Stambourne
Stambourne is a village and civil parish in the Braintree District in north Essex, England. The civil parish population at the 2011 Census was 409.[1] Stambourne's closest neighbouring villages are Ridgewell, Toppesfield, Cornish Hall End and Great Yeldham.
History[edit]
Stambourne derives from an old local dialect term for 'stony brook'.[citation needed]
A part of the British 17th-century witchcraft trials, the spinster Sarah Houghton of Stambourne, in 1663, was charged by the authorities with causing John Smyth to become "consumed and made infirme." A jury, including John Levett and Matthew Butcher, found Houghton guilty, and she was ordered to be hanged. She was reprieved after the jury had rendered their judgment.[2]
Dame Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, a stage actress of the early- and mid-20th century, lived in Stambourne in later life, dying in 1992 at the age of 101.[citation needed]
Community[edit]
The parish church of St Peter and St Thomas Becket dates from the 11th century and is a Grade I listed building.[3]
Every year a bonfire and fireworks display is held in the village playing field. The event attracts people from surrounding areas (including Great Yeldham, Hedingham and Halstead).[citation needed]
The local handyman is known for lighting the bonfire every year wearing short shorts and a cowboy hat.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Stambourne Parish (1170213793)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England, Alan Macfarlane, James Anthony Sharpe, published by Routledge, 1999 ISBN 0-415-19612-4 ISBN 978-0-415-19612-3
- ^ Historic England. "PARISH CHURCH OF ST PETER AND ST THOMAS (1317130)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
External links[edit]
- Main website for Stambourne, with a brief history of Stambourne and access to its history document
- Website for St Peter & St Thomas’ Church, Stambourne, part of the Upper Colne Valley Parishes
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52°01′N 0°30′E / 52.017°N 0.500°E
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