Winstree Hundred 1848 Whites directory
Is a small maritime district, bounded on the south by the ocean, on the east by the estuary of the river Colne, on the west by Thurstable and Lexden Hundreds, and on the north by the latter and the Borough of Colchester. The southern portion of it consists chiefly of low marshes, intersected by several salt-water creeks, one of which, the Pyefleet, winds round the land side of Mersea Island, from the mouths of the Colne and the Blackwater, and is celebrated for fine oysters. This small Hundred is of an oval figure, about nine miles in length, and five in breadth. The following enumeration of its thirteen parishes, shews their territorial extent, the annual value of their lands and buildings, as assessed to the property tax in 1843, and their population in 1841. They are all in Lexden and Winstree Union, in the North Division of Essex, and in the Archdeaconry of Colchester, and Deanery of Lerden. As part of the latter, they form the Rural Deanery of Mersea, under the Rev. G. Bird, M.A., of Great Wigborough. The Hundred has two chief constables, viz. , Mr. R. W. Forster, of East Mersea, and Mr. Fras. Bawtree, of West Mersea.
PARISHES. Acres. Population 1841.
Abberton 1067 248
Fingringhoe 2860 581
Langenhoe 2100 161
*Layer Breton 970 290
Layer de la Hay 2577 731
Layer Marney 1950 256
Mersea, East 1820 331
Mersea, West 3136 917
Peldon 2200 493
Salcott 255 181
Virley 626 68
*Wigborough, Great 2600 479
*Wigborough Little 1152 114
Total 23,313 4850
The three parishes marked * are in the Liberty of the Duchy of Lancaster.