EILEEN M. LUDGATE: 25 August 1924 – 19 July 2006

Historian

(an appreciation by Jacqueline Cooper, Clavering Local History Recorder)

All those who have become fascinated by the history of Clavering and Langley – and many others – were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Eileen M. Ludgate on 19 July 2006 at the age of 81. Eileen pioneered the academic study of history in the two villages, culminating in the publication of her two books, Clavering & Langley: the first thousand years (1996) and Clavering & Langley: 1783-1983 (1983). Together these form a chronology of the villages to which she was devoted and are still in print (see Publications section of this website).

Like many of us who have made Clavering our adopted home, Eileen was not a native but a Londoner. When her college was evacuated during WW2, she studied at Cambridge and went on to become head of history at Skinners School, North London. She and her sister Joan first bought their house here in 1958, and Eileen’s last teaching post was at St Mary’s Convent School in Bishop’s Stortford. In Clavering the Ludgate sisters throughout almost half a century contributed enormously to village life. She had many interests – a knowledgeable gardener, an artist, a great traveler. She was also a staunch supporter of Clavering Church.

She joined the Parochial Church Council in 1971, became its secretary in 1980 and a churchwarden from 1990-2000. Eileen was always involved in everything that went on in church life, for instance it is thanks to her that we now have a good heating system in the church. She was a particular promoter of Christian Aid and took part in the discussions which led to the uniting of the three denominations in Clavering. Her knowledge of history was put to good use when she raised the funds to save the important Baroque 17th century Barlee monuments in the church, and the ancient brasses.

Eileen Ludgate was a deeply knowledgeable historian and it was natural that, following the interest shown in an Essex Record Office exhibition in the village school in the early 1970s, she would be the one to take up the challenge of forming a group to study village history. Eileen saw the group as not only useful in itself, but also as an opportunity for people to get to know each other better and build up a sense of community. The hospitality of the Ludgate sisters was a significant aspect of the success of the Clavering & Langley Local History Group which ran for 19 years from 1976-94 and brought a succession of excellent speakers to the village, such as Oliver Rackham, Rowland Parker and Tom Williamson. There were also outings, workshops, summer lectures in church and other events.

Interweaved with this, Eileen was organizing a comprehensive research project at the ERO and other repositories, interviewing elderly residents of the village, taking photographs, recording gravestones, analyzing (with the help of the late Adrian Gibson) the many timber-framed houses and many other activities. The result was a large collection of information, most of it never researched before. Eileen gave the history back to the villages, not only in her books and talks, but also in a series of local exhibitions in the 1970s and 80s, which generated even more interest and even more topics to study. Visiting the ERO sometimes two or three times a week (a round trip of 40+ miles) all the 2-300 wills were transcribed, the parish registers, the maps, deeds and many other documents. Her research notes now form the nucleus of the Clavering Local History Collection that will be maintained and added to as the years go by, and will eventually be properly catalogued and used for further presentations.

Eileen was well known beyond the villages – her reputation as a sound historian was confirmed by the appointment as vice-chairman of the Essex Congress of Historical and Archaeological Societies in 1982-3, and Chairman the following year. The 1983 AGM was held in Clavering with Adrian Gibson and Robert (Bob) Wood giving lectures. Both became personal friends and continued to contribute to the gathering of village history. Through bringing Adrian to The Bury manor house, for instance, it was discovered that it was not 17th century as it looked, but actually a rare medieval aisled hall of national importance. This was only one of many discoveries that no one had known before.

Not the least of Eileen’s many qualities was the ability to teach and communicate a passion for history and, as Local History Recorder, to help others who came to her with innumerable queries. People knocked on her door and were welcomed, given tea, taken round the village and information shared. Many distant Australian family historians were on the receiving end of long detailed letters answering their questions about their origins in Clavering or Langley. She was always interested in everyone and everything and this fascination with people perhaps best explains why she loved history so much, and why she was also such a lovely, kind and friendly person to know. I shall personally always be enormously grateful to her for getting me involved in this wonderful subject - she passed on the role of Local History Recorder to me several years ago but right to the end continued to help me with queries, and to be interested in the progress of our Clavering Castle project group, of which she was a member. Both the Clavering Landscape History Group, which does practical projects, and the Clavering Village Society, which organises history lectures, came about as a result of the foundations laid by the former Local History Group. We will all miss her very much.

Below are two quotations which express some of the qualities of this remarkable woman. The first is from our Vicar, Rev Duncan McGuffie at the funeral service to a packed church, and the second is from Eileen herself from one of her books, expressing the importance of history.

‘Communities, like individuals, need to know and appreciate their roots, and how they have developed; and Eileen not only had that quality in abundance, to the great benefit of this neighbourhood, but she could appreciate it in others. In addition, none knew better than she that the Church is far more than simply part of our heritage and it is appropriate that, as a churchwarden, she was one of its custodians, serving the church as a unique resource for living in the service of God. To know a subject really well, and to be able to evoke and encourage a love of it, is an immense gift. To help a community to understand its history is another immense gift. And to be a believing Christian, and to serve not only the Christian community but the wider one, is the greatest gift there is.’

Rev Duncan McGuffie: Eileen Ludgate funeral service 25 July 2006

‘The human urge to know and understand is behind all genuine historical study, although the full reality can never be known in this world of time, “for now we see as through a glass darkly; but then face to face”. Hopefully this History, as far as we have been able to unravel it, will give some enjoyment and perhaps help in being philosophical about changes and chances and problems of the present day.’

Eileen Ludgate: Clavering & Langley the first 1000 Years (preface)

NEW PLAQUE IN CLAVERING CHURCH

In June 2007 the family of Eileen Ludgate gave a plaque to Clavering Church in her memory. It is sited at the west end of the church next to the Barlee Monuments which she raised the money to save.