Archives

Item: 001
Title: Historic Photo Collection
Authors: miscellaneous; see individual photos for credits where known
Published by: Herts Memories (hosted by Hertfordshire County Council)
Format: digitised photographs with associated articles or captions
Rights Status: miscellaneous
Visit: Flamstead Heritage at Herts Memories

Our collection of old photographs about Flamstead parish and village life is hosted at Herts Memories. It started as a strand of Flamstead Heritage‘s engagement activity intended to uncover hidden archives of historic images and publish them online. As well as being of general interest, we hope to trigger living memories of some of the events and places portrayed.

Item: 002-01
Title: Flamstead, Its Church and History
Authors: BULLARD, J Vincent, Revd.; SEBRIGHT, Sir Edgar R. S.; COBB, Edmund Farley
Published by: J. V. Bullard & E.F. Cobb / Church of England, 1902
Format: scanned book; 300dpi; PDF/A (archive); searchable (OCR); A4; 41pp; 24MB
Rights Status: believed to be out of copyright
View/download: from here

This illustrated survey and history of the church and village, by the Reverend John Vincent Bullard, was written in 1902 when, after an overhanging stone arch fell into the pulpit, he decided to undertake the long overdue restoration of St Leonard’s himself. This he went on to supervise between 1906 and 1908. A report in the book by his school friend, the architect E.F. Cobb describes “the present dilapidated state of the building”.

Item: 003-01
Title: Flashes of Flamstead
Author: RUSSELL, Cecil, Revd., 1938
Format: digitised 16mm film; black & white, silent; 10m 40s, 173MB
Rights Status: by kind permission of the Russell family
View on YouTube: here or press the play button on the panel (then go to full screen)

This film was created by Revd. Cecil Russell, vicar of Flamstead, in 1938 at a time when home movies were extremely rare. In his book, written in 1956, he said “There is a 16mm film called ‘Flashes of Flamstead’ taken by the writer in 1938 which will be a valuable record in another century. It shows many of the children in sun-bonnets and some remaining horse transport.”

Item: 003-02
Title: Flamstead, Hertfordshire
Author: RUSSELL, Cecil, Revd
Published by: C. E. Russell (Church of England), 1956
Format: scanned book; 300 dpi; PDF/A (archive); searchable (OCR); A4
Rights Status: by kind permission of the Russell family
View/download (part 1; 33pp; 29MB): here
View/download (part 2; 34pp; 24MB): here

From the Introduction: “It is now fifty years since the Reverend John Vincent Bullard, Vicar of the parish of Flamstead 1898-1909 wrote a history of the church and village. This admirable work is out of print and at some points needs correction owing to later discoveries but it supplies the foundation of this book. During the last twenty years it has been my privilege to show the church and its treasures to a great number of visitors and the need for a revised story of the parish has become plain.”

Collection: 004
Title: Memorandum Book of events and discoveries of interest
Better known as: Village Scrapbook
Authors: for main authors, see below
Published: single copy, kept at St Leonard’s
Date range: 1923 to c. 1988
Format: scanned, bound scrapbook; 300 dpi; PDF/A (archive); searchable (OCR); foolscap (205x300mm)
Pages: 383pp (271 bound + 112 attached items)
Rights Status: see in About the Scrapbook
View/download: in 9 parts; see below.
For more information: see About the Scrapbook and Scrapbook Contents List

The Village Scrapbook (or Log-Book) was started in 1923 by the then Vicar of St Leonard’s, Revd Frank Conquest Clare, and was continued until the late 1980s by his successors. It is a unique record of village life over 60 years and a primary source of contemporary history.

In it you can find first-hand accounts of the discovery of the wall paintings in the 1920s, life during the World War Two, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth, and the many ambitious fund-raising events of the 1960s to 80s. There are records of everyday life in the village, its regular rhythms across the years including the great festivals of Christmas and Easter, and the exploits of many of the characters who lived here and contributed to the community.

Collection: 005
Title: St Leonard’s Parish Registers
Author (main): Church of England
Transcriptions: F. M. Barrell, 1972
Published: original registers kept at St Leonard’s until 1978
Date range: 1548 to 1781
Format: scanned copy of typed transcriptions; 300 dpi; PDF/A (archive); searchable (OCR); A4
Rights Status: believed to be n/a – factual
View/download: by register; see below.
For more information: see About the Parish Registers

St Leonard’s has a very good collection of parish registers, dating from 1548. The originals are now stored at HALS. Published here are transcriptions of the earliest registers, from 1548 to about 1781, made by F. M. Barrell, in 1972.

Of particular interest is the supplementary commentary and local history written contemporaneously alongside many of the individual entries – and which have been copied into the transcript.

Item: 006-01
Title: Reg Nelsey reflects on “a Story of Flamstead”
Authors: NELSEY, Reg. A. (speaker), recorded by unknown
Unpublished: recorded c. 1966
Format: audio recording; MP3; 9 mins 12 secs; 13MB
Rights Status: licensed by kind permission of Mrs Rosslyn French, the rights holder
Listen/download: from here
See also: Village Scrapbook part 5 (item 004-05), pp 156/1 to 156/4

This audio recording was made in about 1966 following the showing in St Leonard’s of “A Story of Flamstead”. The show was produced by Sarah Caisley and featured in the cast Bernard Miles, Ted Moult, Dorian Williams, and Eric Morecambe. In the recording, Reg Nelsey, speaking in a strong Hertfordshire accent, reflects on the production, some of the stories covered, and his own role in providing a recipe for Trowley Dumplings.

Item: 007-01
Title: A New History of Flamstead (extracts)
Authors: EDWARDS, Eric
Published by: Flamstead Society, 1999
Format: extracts created from the original text of the book; PDF/A (archive); searchable; A4
Rights Status: licensed by kind permission of Eric Edwards & the Flamstead Society

View/download: [2] The Little Nunnery of St Giles-in-the-Wood, Beechwood Park and the Saunders Sebright Family, pp17-40; 4MB from here
View/download: [4] Employment, Industry, Commerce and Transport, pp69 – 82; 1MB from here
View/download: [7] The Lords of the Manor of Flamstead, pp141-156; 2MB from here

Eric Edward’s New History is the definitive book about Flamstead. In the foreword Eric states that it took 20 years to write, being conceived in 1976 and finally published in 1999. Sadly it is now out of print, although copies can sometimes be found in second hand bookshops or online. It was thoroughly researched, being drawn from extensive sources including antiquarian writings, previous local histories, obscure publications at the county’s record office (HALS), and, over the 20 year gestation period, interviews with local people whose recollections span most of the 20th century.