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EssexArchaeologyand HistoryNews

Summer 2005

THE ESSEX SOCIETY FOR ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY

NEWSLETTER 146 SUMMER 2005

CONTENTSFROM THE PRESIDENT 1JOHN HUNTER 1932-2005 2(ALBERT) CHARLES SPARROW QC, DL, FSA. 1925-2005 4JAMES H G SUNNUCKS 1925-2005 5ESSEX PLACE-NAMES PROJECT SEMINAR 6VISIT TO STANTONS FARM AND FAULKBOURNE HALL 6LIBRARY REPORT 8OFFENDED BY THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS AT INGATESTONE 8ST LAURENCE & ALL SAINTS CHURCH, EASTWOOD 8GROWING NEW FORESTS–PLANTING VERSUS NATURAL REGENERATION 9EAST SAXON CHRISTIANS AND PAGANS–THE PRITTLEWELL FINDS IN CONTEXT 9HENRY WINSTANLEY’S HOUSE AND GARDEN AT LITTLEBURY 11THE THREAT TO ST NICHOLAS’S CHURCH, LITTLE WIGBOROUGH 14ANCIENT MEASUREMENTS 14SHIPS, SIGNATURES & SYMBOLS–ENGLISH MEDIAEVAL GRAFFITI 15A PLAGUE OF MICE 16ESSEX EGYPTOLOGY GROUP 16

EDITOR: SALLY GALEHistoric Environment, Environment and Commerce, Essex County Council,County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1QHTelephone: 01245 437513 E-mail: [email protected]

Assistant Editor: Michael Leach

COPY FOR THE NEXT ISSUE SHOULD BE SENT TO THE EDITOR AT THEABOVE ADDRESS NO LATER THAN 28 OCTOBER 2005

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributors and notnecessarily those of the Society or its officers.

Cover illustration:Thaxted Morris dancers depicted by R.T. Cowern in a British Rail leaflet of 1950promoting the attractions of Essex then accessible by train. Thaxted was on the‘Gin and Toffee’ line. This leaflet, which shows the picture in colour, can be found in the Essex RecordOffice under reference T/P 99/1. The leaflet was one of over 200 illustrationsfeatured in an Essex Record Office traveling exhibition of 1996 entitled ‘Essex –acounty, its people and its past’. This exhibition resulted in the Essex Record Office publication ‘Essex Illustrated’ in 1997.

Charity Number 213218 Summer 2005

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

Since the end of the Second World War,interest in the past and the scope forhistorical enquiry have, by and large,greatly increased. Not only have thenumbers of young people followingcourses in higher education been greatlyexpanded, but there has also been agreat upsurge in the pursuit of historicalknowledge by mature and retired people.The study of family and labour historyhas, furthermore, led to a soaringdemand for information about previouslyneglected lives of ordinary people intimes past and drawn into historicalactivity thousands from sections of thepopulation in which interest waspreviously little developed. Local historyhas undoubtedly been a beneficiary ofthis changed state of affairs.

While fully recognising this, however,there are regrettably signs at the presenttime that the situation is no longerimproving and may be starting to changefor the worse. It appears that feweryoung and middle-aged people arecoming forward to participate in theactivities of historical societies andinterest might, in some spheres, beflagging. A variety of features of modemlife may, in fact, be militating against acontinuation of the growth of historicalinterest, particularly at the local level.

Although many primary schools andmuseums and the Essex Record Officeseek to promote a knowledge of localhistory among younger children, it is notfollowed up at the secondary stage. TheNational Curriculum does not require astudy of local history; teachers areoverburdened with administrative workand the maintenance of schooldiscipline; and history may disappearcompletely from the timetables of theolder pupils.

Even those pupils who are attracted tohistorical studies, including those goingon to university courses, will be unlikelyto study local history. After graduating,most are heavily encumbered with therequirements of the careers they embarkupon, the need to earn sufficient to payoff loans, take out mortgages and securethe wherewithal for practical living. Thismay not change very much, in fact,throughout their working lives. This couldhelp to explain why fewer people arepersuaded to join in local historicalactivities before retirement. It may bethat modem living encourages people toshun communal activity and concentrateon their individual or familyresponsibilities.

However, an awareness of the past,including that of localities, is vital to anycommunity. Not only does it create anunderstanding of how the communitydeveloped, which is crucial to theresolution of problems and the shapingof the future; it fosters a sense of thevalue of our social, cultural andenvironmental heritage.

Vandalism, on a minor or major scale,demonstrates the complete absence ofrespect for the heritage. Although it istoo much to hope that the small minoritywho obtain a warped satisfaction fromsmashing things up could be deterred bylearning about their historic value,encouraging appreciation and pridehelps to create a community which willvalue and defend the heritage.

More than this, however, the growth oflocal historical knowledge contributes tothe creation of an enhanced local culturewhich enriches the quality of life for all.The work of historical societies, thecreation of local historical collections, theprovision of local museums, the


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publication of books and articles and theencouragement of local studies are allaspects of this process.

There is, however, a crying need for newgenerations to provide the personnel tofacilitate this. Those of us at presentinvolved need to consider what we cando further to encourage younger menand women to come forward.

Much more could certainly be done tostimulate interest in and a knowledge oflocal history in the secondary schools.We should seek to convince theeducation authorities of the desirability ofthis and consider what we can do tohelp.

Many of our representatives on theCounty and District Councils, as well asin Parliament, should be tackled on theissue. The recent decision to halve thegrant made to the Victoria CountyHistory project, as well as cuts in otheraspects of the heritage provision, make itclear that more needs to be done toeducate the decision makers about theimportance of local history.

It would be good to recruit more teachersand others concerned with educationinto the ranks of the Essex Society forArchaeology & History. This is no easytask, but we need to ponder whether wecould, at least, make them more awareof our activities and appreciative of ourwork. We should also give some thoughtto the possibilities that may exist forpromoting out cause among othersections of the community.

The Society has a long and honourablerecord as a standard bearer for thecause of historical studies in Essexstretching back to 1852. We ought toreflect on what we can do to carry thestandard forward at the present time. If I

am correct in thinking that there is adanger of general interest in the pastfalling off and a decline in therecruitment of younger people intohistorical societies, we should give somethought to the possibility of combatingthis. This article is an attempt tostimulate discussion of the problem.

Stan Newens

JOHN HUNTER 1932-2005

Members will be sad and dismayed tohear of the sudden death from a heartattack on 2nd July 2005 of our pastPresident John Hunter, the foremostauthority on the history of the Essexlandscape. John was born in 1932 andgrew up in Thaxted. He studiedarchitecture at Cambridge and at theArchitectural Association in London, andthereafter worked for an architecturalpractice and later with London CountyCouncil where be became involved inconservation activities. He later took apostgraduate qualification in planningand returned to Essex in 1971 to work inEssex County Council’s Planning Department, moving to Green Farm,Little Sampford.

This was a time of immense threat to theancient pattern of the countryside from acombination of spreading urbanism,arable production and Dutch Elmdisease. In 1972 John became involvedin advising Essex farmers on treeplanting in the wake of that disease, anddiscovered the necessity for evaluatingexisting landscape features and advisingon how they could be retained andmanaged. He was also one of thoseinvolved in the production in 1974 of thewell received report Historic Features:Essex Landscape No. 1, a first indicationof his developing interest in the historiclandscape. The Landscape Conservation


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Programme his team initiated, thatprovided grant aid for tree planting andthe protection and maintenance ofhedgerows and other features, becamea model for nationwide schemes. Johnrealised that the preservation ofimportant features such as ancientwoodlands, hedgerows, ponds, andhistoric parks required an understandingof their traditional management. As Johnwas later to write, all this led him deeperinto the field of landscape history, whichwas not only a delightful subject in itself,but also of practical value in providingclues to beneficial management. Hetherefore set himself the task ofexploring ‘our forbears’ attitudes tonature and landscape, and into theirbeliefs and their concepts; and to askwhether these have a value for ustoday’. The result was his stimulating book, Land into Landscape (1985), atour de force journey from ancientMesopotamia, through Rome, the MiddleAges, the Renaissance and much morebesides all the way to Essex in the1980s. During this period he alsopublished widely in reports and articlesfor Essex County Council and inpublications such as Country Life andLandscape Design.

From 1979 until his retirement in 1996John was employed as Assistant CountyPlanner and head of the EnvironmentalServices Branch at ECC. Hisresponsibilities included historicbuildings, design, archaeology,landscape and country parks. This was avery wide brief and could only have beencovered by someone with John’s broad knowledge, vision and infectiousenthusiasm. Not for nothing was heknown, affectionately, as the one-man“University of Essex County Council”. With other ECC officers he played apivotal role in developing innovativepolicies to protect the historic Essex

landscape and sites from unsympatheticor damaging development or mineralextraction. He had a special talent forcollaboration and he deserves specialpublic recognition for fostering thetremendous development of the ECCarchaeological service which has doneso much to transform our understandingof the county’s past.

In the 1990s John emerged as theleading historian of the Essex landscapethrough the publication of a series oflearned papers on the historic landscapeof the county, many of them published inEssex Archaeology and History. Hisstudies culminated in another fine book,The Essex Landscape: A Study of itsForm and History (1999), which filled asignificant gap for Essex had missed outin the county series inspired by W.G.Hoskins great work The Making of theEnglish Landscape (1955). As well asbeing a work of broad scope, learningand careful reflection it is written in anaccessible style suitable for a generalaudience. Indeed, although rather shy oflarge audiences and formal occasions,John was a great populariser for hissubject and took delight in debating hisfindings and helping other historiansunderstand the landscapes they werestudying. His last publication for theSociety –and the first in a series ofoccasional papers to mark our 150thanniversary – was his paper FieldSystems in Essex (2003). This provideda marvellous introduction and overviewto our county’s landscape development from the Iron Age to the late 20th century–no simple task –followed by a seriesof case studies of particular landscapesrevealing his mastery of fieldwork andlandscape reconstruction. Naturally, ithas been widely and positively reviewed,a reviewer in Agricultural History Reviewhoping that it would inspire him to writeanother larger study. Alas for everyone


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that cannot be, but John has laid thefoundations for all future study of thesubject in Essex.

John gave very freely of his own timesupporting a great many voluntarybodies involved with history, archaeologyand the countryside. At a regional levelhe served for 6 years on the NationalTrust regional committee, and wasESAH’s representative on the Scole Committee. County organisations thatbenefited from his advice included theEssex Gardens Trust and the VictoriaCounty History Appeal Fund, while morelocally in NW Essex he supportedEaston Lodge and Heritage Sampford.He was particularly pleased to havecontributed to the Essex Farming andWildlife Group (FWAG) from 1973onwards. He gained much usefulknowledge and contacts from manyfarmers who he realised werethemselves the repository of generationsof knowledge about the historiclandscape. John served as President ofour Society from 1996 to 1999, when heproved an excellent person to have inthe chair, bringing his extensiveknowledge of archaeology, history,conservation and the intricacies of bothlocal government and national legislationand policy to bear on various problemsthat faced us. After he stepped downfrom that office he remained an activemember of the Society’s Council and several committees, frequentlyshouldering much of the burden ofrepresenting the Society’s views on newly proposed legislation andconsultation documents.

Over the past decades many of us willhave spent many happy hours with Johnin the field (though it seems all too fewnow), and come away with somethingnew and challenging to think about. Andafter a tiring morning tramping about

some Essex fields, park boundary ormuddy lane, John always seemed toknow the best place for essentialrefreshment before a cheering pub fire.And these were the occasions for wideranging discussion and development ofideas that will be sorely missed. Mypersonal sense of loss was clearlyshared by the many members of theSociety who attended John’s memorial service and celebration of his life andachievements held on Monday 18th July2005. The moving service also paid dueattention to his lifelong interest in folkmusic and dancing. His ashes havebeen interred under the East window ofthe Parish Church of St John The BaptistOur Lady and St Laurence at Thaxted

Chris Thornton

(ALBERT) CHARLESSPARROW QC, DL, FSA.

1925-2005

(Albert) Charles Sparrow QC, DL, FSA.Charles Sparrow, past President of theSociety (1975-1978), Honorary LegalAdvisor to the Society, and Patron of theVCH (Essex) Appeal Fund, was born inKasale, India, on 16 September 1925,the son of Charles Thomas Sparrow andhis wife Antonia.

His father was Garrison Sergeant Majorat Colchester Garrison in the 1930s andattached to the Essex Regiment. Thefamily lived in Abbey Terrace, St John’s Green, Colchester, near to the abbeygatehouse, where I met him, as we bothattended the Royal Grammar School,Colchester from September 1936.

With the outbreak of World War II, GSMThomas Charles was promoted Captain.Charles and I joined the local ARP asmessengers; he was at the local


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headquarters in Maidenburgh Street,while I was at the Warden’s post in Priory Street. We did fire watching dutytogether at the School. He edited theColcestrian and was a full prefect.

While still at school, I produced theHistory of St Runwald’s Church, Colchester, in 1942; he reviewed it in theColcestrian, and went on to produce hisarticle in Essex Review LII, 1943, pp 67-70, entitled The Precinct Wall of StJohn’s Abbey, followed by Earthworks atLexden, Colchester.

When we left CRGS in July 1943Charles went as a cadet officer to IndiaCommand attached to the Royal SignalsRegiment, where he rose to captain; Iwent as a cadet to the Royal Navy. Twoyears later I was at HMS Tengra,Mandapam, South India, as FirstLieutenant, when Charles, who was atMhow, wrote to me and sent an“invitation” to reflect and drink to those friends in our school group who were allon active service. I have it still and itshows that he had a wonderful sense ofhumour, sometimes not apparentperhaps. We both went on to serve inthe Far East.

On demob, Charles studied law and tookhis LLB, gaining several prizes. He wascalled to the bar (Grays Inn) in 1950 andsubsequently was a bencher in 1976;Master of the Pictures and Silver, 1985-2001; Treasurer, 1994; a member of thegeneral Council of the Bar, 1994; and amember of the Senate of the Four Innsof Court.

In his civil life, he became HonoraryLegal Adviser to the CBA, and latertreasurer and was the one who draftedthe Abinger Bill on treasure trove. In2002 he was Honorary Vice-President.He was elected FSA in 1972, and a

freeman of the City of London. He alsoundertook work for the RSPCA, the GirlGuide Movement, the Royal BritishLegion, the St John Ambulance Brigade,the Court of Essex University, theFreemen of England, etc.

In 1949 he married Edith Rosalie Taylorand they had two sons and a daughter.Edith died in 1985 and he neverrecovered from this loss. Lately he hadbeen unwell, and he died of pneumoniain Broomfield Hospital on 16 May 2005.

Charles was always one who spoke hismind. He was a dominant figure and willbe missed and a great loss to theorganisations he served so well inColchester, Essex and beyond.

John Appleby

JAMES H G SUNNUCKS1925-2005

James Horace George Sunnucks diedpeacefully at his home East Mersea Hall,aged 79 years, on 16 March 2005. Heleaves a wife, Tessa, and sons William,John, David and Andrew, tengrandchildren and his sister Anne. Thefuneral was at East Mersea parishchurch on 23 March.

James was a Reader at East Mersea forover forty years and was activelyengaged in parish work there. He wasalso a member of this Society for thesame length of time. In addition he wasvery much connected with the BaringGould Society and often entertained themembers at his home.

He had been ill with cancer for sometime and had been at St HelenaHospice, Colchester, where as one ofthe chaplains, I was able to be with him


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and we recalled the Society’s past activities and those involved. It was hiswish to die at home and he will be sadlymissed in many fields.

John Appleby

ESSEX PLACE-NAMESPROJECT SEMINAR

The Ninth Annual Place-names Seminarwill take place in Saffron Walden onSaturday afternoon 12th November2005. The Guest Speaker will be Dr. S.Oosthuizen, PhD, of CambridgeUniversity.

Tickets are available (price £5 payable to“ESAH”) from the Project Coordinator, 27 Tor Bryan, Ingatestone, Essex CM49JZ. Please enclose a self-addressedstamped envelope.

James Kemble

VISIT TO STANTONS FARMAND FAULKBOURNE HALL

On 23 April 2005 members of theSociety visited Stantons Farm, BlackNotley. The house is noted for itsexceptional woodwork which isconsidered to be some of the finest inBlack Notley. The earliest part, c1300,consists of an aisled two bay hall andservice bay, with a 17th centurycrosswing at the eastern end. The highend of the building was lost in the distantpast. It was in the possession of ClementSpice in 1483 (Wright’s).

Stantons ceased to be a working farm in1969, when the house and some 240acres of land were offered for sale. Thehouse and 11 acres were subsequentlypurchased by an American couple, Mr.

and Mrs. W.C. McLeod, who withoutconsulting the proper authoritiesproceeded to strip the plaster from the17th century crosswing, exposing thetimber framing and removing the porchfrom the south side of the aisled hall.

Interior changes included the removal ofthe inserted floor and interior walls toreveal the extent of the wood framingand hall. These changes resulted in theloss of the Gun room, Breakfast room,Drawing and Dining rooms, dairy, mainstaircase and two secondary staircases.

According to Newspaper reports inMarch 1971, Essex County Councilwrote to the McLeods enquiring aboutthe porch and the removal of therendering. The McLeods were perplexedand failed to understand the meaning ofthe terms used. To Americans a porch isa verandah. Subsequently a ListedBuilding Enforcement Notice was servedon the couple. An appeal made to theMinister of the Environment resulted inthe order being quashed after an enquirywas held at Braintree on 30 January1973. Mr. Jackson said in his report “I am not convinced that if these timberswere to remain exposed theirdeterioration would inevitably beaccelerated as feared by the Council”.

Other subsequent alterations which havetaken place include making a newentrance to the house from the formerBrewhouse at the southern end of thecrossway. A great deal of new and re-used timber has been installed at variouslocations in the house. The present opentread staircase is one such feature.

The alterations enabled us to appreciatethe beauty of the previously concealedwoodwork and chimney, particularly theoctagonal parts of the central truss withmoulded capitals and cambered tie


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beam supported on moulded archbraces, and the three doorways at thelow end between the hall and servicerooms.

Mr. and Mrs. Watkins pointed out all thefascinating features of the wood framing.

My late uncle, John Earey, lived andfarmed at Stantons until his death inMarch 1969. For years I visited mygrandmother, Mrs. Margaret Earey, herson John and daughter Mary atStantons. They lived a life style whichhad probably not changed for centuries.

The house did not have mains water ordrainage, or electricity until after theSecond World War Water was takenfrom a pump beside the Brewhouse wall,lighting was by oil lamps and candles,washing was by using a jug and basin.Baths were taken in the Brewhouse insummer or in the kitchen in winter times- the brick copper being used to heat thewater. Butter was made with milk frommy uncle’s cows and cooking was conducted on a cast iron cooking range.Going to the toilet entailed a trip to theprivy in the garden — chamber potswere used at night. During winter timewhen staying at Stantons, on goingupstairs to bed I carried a candle in onehand and a hot brick wrapped in paper inthe other. Right up to the time of hisdeath my uncle did not have a TV ortelephone.

Appreciation must be given to Mrs.Stanton for her kindness in allowing usto visit her home which she has ownedsince 1974.

The resident ghost seen by Mrs. Stantonon several occasions is thought to bethat of my great aunt Beatrice Batchford,who died at Stantons.

Members then went on to FaulkbourneHall where Mr. C.W.O. Parker, his sonand family members kindly allowed us toview their lovely early brick mansiondating back to the 15th century, when itwas owned by John Montgomery,passing to Sir Edward Bullock in 1637,whose family lived at Faulkbourne for250 years.

The exterior brickwork, the crenellationsand the spiralling barrel vaults to thestairs leading to the towers beingparticularly attractive.

The early c15th century timbers of atimber framed building, being the firstphase of the building, caused a lot ofspeculation and discussion.

In the latter 17th century the houseunderwent one or more periods ofrenovation which included the extensionof the east front, the facing of the southfront with brick and the building ofanother half octagonal turret on thesouth-west corner to balance the 15thcentury one on the north-west corner. Inthe early 19th century further additionswere made between the main block andthe 17th century wing. The 15th centurytower and north front have survived withlittle alternation except the blocking ofsome windows and the renewal ofothers.

If Stantons has had all of its secrets andmysteries exposed, Faulkbourne Hall stillretains its secrets and mysteries whichoffer plenty of scope for future research.

As a bonus to a thoroughly enjoyableday we were given the opportunity tovisit Faulkbourne Church, dedicated toSt. Germain, and dating from 12thcentury.

Robert J. Wager


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LIBRARY REPORT

The Society has received a substantialdonation of books from Frank Clark. Therange of the donation is extensive,covering pre-Roman and Romanarchaeology, archaeological method,guide books and runs of serials andpublications. Mr Clarke has been vice-president of the West EssexArchaeological Group and hasexcavated and published extensively onthe archaeology of south west Essex. Hedirected excavations at Little London,Wanstead Park and Harlow Temple andhas written for the Essex Journal. In1977, with Julian Litton, he produced 'StMary's Church, Woodford, Essex',published by the Passmore EdwardsMuseum.

Andrew Phillips

OFFENDED BY THE SEVENDEADLY SINS ATINGATESTONE

C E Keyser’s book, List of Buildingshaving Mural Decorations (1883), is, asits title suggests, a rather spare accountof surviving or lost mediaeval wallpaintings. It appears to have beencompiled from a wide variety ofpublications, including the Transactionsof numerous county archaeologicalsocieties, as well as from articles onchurch restorations printed in TheBuilder. There are not a large number ofEssex entries in the book, and many ofthose that are included had beenpreviously reported in our Transactionsor national journals. The Society ofAntiquaries library in London has a‘grangerised’ copy compiled by H H Brindley who had a particular interest in

images of St Christopher. Sadly thisvolume contained little additional Essexmaterial, most of what there was beinggleaned from newspaper articles, orletters from local incumbents. One ofthe latter, dated 26 October 1915, was inanswer to an enquiry about a wallpainting of St Christopher at St Mary’s, Ingatestone.

‘I have never seen or heard of any painting of St Christopher in Ingatestonechurch, and I have been rector since1886. There were paintings on the wallsof the Seven Deadly Sins, but theseoffended my predecessor, and werecovered over, when the church wasrestored in 1868. Perhaps the painting towhich you refer was covered over at thesame time.’

Anyone curious to see why these imagesoffended will find them illustrated in anarticle by J Piggot junior in volume IV ofthe first series of the Society’s Transactions. St Christopher, however,seems to have vanished without record.

Michael Leach

ST LAURENCE & ALLSAINTS CHURCH,

EASTWOOD

Members will recall plans to move thismediaeval church to a new site in thechurchyard in order to accommodate theair traffic requirements of Southendairport. This was opposed by the AncientMonuments Society, by the Society forthe Protection of Ancient Buildings, aswell as by the parish itself and numerousother organisations. It is encouraging toreport that planning permission for thisbizarre proposal was unanimouslyrejected by the planning committee.Apart from the enormous practical


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difficulties of moving a mediaevalbuilding, there are very strongarchaeological and historical reasons forretaining ancient buildings on theiroriginal sites.

The church is of considerable interest, ofseveral different periods, and has asurviving priest’s chamber at the west end of the north aisle. Two doors are ofmajor importance, though Cecil Hewettwas unable to give a precise date. Thecomplex ironwork suggests both the C12and C13 contributions. There is a faintinscription in Lombardic lettering on oneof the straps, ‘pax regat intrantes eadem regat egredientes’ (‘may peace rule those entering and also those leaving’). The carpentry is unusual - three verticalplanks are rebated together, and held bytapered ledges which are dovetailed insection. The ledges were driven intodovetailed rebates cut across one side ofthe three planks. Hewett noted anidentically constructed - though undated- door at Durham cathedral.

Michael Leach

Sources:Saunder M & Kelsall F ‘The Society’s Casework in 2004’ in Transactions of Ancient Monuments Society Vol 49(2005)Hewett C ‘Church Carpentry’ (1982) Phillimore

GROWING NEW FORESTS–PLANTING VERSUS

NATURALREGENERATION

The last Newsletter reported theWoodland Trust’s plan to buy farmland adjacent to the remaining fragment ofHainault Forest, and to plant this area

with native trees in order to extend thearea of ancient woodland. Would this bebest achieved by planting trees – orwould natural regeneration (OliverRackham’s favoured approach) work better?

The experience in the new ThamesChase forest is interesting. Naturalregeneration is surprisingly fast, with athorn scrub/oak succession, providingthere is nearby woodland to supplyacorns and jays. In other areas,neglected sites awaiting the developerhave been known to reach the pointwhere a tree preservation order could beapplied. However, in the majority ofcases where public amenity and accessare important, tree planting usually givesa quicker result as the saplings can beprotected effectively, and nursed throughtheir early years. It also avoids theunkempt appearance of the early phasesof the thorn scrub/oak succession,though this untidiness provides betterbiodiversity than planted saplings.Nevertheless, natural regeneration doesoccur in planted woodland and it is notunusual for this to result in an apparentlynonsensical 110% survival rate. This isbecause the number of self-sown treesexceeds those lost amongst the plantedsaplings.

Michael Leach

EAST SAXON CHRISTIANSAND PAGANS–THE

PRITTLEWELL FINDS INCONTEXT

Dr Martin Welch gave the Morant lectureon 6 May 2005. Detailed descriptions ofthe archaeology would be foundelsewhere. The site was known as a midto late C6 Saxon cemetery from earlier


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finds, particularly those uncovered whentrenching for a sewer in 1923, anddigging a railway cutting in 1930 (seeEAH xix pp 91-116). The recentexcavation, in advance of proposed roadwidening, was done under great secrecyand uncovered an unexpectedly richburial dating from the early C7. Whenthe national press were briefed, therewas considerable interest, with dramatictabloid coverage describing the grave asthat of the “Bling King”. The site does not overlook the Thames, but is on highground above a small valley runningnorth-south. It would not have been insight of the sea, but most Anglo-Saxonburials were either not far inland, or neara navigable waterway. The burialchamber contained a rich assembly ofgrave goods – bronze vessels, goldbuckles, gold thread, a cauldron, gamingpieces, a drinking horn, a folding stool(the first found in a British Saxon grave)and so on.

The burial goods are a mixture of whatone would expect to find, plus severalthings that are unique. The Prittlewellbuckle, though of the typical triangularform, is unusual in being without theusual elaborate filigree patterns andzoomorphic decoration. The brooch isset with three symmetrically garnets (thestones being an import from the Indiansubcontinent). The two crosses cut outof gold foil, and found in the face area,are most unusual. All previouslydiscovered crosses have either beenmuch more substantial objects withsuspension loops, or foil crosses withfixing holes for sewing to clothing. ThePrittlewell ones are totally plain andappear to have been purpose cut forlaying on the corpse, lacking anyprovision for fixing or mounting, andshowing no signs of wear or use. Thereare early C7 precedents in north Italyand south Germany for including crosses

in Christian burials, though the idea mayhave come from a sub-Roman tradition.

Gold thread was found in the chest areaof the body and probably represents thebraided edge of an open fronted tunic,which would have overlapped across thechest and have been secured by a beltat the waist. There is other Saxonevidence for such clothing, aScandinavian tradition. The Prittlewellfolding stool is unique. The shield boss isvery plain, similar to those from earlierfinds nearby (described in EAH xix).Other items include a wooden tub(probably for keeping ale); blue glassvessels, similar to one found at SuttonHoo mound 2, and possibly made inKent; a drinking horn with a metal mount,but lacking the metal terminal of theSutton Hoo and other examples; a lyre,not an unusual finding in graves of thisperiod; a metal spoon of Mediterraneanorigin, with an obscure inscription on thebowl; a lamp stand similar to the onesfound at Broomfield and Sutton Hoo; andbone gaming pieces from a game in thebackgammon family.

This type of assemblage, with a mixtureof weapons and leisure items, is found inEurope from the C3 onwards. The onlycomparable site in Essex is atBroomfield, excavated in 1888. This toocontained a buckle decorated withgarnets (though more ornate that thePrittlewell example) and blue glassvessels. (See brief report in EASTransactions ns v p 237). Another site atTaplow, Bucks, was dug in 1882 byburrowing into the side of a mound.Unfortunately a collapse causedconsiderable damage, but three shieldswere found (old Icelandic law permittedthree shields in a duel), glass vessels, agaming board, a throwing spear,decorated bronze buckles, bronze lyremounts and a decorated drinking horn.


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There is a possibility that this site maybe re-excavated to obtain moreinformation.

Another comparison is with Sutton Hooship burials, mounds 1 and 2. Theadjoining mounds contain cremationinhumations. There is no Prittlewellequivalent of the striking helmet found inthe ship burial (comparable helmets areknown from Sweden) or the pursecontaining coins, believed to be for thepayment of oarsmen in the afterlife.Neither is there anything like thedecorated whetstone. The gold items atSutton Hoo, as well as the shieldbosses, were much more elaboratelydecorated. Mound 2 had the burialchamber under the boat and it has beensuggested that the prow and stern of theboat originally projected from at eachend. Another earlier ship burial from theC6 was uncovered at Snape in 1862,and other rich burials of this earlierperiod have been found at Lakenheath,some accompanied by the adjoiningburial of a fully equipped horse.

The Prittlewell burial has been dated tothe early part of the C7. It is of particularinterest because of the presence of thegold crosses, the plainness of the metalwork (perhaps a Christian modification ofthe pagan splendour displayed at SuttonHoo) and the fact that it was part of anearlier extensive cemetery. It is normallybelieved that C7 princely burials were onseparate sites from communalcemeteries, but this is certainly not thecase here. It is not possible to say if thiswas a royal burial or a princely one, but itis undoubtedly that of a wealthy andpowerful individual. It is hoped that moreinformation will emerge from thecontinuing post-excavation analysis, andfrom possibly further excavations on thesite.

Michael Leach

HENRY WINSTANLEY’S HOUSE AND GARDEN AT

LITTLEBURY

Henry Winstanley (1644-1703) is bestknown for his heroic efforts in building,between 1696 and 1700, the firstEddystone lighthouse. The difficultiesincluded raising all the funds himself(Trinity House declined to make anycontribution), and supervising theextremely hazardous construction on aslippery rock (only uncovered for a fewhours at low tide), some 3 hour’s hard rowing from Plymouth. Apart from theobvious hazards of working on anexposed rock in all weathers, there wasanother unexpected risk. An attack byFrench pirates in June 1697 resulted inthe destruction of the partiallyconstructed lighthouse. The workmenwere set adrift in a boat and Winstanleyhimself was carried off to France as aprisoner until Louis XIV, realising that thelighthouse would benefit French shippingas much as English, ordered his release.During its short operational life, not asingle ship was wrecked on the rocksand, though it was swept away (withWinstanley himself, who was attendingto some repairs) in a storm on 26November 1703, it did prove that it waspossible to build remote off-shorelighthouses and that they could be ofgreat benefit to shipping.

Winstanley was born in 1644 in SaffronWalden. On leaving the grammar schoolin 1660, he found employment in theestate office at Audley End house. Whenthe house was purchased by Charles IIin 1668, he was disappointed not toobtain the post of clerk of works, andtravelled for several years in Europe, notreturning home until 1674. He then triedhis hand at making engravings of


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country houses and their gardens,including a series of Audley End houseand its park. Though these are striking(and now an invaluable source forhistorians) his mastery of perspectivewas not entirely convincing and this mayhave been why there were no furthercommissions. In 1679 he was appointedclerk of works to the royal palaces ofAudley End and Newmarket. At theformer, he is said to have used hismechanical ingenuity to solve problemsof building maintenance, as well as todrain the waterlogged garden. It is likelythat he was kept very busy, as both thehouse and its grounds had beenneglected since the disgrace andfinancial ruin of the 1st Earl of Suffolk in1618. When John Evelyn visited inSeptember 1654, he noted ‘the Gardensare not in order, though well inclosed’. He was not impressed by their setting,‘being placed in an obscure bottome’. By the time that Charles II acquired theproperty 14 years later, all the roof leadwas defective, much timber rotten and(according to Sir Christopher Wren) ‘theFabrick weak, built after an ill mannerrather Gay than substantial’. It was estimated that £10,000 worth of repairswere required, as little had been done toit since it was built. £500 a year wasspent until 1688 by which time the roofhad been repaired and many chimneystacks rebuilt. Thereafter the budget wascut to £200 a year. In 1695 the Earl ofSuffolk (who appears to have been livingas a tenant in part of the house) wrote tocomplain about the daily danger fromfalling masonry, the collapse of one ofthe bridges, and the ruinous state of thestables and other outbuildings. As aresult of this complaint, Sir ChristopherWren visited Audley End and costed theessential repairs at £2830; theseincluded rebuilding a further 20 chimneystacks, remedying various ‘defects withinthe House requiring Speed’, making

repairs to bridges, providing a new palefor the garden, and the park wall ‘to beamended and new coped’.

Charles II is said to have made a fewunspecified changes to the gardens andpark at Audley End (originally laid out in1618), but these may have been madebefore Winstanley’s time. It seems unlikely that much money was spent onthe garden if the house had got into sucha bad state. However, Winstanley wasalso clerk of works at Newmarket whereimprovements were definitely made tothe palace gardens during his term ofoffice, as Henry Wise (1653-1738), thesuperintendent of royal gardens, waspaid £225 in 1698-99 for unspecifiedworks there. The palace at Newmarketwas very convenient for monarchs with apassion for horse racing but, though itremained in royal hands until well intothe C18, little is known about it. AudleyEnd, for practical or economic reasons,was returned to the trustees and co-heirsof the 3rd Earl of Suffolk in 1701, thoughthe lengthy legal squabbles did notresolve who was to be the new owneruntil 1708, after Winstanley’s death.

About the time of his marriage in the1670s, Winstanley built a house forhimself in Littlebury. He subsequentlymade an engraving of this, showing asymmetrical two storey building with acentral roof lantern. Between the houseand the stable block to one side was awindmill, a sign of Winstanley’s practical interest in hydraulics. Both house andgarden were equipped with a number ofeccentric features and by the 1690s,when he was raising money for hisEddystone project, the house had beenfitted out with a variety devices to startlevisitors, such as distorting mirrors,mechanical ghosts and chairs thattrapped or ejected anyone sitting onthem. An artificial stream in the garden


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was fed by the windmill which producedmechanical music. When Celia Fiennespassed by in May 1697, she noted ‘ahouse with an abundance of fineCuriosityes all performed by Clockworkand suchlike which appears very strangeto the beholders; but the Master was notat home so I saw no more than theChaire they set in when they are carrydabout’. The public paid one shilling a head to see these curiosities and nearlya decade after Winstanley’s death, his widow was still opening the house topaying visitors

Though Winstanley did not engrave aplan of his garden, there is no doubt thata plan of 1767 shows what had been hishouse and garden, by then in theownership of Gilbert Marshall esquire.The plan includes an engraving of thehouse, identical in all but a few details tothe prints made by Winstanley himself.Obviously some changes had occurredsince Winstanley’s time –for example,the windmill (and presumably thefountains and the artificial stream that itsupplied) had gone. However theeccentric design of the garden (whichmust have been extremely out of fashionby 1767) suggests Winstanley’s hand. It was about 400ft by 260ft with a series ofavenues leading from the house. Thecentral one terminated in a building,presumably a grotto or gazebo. In thenorth east corner there was aquadrilateral structure with ascending ordescending steps - it is not clear fromthe plan whether this was a raisedmound or a sunken area, but probablythe former, as mounts were a popularfeature in C17 gardens. A series of beds,arranged slightly asymmetrically on theline of the main avenue, are probablypart of the original scheme.

The house is said to have been takendown in 1778, though the site cannot be

identified on Chapman and Andre’s map which was published in 1777. The mostlikely site seems to be immediately to thesouth of Littlebury parish church (at gridreference TL 517394). The area isapproximately the same shape as theplot shown on Gilbert Marshall’s plan and conforms with an early C18 accountof its proximity to the old main road toCambridge. The house and garden hadcertainly disappeared when the inclosuremap was surveyed in 1805 and the fieldon the presumed site was known as ‘The Paddock’, giving no hint of its former use, though its shape is similar to theproperty boundary on the 1767 plan.Thomas Bird of Romford, writing in theEssex Review, identified the site to hissatisfaction in 1893 and noted that theonly remaining evidence of the house orits garden was ‘a mound planted withshrubs’. This mound cannotbe identifiedon the second edition of the 25” OS map. Today, if the correct site has beenidentified, the mound has disappearedand the rough pasture now covering theformer house and garden shows variousirregular deformities.

Wren Society Vols iv, 36 & xviii, 122-3&162-3Jeffrey, K (ed) ‘The Gardens of Audley End’ (1995) English HeritageBarnes, A ‘Henry Winstanley, Artist, Inventor and Lighthouse Builder’ (2003) Uttlesford DCde Beer, EE The Diary of John Evelyn(1955) OxfordDictionary of National Biography on line(2004) OUPHart-Davis A & Troscianko E ‘Henry Winstanley and the EddystoneLighthouse’ (2002) SuttonMorris, C (ed) The Illustrated Journeys ofCelia Fiennes (1984) Webb & BowerEssex Review ii, 63 (1893)Plan of house and gardens at Littlebury,1767 (ERO: D/Dby P21)


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Littlebury inclosure map, 1805 (ERO:Q/RDc 6B)OS map 25” second edition (1896)

THE THREAT TO STNICHOLAS’S CHURCH, LITTLE WIGBOROUGH

This remote late C15 church overlooksthe Blackwater estuary west of MerseaIsland. It is now in danger of collapse,due to serious subsidence in the NWcorner of the nave, with part of the wall15o off vertical. The building has hadstructural problems since the C17 atleast, and was further damaged by the1884 Colchester earthquake. Wall scarsshow that at some point the south porchwas removed. During the 1886restoration, the nave walls wereheightened, and the upper two stages ofthe tower rebuilt, but the RCHMinspector in the early part of the C20noted its condition as “fairly good, butsome cracks in walls”.It would appearthat the 1886 work had not resolved thestructural problems, and even possiblyaggravated them by raising the height -and hence the foundation loading - of thenave walls. Further repairs were done tothe chancel and the north nave roof in2001.

The parochial church council has calledin English Heritage to make a full reporton the feasibility of repairing this church.It is likely that substantial work will berequired if the building is to be saved.

Michael Leach

Sources:Heritage Today (East of England)Summer 2005Essex RCHM Vol iii (1922)

Pevsner N & Radcliffe E, The Buildingsof England–Essex (1965)

ANCIENTMEASUREMENTS

This interest started some time ago onreading an article mentioning Dr AThoms in Circles and Standing Stonesby Evan Hadingham. Dr Thomsproposed a basic unit, the megalithicyard, exactly 2.72 feet long, and amegalithic inch of 0·816 inches (orexactly 1/40th of a megalithic yard). Hesuggested that trammels or beamcompasses could achieve accuracies ofa few thousandths of an inch. As aperson whose work entailed usingprecision instruments, this struck me ashighly suspect, and further readingshowed that this view was shared byothers. Apart from the problem ofmeasuring such accurate distancesbetween megaliths which, by theirnature, are crude blocks of stone, wheredo you decide where its centre wasestablished?

This started me looking into the originsof present day measurements and Idiscovered the following. The inch wasmeasured by taking three grains ofbarley from the middle of the ear, welldried, and placed end to end. The cubitwas the distance from the elbow to theend of the middle finger (18 inches). Theell was fixed in 1101 as the length ofKing Henry I’s arm (45 inches). The footwas 12 inches, and the hand the widthof the palm plus the thumb (4 inches).The nail was measured from the secondjoint of the middle finger to the end of thenail (2¼ inches) and was a clothmeasure. The pace was five feet, thepalm the width of the palm (3 inches)and the span the distance between theend of the thumb to the end of the little


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finger with the hand spread (9 inches).The more familiar rod was 5½ yards or16½ feet.

Weights and measures were first fixedby standard in England in 1257, withstatutes passed in the reigns of Henry III,Edward I and Henry VII. The basis was agrain of wheat, corn or barley; 32 grainsof wheat gathered from the middle of theear and dried were to make apennyweight, subsequently divided into24 equal which were called grains.Measures of capacity were taken with 8pounds of wheat of a similar kind tomake a gallon, and 8 such gallons madea bushel.

It can be seen from the above that earlymeasurements were defined in asomewhat arbitrary fashion, but it musthave been very convenient to use partsof the human body. On looking at theuse of the body for measurements, itbecomes clear how the ‘span’ could have been used to define othermeasurements; for example a ‘nail’ is quarter of a ‘span’, four of them makeone ‘quarter’ (a cloth measure). The ‘cubit’ is two ‘spans’, the ‘foot’ one and a third ‘spans’ and the ‘ell’ five ‘spans’. At first sight the ‘rod’ does not fit into this scheme, but when converted to inches Irealised that it was 22 ‘spans’.

One paper published in the CBAResearch Report No. 60 by BirtheKjølbye Biddle on the C7 minster atWinchester goes thoroughly into the useof the ‘rod’ as a measurement, and states that it was used in the charter ofEdward the Elder when granting land toNew Minster in about AD 904. Berthementions it being laid out using theDrusian foot to make the 16½ foot ‘rod’. Is it possible that it was based on the‘span’ rather than the foot?

Re-reading Adrian Gibson’s excellent article in volume 27 of EssexArchaeology & History, I wonder if it ispossible to establish whether anymeasurements were multiples of the‘span’? Problems would arise from trying to divide the ‘rod’ accurately, and any error would be cumulative. As they didn’t have precision instruments, such errorwould have to be allowed for, though thisbegs the question of whether it wasnecessary to achieve the level ofaccuracy expected today.

John Warbis

SHIPS, SIGNATURES &SYMBOLS–ENGLISHMEDIAEVAL GRAFFITI

For many years I have been recordingmediaeval incised and scratcheddrawings, or graffiti, which are found onthe pillars and walls of our churches andsecular buildings. These are largelyworked on the soft limestone, or clunch,used so extensively in the Midlands,eastern and southeast England. Theyvary in subject matter. Some are pictorial– fighting ships, harps, ladies inelaborate headdresses, knights inarmour, windmills, birds and animals.There are also scraps of writing,signatures and dates, and musical notes.Less easy to understand are thesymbols which, no doubt, had anunderlying heraldic or religioussignificance. These are a powerfulreminder of the important part played bysymbolism and imagery in the mediaevalworld.

The drawings vary greatly in artisticability. Some are mere casual scribbles;others are works of art in their own right,the work of a sure hand and purposefulmind, ranking artistically with wall


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paintings and stained glass. Sadly, manyfine graffiti are being destroyed. Clunchweathers easily, and stone surfaces areconstantly being scraped and coveredwith layers of whitewash. Thus we arerapidly a unique and little appreciatedpart of our heritage.

In order to gain some idea of thedistribution and variety of these graffiti, itis necessary to look at a considerablenumber of buildings in the eastern andsouth-eastern side of England, as wellas the Midlands.

Will you help with this survey? All that isneeded is a seeing eye and an enquiringmind, a torch (for looking in dark corners,or for easier reading of graffiti by obliquelighting), a feather duster (for removingage-old cobwebs) and pencil and paperfor recording. Rubbings frequentlydestroy the outline of the graffiti andshould not be undertaken without priorconsultation and consent. I have thebacking of English Heritage, the NationalTrust, various county historical societies,and many museums and art historians,NADFAS and various church authorities.

If you would like to help, or know of anygraffiti, please contact RosemaryBowden-Smith, The Chestnuts,Hacheston, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP130DR, or telephone 01728 747293. Allenquiries are welcome.

Rosemary Bowden-Smith

A PLAGUE OF MICE

I wish the sad casualties may neverreturn, which lately happened in thiscounty: the one, 1581, in the hundred ofDengie (vide Stow’s Chronicle anno citat), the other , 1648, in the hundred ofRochford and the Isle of Foulness(rented in part by two of my credible

parishioners, who attested it, having paiddear for the truth thereof); when an armyof mice, nesting in ant hills, as conies inburroughs, shaved off the grass at thebare roots, which withering to dung wasinfectious to cattle. The March following,numberless flocks of owls from all partsflew thither, and destroyed them, whichotherwise had ruined the country, ifcontinuing another year. Thus, thoughgreat the distance between a man and amouse, the meanest may becomeformidable to the mightiest creature bytheir multitudes; and this may render thepunishment of the Philistines moreclearly to our apprehensions, at thesame time pestered with mice in theirbarns, and pained with emerods in theirbodies (vide 1 Samuel vi, 11).

Rev Thomas Fuller(perpetual curate to Waltham Abbey1648-58)

ESSEX EGYPTOLOGYGROUP

If you are interested in any aspect ofEgyptology you may wish to join thisnewly-formed group. It meets on the firstSunday of the month at 3pm at SpringLodge Community centre, Powers HallEnd, Witham. For more details, pleasecontact Charlotte Booth on 01621840171 or [email protected]

Future meetings include: A talk/demonstration from Andrew Walpoleabout the Bronze Age axe in Egypt;Suzanne Bojtos on Middle Kingdomtombs and nomarchs; A practicalworkshop on Egyptian art; A practicallecture from Rosalind Jansen on theEgyptian laundry.

PERSONAL MEMBERSHIP - Subscriptions due on January 1st each yearSingle Member - £18Two members at one address - £20Institutions - £20Associate Member - £8

NAMES AND ADDRESSESSecretary Membership Secretary LibrarianDr. M. Leach Miss Ann Turner Mr. A.B. Phillips2 Landview Gardens 1 Robin Close 19 Victoria RoadOngar Great Bentley ColchesterEssex CM5 9EQ Essex CO7 8QH Essex CO3 3NT

Tel. 01277 363106 Tel. 01206 250894 Tel. 01206 546775

Enquiries about delayed or missing publications and about the supply of recent backnumbers should be addressed to the Secretary.

APPEAL FOR THE PUBLICATION AND RESEARCH FUND (PRF)

This fund replaces the Publications Development Fund. (see page 14) It will supportpublication of articles in each Volume of Essex Archaeology and History as well asOccasional Papers. Donations are placed into an INALIENABLE account, which cannotbe spent. It is the Interest thereon which is distributed by awards granted by ourCOUNCIL. As at April 2005 the projected value of the fund stands at £33,575.90

Donations payable to: The Essex Society for Archaeology and HistoryBy: Cash/Cheques; Gift Aid Schemes; “In Memoriam” Donations; Bequests by WillsDonations of acceptable books

Please address enquiries to:Bill Abbott, 45 Cambridge Road, Colchester C03 3NRTel. 01206 369948 or e-mail [email protected]

DATA PROTECTION ACT

In order to run the Society it is necessary to keep paper and electronic records ofmembers’ names and addresses. It is the Society’s policy to keep members’ names, addresses, telephone numbers and subscription status only. This information isdisclosed to no one, inside or outside the Society, other than those officers andmembers of Council who need it in order to run the organisation.Members do have the right to refuse to allow any information about them to be stored oncomputer, and they should let me know if this is their wish. However, we hope that thisnote will reassure members that the very limited information held about them is secureand will not be used for any purpose other than the efficient running of the Society.Anyone requiring further details can contact me, or the Newsletter Editor.

Michael Leach

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