Step into the Enchanting History of Chrishall in North West Essex
Welcome to Chrishall, a village steeped in history that stretches back to before the Domesday Book was penned. This website serves as your gateway to the rich tapestry of tales and traditions that define our community and its extraordinary inhabitants. Beyond the digital realm, we invite you to explore our delightful Archive, where we curate captivating displays that bring our history to life. Don’t miss out—subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on our events and ongoing research.
Discover What’s On
Join us at our Archive during the summer months, where we open our doors from 2 to 5 PM. Indulge in delicious refreshments as you immerse yourself in our current exhibition, which showcases the fascinating journey of the village hall and its roots as a Methodist Chapel. There are no more planned openings for 2025 but do get in touch if you would like to arrange a private visit – or keep an eye out for new dates for 2026.
Available now!
Available now!The history of Chrishall Village Hall and its background as a Primitive Methodist Chapel. This little booklet may be small but contains a wealth of information and stories about how methodism first came to Chrishall and was so embraced by the community that they contributed every penny they had, practically, to make sure they had their own building to worship in.
Copies are available at the Archive but can be posted out. Please use the contact form on this page to request copies and quote for postage.
Village walks to download
Discover the hidden gems of Chrishall with our curated walking routes. Each path tells a story of our rich history and stunning landscapes. Download our guides and embark on an adventure that connects you with the heart of our community.
Articles to read
Exodus – the Ships
These are the ships that we know took Chrishall people on their way to their new life in Australia. A 'Bark' or 'Barque' was a ship with at least three masts. The Constant The Constant was a 535 tonne Bark built in Durham in 1843, initially as a convict ship. She made...
The Woods Family
The Woods family information is a little scattered but I hope by recording what we have here we might be able to pull it together. There is no doubt about their religion however. The first report I have is from an article written by Margaret Richardson and published...
The Button Family
On Thursday 21st May 1857, Betsey Button and her family boarded The Talbot, a ship that would take them from England to Victoria Australia where they were to make a new life. They arrived in Victoria on Tuesday 25th August 1857[1] with 366 other immigrants to the...
Exodus – Pig stealing, missing brothers and other random facts
While researching Exodus there were a few facts that seemed too interesting to pass over but we haven't found any more details yet. If you have further information on the following please let us know! Ancestry connections show William Harvey and son were sent to...
Mary Ann Wright, Primitive Methodist
The following article appeared in the Spectator and Methodist Chronicle on Wednesday 5 September 1917. "A Methodist Nonagenarian Readers of the "Spectator" will be interested in this photograph of a nonagenarian - a Methodist - Mrs Mary Ann Wright, who was born in the...
James and Sarah Kemp
(Written by Kathy and Mal Kemp of Australia) James Kemp and Sarah Wisbey married on the 20th November, 1847 in Chrishall, England. On 9th January 1851 James (aged 23) and Sarah with their one year old son William, left Plymouth on the ship Wanderer, arriving in South...
Exodus Interactive map
Click on the blue place markers below to find out who lived there. NB: These are general markers to give you a visual impression and are not related to specific addresses. Do zoom in to these maps as several places are quite close and therefore their blue markers are...
Exodus
Welcome to Exodus! - an online exhibition of articles and activities exploring the Chrishall villagers who left the village for Australia in the mid to late 1800s. CAG (Chrishall Archive Group) are very grateful to ALL the people who have contributed to these articles...
Chishill Well and a local water diviner
While rummaging through a file of articles recently I found this fascinating article about the digging of Chishill well. We don't know where the well was, or where Twelve Acres was for that matter. Someone must know?? We also don't know the name of the water diviner...
Updates to existing content:
- June 2025
- April 2025
- Additional material and photo of Mrs Guiver added to the page about Kemps
- Additional material about Nash’s Farmhouse
- Name research on the Hearth Tax details and addition of 1670 return
- January 2025
- Update to the Links page
- January 2024:
- Update to the details of Rev Leachman on the Vicars of Chrishall page
- March 2022:
- October 2022
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- Update to the War Memorial page to include names of local special constables
