Ask the Society

We regularly receive emails asking about specific properties, or when some one has been tracing a family tree they are then often interested to know where the family member may have lived and we try to answer as far we we can or maybe suggest a source of information. These queries can of course take a lot of time to research (and most of us have day jobs!) but it may be one of our members can help provide an answer. So we are going to post some of the questions and answers here as it may help others to find information or even the answer to their query.

So if you have a question you think the Society could help on then email to the address below and likewise if you can shed more light on an answer too!   

Email: ab.townley@care4free.net   

Latest questions:

View of Quaker Meeting House from High St with graveyard in front - see question below

I have recently taken ownership of the Old Quaker Meeting House in Kelvedon and I wonder if you could tell me more about it please?

Answer: Yes. It was built around 1677 (some notes show early C18th) and used every Sunday for worship until 1920's by which time the Friends (Quakers) had either died or left the area. It is in red brick Flemish Bond roofed with handmade red plain tiles. It also contains some crown glass. The Friends Meeting House has its own burial ground, part of which can be seen from the High St and the remainder behind the house Heigaines. The Friends Local Meeting was established in 1711. (Further details were provide to the new owner including Listed Building details).  

Kelvedon High St middle part in the 1900's - see question below on St Andrews

I have recently moved into St Andrews, High St, Kelvedon, I am trying to find out more about its history, can you help please? I have heard it used to be a Post Office is that true?

Answer:  Yes to both questions. St Andrews was a Post Office around 1910 before it moved across the road to the block that now houses the Off Licence. There is a book in Kelvedon Library called 'Further Memories of Feering and Kelvedon 1900-1918' and it mentioned in the book both as the Post Office. Your house even has a staring role on the front cover of the book too.  It is also mentioned in the book 'Personal Memories of Feering and Kelvedon 1900-1914. The property was also a Gents Outfitters too. As for the house is appears to date from C17th and the front door case and the wall paintings are key features as you are aware.

I have recently moved into Clarkes Farm. I am trying to find out more about its history, can you help please?

Answer: Yes we can. Clarkes Farm is shown as originally being part of the Manor of Church Hall but has also links to Felix Hall too. Over the centuries its size seemed to have changed as often as its owners and along with the connections to both Felix and Church Hall finding out its full history will be link a jigsaw puzzle as often it may be on old maps but with no name shown. Records do show that in 1701 John Clarke had the area and so maybe this is where it name originates.In 1802 is was in the possession of John Grimwood and 141 acres. As for the house itself, it appears to date from the C17th but much altered. Around 1919 there was a fire which destroyed one wing which was rebuilt. There is also suggestion that it was moated to at one time.

Feering and Kelvedon Museum archives also containing some old documents deposited by Mr Cullen (a previuos owner) which may be of interest to you covering its history and the associated buisness in the past 100 years.

I meet the owner and went armed with some old images and notes on the building. The owner had also made enquiries and had found some interesting information about Major John Augustus Samuel Hawkins, who owned the property following his return from India where he was in the East India Company from 1823 - 58 (his brother was the Rev Dennis Hawkins of Rivenhall Church). It is always so good to be able to exchange information and as ever its shows the more you find out the more you don't know! Anne Townley     

Do you know anything about the observatory that is marked on the OS map of 1881 at the rear of the vicarage in Kelvedon?

Answer: Simple answer is no but I am intrigued as someone else recently asked about the Raven family (the well known Quaker family from Feering who lived on Feering Hill in very close proximity to the house in question). On the internet someone researching the Smee family which would appear to have connections to the Ravens had posted up a picture of a telescope dated 1851 asking if anyone knew about it as it had Smee inscribed on it. It would appear that the Smee family had some very  prominent people in its past and one of those was a senior person at Greenwich. A coincidence maybe? I wonder? If anyone can shed any more light on this please contact the society as its has us wondering now!   

My family owned Kelvedon Hall at the turn of the 19th/20th century. Do you have any information on it please?

Answer: No sorry I have little information because for many years Kelvedon Hall has been outside the Kelvedon Parish boundaries in Great Braxted. However, I would warn that when undertaking your research take great care as you could get information crossed over as it would appear your family also owned property in Kelvedon Hatch (which is near Brentwood) but both sites have similar names. So if the documents refer Kelvedon Hall and also Great Braxted (where it is located) and Messing its the one here but if they refer to Kelvedon Hall but then Doddinghurst its the other house near Brentwood.        

I live in Australia and researching my family tree but find that some youg members of the family suddenly moved from the poor part of the East End of London (they were Irish immigrants) to Kelvedon to a convent. Do you know of a convent in Kelvedon? I would love any snippets you could provide to help me understand how they came to move there. Thank you.

Answer: Yes. There was a convent in Kelvedon and an extract from a local article on a fire there in 1886 may also shed some light on how the girls came to be there too. 'A fire broke out at St Josephs Orphanage Kelvedon now a branch of a convent in Commercial Rd London, occupied by the Sisters of Mercy for the education of poor girls of London'. It was this fire that lead the villagers to decide that they wanted a fire service. This they went onto achieve.

I sent the enquirer pictures of the convent both then and today along with the article but if anyone could tell me if there are records anywhere of the girls that stayed at the orphanage I would be grateful Anne Townley  

I am trying to trace the house my family lived in the 1800's in Kelvedon. I am looking for a John Hicks who had been a groom for the  Duke of Norfolk at Arundal and who around 1851-61 moved to Kelvedon. The 1871 Census shows he lived in the High St and as a retired grocer and draper but its logged as schedule no 53. Given the other numbering not relating to the actual house numbers and that the numbers are in reverse from the current numbers can you help please?

Answer:

From the discussion that took place with the enquirer following this request, it would appear Mr Hicks propably lived in the vicinity of the middle of the High Street around where the Off Licence now is. However there were a number of cottages on both sides of the road at that point in the 1800's (some further along the same terrace as the George pub and others opposite) that could have been the house in question and at this time it is not possible to identify which one. However continued reseach at the Essex Records Office should help tease out more information to support that recorded in the census and pin the actual property. If any one else can shed light on this mystery please contact the society.  

Can you tell me which houses in Kelvedon and Feering were Dr Barnardos Homes during the early 1950's please?

The answer:

 White Barn and Farm Hill were Dr Barnardos homes at that time and both are now private houses along the Coggeshall Rd. They were considered to be 'show homes' and anyone donating large sums of money or a famous person donating to the organisation were shown around these particular houses. Princess Margaret paid a visit. Click on the following link to the Pathe News website to see some footage from 1956 of childrens with animals from the PDSA at the homes: Pathe News