The history of Mersea and the surrounding areas. The many exhibits include sections on Local History, Natural History, Social History, Marine and Geology. This year's Exhibition is:
Beyond the Strood
Mersea and the waterside villages
East and West Mersea
Peldon
Salcott and the Wigboroughs - Great and Little Wigborough - Salcott - Virley
D-Day - 80 years ago on 6th June. - Local people who went there, and in a number of cases did not come back.
Found on beach Bones found in recent years - Iron Age skull, Bison, Wild Boar, Mammoth, Sperm Whale ... Red Hills, Fish traps
Mersea Barrow contents 2,000 year old glass urn, lead box and bones found in the Barrow on Mersea Island.
Archaeological excavation in East Mersea Bronze Age cemetery found at East Mersea. An excavation Sept 2019 in a field with crop circles found a Bronze Age cemetery and cremation urns. A joint project between CITiZAN and Univercity College London, with funding from the Society of Antiquaries. June 2023 the urns are now on display in the Museum, having been documented, researched and conserved. See Bronze Age Burial Urns found in Barrow Complex in East Mersea.
The Board Walk Bronze Age timbers from a board walk were found in the mud off Mersea in 2016. The timbers were rescued, have undergone a preservation process, and are now on display in the Museum. They have been dated to Late Bronze Age. See The Bronze Age Board Walk - a trackway across the wetlands
Audio Guide commentaries are available for the 2024 Exhibitiion. You can listen listen to them now. Click Here or go to AUDIO GUIDE on the Menu.
Local History
A changing selection of pictures, maps, photographs and postcards show the history of Mersea and its residents from the 19th Century. The beach hut illustrates a feature of holidays in Mersea that is close to many people's hearts. The section also includes Archaeological finds such as Roman remains, tiles and pottery. Bellamine and Martabani Jars (17th Century) and Amphora (vase from Roman times) are also on show.
Natural History
Wildlife of the local marshes and mudflats. Some of the birds, shellfish and fish to be found in the marshes, mudlflats, creeks and sea around Mersea Island.
Farming, Fishing, Oyster Cultivation
Farming, Fishing and Oysters were the mainstay of the island's economy for many years and continue to thrive.
Social History
A large section of the Museum with exhibits covering more than two centuries.
The reconstruction of a typical weather-boarded fisherman's cottage is centred on a Victorian coal-fired kitchen range, with adjoining facilities for washing clothes using old-fashioned manual equipment. It helps to create the 'Old Mersea' atmosphere, together with many articles used by local people in earlier times.
Marine
Models of boats and local craft, together with old fishing equipment and boat building tools. Photographs of smacks at work, yachts, houseboats, barges.
The Museum holds a fine 1919 Punt made locally by William Wyatt complete with its original gun, used in Mersea for many years.
On display is a West Mersea One Design dinghy from 1930 with shipwright tools. The dinghy is the KALI, later renamed BUZZING BEE. She was bought by John Leather about 45 years ago and is still owned by the Leather Family.
The John Leather Memorial Collection contains John's library of books, boat plans, research papers and photographs.
Geology
Fossil and fossilized material drawn from a wide range of
locations, together with a collection of rocks and minerals,
are on display including crystals and ore deposits,
and all are well documented.
Family History
We have copies of parish records and other information
and so are able to answer many family history queries.
Family trees have been built for several well-known Mersea families.
A database contains names from Mersea and surrounding parishes
recorded in parish records, tithe maps, baptism records and censuses.
Photographic
The Museum has over 50,000 historic photographs and documents which can be displayed on computers in the Resource Centre. The collection covers Mersea and the surrounding area, local people, fishing,oystering, shipping, barges, smacks, farming yachting and more. Most of the photographs in the John Leather Memorial Collection have now been digitised and can be viewed. An audio-visual slide show on Mersea runs in the main museum and other themed slideshows can be run in the Resource Centre.
For Children...
We have a variety of picture quizzes, puzzles, sketching activities etc. around the Museum for children (and for adults). Special visits are organised for schools and other groups.
