Newsletter Summer 2024

NAZEING HISTORY WORKSHOP

NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER 2024

Beating the Bounds 1953

Jacky has been busy producing a document with stills from Beating the Bounds 1953 which was a

small section of the newsreels produced by Tom Franklin. I have the videos which are mostly of Hoddesdon and Broxbourne, but also contained small sections on Nazeing, probably because Tom Franklin lived in Nazeing. They were narrated by Tommy Knight, another Nazeing resident, who also owned a printing company in Hoddesdon.

Jacky has numbered the people in the photos, and of course, because they have come from a film they’re not all very clear. If you were a resident of Nazeing in the 1950s and recognise any of the names, or disagree with the names we’ve allotted, please feel free to email.

Newsreel No. 2 1953

Tom Franklin lived at Vine Cottage in Betts Lane, he was a radio ham amongst other things and a regular in the church choir

The film was looked after by Peter Lewis who knew his wife very well, as he and his wife lived in the cottage next door when renovating his own house on the common.

Beating of the Bounds May 16^th 1953:

Here are some stills from the film to help identify the people in them and the words from the newspaper report. On the 22^nd May 1953 the Hertford Mercury and Reformer reported that : A Ceremony that last took place in Nazeing 50 years ago, was revived last Saturday, when parishoners covered the 27 or so miles forming Nazeing boundary, in a ceremony of “beating the bounds.” The Parish Council arranged the programme to mark the Coronation. In drizzling rain at 8 a.m., on Saturday a small crowd gathered outside Selways, Long Green, where the Vicar, the Rev. Harold F. Hawkins, conducted a short service, before the walkers set off on the first stage of the journey.

1.Rev. Harold Hawkins 2. Mrs Hawkins, vicar’s wife 5. Michael Hills, son of the headmaster 8. Flossie Welch, mother of Mick

Before the start, the walkers ceremoniously “bumped” Michael Hills at the stone boundary post at the side of the road – the first of five points around the boundary. The procedure was filmed by Mr. T Franklin, of Broxbourne, who was one of the six to walk the maximum distance. Others in the band, exactly twice as many as completed the distance 50 years ago were D Merry, M Hills, F.A. Widdicombe, E. Reynolds, and Master Steven Reynolds. All were armed with willow wands by Mr A. Nicholls, vice chairman of the Parish Council.

6. David Merry – schoolmaster 5. Michael Hills 9. Poss. Arthur Dench who lived at Selways

4. Frank Albert Widdicombe 7 Eileen Merry – wife of David, also a teacher

Mr Arthur Dench, aged 74, completed the first stage from Selways, past the Coach and Horses, where Steven Reynolds was bumped on the Denver Lodge boundary stone, up Colemans Lane, a steep hill at the top of which is another stone, where Mr Merry was bumped, and across country up to the bank of the river Lee, close to King’s Weir, where Wormley lies just across the water. At the Crown Hotel, Broxbourne, a motor launch, loaned by Mrs Blanks and piloted by Mr. Cyril Blanks, took another party to meet the land-party by “Tumbling Bay”. The whole party then returned upstream to finish the river journey to Dobb’s Weir, via Carthagena Lock.

12. Steven Reynolds 13. Peter Lewis thought this was Molly Wood, but it is now believed to be Rachael Bury , now Crawshay 14. Peter Crawshay, son of Rachael and Codrington Crawshay

The walking party then set off across country, clambering over ditches, barbed wire fences and other obstacles until they struck the road at Ritsema’s nursery, where Major Bury was waiting to welcome them. Major Bury was one of the few survivors of those who last beat the bounds in 1903. Here Mrs Reynolds organised tea and refreshments.

16. Major Ralph Bury

15. Eric Reynolds

The Boundary was followed through the Nursery and across fields, where many obstacles were encountered, until the road was struck close by the Green Man, which is just inside the Parish of Roydon. Here a break was made for lunch.