Manuden History Society

The Manuden History Society was founded in 1986 and was led for many years by Fiona Bengtsen. Fiona recently retired and the current History Recorder for Manuden is Julian Eustace. Please do contact here if you have any history queries relating to Manuden.

WW1 Genealogy & War Memorial Renovation Project The project including the renovation of the Manuden War Memorial was a Heritage Lottery Funded Project in partnership with Manuden Parish Council. A full project report (pdf) may be downloaded here. Manuden-WW1Project Berden and the First World War
Manuden in WW2 For the 70th VE day celebrations in 2025 we scanned the WW2 document created by the History Society for the 50th anniversary of VE Day in 1995. It can be dowloaded here Manuden During the Second World War

Past Projects have included:

• Churchyard Survey
• Field Names Projects
• Field Walking and Archaeology in the area
• Oral History
• Parish Map Project
• Parish Record Computerisation
• Photography and recording of Church Hassocks
• Tithe Map Recording
• Vernacular Architecture courses and
• Recording of vernacular architecture in village
• Manuden WW I Memorial research project
• House History research project.
• Domesday II Survey of Village
• Photographic Exhibition - May 2000
• Historical Re-enactment of village history by children - May 2000
• HEFA test digs in Manuden
• WW1 Genealogy & War Memorial Renovation Project

Publications:

• Sir William Waad, Lt. of the Tower and The Gunpowder Plot. £7 (Sir William lived in Manuden during the Elizabethan and Stewart period)
• The Manor of Battles Hall, Manuden - the history of a manor - Price £3 plus postage
• Manuden during the Second World War - Price £3 plus postage
• Waterside School, Hassobury - a history - Price £2.50 + p.
• Manuden Appraisal Report (in collaboration with the Parish Council) includes a short history of Manuden. Price £2 plus postage.
• Manuden Church Leaflet - 40p available in church.

HEFA test digs in Manuden

On 4 and 5 April 2011 Manuden was visited by 28 secondary school students, aged between 12 and 16, from all over Essex as far afield as Canvey Island. Under the direction of Carenza Lewis from Cambridge University Department of Archaeology, previously a member of Channel 4's Time Team, the students dug test pits in seven gardens in village.
For more information, test pit results and photographs click here.