Tudor lives and Essex Voices Past

I’m often asked why did I call my business “Essex Voices Past”.

Well, here’s the answer!

In 2011, at 3am one night, I was researching my Cambridge University masters’ dissertation on Great Dunmow. I attempted to decipher a chunk of handwriting written in the 1520s.

There was one line of Tudor text that was particularly perplexing and mysterious. It had puzzled me for days. So, I resorted to saying the text out loud. Phonetically.

The old Essex accent

As the words came out of my mouth, I found myself talking with the true old Essex country accent.

Loud and clear, I heard the voice of a long-dead Tudor parish-clerk emerging through the night-air. My baffling text was finally solved.

Essex Voices Past

It occurred to me in that moment, that the ancient documents I had been avidly studying contained not only the stories from Essex’s rich past, but also their voices. And thus, Essex Voices Past was born. Originally as a blog to record stories of Essex’s heritage. Now I, as Essex Voices Past, research stories of our past.

And now, finally, after nearly 10 years, my research that inspired me to start Essex Voices Past has now been published!

Nothing like lock-down to focus the mind and get stuff done!

Tudor Lives

Tudor Lives: Great Dunmow during the Reformation – the story of a town during the turbulent 16th century

Now available through Amazon. It’s on Kindle and paperback.

Click the book below to “Look Inside” my book on Amazon

The story of a north Essex town

This is book is a must read for anyone interested in Reformation history at a local level. Or anyone interested in the local history of an Essex town. It is also of interest for anyone with Tudor ancestors who hailed from Great Dunmow. Numerous local family names are detailed within the book.

During this period, society and religion were firmly interlinked. This study provides a narrative of one Essex town during the turbulent 16th century.