Ian Yearsley is a local historian and author of books on the history of Essex.

History edit

Ian Yearsley was born in Ingatestone, Essex in 1965, moving to Southend-on-Sea, Essex in 1972. He started out as a journalist with the Leigh Times in 1988 before producing historical books on Essex, as well as poetry and fiction titles based on the county's history.[1]

His first book, "Islands of Essex" (ISBN 9780860255086), was published in 1994. He has since written numerous books on the history of Essex,[2][3] four works of fiction, three poetry books and the introductions to four historic maps, all based on Essex, as well as a book on language.[4][better source needed] His maps were published by Alan Godfrey in 2019.[5]

In the 1990s Yearsley wrote for various magazines, including Essex Countryside and This Month in Essex, and he has been a regular commentator for local newspapers.[6][7][8]

Yearsley was involved in the 1,000th anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Assandun at Ashingdon in Essex, following the publication of various editions of an epic poem he wrote about it between 2006 and 2016.[9][10][11]

In 2011 he achieved an MA in history from the University of Essex, where he won an award for his dissertation on population migration in the Rochford Hundred in the late 19th century.[12][better source needed]

Yearsley has created historic tours of Essex and Suffolk for iPhone and has worked on a project to uncover the history of a lost Jacobean manor at Marks Hall near Coggeshall.[13] He has also worked at Tilbury Fort for English Heritage.

He has associations with the Hadleigh & Thundersley Community Archive and has attended their events.[14] He also recorded the demolition of St Erkenwald's Church in Southend-on-Sea in 1995.[15][better source needed]

Bibliography edit

  • 1994 - Islands of Essex ISBN 9780860255086 Publisher: Ian Henry Publications
  • 1996 - Dedham, Flatford & East Bergholt: A Pictorial History ISBN 9781860770104 Publisher: Phillimore & Co. Ltd.
  • 1997 - Ingatestone & Fryerning: A History ISBN 9780860254812 Publisher: Ian Henry Publications
  • 1998 - Hadleigh Past ISBN 9781860770784 Publisher: Phillimore & Co. Ltd
  • 1999 - Essex Events ISBN 9781860771019 Publisher: Phillimore & Co. Ltd
  • 2000 - Islands of Essex (2nd Edition) ISBN 9780860255093 Publisher Ian Henry Publications
  • 2001 - A History of Southend ISBN 9781860771880 Publisher: Phillimore & Co. Ltd
  • 2005 - Rayleigh A History ISBN 9781860773556 Publisher: Phillimore & Co. Ltd
  • 2006 - Tears of Poignancy ISBN 9781899820221 Publisher: Paragon Publishing
  • 2006 - The Battle of Ashingdon (1016) [ISBN unspecified] Publisher: Ian Yearsley
  • 2009 - Unspoken Understanding (a collection of thirty poems about love, life and Essex) ISBN 9781899820627 Publisher: Paragon Publishing
  • 2012 - The Curse of Cannow's End ISBN 9781908645104 Publisher: Melrose Books
  • 2014 - The Blackwater Saga: A Victorian Riverside Romance ISBN 9781782222941 Publisher: Paragon Publishing
  • 2014 - Looking for a Lost Leigh Love ISBN 9781782223139 Publisher: Paragon Publishing
  • 2016 - Southend in 50 Buildings ISBN 9781445651880 Publisher: Amberley Publishing
  • 2016 - The Battle of "Assandun" (1016) Publisher: Ashingdon Parish Council
  • 2017 - Return to Cannow's End ISBN 9781782225348 Publisher: Paragon Publishing
  • 2018 - Dracula – The Essex Connection ISBN 9781782225782 Publisher: Paragon Publishing
  • 2019 - Old Ordnance Survey Maps - Southend Seafront 1921 ISBN 9781787212268 Publisher: Alan Godfrey Maps
  • 2019 - Old Ordnance Survey Maps - Southend (Town Centre) 1921 ISBN 9781787212251 Publisher: Alan Godfrey Maps
  • 2019 - Old Ordnance Survey Maps - Leigh-on-Sea 1921 ISBN 9781787212435 Publisher: Alan Godfrey Maps
  • 2019 - Old Ordnance Survey Maps - Westcliff-on-Sea 1921 ISBN 9781787212442 Publisher: Alan Godfrey Maps
  • 2020 - Single-Context Words: A Study of a Quirk of the English Language ISBN 9781782227786 Publisher: Paragon Publishing
  • 2021 - An Essex Quizbook ISBN 9781782228547 Publisher: Paragon Publishing
  • 2022 - Secret City of Southend ISBN 9781398111547 Publisher: Amberley Publishing
  • 2023 - Ashingdon & South Fambridge: A History ISBN 9781782229773 Publisher: Paragon Publishing

References edit

  1. ^ "Ingatestone & Fryerning: A History" by Ian Yearsley, p.1
  2. ^ James Bettley, Nikolaus Pevsner (2007). Essex. p. 81. ISBN 9780300116144.
  3. ^ "A Selection of 2001 Best Sellers". The Local Historian. Vol. 32–33. 2002. p. 79.
  4. ^ "Home". ian-yearsley.com.
  5. ^ "Historic Maps of Leigh & Westcliff Published - Leigh Times 8 July 2019". Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Future is bright for Royals Shopping Centre, Southend - The Echo p.23 March 2018". Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  7. ^ "Campaign to save artefacts from 350-year-old Southend Pier shipwreck - The Echo 24 June 2019". Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Spooky tales of haunted castles and pubs in south Essex this Halloween - The Echo 31 October 2018". Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Battling for Town's History - The Echo 19 October 2006". Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  10. ^ "King Canute's Essex Victory Remembered - The Echo 25 August 2007". Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  11. ^ "A thousand years later, villagers will come together to remember battle which led to Danish conquest of England". The Echo. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Ian Yearsley - Amberley Publishing". Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  13. ^ "Ian Yearsley - Melrose Books". Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  14. ^ "Hadleigh Folk from History - Hadleigh & Thundersley Community Archive 22 September 2011". Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  15. ^ "Sir Walter Tapper & His Churches". Retrieved 21 September 2020.