We hope to post more items here in the course of time.

Barnston

The puritan preacher Thomas Watson, author of 'A Body of Divinity' and other books, came to this place to live after being ejected from St. Stephens, Walbrook in 1662. He was buried in the church building and there is a tablet inside in his memory.

Billericay

Thomas Watts, who was martyred at Chelmsford, lived here. As many of the Pilgrim Fathers came from this area, the sign welcoming people into the town from the London area is a picture of the Mayflower. Such a sign is on several buildings in the town. On a building in the High Street is a plaque stating that there was a house on the site in which Protestant dissenters met.

Braintree

William Piggot was martyred here and there is, in the Town Hall, a mural of the scene. In the same room there is also a mural of the Huguenots, who settled in this area.
John Bunyan is said to have preached here and that there used to be a meeting house approximately where Bunyan Road now is. His name appears near the top of a building in Rayne Road.

Brentwood

Here the young William Hunter was burned at the stake. The old church (now a ruin) where he was found reading the Bible to his comfort, is in the High Street. It is called 'St Thomas of Canterbury.' The Swan Public House, also in the High Street, is in the site of the old Swan Inn in which the boy martyr spent his last night on earth. A fine memorial is to be found in the centre of the town, and a plaque on a tree in Ingrave Road shows the place (outside the school) where it is thought that he was burned. A shopping area has been named 'Hunters Walk' in his memory. Read the account of William Hunter here.

Chelmsford

Thomas Watts Was Martyred near the Shire Hall on the 10th of June 1555. Read his account Here. He, with others who were burned in various parts of the county, stayed in Scot's House the night before the burning. Scot's house was in the High Street, by the bridge over River Can. The EPC managed to get a plaque put up here in his remembrance. The plaque is on the side of a ladies clothes shop opposite Burger King. Click here to see the Thomas Watts plaque
The Chelmsford and Essex museum in Oaklands Park has a picture of Watts' burning and also a bust of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (sadly not always on display).
George "Trudgeover" Eagles, who was the only Protestant of the reformation period accused of treason, was martyred in Chelmsford. To read his account click here.
Thomas Hooker was Curate of St. Mary's Church in Chelmsford and Town Lecturer from 1626 to 1629. As the plaque says, he was "The Father of American Democracy".
The plaque is found in a walk way to Chelmsford Cathedral (St. Mary's) by the side of Shire Hall. To read more about Thomas Hooker Click here.
The Strict Baptist chapel where the poetess Mrs. M.A. Chaplin worshipped is in New London Road and her grave is just inside the Nonconformists' cemetery in the same road.

Chipping Ongar

David Livingstone studied here, and there is a row of cottages named after him. The room in which he studied is marked to that effect and in the United Reformed Church there is a walking stick that he used on his many walks to London. Pictures of the missionary are to be seen within the church.
Jane Taylor, the hymnwriter, died at the age of 39 and is buried in the church. Her father, Isaac Taylor, who was minister here, is in the same grave which was originally outside the building. Inside the church building there is a tablet to the Taylors.

Colchester

On the top floor of the Town Hall, in the High Street, is a memorial to 23 martyrs of the Reformation, and facing that is a bust of the great Baptist preacher, C.H. Spurgeon. Just down the road is the castle where the martyrs suffered imprisonment. There is also Protestant martyrs memorial in St Peter's Church, North Hill (a Simeonite church). In the same church building there is a memorial to Samual Carr who was a friend of Charles Simeon. Near the Town Hall is West Stockwell Street where there is a plaque showing the place where the hymnwriters, Jane and Ann Taylor, once lived. In Artillery Street there is the chapel in which C.H. Spurgeon was converted, and there is a tablet about this together with pictures of Mr Spurgeon and also a picture of the cottage in which he preached his first sermon - in Teversham, Cambs.

Coggeshall

Protestants from this town were martyred in various parts of the County at the time of the Reformation. John Owen ministers here and his name is, of course, to be seen in the list of ministers given in the church.

Dedham

The church here was the place were the famous puritan, John Rogers, ministered with great power. There is a memorial to him in the church building and his picture has hung in a side room, but appears to have been removed for the time being. His grave is in the churchyard, although the inscription is not easily decipherable.

Felsted

Oliver Cromwell's wife came from this village and his four sons went to Felsted School. One of these sons, also named Oliver, is buried here.

Fordham

John Owen ministered here and there is a framed statement in the church building about him.

Galleywood

The poetess Mrs. M.A. Chaplin lived at Ponds Farm, Lower Green.

Great Bentley

This village reputedly has the largest village green in England. Originally called 'Much Bentley' it was here that four martyrs of the Reformation lived, amongst whom was the young maiden, Rose Allen. Read the account of Rose Allen here. At the cricket pavilion there is a memorial.

Great Dunmow

Thomas Bowyer, who was martyred at Stratford, lived here and there is a memorial on Bowyer's Bridge, which is over the River Chelmer, outside the town on the road towards Cambridge. Those interested in lifeboats may like to see the plaque by the town pond!

Great Wigborough

John Simson (martyred at Rochford) and John Ardely (martyred at Rayleigh) both lived here.

Harlow

In the old part of this town there is a plaque on a house showing where Sarah Adams, author of the hymn 'Nearer my God to Thee,' was born.

Harwich

William Bramford was martyred here in 1555. The Mayflower, the ship in which the Pilgrim Fathers travelled, was built here, and there is a plaque on a building along the front about the boat and its master. The house of the master of the Mayflower still stands in King Head Street and bears inscriptions to mark the place.

Hockley

The home of William Tyms who was martyred at Rayleigh and is remembered on the memorial at the burning place.

Horndon-on-the-Hill

Thomas Higbed lived and was martyred here. The burning took place in the yard of what is now the Bell Inn and there is a plaque there. There is also a tablet inside the church building.

Kelvedon

In a cottage in the main street the eminent preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born (1834). A plaque shows the place. There is also a 'Spurgeon section' in the Kelvedon Museum. Read his testimony in: Look and Live - A teenage boy finds peace with God

Little Baddow

In a farmhouse called 'The Cuckoos' lived the great puritan preacher Thomas Hooker, who was given the title 'The Founder of American Democracy.' God used his preaching to change Chelmsford from a town of sin and vice to a puritan stronghold. Read about this in 'Chelmsford New Town'. With him in the same house lived John Eliot, the missionary to the Red Indians. Various plaques in the house and barn give details of these men and their work. Click here to see the plaque on the house. The local congregation of independents started in 1661 (the year before the great ejection), and Isaac Watts was amongst those who preached in the chapel (now U.R.C.).

Little Easton

Thomas Ken, author of Morning Hymn and Evening Hymn (including the Doxology) ministered here. He was one of the renowned seven bishops in the time of King James II.

Maldon

Stephen Knight was martyred here. He was burnt at the stake on March 28th 1555. The Plaque is found down Market Hill, along Fullbridge Road, on the side of the old Iron Works (now 'Cash Converters'). Click here for Stephen Knight Plaque.
Lawrence Washington - George Washington's great-great grandfather was buried in All Saint's Church. There is even a window erected in his memory. Click here to see a picture of the stone found outside 'All Saint's Church' in Maldon.
The Pilgrim Fathers are remembered at Maldon in the Washington Window and by having a road named after the ship that took them over to America; Mayflower Drive

Mistley

The parish church has a well-worded memorial to Thomas Osmond, who was martyred at Manningtree.

North Ockendon

Thomas Poyntz, friend of William Tyndale, retured here to live after his unsuccessful attempts to help the great Bible translator at Antwerp and Vilvorde. There is a memorial to Poyntz in the church building. The Poyntz family were the lords of the manor and lived in the Hall behind the church building.

Purleigh

There is a window depicting John Wycliffe in the church building. As Lawrence Washington was vicar here there is an interesting tree if the family inside the church building. There is also remembrance of Edwin Hatch, writer of the hymn, 'Breathe on me, breath of God.'

Rayleigh

In the centre of the town is a fine memorial to the four Reformation martyrs of the area.

Rochford

John Simson of Great Wigborough was martyred here, and there is a plaque to this effect neat the market square.
Edmund Calamy, the puritan preacher, was lecturer here.
The home of the Boleyns, where Ann Boleyn once lived, remains.

Romford

Francis Quarles was born at Stewards and later lived at Roxwell.

Saffron Walden

The Protestant martyr, John Newman, was burned here and there is a plaque in the Town Hall to this effect.
John Bradford, also martyred in Queen Mary's reign, used to preach here and one of his last letters was written to the people of Walden. There is currently a non-conformist church, which was stated by his followers.

Shoeburyness

Arthur Dent, the author of the book 'The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven' (one of the books blessed to John Bunyan) ministered here.

Stambourne

Henry Havers was ejected from the church in 1662 and ignoring the Five-mile Act, formed an independent congregation along the road. James Spurgeon, grandfather of Charles, was later minister there and the great preacher spent some of his early days in the manse. Full details can be obtained firm his Autobiography and the book 'Memories of Stambourne.' There is a tablet remembering 'Grandfather' in the Congregational chapel; and he and 'Grandmother' Spurgeon are buried in the chapel grounds - and so is Henry Havers. John Berridge is said to have preached in the green opposite the Anglican church.

Stratford

Originally in Essex but now in London, there is a fine martyrs memorial in the grounds of St John's Church, in the centre of Stratford Broadway remembering many of the Essex protestants who suffered there.

Thundersley

Thomas Causton (martyred at Rayleigh) and Robert Drakes (martyred at Smithfield) both lived here.

Tilbury

Here Queen Elizabeth made her noble speech at the time of the Spanish Armada.

Waltham Abbey

Politically, it was here that the Protestant Reformation began. Thomas Cranmer was staying with the Cresseys when King Henry VIII came and it was suggested that he put the matter of his divorce to the Universities of Europe. This started the break with Rome.
John Foxe lived here, and there is a row of shops marking the spot, called 'Foxe's Parade.' The martyrologist's son, Samuel, lived at 'Warlies' on the Upshire Road.
The tomb of King Harold is behind the Abbey, his body having been brought from Hastings in 1066.

Walton-on-the-Naze

There is a stone on the Naze with an inscription quoting Psalm 66:4:
"All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name."