DETAILS OF SOME WELL KNOWN LITERARY FIGURES INSPIRED BY THEIR CONNECTION WITH BURNHAM-ON-CROUCH

 Robert Barnard  AUTHOR

Born as Jerry Bauer on 23 November 1936 he grew up in Burnham-on-Crouch before leaving for a University education which launched a glittering career as an author.

As Robert Barnard he is the author of 36 novels featuring the characters Perry Trethowan, Charlie Peach and Oddie.
 
 

Click here to visit Robert Barnards homepage
 

Samuel Levy Bensusan     AUTHOR

Samuel Bensusan ( b.1873 -d.1958) lived at Asheldham and St Lawrence . He became famous for novels centred on a fictitious village called Maychester which were affectionate portrayals of life in the Essex Marshes.
 

Tanya Brown  AUTHOR
Tanya who was born just outside Burnham allows her memories of the area to feature in her writing .
In 1998 A gap in the landscape featured a section on memories of the marshes at Burnham Wick.

Click here for more details of Tanya Brown

Mick Cawston   PAINTER
Mick Cawston was born in 1959 at Dagenham, Essex he moved to a farm cottage in Burnham on Crouch in about 1983 and sold his paintings in local markets. By 1987 he became an established artist recognised as the No1 Dog and Horse painter in the country. Mick has had many exhibitions and his works hang in Galleries all over the world.
Some of his painting is still to be found enlivening homes in Burnham and a fine example of his work is often admired by patients visiting the surgery of the much respected GP Dr Latif.

Click here to learn more about Mick Cawston
 

Daniel Defoe  AUTHOR
From 1724-1726 Author Daniel Defoe travelled the Country recording his trek in " Tour through the whole island of Great Britain". His remarks on Burnham and the Dengie 100 were limited to ' the strange decay of sex'  with an explanation that many men had numerous wives who they took from the uplands but the wives rarely survived in the fog and damps of the marshland and died within a year or so at which the men just went back to the uplands and got another wife.

 Alice Maud Fanner PAINTER

Born 1865 Died 1930

Alice Fanner was a renowned painter specialising in marine landscapes.

She was tutored by Julius Olsson and exhibited paintings at many galleries including the Royal Academy. She lived in St Ives, Cornwall and London but in 1914 she moved to Burnham on Crouch where she painted the landscape and the yachting scene. She married Me A E Taite.

He paintings include The Seaside, Provenance, In the Luxembourg garden, Bogiaco, Lake Garda and yachts racing

Click her to view her painting yachts racing

 Alfred Hitchcock FILM DIRECTOR

Born 1899 died 1980 .
Alfred Hitchcock  was born and brought up in the East End . When asked, by the Times Newspaper, the inspiration for his atmospheric films he cited his experience from a Visit to Burnham on Crouch in November.
Would North by North West , Psycho or the Birds have been made without a visit to Burnham?

Arthur Kitching  ARTIST

Born 1912 Died 1981

A celebrated artist who painted in oil or pen an ink showing people and places around him

He lived in Burnham in the early 1950's with his wife Joyce and painted the area and its people whilst his wife worked locally as a teacher. During his stay in Burnham he painted ' joyce' , 'Continental Sunday' ,' still life with chrysanthemums and Maldon.

Click here to learn more about Arthur Kitching
 Martyn Lambourne  AUTHOR

Martyn lived in Burnham for several years before moving to Scotland in 2001 . He is a man of many talents which include architect, illustrator and author but he is best known as the author of THE QUEST a Zetic treasure hunt .This novel which contained many clues that readers must solve  to win a prize of £30,000. Despite many claims the puzzle has yet to be solved.

Click here to visit Martyn's homepage
 H G Wells AUTHOR
In his classic book War of the Worlds HG Wells used the area as a setting for his Martian invasion.
" Then far away beyond the Crouch, came another striding over some stunted trees, and then yet another still farther off wading deeply through a shiny mud flat half way up between sea and sky. By midday they passed through Tillingham, which strangely enough seemed silent and deserted, save for a few furtive plunderers hunting for food. Near Tillingham they suddenly came into sight of the sea, and the most amazing crowd of shipping of all sorts that it is possible to imagine."