Thursday 2nd April
I’m still exercising on Abbey Field. I’m not trekking the longish distances that I was, but at least I’m walking! In the last few days I’ve been writing up much of the research I’ve undertaken, looking into the history, maps and the possible routes of Peddars Way.Friday 3rd
Wednesday 8th April
I’ve continued to exercise on Abbey Field, but didn’t get in too many steps because it was much warmer. Stopped to take this photo of blossom on one of the cherry trees.
Tuesday 14th April
Over Easter, some days I managed to get in more steps and a few more miles, but it meant having to leave the safety of Abbey Field! The bonus - I've found there are slightly less people exercising later in the day!
Tuesday 21st April
As the month draws on, I’m finding it more and more difficult to motivate myself and walk longer distances. I can only put this lethargy down to other people not ‘self distancing’. I’m finding it mentally tiring, always having to be alert, listening for bicycles or joggers coming up behind me - they hardly ever try to avoid me and distance themselves - and it always comes as an awful shock as they brush by.
Yesterday I tried a different approach - prompted by one of my sons - to walk the perimeter of Abbey Field, but only on the grass! These days the actual one and a half mile path always appears to be full of joggers, cyclists and walkers all passing close by one another. The grass perimeter is a much shorter distance, but equally more challenging. The surface is uneven near the edge, and under the trees there are lots of fallen twigs. The plan was to walk one lap in one direction and then turn around and walk in the opposite direction. If I walked ten laps, I thought it might work out at just over ten miles!
I soon realised I’d made my first mistake well before arriving at Abbey Field, when I looked down at my feet, only to discover that I wasn’t wearing my walking shoes! I had tripped out of the house to undertake this ten mile challenge supported by a nice pair of black pumps!
Although the sun was shining there was a strong east wind blowing, making walking a harder task. By the time I reached Circular Road East, I had defaulted, and had left the grass for just a few moments to walk along the footpath. Mistake! From nowhere, and at the last moment I heard a jogger huffing and puffing right behind me. I instinctively jumped into the traffic free road, hoping there would be no cyclists - there weren’t. Suddenly a woman and child ran out from another footpath, and in seconds there seemed to be people coming towards me from all directions. I ran for the cover of the grass again, only to leave it a little later to walk home. That was the end of my planned ten lap circuit! I’ll try again today, this time wearing my walking shoes and I’ll stay on the grass!
Last update for April - see below
27th April
Today would have been the day we set off from Colchester to walk to Norfolk. We were due to leave Balkerne Gate at 10.30 am this morning. We had arrange a great send off with others joining us, some who would walk as far as Nayland. Alas it has all had to be postponed until it’s safe to arrange a new date. Rina and I will be keeping up our training, although not together. We hope when the time comes you will be able to support us by donating or even walking. I don’t mind in the slightest if you would like to donate before the new date, in fact it will help to keep my spirits up! I’ll be writing again in May, when there is anything interesting to report. Thanks so much for reading my blog.
Perhaps now is a good time to mention how the patronage of St Andrew's Church came into my family, and how it eventually came to me.
Joseph Wilson, my great, great, great grandfather was a very wealthy silk merchant, who lived in London, before moving to a large house named ‘Highbury Hill’, in Islington. He purchased two country estates, one was at Stowlangtoft in Suffolk, and the other was at Little Massingham, Norfolk. Little Massingham is the village where I was born and grew up. And St Andrew’s Church, in Little Massingham is the church I’m raising money for.
When Joseph bought the estate of Little Massingham, he also acquired the patronage or advowson of St Andrew’s. Joseph and his son, Henry and subsequent male Wilsons never lived at Little Massingham. Henry and some of his descendants lived at Stowlangtoft Hall, and where I will pass on my way north.
As well as having a son, Joseph also had two daughters, Frances and Mary. Frances married the Rev. Charles David Brereton. Charles and Frances were my great, great grandparents, and in 1820, Charles became Rector of Little Massingham. I had always assumed that when Joseph died, he willed the advowson and his two estates to his son Henry, in fact this was not the case. When I looked again at 'The Breretons of Cheshire 1100 to 1904 A.D.', written by his grandson, Robert Maitland Brereton, he mentioned that later his paternal grandfather, John Brereton IV., of Brinton, purchased the advowson for his son, Rev. Charles David Brereton. The advowson was handed down through the family, until eventually it came to me. Several generations of my family lived in the village, many becoming clergyman. My father, was a farmer, with land in and around Little Massingham, and my parents continued to live in the village until their deaths.
Having lived in Essex for twenty plus years, and as I will be starting my walk from Essex, I think it appropriate to add a little more about Joseph Wilson, and his connection to Essex.
Joseph’s silk business was at Milk Street, Cheapside, but in 1809 the business expanded into Essex when he purchased the old flour mill, in Chapel Lane, Braintree. He engaged George Courtauld as his manager, but some historians have documented that Courtauld was the owner of the business. I found the following in The Gazette 1818. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/17328/page/226/data.pdf
“We hereby dissolve the Partnership carried on between us at Braintree,. Under the firm of Wilson and Courtauld, by mutual consent by the day of the date hereof. - Dated this 28th January 1818. Joseph Wilson George Courtauld”
According to Malcolm Harrison, author of 'Unravelling the threads: A Guide to the Wilsons of Stenson in The County of Derbyshire 1664 to 1880', Wilson was introduced to George Courtauld by an unknown third party in 1806. Harrison states, Courtauld was invited by Wilson to convert and then manage the silk firm in Chapel Lane.
The mill produced high quality silk mourning crape. At some point there was a disagreement and a court case ensued between Wilson and Courtauld - I understand that Wilson felt that Courtauld was not producing the silk to his high standard. The case did not go in Wilson’s favour. Despite losing the case, it was not until 1843 that Wilson sold his business in Braintree to Samuel Courtauld III. A large proportion of the Wilson family were involved in the silk industry.
Malcolm Harrison, 'Unravelling the threads: A Guide to the Wilsons of Stenson in The County of Derbyshire 1664 to 1880'
If you’d like to donate to the new Friends of St Andrew’s Church Little Massingham charity see link below.
FOSALM.org
My walking companion, Rina and I welcome all who would like to join us walking sections of this route. The image below gives contact details, dates and times of where we will be and when we start each day. Click on the image below to enlarge it.
My walking companion, Rina and I welcome all who would like to join us walking sections of this route. The image below gives contact details, dates and times of where we will be and when we start each day. Click on the image below to enlarge it.
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