ERO Presents: Henry Winstanley (1644-1703)

Join speaker Martin Rose for this talk about Henry Winstanley, a native of Saffron Walden, a linen-draper and farmer.

Henry was also an engineer, famous above all for his lighthouse on the Eddystone Reef.

A good many myths and spurious stories have grown up about him and he has acquired an undeserved reputation as a buffoon and flippant practical joker.

His absurdly dramatic death on the Eddystone in 1703 sealed his odd and fanciful reputation.

This talk will examine Winstanley’s life and work and unravel some of the sillier stories told about him, and it will put in their place the more coherent and impressive story of a provincial polymath with an astonishing skillset, a fine library and an impressive portfolio of work.

Event details

Date

May 6, 2025

Times

10:30am - 12:00pm

Prices

£6.50

Who for?

For adults

Where?

Essex Record Office

Wharf Road, Chelmsford, Essex, England, CM2 6YT

How to book

Book online

Booking required.

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ERO Presents: Coin hoarding in Late Saxon Essex

Join speaker Philip Wise for this talk about the Braintree and Hatfield Peverel hoards, why they might have been buried and what they can tell us about the use of coins by the population of Essex in the 11th century.

  • Dates: November 24, 2026
  • Venue: Essex Record Office
  • Times: 10:30am - 12:00pm
  • For the whole family
  • Price: £6.75