ERO Presents Special: Charting the history of medieval charters

These charters had been stored in the current Moot Hall since 1576. For many centuries they were kept in the muniment box situated near the Council Chamber on the third floor of the building in a sturdy iron bound box. Having survived the great fire of Maldon in 1892, they were eventually re-homed at the Essex Record Office.

This event will consist of two talks. A shorter introduction to the Maldon charters by Sue Powell followed by Kathryn Maude of The National Archives. Kathryn will discuss the medieval borough and local government in the Middle Ages, the format of medieval charters and what makes them such a good source for local history, and what records survive centrally that help us to tell the story of Maldon and its charters.

Sue Powell spent 35 years as a primary teacher and has always found that children love history. She has been a tour guide at the Moot Hall since 2003 and Business Manager since October 2024. She is proud to have been a part of the evolving role of the Moot Hall in Maldon for over 20 years.

Kathryn Maude is the Head of Medieval Records at The National Archives. Recently, she has been working on the history of Ravenser Odd, a medieval island in the Humber that appeared in the 1230s and had disappeared by 1360. The exhibition Ravenser Odd: The Sunken Island of the Humber is currently touring.