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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COUNCIL West Mersea Council is one of the oldest insitutions on the island. In 2008 we will be one hundred and fourteen years old! The Council was born on the evening of December 4th 1894 when a large gathering of men met at the newly built Council School in Barfield Road to hold the very first Parish Council elections. No women were present, to do so would have been out of the question as it would be another thirty years before they were even given the right to vote The first item on the Agenda was to select a Chairman and Mr. Thorpe - the School Headmaster - was duly proposed and appointed. Mr. Thorpe asked for nominations for the office of Parish Councillors. Twenty four nominations were handed in and after careful scrutiny - it was decided that twenty were valid and four were not. This twenty were duly voted on by a show of hands and the Chairman declared the following elected Parish Councillors for West Mersea:- Alfred Mussett - Frederick Mussett - Isaac Pullen - John Willoughby Bean - Edwin Cooke - Samuel Dixon - George Smith and William Traveller. All was going well until the Chairman thought that he had better follow the proper procedures and declared that any elector could demand a Public Poll. Would you believe it - one did - a Mr. Goldsmith bless him! (Even today in Mersea there is always a Mr. Goldsmith type person who demands a proper election). A proper Poll (election) was subsequently held and the same men were chosen except for Samuel Dixon who lost his place to John Brand. The first Parish Council meeting was held on the 4th January 1895 at the School with Mr. Willoughby Bean elected as Chairman and Mr. Thomas Gilbert as Vice Chairman. Mr. Thorpe continued as Acting Clerk. The Council at that time was totally separate from Colchester Borough and came under Lexden and Winstree District Council. The handwritten Minute Books show that for the next thirty years the "City Fathers" carried out their duties diligently - with the best interests of the people at heart. Often trying (by various adventurous schemes) to bring prosperity to what was a very poor fishing and farming community. One of their more pioneering ideas was to turn Mersea into a proper seaside resort by bringing the railway to the island. Not just the railway - but a pier and a ferry and a hotel and a statue of Queen Victoria to boot. Plans were made to create a rail and river link from Colchester to Southend via Bradwell and Burnham. They discussed this subject for ten years finally gaining government permission to go ahead. But it was never to be - the 1914 - 18 War made sure that the best laid plans of mice and Mersea men hit the buffers. The list of Chairman during this period were mostly local landowners:- John Willoughby Bean - Daniel Cock - Samuel and George French - Harry Pearl Cross - not to mention the Vicar - Reverend Pierrepont Edwards. THE ALL POWERFUL URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL But it was all change again in 1926 when by a new local Government Act the Parish Council became the Urban District Council. Still with just nine Councillors the new Urban District remained completely autonomous from Colchester making its own policy decisions - though overall jurisdiction was held by Essex County Council. In 1926 the Offices of the Clerk to the Council are given as in Beach Road - which was probably a room at his home address. For the next forty years West Mersea UDC became all powerful - controlling the Sewers, the Water Supply, the Roads, the Beach Huts, the local Council Houses, the Greensward, the Open Spaces and Cemeteries etc. etc. When the Council Offices moved to the present Melrose Road building there were three full time Secretaries plus Mersea's own Surveyor who worked from his Planning Office in a building next door (now the Montessori Nursery). Some say it was better run then - who knows! But this did not stop the powers that be in Whitehall wanting to alter it all yet again. |
| THE TOWN COUNCIL TAKES CONTROL In 1972 under a new Government Reform Act - West Mersea Urban District Council was no more! The Chairman, the dry witted, Mr. Clem Smith had the last word at the last meeting - paying tribute to his fellow Councillors. The new Council, still with nine Councillors, was to be titled a "Town" Council and along with Wivenhoe and Tiptree came under the auspices of Colchester Borough Council. Essex County Council retained control of Education - Highways and Libraries. Planning powers were removed from the new Town Councils and authority given to Colchester with Town Councils having mere powers of recommendation. Colchester had now become an all powerful "Borough" its ancient charters covering the whole of the North Essex region. As a compensation to loss of power Town Councils had the right, if they wished, to elect their own Mayor - a dignity hitherto only associated with Chartered Boroughs. Some (e.g. Tiptree) chose not to do this - mainly on grounds of extra costs - but most did and still have "pocket" Mayors to this day. West Mersea Town Council chose not to adopt the courtesy title of Mayoress. The first Mayor of the new West Mersea Town Council IN 1974 was 57 year old Archie Smith - a Local Shopkeeper. F.CASS 1955-56 F.CASS 1956-57 G.A.COCK 1957-58 G.A.COCK 1958-59 C.A.MUSSETT 1959-60 W.H.HARRISON 1961-62 A.S.ALDOUS 1962-63 G.A.COCK 1963-64 E.A.VINCE 1964-65 A.S.ALDOUS 1965-66 Mrs. E.I. COX 1966-67 MRS. E.I.COX 1967-68 MRS.D.V.HALL 1968-69 MRS.D.V.HALL 1969-70 A.A.EWBANK 1970-71 A.A.EWBANK 1971-72 A.M.GRAY 1972-73 A.M.GRAY 1973-74 LIST OF MAYORS - WEST MERSEA TOWN COUNCIL ARCHIE SMITH 1974-75 ERNIE VINCE 1975-76 A.M.GRAY 1976-77 FRANK OSBORN 1977-78 FRANK OSBORN 1978-79 MRS.P.WILLIAMS 1979-80 DAVID COOPER 1980-81 DAVID COOPER 1981-82 REG D'WIT 1982-83 LEN BROADHURST 1983-84 TONY BERMINGHAM 1986-87 DAVID COOPER 1987-88 LEN BROADHURST 1988-89 LEN BROADHURST 1989-90 JOHN JOWERS 1990-91 REG D'WIT 1991-92 MRS. PATRICIA STEWART 1992-93 SIMON BANKS 1993-94 MRS MARY HARGREAVES 1996-97 MRS PATRICIA STEWART 1997-98 SIMON BANKS 1998-99 SYLVIA WARGENT 1999-2000 ERIC STRAUGHAN 2000-2001 DIANA NORMAN 2001-2002 DOUGLAS STOKER 2002-2003 DOUGLAS STOKER 2003-2004 ALAN MOGRIDGE 2004-2005 PETER CLEMENTS 2005-2006 ALAN MOGRIDGE 2006-2007 |
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Mrs.D.Hall was Chairman of the Council from 1968 to 1970 |
| THE MERSEA BARROW The Barrow stands beside the East Mersea Road just beyond Barrow Hill Cottage. In 1966 the owners of the land gave the Barrow to the Mersea Island Society whose members worked hard to tidy up the area. In 1975 Colchester Borough Council took over the site and it is now in the care of the Museum Department - the original inner contents on show in the Castle Museum Colchester. The Barrow is Romano-British - 1st century AD. It was built by hand - on a rising platform. There is evidence of charcoal fires nearby - oyster shells - lunch for the workmen perhaps. Inside the Barrow - a round glass jar with a lipped lid - inside the jar the cremated remains of a local Chieftain or one of his family. The jar stood inside a lead casket which had been welded - welding was a forgotten craft not redisovered until the early 1800's. The Barrow was excavated in 1912 - the mound had never been disturbed The Barrow is half a mile from the Strood and there is evidence of a Ford across the Pyefleet - lying to the east of the Strood and emerging behind the Barrow site. There are several local legends connected to this burial site - one slightly gruesome tale is told in the book "Mehalah". |
| THE WATER TOWER West Mersea Water Tower was built on Uplands Fields by local men with local bricks made at the local brickworks in Kingsland Road (behind Underwoods) in 1925. The men were employed by Clifford White's the Mersea Builders. An artesian well 230 ft deep was bored and pipes were laid under Mersea's roads - some 16 ft down some only 4 ft down - the joints were filled with pug and sealed with red hot lead - then pressure tested. The cost of the whole project - £24,000 Viola! Mains water had come to Mersea! Many complained that the water had a salty taste and made tea taste peculiar - some people are never satisfied! |
| WEST MERSEA OYSTER DREDGING MATCH The Mersea Dredging Match for Smacks, Bawleys and Bumkins takes place in September every year. Up to twenty working craft work under sail on the common grounds off the Esplanade. The Match is opened by the Mayor of Colchester and the Mayor of Mersea aboard the Foreman Smack who cast their nets simultaneously. The fleet work for two hours before sailing to the Packing Shed for Weigh In and Prizegiving - the prize is for the greatest weight of native oysters - Gigas or Rock Oysters do not count. The Smack that is judged the most professionally handled vessel becomes the Foreman Smack for next year. The oldest working smack on the river is the 198 year old "Boadicea". Back to top |
| THE WHEEL TOMB is a barely visible Roman Mausoleum located 150 yards east of the Parish Church in the garden of a house which lies back from Yorick Road (the Parish Church is built on the site of a Roman Villa) A circular structure twenty metres in diameter it was made of Roman bricks and tiles with thick outer walls. Radiating from the centre six inner buttresses extended out to twelve outer ones. It must have been an elaborate building looking a bit like a pyramidal wedding cake At one time it was thought to be a Lighthouse but it is in fact a Roman Mausoleum built to house the deceased remains of a high profile, well to do, Roman family. A family who lived in some splendour in a large Roman villa, with central heating, mosaic floors, tessallated pavements and terraced gardens leading down to the river - some 2000 years ago. |
| THE COBMARSH MARATHON is usually held about two weeks before the annual Regatta and is very much a "locals" event The race mainly features a pair oared rowing race in Smack boats not exceeding 14ft rowing around Cobmarsh Island - not as easy as it looks! The main race is followed by other "light hearted" races for any type of boat The afternoon's events include a sculling match (popular with the under 16's) competing for the Don Mole Plate Races start at Ted Woolf's shed on Coast Road and are open to anyone who turns up on the day. Spectators usually sit under the trees on the grassy bank above the oyster pit (bring a deckchair and some sandwiches) For more details see current Regatta Programme |
| THE VILLAGE SIGN began as a project by Mersea Island Society when Dr Roy Compton Smith was Chairman. The Town Council backed the idea and several designs were submitted. The final one was carved in oak by Dennis Smy and depicts - an oyster catcher - the Mersea Barrow - a sheaf of corn with scythe and a fishing Smack - all surmounted by the Parish Church. The sign was placed on the forecourt of the Library with due ceremony in 1984. The brown sailed fishing smack is typical of hundreds which dredged oysters in the tidal waters of the Colne and Blackwater The wheatsheaf, scythe and wild flowers emphasize the island's farming connections>br> The Barrow - a Romano Celtic burial mound The Oyster Catcher - one of Mersea's more well known wading birds The black weatherboarded building in the distance behind the Oyster Catcher is the Packing Shed where oysters were sorted and packed |
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The Village Sign situated outside the Library |
| THE WAR MEMORIAL was donated to Mersea by Mrs Egerton Green and dedicated by the Bishop of Colchester in 1917. Responsibility for its upkeep is shared between the British Legion and the Town Council - although most is carried out by the British Legion. The memorial was completely refurbished in 1990 and re dedicated by the Rev John Swallow. Roger Bullen's book "Not Just A Name" gives chapter and verse on the background of the men of Mersea who sacrificed their lives in the 1st World War. On the nearest Sunday to the 11th day of the 11th month - Remembrance Sunday War Veterans from the British Legion and young people from the Mersea Island Scout Group march to the War Memorial where they are joined by Councillors, The Vicar and Church Choir and members of the public gather on the small green for a memorial service - playing of the "Last Post" and laying of poppy wreaths. This is followed by a Service of Remembrance in the Parish Church and later a reception in the British Legion. On the actualRemembrance day - the 11th day of the 11th month the British Legion hold their own service at the War Memorial. |
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The oldest fishing smack on the Blackwater - the Boadicea |
| FISHING IN MERSEA Mersea has always had a sea faring tradition and still probably provides the largest employment on the island. About 15 fishing boats work out from the waterfront making it the largest longshore fishing port between Lowestoft and Brixham. The main catch - Sole - Skate - Bass and Mullett (in summer) with Herring and Cod in winter. Two or three Charter Fishing Boats operate from Mersea - taking parties out for a day's rod and line fishing. |
| FARMING IN MERSEA The numerous farms on the island grow crops of Barley, Oil Seed Rape, Potatoes, Sugar Beet and Wheat. A small amount of land is used for grazing store cattle and sheep. Pigs are also reared intensively. Mersea has always been a seed growing area with up to eighty species of flowerseeds grown annually and sold commercially. Several farms have diversified into renting out repair workshops, small warehouses, offices, craft units and, of course, caravan sites |
| SEA WALLS AND SEA DEFENCES Mersea Island has a coastline of 18 kilometres - 10 kilometres are sea wall. Essex has 330 kilometres of sea wall -the burden of maintanance falls to the taxpayer and the cost is high. Sea walls were first built in the 17th century to reclaim saltmarsh for growing crops and were little more than earth banks Mersea has lost half of its saltmarsh in the last century due to rising sea levels and it continues to wash away |