Lost in the past: August 2017

I recently visited Great Dunmow, in search of the church where some of my ancestors worshipped. After parking in the centre we discovered that the church is on the edge of the small town, some twenty minutes away, but this gave us the opportunity to see the lovely Doctors Pond and some of the beautiful pargeted cottages.

The church is set in a very large graveyard with pleasant walks to the river and rabbits scampering among the graves.

Inside there are some stunning modern stained glass windows.

I was thrilled to find these small monumental brasses half hidden behind an altar near the west tower. I learnt about them from "The Glasscock Families" by Rev. Laurence Glasco. I have my distant cousin Barbara in America to thank for sending me copies of pages from his book. We know they relate to our family as they show the crest of the Glasscock family, many of whom were early emigrants to America.

Although there are many beautiful carved tombstones around the church I was unable to decipher them.

These chubby faced cherubs probably date from the 18th century.

Last week I visited seven of the churches in rural Essex where members of my family were baptised or buried. These are the first two which we saw. Sadly only one was unlocked. Moreton is one of the many villages which are reached by small winding lanes, but the church includes architecture from pre-Norman times with changes and additions over the years. Originally built of flint and clunch, a soft, chalky limestone, the walls have been strengthened by replacing the clunch with more durable stone. The tower is built in red brick with a lower shingled spire and there is a typical Essex wooden weather-boarded porch. The windows date from the 15th, 18th and 19th centuries.

St Mary's Church, Moreton

There was a tradition of Dissenting Ministers in Essex so it was a pleasure to find this memorial to Rev. S. Gaffee.

St Mary the Virgin, Matching is reached by driving along a single track road past a beautiful pond. The village has changed very little since the 18th century.

St Mary the Virgin, Matching

This was the smartest church we visited, mainly due to the owners of nearby Down Hall who gave £3000 for its improvement in 1875. Probably a Norman church, on the site of a former Saxon church, it has a 13th century doorway and a 15th century tower.

The signature of William Dearling MA vicar from 1761-1784 is written in the Prayer Book given to my ancestor Bartholomew Glasscock who was churchwarden in Matching.