Moon Corner Petition

A LEIGH group have started a petition to save some well-loved mosaics situated in an historic part of the town.

The two mosaics, which received a Good for Leigh award and were part of a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Community Award, are situated in a corner of land between Leigh Road and Leigh Broadway.

Known as Moon Corner, the site has recently received planning permission for the building of a two-storey restaurant.

The ground level and wall mounted mosaics, featuring a stylised crescent moon, commemorate the death of local women who were condemned to death for the crime of Witchcraft in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Campaigners fear that the plans to build the glass fronted restaurant on the plot of land will result in the loss of this artistic and historic amenity, and are calling for their incorporation into the design of the development.

The Moon Corner Mosaics Group, made up of self-proclaimed history buffs and artists, are focusing on the artistry of the mosaics, located in what has always been a controversial site, famous for being the location of the old pottery pond and nearby kiln, which served the town for 100 years.

The industrial pond was also known as Doom Pond, reputedly used for ducking witches.

The group explained: “We want to celebrate the artistry of those women who created the mosaics, which include Jane Lovell, who completed the ground mosaic and Mara Chrystie, who made the wall mosaic with local residents, including those from Zimbabwe and Poland.”

They underlined that the female-made mosaics also stand testament to Leigh’s historical connection with “the women of this county.

“The mosaics are not just an important community endeavour, but are a memorial to a key moment in social and cultural history, the stories of which the group have been researching.”

A spokesperson added: “Three Leigh witches are listed as Joan Allen in 1574, Alice Soles in 1622 and Joan Rowle in 1645.

Whilst no information has yet been found on the first 2 women, Joan Rowle, a widow, appeared at the Chelmsford Assizes on July 17, 1645.

“It was alleged she bewitched a child called Rachel – ‘being greatly wounded and consumed’— and John North, who had died 10 days earlier.

“Joan pleaded and was found not guilty, and witnesses to this included some familiar Leigh names – Martha Barnard, Ellen Emere and Elizabeth Osborne.”

The Moon Corner Mosaics group feels that Moon Corner is the perfect spot to commemorate this history through the mosaics’ incorporation within the new restaurant.

They added: “Let’s hope the owner seizes this golden opportunity for his enterprise.”

To find the petition, visit: change.org/p/petition-to-save-the-mosaics-of-moon-corner-broadway-leigh-on-sea-www-change-org-p-petition-to-save-the-mosaics-of-moon-corner-broadway-leigh-on-sea?redirect=false

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