Hundreds of Essex

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.

The Hundreds of Essex in 1830

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] 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][2]

Parishes

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

Hundred	Area (acres)[4]	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
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, 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, 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. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Essex" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 783–786.
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

• History of Essex
• List of hundreds of England and Wales