This is the entire story of Hoddesdon from the earliest times up to and including the formation of the borough of Broxbourne in 1974. From the arrival of the first people to the settlement recorded in Domesday Book, from feudal and medieval times to the growth into urban district and then borough, the changing ways of life are chronicled, as are the stories of many individuals who left their mark on the making of Hoddesdon. In researching her narrative the author has drawn on many sources, as well as the rich local records and the visual evidence of the past around us.