The concept for this book began many, many years ago. As an Englishwoman living in the USA, I was often asked the question, "I've visited all the usual places of interest...I'm ready to explore the real English countryside...what do you recommend?" That question led me to collect an extensive file on the places I know best (and some I discovered for the first time) that I believed would be of interest to a visitor. Stories of Kings, Queens, Norsemen, ghosts and witches, including The Witch Finder General who became wealthy because of his special ability to find witches (for a fee from the Crown) sometimes just because they owned a cat!
The book begins with a story of Reverend Lawrence Washington, great-great grandfather of our first President in the sleepy little hamlet of Purleigh, Essex. How the Reverend Washington lived and died both of which led to his two sons, John and younger brother, Lawrence, disgusted by their father's treatment, left for the New World. The rest is American history. Six members of the Sherman family also left seeking a new life along with the Penn family. They are all included in 30 Exceptional Places to Visit in England...Off the Beaten Track.
The book will be published very soon by Amazon on Kindle and paperback.
