Characters from the past
Local
authors are described separately - here recently added characters
are at the end of the page here >>> arranged approximately chronologically |
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The Higham Family In the 15th and 16th
centuries several generations of the Higham family resided at Highams
Farm.
They were involved with both St Peters Church and St. Nicholas Church, Tolleshunt
Major, and there are family tombs and brass effigies in both Churches.
More
about. . . The Higham Family
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Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk |
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The Duke of Suffolk was given the Manor for Little Totham with
Goldhanger and Fawlty, now Vaulty Manor, by
Henry VIII in the 1530s just after the reformation, and was therefore Lord of
the Manor for Goldhanger at the time. Charles Brandon had three wives - two
of them at the same time, and one of them was Henry VIII's sister. More about. . . Charles Brandon |
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The Coe-Coape
and Coape-Arnold families |
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Coe-Coape and Coape-Arnold families were owners of land and properties in and around Goldhanger between the 16th and 20th century, including... Vaulty Manor, Follyfaunts, Cobbs, Hall & Gardner's Farms More about. .
. these families |
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Jacob Mickelfield, Clockmaker Clockmaker Jacob Mickelfield lived and worked in The Square in the mid 1700s and is known to have built several clocks at that time, which are inscribed on the dial with. . . Jacob Mickelfield Goldhanger More
about. . . Jacob Mickelfield |
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William Bentall |
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William Bentall lived at Cobbs
Farm in the 1790s and was the inventor of the Goldhanger plough and founder
of Bentalls Engineering Ltd., Heybridge. His original ploughs were made by
the Goldhanger blacksmith but within a few years their reputation led to a
demand from other farmer and Bentall opened a small foundry and smithy on
land opposite his farmhouse. The reputation of the plough for excellence grow
and Bentall moved his business to be near the recently opened Chelmer and
Blackwater canal at Heybridge, so that the raw materials could be brought
directly up the canal to his works. More about . . William Bentall |
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Revd. Charles Brian Leigh The Revd C B Leigh was
rector of Goldhanger and Lt Totham for 47 years from 1846 to 1893. In that time
he was responsible for building a new rectory (now called Goldhanger House),
the village school and substantially re-furnishing St Peters Church. To achieve this he employed the
now famous ecclesiastical architect Ewan Christian who designed the house,
and possibly the school and the Church refurbishment. A substantial amount of
his families fortune was spent on these projects and the rector was declared
bankrupt in 1891 just before retiring. More about. . . Revd C B Leigh |
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Revd. William James Jay |
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The Revd. Jay was the
Goldhanger
curate between 1847 and 1849. He subsequently joined the East India Company,
went to India and taught the young Maharajah Duleep Singh. Later in life he
became rector of Elveden near Thetford when the Maharajah Singh came to
England and lived at Elveden Hall and the Maharajah became a close friend of
Queen Victoria. More about. . . Revd. W J
Jay This
window in St Catherines College Chapel, Cambridge commemorates the life of
Revd. Jay. . . |
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The Gurton Family Several members of the Gurton family
lived in and around the village in the 18th and 19th centuries and are now noted
for their association with a non-conformist chapel that was in Goldhanger parish at time. A Family member
also created a charitable that still operates. more about... . The Gurton Family and Gurton Trust |
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Teacher Lily |
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"Teacher Lily",
alias Lily Clark taught in the village school for 43
years. On her retirement in 1939 the village presented her with a comfortable
chair and a plaque, which is shown in Goldhanger Documents from the past (the 1939
entry). |
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John Sydney Wakelin Killed in action with the 10th Battalion
Essex Regiment in the Great War on 24 March 1918,
aged 27. He was one of nineteen Goldhanger men who lost their lives in that
war and are commemorated on the War Memorial in
the front of St Peters. He is also commemorated in the window on south wall
of St Peters, and on the Pozieres Memorial. His family
lives at Follyfaunts Farm. |
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Revd. Fredrick Gardner |
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Rector of Goldhanger and
Lt Totham from 1893 to 1936, he was the last of the prosperous rectors to
hold the Perpetual Advowson of the joint Goldhanger and Little Totham
Benefice, owning the Rectory and the surrounding Glebe land. Despite suffering from
motor neuron disease for much of his life he was a great traveller and one of
the group of Goldhanger residents who went to Spitzbergen
several times to prospect for minerals from 1904 onwards. He was a man of
strong convictions, preaching from his wheelchair in St
Peters Church and writing in the parish magazine with great passion. He
lost one of his sons in the Great war and was largely responsible for the
building of what The East Angian Times in 1939 referred to as the impressive and noble war memorial in
front of the Church. More
about. . . Revd. F T Gardner |
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Taffy
Norton Taffy Norton
was a Goldhanger Coastguard. His son became the Baker at No.2 Fish Street and
some of his decendants remain in the village. |
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Charles
Mann |
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Charles Mann
lived in The Square from 1900 to the 1950s and
was one of the group of Goldhanger residents who travelled to Spitzbergen several times to prospect for gold
around 1907. Later was chairman of the Parish Council, a lifelong
bellringer, tower captain, school manager, builder, undertaker and landlord
of The Chequers in 1926. More about. . . Charles Mann, . . .and see: Funeral of a Bellringer |
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John Veitch John Veitch was the Goldhanger Head Coastguard. His sword remains in the hands of his family. |
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Charles
Page
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Charles Jacob Page was a
member of a local farming family who spent all his life farming Old Rectory Farm and Highams
Farm. Over a period of 40 years heeveloped a soft fruit orchard in the
centre of the village. Charles had a strongst in cars and mechanical devices,
and was said to be the first person to own an automobile in the
village. More about. . . Charles Page |
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Frank Wellington Frank
Wellington probably never lived in Goldhanger, however he was related to
several members the Page family who were Goldhanger farmers and was a frequent
visitor. He is perhaps best known in the village through the picture that
hangs in The Chequers. In the early 1900s he was a well know vehicle
manufacturer, dealer and motor racing enthusiast. More about. . . Frank Wellington |
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Major Bill Hopwood
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Bill Hopwood participated
in the raid on St Nazaire in 1942. The
raid was successful in demolishing the large lock-gate, but the lives of many
British commandos were lost. Hopwood survived, was captured and spent the
rest of the war as a POW. He later married Winsome Page of the Old Rectory.
After his death the family donated his medals and papers to the Chelmsford
museum. Today there are many references to Lieutenant “Hoppy” Hopwood on
websites and in books that describe that raid. More about. . . Bill Hopwood |
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Jack Spitty
was the Landlord of the Chequers Inn at Goldhanger
between 1926 and 1953. However, he was much better know throughout East Anglia
as an accomplished and popular bargeman who won many trophies as captain of
the barge Edith May. More
about. . . Jack Spitty |
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Maud McMullen
Maud and Alex McMullen
lived at Follyfaunts
and then Rockleys between 1930 and the 1950s. Maud is best known locally for
her involvement with the Goldhanger Players drama group. More about.... Maud
McMullen |
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Canon Francis Dobson
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Father Dobson was very
well know in the Essex Catholic community for a large part of the 20th
century. He was born into a farming family at Hall Farm,
Church Street, Goldhanger in 1909. While part of the Brentwood Dioceses he
established a Travelling Mission.
Using his black Austin motor car Fr Dobson visited the parts of Essex most
distant from a Catholic church and celebrated Mass in village halls, private
homes and public houses. The British Legion hut in Fish St was used for this
purpose. As Canon of Brentwood and Kelvedon (1972-1986) he built the
chapel-of-ease in Tiptree. He also published short studies of the history of
two of the parishes in which he served, Westcliff-on-Sea and Kelvedon. More about. . . Canon
Francis Dodson |
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Stanley Wilkin As a member of the Tiptree
family of Wilkin & Sons and a company director, Stanley managed Bounds Farm from 1920 to 1946. He not only
developed and maintained the fruit orchards for the company business but also
bred many pedigree and thoroughbred animals and birds over the years
including horses, dogs, pigs, sheep, cows, chickens and ducks. However, he became best
known as an international breeder of Whippets. He was an enthusiastic support
and benefactor of the Goldhanger Wesleyan Chapel and its last preacher. As
a keen horseman and member of the local hunt, he was frequently seen riding
his mount to the Chapel and to the factory at Tiptree. More about. . . Stanley S Wilkin |
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Harold
Emeny
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Harold Emeny was the
village blacksmith in the
early part of the 20th century, who lived and worked in Church
Street opposite the Cricketers Inn, and was part of a long running family of
blacksmiths. His father, James George Emeny was the blacksmith before him
blacksmith and John Emeny is also listed in the 1914 Kellys Directory as a
carpenter. Harold was succeeded by his son, who ran the business as
Agricultural Engineers until the 1980s. |
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Sir Jack Cohen
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Jack Cohen lived at Little London Farm (within Goldhanger parish)
from the early 1940s to the late 50s. From there he created and developed a
canning factory in Tolleshunt Major called Goldhanger Fruit Farms before
opening his first supermarket in Maldon in 1956 and from that beginning went
on to build the vast TESCO supermarket chain. More about. . . Farms - Little London, and. . . Sir Jack Cohen |
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Ernie Johnson
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Ernie Johnson was a member
of a long established Goldhanger family and became an exceptional local bellringer and well know throughout Essex as he used his motorcycle to travel all
over the county to ring. The "Johnson
Trophy" was named after him, and is still used for bellringing
competitions today. He was also secretary of the Cricket Club. |
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Harry Appleton
Harry was an accomplished bellringer and bell Tower Captain for a short. He was also a wonderful story teller and beguiled an audience in The Chequers with his reminiscences of his time in the Merchant Navy in WW-2 on convoys in arctic waters taking vital suppliers to Russia. |
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Sir Gilmour Jenkins, K.C.B., K.B.E., M.C
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Sir Gilmour
Jenkins lived at Goldhanger House in the 1950s and 60s, and was Permanent
Secretary of State for Transport and Civil Aviation. He was president of the
Institute of Marine Engineers in 1953 and Chairman of the NATO Board on Ocean
Shipping. During WW-1 he was awarded
two Military Crosses for services to the army. He was an accomplished
baritone singer, and Vice-President and then Chairman of the Royal Academy of
Music. More
about. . . Sir Gilmour Jenkins |
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Ron Wells Ron created and ran the Maldon Agricultural & Domestic Museum at Four Winds in Church
Street. |
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Bernard Mann Bernard was
an accomplished bellringer and the bell tower captain
for many year, having taken over from his father Charles Mann. He was
responsible for refurbishing and upgraded the tower to a peal of 8 in the
1950s, and was Secretary of the Essex Bellringing Association for many years.
He was the local builder, carpenter and undertaker, and the son of Charles Mann. See also: Funeral
of a Bellringer |
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George Abrey |
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George Abrey
was Postmaster and village store keeper on the Maldon Road between the 1970s
and 1990s. |
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Peter d'Adehmar Peter lived in the Old Parsonage in Head
Street. He was a retired banker, a local philanthropist, Essex Air Ambulance
fund raiser and supported young handbell ringers by purchasing additional
handbells . |
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John lived
most of his life at Bounds Farm, and was
managing director of Wilkin & Sons of Tiptree and grandson of the Company
founder. In support of his father, Stanley Wilkin he
played the organ in the Wesleyan Chapel for over 16 years. He
also played in the village Brass band that was based in the Chapel. He hosted
a boxing club at Bounds Farm, played in the Cricket Club and was a strong
supporter of the Sailing Club. He was a well known
local artist and member of the Art Society. |
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Jean & Barry Rose Jean & Barry lived at Hall Farm, and farmed the land in the middle and
around the village between 1952 and 1990, and were founding partners and
directors of the agricultural consortium, North Maldon Growers. They were both
great supporters of Goldhanger Sailing Club and members still compete for the
Barry Rose Plate. They were also founder members of the Blackwater Bridge
club. They donated the land and small wood behind the village hall and funded
a refurbishment of the hall. Jean and Barry were super hosts and Hall Farm
was the scene of regular parties and all kinds of gatherings. |
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Eva Blighton |
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Eva was a founder member
and the first secretary of the local W.I. She was accomplished cook and
always contributing to village sales and Bazaars. She enjoyed fundraising,
she would hold coffee mornings in her garden to help the village hall. For
many years she was the church caretaker. She was born in 1907 and for many
years was the oldest resident of the village, living to the age of 102. |
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Oliver Warin Oliver was a geologist,
and an accomplished musician and artist, who spent his childhood in
Goldhanger. His mother was the village school
headmistress. He went to Maldon Grammar school, and, Cambridge University,
where he gained a degree in geology. His career in mineral exploration led to
him becoming a world-renowned expert in that subject. He died at his home in
California in 2008. More about. . . Oliver Warin |
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Kate Wright |
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Kate was Organist and
Choir Master in St Peters Church up until her sad
premature death in 2009. Kate had trained as a school teacher, but her
greatest passion was music. She had a lovely voice and was a member of the Camerata Singers. She also played the
piano very well and for many years gave private piano lessons to young people
at her home. |
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Julian Jenkinson Julian Jenkinson lived at Follyfaunts for over 30 years, and was
Chairman of Verine Products. He and
his wife Dian opened the gardens Follyfaunts each summer for charity and for
special village events. |
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Pat Bunting |
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Pat was a member of the
local Bunting family and farmer of Highams Farm
all his working life. He was also a keen sailor. |
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Jenny Green Jenny Green, ne Bunting,
1951-2013, was the daughter of Pat, grew up at Highams Farm and became a very
successful dingy sailor. In later life suffered from motor neurone disease
and raised tens of thousands of pounds for that charity. |
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Cecil Chaplin |
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Cecil was born in Fish
Street, lived all his live in the village and worked for several local
farmers, including Charles Page. He built up a large
collection of documents associated with local history and these remain with
his family. He who was the secretary of the Friendly
Brothers for over 50 years |
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Rosemary Mann Rosemary was
a village school teacher, the wife of Bernard Mann, the builder, undertaker, and
Belltower Captain who lived at Sunnyside in The Square until the 1990s. Rosemary's voice can be
heard on the BBC programme Funeral of a Bellringer |
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Allan Hunter |
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Allan Hunter farmed Beckingham Hall Farm for over 50 years before
handing the farm over to his son and moving to Fish Street. He also farmed
other land along the perimeter for Goldhanger Parish including lands at
Lauristons Farm. Allan was a very active member of many Goldhanger and local
clubs and societies, and a keen sailor. Several years ago Allan kindly
provided members of the history group with information about the history of
Beckinhham Hall, its association with local
author the Revd Dr Daniel Williams, his library
still in London and the doctor's involvement in the New England Company. |
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Kenny Chaplin Kenny was the Goldhanger Postman and newspaper
delivery man, who made the daily journey over to Osea
Island on his bicycle to collect and deliver mail for many years. |
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Derrick &
Margery Bailey |
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Derrick & Margery lived in The Square for 40
years, having converted the former shop into their beautiful period home.
They were both fully involved in village life, including Church activities,
Sailing Club, W.I., Friendly Brothers, Jubilee celebrations and more. |
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Geoff &
Ann Appleton Geoff was born and lived all his life in the
village and was a carpenter working for Sadds and then for Charles and
Bernard Mann. Ann was proud of her Maldon past and her days as a Maldon Ladies
football club player. |
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Tony Moore |
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Tony lived in Fish St for over 60 years, was a
enthusiastic member of the Sailing Club, a keen amateur photographer who made
a major contribution to the Millennium Calendar
and was a dog lover. |
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Ken Perry After military service in the Royal Air Force, Ken
gained an apprenticeship with Marconi Company in Chelmsford and he stayed
until retirement. Ken was a Chartered Engineer and a full member of the
Institution of Electrical Engineers. Over
the Horizon Radar was his speciality which detects and tracks low flying
aircraft and ships well below the horizon. His major success came in 1985 when
Marconi won a contract from the Australian authorities to install his system
at Jindalee, Alice Springs, that is still in use today(2015). Ken was a bellringer and
for 15 years the Tower Captain at St. Peters Church.
On occasions when not enough ringers were available he would use the Ellacombe chimes to play hymns on the bells. |
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Ken encouraged and trained
many new and young ringers. He managed the ringing for all the services,
arranged concerts musical events and acted as stand-in organist. Ken fully
utilised his musical, engineering and managerial talents. At home he had a
Hammond organ which was played enthusiastically to the delight of passersby
who would sit on the low wall at his Fish Street cottage. See: Alice Springs News article and Funeral
of a Bellringer |
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Ron Cook |
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Ron was an enthusiastic
supporter of local good causes and clubs. Having been brought up in Heybridge
he was involved in many Maldon based groups, such as Round Table, the
Cavaliers, the Carnival committee and Rotary Club. In recent years Ron helped
form a new Rotary Club in Heybridge. In his younger days he was a keen
footballer, playing for Heybridge Swifts for many years. For many years he was a
member of the Parish Council and for a period was Vice Chairman. For ten
years he was a highly active and dedicated member of the Village Hall Management
Committee and its Chairman. |
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More recently Ron helped
to re-instate indoor carpet bowls and the dancing classes in the Village
Hall. Dancing was always one of Ron's passions. Ron was a founder member
of the Goldhanger Sailing
Club, later taking the roles of Treasurer and Commodore. Many will
remember Ron as Scoutmaster of the Tolleshunt D'Arcy Scout Group. He was
Chairman of the 2002 Goldhanger Jubilee celebrations committee and a member
of both the 1977 and 2012 Jubilee
committees. Ron was deeply involved
with St Peters Church and a long-standing member
of the PCC. He was a regular 'MAP' lay preacher in the Church and played a major
role in the financing, development and day-to-day running of the Community
Room. He was also a very keen bellringer and a member of the Friendly Brothers. |
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Victor Marigold Victor reached the rank of
Major in the British Army before joining Lloyds Bank and the Access Credit
Card Co. in Southend. He retired to Goldhanger in the 1980s. |
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Mick West |
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Mick was a professional guitar player and composer who played with many top bands during his long career. Perhaps best known in Goldhanger for his windsurfing ability, he originally moved to Fish St. for the fishing, but became hooked on windsurfing. More about... Mick West the
professional guitar player. |
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Fred Halls Fred was well known as the
very helpful last Post Master to run the village post office on the Maldon Road
in the 1990s. Fred was a keen Freemason and he used his artistic skills to
produce many Lodge banners and artefacts. |
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Denis Chaplin |
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Denis lives all his life
in the village. He was brought up by Teacher Lily in Fish St. went to the
village school and then worked on local farms. He had a passion for sport: Football - he was captain
of Goldhanger Wanderers Cricket - he was secretary
of Goldhanger Cricket Club Bowls - he was a founder
member of the Village Hall Bowls Club Sailing In retirement Denis was
well known as a local gardener. More about . . Denis Chaplin |
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Steve Wynne Steve grew up in Liverpool
and was involved in shipping from an early age. It led on to him running his
own successful business in Colchester and he moved to St Peters Close with
his family. He was always a keen and accomplished Golfer. |
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Mike Webster |
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Mike served in the Royal
Navy and gained a lifelong passion for sailing. A career in the wood industry
led to his other hobby in retirement of carpentry. As a keen member of the
Sailing Club he was well known for helping others using these skills. |
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Lottie Smith Lottie lived all her life in
the village. Her father, Taffy Norton was a Coastguard and she was brought up
in the Coastguard Cottages and
attended the village school. She started work on the
land during WW-2, working on Osea Island and
at Bounds Farm until her 80s. Her brother, Fred Norton was the last village
baker at 2 Fish St. She travelled many times to Africa with her husband
Frank, who worked for Bentalls at Heybridge, and to France to visit her
daughter and grandchildren. In total, she had 9 grandchildren and 7 great
grandchildren. |
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Mike Porter |
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Mike retired to Hatters
Lodge in The Square after a career in the family transport business. These photos tell all... |
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Andrew Christy Andrew was Parish clerk
for Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Maldon and Burnham Standard community news correspondent
and Goldhanger Village Hall booking officer. He was also a keen supported of
many Goldhanger groups: the History Group, the Classic Car Club, the Jubilee
choir and the “Goldhanger Boys” male choir. He was a dog lover and
birdwatcher, probably inherited from his ancestors and ornithologist Miller Christy, as Andrew was a member of this
long-established Essex Quaker family. |
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David Webb |
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As a director of Unilever
David’s career took him around the world. However, in retirement he enthusiastically
enjoyed life in the local community.
He was a staunch supporter of St Peters Church and one of its first
lay preachers. He was a keen sailor and member of both Goldhanger Sailing
Club and the Blackwater Sailing Club. He lived at Goldhanger House, the former rectory and had a strong interest in
local history. David wrote a poem for the bellringers
which is given on the history of St Peters bells
webpage for 2006. |
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Diana Jenkinson Diana was a very keen
gardener and developed a beautiful garden at her home, Follyfaunts. With her husband, Julian the garden
was regularly opened in the summer months for charitable events such as Red
Cross days and for special village activities. Diana was a keen supporter of
St Peters Church and for many years organised the flower arranging. |
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Gordon Wright |
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Gordon had
a life-long connection with boats, fishing and sailing. He came from a long
line of Maldon fishermen, his father was a Maldon boatbuilder and Gordon was
also a boatbuilder and carpenter who ended his career in Sadds. |
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He moved
to Goldhanger and lived near The Square with his wife Kate
until her sad
and premature death in 2009. Early in 2018 Gordon’s knowledge of the
Blackwater and local commercial fishing greatly helped the creation of a new
webpage within this site entitled... |
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Phil Glover Phil was
Landlord of The Chequers from 2002 until 2019. He
managed the bar, while business partner Dom ran the restaurant. Phil was
always a colourful character, known for his ability to entertain, for his
jokes and sense of sarcasm. He was always keen to participate in village
events such as the Jubilee celebrations, annual Gala Weekends and Village
Hall activities. He was treasurer of the Friendly
Brothers and hosted their annual dinner in the Chequers at Christmas.
Here are some photos of... Phil at his best |
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John Pearson |
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John was
a retired army officer who developed his hobby of daffodil hybridisation into
a business. He lives at Hofflands on Little Totham Road where his several
acres of land gave him ample opportunity to indulge in his passion. He named
one of his prize specimens "Goldhanger" which has been exhibited
and sold around the world. In 2004 he produced a catalogue of his products which had
80 types of daffodil on offer. Follyfonts drive is
still lined with John's daffodils. |
the Goldhanger dafffodil |
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Eileen Southgate For many
years Eileen was the secretary of Goldhanger village
school and is well known to many locals who attended the school. After
retirement she and her husband Cyril
moved to Tiptree to be close to their family. In a photo of the 1977 Jubilee celebrations Eileen
can be seen (in a head scarf) organising the school children’s May pole
dance. |
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Bob Smith |
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After
retirement Bob became a popular member and enthusiastic supporter of the
Jubilee Choir, the Shanty singers, the allotment association, bowls club,
sailing club, churchyard mowers and more. |
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