Historical Events     (in Chronological order)    
250+   entries here...     scroll down or search/find a year, etc.             or go to the most recent entry at the end >>>    
. . YEAR EVENT   more at. . .  
750 K BC The Ice Age created glacial ponds in the village   Natural History  
500 K BC Neolithic flints found in Goldhanger Creek
Archaeology  
400 BC The Romans were in the Creek and close by Posts in the Creek  
400 BC The seawall was started by the Romans Seawall construction  
600 BC Salt extracted from the Red Hills during the Iron Age Salt extraction  
990 s AD Viking attacks left burial mounds on the marshes Archaeology  
991   Byrhtnoth, Earldorman of Essex killed in Battle of Maldon Maura Benham wrote booklet  
1000 s Saxon religious settlements in the area   Historic Settlement Assessment  
1085 s The Domesday Book records the Manor of Goldhangre   Ancient Documents  
1200 s Fish traps from this period found in Collins Creek   Archaeology  
1200 s The local highways would have been very different to today   Local highways & byways  
1216   The Magna Carta refers to fishing Weirs in Estuary and Creek   Fishing at Goldhanger    
1271   A watermill was recorded at Goldhanger   Hearsay & Folklore  
1285   First recorded Rector of Goldhanger   Maura Benham's book - p21  
1292   Taxation of ?10 13s 4d taken from Goldhanger & Lt Totham
 
1300 s A tidemill was built in the locality The Barrow Marshes  
1346   John Ffalons is recorded as owner of Falcons Hall  
1348   The Black Death reduces the population by a half  
1375   Village was known as "Goldhanger cum Totham Parva"  
1381   Goldhanger men take part in Peasants Revolt in Brentwood  
1400   First reference to Highams Farm at this date   Highams Farm    
1400 s South Chapel added to the Church   St Peters Church- 1400s  
1400 s Tower added to the Church   Study of St Peters Tower  
1439   First evidence of seawall contruction   Estuary  
1534   Henry VIII gave Follyfaunts Manor to Stephen Beckingham   Follyfaunts Manor    
1549   An inventry of "Church Goods" was made (now in ERO)   Ancient Documents  
1558   Eariest known legacy left to the village poor   Charities for the sick and poor  
1564   Date of the earliest court case referring to the village   Newspaper and Court Reports  
1570   Reclamation of land at Joyces marshes    
1598   Goldhanger man fined for playing football on the Sabbath Day
 
1599   A Goldhanger witch was excommunicated  
1602   First reference to school rooms in the village The Pit Cottages  
1623   Eariest known Trust created for the poor Charities for the sick and poor  
1650   The Revd Edward Howes wrote a book on mathematics The Revd Edward Howes  
1657   The Church belfry contains a peel of 4 bells Bells of St Peters  
1671   Hearth tax records show 49 households, most with one hearth  
1671   One third of villagers were too poor to pay the hearth tax   Public Health  
1696   Labourer prosecuted for "stealing" the vicars daughter    
1716   Income from Beckingham Hall bequeathed to New England Co. Revd. Williams  
1700 s Sometime in this century the original Beckinham Hall was destroyed Beckingham Hall  
1722   Daniel Defoe wrote about the Ague around the Blackwater   Public Health  
1736   Earliest recorded newspaper article about the village   Newspaper and Court Reports  
1736   Great tide burst the seawall and drowned 5 people in the decoys Hearsay & Folklore  
1760 s The heyday of smuggling in the area   Smuggling  
1760   Earliest records of Goldhanger Fair    
1767   Clockmaker & silversmith lived and worked in The Square   Jacob Mickelfield  
1768   Hignams Manor decribed by Philip Morant   Ancient Documents  
1776   The Blackwater Estuary froze over, causing unemployment in the area    
1778   Village has 50 households with a population of 205
 
The population of Goldhanger  
1780   Sketch of the Church from this time showing three gables   Art from the past  
1787   Rector takes Longwick farmer to court for non-payment of tithes Ancient documents  
1790   Thomas Lee reclaims saltmashes near Bounds Farm with a seawall  
1795   William Bentall invents the Goldhanger plough at Cobbs Farm   William Bentall  
1795   A plan for a Redoubt at Goldhanger - that never happened   Plans that never happened  
1800 s At this time The Barrow Marshes had many Goldhanger connections The Barrow Marshes  
1801   Village has 48 households with a population of 331   The population of Goldhanger  
1805   St Peters Church donated 2 shillings towards Nelson's victory   Maura Benham Book  
1810   The end of salt making in the village   Estuary  
1811   Earliest date recorded for the Friendly Brothers Society   Friendly Brothers society  
1805   William Bentall moves business to Heybridge near the canal   Characters from the past  
1813   A Parish Poorhouse has 11 residents    
1814   John Christopher Atkinson, famous historian, born in Goldhanger Local authors  
1820   The Goldhanger salt works at Bounds Farm closed down   Salt extraction  
1822   First reference to Coastguards at Goldhanger   Smuggling  
1832   A sales poster exists for the Rectory and Parsonage   Ancient Documents  
1838   Earliest reference to red brick walls in churchyard. See 1850s
 
 
1839   42 children attending school in the Church vestry    
1839   Weslyan Chapel built in Head Street   Goldhanger Lost  
1841   Village has 108 households with a population of 520   The population of Goldhanger  
1841   Parish Poorhouse has 3 residents    
1842   Parish Poorhouse was sold off   Charities for the sick and poor  
1845   Henry Co Coape wrote his first book   Henry Coe Coape  
1846   The Revd. Charles Brian Leigh was appointed Rector   Revd. C B Leigh  
1851   Rev. C B Leigh built a new Rectory, now called Goldhanger House Revd. C B Leigh  
1849   Revd Jay went to India and taught Maharajah Duleep Singh   Revd. William James Jay  
1850   370 gallons of Geneva found in an outhouse in the village   Smuggling at Goldhanger  
1851   Village has a population of 535   The population of Goldhanger  
1851   Mr Ponder's beehive design shown at the Great Exhibition   Virtual Museum  
1850 s Architect Ewan Christian describes the architecture the Rectory a history of the Rectory  
1850 -80 Red brick walls built along the village streets   Red Brick Walls  
1850 s Henry Coe Coape was a prolific author at this time   Local authors  
1850 s The Church was refurbished and new fittings added   Local sculptures  
1860 s Pitt Cottages on the Lt.Totham Rd junction used as the school  
1870   First reference to the Cricketers Inn in Church St.   The Cricketers Inn    
1870 s Local population drops due to migration   The population of Goldhanger  
1871   Dr Salter: "busy vaccinating against smallpox"   Public Health  
1873   Henry Co Coape wrote "Ringwoods of Ringwood"
 
Henry Coe Coape  
1873   First Coastguard Cottages built in Church St.   Coastguards  
1875   The Goldhanger Windmill ceases operation    
1875   Church of England school built in Church Street   Village School  
1881   Village has a population of 498   The population of Goldhanger  
1882   Plans for a railway through Goldhanger   Plans that never happened  
1884   The Essex Earthquake was almost certainly felt in the village    
1890 "Birds of Essex" published with much local information, including...   Miller Christy  
1890 s The Goldhanger Decoy Ponds are described   Miller Christy  
1890 s Four Coastguards monitor sea wall and live in Church St.   Smuggling  
1891 s The Revd. C B Leigh was declared bankrupt   Revd. C B Leigh  
1893   The Revd. C B Leigh retired after 47 years as Rector   Revd. C B Leigh  
1895   Revd. Gardner started a joint Goldhanger/Lt Totham Parish Magazine Revd Gardner  
1897   First car in Goldhanger was photographed   Groups  
1898   Church bells upgraded to a peel of 6   Bells  
1899   The churchyard was extended
 
 
1900   Isolation tents put up in Goldhanger for diphtheritic patents   Public Health  
1900   First car registered in Goldhanger to Rex Page    
1900 ish Prince Nicholas, later to be Tsar, stayed at the Chequers   The Chequers Inn  
1901   Village has a population of only 400   The population of Goldhanger  
1902   F. Charrington buys Osea Island as a "Temperance Resort"   History of Osea Island  
1903   Goldhanger Friendly Brothers is re-formed after funds were stolen Friendly Brothers society  
1904   First trip to Spitzbergen by the Rector   Spitzbergen  
1905 ish Village streets first surfaced with Tarmacadam    
1907   Second Expedition to Spitzbergen organised from the village   Spitzbergen  
1908   Ellacombe Chimes mechanism installed on the church bells   Bells  
1908   Third expedition to Spitzbergen organised by the Revd.Gardner Portraits  
1908   First telephone installed in the village at the Rectory (?5 per year)    
1909   Redhills around Goldhanger Creek excavated   Archaeology  
1909   Essex author published an article about the Stone in The Square   Miller Chisty  
1909   Canon Francis Dobson was born at Hall Farm   Francis Dodson  
1910   Ernest Mansfield published "Astria - the Ice Maiden"   the book in full  
1910 ish Petrol pumps are installed in The Square
 
 
1912   The Parish Room was built on the Revd. Gardners land   Parish Rooms  
1914   Last known "Juggy Rose" Toy Fair held on Whit Monday    
1914   House-to-house collections for the "War Fund"   The Great War  
1914 -18 Seventeen parishioners lost their lives in The Great War    
1914 -18 Crawshay Frost's WW-1 photos are in the Imperial War Museum Crawshay Frost  
1914 -18 Revd. Gardner wrote articles in the parish magazine about the war effort Revd. Gardner  
1915   45 Goldhanger men have "joined the colours"   Great-War  
1915   World War I - "Flight Station" constructed at Gardeners Farm   Great War - Flight Station  
1916   Boys of 13 are permitted to work on the farms    
1917   BE12 aircraft from Goldhanger shot down Zeppelin over Theberton The Great War  
1918   20 aircraft leave the aerodrome for sortie on Ypes    
1918   Two Flying Officers killed locally and buried in the Churchyard   The Great War  
1918   Meeting held to plan the War memorial   Great War - building  
1919   The Rector planned to have field guns in the Churchyard   Plans that never happened  
1919   Commodore Augustus Agar awarded the VC while based at Osea Island Great War - HMS Osea  
1919   End of WW-1 celebrations held in the school   The Great War  
1919   Mr Bentall donated "Sergents Mess" as chapel in Heybridge   Characters  
1919   Fire at The Parsonage was put out by villagers    
1919   A Cricket Club was formed   Cricket in The Park  
1920   The dedication service for the new War memorial held
 
The Great War  
1920   New football club formed at a meeting in The Parish Rooms    
1921   New village well dug in The Square   Village pump  
1922   Aerodrome facilities removed   Flight Station  
1923   The coastguards left the village    
1923   Stanley Wilkin purchased Bounds Farm   Stanley S Wilkin  
1924   St Peters organ blower's salary increased from 5 to 6 shillings    
1924   Stanley Wilkin becomes preacher at the Weslyan Chapel   Stanley S Wilkin  
1925   Crawshay Frost rents a Costguard cottage for a schoolroom   Crawshay Frost  
1925 -26 Charles Mann was landlord of the Chequers Inn for two years   Charles Mann  
1926   Jack Spitty became landlord of the Chequers   Jack Spitty  
1927   First phase of Maldon Road houses built with new well & pump Selection of Postcards  
1929   Poppy Gardner lost an arm in a accident with a generator at the Rectory Revd. Gardner  
1930 s Barn at Rockleys converted for village drama and operatic society    
1930 s Grass airstrip on the "Rough" used by the Rector's family   Revd. Gardner  
1930 s Lindsay Fitzgerald Hay wrote several novel at Follyfaunts   Local authors  
1933   Dr Salter's diaries were published with many entries about Goldhanger Virtual Library  
1934   H C Frost wrote article in The London Illustrated News on owls Local authors  
1935   Court case held over illegal winkle picking in Creek    
1936   Stanley Wilkin advertising his famous Whippets for sale   Stanley S Wilkin  
1936   An "Appreciation" of Revd. Gardner on his death printed in the Parish Magazine Revd. Gardner  
1937   New bus shelter commemorates King George VI's coronation    
1937   New village hall built in Head Street
 
 
1937   Mains electricity and water supply installed in the village    
1937   Mains electricity installed in church at a cost of ?36    
1937   Coronation celibrations in The Square    
1938   Proposal to demolish 23 cottages is recorded in local paper   Ancient Documents  
1939   Article about Crawshay Frost in local paper   Crawshay Frost  
1940   World War II - search light positioned on cricket pitch   World War II memories  
1940   ME-140 fighter aircraft cashed near Charity Farm    
1940 s First of a series of ancient barns in th evillage were lost   Goldhanger Lost - barns  
1940 s Village Brass Band practice in the Weslyan Chapel    
1941 s Hall Farm barn struck by incendiary, and put out by AFS team World War II memories  
1941   An air-raid shelter was built on the school playground   The School  
1942   Major Bill "Hoppy" Hopwood participated in the St.Nazaire raid   Bill Hopwood  
1942   Boston bomber crashed in the estuary near Lauristons   Archaeology  
1942   Iron railings were removed from churchyard for the war effort    
1942   Spitfire crashed in the estuary off the east end of Osea Island   Archaeology  
1942   The Rector was appointed as an RAF chaplin
 
1942   Contents of the Church insured for ?1000 war damages    
1944   Jack Cohen (TESCO founder) started Goldhanger Fruit Farms Characters  
1945   VE day celebrations were held in The Square  
1946   Major Hay's Ming china was sold at Sotheby's Major L F Hay  
1948   A new rectory built in Church St and the 1850s building sold    
1950 s Village cricket pitch in "The Park" returned to arable land   Goldhanger Lost - cricket  
1950   British Legion Hall built for veterans with local donations    
1950 s The barge called "Snowdrop" hulked in the Creek   Map  
1950 s Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Transport lived in Goldhanger House Sir Gilmour Jenkins  
1950 s Crawshay Frost claimed to find ancient ship in the Creek   Archaeology  
1950 s The council demolished many cottages   Goldhanger Lost - cottages  
1951   Church bells upgraded to a peel of 8
 
Bells  
1951   The old bellframe was made into domestic items   Local sculptures  
1952   Cricket in The Park was discontinued    
1953   Village celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II Coronation...   ...events described here  
1953   The East Coast floods caused breaches of the seawall   Seawall  
1959   Goldhanger Sailing Club formed    
1962   Services ended in the Wesleyan chapel   Wesleyan Chapel  
1964   The nearest railway line closed down   Local railways in the past  
1967   British Legion Hut moved to become Purleigh cricket club hut   More Goldhanger Lost  
1968   Robotic elephants was developed at Folly Faunts, called...   Eletrophants  
1960 s Peter Padfield wrote two books while living in Fish St   Local authors  
1970   The Wesleyan chapel was sold for ?100   More Goldhanger Lost  
1970   Plan for the Wesleyan chapel to be used as a butchers   Plans that never happened  
1970 s Dutch Elm disease changes the local scenery   Nature - lost Elms  
1970 s A young farm worker from village was electrocuted and killed    
1972   BBC TV programme about Osea Is made in the The Chequers   The Chequers Inn  
1974   Alfredo Zomparelli was murdered in Soho while living in Fish St.  
1977   The Queen's Jubilee celebrations held in The Square with a Maypole   in Panoramic scenes & Group-photos  
1977   Jubilee celebrations captured on video...   Jubilee videos  
1977   The Village school closed
 
The School  
1977   The school bell was moved into the church   Hearsay & Folklore  
1977   Planning application to build on the school field   Plans that never happened  
1977   Maura Benham published Goldhanger - An Estuary Village   Maura Benham Book  
1980   The Parish Rooms were leaning and were demolished   Head St  Postcards  
1981   Village party held at Folly Faunts for Charles and Diana's wedding    
1984   The Ernie Johnson bell trophy was presented   Bells  
1985   Jeremy Bamber was arrested in Head St for the murder of his family    
1986   BBC get schoolchildren to record "every day life" of village
 
External Links  
1987   The October storms cause significant damage in the village    
1990   Hall Farm used for the last time as a farmhouse   Church St Postcards  
1990 s Goldhanger History paper archives were formed   Virtual Library  
1990 s An analysis of the Chequers building was undertaken   A history of the building  
1993   Maura Benham wrote the history of the Wesleyan Chapel   Maura Benham  
1998   School re-opens as Wheatlands Nursery    
2000   Two year calendar/booklet records the Millennium   Millennium Calendar  
2000   A new village sign commemorates the Millennium   Local sculptures  
2002   The Queen's Golden Jubilee was celebrated in the village   Jubilee photos  
2002   Jubilee celebrations captured on video...   Jubilee videos  
2002   Cyril Southgate wrote his early memories of Goldhanger   Local authors  
2003   Petrol & service station in Church St closed down
 
 
2003   The Post Office on Maldon Rd closed down    
2003   Friendly Brother 100 year anniversary since reforming   Friendly Brothers society  
2004   Goldhanger Digital Archives created   Virtual Library  
2005   "Funeral of a Bellringer" broadcast on BBC Radio-4   3-min. extracts  
2006   New Maldon Salt works built at Longwick Farm   Salt extraction  
2006   Joe Canning wrote a semi-biographical novel around Goldhanger Local authors  
2006   Ernest Mansfield’s past uncovered Mansfield uncovered  
2007   Conservation area review undertaken by MDC   Conservation Area  
2007   The last Village shop closed down    
2008   Ernie Johnson bellringers trophy was returned to Goldhanger   Virtual Museum  
2009   Goldhanger in the Past went on-line
more about this website  
2009   Sailing Club celebrated its 50th year anniversary External Links  
2010   Community room built onto St Peter's church History of St Peters  
2010   Fish St. Bakery restored as a shop for the Gala Weekend    
2010   Site of Goldhanger Flight Station becomes a farm shop External Links  
2011   "Swedish cottages" on the Maldon Rd replaced   Maldon Rd postcards    
2012   Biography of Goldhanger resident Ernest Mansfield published   Spitzbergen - prospecting for gold  
2012   Diamond Jubilee celebrations in the Village   Jubilee panoramic views  
2012   Jubilee celebrations captured on video...   Jubilee videos  
2012   The village pump in The Square was restored
 
Village pump restoration  
2013   Virtual Museum and Library added to the website   the virtual museum  
2013   Maldon Salt works at Longwick Farm is expanded   Salt extraction  
2013   The Cricketers Inn re-opens with local landlords   The Cricketers Inn  
2013   Salty Dogs Tearoom & Gallery opens in The Square   External Links  
2014   A new plaque was unveiled on the War Memorial   New Plaque  
2015   Plaque was placed at Gardners Farm to record 100 years since the Flight Station opened   Zeppelin Busters  
2016   Salty Dogs Tearoom & Gallery closed down      
2018   Great War 100th anniversary of the Armistice celebrated in the village   Armistice celebration  
2019   The Village Hall extension was opened with a special ceremony   Scenes from the ceremony  
2020   A special booklet was produced in the village for VE-75   in the virtual library  
2020   During Covid-19 lock-down the new village Facebook group became a real asset   Goldhanger Support Group  
2020   VE-75 celebrations in the village during the Covid-19 lock-down   Town Crier video & street scene photos  
2020   Carol singing outdoors in December was one of few options available   Carol singing in The Square  
2021   Goldhanger participated in the worldwide 200th anniversary of the Ellacombe Chimes   Over 120 videos were submitted  
2021   November - Remembrance Day singing outside The Chequers   Remembrance Day singing  
2021   December - Carol singing outside The Chequers   Carol singing  
2021   December - Goldhanger lost one of its most well known and loved characters...   Gwenda Wolstenholme  
2022   June 2-5th - Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th Jubilee celebrations at Goldhanger...   Goldhanger Celebrations  
2022   Sept 8th    - Muffled bells rang out on the death of Queen Elizabeth II...   Muffled bells for the Queen  
2022   Sept 11th  - King Charles III proclamation in The Square...   Proclamation in The Square  
2022   October    - the Church organ was refurbished, rotated and re-decorated...   St-Peters Organ  
2023   May         - the Church weather vane was restored & regilded for the Coronation...   Weather Vane Renovation  
2023   May 6th   - Local celebrations for King Charles III Coronation...   Coronation Celebrations  
2023   December - Twenty four Advent Calendar windows displayed around the village...   Recent memorable scenes  
2024   January    - The Cricketers Inn closed and the building was put up for auction...   History of the Cricketers Inn  
       
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