The Churches in Ashingdon Parish
There are 4 Churches in the Ashingdon Parish : St Andrew’s Church, The United Free Church beside Ashingdon School, All Saints’ Church in Fambridge Road and another one much closer – the Elim Pentecostal Church on the Hawkwell side of the main road, directly opposite the Ashingdon and Hawkwell Memorial Hall and King George’s Field. The Elim Church now use the Memorial Hall as their church for all services, so they are now truly within our Parish.
People living on the western side of Ashingdon Road up to The Chase and in most of those roads running west from it such as Stanley Road, Clifton Road, York Road, Alexander Road, Albert Road, Wedgwood Way, Lascelles Gardens and all other roads down to opposite Brays Lane and beyond are not in Ashingdon Parish, but they are in Hawkwell Parish. Their parish church would be St Mary's, Hawkwell in Rectory Road.
Parishioners who are Roman Catholic have St Theresa's Church in Ashingdon Road, Rochford as their parish church. Ashingdon Parishioners who live near Hockley would use the Catholic Church in Main Road Hockley.
Other places of worship near Ashingdon : Hawkwell Baptist Church, Rectory Road, Hawkwell; Hockley & Hawkwell Methodist Church, Main Road, Hockley; The Reform Mount Sinai Synagogue, London Road, Westcliff on Sea; Southend & Westcliff Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, Finchley Road, Westcliff on Sea; Rochford Community Church, Russel Grove, Rochford; The Quakers, Dundonald Drive, Leigh on Sea; The Salvation Army, High Street, Rayleigh and Clarence Road, Southend on Sea; The United Reformed Church, Bramerton Road, Hockley.
St Andrew’s Church, or The Ashingdon Minster as it is also known, was built by King Canute, King of England in 1020 after The Battle of Ashingdon. The first parish priest was Stigand who later became Archbishop of Canterbury and crowned both King Harold and King William the Conqueror in 1066, the year of another battle - The Battle of Hastings. Stigand was depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry and the caption in Latin read (in English) : "Archbishop Stigand crowns the king".
The St Andrew's Church started being illuminated at night from the Summer of 2002 and can be seen from many miles away. The priest at St Andrews, Ashingdon, The Reverend Timothy Clay is also the priest for All Saints, South Fambridge, part of Ashingdon Parish and for Canewdon and Paglesham Parish churches.
All Saints' Church in Fambridge Road, South Fambridge is now rather isolated from its village. The church was built in the 1800s, probably on the site of an earlier parish church. The original village of South Fambridge was beside the church, but all of the original houses and farms have now gone. The present village is nearly a mile away to the northwest near some small farms and The River Crouch where the old ferry was located. Services are held occasionally at All Saints' Church.
The Elim Pentecostal Church has an orchestra and frequently plays music in Ashingdon and eleswhere for both church services and concerts. Elim Church carries out the annual Remembrance Day service with the Royal British Legion every Remembrance Sunday.
The United Free Church was completely rebuilt a few years ago and now is a very attractive red brick church replacing a very old corrugated steel building that served for many years as a popular place of worship.
WAR GRAVES
Ashingdon is honoured with the presence of one war grave of a local young man Private Thomas (Tommy) Miller, Royal Engineers who served and died aged 21 years at or near Rochford Aerodrome during the Second World War. Other war graves can be found in Canewdon, Hawkwell, Hockley and Rochford churchyards.
Ashingdon is also the location of a Second World War aircraft crash site where 5 brave young American airmen lost their lives when their USAAF Martin B26 Marauder crashed near Canewdon Road.
THE SAINTS OF ESSEX
Several Saints have a special relationship with the County of Essex, in fact there are 10 Essex saints and they have been especially revered in the county over many centuries.
Essex has been a distinct entity for much more than 2000 years, long before the Romans came. Then it was the Kingdom of The Trinovantes with the only city in the British Isles, Camulotunum (Colchester). It neighboured the Iceni in Suffolk and Norfolk and the Cantii in Kent. After the Romans left in the early 400s, The Saxons came and took the county and it became the Kingdom of The East Saxons including Essex, London, most of Hertfordshire and part of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. They neighboured The Kingdom of The East Angles in Suffolk and Norfolk, The Saxons of Kent, The South Saxons south of the Thames opposite London and The Mercians beyond Watford.
From the earliest times after Christianity came to The British Isles, Christians came to Essex to teach the word of God and bring Christianity to them. The places associated with those saints are Colchester, Othona at Bradwell, Barking, St Osyth and Greensted. Those saints with special connections to Essex are given below.
SAINT HELEN
Saint Helen (or Helena of Constantinople) was born in Colchester in about 250 AD. She was the daughter of King Coel (or King Cole). She was the mother of St Constantine – the Roman Emperor Constantine. St Helen led a pious life and made a pilgrimage to The Holy Land, an adventure unusual for a woman in those days. She is credited with finding Christ's Cross on Mount Calvary. She died in about 330 AD and she is the patron saint of Colchester and of Archaeologists.
Saint Helen’s feast day is 18th August, or 21st May in the Orthodox Church.
Altobello Melone painted St Helen in Palestine in 1490 and there is an icon of her and her son.
SAINT CONSTANTINE
Constantine the Roman Emperor and Saint was born on 27th February 272 AD in Naissus, now Nis in Serbia. He was the son of Saint Helen of Colchester and Constantius. He became the Emperor of Rome on 25th July 306 while he was serving in Britain. He became the first Christian Emperor of Rome. His “Edict of Milan” in 313 AD put an end to the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. He died on 22nd May 337 AD.
Saint Constantine’s feast day is 3rd September and he shares 21st May with his mother.
There is a statue of Emperor Constantine in York and a bust in the Capitoline Museum, Rome.
SAINT CEDD
Saint Cedd was a missionary who landed at Bradwell on Sea in Essex and built St Peter’s Chapel at the Roman Fort of Othona nearby in 643 AD. St Cedd was commissioned by King Oswy of The Northumbrians to convert the East Saxons. St Cedd became Bishop of the East Saxons, He administered his diocese from Ythancestir (Othona Castle or Fort) at Bradwell on Sea, next to the roman fort of Othona. St Cedd was born in about 620 AD and died of yellow fever on 26th October 664 AD. Many of his East Saxon converts believed that the disease and his death was a sign that the old pagan gods were offended by their conversion to Christianity so some reverted to paganism.
Saint Cedd’s feast day is 26th October.
A picture shows the image of Bishop Cedd.
SAINT OSYTH
Saint Osyth was the daughter of Frithwald, a ruler of Mercia. In her youth, she vowed perpetual virginity, but was betrothed against her will to Sighere, the King of the East Saxons. Some say she bore a son and became a nun after Sighere’s death. Others say before the marriage could be consummated, she stole away and took the veil and afterwards obtained an agreement with Sighere to relinquish her marriage. He made her a gift of land in the village of Chich, now known as St Osyth, Essex to maintain a nunnery. She built the nunnery and was the Abbess there until 653 AD when the Danes under Ingwar (Inguar) and Ubba (Hubba) sacked the convent and beheaded her. According to legend, once beheaded, she picked up her head and guided by angels she walked to the church where she knocked on the door and fell prostrate. A fountain sprung up at the spot where she was beheaded and the water was renowned for its restorative properties.
Saint Osyth’s feast day is 7th October.
An illuminated capital in "La Vie Seinte Osith, virge e martir" and a St Osyth Priory window show St Osyth's image.
SAINT ETHELBURGH
Saint Ethelburgh (Æthelburg or Ethelburga) was the sister of Erkenwald (Eorcenwald) the Bishop of London. He appointed her in 661 as the county’s first Abbess of the nunnery at Barking. She led an austere life and obtained veneration after her death in 687 AD. She was buried in barking Abbey.
Saint Ethelburgh’s feast day is 11th October.
SAINT ERKENWALD
Saint Erkenwald (Erconwald or Eorcenwald) was born c. 630 AD and died c. 693 AD. He was Bishop of London in the Anglo Saxon Christian Church between 675 and 693. He was born at Lindsey near Sudbury into the princely Offa family. Erkenwald gave up his share of family money to establish two Benedictine abbeys in 661 AD. They were: Barking Abbey in Essex (the East Saxons Kingdom) for women and Chertsey Abbey in Surrey (part of South Saxons Kingdom) for men. He placed his sister, Ethelburgh at the head of the convent in Barking, while he served as Abbot of Chertsey. In 675, he became the Bishop of London, after Wine. He is also reputed to have converted Sebbi (Seba), king of the East Saxons, to Christianity in 677. Erkenwald died at Barking Abbey in 693 and his remains were buried later at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Saint Erkenwald's feast days are 13th May, 24th April, 30th April, or in England on 14th November.
SAINT EDMUND
Saint Edmund was a King of the East Angles who was born in 841, he was crowned king at Bures St Mary on the Essex border on 25th December 855 and he was killed on 20th November 869 AD in a battle with the Danes. According to legend, he was decapitated and his head was thrown into the forest. When his supporters found his body, they could not find the head, but on shouting out his name, the head replied ' here I am', enabling them to find it. The body was quickly buried and some time later a memorial church was built at Beadoriceworth (Bury, later called Bury St Edmunds). After it was built, his body was exhumed to be taken to Bury and it was found that the head was now firmly attached to the neck and despite a shallow burial, the skin and hair of St Edmund was undamaged as if he was sleeping. The wooden church of Greensted near Ongar in Essex was built in 1013 AD to act as a resting place for the body of St Edmund on his final journey. Since then, Essex has claimed a share in the memory of St Edmund.
Saint Edmund’s feast day is 20th November.
Greensted Church in Essex has a window dedicated to Saint Edmund and there is a detail of him on the Wilton Diptych.
SAINT SIGEBERHT
King Sigeberht II - was also known as Sigeberht the Good or Sigeberht the Blessed. He was King of The East Saxons (or Essex) from 653 to 660 AD. He succeeded his relative King Sigeberht I or Sigeberht the Little and on his death he was suceeded by his brother King Swithelm, who murdered Sigeberht. During his reign as King of The East Saxons, Saint Cedd was sent as a missionary by the Bishop in Northumbria to Essex to convert The East Saxon people to Christianity. Cedd was consecrated as The Bishop of Essex and he established monasteries at Tilaburg, now Tilbury and at Ythancestir, which is Othona Fort or castle near Bradwell on Sea in Essex, all part of Sigeberht's extensive kingdom including Essex, London, Middlesex, Hertfordshire ans parts of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
In 660 AD, Sigeberht was murdered by his brothers Swithelm and Swithfrith, who accused him of being too friendly towards Christians. Sigeberht had converted to Christianity and remained dedicated to his faith.
SAINT SEBBI
King Sebbi (also known as Saint Sebbi) was the joint king of The East Saxons (or Essex) from 664 to 683 AD with his brother Sighere. After Sighere died, Sebbi became sole king of Essex until 694 when he abdicated to enter a monastry. Sighere and Sebbi were cousins of their predecessor, King Swithelm. In 665, Sighere apostasised and returned to paganism, while Sebbi remained a faithful Christian. They soon developed a rivalry. Sighere found an ally in The Kingdom of Wessex and Sebbi found an ally in the Kingdom of Mercia. As a result of their rivalry, King Wulfhere of Mercia tried to establish himself as an overlord of Essex in 665 AD. He sent Jaruman, the Bishop of Mercia, who was assigned to reconvert the people of Essex to Christianity.
In 686 AD, Cædwalla, a Wessex sub-king, tried to establish himself as an overlord of Essex. He and Sebbi invaded Kent, expelling the Kentish King Eadric. As a result, Sebbi ruled over West Kent. It was presumably at this time that King Sebbi founded the original Westminster Abey, London. At that time, all of London and Middlesex was part of the Kingdom of Essex.
Sebbi is believed to have abdicated in 694 AD in order to enter a monastery. He was succeeded by his sons, Sigeheard and Swaefred, who ruled jointly over Essex. Sebbi died in 695 and was buried in the old St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London, where he was revered as a saint.
SAINT JOHN PAINE
John Paine (or Payne) was born in Peterborough in 1532 and may have been a Protestant convert to Catholicism. He went to the English College at Douai, France in 1574. He was ordained priest by the Archbishop of Cambrai on 7th April 1576 after which he went to England with another priest, Cuthbert Mayne. Paine went to stay with Anne Petre, the widow of Sir William Petre at Ingatestone Hall, Essex. She was the daughter of Sir William Browne, Lord Mayor of London. After Paine's arrival, he converted George Godsalve (or Godsalf) to Catholicism. Godsalve had been ordained a deacon in the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary, but had become a Protestant. Paine sent Godsalve to Douai in July 1576 to study for the Catholic priesthood. Paine was arrested at Ingatestone and imprisoned early in 1577, but was soon released and went back to Douai in November. He returned to Ingatestone before Christmas 1579. In July 1581, Paine and Godsalve were arrested in Warwickshire while staying with Lady Petre (widow of John Petre, 18th Baron Petre) and were taken to the Tower of London. Godsalve did not give in, but spent several years in prison. He was released in September 1585 and was banished. He died in Paris in 1592. Paine was tortured on the rack and on 28th March 1581, he was taken from his cell and delivered by Sir Owen Hopton the Lieutenant of the Tower to officers waiting to take him to Chelmsford Gaol. John Paine was indicted at Chelmsford on 22nd March 1582 on a charge of treason for conspiring to murder the Queen and her officers and for trying to instal Mary, Queen of Scots onto the throne of England. Paine denied the charges and declared his loyalty to the Queen, although he confirmed his Catholic faith and allegiance to the Pope. The guilty verdict was a foregone conclusion. At his execution in London on 2nd April 1582, he was dragged from prison on a hurdle to the place of execution. He prayed for half an hour, then kissed the scaffold, then made a profession of faith and declared his innocence. Lord Rich called on him to repent his treason, but Paine denied treason on oath. A Protestant minister shouted a claim that years before, Paine's brother had admitted Paine's treason to him. Paine said that his brother was an earnest Protestant, but even so, he would never swear such a thing. To bear this out, Paine asked that his brother, who was in the locality, be brought, but he was not found in time and the execution proceeded. Paine was turned off the ladder and hanged. The government's intentions for a smooth execution with minimum trouble and maximum propaganda value had failed. Indeed, the crowd became so sympathetic to Paine that they hung onto his feet to speed his death and prevent the pain of the quartering until he was dead. The incompetent executioner Simon Bull was rebuked by the crowd for dithering over the quartering in case Paine revived and would suffer more.
John Paine was one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII on 29th December 1886 and was canonised on 25th October 1970.
LOCAL SAINTS
If Ashingdon were to have a patron saint it would be - Saint Andrew, the same as Scotland, because our church is dedicated to him, (unless the original Ashingdon Minster was dedicated to another saint).
In neighbouring parishes : Rochford is also dedicated to - Saint Andrew. South Fambridge is dedicated to - All Saints. North Fambridge is dedicated to - Holy Trinity. Canewdon is dedicated to - Saint Nicholas. Hawkwell is dedicated to - St Mary. Hockley is dedicated to - Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
A little further away : Southend on Sea is dedicated to - St Mary (Prittlewell). Rayleigh is dedicated to - Holy Trinity. Great Stambridge is dedicated to - Saint Mary and All Saints. Hullbridge has no parish church because it was part of Hockley Parish.
Our County of Essex is one of only 11 English counties with a patron saint, ours is - Saint Cedd. There are very few towns in England with a patron saint, but 2 are in Essex. Colchester - Saint Helen; Brentwood - Saint Thomas a Becket. London - is Saint Paul.
Saint Cedd - is the patron saint of : Essex
Saint Helen - is the patron saint of : Colchester
Saint Edmund - is the patron saint of : East Anglia and the East of England Region
Saint George - is the patron saint of : England
Saint Catherine - is the patron saint of : Europe
