With a huge sense of loss, we record the death of Lizzie Sanders in August 2020, aged 70. She had lived in Littlebury since 1987, but I think our first encounter was probably when she produced the Parish of Littlebury Millennium Album (2000), a portrait of the village residents at the turn of the century. This was followed by an

On Wednesday 18 July 2018 family and friends, including a strong representation from Essex Society for Family History, attended the funeral of “Stan” Sutherland at Radwinter Church, a place that he knew well with over 40 years residency in the village. Possibly many of those present would be unaware that Stan had single-handedly undertaken the transcribing of baptisms, marriages & burials

Michael Robert Carol Swindlehurst was born on Christmas Day 1929. He went up to Oxford and read history at Worcester College, where he took his bachelor and master’s degrees in 1952 and 1956. After going down from Oxford he joined the Civil Service but he had long nourished the call of ordination. Michael trained for the ministry at Cuddesdon College,

The Rev’d Jeremy Collingwood retired to Saffron Walden with his wife, Margaret, in 2002, after a very full and varied career. In retirement he devoted much of his time to his love of history and research; he had already written several books and he soon embarked on a biography of the town’s Victorian philanthropist, Mr Saffron Walden: the Life and

Born Jean Belshaw, Jean grew up in the Lancashire town of Wigan, where her parents owned a successful grocery business. She left school at the age of 14 to study stenography for two years at Smart’s College, Southport.  This was a fortunate choice, as it enabled her to find work easily, but also provided the necessary skills to enter journalism

Kenneth James Neale had a very distinguished career in the Civil Service and was also a notable historian of Essex. He died on 18 April 2016 at the age of 93. He accepted the invitation to become the Honorary Life President of the Saffron Walden Historical Society in 2000 and remained a great source of support and encouragement for the

A familiar face at meetings of the Saffron Walden Historical Society, Ena Wright died in 2014 at the grand age of 94. Ena was born on 26 April 1920 at Radwinter Road, Saffron Walden, her parents being Percy and Edith Wright. She always joked that her home was ‘between death and starvation’ [the cemetery and the workhouse]. Her grandfather, who

Dr Kenneth Frank Dixon, who died on 4th February 2015 aged 94, had a keen interest in local history and was the author of the informative history and guide to St Mary’s Church, Saffron Walden. Ken did not have an easy start in life, as his father died when he was just 5 years old and he was sent to

Neville grew up in Jamaica where his father was President of the Baptist Theological College at Kingston. Coming to Cambridge, he first read archaeology and anthropology at St. John’s but later switched to Spanish and French. He went back to the West Indies to teach at his old school and for the rest of his career specialised in mathematics and

Issue No 42 (Autumn 2021) on sale at Tourist Information, Harts Bookshop, Waitrose and Saffron Walden Museum, price £4, or by post – see contact on website. ARTICLES A Changing Walden – photographs by Richard Jemmett Scenes from Old Walden: the 1910 Saffron Walden Pageant by Gillian Williamson Flashback: the 1951 General Election by Martyn Everett Paths to Salvation: Walden’s medieval wayside

Journal No 41 has several interesting articles on gardening & the countryside as well as two stories from WW2 . Other Subjects included A Gallery in the Garden: The Legacy of Bridge End Garden and the Fry Art Gallery by Nigel Weaver An Audley End Gardener’s Diary: 1795-1798 by Susan Jellis The ‘Fishmere’ and the Brickworks by Martin Rose RAF