The first map is kindly loaned by Peter Walker, whose particular hobby is studying and collecting old maps of Essex. This map shows the old Hundreds of Uttlesford, Clavering and Freshwell as used in the Philip Morant History of Essex, and was created by Emanuel Bowen in 1768.The map was dedicated to Sir John Griffin Griffin of Audley End House.

The second map is extracted from Thomas Wright’s A History and Topography of the County of Essex published in two volumes in 1836. This shows most of the area now covered by the Recorders of Uttlesford. The modern district of Uttlesford did not, of course, exist then, so the divisions shown are the old hundred boundaries which are not respected by the modern Uttlesford boundary, which today covers parts of several hundreds.

Thomas Wright (1810-77) was an undergraduate at Cambridge when he was commissioned by George Virtue to edit and write a history of Essex. It is thought that he actually only visited the county twice! Nevertheless, according to a present-day historian Ken Neale, Wright ‘produced a highly literate, reliable and substantial two-volume account’. To some extent it is a re-hash of Philip Morant’s more famous History of Essex but, as Ken Neale says, ‘it was uncommonly well done, stands the test of time and is much more affordable than the now extremely valuable Morant originals’ (references from ‘Historians of Essex’ by Kenneth Neale, Saffron Walden Historical Journal, No 12 (Autumn 2006), p6).

On the 18^th century map, the words Magna and Parva are used instead of Great and Little as applied to Chesterford, etc and various spellings are different, eg Duddenhoe End is Dudney End, Wenden Lofts is Wenden Loughts. There are interesting features shown, such as St Leonard’s Hospital at Newport, a number of windmills and the old deer parks at Little Walden and Langley. On the 19^th century map, too, spellings were different – WickhamBonant is now Wicken Bonhunt, Berdon is now Berden, Manewden is now Manuden, the Roothings (the southern limit of modern Uttlesford) are now the Rodings. On both maps, some places such as Haydon (now spelt Heydon) and Great Chishill are no longer in Essex, but in Cambridgeshire.

This copy of the map is in much better condition than the one held by the ERO, so we are very grateful for Peter Walker for sharing it with the Recorder’s website. Please remember to acknowledge the source when using the map.