Hundreds of Essex

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 Aethelstan. The Domesday Survey listed nineteen hundreds, corresponding very closely in extent and in name with those that were in use until the nineteenth century. The additional half-hundred of Thunreslan on the border with Suffolk border no longer exists, and the hundred of Witbrictesherna was renamed Dengie. The liberty of Havering-atte-Bower was formed from land taken from Becontree hundred.[1][2]

Parishes

At the start of the 19th century, the hundreds contained the following parishes:[3]

Hundred Area (acres)[4] Parishes
Barstable71373Basildon, 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
Becontree37705Barking, Dagenham, East Ham, Ilford, Leyton, Little Ilford, Walthamstow, Wanstead, West Ham
Chafford34703Aveley, Brentwood, Childerditch, Cranham, Grays Thurrock, Great Warley, Little Warley, North Ockendon, Rainham, South Ockendon, South Weald, Stifford, Upminster, Wennington, West Thurrock
Chelmsford85536Great Baddow, Little Baddow, 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
Clavering19987Berden, Clavering, Farnham, Langley, Manuden, Ugley
Dengie58542Althorne, 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
Dunmow52171Barnston, 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
Freshwell28728Ashdon, Great Bardfield, Little Bardfield, Bardfield Saling, Helions Bumpstead, Hadstock, Hempstead, Radwinter, Great Sampford, Little Sampford
Harlow30193Great Hallingbury, Little Hallingbury, Harlow, Hatfield Broad Oak, Latton, Matching, Netteswell, Great Parndon, Little Parndon, Sheering
Havering (liberty)12550Havering-atte-Bower, Hornchurch, Romford
Hinckford110566Alphamstone, 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, Toppesfield, Twinstead, Wethersfield, Wickham St Paul, Great Yeldham, Little Yeldham
Lexden62476West 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
Ongar56994Abbess 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
Rochford58639Ashingdon, 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
Tendring83011Alresford, 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
Thurstable24776Goldhanger, Heybridge, Langford, Tollesbury, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Major, Great Totham, Little Totham, Wickham Bishops
Uttlesford48781Arkesden, 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
Waltham23098Chingford, Epping, Nazeing, Waltham Abbey
Winstree23685Abberton, Fingringhoe, Langenhoe, Layer Breton, Layer de la Haye, Layer Marney, East Mersea, West Mersea, Peldon, Salcott, Virley, Great Wigborough, Little Wigborough
Witham36684Bradwell, Great Braxted, Little Braxted, Cressing, Fairstead, Faulkbourne, Little Coggeshall, Hatfield Peverel, Kelvedon, Black Notley, White Notley, Rivenhall, Terling, Ulting, Witham

References

  1. ↑ Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  2. ↑ "The hundred of Becontree: Introduction". A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5. 1966.
  3. ↑ "Essex". A History of the County of Essex.
  4. ↑ John Bartholomew (1887). Gazetteer of the British Isles.

See also