Billericay Union comprises the 26 parishes of Basseldon, North and South Benfleet. Bowers Gifford, Brentwood, Great and Little Burstead, Childerditch, Downham, Dunton, East and West Horndon, Hutton, Ingrave, Laindon, Mountnessing, Nevendon, Pitsea, Ramsden Bellhouse, Ramsden Crays, Shenfield, South Weald, Thundersley, Vange and wickford.
It has two small market towns, viz, Brentwood and Billericay, the latter of which is in Great Burstead parish.
Its 26 parishes comprise an area of about 65,000 acres, and in 1841, has 14,934 inhabitants, of whom 7873 were males and 7061 females, residing in 2616 houses, besides which, there were 75 unoccupied, and 11 buildings, when the census was taken.
It has two small market towns, viz, Brentwood and Billericay, the latter of which is in Great Burstead parish. Its 26 parishes comprise an area of about 65,000 acres and in 1841, has 14,934 inhabitants of whom, 7873 were males, and 7061 females, residing in 2610 houses, besides which, there were 75 unoccupied, and 11 building, when the census was taken.
The Union Workhouse, at Billericay, is a large and commodious building, erected in 1840. It has room for 240 paupers and Robert Duncan and Jane Young are the master and matron. Mr Henry Collin is the Union clerk and Superintendent Registrar; and John Simpson and Edw Alexander are the relieving officers.
Burstead (Great) or Great Burghstead, is a pleasant scattered village, near the head of the River Crouch, from 1 to 2 miles SSE of Billericay, and has 884 inhabitants, but its parish comprises 2168 souls and 3620 acres of which about one half of the land, and 1284 of the souls are in the town and chapelry of Billericay, which maintains it poor jointly with Great Burstead, as one township.
Ingar held the manor of Great Burstead in the confessors reign, but the Conqueror gave it to Odo, Bishop of Bayeaux, on whose disgrace it reverted to the Crown, and was granted to the Mareschall family. Stratford Abbey had a grange here, and held most of the parish till the dissolution.
In 1551, this estate was granted to Sir Richard Rich, whose descendants held it till 1600, when it was sold to Sir Jno Petre, an ancestor of Lord Petre, the present lord of the manor, improprietor of the rectory, and owner of most of the soil.
The farm called Blunds Walls, about a mile west of Billericay, was anciently a seat of the Blund family, and has the latter part of its name from an entrenchment, of which there are still distinct remains, consisting of a ditch and rampart, including about four acres, partly in the farm yard. The rampart is considerably above the level of the fields, but several artificial mounds within the enclosures have been nearly levelled.
On a high hill beyween Great Burstead and Billericay, have been found, at various periods, fragments of urns, paterae, and other earthen vessels, about three feet below the surface, together with Roman copper coins and two silver ones, of the emperors Trajan and Adrian. Numerous specimens of vases, urns, etc were dug up here in 1847, and these and the other discoveries clearly prove that there was a small Roman Station and burial ground here. The estate called West House, half a mile West of the parish church, was held by the lumleys, who sold it to Guys Hospital.
The Church (St Mary) has a nave, with aisles, a chancel, and a north chapel. The vicarage is in the patronage of the Rev Edw Evans, and incumbency of the Rev John Thomas, MA.
Great Burstead (See also Billericay.)
Marked * are at South Green. and a + at Tye Common.
*Agar Edward, Plough beerhouse
*Boughtwood Samuel, cattle dealer
Bull Joseph, wheelwright
+Bulmer John Elmes, gentleman
Childs Charles, victualler, Duke of York
Clark William James, wheelwright
Hawkes Edward, tailor
Richman Philip. beer seller
Sadler James, victualler, Kings Arms
Schneider Robert Wilmot, gentleman
Thomas Rev John, MA, vicar
Farmers
Mrs Barnard, Grange
+Cole William
Crush William
*Curtis John
Drake Davis
French James
Jeffreys James
Joslin James
Joslin Peter
+Laver John
Low Frederick
Mason John
Mee Thomas
Offin William
*Pease Joseph
Rivers Daniel S
Thorogood Henry, Blunds Walls
Shoemakers
Drake William
Harris John
Jeffreys Francis
Shopkeepers
Hills Martha
Mason John
Post &c, see Billericay