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From: "Colleen" <>
Subject: Springfield
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2003 00:11:29 -0000
References: <003e01c3bf70$703798c0$24743918@OWNERK0N3ZT9M2>


Hello Eve,

Springfield is still there, though it has been largely swallowed up - as
you rightly suspect - by the larger town of Chelmsford. So engulfed that its
hard to find on the maps. However, when I was there a few months back, I
could still see vestiges of the old village or hamlet - not sure which it
was in its heyday. Walking around the ancient church of All Saints, which is
set on a pretty green, there are still picturesque old cottages and pubs to
give us a hint of how Springfield looked in the days before the property
developers moved in. Opposite the church are the gorgeous Dukes Cottages,
two lovely, red brick dwellings, my in laws used to lived in one of these,
they are the former estate workers' cottages of Dukes Priory, the priory is
still located to the rear of the cottages. I would think the cottages were
built during the 18th century, I'm not sure about the age of the priory.
Springfield Hall Park is still there too. Nearby is lovely Moulsham Street,
an old Chelmsford street crammed with rumpety old cottages, pubs and shops.
Cooks Mill, a large, white, weather boarded flour Mill is still intact too,
though inside has been transformed into niche retail units, these have been
sympathetically slotted into the original structure of the interior of the
mill, so that little of its character has been lost.

During the 16th century, Springfield grew out of the Springfield estate of
the wealthy Pynchon family. William Pynchon born in Springfield in 1590 was
eventually to become treasurer of the colony of Massachusetts, and named his
US estate Springfield after his former English one.

Colleen


----- Original Message -----
From: "Eve Ferguson" <>

> Hi All
> My Mary Smith says on 1851 census born Witham. but on the 1861 says born
Springfield. I have a map showing Witham but Springfield must have been
swallowed up by another town. Does anyone know exactly where it was please??
> Eve
>


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