Barstable Hundred Whites 1863
Extends about 14 miles along the north bank of the river Thames, from Gravesend Reach and Tilbury Fort to Canvey Island; and is of an irregular figure, averaging about 11 miles inlength and breadth.It is bounded on the south by the Thames; on the east by Roch- ford Hundred and Chelmsford Hundred; on the north by the latter; and on the west by Chafford Hundred, and a small part of Ongar Hundred. It is fertile and picturesque district, with many handsome seats, neat villages, and boldly rising hills, commanding extensive views of the Thames down to the ocean. The river Crouch rises here from several rivulets near Billericay and Burstead, and other rivulets rise near Doddinghurst, Brentwood, and Thorndon Hall, andflow to the river Wid. Canvey Island, at the south-east angle of the Hundred, is separated from the main land by navigable creeks, oneof which extends about four miles inland, andhas several branches. Near the Thames and its creeks are extensive tracts of richmarshes, from which the country rises northward inbold undulations. The Hundred is intersected by many excellent turnpike roads, and its southern side is traversed by the London and Southend Railway. The whole Hundred is in the Southern Parliamentary Division of Essex, mostly in Billericay Polling District, and in the Diocese of Rochester and Archdeaconry of Essex. It is in the Deaneries of Barstable, Rochford, and Billericay. It comprises 33 parishes, 2 chapelries, and 1 extra-parochial place ; of which the following is an enumeration, showing their territorial extent, and their population in 1861.
Parishes – Acres and populations.
Benfleet North 2389 acres 261 population
Bulphan 1651 acres 268 population
Burstead Great &
Billericay 3620 acres 2095 population
Burstead Little 1829 acres 186 population
Chadwell St. Mary 1753 acres 252 population
Corringham 2856 acres 229 population
Doddinghurst+ 1892 acres 400 population
Downham 2152 acres 247 population
Dunton 2338 acres 173 population
Fobbing 2631 acres 409 population
Horndon (East) 1449 acres 474 population
Horndon-on-Hill 2634 acres 522 population
Horndon (West) 1034 acres 64 population
Hutton 1690 acres 399 population
Ingrave 1632 acres 516 population
Laindon parish 2300 acres 412 population
Basseldon chapelry 1627 acres 180 population
Laindon Hills 1775 acres 289 population
Lee Chapel ex-par 0 acres 10 population
Mucking 2113 acres 236 population
Nevendon 974 acres 205 population
Orsett 4136 acres 1484 population
Pitsea 2048 acres 263 population
Ramsden Bellhouse 2685 acres 430 population
Ramsden Crays 2260 acres 261 population
Shenfield 2397 acres 1145 population
Stanford- le-Hope 2418 acres 504 population
Thundersley+ 1750 acres 531 population
Thurrock (Little) 1400 acres 292 population
Tilbury (East) 2031 acres 425 population
Tilbury (West) 1687 acres 274 population
Vange 1387 acres 160 population
Wickford 1787 acres 462 population
Total 71,996 acres 14,877 population
POLLING DISTRICTS.-All the above parishes, &c. , are in Billericay Polling District, except East and West Horndon, Doddinghurst, Ingrave, and Shenfield, which are in Brentwood Polling District.
UNIONS. South Benfleet and Thundersley are in Rochford Union, and Doddinghurst is in Ongar Union. All the rest of Barstable Hundred is in the Unions of Billericay and Orsett.
The HIGH CONSTABLES of Barstable Hundred are- Mr. William
Wilson, of Stanford-le-Hope, and Mr. Thomas Mayott, of Little Burstead.
The whole Hundred is in Brentwood Police Division, and in the District of the County Court, held monthly at Brentwood. Petty Sessions are held at Billericay and Orsett.
Liberty of the Duchy of Lancaster.- Benfleet, Great and Little Burstead, Dunton, Fobbing, Horndon West and on the Hill, Nevendon, Ramsden Crays and Bellhouse, Shenfield, Little Thurrock, East Tilbury, and parts of some other parishes in this extensive liberty which has its own coroner.
BILLERICAY UNION comprises the 25 parishes of Basseldon, North Benfleet, Bowers-Gifford, Brentwood, Great and Little Burstead, Billericay, Childerditch, Downham, Dunton, East and West Horndon, Hutton, Ingrave, Laindon, Mountnessing, Nevendon, Pitsea, Ramsden-Bellhouse, Ramsden-Crays, Shenfield, South Weald, Vange, Little Warley, and Wickford.
It has two small towns, viz.:-Brentwood and Billericay, the latter of which is in Great Burstead parish. Its 26 parishes comprise an area of about 50,000 acres of land, and about 15,000 inhabitants. The UNION WORKHOUSE, at Billericay, is a large and commodious building, erected in 1840. It has room for 270 paupers, and Robert Duncan and Mrs. Jane A. Young are the master and matron. Mr. C. C. Lewis is the union clerk; Mr. Henry Collin, superintendent registrar; and the Rev. E. L. Cutts, B.A., chaplain. Messrs. John Simpson and George Murrell are the relieving officers; Mr. George Curtis, of Billericay, is registrar of marriages; and Messrs. William Carter, John Simpson, and C. Butler, are registrars of births and deaths. Messrs. W. Carter, G. W. Raine, B. Baker, and William L. Le Sage, are the union surgeons.
ORSETT UNION comprises the 18 parishes of Aveley, Bulphan, Chadwell, Corringham, Fobbing, Horndon-on-the-Hill, Laindon Hills, Mucking, North and South Ockendon, Orsett, Stanford-le-Hope, Stifford, Grays-Thurrock, Little and West Thurrock, and East and West Tilbury, which extend over about 46,000 Acres and contain 11,529 souls. The total average annual expenditure on the poor of the 18 parishes, during the three years preceding the formation of the Union, was £5605, but in 1838, it amounted only to £3954, and in 1840, to £4702.
The UNION WORKHOUSE is at Orsett, and has room for 270 paupers. It was built in 1837, at the cost of £3115. Mr. Jph. Sills and Mrs. Eliza Mortimer are the master and matron; Mr. North Surridge, of Romford, is the union clerk; Mr. Geo. Biddell, supt. registrar; the Rev. Wm. De Foe Baker, chaplain; and Mr. G. Heigho (of Grays), is the relieving officer. Dr. Corbett, of Orsett, and Mr. R. B. Jordison, of South Ockendon, are registrars of births and deaths; and Mr. T. Woollings, registrar of marriages..