Rosemarie
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Chris Cranwell’s Memories of Rabbit Shows
A small pink card with a picture of a rabbit is all we have in the collection now but there was a time when rabbit shows were a big thing in the village. Chris Cranwell, who lived in Crawley End, recalls his memories of keeping rabbits as a boy. “Yes dad and I had the…
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Plants and folklore in village life
I am a keen gardener and love plants and flowers. I am fascinated too by the names and histories of wildflowers, many of which were perceived very differently by our forebears. Common plants we barely glance at today were once revered (or indeed feared) for their religious, magical or healing properties. Did you know, for example, that lady’s…
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Winter Walk links
For those who joined us on the winter walk on 28th December, the following are links to some of the stories we mentioned. (For those who didn’t join us, you might like to read the stories anyway!) Broad Green Farm and the rick fire Old Post Office and shop on the green Jo Hagger, Royal…
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A Chrishall Christmas 1850
Mr Robert Brand lived at Martinholme on the green where he ran the village store. A keen writer he recorded many of his activities, which is how we know what he was doing on Christmas Day one hundred and seventy years ago… “Attended to my home and answered about twenty people that called for trifles…
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The Life and Legacy of Rev. John Horseman
The 10th October 1810 was a Wednesday and although perhaps not a remarkable date in history it was an occasion in Heydon and Little Chishill, for this is the day the new rector arrived, Rev. John Horseman. Rev. Horseman had moved around the country. He was a Fellow of Corpus Christi College Oxford where he was…
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Chrishall in the Second World War
I am writing this article on the 80th anniversary of VE day (8 May 1945) so it seems only fitting to look back on Chrishall’s experience of the Second World War. When I was a child in the 1960s, memories of the war were still vivid and its legacy, the Cold War, very much part of the…
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The 1379 Court Case of John Helion: A Historical Review
I would like to tell you a story around a court case. This is based on the report of an inquisition held at Saffron Walden in 1401 and was a writ for proof of age. Chrishall is at the centre of this story as the case hinges on a baptism held at Chrishall Church and…
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Parish Walk – 18 October 2025
We are joining the Parish Walk on 18th October this year to – endeavour! – to walk round all the parishes. Below are some images that I hope to talk about on the day. The first one below is part of the medieval graffiti from Chrishall Church. You can read more about that by clicking…
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Chrishall Village Archive – a personal view
Chrishall Village Archive – a personal view from a newcomer’s perspective When we think of history we usually think of the history of kings and queens, church and state, wars and conquests. In other words, the history of very big events. But local history, the history of your own village, your street, your house and…
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The inventive Wells family and the tales of Grandad Migs
This article has been written with information provided by Alan Knight in memory of his cousin Margaret Brooks who did extensive research on her family history. Hold onto your hats here as this is a real ‘tour de force’ linking so many of the Chrishall village families! _______________________________________________ Edwin and Ann Wells In the 1881…