Great Waltham memories
Here are memories of Great Waltham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Great Waltham or a Great Waltham photo.
Village Policeman
In the late 1950's I was the village policeman at Great Waltham. The police house was the last two-storied house at the Barrack Land end of Cherry Garden Road with my 'office'being in the kitchen and the tsble there was my desk. Next door to us was a lovely old lady - Mrs Woods and on the other side the Hornsby family, daughter's name Jenny. My duties in those days were not very onerous consisting mainly of attending motor accidents, moving on camping gypsies and paying occasional visits to the local pubs in Great and Little Walthams, Howe Street and Mashbury. My means of getting around was on a bicycle although about one a month a police car from Chelmsford would come to Great Waltham and I would act as observer for a couple of hours. My immediate superior officer was Sergeant Leslie Pye from Broomfield who was always very keen for us village policemen (including the one at Ford End (Const.Tom Mitchell) and Great Leighs (Const. Les.... Read more
THE HAWKES AND BRADLEY FAMILIES
Researching family history led me to Charlotte Bradley and Josiah Hawkes from Great Waltham.
They married in 1871. Charlotte was a servant to the Oddie family and Josiah was an agricultural labourer from a large family.
Addresses are hard to read on the census. Was there a house simply known as 28 Village ? and Chatham Green or Chatham View?
I hope to visit the area sometime soon. For some reason I feel I have to see where Charlotte and Josiah grew up!
Its probably unlikely but I wonder if any of their families still live in the area?
Born In Gt Waltham 1953
My father Eric Grubb was one of three sons and two daughters of George Grubb. (who lived until he was 100 years old). We lived in Six Bells Cottages until we were rehoused in Cherry Garden Road. My mum Gertrude worked in Snows the butchers, pictured above, making sausages! I remember Mr Butcher the policeman - Mr Moore the poacher was a family friend! I attended the village school and Broomfield Secondary. My father died aged 43 in 1966 and my mother remarried Eric Rickman whose family lived in Barrack Road. My husband and I married in Gt Waltham in 1973 - the Rev. Duke was still there.
Living in Great Waltham as A Apprentice Carpenter And Joiner
I moved to Great Waltham with my mum and dad, he was head gardener for the squire at Langleys. We lived in Cherry Trees Cottage opposite the Rose & Crown and up a set of concrete steps, for a few years but later moved to Water Falls Cottage, I think it's called North Lodge now. I have been back to view the gardens a few years ago, now it's a shame how these great gardens have gone over the years. I did an apprenticeship as a carpenter and joiner for Henry Potter in Chelmsford, I rode my cycle there summer and winter for 5 years like a lot of other people in those days. At the end of my apprenticeship I went into the R.A.F. for 5 years. I did enjoy my life in Great Waltham. It is nice to go back on odd occations, I only wish I could meet someone there that I remember.
My Roots
Hi i've just found out that my family originate from Great Waltham...the name is 'Hornsby'...I found this out through the ancestry website and looking at old census records...i'm hoping to come along and visit Great Waltham with my father who is a 'Hornsby' and discover where they used to live on..'Broads Green'
Memories of Essex
LITTLE WALTHAM
I lived three miles from Little Waltham from 1956 till I moved out about 1965. I lived in a cottage near Domsey Lane and we had no buses, only to the village, so when we went out to Chelmsford we had to catch the last bus to the village and then we had a three mile walk in the dark to get home and it was scary as there were no lights. When I moved out, my mother moved down to the village to live. My memories of the village are Amos the bakers, he used to deliver lovely bread and cakes to us. The surgery with Dr Bassett,and the little wooden shop run by the sisters. I think they were called the Phylls.They used to sell sweets and general stores. Also the butchers at the top of the street. There was also a man who had a huge Great Dane, near us. I was scared of it. I loved the footpath that went to the church where horses were... Read more
Ennos Ancestors
Hi,
I have been researching my wife's family history. She was an Ennos, and I have found that there were a number of families with the name Ennos in Little Waltham during the 1800's. Are any of them still around? I'd love to make contact.
Ancestors were Ernest Ennos, William Ennos, James Ennos.
Thanks
John
Little Waltham
I used to live in Little Waltham when I was eight until 19. We lived in a thatched cottage without electric, and no central heating, only an open fire and kitchen range. The windows used have patterns on them in the winter. In 1962 it was a bad winter, we had to dig the snow so the grocery van could get through as we lived about three miles from the village and bus route. We had to walk so we could go into town, also we had to walk more than a mile to get the bus to school. Eventually my mother and father moved into the village, I also until I left home at nineteen. There was a long footpath where they kept a couple of horses I was frightened to go through, there was a large wolfhound there as well.
1966-1982
Ford End is now a shell of its former self, almost like the UK. When I was a child in the village, growing up, there was no better place to be. There was a shop, two pubs, the Spread Eagle at the top of the village and the Swan at the bottom of the hill, a dairy, post office, village hall, cricket pavilion and not forgetting the C of E primary school that I attended from 1970 to 1977 before going on to my secondary school in Great Dunmow. As children we used to race home-made go-karts down the hill in Back Lane, sometimes even down Brook Hill (the main road) without any injury or major incident. We had fields, streams, ponds, trees to climb and the River Chelmer was only a short walk for a bit of fishing or, in the summer, swimming. Happy days that I will never forget.
Old Family
I have in my possesion a pocket watch, the final proceeds of a family will of which William Loveday was one of the executors. It was given to my grandfather, one Arthur Raven as a keepsake in clearing up the last few shillings of the bequest. In searching my family history I came to Chelmsford and found that the shop known as Lovedays Jewelers was still trading. I so entered the shop, thinking I just maybe lucky and find myself talking to an ancestor of William Loveday the watchmaker, but it was not to be so, I was told that the Lovedays had relinquished their interest in the Jewelers shop (seen left/centre of picture 69019 Chelmsford, Moulsham Street ) but their trading name was so good for business it still remains over the shop. The Loveday's started trading at the end of the 19th cent. They were entered into my family tree history by way of my gradfather Arthur Raven's sister Alice Elizabeth Raven marrying William Loveday in 1865.... Read more
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