Great Burstead (or Burghstead), is a pleasant village and parish, a mile and a half to the south of Billericay, and on the road to Tilbury, in the Southern division of the county, union of Billericay.
The small market town of Billericay is in this parish for civil purposes, but a separate parish for ecclesiastical purposes. The chuch of St Mary Magdalen consists of nave, aisles, chancel and north and south porches, and has some ancient relics and fine monuments. The register dates from the year 1558.
The living is a vicarage in the gift of Lord Petre and held by the Rev George Lowden Hanson, MA, of Queens College, Oxford.
An abbey of Cistercian monks existed here for a short time, which was removed from Stratford.
Blunts Walls, one mile from Billericay, are the remains of a camp, in which Roman coins and antiquities have been found.
Lord Peter is lay impropriator, principal landowner and lord of the manor.
The soil in parts is light and clayey; subsoil, principally clay. The chief crops are wheat and barley. The parish contains 3,502 acres and a population, including Billericay, of 2,038, exclusive of 181 inmates of the Billericay Union workhouse; gross estimated rental &8,779; rateable value £7,383.
Letters from Ingatestone through Billericay, which is the nearest money order office.
Hanson Rev George Lowden, MA, vicar, Vicarage
Jones Edgar, JP, The Elms
Wood Ffinch
Wyatt Rev Richard [Independent], Mill Hill cottage
Commercial
Agnis R, corn miller, Mill hill
Barnard Mary Ann (Mrs), farmer, Grange farm
Blyth Mary (Mrs), farmer, Whites farm
Boughtwood Samuel, cattle dealer, South green
Boughtwood Thomas, farmer
Bull Joseph, carpenter
Butten James, beer retailer
Clayton John, Kings Head
Cole William, farmer
Coleman, farmer, South green
Coleman John, brewer
Collard __, Plough, Tye common
Drake David, farmer
French James, farmer
Harris Benjamin, blacksmith
Harris John, farmer
Harris William, baker
Jeffries James, farmer
Joslin James, farmer
Joslin Peter, farmer
Lazell William, Kings Arms & carrier
Martin William, Bell
Mason John Little, baker
Mee Dyson, farmer, Broomhills
Rivers Daniel (Mrs), farmer, Moggs
Stock John, farmer & cattle salesman, Tye common
Thorogood Henry, farmer, Great Blunts
Wheal Samuel, beer retailer