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Contents of page 1.
Photograph of Jim Weal and other farm workers at Pump Farm, Kelvedon Hatch, in 1929.
John Page Fitch's (1890 - 1977) talk on his memories of his childhood in Kelvedon Hatch
Harold Watts who lived in Mill House (above), tell us of some of his memories of life in the village.
Extract from the diary of George Maryon (son of Richard Maryon, Grandson of John Maryon)
Photograph of the Post Office team, Kelvedon Hatch, 1900
Photograph of the Coleman family who lived at Pump House Farm in 1902
The Porter family of Woodlands
Photograph of Kelvedon Hall, c.1915
The Curtis family of Kelvedon Common
The Jarvis family of Willow Row
Your feedback and information on the history of Kelvedon Hatch would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you would like to send any images you have of Kelvedon Hatch, or those who lived here, then please do so.
This photograph of farm workers at Pump Farm in 1929 is kindly supplied by Emma Weal who is busy researching her family history. The photograph includes her grandfather Leonard Weal, but known to everybody as Jim.
Left to Right: ?, Fred Iams, ?, Charlie Warner, Len Wilson & son, George Smith, Charlie Sturkey, 'Drackle' Gibbons, George Cole, Leonard (Jim) Weal, Arch Bird, Jack Faux, Stan Bird.
Debbie Jackson has supplied this interesting diary extract on life in Kelvedon Hatch (by kind permission of Mrs Diana Maryon Taverner).
Extract from the diary of George Maryon (son of Richard Maryon, Grandson of John Maryon) - Visit part 8 of the tour of the village to see George feature in the census returns and more on the history of the pub.
"My Grandfather then left Ongar and went to a little village called Kelvedon Common. Here he became the landlord of the Shepherd Inn. The Shepherd Inn was the community centre, apart from food and lodging, you could get fuel, fodder, transport, hire labour, get a job, hear all the news, past, present and future, politics were discussed and if anyone was missing it was noticed and enquiries were made to see if they were well.
This was a male preserve - the women were at home with the children but not forgotten. The men took them home a drink and told them all the news. All this took place in the evening after work.
Things were so quiet during the day that Grandma ran the place on her own while grandfather and any of his sons that were big enough went out to work for the neighbouring farmers. They shifted loads, helped with the hay-making and harvesting, thatched stacks, controlled pests (rabbits and rats) - in fact did all the seasonal jobs that are done on farms. They had no land of their own, but always took guns and dogs wherever they went, and anything eatable that came in range was liable to be shot providing it was in season."
This fine bunch of fellows are the members of the Post Office team at Kelvedon Hatch. It is circa 1900 and the Post Office was sited on the field opposite St Nicholas' Church. The following identities were written on the back of the photograph: Jack Walters (tallest), Jim Brown (oldest), Charlie Burton (youngest),Charlie Porter and Arthur Cox. The identity of the onlooker is unknown.
The above photograph has been supplied by Linda from Canada. Her grandmother was born in Pump House Farm. The photograph is of the Coleman family who lived at Pump House Farm in 1902. Dora, Amy, Mabel, Will, Patty Ann (Martha Ann, Albion, Frank, Stanley and Arthur in front. (See 1871 tour for more information on the house) The family appear in the 1891 census
Click here to see the Parish Magazine report on their departure to Canada.
The first photograph is that of Kenneth's grandparents, Sidney Walter Porter 1871 - 1951, son of Jesse, and Eliza Porter nee Harris before they emigrated to New Zealand in 1924. Sidney was a woodman and Eliza was a cook at Brizes.
These wonderful photographs have been kindly supplied by Kenneth Porter who lives in New Zealand. They are of his great-grandfather and grandfather's house in Kelvedon Hatch. It is known as Woodlands and is situated next to The Eagle PH. Number 27 on the 1871 tour of the village. Jesse Porter was a woodman on the Wright estate at Kelvedon Hall.
The second photograph is of Jesse Porter's family outside the same house at earlier date. Unfortunately the people cannot be identified.
This photograph has been kindly supplied by a visitor to History House. They found it in their grandfather's possessions. It is from a post card dated 1915 and is of Kelvedon Hall. It is not clear who the sender was, but it may have been one of the Jones family who occupied the Hall at that time. See the Great Houses page for more information on Kelvedon Hall.
Neil Curtis has provided the following family history information, particularly on his great-grandfather who lived in Ivy House, Swan Lane, Doddinghurst and after in Mill Villa, Kelvedon Hatch. (see house 44 on the tour).
"William Curtis and Mary Ann ( Clements ) Curtis were the parents of Herbert Curtis, the youngest of their 10 children, being born on 24/4/1860 in Shenfield, Essex.
Herbert went on to marry Martha Ann ( Bantock ) Curtis on 24/4/1889 in Ardeley, Herts. They had their first child, Kathleen Martha Curtis in the 1st quarter of 1890. Presumably Herbert and Martha Ann moved to Kelvedon Common (as it was known then) that same year. Herbert being a Master Baker to trade, they lived in what I'm led to believe was the bakehouse, on Swan Lane, with family as per 1891 census.
The family then grew as follows:
WILLIAM HERBERT born 1892; parish of Doddinghurst
ARTHUR HENRY born 12/6/1894; ditto
ERNEST EDWARD born 1895; ditto
EDITH born 12/3/1898; ditto
ETHEL ROSE born 1901; ditto
FLORENCE LILY born 1903; ditto
Martha Ann died on 23/5/1912 in Kelvedon Hatch. Kathleen Martha then looked after the family. At some point they lived in Mill Villa where Herbert spent the rest of his days with Kathleen and her husband until his death on 12/8/1943 at 42
The Plain, Epping".
Mike Jarvis from Canada has kindly supplied this photograph and the following information: "This picture shows my grandfather John Henry Jarvis, born in Kelvedon Hatch in 1872 and his wife Annie Jane Bird to whom he was married in Kelvedon Hatch in 1902."
"The picture shows from left to right: Lillian Charlotte Jarvis (my Dad's sister), John Henry Jarvis, also known as Henry John, my Dad John William Jarvis, Annie Jane nee Bird and Ellen Bird?."
"Grandad shows up first in History House on the census of 1881 at Beacon Hill, in the family of John Jarvis and Ellen nee Benton. John is the son of William and Sarah nee Stains that show up in all the historyhouse census information for Kelvedon Hatch. My dad is named after his dad and his grandfather, John and William. We have traced William to be the son of William Jarvis and Ann Styles married in Ingrave in 1797. That William is the son of Jonathan Jarvis and Mary Thomson married in South Weald in 1774.
My Jarvis family is linked to Kelvedon Hatch for over 60 years. Virtually any Jarvis linked to Kelvedon Hatch would be a relative of mine.