Goodbye Italy 🇮🇹, hello England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Left the tour in Venice to face their own struggles with flying home. We went to London-Stanstedt airport to enjoy a trip through jolly old South England. Started at Dedham, Essex the home of Sherman’s since the 1500s. Henry Sherman was a somewhat wealthy gentleman, but the large family meant splitting the estate and money too many way’s so the youngest 3 or 4 sons decided to join the religious dissenters under Roger Williams making up the “Massachusetts Bay Colony” group. Some wound up in central Mass with others emigrating to Rhode Island, a destination for religious and political dissenters and social outcasts, earning it the moniker "Rogue's Island".

In Dedham we came across the Sherman Hall, constructed in 1735 by Thomas Sherman and donated to a conservation trust in 1978. It’s across the street from St Mary’s church and burying ground where many Sherman and affiliated families are buried. Most grave markers older than mid-1800s are too worn to read. Would be great to go back and see if they have a directory of the older burials.

For lunch, we found the Wooden Fender. It started as a cow shed in the 1500s, then became a men’s meeting place. At one point about 24 witches were tried there (no notes on the verdicts) In the 1700s it started serving mead, ale and beer then evolved into the wonderful pub it is today. We didn’t have a reservation but told us we had a table if we could finish in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Challenge Accepted!!! And easily completed. The food was great, service wonderful.

Now back at the room and ready for naps! Cheers all!Okumaya devam et