Chelmsford has a long and well-recorded history and much has been written about its past. But this new book is the first to draw together all the strands in its story to form an illustrated, up-to-date chronological narrative, from the first Neolithic and Bronze-Age sites to the busy, prosperous County Town of Essex of today.
The Romans called the place Caesaromagus, an important market and artisan centre and the only town in Britain to be honoured with the imperial prefix. It did not survive the collapse of the Roman Empire, but was revived after the Norman Conquest by the power of the church – in the form of the Bishop of London and the Abbot of Westminster. From the 12th century a 'new town' grew up which, for one week, was the seat of government for the whole of England after the defeat of the 14th-century Peasants' Revolt.
Geographically in the centre of Essex, by the 13th century Chelmsford had become the county town, the seat of the Assizes and an important market focus. Its pivotal position for county administration was consolidated by the establishment of the County Council in 1889, the year after incorporation as a borough. By then, the coming of the canal in the 18th century and railway in the mid-19th had brought industry, while the arrival of Crompton, Hoffmann and Marconi at the end of the century ensured commercial expansion for the next hundred years. The establishment of the first radio factory in the world made Chelmsford the birthplace of radio.
Recent decades have seen further dramatic expansion of the old town into a largely suburban community, the local population boosted by many newcomers; but they and their children will be just as fascinated as ‘old’ Chelmsfordians by this very readable account of the past of the place and its people. The carefully chosen illustrations add great visual impact to a narrative that will be widely welcomed.
Contents:
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The Site and Beginnings of Chelmsford
2. A New Beginning
3. Consolidation and Enhancement
4. Perpectives Change
5. The Modern Age
Bibliography
Index
