Halstead is a town and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in the
Braintree District
Braintree is a local government district in the English county of Essex, with a population (2011 census) of 147,084. Its main town is Braintree. The three towns of the district are Braintree, Halstead and Witham. The district was formed on 1 Ap ...
of
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, England. Its population of 11,906 in 2011
[Office for National Statistics: ''Census 2001: Population Density, 2011'']
Retrieved 29 November 2015. was estimated to be 12,161 in 2019. The town lies near
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian.
Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
and
Sudbury Sudbury may refer to:
Places Australia
* Sudbury Reef, Queensland
Canada
* Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes)
** Sudbury (electoral district), one of the city's federal e ...
, in the
Colne
Colne () is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. Located northeast of Nelson, north-east of Burnley, east of Preston and west of Leeds.
The town should not be confused with the unrelated Colne Val ...
Valley. It developed initially on the hill to the north of the river. The name Halstead is said to derive from the Old English ''hald'' (refuge, shelter, healthy) and ''stede'' (site, place or farm), meaning "healthy farm" or "place of refuge".
Area
![Antiques centre and restaurant - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Antiques_centre_and_restaurant_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1001322.jpg)
The wide High Street is dominated by the 14th-century Church of St Andrew, which was extensively renovated in the Victorian period, but retains much older decoration, including tomb monuments from the 14th century and earlier.
The historic core of Halstead can be viewed on a walk up the market hill. There is a river walk running through the town from east to west. Just outside the town is Broaks Wood, a popular area for walking owned by the
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England.
The Forestry Commission was previously also respon ...
. Halstead Public Gardens were established in 1900 and are noted for their floral displays. The Antiques Centre sells goods ranging from clothing to household items.
Mills
Townsford Mill spans the river at the bottom of the town houses. In 1818,
Samuel Courtauld built two mills, Townsford at Halstead and another at
Bocking. At the end of 1824, Halstead Mill was sold to Stephen Beuzeville. In 1825, Samuel installed a
steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...
at Bocking Mill. An agreement dated 19 January 1825 was drawn up between Beuzeville and Samuel Courtauld and partners for the conversion of Halstead Mill for silk throwing.
Beuzeville was to provide the expertise, capital and silk; Courtauld was to erect the
power loom
A power loom is a mechanized loom, and was one of the key developments in the industrialization of weaving during the early Industrial Revolution. The first power loom was designed in 1786 by Edmund Cartwright and first built that same year. ...
s and operate the mill in return for a share in the profits; Beuzeville was to take delivery of the yarn and manufacture the
crêpe
A crêpe or crepe ( or , , Quebec French: ) is a very thin type of pancake. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: ''sweet crêpes'' () or ''savoury galettes'' (). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, ...
, on which he was a technical expert with 20 years' experience. The mill appears to have been in operation by the summer of 1825, with Joseph Ash as manager.
The introduction of new technology was important, but the mills remained heavily dependent on labour. The looms required supervision by an army of young female workers. Even in 1838, more than 92 per cent of the workforce was female.
In 1827 Stephen Beuzeville was declared
bankrupt
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debt ...
; a formal deed of sale dated 11 April 1828 was created between the commissioners in bankruptcy and Samuel Courtauld, whereby Halstead Mill (subject to charges of £300) was sold to Courtaulds for a cash payment of £1,500. Stephen and his father joined Courtaulds as employees.
Amenities
Halstead has a library in a large open-plan building, built in 1864–1866 as the corn exchange. It has also housed a technical school. Nearby
Moyns Park
Moyns Park is a Grade I listed Elizabethan country house in Birdbrook, north Essex, England.
The home of the Gent family, until the late 19th century, was once owned by Major-General Cecil Robert St John Ives, maternal grandfather of Ivar Bry ...
, a
Grade I listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
Elizabethan
The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...
country house
An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...
, is where
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., a ...
put the finishing touches to his novel ''
From Russia, with Love'', according to the cover text of some recent editions.
The town history society holds regular monthly meetings. There is a town museum attached to the town council offices featuring historical artefacts and objects of local interest. The Empire Theatre in Butler Road hosts occasional bingo nights. Halstead is home to Hume's Bakery, which opened in 1960 in the shop where it trades today.
Notable people
In birth order:
*
Robert Bourchier, 1st Baron Bourchier
Robert Bourchier (or Boussier), 1st Baron Bourchier (d. August 20, 1349) was Lord Chancellor of England, the first layman to hold the post.
Family
Robert Bourchier was the eldest son of John de Bourchier (d.''circa'' 1330) (''alias'' Boucher, B ...
(died 1349),
Lord Chancellor
The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. The ...
of England, had an estate here.
*
John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Bourchier
John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Bourchier KG (died 21 May 1400), was a soldier and diplomat in the service of the crown
Family
John was the eldest son of Robert Bourchier, 1st Baron Bourchier and his wife Margaret Prayers. He inherited the title when ...
(died 1400), soldier and diplomat, inherited the estate here.
*
Bartholomew Bourchier, 3rd Baron Bourchier
Bartholomew Bourchier, 3rd Baron Bourchier (died 18 May 1409) was an English baron.
Family
Bartholomew was the only known child of John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Bourchier, and his wife Maud Coggeshall. He inherited the title in 1400.
Life
He was s ...
(died 1409), politician, died at his estate here.
*
Bernard Barton
Bernard Barton (31 January 1784 – 19 February 1849), was known as the Quaker poet. His main works included ''The Convict's Appeal'' (1818), in which he protested against the death penalty and the severity of the criminal code.
Family
Bernard ...
(1784–1849),
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
poet, was apprenticed to a shopkeeper and married here.
*
Dummy, the Witch of Sible Hedingham
Dummy, the Witch of Sible Hedingham ( – 4 September 1863) was the pseudonym of an unidentified elderly man who was one of the last people to be accused of witchcraft in England in the 19th century. He died after being beaten and thrown into a ri ...
(c. 1788 – September 4, 1863), a deaf-mute charged with witchcraft, was beaten by a mob and died in Halstead workhouse.
*
Samuel Courtauld (1793–1881), opened a
textile mill
Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...
here in 1818.
*
George Courtauld (1802–1861), textile magnate, was married here in 1829.
*
Isaac Baker Brown
Isaac Baker Brown (1811 – 3 February 1873) was a prominent 19th-century English gynaecologist and obstetrical surgeon. He had a reputation as a specialist in the diseases of women and advocated certain surgical procedures, including clitori ...
(1811–1873), notable
gynaecologist
Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with ...
and
obstetrician
Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...
, went to school here.
*
Augustine Stow
Augustine Stow, J.P., (3 August 1833 – 29 May 1903)
was a politician in colonial South Australia, member of the South Australian House of Assembly for West Torrens from November 1862 to 1864, and for Flinders from October 1866 to 1868.
St ...
(1833–1903), Australian politician, was born here.
*
Decimus Alfred Ball
Decimus Alfred Ball (1836 – 30 June 1890) was an upholsterer and furniture dealer in nineteenth century London who was also a "house farmer" on the Northampton Estate in Clerkenwell, London, known for the overcrowding and poor condition of ...
(1836–1890), notable slum landlord in London, was born here.
*Sir
John Mark Davies
Sir John Mark Davies (8 February 184012 September 1919) was a British-born Australian politician.
Born in Halstead, Essex, England in 1840, Davies was the fifth eldest of the six boys and six girls of Ebenezer Davies and Ruth Bartlett. Two of ...
(1840–1919), Australian politician, was born here.
*
Samuel Courtauld (1876–1947), art collector and industrialist, became a director of the silk mill here in 1901.
*
Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
Dame Gwen Lucy Ffrangcon-Davies, (25 January 1891 – 27 January 1992) was a British actress and centenarian.
Early life
She was born in London of a Welsh family; the name "Ffrangcon" is said to originate from a valley in Snowdonia. Her pare ...
(1891–1992), London-born actress, died here.
*
Alan Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury
Alan John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury (13 August 1902 – 21 October 1998), was a British business executive and a leading member of the supermarket Sainsbury family.
Early and private life
Sainsbury was the son of Mabel Miriam ( Van den Bergh) a ...
(1902–1998), grandson of the founder of the
Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales.
Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company wa ...
supermarket chain, was a resident and died here.
*
Steve Lamacq
Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music.
Early life
He attended The Ramsey Academy ...
(born 1964),
BBC Radio 6 Music
BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
DJ, grew up here, attended
Ramsey School, and is a resident.
*
Matt Cardle
Matthew Sheridan Cardle (born 15 April 1983) is an English pop singer. He was born in Southampton and grew up in Halstead, Essex. Cardle has been involved in music since his early teens and has been a member of two different bands; Darwyn and S ...
(born 1983), 2010 winner of
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
, is a resident.
Schools
Halstead's three primary schools are Holy Trinity, St Andrew's and Richard de Clare. Its one secondary school is
The Ramsey Academy
The Ramsey Academy is a Mixed-sex education, coeducational secondary school with Academy (English school), academy status, located in Halstead, Essex, England.
History
In 1975 three local schools, including Earls Colne Grammar School, Halstead ...
(formerly Ramsey Secondary School), located to the north of the town centre. There are several other secondary schools within travelling distance; pupils commonly opt for
Sible Hedingham
Sible Hedingham ( ) is a large village and civil parish in the River Colne, Essex, Colne Valley in the Braintree (district), Braintree District of Essex, in England. It has a population of 3,994 according to the 2011 census. Sible Hedingham lies ...
, Braintree or Colchester.
the independent Yellow House School at Sible Hedingham is an independent school for pupils with special needs. The two nearest further education colleges are at
Braintree and the
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, Essex is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. Essex's shield consists of the an ...
at Colchester Campus.
Places of worship
The Anglican parish church is
St Andrew's in Parsonage St.
Holy Trinity Church, Halstead
Holy Trinity Church is a redundant Anglican church in the town of Halstead, Essex, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conserv ...
was declared redundant in April 1987 and is preserved by the
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust is a registered charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk in England. The charity cares for over 350 churches of architectural, cultural and historic significance, which have been transferred in ...
.
Halstead also has a Methodist church, which opened as a
Primitive Methodist
The Primitive Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination with the holiness movement. It began in England in the early 19th century, with the influence of American evangelist Lorenzo Dow (1777–1834).
In the United States, the Primiti ...
chapel in 1874. Halstead
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
Church is in Hedingham Road and Grace Baptist Church in Colchester Road, as is the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
of
St Francis of Assisi
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a Mysticism, mystic Italian Catholic Church, Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most vener ...
. The
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2022 it has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers.
Origins and history
The United Reformed Church resulte ...
of Halstead is in Kings Road.
Sport
Halstead's main football club is
Halstead Town F.C. It plays in the 10th tier of the
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
, in the
Eastern Counties Football League
The Eastern Counties Football League, currently known as the Thurlow Nunn League for sponsorship purposes, is an English football league at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system. It currently contains clubs from Norfolk, Suffol ...
Division One.
[Club history]
Halstead Town FC
The town is home to Halstead Cricket Club, which fields three teams in the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship. For the 2011 season the club, with the help of club member and former
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
bowling coach
Ian Pont
Ian Leslie Pont (born 28 August 1961 in Brentwood, Essex, England) is an English former cricketer and current International Coach, specialising in T20 as a Head Coach and developing the speed of fast bowlers across all formats. Known for a powerf ...
brought in Bangladeshi international cricketer
Syed Rasel. Other players to have played both first-class cricket and for the club include former Essex and Leicestershire batsman
Darren Robinson, international coach
Richard Pybus
Richard Alexander Pybus (born 5 July 1964), is an English-born cricket coach.
He coached the Pakistan and Bangladesh national teams, and currently serves as the Director of Cricket for the West Indies Cricket Board. He has held this post sinc ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
double World Cup finalist
Matt Henry.
Since 2010 the town has a rugby club, Halstead Templars R.F.C.
In 1921 the Courtauld Halstead Bowls Club was established at Courtauld Sports Ground. It marked its 100 years of Lawn Bowls in 2021, organising centenary matches with the England team, Essex team, North West Essex Bowling Association and several others. It competes annually in the North West Essex Bowling Association league, Sudbury Triples League, North Essex County Bowls Federation. Players compete in various Essex County competitions. The club has over 100 members and welcomes new ones.
Civil parish
On 31 December 1894 the parish was abolished and split to form "Halstead Rural" and "Halstead Urban". On 1 April 1974 Halstead Urban parish was renamed "Halstead" and Halstead Rural
Greenstead Green and Halstead Rural
Greenstead Green and Halstead Rural is a civil parish in the Braintree district, in the county of Essex, England. The parish includes the village of Greenstead Green and the hamlet of Burton's Green, Plaistow Green and Whiteash Green. In 2011 ...
.
Arms
References
External links
Halstead Then and Now in Old & Current PhotographyHalstead and District Local History Society Website
{{authority control
Towns in Essex
Civil parishes in Essex
Braintree District