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THE ESSEX NATURALIST
The Badger in Essex
By David Scott
THE Badger must have been roaming the once wooded county
of Essex for many centuries, and it would be interesting
to know just how strong the animal's numbers were when the
great "Forest of Waltham" existed. The clearance of this wood-
land into the large acreages of arable land which we have to-day
must have had its effect on the Badgers' distribution. Most of
our earlier records of Essex Badgers are found in the Essex
Naturalist, and it is interesting to compare these with present-
day knowledge of the animal.
One of the oldest records comes from the parish records for
Maldon, where, during the period 1716-1754 a vermin fee of one
shilling a head was paid for Foxes or Badgers. Other places
where Badgers were known were Wixoe Mill, Bumpstead and
Laindon Hills, all mentioned in 1867. Park Wood, Shalford,
Braxted woods and Woodham Hall were noted in 1887, as was
Hill Hall, Theydon Mount. Other records include Ilford,
Foulness, Stratford-St-Mary, Theydon Bois, Audley End, Thaxted
and Braintree. In 1896 Badgers dug out at Stanway Hall were
released in Epping Forest where, in the following year, some were
'put down' by the verderer, Edward North Buxton. In his book
"Epping Forest", Mr. Buxton noted the scarcity of the Badger
at that time. In 1920 Mr. G. Dent records digging out twelve
Badgers in the Grays area, and. also mentions their occurrence at
Blackmore, Ongar, Braintree, Colchester, Saffron Walden and the
Herts. border. South East Essex appears to have always been a
stronghold of the Badger. Early records here include South
Ockendon, Billericay, Mucking, Laindon Common and Great Ben-
fleet. In the latter place, several setts are on record, and in Henry
Laven's book, "Mammals, Reptiles and Fishes of Essex", he
mentions the practice of "Badger Baiting" here in 1844. This
sport consisted of placing the unfortunate Badger in a barrel,
which was then laid on its side. Dogs were set on it and there
was competition to see whose dog could draw out the Badger. This
was evidently very inhumane treatment to the animal in the
barrel and to the dogs, especially those new to the sport who fell
foul of the Badger's jaws. It appears that the Badger was
generally scarce in Essex at the end of the last century, and at
that time it was introduced to various places. More recently the
period of the two world wars may have helped the Badger, when
extra man-power was needed for the Forces, thereby cutting
down the number of keepers and other country folk who would
otherwise have trapped or killed some of them.
To-day, however, the Badger is nowhere near extinction in
Essex. It seems to be holding its own and is breeding even under
the advance of building in some areas. Farmers and keepers are