Essex Record Office Archive Access Point in Saffron Walden

© Zofia Everett
Reprinted from: Saffron Walden Historical Journal No 21 Spring 2011

The Essex Record Office Archive Access Point in Saffron Walden was opened in January 1996 in response to prolonged lobbying from local organisations, historical groups and individual historians. Thanks to the support and generosity of Saffron Walden Town Council, the Access Point occupied two tiny rooms at the top of the Town Hall for the first ten years of its life. But the entry via steep entrance steps and the climb up three flights of stairs, was not ideal, and in October 2007 refurbishment of the Corn Exchange created space for the Access Point on the first floor of the Library.

The first visitor to the Access Point in 1996 was Glenn Miller, curator of the remarkable museum in Ashdon, who arrived while the office was still being set up. He obviously brought good luck with him as the Access Point continues to generate interest and enthusiasm. Easily accessible historical material, together with the built heritage of north-west Essex, fostered interest in local history on an unprecedented scale, so that the office deals with over 1,000 visitors a year, as well as telephone, postal and email enquiries. Most visitors come from north-west Essex and adjacent counties, but some come from Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and even China.

Many of the first users of the Archive Access Point in 1996 continue their association with the office to this day – people like Adrian Gray who at that time was the youngest visitor. He had just left Friends’ School when he started using the Access Point to research his family history. Even though he now lives and works in Oxford, he has become an authority on all aspects of the history of his ancestral village of Great Sampford.

Another early visitor was Stan Sutherland, at that time chairman of the long-established Saffron Walden branch of the Essex Society for Family History. He provided help and advice from the very beginning, as so did other ESFH members, Janice Sharpe, Mike Furlong, Brian Gough and many others. Mr Francis, also a member, was one of the first family history researchers to visit the Access Point and is still using it for
research.

Towards the end of 1996, Jacqueline Cooper was appointed as relief assistant, to provide help to the public when the staff member is on holiday. She had originally used the Access Point as a source for research, when writing books, reviving the Saffron Walden Historical Society’s Journal and building up the network of the Recorders of Uttlesford History.

Supported by staff from the Essex Record Office, the Access Point organises exhibitions, training sessions, talks to local organisations and special events such as tours of the Nonconformist churches in Saffron Walden. The Access Point promotes oral history, training people how to use the equipment, copying the recordings and forwarding them to the
Essex Sound Archive in Chelmsford. It also played a key role in a major project to record the recollections of past and present residents of Castle Street, Saffron Walden.

Although most of the researchers who use the Access Point are interested in family and house history, wider historical research also takes place, resulting in the publication of books, articles, pamphlets and theses, such as:

The Saffron Walden Historical Journal was revived in spring 2001, published by the Saffron Walden Historical Society twice yearly and many articles in the Journal are researched at the Archive Access Point and the Town Library. This is a popular, high-quality publication, with articles on all aspects of local history in NW Essex.

Newport News is an award-winning village magazine published since 1974. This is probably the best village magazine in the country. The Archive Access Point has close links with the Newport News as well as the Newport Local History Group.

The Buildings of Saffron Walden by Martyn Everett & Donald Stewart (2003). Martyn is a writer and historian, who uses his experience as local history Librarian in Saffron Walden Library for over two decades, to offer support and advice to researchers, particularly in making known the resources of the Town Library which adjoins the Access Point and whose holdings complement its facilities.

Aspects of an English Village – Duddenhoe End with Wenden Lofts, 2008) by Olive Harvey. Born in 1920, Olive Harvey (pictured above) was fascinated by local history and published three books about the village. In her eighties, supporting herself on crutches, she used to climb the three flights of steep stairs to the Archive Access to do research. The third
volume of her work came out in 2008 a year before her death.

The Castle Street Oral History Project; Canter Down Castle Street; Castell Street to Castle Street 1600 to 1900. All three volumes published by the Street Residents’ Association. Most of the research for this project was done at the Town Library, the Access Point and the Essex Record Office. Copies of the recordings, transcripts and books are kept at the Access Point. Thus the voices and stories of people who lived in the street between 1915 and 1950 are preserved for future generations. One of the residents used her drawing skills to produce two fascinating additional volumes, together with panoramas of the street in the 1600s and 1900s.

Mole Hill Green History – the Village and its Characters by Pat Salmon (2003). Local postman and historian Pat Salmon became interested in his own family history dating back in Mole Hill Green for over 200 years. Pat has been a regular visitor to the Access Point, as he collects historical material and continues preserving it for future generations.

Involvement with the church in Debden led Henry Blackie to research the burials in the church vault and to produce a study on the subject. He also produced an analytical study of the Debden Tithe Award of 1845 and has clearly developed a passionate interest in local history.

Land Agriculture and Industry in North-West Essex by Geoffrey Ball (2009). An experienced agriculturist, Geoffrey first visited the Access Point when doing research for the Friends of Audley End. He has since written several major articles for the Saffron Walden Historical Journal and keeps in close touch with the Access Point. His book brings together his farming articles in a single volume.

Littlebury – A Parish History ed. Lizzie Sanders & Gillian Williamson (2005). Many villages in Essex produced Millennium albums and contributors to the Littlebury book started their work at the Access Point, before moving on to other collections. This led to a surge in interest involving almost the entire population of the village, and to an ambitious project to write the history of the village. The resulting volume is a beautifully designed, erudite history book of the highest professional standard.

The Recorders of Uttlesford History commented on their experiences of using this facility:

I have used the Access Point since it opened. With Zofia’s help, I have been able to
study and obtain copies of all the church registers, study the census returns and
many other records from the ERO including books published by the ERO. It has
been a godsend not having to cope with the awful trip to Chelmsford. I have also
met many people visiting Hadstock in search of ancestors and have been able to
refer them to Zofia for help. Zofia is always so helpful and knowledgeable. I have
also used the Access Point to forward some records to the ERO, again saving time
and trouble in getting to Chelmsford.
Pat Croxton-Smith, Hadstock

I had gone down the route of internet searching to discover my family history but
had reached a dead end after a short while. I decided to research my house history
because it was local and I thought this might be more fruitful. I became a regular
visitor to the AAP because of the expert guidance to local resources. I was able to
look at census, maps and personal wills which traced the ownership of my house to
the early 18th century. I found a wealth of information from celebrations to family
tragedy including infant mortality, infidelity and suicide. The most remarkable thing
I found through AAP was a hand written auctioneers notebook of 1810 in which
the auctioneer had walked from room to room listing every household item in its
place. I knew which books lined the bookshelves, the kitchen equipment and even
the carpet on the stairs. I had no idea these personal records had been carefully
saved locally. Henceforth I became more involved with local history and went on to
study history to degree level.
Debbie Lowe, Wicken Bonhunt

I have used the AAP facilities ever since it opened 15 years ago and continue to do
research using the microfilms, particularly the local newspapers. I find the Access
Point an essential part of the triangle of research facilities in Walden, its ERO
material complementing resources in the Town Library and the Museum archives.
Jacqueline Cooper, Clavering

We have used the facility at Saffron Walden to search for particularly difficult to
find wills. The personal help that we were given was invaluable.
Pat Salmon & Nia Watkiss, Takeley

I used this resource to study past inhabitants of Elsenham Hall. The staff at the
centre gave me valuable tips and advice on how to proceed,
Ray Franklin, Elsenham

I use the Archive Access Centre a great deal for advice from Zofia, which is worth
its weight in gold and for access to archives. My use is for local history research.
A copy of the Radwinter School records microfilm has been lodged there and I have
used it to compile an article for the forthcoming book on Radwinter at War.
Michael Southgate, Radwinter

The Archive Access Point has been vital to my being published in the Local
Historian this year, because the concentration of local records in one place allows
for simple cross-referencing of sources, and the local knowledge of the staff has
proved invaluable both in accessing these records and in contacting local people
able to help with the project. It is so useful for this that I travel from Oxford to use
it!
Adrian Gray, Oxford & Gt Sampford

I made use of the ERO Access Point at Saffron Walden Library while researching
the Pledger family. This would not have been possible without the help of Zofia,
who guided me through the relevant records and files. It is fantastic that this
facility is here as it saved me many trips to Chelmsford.
Megan Ridgewell, Saffron Walden

As the highly regarded hub of so much local historical research in the Uttlesford
area, Zofia has taught many how to pursue their studies. She never shrinks from
handing out homework – usually some new, and mostly fruitful, line of inquiry
which had simply never occurred to you to follow up. Her fielding and re-direction
of many enquiries from overseas has made her helpful influence global. When
compiling a History of the Manor and Parish of Strethall in 1996-98, I mentioned to
Zofia that the then Vicar of Walden, a certain John Leche, was named as executor
to part of his will by John Gardyner, Lord of the Manor of Strethall on his deathbed
in 1508. She immediately said, ‘Oh, he was the favourite brother of Dame Joan
Bradbury, wife of Thomas Bradbury, sometime Lord Mayor of London’. I simply had
no reason to know this and it shed a whole new light on the company kept by John
Gardyner, former Middle Temple Lawyer, and enhanced respect for his wealth and
influence.
David Melford, Strethall

NOTE: The Archive Access Point in Saffron Walden Library is manned on
Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.
Research materials are also available at other times when the Library is open.