The latest edition of the Saffron Walden Historical Journal (No 43) is on sale (£4) at Tourist Information, Harts Bookshop and Waitrose, Saffron Walden (among the newspaper section). Articles in this issue include: John Gerald O’Leary (1900-1985) and the Saffron Walden History JournalJacqueline Cooper Victorian Vandals Saffron Walden in the 1950sBruce Munro The Medieval and Later Fragments of Stained Glass

Richard Jemmett, always known as ‘Dick’, was born in Ilfracombe, North Devon, 17 months after his elder brother John.   His parents had a greengrocers’ shop in the High Street, and an extensive nursery outside the town.   His mother, Elsie, was a trained florist, often ordering flowers from Covent Garden for wreaths that she continued to prepare for many years after

John Read, born in Winchmore Hill in 1933, was the oldest surviving child of Dr Frank Read and Margaret Woodhouse, who had spent seven years in India with the Church Missionary Society where, tragically they lost three previous babies. Soon after their return to England John was born, and the family then settled in Brighton, where at the age of

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