The Hundreds of Essex in 1830

Between Anglo-Saxon times and the nineteenth century the English county of Essex was divided for administrative purposes into 19 hundreds, plus the Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower and the boroughs of Colchester, Harwich, and Maldon. Each hundred had a separate council that met each month to rule on local judicial and taxation matters.

Essex probably originated as a shire in the time of Æthelstan.[1] The Domesday Survey listed nineteen hundreds, corresponding very closely in extent and in name with those that were in use until early in the twentieth century.[1][2] The additional half-hundred of Thunreslan on the border with Suffolk no longer exists,[1] and the hundred of Witbrictesherna was renamed Dengie. The liberty of Havering-atte-Bower was formed from land taken from Becontree hundred.[1][3] In the time of Edward I, Clavering and Freshwell were each considered half-hundreds in Essex.[4]

Parishes

At the start of the 19th century, the hundreds contained the following parishes:[5]

Hundred Area (acres)[6] Parishes
Barstable 71,373 Basildon, Bowers Gifford, Bulphan, Chadwell, Corringham, Doddinghurst, Downham, Dunton, East Horndon, East Tilbury, Fobbing, Great Burstead, Horndon-on-the-Hill, Hutton, Ingrave, Laindon, Langdon Hills, Lee Chapel, Little Burstead, Little Thurrock, Mucking, Nevendon, North Benfleet, Orsett, Pitsea, Ramsden Bellhouse, Ramsden Crays, Shenfield, South Benfleet, Stanford-le-Hope, Thundersley, Vange, West Horndon, West Tilbury, Wickford
Becontree 37,705 Barking, Dagenham, East Ham, Ilford, Leyton, Little Ilford, Walthamstow, Wanstead, West Ham, Woodford
Chafford 34,703 Aveley, Brentwood, Childerditch, Cranham, Grays Thurrock, Great Warley, Little Warley, North Ockendon, Rainham, South Ockendon, South Weald, Stifford, Upminster, Wennington, West Thurrock
Chelmsford 85,536 Great Baddow, Little Baddow, Bicknacre, Blackmore, Boreham, Broomfield, Buttsbury, Chelmsford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy, Danbury, Fryerning, East Hanningfield, West Hanningfield, South Hanningfield, Ingatestone, Great Leighs, Little Leighs, Margaretting, Mountnessing, Rettendon, Roxwell, Runwell, Sandon, Springfield, Stock, Great Waltham, Little Waltham, Widford, Woodham Ferrers (Ferris), Writtle
Clavering 19,987 Berden, Clavering, Farnham, Langley, Manuden, Ugley
Dengie 58,542 Althorne, Asheldham, Bradwell-on-Sea, Burnham, Cold Norton, Creeksea, Dengie, Hazeleigh, Latchingdon, St Lawrence, Mayland, Mundon, North Fambridge, Purleigh, Southminster, Steeple, Stow Maries, Tillingham, Woodham Mortimer, Woodham Walter
Dunmow 52,171 Barnston, Broxted, Great Canfield, Little Canfield, Chickney, Great Dunmow, Little Dunmow, Good Easter, High Easter, Great Easton, Little Easton, Lindsell, Mashbury, Pleshey, Aythorpe Roding, Berners Roding, High Roding, Leaden Roding, Margaret Roding, White Roding, Shellow Bowels, Thaxted, Tilty, Willingale Doe, Willingale Spain
Freshwell 28,728 Ashdon, Great Bardfield, Little Bardfield, Bardfield Saling, Helions Bumpstead, Hadstock, Hempstead, Radwinter, Great Sampford, Little Sampford
Harlow 30,193 Great Hallingbury, Little Hallingbury, Harlow, Hatfield Broad Oak, Latton, Matching, Netteswell, Great Parndon, Little Parndon, Sheering
Havering (liberty) 12550 Havering-atte-Bower, Hornchurch, Romford
Hinckford 110,566 Alphamstone, Ashen, Belchamp Otten, Belchamp St Paul, Belchamp Walter, Birdbrook, Bocking, Borley, Braintree, Bulmer, Steeple Bumpstead, Bures, Felsted, Finchingfield, Foxearth, Gestingthorpe, Gosfield, Halstead, Great Henny, Little Henny, Haverhill, Castle Hedingham, Sible Hedingham, Lamarsh, Liston, Great Maplestead, Little Maplestead, Middleton, Ovington, Panfield, Pebmarsh, Pentlow, Rayne, Ridgewell, Great Saling, Shalford, Stambourne, Stebbing, Stisted, Sturmer, Tilbury Juxta Clare, Toppesfield, Twinstead, Wethersfield, Wickham St Paul, Great Yeldham, Little Yeldham
Lexden 62,476 West Bergholt, Great Birch, Boxted, Dedham, East Donyland, Easthorpe, Fordham, Great Horkesley, Little Horkesley, Langham, Mount Bures, Stanway, Wivenhoe, Wormingford, Aldham, Chappel, Great Coggeshall, Earls Colne, Colne Engaine, Wakes Colne, White Colne, Copford, Feering, Inworth, Markshall, Messing, Pattiswick, Great Tey, Little Tey, Marks Tey
Ongar 56,994 Abbess Roding, Beauchamp Roding, Berners Roding, Bobbingworth, Chigwell, Chipping Ongar, Fyfield, Greensted, High Laver, High Ongar, Kelvedon Hatch, Lambourne, Little Laver, Loughton, Magdalen Laver, Moreton, Navestock, North Weald Bassett, Norton Mandeville, Shelley, Stanford Rivers, Stapleford Abbotts, Stapleford Tawney, Stondon Massey, Theydon Bois, Theydon Garnon, Theydon Mount
Rochford 58,639 Ashingdon, Barling, Canewdon, Eastwood, South Fambridge, Foulness, Hadleigh, Havengore Marsh, Hawkwell, Hockley, Leigh, Paglesham, Prittlewell, Rawreth, Rayleigh, Rochford, Shopland, North Shoebury, South Shoebury, Southchurch, Great Stambridge, Little Stambridge, Sutton, Great Wakering, Little Wakering
Tendring 83,011 Alresford, Ardleigh, Beaumont-cum-Moze, Great Bentley, Little Bentley, Bradfield, Brightlingsea, Great Bromley, Little Bromley, Great Clacton, Little Clacton, Elmstead, Frating, Frinton, Great Holland, Little Holland, Kirby, Lawford, Manningtree, Mistley, Great Oakley, Little Oakley, St Osyth, Ramsey, Tendring, Thorpe-le-Soken, Thorrington, Walton-le-Soken, Weeley, Wix, Wrabness
Thurstable 24,776 Goldhanger, Heybridge, Langford, Tollesbury, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Major, Great Totham, Little Totham, Wickham Bishops
Uttlesford 48,781 Arkesden, Birchanger, Great Chesterford, Little Chesterford, Great Chishill, Little Chishill, Chrishall, Debden, Elmdon, Elsenham, Heydon, Henham, Littlebury, Newport, Quendon, Rickling, Stansted Mountfitchet, Strethall, Takeley, Wenden Lofts, Wendens Ambo, Wicken Bonhunt, Widdington, Wimbish
Waltham 23,098 Chingford, Epping, Nazeing, Waltham Abbey
Winstree 23,685 Abberton, Fingringhoe, Langenhoe, Layer Breton, Layer de la Haye, Layer Marney, East Mersea, West Mersea, Peldon, Salcott, Virley, Great Wigborough, Little Wigborough
Witham 36,684 Bradwell, Great Braxted, Little Braxted, Cressing, Fairstead, Faulkbourne, Little Coggeshall, Hatfield Peverel, Kelvedon, Black Notley, White Notley, Rivenhall, Terling, Ulting, Witham

References

  1. ^ a b c d Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Essex" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 783–786.
  2. ^ Open Domesday: Essex. Accessed 10 June 2023.
  3. ^ "The hundred of Becontree: Introduction". A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5. 1966.
  4. ^ The National Archives: Description of the Essex hundreds and half-hundreds. Accessed 10 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Essex". A History of the County of Essex.
  6. ^ John Bartholomew (1887). Gazetteer of the British Isles.

See also

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