Poor Robin was an English 17th and 18th-century satirical almanac series, appearing as Poor Robin's Almanack from 1663. Other similar writings by the pseudonymous Poor Robin were published later, in America and into the 19th century.
50-469: The earliest volume published under the pseudonym of 'Poor Robin' was an almanac calculated from the meridian of Saffron Walden , which is said to have been originally issued in 1661 or 1662. It was taken over by the Stationers' Company , and was continued annually by various hands until 1776. The identity of its original author has been disputed, but is assigned as William Winstanley by Sidney Lee , in
100-564: A municipal borough , the district contained the parish of Saffron Walden. On 1 April 1974 the district and parish were abolished and became part of Uttlesford district. A successor parish was formed covering the same area as the former district and its parish. According to the Office for National Statistics , at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001 , Saffron Walden had a population of 14,313. The 2001 population density
150-411: A 16th-century barn, it was restored in 2004–5. With a long history of non-conformism , Saffron Walden has: Saffron Walden falls in to three local government administrative areas, including Uttlesford District Council and Essex County Council . The town itself is administered by Saffron Walden Town Council which has 18 members. The majority party is Residents for Uttlesford ('R4U'), who are
200-469: A bastard, and for Henry to marry Anne's maid, Jane Seymour . Audley was a witness to the queen's execution, and recommended to Parliament the new Act of Succession , which made Jane Seymour 's issue legitimate. In 1537 he condemned to death as traitors the rebels of the Pilgrimage of Grace . On 29 November 1538 he was created Baron Audley of Walden ; and soon afterwards presided as Lord Steward at
250-581: A history of cricket matches recorded back to 1757. A monument at the site commemorates the American airmen and people of Saffron Walden who died in the Second World War. Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden KG , PC , KS , JP ( c. 1488 – 30 April 1544), was an English barrister and judge who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1533 to 1544. Audley
300-424: A local political party formed by residents. As of 2024 the mayor is Deryk Eke of Residents for Uttlesford. The town is divided into four parish wards: Audley, named after Audley End House - representing the western area of Saffron Walden including Audley End; Castle - taking its name from Saffron Walden Castle; Shire (formerly Plantation) - representing the southern area of the town; and Little Walden - representing
350-794: A number of others had departed for the Massachusetts Bay Colony as part of the Great Migration . Saffron Walden was at the centre of the Eastern Association during the English Civil War . While the town was the headquarters of the New Model Army , Lieutenant-General of Horse, Oliver Cromwell paid a 19-day visit in May 1647, taking part in debates to seek a settlement between Parliament and
400-511: A school on this site since 1317 but it was in 1521 that Dame Bradbury made this school available for local people. For the first four years Dame Bradbury paid the salary of the schoolmaster herself, until the school was endowed in 1535. Friends' School , renamed Walden School, was a co-educational Quaker independent school with roots dating back to 1702. Its final building, in Mount Pleasant Road, opened in 1879. On 11 May 2017 it
450-500: Is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and opened in 1964. Saffron Walden Museum , which was established in 1835 by Saffron Walden Natural History Society, is close to the town's castle. The museum had many benefactors from local families, including the Gibsons, Frys and Tukes. The first professional curator, Guy Nathan Mayard, was appointed in 1889 and his son, also Guy Maynard, succeeded him as curator before moving on to Ipswich Museum . It
500-506: Is a market town and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of Essex , England, 12 miles (19 km) north of Bishop's Stortford , 15 miles (24 km) south of Cambridge and 43 miles (69 km) north of London . It retains a rural appearance and some buildings of the medieval period. The population was 15,504 at the 2011 census and 16,613 in the 2021 census. Archaeological evidence suggests continuous settlement on or near
550-415: Is a large co-educational academy with over 2000 pupils. Located to the west of the town centre, it was rated outstanding in its most recent Ofsted report in 2012. The school replaced Saffron Walden Grammar School , which was established in 1521 by the town's Holy Trinity Guild and Dame Joan Bradbury , a local benefactor. Dame Bradbury also founded Dame Bradbury's School on Ashdon Road. There has been
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#1732771723744600-421: Is approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) long. Two smaller silver maces were bought by the corporation in 1549 to commemorate the granting of a new town charter by Edward VI . This purchase is recorded in the town's Guild of Holy Trinity accounts and reads, "For 2 new maces, weying 18 ownces one quarter and half at 8s. the ownce 7l.7s" . The 12th-century Walden Castle , built or expanded by Geoffrey de Mandeville ,
650-454: Is held every Tuesday and Saturday (and Thursdays in the run up to Christmas); it is attended by local residents like Jamie Oliver . The Anglo American playing fields , located close to Bridge End Gardens on Catons Lane, are home to the town's cricket club and were donated to Saffron Walden by the US forces after the war . Prior to that, Saffron Walden Cricket Club played on the town's common, with
700-548: Is now used for functions. Pevsner described it as: "without doubt, the best medieval house of Saffron Walden". Other notable early buildings are in Bridge Street, Castle Street and the side streets off the High Street. The High Street contains some late-Georgian and Victorian buildings. Bridge End Gardens , seven interlinked gardens – including a maze, rose garden and walled garden – were originally laid out by
750-433: Is said that Pory, at the time of the first edition in 1663 archdeacon of Middlesex , had his name taken in vain with the claim that he had licensed the almanac. Another volume in verse by 'Poor Robin', in which the tone of John Taylor the water-poet is closely followed, was called Poor Robin's Perambulation from Saffron Walden to London performed this Month of July 1678 (London, 1678); the doggerel poem deals largely with
800-747: Is sited on the West Anglia Main Line between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street . Greater Anglia operates an off-peak service of two trains an hour in each direction, with additional services during peak times; the journey time to London is approximately 55 minutes and approximately 20 minutes to Cambridge. All southbound trains also stop at Tottenham Hale , where there is a London Underground Victoria line station and onward rail connections to Stratford station in east London. An hourly GreaterAnglia service between Stansted Airport and Norwich , via Cambridge and Ely , also stops at Audley End. Saffron Walden railway station served
850-618: Is still owned by the founding society – now Saffron Walden Museum Society – and is managed by Uttlesford District Council. The museum contains the stuffed remains of a lion named Wallace (1812 – 1838), said to have inspired Marriott Edgar 's comic poem "The Lion and Albert". It is also home to the mummy of a 7 year old dating to the 3rd century AD. The Fry Art Gallery exhibits the work of artists who had an association with Saffron Walden and north west Essex, focusing on Great Bardfield Artists . The collection includes extensive artworks and supporting material by Edward Bawden , who lived in
900-460: The Dictionary of National Biography , who dismisses the claim that Robert Herrick wrote it. He notes the discovery in the parish registers of Saffron Walden for 14 March 1646/7 relating to Robert Winstanley (a nephew of William and a younger brother of Henry Winstanley ) but argues that Robert would still have been a boy when the first almanacs were written; a listing for Robert's publications
950-458: The Beeching cuts in the 1960s. Heavy industry arrived after the Second World War. Acrows Ltd, makers of falsework , built premises to the east of the town and became a significant employer and economic influence in the area. For a short time there was a dedicated railway station for the works known as Acrow Halt . Saffron Walden's unofficial coat of arms showed the saffron crocus within
1000-638: The Gibson family in about 1840. They have been restored with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund and volunteers. St Mary the Virgin, Saffron Walden ( Church of England ) is the largest parish church in Essex. The church dates mainly from the end of the 15th century, when an old smaller church was extensively rebuilt by the master mason John Wastell , who was building King's College Chapel in
1050-610: The King's "moral" scruples to parliament concerning his marriage with Catherine of Aragon , and made himself the instrument of the King in the attack upon the clergy and the preparation of the Act of Supremacy . In 1531 he had been made a serjeant-at-law and king's serjeant; and on 20 May 1532 he was knighted, and succeeded Sir Thomas More as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal , being appointed Lord Chancellor on 26 January 1533. He supported
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#17327717237441100-536: The Warre both by Sea and Land ( Harleian MS. 297, 144) is attributed to his authorship. Lord Audley married twice: He resigned the great seal on 21 April 1544, and died on 30 April and was buried at Saffron Walden , where he had prepared for himself a splendid tomb. As he died without male progeny his barony became extinct at his death. One of his daughters, Margaret, married as her second husband Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk . Their elder son Lord Thomas Howard
1150-407: The alehouses on the road, and Lee assigns it to William Winstanley. "Poor Robin" established a tradition of parody , reporting the trivial and inconsequential juxtaposed with the serious, in parallel chronologies—set in rhymed couplets —of the "Loyal" and the "Fanatic", which began in 1663 and became Old Poor Robin with the 1777 issue. Poor Robin offered deadpan prognostications of
1200-616: The area. The influential Gibsons – one of the founding families of Barclays Bank – aided the construction of several public buildings that remain today, such as the Saffron Walden Museum and the Saffron Walden Town Hall . In the 1900s the Saffron Walden branch railway line from Audley End station , on the mainline from London to Cambridge, was extended to Bartlow . The branch succumbed to
1250-526: The army. He is thought to have stayed at the Sun Inn . By the end of the 18th century saffron was no longer in demand and the industry was replaced by malt and barley . More than 40 maltings stood in the town by the end of the century. The trade was less lucrative than saffron, but the town continued to grow through the 19th century, and had a cattle market , corn exchange and other civic buildings. During this time Quakers became economically active in
1300-471: The average for Uttlesford (22.0 per cent) and below that for the whole of England (28.9 per cent). In the 2001 UK census, 73.0 per cent of Saffron Walden residents declared themselves Christian, 0.6 per cent Muslim, 0.4 per cent Buddhist, 0.2 per cent Jewish, and 0.1 per cent Hindu. The census recorded 17.6 per cent as having no religion, 0.4 per cent with an alternative religion, and 7.8 per cent not stating their religion. Saffron Walden County High School
1350-540: The first Earl of Essex , is in ruins. After the medieval period, the castle fell into disuse and much of the flint was taken and used in the construction of local houses and the wall surrounding the Audley End estate. All that remains is the ruined basement. Near the castle is a turf maze , a series of circular excavations cut into the turf of the common . It is the largest example of this style of maze in England,
1400-411: The king's divorce from Catherine and the marriage with Anne Boleyn ; and presided at the trials of Fisher and More in 1535, at which his conduct and evident intention to secure a conviction has been criticised by some. Next year he was part of the trial of Anne Boleyn and her "lovers" for treason and adultery. The execution of the king's wife left him free to declare the king's daughter Princess Elizabeth
1450-507: The main part being about 100 feet (30 m) in diameter. The earliest record of it dates from 1699, although its origin may be earlier. It has been extensively restored several times, most recently in 1979. The oldest inhabited building in the town is believed to be the former maltings at 1 Myddleton Place. The 15th-century building with a courtyard garden was used by the Youth Hostel Association from 1947 to 2010. It
1500-410: The nearby city of Cambridge. In 1769 it was damaged by lightning and the repairs, carried out in the 1790s, removed many medieval features. The spire was added in 1832 to replace an older lantern tower. The church is 183 feet (56 m) long and the spire, 193 feet (59 m) high, is the tallest in Essex. The town's Catholic church , Our Lady of Compassion, is on Castle Street. Created in 1906 from
1550-660: The new name of the College of St Mary Magdalene (commonly Magdalene College), and ordained in the statutes that his heirs, "the possessors of the late monastery of Walden" should be Visitors of Magdalene College in perpetuum . The power to appoint the Master of the college was vested in the Visitor until an amendment to the College Statutes in 2012. The arms of Magdalene are derived from his. A Booke of Orders for
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1600-446: The obvious, and substituted parodic saints' days under the "Fanatic" rubric. From the turn of the 18th century, the satire becomes blunted and wise homilies of prudence take their place. It observes the continued use of cucking stools in 1746. Other works purporting to be by 'Poor Robin' and attributed to Winstanley or his imitators are: In the 18th century editors included Thomas Peat . Saffron Walden Saffron Walden
1650-520: The records of the Court of Common Pleas, the town was called Magna Walden in Hilary Term 1484, and Chipping Walden in the 15th and early 16th centuries, but by the 1540s it had become Saffron Walden. The town and surrounding area, like much of East Anglia , was strongly Puritan during the 17th century. The population was influenced by the missionary John Eliot . By 1640, Samuel Bass's family and
1700-547: The site of Saffron Walden from at least the Neolithic period. It is believed that a small Romano-British settlement and fort – possibly in the area round Abbey Lane – existed as an outpost of the much larger settlement of Cestreforda to the north. After the Norman invasion of 1066, a stone church was built. Walden Castle , dating from about 1140, may have been built on pre-existing fortifications. A priory, Walden Abbey,
1750-488: The small village of the same name and a large rural area to the north of the town. Nationally, the town is part of the much larger Saffron Walden Parliamentary constituency . The MP is Conservative , Kemi Badenoch who is Secretary of State for International Trade. Notable former MPs include: It has been considered a safe seat for the Conservative Party since 1922. In the 1840s Saffron Walden became
1800-489: The town between 1865 and 1964. Regular bus services connect the town with Cambridge, Bishop's Stortford , Haverhill and Stansted Airport. Operators include Stephensons of Essex and Stagecoach East . Saffron Walden is accessed from junction 8 of the M11 when travelling northbound from London and from junction 10 when travelling south from Cambridge. During the coronavirus pandemic, Essex Highways narrowed some roads in
1850-411: The town centre to make social distancing easier for pedestrians and they reduced some speed limits to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) as part of their Safer, Greener, Healthier scheme. Stansted Airport is located 15 miles (24 km) from the town, while Luton Airport is 43 miles (69 km) away. Audley End Airfield , a private grass runway, is located about 1 mile (2 km) outside of
1900-519: The town during the 1970s and 1980s, and Eric Ravilious . Saffron Hall , which is attached to Saffron Walden County High School, opened in 2013. The 730-seater venue came about as a result of a £10 million donation by an anonymous music loving donor. In 2014, former head of music at the Barbican Centre Angela Dixon became its director. Saffron Walden Market is a thriving market, with numerous local sellers trading goods,
1950-515: The town's influence. This Tuesday market was held from 1295. The town's first charter was granted in about 1300, to what was known then as Chepyng (i. e. Market) Walden. The town at that time was largely confined to the castle's outer bailey, but in the 13th century the Battle or Repel Ditches were built or extended to enclose a larger area to the south. The focus of the town moved southwards to Market Square. The main trading item in medieval times
2000-523: The town. Audley End House , once one of the largest mansions in England, is now in the care of English Heritage and is open to the public. During the summer months, picnic concerts and a last night in the style of the BBC Proms have been held in the grounds. Audley End Miniature Railway – originally built by Lord Braybrooke – is a 10 + 1 ⁄ 4 in (260 mm) gauge railway ride through woodland adjoining Audley End House. The track
2050-683: The trials of Henry Pole, Lord Montacute , and of the Marquess of Exeter . In 1539, inclining to the Protestant Reformation, he made himself the King's instrument in enforcing religious conformity, and in the passing of the Six Articles Act. On 24 April 1540 he was made a Knight of the Garter , and subsequently managed the attainder of Thomas Cromwell , and the dissolution of Henry's marriage with Anne of Cleves . This
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2100-457: The walls of the castle in the form of an heraldic pun – as in, "Saffron walled-in". In 1961, a formal coat of arms was granted by the College of Arms and this was adapted in 1974 into its current form. The town has three ceremonial maces . The large mace was given to Saffron Walden by James II in 1685 and provides an early recording of the unofficial coat of arms. Made of silver gilt , it
2150-758: Was Groom of the Chamber , and became a member of Wolsey's household. On the fall of the latter in 1529, he was made Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster , and the same year Speaker of the House of Commons, presiding over the famous assembly styled the Reformation Parliament , which abolished the papal jurisdiction. The same year he headed a deputation of the Commons to the king to complain of Bishop Fisher's speech against their proceedings. He interpreted
2200-515: Was 10,900 inhabitants per square mile (4,209/km ), with a 100 to 94.5 female-to-male ratio. Of those over 16 years old, 45.0 per cent were married, 27.4 per cent were single (never married), and 8.2 per cent divorced. The parish's 6,013 households included 38.5 per cent married couples living together, 31.5 per cent one-person households, 8.4 per cent co-habiting couples, and 7.9 per cent single parents with children. Of those aged 16–74, 22.3 per cent had no academic qualifications , close to
2250-406: Was announced that Walden School would close at the end of the 2016–17 school year. Its final day was 7 July 2017. Saffron Walden College, a teachers' training college for women, closed in 1977. The nearest station to Saffron Walden is Audley End , which is located 2 miles (3 km) outside the town in the village of Wendens Ambo ; regular bus services link it to the town centre. The station
2300-690: Was born in Earls Colne , Essex , the son of Geoffrey Audley, and is believed to have studied at Buckingham College, Cambridge , now known as Magdalene College. He was educated for the law, entered the Inner Temple , was named town clerk of Colchester in 1514, and became Justice of the Peace for Essex in November 1520. In 1523 Audley was returned to Parliament for Essex , and represented this constituency in subsequent Parliaments. In 1527 he
2350-688: Was despite having previously been a strong ally of Cromwell. In 1542 he warmly supported the privileges of the Commons, but his conduct was inspired as usual by subservience to the court, which desired to secure a subsidy, and his opinion that the arrest was a flagrant contempt has been questioned by good authority. He received several grants of monastic estates, including Holy Trinity Priory in Aldgate , London and Walden Abbey , Essex , where his grandson, Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk , built Audley End , doubtless named after him. In 1542 he endowed and re-established Buckingham College, Cambridge, under
2400-442: Was founded under the patronage of Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex about 1136, on the site of what is now Audley End House. The abbey was separated from Walden by Holywell Field. After the dissolution of the monasteries , Sir Thomas Audley converted its cloisters into a dwelling. Later this became the site of Audley End House . The market was moved from nearby Newport to Walden during de Mandeville's tenure, increasing
2450-546: Was given by H. Eckroyd Smith. On internal grounds, namely the verse style of William Winstanley in his known works, Lee argues for the latter, and mentions a 1667 portrait of William Winstanley with the caption 'Poor Robin', with verses by Francis Kirkman , in a volume called Poor Robin's Jests, or the Compleat Jester . In the Dictionary of National Biography article on Robert Pory , by Joseph Hirst Lupton , it
2500-523: Was wool. A guildhall was built by the wool-staplers in the market place, but demolished in 1847 to make way for the Corn Exchange . In the 16th and 17th centuries the saffron crocus ( Crocus sativus ) was widely grown, thanks to the town's favourable soil and climate. The stigmas of the flower were used in medicines, as a condiment, in perfume, as an expensive yellow dye, and as an aphrodisiac. The industry gave Walden its present name. In
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