West Bergholt Local History Group
The village has an active history group who investigate, research and document local history. They hold meetings, which often involve external speakers and presentations, on the second Wednesday each month at the Orpen Hall. They also visit places of historical interest such as Coggeshall Abbey Mill and Kelvedon (see reports below).
The Group is responsible for producing the information contained in the history section of this website; they are also cited on Wikipedia on a couple of West Bergholt-related pages such as:
Prolific Writer
One of their most prolific of writers on West Bergholt History has been Jon Lander; the History Group still have copies of his book “The Most Unfortunate & Ignorant Parish”.
The book traces the village’s development from a tiny poverty-stricken group of cottages on the Heath to its present state. It features colour pictures of landmarks which played a part in its history; it also describes the people who dominated village life. So why did letter writers to the Essex County Standard describe it as “a den of iniquity.”? If you want to find out you can still obtain a copy for £4.
Members Surnames
The following document contains the explanation of surnames origins as described by Charlie Haylock at a recent lecture.
More Information?
For further information please contact the group by email to [email protected].
Recent news items
Find recent news items tagged as relevant to history below. Please click on the heading to read the whole article…
- Stroll with a Patrol and other News Updates - Essex Police Invite you to Stroll with a Patrol. Other news items in this update include: Your Annual Meeting, Vocal Zones Coronation Celebration, Free household rubbish disposal, and Local History Group. Stroll with a Patrol PC Dex Adams, the Colchester… …
Continue reading "Stroll with a Patrol and other News Updates"
- Old Church Invite to Mulled Wine & Mince Pies - Invitation To Enjoy Music, Mulled Wine & Mince Pies Next Sunday, 27th November, the Friends of St Mary's Old Church invite you to enjoy Mulled Wine & Mince Pies with them. This event will also afford you the opportunity to… …
Continue reading "Old Church Invite to Mulled Wine & Mince Pies"
- Essex Lights – A History Club Talk - Essex Lights - Guiding Seafarers The next Local History Group meeting will learn about Essex Lights of which there are many. From Harwich, down the coast and into the Thames Estuary. Peter Jones will be presenting the history of these… …
- Food Stories Coming Here – June 19th - The Food Museum, formerly the Museum of East Anglian Life, is going on the road! They are touring their exhibition 'Food Stories' to communities across East Anglia arriving in the Orpen Hall on 19th June from 10 am until 4… …
- Daniell update and The Minories next up - The Minories - The Characters & the Context The next Local History Group meeting will learn about The Minories in Colchester. Max Fox will lead this meeting which will take place on April 13th starting at 7:30 pm. Max has… …
- JUMBO Update and the Impact of the Daniell Family - Daniell Family - Next Topic The next Local History Group meeting will learn about the impact of the Daniell Family on West Bergholt's development. Peter Noakes will lead this meeting which will take place on February 9th starting at 7:30… …
Continue reading "JUMBO Update and the Impact of the Daniell Family"
- From Digs to Jumbo – Local History Talks - The past & future of the Jumbo The next Local History Group meeting focuses on Colchester's Victorian water tower, Jumbo. Andrew Crayston, a Trustee of the Colchester & North East Essex Building Preservation Trust, will lead the talk. You will… …
- Digs at Jacks & the Mercury Theatre - Adam Wightman Reporting on the Digs & Jacks & the Mercury Following the success of their last meeting, Adam Wightman (Senior Project Manager of The Colchester Archaeological Trust), is going to update the Local History Group on these digs this… …
- Charlie Haylock Coaches Ralph Fiennes - Charlie Haylock & Ralph Fiennes Charlie Haylock talk about his role in the Netflix film "The Dig" Local Suffolk celebrity, Charlie Haylock returns to the Local History Group for their first talk in person since March last year. This time… …
- Who Was Constable William Raven? - Find out about William Raven, Buried in Old St Mary's Churchyard Constable William Raven William Raven, a resident of West Bergholt, was born in Coggeshall in 1817, joined the Essex Constabulary in 1844 and died in 1911. You can now… …
If you would like to view all history-related news posts click the link – https://westbergholt-pc.gov.uk/tag/history/.