On the north wall of what used to be called ‘Battles’ Chapel’, now the vestry of St Mary’s Church, Manuden, is a large, elaborate tablet extolling the virtues of Sir William Waad who lived at Battles Hall, Manuden from 1586 to 1623
A Moment in Time: Manuden in wartime
The last few household possessions had been securely lifted into Mr Horley’s van and my mother had gone back to the cottage to lock the front door. She tried the handle again to make sure it was locked then put the key in an envelope, together with a note for Charlie. She walked briskly to his door and pushed it underneath. Walking back past our cottage she took one last look through the front window, hesitated a little, then turned and walked quite quickly down the path to the removal van.
Sir William Waad, Lieutenant of the Tower, and the Gunpowder Plot
When Sir William Waad became Lieutenant of the Tower of London in August 1605, only three months before the Gunpowder Plot, it was the culmination of a lifetime of service to the Crown