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Tuesday 30 September 2014

Morant Lunch Returns to Colchester: Sunday 12 October 2014

The Essex Society for Archaeology and History makes something of a homecoming on 12 October when it hold its annual Morant Lunch once again at the Red Lion in Colchester's High Street.  Our after dinner speaker this year is Dr L J F Ashdown-Hill (better perhaps known as leader of genealogical research and historical advisor to the ‘Looking for Richard’ project). His talk is on The Colchester Franciscan Priory (Greyfriars).

Monday 29 September 2014

Society Passes 40000 Page Views on Blog

The Essex Society for Archaeology and History is pleased to record its 40,000th page view on its blog. 

Theydon Mount: New Church Guide Now Available

High Country History Group: Theydon Mount: New Church Guide Now Available: To coincide with the 400th anniversary celebrations of the rededication in 1614 of St Michael's Church, Theydon Mount, a new colour ...

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Museum of London Archaeology: The Temple of Mithras. Where You There?

Remembering London’s greatest archaeological discovery


This September marks sixty years since the discovery of the Roman Temple of Mithras. The 1954 excavation captivated public imagination, with an estimated 400,000 people flocking to visit the site over a two week period, queuing for hours along the streets of the City of London to glimpse the remains.  

To capture this historic event, whilst it is still in living memory, Bloomberg and MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) are undertaking an oral history project, collecting and celebrating the experiences of the people that went to marvel as the temple was exposed. Anyone who visited the site in 1954 is urged to contact us to share their memories.

A trial for the project has already revealed fascinating stories. A ticket has come to light that appears to have been created by the construction company working on site, granting access for members of the public to visit the site and perhaps even have a go at digging.

One interviewee recalls: ‘There was a fascinating atmosphere there. I did enjoy it and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. It was a mystic feeling because there was a lot of worship that had gone on there and strange happenings. You felt that you were actually living with them, close to them… When you walked off the site you came into the 20th century.

The oral histories will form a permanent educational and research collection, also encompassing photography and ephemera relating to the discovery.

Sophie Jackson, MOLA archaeologist, said: ‘The discovery of the Temple of Mithras fascinated the public and nearly 400,000 people visited. We are undertaking this project because we want to hear what the discovery meant to people at the time and how it influenced their views of history and London.’

In the 1960s the temple was reconstructed 100 metres from its original location and in 2011 the reconstruction was carefully dismantled as work on Bloomberg’s new European headquarters began. A more faithful reconstruction of the temple will be reinstated in its original position, 7 metres below ground level in a purpose-built, public exhibition space in the new Bloomberg building, to open in 2017.

Did you visit the temple? Contact us!

If you are interested in taking part in the Temple of Mithras oral history project or have images or ephemera relating to the discovery then please contact us before the end of November 2014 at:
or
020 7410 2266



Published by the Essex Society for Archaeology and History

Monday 22 September 2014

ESAH160: Transactions Contents: 'New Series' Volume 18

ESAH160: Transactions Contents: 'New Series' Volume 18: Transactions ‘New Series. Volume 18 Contents Volume XVIII, Part I I.                     “Gryme’s Dyke, or the Outward Trench o...

Sunday 21 September 2014

Essex Industrial Archaeology Group Events

EIAG (Essex Industrial Archaeology Group) Events
     09 October 2014, British Postal Museum and Archive, Loughton
     01 November 2014, 1st Anniversary Meeting, Audley End

Visit 1
British Postal Museum and Archive
Date:    09 October 2014
Time:    starting 13.00h
Place:    British Postal Museum and Archive, Debden Industrial Estate, Loughton
               for travel details visit the website: http://www.postalheritage.org.uk/page/museum-gettingto
Price:    £5
Detail:   This will be a 2 part visit with a tea break in the middle.  I am told that it is well worth going as there is so much interesting information there with plenty of detail that one would not normally find out.
Booking:  Dr Graham Gould 

Visit 2 
1st Anniversary Meeting, Audley End
Date:    01 November 2014
Time:    start at 10.30
Place:     Abbey Barn St Marks College Audley End CB11 4JD
Price:    £7 for members, £10 for non-members
Detail:    Short annual meeting followed by talk on 'The Use of Technology in Country Houses' by Marilyn Palmer.  There is an optional extra of a house tour at an extra price or free for English Heritage members.
Booking:  Dr Graham Gould  

Please make sure that you have booked in advance to help us with numbers and to ensure viability of these meetings.

I look forward to meeting you all at both events.
  
Jane Giffould
EIAG membership secretary

The Essex Industrial Archaeology Group was launched in 2013 and is part of the Essex Society for Archaeology and History.

Saturday 20 September 2014

Community Archaeology Coordinator sought by Fulham Palace



Volunteer Role Description for Community Archaeology Co-ordinator

Role Summary:
We are running an archaeology dig in our Walled Garden (6-24 October, Mon-Fri except 13th) involving volunteers. We are looking for someone to help co-ordinate the volunteers involved, working alongside the Learning Officer and archaeology contractor’s site supervisor. Plus market tours of the site to local schools during the dig and help run a drop in session on Sunday 12 October.

Main activities/tasks:
·         Marketing the dig to volunteers, schools and the community
·         Managing the co-ordination of the volunteers, including replying to emails, booking people in, updating the site supervisor
·         Supporting the Learning Officer in developing a short tour of the dig for schools and leading them
·         Assisting in managing and running an afternoon drop in session on Sunday 12 October for families and adults to try their hand at archaeology
·         Collecting data on volunteer hours, schools involvement, etc. for funders.
Relevant experience/skills:
Degree in archaeology
Practical digging experience.
Experience of working with children and young people in an archaeological setting.
Good organisational skills.

Training and support:
We have an induction process, during which we give volunteers the information we believe they need to enjoy their time with us.  The Learning Officer will give volunteers any specific information they need before starting. Volunteers will have regular meetings with the Learning Officer to allow them to give and receive feedback about their work.  They are also encouraged to bring up any concerns or questions as soon as they arise and make an input into the overall development of the programme.
Availability:
This is flexible, but ideally a minimum of two mornings per week from 22 September – 27 October. Plus all day on Sunday 12 October.
Additional information:
As this role involves working with children, we will have to carry out a criminal record check through the Disclosure and Barring Service on the person in this role.  Having a criminal record in itself is not a barrier – we are only concerned about convictions that show a person might pose a risk to children.  Any information revealed by these checks is kept strictly confidential – we have a confidentiality policy, and are also under a legal obligation to respect this.
Travel expenses up to £8 per day will be reimbursed.
Main point of contact/supervisor: 
Learning Officer



Posted by the Essex Society for Archaeology and History

Friday 19 September 2014

ESAH160: ESAH Forum: Was 2012 Britain's Greatest Year

Woke up this morning to find that we still have a United Kingdom and that this post is riding high on hits: ESAH160: ESAH Forum: Was 2012 Britain's Greatest Year: Heritage Is Great.  Poster spotted at Excel Centre, 4 August 2012 I have to ask the question as we approach the end of the year: &quot...

World War One Commemorative Exhibition: St Leonard's Church Hall, Lexden. 27 & 28 September 2014


Wednesday 17 September 2014

Great Totham in 1821 (or thereabouts): An afternoon of talks at St Peter's Church, Great Totham, Saturday 1 November 2014

Great Totham in 1821 (or thereabouts)

Not long before 1831 – and very probably in 1821 – ‘Miss Hayter’ painted a picture of Great Totham Church. We are reasonably certain that the artist was Ann Hayter (1795-1854), daughter of Charles and sister of Sir George, also both painters. The picture was rediscovered in 2013 behind a cupboard in the church vestry, where it had suffered greatly from dirt and damp. It is now in the process of being cleaned and repaired, with the aid of grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Essex Heritage Trust, and the Church Buildings Council. As well as being a charming work of art in its own right, it is a valuable record of the appearance of the church as it was before being restored and enlarged later in the later 19th century.

To celebrate the anticipated return of the painting to the church in October, there will be an afternoon of short talks in St Peter’s Church, Great Totham, on Saturday 1 November, beginning at 2.30 pm. This will look at aspects of life in Great Totham in the 1820s and 1830s, in particular the connection between the Hayter family and the Revd Thomas Foote Gower, curate and later vicar of the parish, and the part played in the history of the painting by Charles Clark, farmer, amateur printer, and doggerel poet, who was at one time its owner. Speakers will include historians James Bettley and Clive Potter, amateur printer Alan Brignull, and poet Adam Crick.

Admission is free. Further information about the painting and the event can be found at http://totham1821.wordpress.com/, or email jamesbettley@btinternet.com.

Tuesday 16 September 2014

Gateways to the First World War: National Maritime Museum, 28 September 2014

Gateways to the First World War
Public Open Day
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Sunday 28th September 2014, 11:00 – 16:00

Come and find out more about the First World War at the start of the centenary period at this FREE public open day at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Meet expert historians, archivists and museum curators
Have a guided tour of the new ‘Forgotten Fighters’ gallery
See documents and artefacts in the museum’s Library
Listen to short talks by experts about the history of the war
Learn how to research your ancestors
Discuss how you could get involved in the centenary

For more information please email gateways@kent.ac.uk

Gateways to the First World War

Free admission
Twitter: @Gatewaysfww
Website: www.gatewaysfww.org.uk

The Essex Society for Archaeology and History is pleased to promote this event, which will be of interest to its members.


Monday 15 September 2014

Medieval and Early Modern Essay Prize

Members of the Essex Society for Archaeology and History attended a meeting of BALH last weekend, and picked up the following information. 

BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR LOCAL HISTORY
Medieval and Early Modern Essay Prize
The British Association for Local History hopes to encourage the publication of articles on medieval and early modern topics in its quarterly refereed journal, The Local Historian. It is therefore holding an annual competition with a prize of £150 for the best essay submitted for potential publication in the journal. Entries may be submitted by anybody but we especially hope to encourage contributions from postgraduates working on Master’s or Doctoral theses.
Any topic from the period (approximately) 600 AD to 1600 will be considered, but it is important that the essay or article should be accessible to a wider readership of local historians. We welcome articles which are general in character while using local examples or case-studies, and articles on sources and their interpretation are also encouraged.
Entries should be a maximum of 7500 words, and should not have been published or offered for publication elsewhere. They may be submitted at any time but the judging by a panel of experts will take place each July. It is expected that the winning entry will be published in the October issue of The Local Historian.

For more information about the British Association for Local History and The Local Historian, please visit our website at balh.co.uk and for more details of the essay competition contact the editor, Dr Alan Crosby (agcrosby@waitrose.com)
Entries should be submitted as an email attachment (which is preferred) or hard copy to
Dr Alan Crosby, Editor (The Local Historian), 77 Wellington Street, Preston PR1 8TQ


Sunday 14 September 2014

ESAH160: First World War Exhibition: St Lawrence Heritage D...

ESAH160: First World War Exhibition: St Lawrence Heritage D...: The St Lawrence Heritage Discovery Church is currently staging an exhibition on World War I and the Dengie Hundred. The opening dates have been extended to 28 September - follow the link above for details. Groups also welcome by arrangement at other times until the beginning of November as some schools are showing an interest.

Friday 5 September 2014

High House Purfleet is next Society Visit

On Wednesday 17 September the Essex Society for Archaeology and History will be visiting High House in Purfleet. 

High House Manorial Farmstead is a Grade II listed historic Essex farmstead in Purfleet, with a large brick built dovecote.  Because of its size and rarity the dovecote has been classified a Scheduled Ancient Monument.  The farmstead was built in the mid 16th century and the house was built of timber in 1552 and rebuilt in brick in the late 17th century.  The oldest original building is the two-storey Coachman's Cottage, which was previously a brewhouse. Stables date from the late 18th / early 19th century, Granary dated between 1874 and 1896, Essex Barn built around 1898.  Romano-British burials have been discovered back nearly 1700 years next to High House.  One notable occupant was Samuel Whitbread of the brewing fame.  Also on the complex is the Royal Opera House scenery and set building workshop.  

Tuesday 2 September 2014

St Michael's Church, Theydon Mount. 400th Anniversary Weekend: 27 & 28 September 2014

ST MICHAEL’S CHURCH, THEYDON MOUNT
CM16 7PP



Saturday 27th September, 7.30pm
Doors open 6.30

St Michael’s
Through the Ages


The story of St Michael’s Church from its earliest beginnings, its rebuilding in 1614, and its ups and downs from then until today will be told in a special evening presentation by Anne Padfield, the choir and friends.  The narrative will be interspersed with music and readings.

Ticket includes a glass of wine and refreshments


Tickets £10.00, from Anne Padfield




Programme for 400th Anniversary weekend

Saturday 27th September

11am-4pm ~ Exhibition in the church
Evening presentation ~ St Michael’s Through the Ages
Doors open 6.30pm, presentation begins 7.30pm

Sunday 28th September

10am ~ Celebration service with the Bishop of Chelmsford

For more details, contact Colin Flint ( chigwell999@hotmail.com)
or Anne Padfield ( anne@littletawney.co.uk)