Flamstead People
Many fascinating people have lived or worked in Flamstead over the centuries. Some, generally the better-off, are well-known through their exploits that have been documented at the time or subsequently. Others, often “ordinary” people, we only know by name through records such as the parish registers or as a group through their occupation.
This page is about such people with a connection to Flamstead – known by name as individuals, families, and office-holders, and collectively through their occupations and life-style.
CURRENTLY THE PAGE IS WORK-IN-PROGRESS WITH JUST SOME SAMPLE CONTENT. MORE WILL BE ADDED OVER THE COMING MONTHS.
Flamstead Characters
These are profiles of “Flamstead characters” – named individuals who, over the centuries, made enough of an impact for it to be noticed and recorded. They were researched during the early days of the Flamstead Heritage Project, but only fully written up, (lightly) edited, and published more recently.
All character profiles
Authors: mainly TUDWAY, Revd. Stephen and WEBSTER, Leslie – except where shown
Published by: Flamstead Heritage (2026)
Format: PDF/A
Rights Status: the authors, licensed to Flamstead Heritage
Wikipedia Commons (public domain)
Christina of Markyate
Title: Christina of Markyate – Character Profile no. 1
Author: WEBSTER, Leslie
Format: PDF/A, A4, 4pp
View/download: from here (displays in same window/tab)
More Flamstead Characters
This is a further group of characters: those who were not in the initial Flamstead Heritage batch. Some have been published already, for example in the Church and Village News monthly magazine, and so are being re-published here, possibly with some amendments. Others have been written up specifically for this website.
Church of Latter Day Saints
Joseph Flitton
Title: Joseph Flitton – Mormon Pioneer from Flamstead
Author: JENKIN, Mark
First Published: Flamstead Church & Village News, April 2026
Format: PDF/A, A5, 3pp
View/download: from here (displays in same window/tab)
Written in Stone
Starting in the early 2020s, local historian, Simon Goodwin has been writing a series of stories about some of the people of Flamstead buried in St Leonard’s Churchyard or in the cemetery, God’s Acre. These fascinating stories were first written for the parish magazine, Church and Village News, and are republished here with his kind permission.
They give a wonderful insight into the lives of a range of characters: rich and poor, young and old – and into the diverse social history of our village over more than two centuries.
They are shown below in order of first publication. Some of the months may be slightly out.
At the time of writing only a few of the 50-odd stories have been posted. The remainder will be published over the coming months.
Click/press to view/hide Simon’s own account of why and how these stories were written
“In 2020 I joined the Flamstead Living Churchyard project, a group of volunteers whose goal it is to help share the heritage of St Leonard’s Church through education and practical activities (e.g. Bat Boxes) – all subject, of course, to restrictions caused by Covid-19 and the temporary closure of the church building.
Realising that the churchyard (and God’s Acre) are time capsules populated, in perpetuity, by those from the village who have gone before us. I thought that I might try to shine a light on some of their stories, based simply upon publicly available historical records. But here I hit a snag, I would estimate that there are tens of thousands of burials in the churchyard and in the church itself, but only two hundred or so grave markers to identify who is buried there. So, the number of stories we can try and uncover is severely limited. Even some of the existing grave headstones are now so badly eroded, by the weather, that they can no longer be read.
So, a good place to begin seems to be those headstones which provide extra biographical information over and above name, age and date of death. But we can never guarantee we will identify the most interesting life stories because that would be impossible for, who knows, in an unmarked grave may lie the body of a participant in some of the most decisive events in our countries history, a bowman from the Battle of Agincourt or a sailor from Sir Francis Drakes circumnavigation of the globe.
But, no, all we have to go on is the wording written in stone on the headstones and I hope that readers of this magazine might find some of the stories I will try and tell in forthcoming months interesting enough to visit the grave and appreciate the heritage that we are blessed with but we don’t always see.”
Simon Goodwin
All stories
Author: GOODWIN, Simon (text and photographs)
Published by: Flamstead Heritage (2026)
Format: PDF (PDF/A)
Rights Status: the author, licensed to Flamstead Heritage
View/Download: by clicking the title (displays in same window/tab)
2021
Jul. Our Very Own “Sharpe” (or “Mrs Sharpe”) – Sarah Hinde née Bothamley (1785-1860)
Aug. A Thirst for Religious Education – William Arnold (1796-1866)
Sep. As “Honest” as the Day Is Long – Ellen Sarah Day née Overman (1819-1883)
Oct. A Mark of Friendship and Esteem – Henry Harvey (1816-1841)
Nov. Three Score Years and Ten – Mary Arnold née Gutteridge (1825-1927)
Dec. To the Manor Born – Fanny Rosier (1828-1907)
2022
Feb. Twenty Seven Years a Churchwarden – John Reeve (1834-1890)
Mar. Humbershoe, Where’s That? – William Clark Perkins (1823-1866)
Apr. Alms for the Poor and Needy – Mary Weatherhead née Taylor (1781-1861)
Jul. Flamstead’s First Schoolmaster? – Sarah Wright née Dunkley (1839-1875)