BY Jonathan Catton
THE popular and well respected local Thurrock historian Randal Bingley passed away on Monday 11th August. ‘Randy’ was the first Curator of Thurrock Museum when in 1966 he joined Thurrock Urban District Council, then under the Chief Librarian and was based at the museum in Civic Square, Tilbury. Born in Farnham he was in the Royal Air Force and then joined the National Army museum staff at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He had many interests, but on discovering the combination of historic landscape and settlement patterns in Thurrock, it became a passion to study and report his findings over 48 years and was still working on several projects up to his death.
Museum work involved him in archaeology, natural history, architecture, farming and military history and he delighted in the many conversations with the individuals in Thurrock’s communities who had shaped the district or had memories of the past. The delights of archive work, always undertaken meticulously with critical cross-referencing landscape features, artefacts and paper documents in numerous record offices, helped to create some of the most accurate interpretation of our Borough.
He also delighted in talking individually to many Thurrock people, gleaning snippets of history crucial to his work, often recording in diary form conversations so he would not forget anything. He became Borough Curator in 1975 having successfully designed and fitted out the new museum in the Thameside Complex, Grays. He undertook archaeological digs, gave talks and organised ‘heritage’ walks, opening the eyes to many about the fascinating and often unique aspects of Thurrock’s past.
He wrote several series of ‘popular’ articles in the local newspapers and a plethora of articles and notes in the annual publication of the Thurrock Local History Society. He was very involved in the 1988 Armada events at Tilbury Fort and would wear historical costume notably as a county yeoman at the Orsett Show.
His extensive knowledge and thirst for delving and linking, produced many notable publications and displays after his retirement from the museum, but continued a partnership with the museum, donating artefacts and passing on knowledge throughout his retirement.
Randal often undertook his own style illustrations to complement his work on Orsett, Fobbing and West Tilbury. Jonathan Catton, Thurrock’s Heritage & Museum Officer commented "Randy’s local history publications will stand testament for his dedication to historical research and the opening up of the importance of Thurrock as it developed; he was delighted to learn recently we have taken on a young local historian apprentice, following in the footsteps of Randal’s work at the museum. We all mourn his parting but take some solace that his fascinating local history publications will keep us all informed now and in the future about how and why Thurrock has been shaped by past communities."
