Church of St Mary Magdalene is a Grade I-listed

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

located in the village of

Great Burstead Great Burstead is an urban settlement and former civil parish, now in the parish of Great Burstead and South Green, in the Basildon district, in Essex, England. It is contiguous with the town of Billericay. History By tradition, the origins of ...

, about south of

Billericay Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

, England. While the current building dates back to the 12th century, it's believed a wooden church may have been built on the site as early as the seventh century. The church is part of the Great Burstead Conservation Area, which was designated as such in 1983.

Location

The church is in the village of Great Burstead, about northwest of

Basildon Basildon ( ) is a town in Borough of Basildon, the borough of the same name, in the county of Essex, England. It had a recorded population of 115,955 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. In 1931, the town had a population of 1,159. ...

and south of

Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...

. The churchyard, about above sea level, overlooks the Crouch and

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...

river valleys. The village is on the

London Basin The London Basin is an elongated, roughly triangular sedimentary basin approximately long which underlies London and a large area of south east England, south eastern East Anglia and the adjacent North Sea. The basin formed as a result of compr ...

and is built on

London Clay The London Clay Formation is a Sediment#Shores and shallow seas, marine formation (geology), geological formation of Ypresian (early Eocene Epoch, c. 54-50 million years ago) age which outcrop, crops out in the southeast of England. The London C ...

, partly overlain by the sandier

Bagshot Beds In geology, the Bagshot Beds are a series of sands and clays of shallow-water origin, some being fresh-water, some marine. They belong to the upper Eocene formation of the London and Hampshire basins, in England and derive their name from Bagsh ...

; both beds were deposited during the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

History

Saxons

The site of Great Burstead Church was originally a

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

settlement. The name

is derived from the

''burgh'' (a fortified place) and ''stead'' (farmstead). Both terms suggest that it was a fortified settlement. Area topography indicates a raised position along its boundary, with a ditch and stream to the west. The Saxons, under King Æscwine, arrived in Essex in 527.

Cedd Cedd (; 620 – 26 October 664) was an Anglo-Saxon monk and bishop from the Kingdom of Northumbria. He was an evangelist of the Middle Angles and East Saxons in England and a significant participant in the Synod of Whitby, a meeting which r ...

converted Ebba, the

thane Thane (; previously known as Thana, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city located on the northwestern side of the list of Indian states, state of Maharashtra in India and on ...

of Great Burstead, to Christianity in 653. The first Christian Saxon King, Sæberht (died 616), is said to be buried in the grounds; he was converted by the

Christian mission A Christian mission is an organized effort to carry on evangelism, in the name of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries. Sometimes individuals are sent and a ...

Mellitus Mellitus (; died 24 April 624) was the first bishop of London in the Saxon period, the third archbishop of Canterbury, and a member of the Gregorian mission sent to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons from their native paganism to Christia ...

, the first

Bishop of London The bishop of London is the Ordinary (church officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. By custom the Bishop is also Dean of the Chapel Royal since 1723. The diocese covers of 17 boroughs o ...

. Ebba left due to family quarrels and was succeeded by Edwy, who was persuaded by Bishop

Earconwald Saint Earconwald or Erkenwald (died 693) was a Saxon prince and Bishop of London between 675 and 693. He is the eponymous subject of one of the most St. Erkenwald (poem), important poems in the foundations of English literature (thought to be by th ...

to build a church in 669 which was dedicated to Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury. Around 680, Bishop Cedd of Essex blessed a well on the church site and placed a cross. A wooden building was constructed around then, whose foundations may remain under the present church.

Normans and 12th-century construction

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

gave 39

lordship A lordship is a territory held by a lord. It was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas. It originated as a unit under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. In a lordship, the functions of eco ...

s in Essex to his half-brother,

Odo of Bayeux Odo of Bayeux (died 1097) was a Norman nobleman who was a bishop of Bayeux in Normandy and was made Earl of Kent in England following the Norman Conquest. He was the maternal half-brother of duke, and later king, William the Conqueror, and w ...

, and Great Burstead became his capital manor. By 1147, the lordship belonged to the Cistercian monks of

Stratford Langthorne Abbey Stratford Langthorne Abbey, or the Abbey of St Mary's, Stratford Langthorne was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1135 at Stratford Langthorne — then Essex but now Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. The Abbey, also known as West Ha ...

. Thames flooding forced the monastery to move to Great Burstead Church in 1338, where it remained until 1551. The church is of

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

construction. The walls of the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, , were built from probably-locally-sourced stone rubble. The north wall of the nave, with one

arrowslit An arrowslit (often also referred to as an arrow loop, loophole or loop hole, and sometimes a balistraria) is a narrow vertical aperture in a fortification through which an archer can launch arrows or a crossbowman can launch Crossbow bolt, bolts ...

window, dates to the 12th century. Arrowslit windows were not used by the Normans in castle construction early in the century; they came into use later in the 12th century, during the time of

Richard the Lionheart Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...

. In the south chapel is a 12th-century oak crusaders' chest which was used to collect funds for the Crusades during the rule of King Henry I.

West tower and bells

The church's 14th-century, west tower, built of

ragstone Rag-stone is a name given by some architectural writers to work done with stones that are quarried in thin pieces, such as Horsham Stone, sandstone, Yorkshire stone, and the slate stones, but this is more properly flag or slab work. Near Londo ...

dressed with limestone, has three stages in height. It has angle buttresses and a

castellated A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

on top, surmounted by a shingle spire built around a timber spire. The tower's original putlocks are in place. Its five bells are supported by an oak cradle dating to 1650. Bell number one, built in 1458 by Balcombe in London, weighs 750 lbs. (381 kg). Bell number two, built in 1724 by Thomas Gardiner in

Sudbury, Suffolk Sudbury (, ) is a market town and civil parish in the south west of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour near the Essex border, north-east of London. It is the largest town in the Babergh local government district and part of the South Suf ...

, weighs 450 lbs.(228 kg). Bell number three, built in 1731 by Thomas Gardiner, weighs 900 lbs. (460 kg). Bell number four, built in 1814 by Thomas Meares II at London's

Whitechapel Bell Foundry The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. The bell foundry primarily made church bells ...

, weighs 550 lbs (279 kg). Bell number five weighs 650 lbs. (330 kg). The bells were listed by John C. L. Stahlschmidt in his 1884 book, ''Surrey Bells and London Bell-Founders''. The south aisle and the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

in the northeast corner were added during the 15th century. Recent renovations revealed 14th-, 15th- and 16th-century paintings along the south wall of the south aisle, which also has restored 15th-century benches. The church was extended during the early 16th century with the south chapel. The north and south porches were added that century with

crown post A crown post is a term in traditional timber framing for a post in roof framing which stands on a '' tie beam'' or '' collar beam'' and supports a ''collar plate''.Alcock, N. W.. Recording timber-framed buildings: an illustrated glossary. Londo ...

roofs; the north porch has heavy oak beams, and the south porch has ornate wood carvings. The bells in the church are not currently ringable, due to structural issues with the timbers.

Churchyard

Yew tree

At the rear of the church is the oldest

yew tree Yew is a common name given to various species of trees. It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Taxus'': * European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'') * Pacific yew or western yew ('' Taxus b ...

in Essex. Yew trees are classified as male or female, and the tree is estimated to be about 800 years old.

Battle of Billericay

The

Battle of Billericay The Battle of Billericay took place on 28 June 1381 when the boy King Richard II's soldiers defeated the Essex rebels adjacent to a wood north-east of Billericay, part of the Peasants' Revolt. This is likely to have been Norsey Wood, which maps of ...

took place at dawn on 28 June 1381.

Wat Tyler Wat Tyler (1341 or – 15 June 1381) was a leader of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt in Kingdom of England, England. He led a group of rebels from Canterbury to City of London, London to oppose the collection of a Tax per head, poll tax and to dem ...

(the leader of the

Peasants' Revolt The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. The revolt had various causes, including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Black ...

) had been killed in London, and the peasants fled in panic towards Billericay.

King Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

's soldiers pursued the Essex men towards Norsey Woods, north-east of

, and the insurgents hastily set up barricades with wagons. The king's forces, led by

Thomas of Woodstock Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester (7 January 13558 or 9 September 1397) was the fifth surviving son and youngest child of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. Early life Thomas was born on 7 January 1355 at Woodstock Pal ...

and Thomas Percy, quickly rode through the barricades on horseback. An estimated 500 Essex men were killed at Norsey Woods, many of whom are buried in the churchyard.

''Mayflower'' pilgrims

Billericay's best-known resident, Christopher Martin, was born around 1575. A prosperous merchant, Martin was

churchwarden A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish or congregation of the Anglican Communion, Lutheran Churches or Catholic Church, usually working as a part-time volunteer. In the Anglican tradition, holders of these positions are ''ex officio'' mem ...

of St Mary Magdalene in 1611–1612. He became a

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...

, and was investigated by the church for misusing church funds at

Ingatestone Hall Ingatestone Hall is a Grade I listed 16th-century manor house in Essex, England. It is located outside the village of Ingatestone, approximately south west of Chelmsford and north east of London. The house was built by Sir William Petre, a ...

. Martin became treasurer of the ''Mayflower'', against the advice of the ship's Dutch financial backers. Unpopular with its crew, he bankrupted the ship and survived a near-mutiny only when the ''Mayflower'' sighted land. He was a signatory of the 11 November 1620

Mayflower Compact The Mayflower Compact, originally titled Agreement Between the Settlers of New Plymouth, was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the men aboard the ''Mayflower,'' consisting of Separatist Puritans, adventurers, a ...

. Martin died on 8 January 1621 and was buried at the Coles Hill Burial Ground in

Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth ( ; historically also spelled as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in and the county seat of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklor ...

. Mary Prowe married Martin in the church on 26 February 1606. They had one son, Nathaniel, who remained in England. Mary died on 11 January 1621, three days after Christopher's death. Solomon Prowe, Mary's son from her first marriage, was born and was baptized at the church. He was a member of the King's Watch, a local militia with strong Puritan views. After surviving the ''Mayflower'' voyage, he died on 24 December 1620 when exploration of Plymouth Harbour had just been completed.

Crash of Zeppelin L 32

Great Burstead 1917 Zeppelin Crew resting place

The population of

east London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...

were denied the comfort of their beds on 23 September 1916 by police whistles, as the city was attacked by four German

zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp. 155� ...

s. At about 01:30, the Zeppelin L 32 was struck by Second Lieutenant Frederick Sowrey of the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

. A further burst of machine-gun fire with delayed incendiary bullets severely damaged the airship's gas-filled cells; the ship twisted and turned, blazing from end to end, shedding burning debris as she passed over Billericay's High and Chapel Streets. Local residents said that it sounded like a train rattling windows, making a rushing noise as it went past, and the fire illuminated the countryside for miles around. The ship's captain, Oberleutnant Werner Peterson, jumped clear clutching the ship's log. Its stern struck an oak tree near present-day Greens Farm Lane, and the ship ploughed into nearby fields at Snails Farm. The body of the commander was found in the field, and the rest of the crew died in the L 32's twisted aluminum hull. The 22 crew members of L 32 were recovered and placed in a barn near Greens Farm Lane, The next morning, the church road was impassable due to spectators approaching the crash site. Two days later, the bodies of the Zeppelin crew were transported by road to a prepared burial site. In 1966, the crew were exhumed and moved to the

Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery The Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery () is on Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, England. The cemetery contains nearly 5,000 burials from both the First and Second World War. The burials are mainly German and Austrian nationals with a very small ...

in Staffordshire. The church was visited by a number of German citizens from the 1916 burial to the late 1960s. Cater Museum curator Ted Wright wrote a book, ''The Fate of the Zeppelin L32''; according to Wright,

Mr. Frederick Eales, a local of Billericay, noticed a military-looking gentleman passing along the high street and asked if he could help, The gentleman replied that he was a high-ranking German officer seeking the whereabouts of the grave of the men of L32. Mr. Eales said that not only did he know where, but he would take him; after showing him the grave in Great Burstead churchyard, they returned to Eales' house for refreshment. Some weeks later, a parcel arrived from Germany containing a glass bowl with a zeppelin engraved on it and a letter of appreciation for Mr. Eales' help.

Present day

St Mary Magdalene is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

church in the Deanery of Basildon in the

Diocese of Chelmsford The Diocese of Chelmsford is a Church of England diocese, part of the Province of Canterbury. It was created on 23 January 1914 from part of the Diocese of St Albans. It covers Essex and part of East London. Since 1984 it is divided into three ...

Worship Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity or God. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition of a God. An act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, ...

is in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. Church services are held on Sundays and special occasions, and the church performs weddings, funerals and baptisms. The church grounds are cared for by volunteers from the congregation and the community.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Great Burstead, Saint Mary Grade I listed churches in Essex Church of England church buildings in Essex