194 A HISTORY OF SALT-MAKING IN ESSEX.
Wakering, "Home Salt-coats" in Stow Maries, "Salcote-stone
Field" in Tollesbury, "Salcots" in Brightlingsea, "Salt-acre
Marsh" in East Mersea, "Salt-coat Marsh" in Burnham,
"Salt-bridge Field" in Eastwood, "Salt-bridge Field"
in Rochford, "Salt-pan Marsh" in Paglesham, "Salt-
reach Field" in Eastwood, and "Salts" in Barking.
Less easy of explanation are "Salt Acre" in Roydon,
"Salt Field" in High Easter, and "Salt Pasture" in Bocking.
These are all inland, and were named, perhaps, after some saline
excrescence noticed in them. "Salt-box Field" in Waltham
Holy Cross was probably so-called from its shape. "Salter's
Field" and "Salter's Ten-acres" in Great Oakley commemorate,
beyond doubt, the making of salt at that place. "Salter's Piece,"
in Sible Hedingham, lying far inland, takes its name probably
from some former owner named Salter, who, however, must have
derived that name from the fact that one of his ancestors
followed the occupation of a "Salter" or salt-maker. It is
worth noting, too, that the inn-sign of the "Three Cups"
(generally spoken of as the "Cups"), representing the armorial
bearings of the Salters' Company3, still occurs five times in
Essex—at Harwich, Great Oakley, Colchester, Maldon, and
Springfield. Two of the houses bearing the sign are still large
and well-known hotels, and all, except the last-named, are
situated either actually on or close to that portion of our coast
on which salt was made largely. Moreover, in 1777, according
to Chapman and Andre's map, there was a sixth house bearing
this sign at Manningtree—another Essex town at which salt was
made at the time. Clearly, therefore, the sign is with us a relic
of the industry.
The kind of salt made in Essex in early times was that
known formerly as "bay salt"—that is, salt made by
evaporating sea-water in shallow pans by means of sun-heat.4
The process, though successful in hot countries further south,
must have been very tedious in our climate. Yet there can be
no doubt that, during summer, salt could be made, and was
made, by this means in Essex. The sea-water was let into large
shallow ponds, where it remained until more or less reduced and
3 Per chevron, azure and gules; three-covered sprinkling-salts argent, sprinkling salt
proper.
4 It was so called because it come originally from "La Baye" (of Biscay), round the
shores of which there were many salt-evaporating pans.