The county of Essex in England has strong connections with America which span many centuries. People from eastern England played an important part in the discovery of America and its early settlement. Many US towns were named by early settlers from Essex who journeyed to the New World on ships such as the ‘Mayflower’ and the ‘Lyon’ and many became prominent American citizens.
Founding Fathers
Among them we can count the founder of Connecticut and Boston, Governors of New England States and other notable men in the worlds of commerce, government, education and religious life. Essex also has connections with no less than four presidents of the United States including George Bush and George Washington. A more recent connection is that of the many United States Army Air Force (USAAF) Servicemen who were based there during the Second World War and the Essex landscape is scattered with the remains of airfields used by the USAAF.
Essex Towns and Villages
Historians have traced many links that Essex has with America through the early settlers of the 17th Century. Consequently, names such as Chelmsford, Braintree, Dedham, Springfield and Colchester appear on maps of both the USA and Essex.
Essex Counties in America
There are numerous towns called Essex in the USA, mostly situated in the east coast region. There are ’Essex Counties’ in the former British Dominions and Colonies of New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont and Virginia, Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia. There are, however, towns named Essex as far afield as California and Montana. Middlesex County dates from the 18th century and is a pretty riverside town on the Connecticut River. . The town of Essex, Massachusetts was established in 1819 as a ship building centre and it is believed that the town is home to some direct descendants from Essex, UK. The publication ‘Adventurers and Pilgrims – A Journey Through England’ tells the story of the early settlers and describes the places that they sailed from throughout the eastern counties of England..
Harwich
The ancient Essex town of Harwich has associations with many famous seafaring characters in English history. Sir Francis Drake and Thomas Cavendish selected many of their crew members from Harwich for their round-the-world expeditions. Harwich was once home to Christopher Jones, master of the Mayflower. The parish register of St Nicholas records the baptism of Jones and at the quay end of Kings Head Street is the house where he lived. The house was rebuilt in the 17th century and in Jones’ time it would probably have had its own quay and steps extending down to the waterfront. Jones later moved to Rotherhithe. Before the voyage to America in 1620, Jones took his family back to Harwich to stay with relatives and his last child, John was baptised there.
The Spanish War
After the war with Spain in 1604, two groups of English merchants petitioned for permission to colonise Virginia. A charter was granted by King James in April 1606 which created two companies, the Virginia Company of London and the Virginia Company of Plymouth, who were both under the control of the Royal Council of Virginia. Both companies were granted areas for colonisation. Patentees of the London Company included Captain Christopher Newport who was baptised in Harwich, England in 1561. In December 1606, the settlers under the command of Newport set sail for Virginia. A site on the north bank of the James River was chosen for the colony and named Jamestown in honour of England’s King James 1.
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