Maldon—A History

About the Book

A History is the story of Maldon, which is the second-oldest town in Essex, from pre-historic times until the present day. It has information on Bronze- and Iron-Age Maldon; Roman Maldon; Anglo-Saxon Maldon, including the Battle of Maldon; medieval Maldon, including the granting of the first charter of the borough in 1171 by King Henry II, its monastic institutions, Maldon the port, and its involvement in wars; Maldon at the time of the Reformation; its involvement in the civil war; its parliamentary representation; the town in the eighteenth and early centuries, including the building of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, the dissolution and subsequent reinstatement of the town’s charter, the Napoleonic wars, the building of the two railways to the town in the nineteenth century and their closure in the twentieth century, the rise of municipal institutions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Maldon’s police force, and abolition and subsuming into the Essex County Police force, industrial developments, including its iron foundries and salt works; Maldon during the two world wars, and the abolition of the borough in 1974. Both Heybridge, which subsequently became a part of the borough, and the hamlet of Beeleigh are also included.

About the Author

Charles Phillips was born in May 1953 in St Andrew’s Hospital Billericay, but has lived all his life in the nearby village of Stock. He worked for the civil service from 1972 to 2005 when he was given early retirement which enabled him to indulge in his passion for history and is the historian of Stock. He is a founder member and committee member and trustee of Stock and Buttsbury Heritage Society since its formation in 2007. In 2015 Charles organised and put on the exhibition in Stock’s to commemorate the 70th anniversary of VE Day and in 2018 he organised and put on the exhibition in Stock’s to commemorate the Centenary of 1918 Armistice. As well as having a passion for history Charles is also interested in transport and travel and has travelled round the Continent, Britain and Ireland by surface transport. He has been a member of the Great Eastern Railway Society since 1975. When he was 64 Charles passed the driving test Charles has written a number of books including The Great Eastern Since 1900 published by Ian Allan in 1985, the Story of Stock and Buttsbury published by Ian Henry Publications in 2002 and the Story of Billericay published by the History Press in 2011. Plus the Great Eastern Railway in South Ethics published by pen and sword transport in 2019.