ONCE IN ESSEX, NOW IN LONDON by John Debenham

ONCE IN ESSEX, NOW IN LONDON by John Debenham

Essex as a county is more than 1000 years old. Its origins date back to the time before William the Conqueror. The county borders remained more or less unchanged until 1965 when the part of Essex, that in the main was located between the River Lea and todays M25 orbital road, was absorbed into London.

On April 1st 1965, following an act of Parliament, five new London Boroughs were created from terrirory that was once part of Essex. The county of Essex was founded as the Eastern Kingdom of the Saxons.Its name derives from the Old English East Seaxe and today the county of Essex bears three
seaxes on its coat of arms. The Saxon Kingdom may also have included parts of modern Hertfordshire and the now defunct ancient county of Middlesex.
Also as a result of the change the London wide administrative body, the London County Council (the LCC), was replaced by the Greater London Council (the GLC). The GLC (now the GLA) has responsibility for 32 new London Boroughs. Apart from Essex the new authority also took territory from Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire. The River Lea border that separated Essex and London and had been in place for 1000 years ceased to exist. In a series of chapters set in more or less chronological order, Once in Essex Now in London offers the reader a rich and diverse history where the authors focus on events, places and personalities going back over a thousand years. With over 70 illustrations, Once in Essex Now in London is essential readings for anyone with an interest in London and Essex.

JOHN DEBENHAM co -author of the Essex Hundred series of books was born in Romford and moved to Leigh-on-Sea in 1965. He has always lived in Essex.

A career in engineering has included working in most of the countries of the world with an automotive industry. On retirement he followed a lifelong interest in history by taking a BA History degree at the University of East London, followed by an MA in Intellectual History at Queen Mary, London University where he studied ‘Civilisation and Barbarism’.

John has an innate curiosity over what makes us what we are, in particular the people and events that have formed his home county of Essex. A member of Southend Poetry Society for many years, he enjoys writing poetry and short stories and portrait painting.

DAVID DUNFORD was born in Chelmsford and attended the University of Essex, graduating with a degree in Government. He joined Essex County Newspapers in Colchester as a reporter and later became an assistant editor. In 1978 he joined the BBC in London where he worked in the Radio Newsroom writing news bulletins. He also broadcast on finance for radio, television and the BBC World Service.

He later became Editor of the BBC General News Service, responsible for providing news and current affairs for BBC stations across the country. After taking early retirement from the BBC he became a visiting lecturer in radio journalism at the University of the Arts in London. He later returned to Essex University to study for an MA in History which he was awarded with distinction. In 2017 he published his first book Full Circle – The rise, fall and rise of horse racing in Chelmsford. This was followed by Buffalo Bill’s Wild West --  The first reality show in Essex. His third book, Ogres in the Sky – Zeppelins over Essex in the First World War was published in the spring of 2026..  

 ANDREW SUMMERS was born within the sound of Bow Bells on a quiet day. His father Kazik spent two years in a Soviet Labour camp as a ‘guest’ of Joe Stalin. His mother Diana worked for some time at Bletchley Park helping to crack codes, but that was all very secretive.

After a spell in North Kent  and then Leigh on Sea, for the past 30 years Andrew has lived in Hadleigh and been married to Glenis. Andrew has bought and sold books in the UK and abroad and even printed books too.  With a change of tack he now writes and publishes too.

The Illustrator

TOM FEWINGS was born and raised in Essex. He studied 3D design and craft at University in Brighton, and is now living in South London. He is always creating in his free time - this ranges from drawing, building ceramics, to home renovation and woodworking. He also enjoys listening and discovering classic rock music as well as going to pub quizzes with his friends. Tom has always enjoyed creating art in a range of mediums, but has consistently found himself drawn to illustration and fineliner designs, often collaborating with his partner to create art pieces together. He has always had an interest in local history, so is excited to be a part of an Essex Hundred project.