Editing Witham (section)

===Early history===
Excavations by Essex County Council Field Archaeological unit at the recent Maltings Lane development discovered evidence of [[Neolithic]] occupation at Witham, including human remains and several trackways across ancient marsh. Excavations of the Witham Lodge (Ivy Chimneys) area of the town in the 1970s unveiled remains of a Roman temple as well as a pottery [[kiln]]. This would have been alongside the main [[Roman road]] from [[Colchester]] to London and used as a stopover point on the long journey. Another notable find during the excavation was a votive offering pool in the grounds of the temple, containing several artefacts that would have been offered to the gods.

In 913, according to the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'', [[Edward the Elder]] marched from [[Hertford]] to reconquer Essex, and encamped in Witham on his route to set up a base at [[Maldon, Essex|Maldon]]. Witham's position on the Roman road in relation to the major Viking army based at Colchester was the most likely reason for this, and it would have effectively cut Essex in two.

The place-name Witham is first attested in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' in 913 (mentioned above), where it appears as ''Witham''. It also appears as ''Witham'' in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086. The name may mean 'village in a bend'.<ref>[[Eilert Ekwall]], ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names'', p.527.</ref> Another suggestion is that the name is part [[Brittonic languages|Brythonic]] (probably from a cognate of Gwydd = "Woods" in modern Welsh) and "ham", a very common Saxon village designation.<ref>[http://www.gyford.com/domesday/ Domesday Witham – Introduction and Method]</ref>

The manor of Witham was given to the [[Knights Templar]] in 1148. To the north of the current town is [[Cressing Temple]] which was the earliest foundation of Templar lands in Britain, built over 700 years ago. The manor of Witham was held by the Church after the [[Trials of the Knights Templar|dissolution of the Templars]] in England in {{circa|1309}}.<ref>Malcolm Barber (2006), The Trial of the Templars, 2nd ed. (Cambridge University Press), p. 225</ref> The manor was sold to [[John Southcote (died 1585)|Sir John Southcott]] in {{circa|1575}}, he was a prominent Judge and Politician from [[Devon]]. His heirs held the manor for almost two centuries, until 1648 when the [[Southcott family]] had their lands destroyed for supporting the [[Cavalier|royalist cause]] in the [[English Civil War]].<ref>[https://www.withamtowntrail.com/copy-of-ch-11-old-mill-house-1 History of the Manor House Witham Place]</ref>

The town as it is now started life on "Chipping Hill", which is the location of St Nicolas's Church. As the years went by, the hamlet grew to become "Witham" and St Nicolas's Church of England Church (a unique spelling) serves a congregation of around 150 people each Sunday. During the latter half of the 18th century and the early 19th century, Admiral Sir [[William Luard]] was the town's most prominent citizen, a resident of Chipping Hill and a founder and patron of St Nicolas's Church. His funeral cortège through the town in 1910 was witnessed by thousands.

In the 18th century, Witham briefly enjoyed a period as an affluent [[spa town]] after the discovery of a mineral-bearing spa by a Dr Taverner. Witham was also a centre of the wool trade until the decline of the industry in the late 17th century.