Home Sawbridgeworth Fire Brigade 1897 - to the early 1970's and beyond.
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This web site is archived by The British Library
 Page last updated: 02/04/2023             Please sign the Guest Book
Mar - 2006 Guestbook
 
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Latest Page Updates Updated
New page created and displaying a Roll of Honour from 1897 to the present day cellebrating those who have served at Sawbridggeworth  HERE 21/03/2023
New page created relating to Photos added from the Collection retained by Wally Wright (1925-2022)  HERE 25/08/2022
Photo of the replacement Fire Appliance now operational at Sawbridgeworth W.E.F November 2021 HERE 29/01/2022
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Sawbridgeworth is a small town in the east of the County of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and has supported a Fire Brigade since the latter part of the 19th Century. Almost all towns and many villages had fire fighting arrangements of some sort, but it was not until the end of the 19th century that small teams of men were organised and began to be supported by both local dignitaries and industry and later, by the Local Authorities such as Cities, Boroughs and Urban/District Councils.

The history of Sawbridgeworth is well documented with its origins going back a long way. By the end of the 19th century the population had grown to around 2,000 with the 1901 census indicating 2,460. Undoubtedly the changes brought about by the growth of communications like the Railway and River Stort, together with the substantial timber, malting and milling businesses had been influential by this time. With industry expanding, the potential for losses through fire was also growing, something that the insurance providers of the day had come to recognise. It seems reasonable to suppose that to have a Fire Brigade became fashionable in that the wealthy land owners and business people of the areas around would feel that their particular 'province' was not complete without one. Sometime earlier, the availability of 6 - 8 men manual pumping equipment had been developed and progress beyond this was being made, making the bucket chain, the main standby for estate houses and the like, somewhat redundant.

Other intersting information about the town is available in the article on the web site of The Hundred Parishes Society on this Link

This web site sets out to provide some of the background of the Brigade from its inception in 1897 and into the 1960's and 1970's together with some later from the current Fire Station archive, and is based on pictures and information that is available to the writer through records retained by a long serving Brigade member with some personal knowledge and reflections of the webmaster based on serving in the Brigade for 6 years. Other information has also been provided by another one-time member of the Brigade and by public contributions received over time. The site also reflects on and of the town of Sawbridgeworth itself with contributed photographs. There is a wealth of documents openly available for download for interested historians.

 
  Note 1: Photographs marked (#) are not from originals. The Webmaster would be very pleased to borrow the original to improve the quality of presentation.
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  Sawbridgeworth and the position of the present Active Fire Station  
  But to see the Fire Station built 1905 shown as Nr. St. Mary's Church - use "View larger map"... Top Left ... then
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