St Mary Magdalene, Great Burstead

Church of St Mary Magdalene
Great Burstead Church, north entrance
Church of St Mary Magdalene
51°36′14″N 0°25′30″E / 51.604°N 0.425°E / 51.604; 0.425Coordinates: 51°36′14″N 0°25′30″E / 51.604°N 0.425°E / 51.604; 0.425
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Anglican
Website	www.greatburstead-church.co.uk
History
Status	Active
Dedication	Mary Magdalene
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Administration
Parish	Great Burstead
Deanery	Barking & Dagenham
Archdeaconry	Barking
Diocese	Chelmsford
Province	Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Fr Michael Hall
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name	Church of St Mary Magdalene
Designated	4 July 1955
Reference no.	1122255

St Mary Magdalene is a Grade I-listed parish church in the village of Great Burstead, approximately 1.5 mi (2.4 km) south of Billericay, Essex, England.^[1][2] The present building dates from the 12th century, but a wooden church may have been built on the site in the 7th century.^[1] The church is part of the Great Burstead Conservation Area, which was designated in 1983.^[3]

Location[]

St Mary Magdalene church is in the village of Great Burstead, around 3 mi (4.8 km) northwest of Basildon and 10 mi (16 km) south of Chelmsford. The churchyard has an elevation of about 60 m (200 ft) above sea level and provides extensive views over the valleys of the Rivers Crouch and Thames. The village is in the London Basin and is built on London Clay partly overlain by the sandier Bagshot Beds, both of which were deposited during the Eocene.^[3]

History[]

Roman[]

The Roman Empire occupied Billericay after CE 54 for approximately 300 years. Nearby Blunts Wall in Billericay had an earth fort and moat defensive structure. The Romans had a settlement where Billericay High Street is situated today, with cemeteries on the grounds of present-day Billericay school, and in the center of town where the Billericay Reform Church is today.^{[citation needed]}

Saxon[]

The site of Great Burstead Church, originally was a Saxon settlement, the name Great Burstead comes from the Saxon 'Burgh', a fortified place , and 'Stead' which derives from Farmstead, the original Saxon name signified a fortified settlement, the church topography today indicates a raised position along its boundary, consisting of a ditch and stream to the west.

Areological evidence has been found in the nearby vicarage, on the East boundary, which dates back to the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, these were discovered in 1847.

In 527A.D., the Saxons under the leadership of there King Æscwine arrived in Essex, it is believed the Odda, described as the ´Kings Viking´ destroyed the settlement of Billericay 2 miles away, and became the first Thane of Great Burstead.

In 653A.D., St Cedd converted Ebba, who was then the Thane of Great Burstead to Christianity, The first Christian Saxon King Sæberht (d 616) is said to be buried within the grounds, a convert under the earlier Christian mission of Mellitus, the first Bishop of London.

Family quarrels caused Ebba to leave, he was succeeded by Edwy, in 669 A,D Edwy was persuaded by Earconwald Bishop of London to build a church, and was dedicated to Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Around 680 AD St Cedd the first Bishop of Essex, sanctified a well on the church site, and placed a station cross, a wooden building being built around 680A,D , its possible foundations were used and may exist beneath the present church structure,

By the time of King Edward the Confessor, the lordship of Great Burstead belonged to Saxon Thane Ingar.

Norman Rule & Construction 12th Century[]

After 1066 William the Conqueror took the leadership away from Ingar, and gave it to his half brother Odo Bishop of Bayeux, Odo received 39 Lordships in Essex, Great Burstead became his capital manor.

By 1147 the lordship belonged to the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Stratford Langthorne, in 1338 bad Thames floods caused the whole monastery to move to Great Burstead Church, and remained so until 1551. St Mary Magdalene is of Norman Construction.^[4]

The walls of the Nave (44ft x 23ft) are constructed from random stone rubble probably locally sourced, only the north wall of the Nave is from the 12th Century, consisting of one Arrow Slit window.

In the early 12th century Arrow slit windows were not used by the Normans in castle construction, but came into use in the later part of the 12th century, in the time of Richard The Lionheart.

Inside the south chapel lies a 12th century Crusaders Chest, the chest was hewn out of solid oak, it was used to collect funds for the Crusades in the time of King Henry I of England,^[4] and is now used to collect funds for church renovations.

West Tower 14th Century[]

The 14th century tower of St Mary Magdalene, Great Burstead

The West Tower (14ft square) is of 14th Century construction,^[4] constructed of Ragstone & dressings of limestone, is of three stages in height the tower has angle buttresses, and a castellated parapet on top, surmounted by a shingle spire built around a timber spire, the original putlocks are in place from the original construction.

The bells x 5 within the tower are of 15th century by John Walgrave, inscribed "Vox Augustini Sonet In Aure Dei"

The Chancel in the north east corner was added in the 15th Century along with the South Aisle.^[4] Recent renovations revealed 14th, 15th & 16th century paintings along the south wall of the south aisle, the church also has fine restored 15th century benches in the south Aisle.

The Church underwent a further extension in the early 16th Century with the South Chapel^[4] (31ft x 16ft), originally the interior walls of the South Aisle would have brightly coloured paintings. In the 16th century the north and south porches were added with crown post roofs, the north porch being constructed in heavy oak beams, the south porch having ornate wood carvings.^[4]

Churchyard[]

Ancient Yew Tree.[]

Ancient Yew Tree of Great Burstead, St Mary Magdalene

To the rear of the church is situated the oldest Yew tree in Essex. Yew trees are classified as either male or female, and by age, this Yew is nearer to Ancient than Veteran, to be a Veteran you will need to have survived 500 years, and to be an Ancient 800 years or more, just imagine what this Yew tree has witnessed; the Tudor period, the reign of Bloody Mary and the local martyrs who were buried here, then we more forward to the Mayflower Pilgrims of 1620, moving all the way forward to 1916, the crash site of the German Zeppelin L32 all 20 crew were buried in the west part of the cemetery,^[5] and if indeed it's of Ancient age we can add the burial of the Watt Tyler Peasant Revolt men, 500 died in the Battle of Norsey Woods^[6] which is nearby in Billericay, and interned in the Cemetery along with the Essex Leaders, its likely Wat Tyler was buried in London.

Watt Tyler & the Peasants Revolt 1381[]

The Battle of Billericay took place at dawn on Sunday 28 June 1381, Watt Tyler the Leader of the Peasants Revolt had already been killed, decapitated in Smithfield London, the Peasants revolt had fled in panic towards Billericay.

King Richard II soldiers pursued the Essex men adjacent to a wood north-east of Billericay known locally as Norsey Woods, the woods being selected by the Essex men due to its terrain and familiarity to them, many of whom came from the Billericay and Burstead areas, a hastily series of barricades were made using wagons, no sentries were set up, the men made camp.

The king's forces were led by Thomas of Woodstock, the Earl of Buckingham and Sir Thomas Percy quickly overran the Essex men, on horseback smashing through the barricades, and a fight and slaughter of Essex man took hold, and an estimated 500 Essex men were killed in Norsey woods, many fallen were buried at Great Burstead churchyard, local traditions says that their leader Watt Tyler is also buried in Bursteads cemetery.

Mayflower pilgrims[]

Great Burstead Church Window / Mayflower 1620 Crossing.

Billericay most famous resident Christopher Martin Born locally around the year 1575, became a Trading Merchant in Wool and Goods in Billericay and Great Burstead area, Martin owned three properties in Billericay.

Christopher Martin was also briefly Church Warden of St Mary Magdalen Church in nearby Great Burstead in 1611 - 1612, Martin became a strong Puritan, one such example in 1612 'Refusing to kneel at Holy Communion', also becoming corrupt with church funds, and was investigated by the church at Ingatestone Hall. Against all the odds, Christopher Martin, became the Governor or 'Treasurer Agent' of the Mayflower Ship, against the advice of the financial backers in Holland. His responsibilities included purchasing provisions for the voyage, unfortunately Martin was also known for being corrupt and unpopular by the Mayflower crew itself, and literally bankrupted the ships purse, only just surviving a near mutiny when the Mayflower finally made for land. Martin was also a signatory to the Mayflower compact dated 11 November 1621.

Christopher Martin died 8 January 1621 of 'General Sickness' and was buried at Coles Hill Burial Ground, Plymouth Massachusetts.

Mary Prowe married Christopher Martin in Burstead Church on 26 February 1606, they had one son Nathaniel who stayed in England for reasons unknown. Mary died just after Christopher of 'General Sickness’ on 11 January 1621.^[7]

Solomon Prowe son of Mary's first marriage was born around 1596 & baptized at Great Burstead Church. Solomon was known to be a member of the Kings Watch, a local Billericay Police Militia, with strong Puritan views. Having survived the voyage he died on 24 December 1620, just as the exploration of Plymouth Harbour had been completed.

Meanwhile in Billericay, England, his father Edward Prowe remarried and named their new son Solomon Prowe in memory of his lost son

Crash of Zeppelin L32[]

The population of east London were denied the comfort of their beds on 23 September 1916 by the shrill of police whistles, London was under attack from German Zeppelins, a total of four zeppelins were on course to attack targets across London, at around 01:30 the Zeppelin LZ 32^[8][9] had been struck by Second Lieutenant Frederick Sowrey of the Royal Flying Corps. A further burst of machine gun fire using the latest delayed incendiary bullets, caused cataclysmic damage to the airships gas filled cells, the doomed ship twisted and turned, blazing from end to end, shedding burning debris as she passed directly over Billericay's Ancient High street, and , locals said it sounded like a train rattling windows making a rushing noise as it went past, the fire illuminating the countryside for miles around, the captain Oberleutnant Werner Peterson^[10] jumped clear still clutching the ships log, the stern struck an oak tree off the now Greens Farm lane^[11] and the ship ploughed into nearby fields at Snails Farm, the body of the commander was found in the field, the rest of the crew died twisted in the aluminum hulk of L32.^[9][8]

The 22 crew members of L32^[8] were recovered and placed in a barn by the on Greens Farm Lane,^[11] the next morning the church road was impassible, due to people heading down to the crash site^[12] about 1 mile away around, as far as London, two days later the bodies of the stricken Zeppelin were transported by road to a prepared burial site^[13] to the far western section of the lower cemetery of St Mary Magdalene Church, a Burial party of the Royal Flying Corps and buried the German crew with full military honors, the Reverend Hermann Coldwell gave the service, saying "This man here departed" instead of "Our dear brother departed" for obvious reasons.^{[citation needed]}

In 1966, all 22 Aircrew of L32 were exhumed, and moved to the Cannock Chase^[14]German Military Cemetery in Staffordshire.^[15]

Great Burstead church was visited by many German citizens from the original burial of 1916 to the late 1960, a local Historian a Mr. Ted Wright, curator at the local Billericay Cater Museum.^[16]

which to this day has many exhibits from the crash of L32, Ted wrote a book entitled 'The Fate of the Zeppelin L32' one such passage reads;^[17]

Original burial site (1916-1960s) of L32 Zeppelin crew in 2021

Mr. Frederick Eales a local of Billericay, noticed a Military looking gentleman, passing along the high street, asking if he could help, the gentleman replied 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, showing him the grave in Great Burstead churchyard, they returned to Eales house for refreshment, some weeks later a parcel arrived from Germany, enclosing a glass bowl with a Zeppelin engraved up on it, and a letter of appreciation for Mr. Eales help.^[18]

WW2 Bombing damage

Between 1939 and 1944, Billericay and Great Burstead sustained prolonged air raids, and bomb damage, originating from Luftwaffe sorties, Burstead Church itself sustained damage, blowing out windows and damaging the church structure.^{[citation needed]}

Present day[]

St Mary Magdalene is an active parish church in the Deanery of Basildon in the Diocese of Chelmsford. As of 2021, the priest is Fr Michael Hall. Worship is in the Anglo-Catholic tradition.^[1]

References[]

External Links[]

• St Mary Magdalen, Great Burstead

Media related to Mary Magdalene Church (Great Burstead) at Wikimedia Commons