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The Wivenhoe Encyclopedia

Wivenhoe has a rich history.  This Section deals with our heritage.  

Here are links to memories and pictures of Wivenhoe's past, details of the people who lived here and what they did.  

Contributions of stories and items dealing with Wivenhoe people and events are always welcome and will be added for future generations of people to enjoy and appreciate.

Please send your contributions to this section as an e-mail to Wivenhoe Town Council with, ideally, a MS Word document attachment and images as jpgs, or put on a disk and send to:  Wivenhoe Town Council (Wivenhoe Encyclopedia), Town Council Offices, 77 High Street, Wivenhoe, Essex CO7 9AB. 

In 2004 the Wivenhoe Oral History Project started. When it launched a book and DVD in 2006, it did so after collecting the memories of around 1990 people.  For more, see right. 
Sea Change: Wivenhoe Remembered.

The recollections of people about Wivenhoe during the 20th century are recorded here with transcriptions of interviews. 

This section provides a fascinating insight into Wivenhoe and what life was once like. 

Click here for the 
'Sea Change: Wivenhoe Remembered' home page 
Sections:  
        Boats / Churches / Clubs and Organisations / Miscellaneous / People / Places / Shipbuilding
Section / Subject: Author: Notes: Added:
Boats
Elise - CK299 Peter Green Fishing smack owned by 'Friday' Green.   Jun02
R.Y. Britannia Various The Royal Yacht Britannia and Capt Albert E. Turner July02
Craft built at Wivenhoe Shipyard   Models of craft built at Wivenhoe's upstream shipyard made by Bill Ellis. Nov02
The Smack Yacht "VERA" Bill Ellis About the Smack Yacht "VERA", built at Wivenhoe in 1893 and in 2003 declared a Sailing Monument  Jan03
HMT 'William Fall' Bill Ellis A Strath Class Admiralty Trawler built in Wivenhoe 1918. Fitted with guns and depth charges.   Jan04
Sailing Barge 'Wyvenhoe' George Lansdowne Some history and pictures of the sailing barge WYVENHOE, built Forrestt & Son, Wivenhoe, in 1898. Aug03
The Volante Various The history of the Volante, a smack yacht, built in Wivenhoe in 1870, and now in need of a new owner and restoration.  July03
The minesweeper 'Beveland' Bill Ellis About the Beveland, a minesweeper built at the Wivenhoe Shipyard in 1943 and operated out of Harwich with a Dutch crew, including a picture of the crew with their names.   Jan03
The Lord Nelson Brian Sinclair About the Jubilee Sailing Trust's vessel, The Lord Nelson, built at Wivenhoe in 1985.  Jan04
The 'El Fateh' Bill Ellis An steam stern paddle wheel river gunboat built at Wivenhoe in 1896 for Lord Kitchener's Nile expedition.   Jan04
The Tern and Cap Pilar  Bill Ellis An article about the Tern, built at Wivenhoe and the Cap Pilar which ended her life at Wivenhoe after an around the world voyage. Mar04
S.Y.Venetia   Book being written about the Venetia Nov02
The Nonsuch Peter Hill The story of the Nonsuch which helped in the founding of the Hudson's Bay Company Aug07
The S.Y.Rosabelle Peter Hill / Ken Scofield There were 5 Rosabelles in all, owned by Theodore Pim and all kept at Wivenhoe over a period of 54 years.  Mar08
Captain John Carter 1850 - 1910 and the boats he sailed John Carter About Captain John Carter 1850 - 1910 and the many boats he sailed and the races he won in the America's Cup series.  Sep08
Churches
History of St Monica's RC Church Pat Pearce A history of St Monica's Roman Catholic Church written to to commemorate the rebuilding of the West Boundary Wall, June 2003. Oct04
St Mary's Church Peter Hill An old photograph of St Mary's Church, Wivenhoe  Mar05
Methodist Church History Geoffrey King A summary of the history of the Wivenhoe Methodist Church.  With pictures, Jan04
Clubs and Organisations
Wivenhoe Girl Guides - 1941/42   Two photographs of Mrs Munson's Girl Guides taken probably in the early 1940s. Jan03
Wivenhoe Scouts and Guides Peter Hill A short history of the Wivenhoe Scout & Guide Association Jan03
Feedham Land Sale  Alex Paterson Memories of Alex Paterson concerning the sale of land to build Jonathan Feedham Court April03
Jonathan Feedham Charity Peter Hill From original research by Olive Whaley May02
Wivenhoe Rangers   The history of Wivenhoe Rangers and their transformation into Wivenhoe Town Football Club are written up in this article. Sep02
A Memory of Wivenhoe Rangers  Noel Clark A memory of a former player, Noel Clark, who left Wivenhoe in 1968 for Australia.  Mar03
Wivenhoe WI Choir Jeanne Greenwood A piece about the WI Choir who formed in 1948 and won the Chelmsford Festival Cup Mar03
Cricket 1945 Roger Bacon Cricket in Wivenhoe in 1945, Mrs Loveless's Bible Class and Denis Crompton.   Aug03
Colne Social Club  Tony Forsgate The Colne Social Club is red-bricked building standing at the end of Park Road. Ever wondered about it? Feb03
WAGA History Phil Faucheux Phil Faucheux's memories of the founding and early days of Wivenhoe Allotments and Gardens Association Sep05
Wivenhoe Cricket Club Mark Britton A history of Wivenhoe Cricket Club written by Mark Britton Sep02
Miscellaneous
A WW1 Certificate Tony Forsgate Example of a certificate presented by Wivenhoe to those who fought in the first World War and returned.  Feb03
1937 Coronation Programme from Tony Forsgate A copy of the programme for the Wivenhoe celebrations of the Coronation of King George VI to Queen Elizabeth in 1937 Feb03
The Miners Strike - 1984 Photos of Sue Murray During the lengthy Miners Strike of 1984, miners picketed Wivenhoe Port, importers of coal amongst other things. May03 
'Laurel and Hardy' Peter Hill/Sue Murray Pictures of the pillar boxes outside the former Post Office on the corner of Queens Road and their removal in 1996.   July03
War Memorial Peter Hill About the Wivenhoe War Memorial May 2005
Wivenhoe's entry in Pigot's Tom Roberts Wivenhoe's entry in Pigot's Essex 1832-3 Trade Directory Nov03
Wivenhoe Dam Paul Brown It seems no-one really knows why there is a Wivenhoe near to Brisbane in Australia, but Paul and Maggie Brown visited the Wivenhoe Dam in September 2004  Sep04
Wivenhoe in 1970s & 80s Mark Dufton Fascinating photographs of Wivenhoe in the late 1970s and early 1980s taken by Mark Dufton.  Dec06
About the VCH at the University of Essex   In the autumn of 2001, the Victoria County History of Essex, based at the University of Essex, published Volume Ten which includes a section on Wivenhoe. It can be seen in the Local Studies Room at Colchester library, or Essex University Library.   
People
Horace Pitt Darrin Keeble About Sergeant Horace William Pitt MM DCM who died in France on 31st March, 1918, aged 23, and was known as The Bandmaster. His name is one of those on the Wivenhoe War Memorial. Nov03
About Jean Coe Barbara Paterson Jean died in an accident at the Royal Ordnance factory during the war and her name is inscribed on Wivenhoe' War Memorial.   Jun06
Gordon Green Peter Hill Gordon ran Barton Stores with his wife Pat during the latter part of the 20th century. Sep02
Wivenhoe People Peter Green Notes about various Wivenhoe people from the 1800s  Jun02
The Harvey family   The Harvey family were originally from St Osyth and Brightlingsea and it has been a familiar name in Wivenhoe too since the 1600s.  See also about Ray Harvey and his distant cousin Chris Goddard who have done considerable research into the Harvey family, with links to their sites - click here Sep02
The Head family Pamela Callison  Who remembers William Frank Head who was born in Wivenhoe in 1909? His brothers were John and Arthur Head, who were both killed in WW1 and whose names are recorded on the Wivenhoe War Memorial.    
The Village Bakery Tony Forsgate Memories of Grandfather Ernest Cracknell and the Village Bakery Feb03
Arthur Worthington Peter Hill In 1959, Arthur Worthington provided the land on which the Scout & Guide Hall stands. May03
John Barlow Darrin Keeble John Barlow, killed in action 23rd September, 1917  Nov02
Jack Revell Peter Hill About Jack Revell who died in 1999 Dec02
Rear-Admiral John Lee-Barber   About Rear Admiral John Lee-Barber, a distinguished destroyer commander, who lived in Wivenhoe for 14 years and after whom Admiral's Walk is named.  Dec02
Captain Albert Turner Peter Hill Wivenhoe's famous racing captain who skippered King George V's racing yacht Britannia to over 200 wins. Oct07
The Watshams Peter Hill A short article about the three generations of Watshams who left their mark on Wivenhoe during the 20th century.  Dec02
Wivenhoe Town Mayors   A list of Wivenhoe Town Mayors from 1974 Nov02
WUDC Chairmen   A list of the Chairmen of Wivenhoe Urban District Council from 1898 Nov02
Places
Grist to the Mill Pat Marsden The history of the  Wivenhoe mill Aug 09
Floods on the Quay   Photographs provided by Richard and Stella Sykes Jan05
The Quay Shelter Peter Hill Pictures of the old and new shelters on The Quay Jan03
KGV Playing Field Peter Hill About Wivenhoe's King George V Playing Field, including some early photographs. Jan03
WTC Logo   A history of Wivenhoe Town Council's Chairman's Jewel which has become the Town Council's logo.  Jan03
Wivenhoe Sand, Stone & Gravel Co   Peter Nessling Early pictures of William Loveless's business, Wivenhoe Sand Stone & Gravel Co Ltd Nov05
Little Wick Mark Paterson Some history about Little Wick, a house in the High Street dating back to at least 1750. Aug04
Conservation Area - History Pat Marsden Research by Pat Marsden into the origins of Wivenhoe's Conservation Area.  Aug06
History of Wivenhoe Pubs   To know more about the history of pubs in Wivenhoe, and there were 21 of them a hundred years ago, then click on the following link: http://essexpub.net/Wivenhoe/wivenhoe.htm  
Wivenhoe Postcards John Stewart Views of Wivenhoe in the early 1900s. Some postcards from John Stewart's collection of Wivenhoe memorabilia. Sep05
Shipwright's Arms Peter Nessling A photograph of the Shipwrights Arms, circa 1913 Nov05
Wivenhoe Hall Estate   Copy of the plan of the Wivenhoe Hall Estate Jan03
The Brook Pat Marsden Research into Wivenhoe Brook Feb07
Shipbuilding
The Dry Dock Peter Hill / Bill Ellis Story and picture of the Dry Dock constructed in the upstream yard in 1889, extended in 1904 to make it the largest dry dock on the east coast of England. Demolished 1966. Dec02
Wivenhoe Shipyard Don Smith History of Wivenhoe Shipyard Sep02
Wivenhoe Shipbuilders   List of Shipbuilders who operated at the Upstream Yard Dec02
Cook's Shipyard - Photos Sue Murray A few photos of Cook's Shipyard taken by Sue Murray in the early 1960s. Aug06
About Cook's Shipyard Bill Ellis 'Here Yesterday and Gone Tomorrow' and article by Bill Ellis that tells the story of Cook's Shipyard from Roman times. Jan03
Mulberry Harbours Bill Ellis About the parts of the Mulberry Harbours which were built in Wivenhoe in 1944 to help with the Normandy Landings. Jan03
Wivenhoe Shipyard in 1940 Peter Simons An article by Peter Simons, recalling his memory as a Ship's Draughtsman, joining Wivenhoe Shipyard in 1940. Reproduced from Wivenhoe News (December 2002) by kind permission of the Editor, Jane Cole.   Jan03
 

Last updated:
22 August 2009

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