2026 • posted in Articles

Samuel Pepys and Saffron Walden

Samuel Pepys began his diary at the age of 27 years on 1st January 1660. At Audley End, Pepys somewhat seditiously drank the health of Charles II who was not to return from exile for another four months.
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Featured image for “Braybrookes-The Succession”
June 30, 2026 • posted in Articles

Braybrookes-The Succession

The recent death of the 10th Lord Braybrooke, and subsequent national and local press stories around the title only going to a male heir.
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