About Us

We were formed in February 2010
We know that there is a need to collect and record as much as we can about the village, about our predecessors who laid the foundations of the village; about the people who spent all their lives here and are no longer with us; about those who were born and bred here and can still tell us fascinating stories about their lives here; and about later generations who all have a role to play and have contributed to the way we live here today.
The Society has over 50 active and enthusiastic members and a committee of 7 who are all village residents who share the objective of not just finding out more about our history but also of pulling together in one place and recording as much as we can for the benefit of a wider audience today and for future generations whom we hope will share this interest.
We meet four times per year and aim to provide interesting speakers on a range of local history related subjects. Every so often we hold a members evening where the material is presented by members themselves, reporting on projects or work in hand.
Speakers have included: the former Managing Director of the Elsenham Jam Factory; a talk by a local author on his life as a locomotive driver; a local historian on the architecture of Thaxted; the history of the Elsenham to Thaxted branch line; notable architecture and history of Saffron Walden; the history of Easton Lodge and the five parishes; notable cases from the history of Essex Police; the Audley End to Saffron Walden Branch line; Researching Your Family Tree by a local practitioner.
In addition to our regular meetings we aim to organise visits which give our members the opportunity to visit places of interest together and enable informal discussions. Examples of our outings include a conducted tour of Thaxted; a visit to Pledgdon Hall Farm with a tour by the owner; a conducted tour of Dunmow Maltings and Town Museum; a hosted visit to the Essex Records Office.
We meet in the Memorial Hall in Elsenham always on a Wednesday evening starting at 8:00 p.m. The latest dates can be found on our home page together with the details of forthcoming speakers and their subjects. We are committed to trying to engage all age groups in the village to find out about what interests them and to encourage them to become part of a fact finding and recording enterprise and to have some fun along the way too.
Our regular meetings are free for members and visitors are always welcome for a small charge of £2 per meeting.

Elsenham People

We are privileged to have been able to interview a number of long term Elsenham residents. You can hear or read their thoughts and memories by clicking the appropriate button below.

Interview title	Date	Recording	Transcript
A Conversation With Barbara Service	21 February 2017
A Conversation with Avril Braidwood	18 October 2017
A Conversation with Brian and Trevor Powter	27 July 2017
A Conversation with Heather Margaret Barker	6 October 2016
A Conversation with Ian and Jean Beeston and Tina and Richard Budden	3 November 2016
A Conversation with Lee Player	23 April 2018
A Conversation with Peter Burridge	6 March 2017
A Conversation with Tim Willis	15 October 2020
A History of St Marys Elsenham Roger Clark	13 September 2017
Conversation With Raymond C Franklin	17 July 2014
Conversation with Cliff Bishop	23 June 2014
Conversation with Gordon Barker	8 March 2011
Conversation with Harman and Halliday	25 October 2010
Conversation with Mick Purcell	4 April 2011
Conversation with Mrs Dorothy Bateman	19 July 2011
Conversation with Mrs Mary Tucker	19 July 2011
Conversation with Peter and Gillian Burgess	13 November 2015
Conversation with Sue and Richard Moulds	18 December 2012
Conversation with Victor Dowsett	21 July 2016
Interview with Joseph A Robinson	30 November 2010
John Hurwitz Councillor	26 May 2011
John Hurwitz Jam Factory MD	27 July 2011
John Seaman	20 July 2013
My Life George William Powell - With Photographs	1 June 1999
Nurse Everett	19 August 2013
SISTER EDITH AYLETT	25 October 2014