Billericay is a small town and head of a union, on an eminence at the junction of the road from London to Rochford and Southend, with that from Chelmsford to the ferry over the Thames at Tilbury, 6 miles east from Brentwood, 9 south from Chelmsford and 23 from Whitechapel church, and was formed into a separate ecclesiastical parish on the 14 Sept 1844, but for civil purposes it is within the parish of Great Burstead.
The Great Eastern Railway Company has a station at the lower end of the town, on their branch line from Shenfield, which opened January 1st 1889, and which proceeds via Wickford to Maldon, Burnham and Southminster, and also through Rayleigh and Rochford to Southend. The town is lighted with gas.
The church of St Mary Magdalene is a plain rectangular edifice of brick, consisting of nave and a western tower, the only part of the old church now remaining, and containg one bell and and an illuminated clock, provided in 1897 at a cost of £120: the tower was thoroughly restored in 1880, and in the same year, a stained glass window was erected as a memorial to William Carter esq, and his wife, by their children: the church was reseated in 1902 and now affords 400 sittings. The register dates from the year 1844; all earlier entries referring to this place will be found in the registers of Great Burstead.
The living is a vicarage, in the gift of the Bishop of St Albans, and held since 1877 by the Rev Edward George Darby, BA, of St Johns College, Cambridge.
There is a Baptist chapel and a Congregational chapel, founded in 1672, with 625 sittings; attached to the latter is a manse and a burial ground.
In 1684, the Rev Samuel Bailey, of South Benfleet, left to the vicar of Great Burstead a portion of land producing £72 yearly for the support of a school for the town of Billericay.
Lord Petre is lord of the manor, and Mrs C G Reade, of Bath, chief landowner. The population in 1901 was 1,319.
The Union contains the following parishes, viz, Basildon, Benfleet North, Bowers Gifford, Brentwood, Burstead Great, Burstead Little, Childerditch, Downham, Dunton, Horndon East , Horndon West Hutton, Ingrave, Laindon, Lee Chapel, Mountnessing, Nevendon, Pitsea, Ramsden Bellhouse, Ramsden Crays, Shenfield, Vange, Warley Little, Weald South, and Wickford.
The area is 49,851 acres; rateable value £167,299.
The population in 1911 was 28, 480
The Workhouse, a building of brick in the Elizabethan style, was built in 1840 and it will hold 300 inmates; a new infirmary, casual wards & boiler house were added in 1898.
Railway Station, Horace Bassingthwaighte, station master
Carrier to Chelmsford – Harry Heard, tuesday and friday.
Private Residents
Allen Albert John, Red Hatch
Atkinson H Francis, Weston
Bowmaker George
Branfill Mrs Brydges Robinson, Burghstead lodge
Brown Arthur, Roseleigh
Buckingham Mrs
Bull Mrs, Bleak House
Clements Fredrrick, Meadowcroft
Cole Edmund Joseph, High street
Cole Miss, Wheycot
Darby Rev Edward George, BA (vicar)
Donelan Rev William Bernard (Catholic), The Presbytery, High street
Dowling James Lewis, The Cottage
Edwards Thomas William, Seven Gables
Elias George
Fowler K R, West Holme
Frost John
Goodchild Wellington, High street
Hackett Rev Benjamin (Congregational), The Manse
Hadland James, Devonshire House
Hare Walter W, Hill house
Harrington Albert S, Westbury cottage
Harris Joseph Coombe, St Keverne
Hislop Hardy W A, Ingleside
Holtby Richard, MB, BS, Barnsley house
Houghton Edmuns John, High street
Hoysted Rev James Dopuglas BS (rector of Ramsden Crays)
Hunter Andrew
Izzard Percy William David, High street
Jefferies JOhn, Bank house
Kershaw Arthur Samuel, Bellegarde
Ladbrook Mrs, Crescent house
Lain Edward Frederick Hy, The Croft
Maples Thomas Richard, Beachbank
Mason George, The Laurels
Mills Charles Henry, Highfield
Moore Frank, Lyndhurst
Moore Miss, Laurel bank
Moore Victor Tom, Ferndale
Moore walter Richard, Hillside
Muers Herbert, Plas Newydd
Negrotto Joseph
Oliver Andrew, The Firs
Paskell Miss
Patterson John Edward, Nautilus
Powell George Arthur, Rayleigh lodge
Sadler James
Salter Frederick, The Doon
Scales Edgar George, Station estate
Skuse Charles F, Highlands
Springett Alfred
Statham Hubert
Stevens William Ernest, Oakdene
Street Mrs, Norsey Manor
Taylor Charles, Ephracott
Trimnell Thomas, The Gables
Turner Henry W, Newlands
Tyrrell Mrs, Claremont
Waldron Thpomas, Norsey view
Ward Mrs, Lockers
Watkinson Frederick George, Rosslyn
Webster W, Bellevue
Wells Joseph Douglas MB
Westoby Miss, The Cottage
Commercial
Alderslade Alfred Thomas, Coach & Horses PH
Allen Alfred George, shopkeeper
Ancient Order of Foresters (Rubens lodge 3095) (A Seagers, jun sec)
Arding Edgar William, bricklayer
Barclay & Company Limited (branch), bankers (J Jefferies, manager); draw on head office, 54 Lombard street, London EC
Barfield Arthur, wood carver
Bassom George Joseph, plumber & glazier
Gescoby Charles Edward, Crown hotel, & jobmaster
Billericay Cricket Club (Algernon H Laugher, hon sec)
Billericay Fire Brigade (John William Wheatley, captain)
Billericay Footbal Club (C S Houghton, hon sec)
Billericay Gas Co (E F H Lain, sec)
Billericay Harriers (F J Eales, hon sec)
Billericay Horticultural Society (Albert S Harrington, hon sec)
Boughtwood Charles H, coal merchant
Boughtwood Frederick Thomas, butcher
Brentwood & District Co-operative Society Ltd (branch), High street
Brown Arthur, wheelwright & blacksmith
Buckenham Fras Hy, Red LIon hotel
Bull Ellen & Annie (Misses), news agents, High street
Bull Matilda (Mrs), Railway inn
Burrows Thomas, nursing home, Sunnymede
Butcher Lucy Hannah (Mrs), Burstead House temperance hotel
Bygott William, solicitor & commissioner for oaths, see Jefferies & Buygott
Clements James, watch maker
Cold Edmund Josephm farmer, High street
Cole Frederick, White Hart PH
Cole Henry, plumber
Cook Edwin, Rising Sun PH
Coppin Cath (Mrs), tea rooms, High street
Coppin Edgar L, shorthand teacher
Cottee Robert, hair dresser
Cottis W J & Sons, bakers & confectioners
Daldy & Co, coal merchants
Eales Frederick John, saddler
Eke Joseph, insurance agent, Fernlea
Gentry Fred, boot & shoe maker
Gentry George, bricklayer
Gray Frances & Sarah (Misses), milliners
Harrington Samuel, ironmonger
Harris Brothers, builders
Heard Harry, carrier
Heard Samuel John, carpenter
Holtby Richard, MB, BS London, physyician & surgeon & medical officer
Hope May Cunningham (Mrs), milliner
Houghton & Co, grocers, bakers & drapers
Iles Henrt William, builder, architect & surveyor
Jefferies H J & Bygott, solicitors
Jefferies John, manager of Barclay & Companys branch bank
Larritt Agnes (Mrs), milliner
Larritt Robert, cycle agent
Laugher Algernon Harry, registrar of births & deaths
Layland R J W, sanitary inspector & surveyor
Lewis & Quennell, solicitors
Little Jn William, boot & shoe repairer
Lowe John A, printer, Caxton house
Maclure John, fruiterer
Meeson Arthur John, coal merchant
Meeson William Merrifield, corn & flour factor
Moore Walter Richard, draper & grocer
Morris Edward James, boot maker
Morris Joseph Edward, wine & spirit merchant
Mountain & Son, coal & builders merchants
Mountain William Edmund, builder & land, house & estate agent
Nassau John, clothier
Nix John Beard, chemist & stationer
Nursery Co Ltd (The), nurserymen
Oddy William Luckin, castrator
Payne Edward Burgess, butcher
Polley Miss, dress maker, High street
Potter Harry, plumber
Quennell Jpohn Lewis, solicitor
Quilter William, farmer
Ramsey Frederick Arthur, hair dresser
Ramsey Harriett (Mrs), dress maker
Rayner-Green William, photographer, West view
Reading Room & Library (William Houghton, hon sec)
Saner George jun, market gardener, Norsey road
Savill David, furniture dealer & bill poster, High street
Savill Ernest, draper
Scott William, general smith
Seagers Alfred, shopkeeper
Sewell Joseph, hay dealer
Shipton William, joiner
Skuse Lillian Eva (Miss), teacher of music
Smith Jane Mansell & Martha (Misses), dress makers
Smith W H & Son, news agents, Railway Station
Smith Frederick H, butcher
Smith Sarah Ann (Mrs), apartments, Hope villa
Smilt William Edward, baker & confectioner
Southend Waterworks Co (C N Woolverton, collector), High street
Springett Alfred J, carting contractor & farmer
Stammers Mary Anne (Mrs), shopkeeper
Swann William Hy, fruiterer & greengrocer
Totman Walter, harness maker
Tunbridge Esther (Mrs), grocer & baker
Taylor Edward, baker & corn dealer
Tyrrell Annie E (Mrs), draper
Ursuline High School (Rev Mother Clare, principal), boarding school, High street
Wade Frederick, shopkeeper
Waylett John William, wheelwright
Webb Mary Ann (Mrs), Horse Shoes inn
Also see Great Burstead and also Little Burstead in 1912.