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West Mersea
West Mersea maps
Historic maps of West Mersea and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all West Mersea maps
West Mersea area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about West Mersea and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of West Mersea
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of West Mersea.
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MERSEA ISLAND Primary School 1950's-
Born on Mersea island- what a haven we school children had to live and grow in. Endless poppy fields and bluebell woods,golden beaches and primrose banks flanked the leafy lanes.
Greedy land grabbers have spoilt its original charm, but thankfully its still possible to take a walk down The Lane by the coast to step back in time. Sit on the beach, take in the salty breeze from the marshes,and hear the haunting call of the curlew.... calling us globe trotters home ?
The school friends of the 1950's friends and families now meet once a year to recapture the feel of 'the good day's' find us on the islands own websites in the forum.everyone welcome.
Essex memories
Ferryman
My Great Grandfather was the Ferryman from East Mersea to Brightlingsea, he was Horatio Charles Mole. There are many family members on the Island but somehow the ones I am in touch with cannot find the house where he lived at the time he was running the Ferry. Please can anyone help? It would be good to find the house, so we can visit and take a photo.
Family History
Most of my family were born in East and West Mersea, my great-grandfather Robert Percy Woods, born 1890, born in East Mersea and was a farmer ,my great-grandmother Emma French born 1891 West Mersea, her parents were also farmers. My great-grandfather's parents were Allen Woods and Emma Rose Halls and my great-grandmother's parents were John French and Mary Ann Harvey. My grandmother Katheleen Woods was born 1922 in West Mersea. Six years ago my family were looking at where to go on holiday and we found Mersea Island so we went to Coopers Beach Holiday Park and loved it there so much that we go every year now. About three weeks ago my husband and I got fed up of living in Thurrock and we now live in Lexden, another area where my family were born and raised along with most of Colchester.
October Gale
High winds and loud crashing in the middle of the night.
Not long after my divorce, moving back to live with my mother and father.
We were woken by crashing of bricks from the gable end of the house. Both mine and my father's cars had been crushed by the bricks. Looking across to Bradwell from the bedroom window, I could see flashes of blue light from the high voltage power cables, as the wind made them clash together.
A very unforgettable night.
Rose Family
I didn't live in Tollesbury but my in-laws' ancestors were the Rose family, James and Charlotte, born 1807 and 1809. He was an agricultural labourer and his children were Ann, Mehetebel, George, Susan, Thomas, maybe Isaac who married Kezia Woods. If anyone knows of any descendants or anything about the family I would be very interested. Vicki Manning
Life on The Quay
I was born at Bradwell on Sea waterside in 1958 and remember the quay very well. Much of my growing up days were spent playing on the very quay in the photo. In the summer we would leap into the water from the quay which was by then furnished with a steel frame which we called the bars. Bradwell waterside was a great place to grow up in, as was Bradwell. My family have all moved from Bradwell now but we all go back from time to time as we all have such happy memories of living there. I was fortunate to grow up at Bradwell with a good bunch of friends, there was the mill end lot, Trev, Bobby and Brendan, Carrots from Westwick, Nick, Mick, Phil, Alan and later Neil from the waterside and Basher and Paddy and of course Bridgey from the village, not forgetting Big Al and Cubby. We were all a good bunch of friends who had many adventures growing up in Bradwell Regards, Tim Lodge
My First True Love.
As a young American lad I was posted on RAF Station Wethersfield, Essex in the late 50's. I met a young lass through a English aquaintance. This young lady was from Bradwell on Sea. She was a young beautiful lady who lived with her parents who had a very large farm nearby. I stayed at her parents who were quite well to do. On different occasions I would stay for a couple of days and was treated in a most proper fashion and was treated very well by her parents with lovely meals, horse riding and excellent sleeping accommodations. We had much fun together including playing badminton
in the village in a indoor court. I never realized what a tough game it could be. My friend, the young lady was very good at it as I recall. I also recall eating a few of those slammed birdies, but great fun it was. In any case I eventually returned to America with an English wife and two wonderful children. I have... Read more
