Rochford Hundred 1848 Whites parishes in this Hundred
Rochford Hundred
Forms a Polling District in the Southern Division of Essex ; a Police Division of the County Constabulary Force ; and a district for which a County Court is held monthly at Rochford, where Petty Sessions are held every alternate Thursday, as noticed with that town. It is in the Diocese ofRochester, Archdeaconry ofEsser, and in the Deaner- ies of Rochford and Barstable, of which the Revs. Robt. Eden, of Leigh, and C. Chisholm, of Southchurch, are the rural deans. It is a maritime district, varying from 10 to 17 miles in length from east to west, and about seven miles in breadth from north to south ; bounded on the east, by the German Ocean ; on the south, by the estuary of the Thames ; on the north, by the tidal river Crouch, and on the west, by Barstable Hundred. It is penetrated by the river Broomhill, and several other navigable creeks from the sea and the Crouch, and by their winding courses they form several small islands. The eastern parts of the Hundred, and some portions bordering on the Thames and the Crouch, form low but fertile marshes, which have been so much improved by drainage and embankments during the present century, that the inhabitants, formerly subject to annual attacks of the ague, are now as healthy and as free from epidemics, as those of any other part ofthe county. The western and central parts of the Hundred are picturesquely undulated, rising in some places in lofty elevations, and containing several entensive woods, handsome seats, and the celebrated watering place of Hockley Spa. Near the port and fish- ing town of Leigh, and the elegant bathing-place of Southend, on the north side of the estuary of the Thames, the land rises boldly from the sands and the marshes ; though many of the latter, in the eastern parts of the Hundred, are protected from inundation by artificial em- bankments, or sea walls ; and there are still some large tracts of salt- ings, open to the influx of the tides. The soil and manors belong to many prorietors, and among the largest owners are the Earl of Mor- nington, Lady Sparrow, and Robt. Bristow, Esq. The principal farmers are contributors of the Rochford Hundred Farmers’ Club, which awards prizes for skilful husbandry, industry, &c., and holds its meet- ings at Rayleigh and Rochford. Mr. J. Mayn is the secretary. The Hundred contains one extra-parochial place, and 25 parishes, ofwhich the following is an enumeration, shewing their territorial extent, their population in 1841, and the annual value of their lands and buildings,
as assessed to the property tax in 1843.
PARISHES . Acres. Population in 1841
Ashingdon parish 1146 Acres, 119
Barling parish 1260 Acres, 326
*Canewdon parish 5262 Acres, 723
*Eastwood parish. 3216 Acres, 596
Fambridge South 1232 Acres, 94
Foulness Island 5993 Acres, 674
Hadleigh parish 1709 Acres, 366
†Havengore ex. p. 810 Acres, 18
Hawkwell parish 1333 Acres, 366
Hockley parish 4302 Acres, 850
Leigh parish 2331 Acres, 1271
*Paglesham parish 2002 Acres, 436
Prittlewell parish 3285 Acres, 2339
Rawreth parish 2304 Acres, 387
Rayleigh parish 2873 Acres, 1651
Rochford parish 1819 Acres, 1722
Shoebury North p. 1086 Acres, 202
Shoebury South p. 987 Acres, 164
Shopland parish 1032 Acres, 43
Southchurch par 1825 Acres, 432
*Stambridge Great 2533 Acres, 431
Stambridge Little 780 Acres, 126
Sutton parish 760 Acres, 120
Thundersley 860 Acres, 220
+Wakering Great 2755 Acres, 860 5031
Wakering Ltttle 2721 Acres, 301 3279
Total 55,266 Acres, 14,837
Wallasea Island is in the five parishes marked *. Paglesham and Great and Little Wakering are in the Liberty ofthe Duchy of Lancaster.
† Havengore Island is partly in Little Wakering parish, which also includes the small Islands of Little Potton and New England. The parish of Great Wakering includes the Islands of Great Potton and Rushley.
† Prittlewell parish includes the fashionable bathing-place of SOUTHEND, and the hamlet of Milton.
|| Thundersley parish is mostly in Barstable Hundred, and is all in Billericay Union.
HIGH CONSTABLES : Messrs. Thos. Salmon, ofRochford, and Fras. W. Bannester, of Barling. Police Superintendent, Mr. A. W. Low.
ROCHFORD UNION comprises all the 25 parishes of Rochford Hundred, except Thundersley, and has consequently about 55,000 acres of land, and 14,617 inhabitants, of whom 7608 were returned as males, and 7009 as females, in July, 1841, when there were 181 paupers in the Workhouse.
The aggregate average annual expenditure of the 24 parishes, on the poor, during the three years preceding the formation of the Union, was £9852 ; but in 1838, it was only £5474; and in 1840, £5478. The UNION WORKHOUSE, at Rochford, was built in 1837-8, at the cost of about £5500, and forms a commodious brick building, in which there is room for 350 paupers . Mr. Thos. and Mrs. Starling are the master and matron ; the Rev. Edw. Archer, chaplain ; and Wm. Williams and Caroline Livermore are teachers of the schools. Mr. Michael Comport is Union Clerk and Superintendent Registrar ; Messrs. G. Bell and C. Palmer are the relieving officers ; and Mr. John Grabham and others are the registrars of births and and deaths.