During the 1990s I set about recording memorials and rolls of honour, commemorative plaques, stained glass and other objects, war graves and other gravestone inscriptions dedicated to the dead of the Boer War, both World Wars and other 20th Century conflicts. The area of concentration was the old Rochford Hundred and some contiguous parishes from the eastern edge of the adjoining Barstable Hundred - between the rivers Crouch and Thames north and south and from Foulness to Wickford, Pitsea and Canvey Island east and west.
The recordings include a description and assessment of condition of the memorial and its setting, together with other pertinent details, together with the Ordnance Survey map reference. I made a full transcript of all lettering, including names of individuals, all laid out, wherever possible, in close approximation to the original, with notes on lettering styles, symbols, etc. In many cases one or more photographs were taken to support the record.
The memorials and places covered are outlined below. The vast majority of names recorded are from the First World War (the Great War) and a database of these names is maintained. (All the World War II names are, of course, included in the ROERDOWW2 Index, usually in the 'unvetted' database). You are welcome to email me at: esx at goring1941 dot freeserve dot co dot uk ('tweak' the foregoing to turn it into a real e-mail address) and ask if any particular name is included in the listings made so far.
I am no longer able to undertake the work on the scale at which I began, although any opportunity that does present itself will certainly be taken. And as it seems unlikely I will be able to present any of the recordings on this site, as the ROERDOWW2 index takes up more and more time, I have begun passing over all the transcripts I have made to the Roll of Honour Project, which is dedicated to honouring those who Fell in 20th Century wars by recording and where possible photographically illustrating war memorials. This is a nationwide project and already they have a number of Essex memorials covered, mostly with colour photos of the site and close-ups of the name panels, plus a listing of all the names and in some cases detailed notes about most of those listed. As this is written in July 2005, Roll of Honour has already posted my 1,100+ name transcript of the Southend-on-Sea County Borough Roll of Honour for both World Wars (the original is mounted on a wall of The Refectory building in the Museum complex in Priory Park) along with other memorials from the county in its Essex section at www.roll-of-honour.com/Essex/index.html
Nonetheless, I shall be very pleased to receive details of memorials, graves, etc. not listed below, even if you are only able to advise that one exists in such-and-such a place (but the more detail you can provide, including any names to contact to arrange access, the better). Please e-mail me as above, or write to 5 Craven Close, Hawkwell, Rochford, Essex SS4 3DD. In particular, I need to know about memorials in non-conformist churches and chapels, schools, community halls, sports centres, clubs, offices, factories and other commercial premises. I will, of course, pass on any information to the Roll of Honour website.
South-East Essex War Memorials, Rolls of Honour, graves, etc. recorded by Richard Goring as at 1 Sep 2001 Note: not all these are yet typed-up and checked, so not all are available as copies Ashingdon, St Andrew - church only - churchyard still to be done Barling Magna, All Saints - church & churchyard (incl. parish war memorial) Canewdon, St Nicholas - church & churchyard Eastwood, St Lawrence & All Saints - church & churchyard Foulness Island, St Mary & All Saints - church & churchyard Great Stambridge, St Mary & All Saints - church & churchyard Great Stambridge, Memorial Hall - plaque Great Wakering, Methodist - church (no charchyard) Great Wakering, Royal British Legion Club memorial room (both World Wars) Great Wakering, Memorial Hall - Roll of Honour (both World Wars) Great Wakering, St Nicholas - church & churchyard (incl. parish war memorial) Great Wakering, URC - church (no churchyard) Hadleigh, St James the Less - church & churchyard Hadleigh, Parish War Memorial Hadleigh, Salvation Army Citadel - church (no churchyard) Hawkwell, St Mary - church & churchyard Hockley, Sts Peter & Paul - church & churchyard Little Wakering, St Mary the Virgin - church & churchyard Leigh-on-Sea, St Clement - church & churchyard Leigh-on-Sea, Leigh Road Baptist - church (no churchyard) Leigh-on-Sea, Wesley Methodist - church (no churchyard) North Shoebury, St Mary the Virgin - church and churchyard Paglesham, St Peter - church and churchyard Prittlewell, St Mary the Virgin - church & churchyard (incl. parish war memorial) Prittlewell, All Saints - church (no churchyard) (incl. parish war memorial) Rochford, Congregational - church (no churchyard) Rochford, St Laurence - part churchyard only Rochford, Parish World War II War Memorial (Great War Memorial is at St Laurence) Southchurch, Belle Vue Baptist - church (no churchyard) Southchurch, Holy Trinity - church & churchyard Southchurch, St Erkenwald - parish war memorial (church since demolished - no churchyard) Southchurch, Thorpe Hall School - plaque Southend-on-Sea, Avenue Baptist - church (no churchyard) Southend-on-Sea, Civic Centre - County Borough employees Roll of Honour (both World Wars) Southend-on-Sea, Clarence Road Central Baptist - church (no churchyard) Southend-on-Sea, Cliff Town URC - church (no churchyard) Southend-on-Sea, North Road Cemetery - war graves & other MIs Southend-on-Sea, Park Road Methodist - church (no churchyard) Southend-on-Sea, Police HQ - County Borough Police Force memorials (both World Wars) Southend-on-Sea, Priory Park - County Borough Roll of Honour (both World Wars) Southend-on-Sea, St Alban the Martyr - church (no churchyard) Southend-on-Sea, St John the Baptist - church & churchyard Southend-on-Sea, St Mark - church (no churchyard) Southend-on-Sea, St Paul - church & churchyard Southend-on-Sea, Salvation Army Citadel - church (no churchyard) Southend-on-Sea, Southend High School (Boys) - Roll of Honour Southend-on-Sea, Victory Sports Ground - memorial gates Southend-on-Sea, Westborough Primary School - individual plaques Sutton, All Saints - church & churchyard Thorpe Bay, Christchurch - church (no churchyard) Thundersley, Congregational - church (no churchyard) Westcliff-on-Sea, Chalkwell Park - memorial gates and garden Westcliff-on-Sea, Crowstone St George's URC - church (no churchyard) Westcliff-on-Sea, St Saviour's - church (no churchyard) Westcliff-on-Sea, Trinity Methodist - church (no churchyard) The following 'Out-of-Area' recordings have also been made Althorne, War Memorial Billericay, War Memorial Blackmore, St Laurence - church & churchyard Blackmore, War Memorial Bradwell-juxta-Mare, St Thomas - church only - churchyard & parish war mem still to be done Bradwell - RAF Bradwell Bay (memorial at old airfield site, listing airmen killed while serving there) Burnham-on-Crouch - War Memorial Buttsbury, - church & churchyard Chelmsford, Christ Church URC - church (no churchyard) Fryerning, St Mary the Virgin - church only - churchyard & attached cemetery still to be done Little Baddow, St Mary the Virgin - church & churchyard Rettendon, All Saints - church & churchyard Stock Harvard, Parish War memorial Stondon Massey, Sts Peter & Paul - church and part churchyard Ulting, All Saints - churchyard & parish war memorial only - church still to be done Witham, URC - church (no churchyard) Woodham Walter, St Michael the Archangel - church & churchyard
Hard copies of the actual recordings are deposited from time to time with the Essex Society for Family History (Southend Branch), Essex Record Office (Southend), The Essex Regiment Museum and the Imperial War Museum National Inventory of War Memorials Project.
A similar project, on a rather larger scale, has been underway for some years by the West Essex Branch of the Essex Society for Family History (ESFH). This covers many parishes from the west and north-west part of the county, also including a number of contiguous parishes from Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. An index of names from the memorials has been published in microfiche form and may be ordered from the ESFH book service - website address below. (The World War II names from this fiche index are in the ROERDOWW2 Index). Copies of the actual recordings are held by the West Essex Branch and may be viewed at its monthly meetings and copies are also held by the Essex Society for Family History at its research room at the Essex Record Office building at Chelmsford. Further fiche will no doubt be published in the future
ESFH has also published many other fiche recording monumental inscriptions from churchyards and cemeteries all over the county. These also may be purchased and many contain details of war dead. New fiche are published regularly. (Again, all the World War II entries from those already published are included in ROERDOWW2). Full details of ESFH publications and a host of other genealogical and historical information may be found at the ESFH website at http://esfh.org.uk ESFH publications may be ordered direct from the Society via the website, or purchased during a visit to the Essex Record Office at Chelmsford. Publications may also be ordered through the on-line credit card facility at http://www.genfair.com
Although my primary interest lies in the Second World War and Essex in particular, I hold a more than passing concern for events of the Great War (World War I - and, again, its impact upon Essex). I have a copy of Roll of Honour of the Men of Southend & District who Fell in the Great War (published by the Southend Standard newspaper c.1921), and all the volumes published to date by the Western Front Association - Essex Branch, of its Register of Essex Dead of the Great War (a project similar in scope to ROERDOWW2, but 'stretching' the county westward to include London's East End and north as far as Enfield, Tottenham, etc.). I also have Stuart Tamblin's Jutland Roll of Honour. I will be happy to look-up a few names in any of these.
The Western Front Association - Essex Branch publishes a monthly newsletter, If You Want the Old Battalion, a most excellent and informative publication launched in 1990. Anyone interested in Essex and the Great War should subscribe to this. Regular features include commemorative listings and reports on war memorials and graves in the county and elsewhere. Details from: 12 Aragon Road, Great Leighs, Essex CM3 1RP.
The Branch holds monthly meetings at Brentwood and Hatfield Peverel. These generally include a presentation, given by a branch member or invited speaker, usually on a specific theme and are invariably illustrated and always interesting. A small contribution is requested towards the cost of the venue, and a further sum to partake of the fine buffet.
There is also a Southend-on-Sea Branch, which meets at the Royal Naval Association Club, East Street, Prittlewell. The Southend Branch does not publish a newsletter.
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