ESSEX is one of the metropolitan shires and takes its name from the commonwealth of the East Saxons (one of the English hordes which settled in South Britain), and of which Middlesex, London and Hertfordshire afterwards formed part. After the Euskardians and Celts had been driven out, Essex was held by the Belgic tribe of the Trinobantes until the Roman inroad. Of the Romans it was a great seat and here was their city of Camulodunum. The Welch, again becoming masters, were driven out by the East Saxons. The chief clans concerned in the settlement were the Tilling, Hailing, Denning, Thurring, Benning, Billing, Homing, Manning, Totting, Bucking and Dunning, being the same as those engaged in the settlement of East Anglia. In 823 it came under the sway of the West Saxons under Egbert, though more than once given up to the Danes.

The county is of an irregular shape, being in its greatest length, from north-east to south-west, 63 miles, and from north to south 48 miles. By the “Confirmation Act (No. 14), 1895,” the parishes of Heydon, Great Chishall and Little Chishall and parts of those of Haverhill and Kedington were transferred, the first three to Cambridgeshire and the two last to Suffolk. The area of the county is 987,028 acres, being the eleventh English shire for size. In 1881 its population was 576,434; and in 1891 was 784,258; males, 389,949; females, 394,309; the number of inhabited houses in 1891 was 146,047; uninhabited, 9,698; being built, 1,354. In 1901 the population was 1,085,576, and the number of inhabited houses, 201,059. On the east and south-east the county is bounded by the North Sea; on the south by the Thames, which flows between it and Kent; on the west by the Lee against Middlesex and by the Stort against Hertfordshire; on the north by Cambridge and on the north-east by the Stour, separating it from Suffolk. On the east the shore is broken by the deep friths and creeks of the Stour, Colne, Blackwater, Crouch and Thames and by the inlets round Horsey, Mersea and Havengore islands.

Time of High Water on the Full and Change of the Moon at the following places on the coast of Essex: —

*By the rise of the tide is meant its vertical rise above the mean low water level of spring tides.

The Thames flows through London to the North Sea, having several quays, but no great haven on the Essex shore, and the limits of the port of London extend to Havengore creek in this county. The Lee, and its head, the Stort, are navigable, passing through Bishop Stortford, Harlow and Waltham Abbey; the Roding rises in Easton Park, near Dunmow, and flows south for about 36 miles past Ongar to Ilford, where it becomes, navigable, and, passing Barking, joins the Thames: the Bourne brook, 12 miles long, falls into the Thames at Dagenham: the Ingerbourne rises in South Weald and falls into the Thames near Rainham: the Marditch, 12 miles, long, forms a creek at Purfleet: the Crouch, 25 miles long, waters south-east Essex and is navigable from Hull Bridge to the North Sea; Burnham is its port: the Bromhill is a creek, 10 miles; long, and navigable for 7 miles, to near Rochford: the river Chelmer, 46 miles long, rising in the north-west near Debden, and flowing south, passes Dunmow and Chelmsford, where it is made navigable, thence east to Maldon (its port), receiving the Ter, 13 miles long, the Wid and Cann, 14 miles long, and the Sandon Brook, 10 miles long; near Maldon it joins the Blackwater, which has for its feeder the Podsbrook: the Colne, 35 miles long, rises on the northern border near Birdbrook, becomes navigable at Colchester, and receiving the Roman river, flows into the North Sea: the Holland creek falls into the North Sea at Little Holland: the Stour is about 50 miles long, becomes navigable at Sudbury and passes the ports of Manningtree and Harwich to the North Sea: in the north-west the Cam and Slade brooks pass into Cambridgeshire.

The railways in this county are controlled by the Great Eastern railway, and consist of two main lines and numerous branches. The principal line from London to Cambridge runs along the western side of this county and the eastern of Hertfordshire, from Tottenham to Bishop Stortford, and then cuts across the north-west angle of Essex to Chesterford and thence to Cambridge: the branches from this line are one from Broxbourne to Ware and Hertford, from which again a branch leaving St. Margarets goes to Buntingford, these two branches being actually in Hertfordshire; one from Bishop Stortford going due east through Dunmow to Braintree, and then south-east until it joins the Ipswich line at Witham, and a third branch leaves Audley End and runs through Saffron Walden to the Haverhill and Sudbury line. The other main line, that to Ipswich, Norwich &c. enters the county at Stratford, where two short branch lines go north to Chingford and Chipping Ongar, through Woodford (from which a branch line is now (1902) being constructed to Ilford), and one south to North Woolwich; from thence is a ferry to Woolwich in Kent. The main line passes through Romford, Ingatestone, Chelmsford, Witham and a little north of Colchester, and leaves the county at Manningtree; the branches from it are one from Shenfield to Billericay, Wickford (where a branch runs off to Maldon, with another leaving it at Woodham Ferris for Burnham and Southminster), Rayleigh, Rochford and Southend: another branch leaves Witham for Maldon, where it joins the branch from Wickford. The next branch is from Marks Tey northward to Sudbury, where it turns westward and runs along the northern border of the county as far as Linton, having a short branch from Bartlow to Saffron Walden and Audley End; from St. Botolph on the Ipswich main line a branch runs to Walton-on-the-Naze, having branches from Wivenhoe to Brightlingsea and from Thorpe to Clacton-on-Sea, and from Manningtree a branch runs to Parkstone Quay and Harwich. The London, Tilbury and Southend railway, which starts from Fenchurch street, passes through the southern part of the county from Plaistow via Barking, Horndon, Pitsea, North Benfleet, Southend to Shoeburyness, the old loop line of the same railway leaving the line at Barking, running alongside the river by Tilbury and rejoining the new line via Stanford-le-Hope (with a branch to Thames Haven), while another branch runs from Romford to Grays and Tilbury by Chadwell Heath and Ockendon, and the Midland connects with these railways by a line from St. Pancras via Tottenham and Forest Gate to Barking, and runs trains in connection with the London, Tilbury and Southend line from St. Pancras to Southend. The Colne Valley railway runs from Chappel, on the Great Eastern Sudbury branch, via Castle Hedingham and Yeldham to Haverhill. The District railway has opened a branch line in June, 1902, from Whitechapel to East Ham.

The county has much rich meadow ground on the shores of the brooks and marsh lands, on the friths and creeks: on the shore are many marsh islands, like those of Holland; of these Canvey, Foulness, Wallasea, Mersea, Horsea, Havengore and Potton are the greatest: much of the shore is sheltered against the tides and storms by dykes and sea walls. The inland parts are somewhat hilly and well timbered: the highest hills of the London clay, which do not exceed 300 feet, are High Beech, near Waltham Abbey, Danbury, Tiptree Heath, near Witham, and Laindon Hills, near Brentwood.

Essex, of which Chelmsford is the assize town, is included within the South-Eastern Circuit, and forms one court of Quarter Sessions and is divided into 18 petty sessional divisions. Part of Becontree hundred viz. Barking, East Ham, West Ham, Little Ilford, Low Leyton, Walthamstow, Wanstead, St. Mary Woodford and Chingford is within the bounds of the Central Criminal Court, and with Dagenham, Chadwell Heath, Waltham Abbey, Loughton and Chigwell, under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan police. The County Courts (which are in Circuits 35 and 38) are held at Saffron Walden, Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Colchester, Dunmow, Grays, Thurrock, Halstead, Harwich, Maldon, Romford, Southend and Waltham Abbey.

The shire is ecclesiastically within the diocese of St. Albans and divided into two archdeaconries: Colchester, sub-divided into the rural deaneries of Ardleigh and Harwich, Braintree, Coggeshall, Colchester, Dedham, Halstead, Hatfield Peverel, Hedingham, Mersea, Newport, Saffron Walden, St. Osyth, Sampford, Witham and Yeldham; and Essex, sub-divided into the rural deaneries of Barking, North, South and West, Barstable, Canewdoo, Chafford, Chelmsford, Chigwell, Danbury, Dengie, Dunmow, Harlow, Ingatestone, Lambourne, Maldon, Ongar, Orsett, Rochford and Roding: Ballingdon, a suburb of Sudbury in Suffolk, is in the diocese of Ely. There are no cathedrals or great endowments.

The county contains 416 civil parishes. The Municipal boroughs are:-Chelmsford, population in 1901, 12,580; Colchester, population, 38,351; Harwich, population, 10,019; Maldon, population, 5,564; Saffron Walden, population, 5,896; Southend-on-Sea, 28,857; West Ham (County Borough), 206,308.

Other towns are: Barking, 21,547; Romford, 13,656; Woodford, 13,806; Braintree, 5,330; Halstead, 6,072; Brentwood, 4,932, and Witham, 3,484.

The Registration Districts are: —

The Essex men are mostly employed in husbandry and stock feeding, and only a few in manufactures of silk &c. at Braintree and Halstead; there is a silk mill at Chelmsford. The minerals worked are chalk for lime, 346,211 tons, value £17,419, having been raised in 1900, and clay for bricks; the other minerals raised were 107,406 tons, valued at £3,655; the chert and flint, 6,757 tons; salt is made from the sea. Seeds are grown in various parts. The trade of the towns on the shore is in the oyster and other fisheries and in shipping corn, coals and timber. The Colne oyster fishery is of great value and importance; it furnishes the finest natives, and belongs to Colchester: in the rivers Crouch, Roach and Blackwater the native oyster is indigenous, and the spat or brood is successfully caught and preserved; these grounds seem to be the natural home of the native oyster owing to the peculiar character of the water, the geological nature of the river beds, which by their sheltered position maintain an equable temperature at the most critical time in the spawning or spatting season. The chief object of cultivators is to protect and preserve the spat from its numerous enemies throughout the infantine and delicately susceptible stages; millions of these little molluscs here produced are sold at the age of from one to two years, to be laid down and mature and fatten for market; by which time they are four to five years old: the far-famed Royal Whitstable Native is here bred, as also the famous Ostend oyster of the Continent, so that destruction here means ruin in these and other places: that the area of breeding grounds cannot be artificially extended has been proved by the futile effort of many companies formed for that purpose; and it is a well-known fact that sewage is both poisonous and destructive to oysters, especially in their early stages. The ports of the county are Manningtree, Harwich, Brightlingsea, Colchester, Salcott, Maldon, Bradwell, Burnham, Wakering, Southend, Leigh, Grays, Purfleet and Barking. The Royal Victoria and Albert Docks are in Plaistow Level; there are also very large docks at Tilbury, opened in 1886, all connected with London by rail. Steamers run from London to Harwich and communicate with Purfleet, Grays, Tilbury, Southend, Walton, and Clacton: Southend and Tilbury are steamboat stations; the boats only run between London, Southend, Walton and Clacton during the summer months. From Southend, boats also run to Boulogne, Ostend, Margate, Ramsgate and Yarmouth. Steamers go up the Orwell from Harwich to Ipswich. Harwich, Southend, Walton and Clacton are bathing places. At Waltham Abbey there are Government powder works, and at Purfleet powder stores; Warley is a military station and a depot for recruits; at Tilbury is a garrison; at Colchester is a large camp for infantry and cavalry, and at Shoeburyness an extensive ground for testing Government artillery of the largest calibre.

The Eastern Counties Asylum, for the care and training of idiots and imbeciles belonging to Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Cambridgeshire, occupies Essex Hall, close to the North Railway station, Colchester, and is a building in the Italian style, with an ornamental tower, standing in spacious grounds well laid out; it was originally erected in the year 1840 as a large hotel, but proving unsuccessful was occupied as a branch of the Earlswood Asylum for Idiots, and ultimately devoted, in 1859, to its present use: the patients are admitted by the votes of subscribers at half-yearly elections, a limited number for life, and the bulk for terms of fire years: patients from all parts of the kingdom being also admitted by payment: it has now (1902) upwards of 250 patients, and is fitted up with everything necessary for the purposes of a training school and home for persons of feeble mind, including gymnastic apparatus, workshops and schools. The Marquess of Bristol, chairman; Sir Joshua Rowley bart. vice-chairman; Horace G. Egerton-Green esq. treasurer; Sir Frederic Bateman M.D., LL.D, and T. Clifford Allbutt M.D., F.R.S., F.R.C.P.Lond. consulting physicians; Robert Francis Symmons and E. A. Hunt M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Edin. consulting surgeons; S. Johnson Taylor M.B., C.M. consulting ophthalmic surgeon; Hugh L. Tracy L.D.S.Glas. dentist; Hugh Bixby Luard M.B. Cantab., F.R.C.S.Eng. resident medical attendant; John J. C. Turner, resident superintendent and secretary; Arthur Turner, assistant secretary; Mrs. Turner, matron.

The County Lunatic Asylum, standing on an eminence, about three-quarters of a mile from the Brentwood station, is a building in the Elizabethan style, opened in 1853; in 1864 three additional blocks were erected, for 75 more patients; in 1871 another block for 250 female patients; and in 1888 a further extension was made for 450 male patients. The whole is now (1894) capable of receiving 1,650: the wards are spacious and airy, and some command an extensive and beautiful prospect: the building is approached from the Warley road by a carriage drive, and the grounds by which it is surrounded are upwards of 130 acres, including the Brentwood Hall estate, purchased in 1873, and comprise a farm, kitchen gardens and pleasure grounds; the farm and garden are cultivated by the patients. Visiting days are any week day, but not more frequently than once a fortnight: George Amsden M.B, C.M. medical superintendent and John Turner M.B., C.M. senior; George Nathan Oscroft Slater M.B., C.M. second; Miss Adela de Staiger M.B. third, assistant medical officers; Rev. Henry Stephens M.A. chaplain; William Michael Tufnell treasurer and treasurer to benevolent fund; William Herbert Roscoe, clerk to the asylum; Joseph Tomlinson, dispenser and clerk to the medical superintendent; E. S. White, store keeper; W. Brown, clerk of works and engineer. There are branches of the asylum at Harold Wood and Walthamstow, and another at Brunswick house, Mistley, Manningtree, Joseph Singer Jameson B.A., M.D. medical attendant; Mrs. Miller, matron.

The Essex and Colchester General Hospital, standing on the Lexden road, to the westward of the town of Colchester, was built in 1820 and enlarged in 1839, and again enlarged in 1879—80, and further extended and enlarged, at a cost of £6,000, in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee, in 1897, of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria. It is a handsome white brick building, with a tower containing a clock, and has beds for 100 patients, and is supported by subscriptions, donations, collections and bequests: during the year 1901 there were 678 in-patients and 2,180 out-patients. A separate building has been erected as a Nurses’ Home. A new feature is the children’s ward, for which Lady Pearson gave a donation of £500. Lord Rayleigh, president; Horace G. Egerton-Green and Charles R. Gurney Hoare, treasurers; Edward L. Fenn M.D.Edin., M.R.C.P.Lond, physician; Robert Francis Symmons M.R.C.S.Eng. Henry Laver M.R.C.S. Eng., F.S.A., F.L.S. Edwin Worts L.R.C.P.Lond., M.R.C.S.Eng, consulting surgeons; Edgar Atlee Hunt M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Edin., B. N. Nicholson M.B., C.M.Edin. & J. J. Macgregor M.D.Lond., F.R.C.S.Eng. surgeons; A. Cradock Fry M.A., M.B. & B.C.Cantab., M.R.C.S.Eng. & Philip G. Laver M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P. Lond. assistant surgeons; Edwin Austin Dixon, dentist; Herbert M. Berncastle M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Lond, house surgeon; Rev. William White La Barte M.A. chaplain; Major C. L. Becher (retired), secretary, office, 35 Crouch street; Miss E. Davies, matron.

His Majesty’s Prison, Springfield hill, Chelmsford, erected in 1828 at a cost of £57,289, and enlarged in 1849 and 1871, now contains 361 cells; Capt. Herbert Latimer Conor, governor; Rev. John Watson Blakemore, chaplain; Rev. Joseph F. Padbury, Catholic chaplain; Henry William Newton L.R.C.P.Lond., M.R.C.S.Eng, medical officer.

The Thames Reformatory School Ship “Cornwall” is off Purfleet: it was certified May 2nd, 1859, and contains about 250 boys, who are taught seamanship and various trades; Rear-Adm. Arthur Morrell, supt.

Parliamentary Representation of Essex

Essex formerly returned six members in three divisions, but under the provisions of the “Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885,” it now returns eight members in eight divisions.

No. 1.-South Western or Walthamstow division comprises the parishes of Low Leyton, Walthamstow and Woodford.

No. 2.-Southern or Romford division comprises the sessional division of Becontree (except so much as is comprised in division No. 1) and the liberty of Havering-atte-Bower.

No. 3.-Western or Epping division comprises the sessional divisions of Dunmow (except the parish of Thaxted), Epping, Harlow and Ongar.

No. 4.-Northern or Saffron Walden division comprises the sessional divisions of Freshwell, North Hinckford, South Hinckford (Halstead bench) (except so much as is comprised in division No. 6) and Walden, the municipal borough of Saffron Walden, the Essex portion of the municipal borough of Sudbury and the parish of Thaxted.

No, 5.-North Eastern or Harwich division comprises the sessional divisions of Lexdeni and Winstree (except so much as is comprised in division No. 6) and Tendring and the municipal boroughs of Colchester and Harwich.

No. 6.-Eastern or Maldon division comprises the sessional divisions of South Hinckford (Braintree bench) and Witham, the municipal borough of Maldon, the parishes of Earls Colne and Halstead in the South Hinckford sessional division (Halstead bench) and the parishes of Aldham, East Thorpe, Great Tey, Little Tey, Marks Tey and Pontisbright in Lexden and Winstree sessional division.

No. 7.-Mid or Chelmsford division comprises the sessional divisions of Brentwood (except the parishes of Rainham and Wennington) and Chelmsford.

No. 8.-South Eastern or Tilbury division comprises the sessional divisions of Dengie, Orsett and Rochford and the parishes of Rainham and Wennington. By the above-mentioned Act the representation of the boroughs of Harwich and Maldon were merged in that of the county, and the representation of Colchester reduced to one member and the borough of West Ham formed to return two members in two divisions.

Military

The head quarters of the Eastern District Command, under Major-Gen. Sir William Forbes Gatacre K.C.B., D.S.O, (which includes all troops in this county), are at Colchester.

At Little Warley is the Depot of the 44th Regimental District (The Essex Regiment), which consists, of the 1st Battalion (44th Foot), 2nd Battalion (56th Foot), the 3rd Battalion (Essex (Rifles) Militia), 4th Battalion (West Essex Militia) and the 1st Vol. Battalion, head quarters, Brentwood, 2nd V.B. Colchester, 3rd V.B. West Ham & 4th V.B. Leyton; Col. Thomas Stock, commanding Regimental District; the head quarters of the Militia are at Little Warley.

Infantry Brigades

Essex Brigade.

Comprised of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Volunteer Battalions, Essex Regiment.

Head quarters, Warley.

Commanding Brigade, Col. J. F. Hornby (ret. pay.)

Brigade-Major, Lieut.-Col. John Grant Anderson (ret. pay.)

Supply & Transport Officer, Hon. Col. C. G. Brown, 4th Vol. Batt. Essex Reg Senior Medical Officer, Brig.-Surg.-Lieut.-Col. H. T. Challis M.D. 2nd Vol. Batt. Essex Reg.

1st Volunteer Battalion, Essex Regiment; Staff-Lieut.-Col. & Hon. Col. R. H. Lyon V.D. commandant.

2nd Volunteer Battalion, Essex Regiment; Staff-Lieut.-Col. & Hon. Col. W. Howard V.D. commanding.

3rd Volunteer Battalion, Essex Regiment; Staff-Lt.-Col. & Hon. Col. W. H. D. Aston Lewis V.D. commandant.

4th Volunteer Battalion, Essex Regiment; Staff-Lieut.-Col. & Hon. Col. J. W. Reningfield V.D. commanding.

Harwich Brigade.

Comprised of the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Volunteer Batts. Suffolk Regiment & 1st Vol. Batt. Northamptonshire Regiment; head quarters, Easton Park, Wickham Market, Suffolk.

3rd (Cambridgeshire) Volunteer Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (I Company), Capt. M. C. H. Nockolds, Armoury, Museum street, Saffron Walden.

Fairs & Markets

Ardleigh, September 29.

Great Bardfield, June 22, for horses, cattle & toys.

Blackmore, August 21.

Braintree, May 8 & 9 & October 2, 3 & 4, the latter for cattle & hops; Market for corn & cattle on Wednesday.

Brentwood, October 15.

Brightlingsea, on St. Swithin’s day, or the Thur. Before.

Canewdon, June 24.

Chelmsford, Market day, Friday.

Great Chesterford, first Friday in July.

Chigwell, September 30.

Coggeshall, Whit-Tuesday.

Colchester, October 20, for cattle &c.; Market day, for corn & cattle, Saturday.

Dunmow, Market day, Tuesday, for corn & cattle; cattle sale held fortnightly on alternate market days.

Epping, November 13 & 14 (Holland fair), for cattle & horses; Market day, Friday.

Halstead, cattle market every Tuesday.

Harlow, November 28 & 29 for pleasure, horses, cattle &c.

Harwich, Market days, Tuesday & Friday.

Ingatestone, December 1 & 2, for cattle.

Latchingdon, June 2 .

Maldon, first Thursday in May & Sept. 13 & 14 for cattle.

Manuden, Easter Monday, for pleasure.

Messing, first Tuesday in July.

Purleigh, June 15.

Rayleigh, Trinity-Monday, for horses & cattle.

Rochford, Market day every Thursday for the sale of corn, sheep, cattle, pigs & horses.

Romford, cattle & corn market, every Wednesday.

Saffron Walden, a large horse fair on Saturday before Mid-Lent Sunday, & first Saturday in November, chiefly for cattle; corn market, Wednesday.

Southminster, market for stock every Tuesday.

Stanway, April 23.

Terling, Whit-Monday.

Great Tey, Trinity-Monday & Tuesday, for pleasure.

Thaxted, Monday before Whit-Monday, for pleasure & August 10, for cattle.

Tiptree Heath, July 25.

Tolleshunt D'Arcy, June 11, for pleasure.

Waltham Abbey, May 14 & 25 & September 26; Market day, Tuesday, for cattle, sheep & pigs.

Wivenhoe, September 4.

Essex County Council

Local Government Act, 1888, 51 & 52 Vic. c. 41.

Under the above Act, Essex, except a certain borough, for which see below (a), after the 1st April, 1889, for the purposes of the Act, became an Administrative county (sec. 46), governed by a County Council, consisting of chairman, aldermen and councillors elected in manner prescribed by the Act (sec. 2).

The chairman, by virtue of his office, is a justice of the peace for the county, without qualification (sec. 46).

The police for the county are under the control of a standing joint committee of the Quarter Sessions and the County Council, appointed as therein mentioned (sec. 9).

The coroners for the county are elected by the County Council, and any new clerk of the peace appointed by such joint committee, and may be removed by them (sec. 83—2).

The clerk of the peace for the county is also clerk of the County Council (sec. 83—1).

The administrative business of the county (which would, if this Act had not been passed, have been transacted by the justices) is transacted by the County Council.

(a) The following large borough is for the purposes of this Act an Administrative County in itself, a County Borough (sec. 31), of which the municipal borough has the power of a County Council (sec. 31), West Ham.

County Police

Head, quarters, Chelmsford.

Chief Constable, Capt. Edwd. Maclean Showers, Springfield court, Chelmsford; Deputy Chief Constable, Raglan Somerset The force consists of a chief constable, deputy chief constable, 14 superintendents, 13 inspectors, 52 sergeants & 321 constables.

The following Table shows the acreage under each kind of crop, and the number of horses, cattle, sheep and pigs in the County of Essex, as taken from the Agricultural Returns, 1901: —

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SITUATION, BOUNDARIES, AND EXTENT

Essex, as one of the eastern maritime counties, is bounded on the east by the German Ocean; on the west by the rivers Lea and Stort, with a part of Hertfordshire; on the north by the river Stour and part of Cambridgeshire; and on the south by the river Thames. Its extent, from east to west, is about 60 miles; from north to south, 50; its outline or boundaries about 120 miles; and containing nearly one million and two hundred and forty thousand acres.

NAME AND EARLY HISTORY

This county received its name from its situation, in contradistinction to the districts occupied by the west and south Saxons. At the time of the Roman invasion, it was inhabited by the people called Trinobantes. On the subdivision of this island under the Romans, this county formed part of the province named Flavia Caesariensis. It appears from the itinerary of Antoninus, that they had five principal stations in this county, viz. Durolitum, Cæsaremagus, Cauonium, Camelodunum, and Ad Ansam.

The history of this county, called East Seaxa by the Saxons, during the Heptarchy, is very obscure, being loss noticed by historians than any other of their kingdoms. At the time of the Norman conquest, ninety landowners of this county were deprived of their estates, which were transferred to the Norman barons.

population.

This, according to the official returns taken in 1821, consisted of 137,389 males: females 136,059. Total 289,424. Inhabited houses 49,978.

CLIMATE AND SOIL

In the common and popular sense of the word, the climate is mild; still the northerly and easterly winds in the spring are pernicious both to the animal and vegetable creation, producing colds in the one, and blights in the other. Part of the coast for ten or twelve miles from the sea and river Thames is subject, during autumn, to thick and stinking fogs, the effects of which may be seen in the sallow sickly faces of the inhabitants, and in the prominent bellies of the children. These evils, however, have been considerably corrected by the draining of marshes, and the highly improved cultivation of the lands. Yet even the most elevated regions of Essex, called the Hundreds, are not exempt from agues. The hills attract the vapours from the lower regions of the air, and the inhabitants are more plagued with what they call cold chills, than those living in the vales.

With regard to soil, every species of loam, from the most stubborn to the mildest, is to be found; nor is the county without a light portion of gravelly sand, or a good share of meadow and marsh ground, which, with proper management, is very productive. An eminent agriculturist makes the following distinction among soils: —The crop and fallow district of strong loam, including the Rodings. The maritime district of fertile loam. Three districts of strong loam not peculiar in management. The turnip land district, the chalk district, and that of miscellaneous loams.

SCENERY AND FACE OF THE COUNTRY

The most beautiful part of Essex without the addition of a river, is in the liberty of Havering. From Romford to Brentwood is a fine country; but the more striking scenes are not within view of the road. From Dagenham to the Earl of St. Vincent’s, who commands a portion of the fine park of Mr. Towers, the country is truly beautiful. From Thorndon, Lord Petre’s. to Epping, is all nearly of this description, a perpetual variety of undulation thickly wooded with much fine timber. The fields generally offer a verdure refreshing to the eye; and gentlemen’s houses, are thickly strewed in every direction.

Between Hockley and Raleigh there is a very beautiful view of a rich vale, bounded by distant higher grounds; the whole, a scene to the eye of rich cultivation, well wooded. Landon Hill commands the greatest and finest view in the county: the Thames is seen distinctly for many miles, and the distant hills of Kent terminate the view with an interesting outline; it exceeds the view from Danbury, though that also is a striking one. The high lands at Purfleet, formed by a chalk cliff, without the intervention of marsh, offer a scene not common on the Essex side of the Thames: it is full of business, shipping, and animation, always an agreeable prospect when mixed with rural features.

South End depends for beauty, as the scenes on tide rivers necessarily must, on the moment of view being high or low water. The river here is five miles wide; the high lands of Sheppey and the coast of Kent are distinctly seen; and opposite is the month of the Medway. The cliff on which the terrace at South End is built, is high enough to command the whole, and the broken woodland shore that sinks to the water’s edge, gives to it an outline of foliage.

A finer country is no where to be seen than the banks of the river Stour from Shoebury to Harwich: the vale through which the river glides has great variety of breadth and features; and the bounding hills in all directions offer rich scenes of cultivation; towns, villages, steeples, farms, and woods, are intermixed, and form a succession of landscapes extremely pleasing. The animated as well as decorated scene at Mistley, is at high water singularly beautiful.

From the summit of Jarvis Hill, near Barking, a most delightful prospect is obtained over the river Thames, which is here seen to singular advantage, spreading its expansive bosom for many miles in extent, continually enlivened by the numerous vessels constantly navigating this important portion of the river, while the scene is rendered truly enchanting by the broken range of the coast of Kent, the whole undulating surface, clothed with the softest verdure and bespangled with flourishing villages, forms a sylvan back ground to the view.

RIVERS

The principal rivers that water this county are, the Colne, the Blackwater, or Pant, the Chelmer, the Crouch, the Ingerbourn, the Roding, and the Cam. In addition to these may be mentioned the Thames, the Lea, the Stort, and the Stour rivers, not properly belonging to the county, but which serve as natural boundaries, and irrigate and fertilize its lands.

The river Colne has its source in the parish of Ridgwell, on the northern side of the county. It pursues a south-easterly course to the sea, passing Castle Hedingham, Halstead, and Colchester, and is navigable from the sea to within two miles of the latter place.

The Blackwater or Pant rises near Debden, on the borders of Cambridgeshire, and with a winding course passing through Bocking and Coggeshall, at Withain receives another stream; from hence flowing in a south-east direction, it forms a junction with the waters of the Chelmer, a little below Maldon. It now meets the tide, and forms an extensive estuary, which frequently spreads its water over the adjacent country.

The river Chelmer rises near Thaxted, pursues a winding course, towards the town and priory of Dunmow, which it passes; at Chelmsford it takes a north-easterly direction, and joins the Blackwater near Maldon.

The Crouch and Ingerbourn are small rivers, which soon fall into the Thames. The Roding passes Ongar, Wanstead, Ilford, and Barking, and is navigable to Ilford Bridge.

The Cam rises at three springs near Newport, and passing Audley End, Chesterford, &c. takes a northerly course towards Cambridgeshire.

The Lea and Stort form the western boundary of the county, dividing it from Middlesex and Hertfordshire; the river Stour separating it from the county of Suffolk on the north.

Some of the estuaries and crecks are famous for their oysters, and fish are plentiful on the coast. To these we may add, that the Crouch, a very fine river, and laid down too narrow in all the maps, is from three-fourths of a mile to a mile wide, near Burnham, and has water enough for a ninety gun ship; a seventy-four might go up almost to Hull Bridge. The river is a very noble royalty belonging to Sir Henry Mildmay, a grant of Edward III.

CANALS

These have necessarily been very little attended to in a county almost maritime, and besides, so well watered by rivers as Essex; however, some time since, the expediency was resolved upon in the Romford districts, of forming a canal from London to that town, in such a direction as to enable them to convey manure, &c. into the county, by which, in some cases, the farmers might double their crops within the year. A canal from London to Romford, it was observed, might be extended to Maldon, as an intermediate port between the metropolis and the North Seas, from whence both coal and fish are brought to the London market.

ROADS AND BRIDGES

The roads in this county are, without exception, among the very best in any part of England, perhaps from its proximity to the metropolis, and the great number of the opulent possessors of villas, parks, &c. The bridges are every where kept in the best repair, and the number of them have left no ground of complaint of inconvenience on the part of the inhabitants.

FARMS AND FARM HOUSES

Essex has long been famous for containing some of the largest in the kingdom; some of above 1000l. per annum, in the district of the hundreds; some 1,500l, and even 2,000l. and upwards. But these have been much lessened, and the number of very large occupiers become very inconsiderable; the largest remained longest in the maritime parts. Four or five hundred acres have been considered lately, as making a very large farm; from one hundred to three a pretty general size of the better sort. The average of the whole county, at present, perhaps would not rise to 150.

FARM HOUSES

These are generally good and conveniently constructed, and the stables, barns, cow-houses, and other offices, more numerous than in most other counties; this is true of the larger houses, but those belonging to small farms, whether holden off hand, or inhabited by the farmers themselves, are so inferior as not to be equal to comfortable cottages. Howlett observes, that on many of the Essex farms, consisting of small ones thrown together, the farmer’s own dwelling is frequently ill situated for his whole farm; many too are old mansions, frequently large and expensive. In the unenclosed part of the county the farm houses have been complained of as very awkwardly, and too distantly situated for the whole land belonging to them. The repairs are commonly kept up by the landlord; the tenants, however, finding, in some articles, the rough materials, as straw for thatching, and fetching the bricks, tiles, &c.

RENT AND SIZE OF FARMS

The rents in the county of Essex, have for many years past been regulayted by the value and description of the soils. In many cases, during the late war, they have been nearly doubled; but since that period, they have at least been threatened with that decrease which has every where attended the decline of the agricultural interest.

COTTAGES

Essex, in this respect, Mr. Young observed, resembles the major part of the kingdom, where stone and slate are not the materials for building. The modern built cottages are much superior to the old ones, being erected with brick, and covered with tile; and such as are of lath and plaster, are in a superior style; but the old cottages are generally of clay-daubing, in bad repair, and very imperfectly covered with thatch. At Gosfield the Marquis of Buckingham built fourteen new cottages, to every one of which a garden of a quarter of an acre was assigned; these have been let at a moderate rent. The Earl of Winchelsea, on reletting his farms in Foulness, annexed land to his cottages, and the industry of the occupiers gratified the wishes of their generous benefactor.

Mr. Joseph French, at East Horndon, also built many cottages, as the best means of remedying the evil of the high price of labour paid during the late war. At that time the Rev. Mr. Hand observed, that the want of cottages was a very great evil. At Dunton there were not houses to cover the inhabitants, in that miserably peopled place.

Since that period several land owners have assigned gardens to their cottages of half a rood; and to some more.

TITHES

No general discussions have been entered into upon this subject in this county. In some places they are about one-fifth of the rent, or five shillings an acre round; in others 4s. 6d. arable; vicarial 3s. 6d.; meadow 1s. 2d.; turnips 1s. 4d.; both 5s. 8d. or 5s. 10d. Composition on the part of the clergy, &c. is generally moderate, though in the course of eleven years this was raised 1s. 3 ½d. in the pound.

TENURES AND LEASES

The tenures of the landed proprietors are in almost all the diversities of freehold, leasehold, and copyhold. The freehold estates are supposed to be the most numerous, extensive, and valuable. Next to these are the copyhold, there being few parishes in any part of the county, especially in the quarter of Dunmow, in which there are not one, two, three, or more manors; to the lords of which annual quit-rents are paid, besides fines, or heriots upon deaths, purchases, or other events, and contingencies; some certain and fixed, others variable and arbitrary. The leasehold estates are the fewest and least extensive: there are other estates in mortmain belonging to Guy’s and Christ’s Hospitals.

Copyhold estates, whether in the hands of proprietors or tenants, are altogether as well cultivated as the free, excepting only in the article of timber; the like may be said of leasehold estates, and even of those in mortmain.

With regard to the tenures by which the mere temporary occupiers hold their farms, they are extremely various; some upon leases, others upon no leases at all, agreeably to the taste and pleasure of the landlord; though by far the greater number, especially those belonging to the smaller proprietors, are let upon leases from eight to ten or twenty-one years.

With respect to leases, he that knows that the length of lease will justify all exertions, will make them freely; but he, on the contrary, who holds by no tenure, or by a short one, cannot and will not make exertions; and the minor advantage received must be proportioned to the deficiency; but leases should never be suffered to run out before the tenants know what is to be their fate.

IMPLEMENTS

The ploughs used in Essex are the common wheel plough; the swing and foot plough; the common plough of Foulness Island; the common plough at South End; the plough by Ducket; Mr. Gilbie’s plough at Grays; the one-horse plough; Mr. Western’s single-horse; the go-alone plough; the skim-coulter; Mr. Pitman’s improved; Mr. Western’s road plough; Lord Somerville’s double plough.

The extirpator, Mr. Tweed’s. The horse-hoes in Essex are numerous, as Gilbie’s, &c. Thrashing-mills are numerous.

The Flemish scythe is used in Foulness for cutting beans, and is there called a bean-peck. An ant-hill machine was used at Latchingdon, before the pastures were improved, and was of great service.

CATTLE

The object which generally pervades Essex is the keeping cows for suckling calves; next grazing in the marshes; the dairy district is not considerable. In the islands of Wallasea, Foulness, &c. Lincoln, Leicester, South Down, and every breed of polled sheep are preferred to those of the horned kind; but in different parts of the county all kinds of crosses have been introduced. A moveable bridge is used in some parts for passing flucks over marshes, ditches, &c. The best hogs in the county are called the Essex half black; the best sorts of which are reckoned inferior to none in the kingdom. They feed remarkably quick, grow fast, are thin in the skin, and light in the bone and offal, and are also an excellent meat. A description of the particular breeds of horses would only be interesting to agriculturists. The Suffolk breed of horses are the favourites in Essex; the best farmers are generally in the habit of keeping their horses in warm well-littered yards, with sheds for them to retire under. Into these they are turned at night, and at some other times when not worked.

Many oxen are here worked in the plough, &c. to great advantage.

dairies.

The largest dairy farms are at, or in the neighbourhood of Epping, so deservedly famous for the richness of its cream and butter. The fanner even here confines himself to no particular sort of cows, but keeps up a stock of promiscuous cattle, bought in as opportunities offer, though indeed the more provident of them say, where the land is particularly good, the Derby and Leicestershires have a preference. These in the summer are fed with the natural and artificial grasses, and in the winter with hay (which is in general of the best quality) and grains. The best dairies are built on the north side of the farm-houses, calculated to be always cool; and are furnished with square troughs, lined with lead, sufficient to hold nine or ten gallons of milk, which is seldom suffered to be more than five or six inches deep; this, in the winter, is skimmed four, and in the summer two or three times; and the cream, after being kept three or four days, is churned into butter, and the milk, after it will afford no more cream, is given to the hogs, which it fattens to most delicious pork. Nearer London, their grass land is mown twice, and, upon an average, will produce near three loads an acre, at 1800 weight a load, which is mowed, made, and stacked in four days, if the weather will permit; for, as soon as it is cut, the field is filled with women and children, who spread it, and turn it three or four times in the course of a day, which expeditious method is almost sure to make hay good.

POTATOE CULTURE

Near Ilford, are some very extensive potatoe grounds, which are cropped year after year with this root, and produce a very lucrative trade in Covent Garden: the practice is, in the spring of the year to select the very small potatoes of last year, or cut the large ones into pieces, leaving one, two, or three eyes in each, and plant them regularly; these will shoot at each eye; and unless some accident prevents it, produce a considerable increase by October, when they are taken up and housed, ready to be carried to market, as the demand is made for them. This species of husbandry cannot be carried on with success, except in light lands, where the situation is such as to afford a constant supply of town, or other good manure, to keep the land in the best condition.

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES

An Agricultural Society has been established upwards of twenty years, which meets at Chelmsford. The time of its institution was when the produce of the country was growing more and more inadequate to its consumption, notwithstanding every motive which private interest could suggest for the increase and improvement of our cultivation. It was therefore expedient to try what a more general combination of human ingenuity could do towards furnishing new excitements and new advantages for the attainment of this necessary object.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

These are now tolerably uniform about the county. Some years ago, wheat was sold by weight or measure, according to the agreement of the buyer or seller. The measure was eight gallons and a half the bushel; the weight, what was usually-called peck weight, being the medium of what eight and a half of good wheat would weigh. Before the statute regulated the sale of wheat to the Winchester bushel, all other grains were sold by measure; but measures of various kinds in different places, and for different sorts of corn. Most kinds of seeds, as clover, carrot, rape, &c. as also butter, cheese, hops, &c. are sold by troy weight. Medical drugs by apothecaries’. Various ai tides go by tale; some by the dozen, some by the score, and some by the hundred of six score, as hop poles, faggots, &c. Apples, turnips, potatoes, &c. are sold by the bushel.

WASTE LANDS

Still the waste lands, including the forests, much exceed ten thousand acres. The adjacent forests of Epping and Hainault, are viewed as an intolerable nuisance, and are equally regarded as such at Chigwell and Loughton, where the farmers uniformly declare that the commonage is by no means equal to one-tenth part of the losses they continually sustain from the deer, in breaking down their fences, trespassing upon their fields, and destroying their crops, white or green These forests, so near the metropolis, are also well known to be the nursery and resort of the most idle and profligate of men, and especially about the seasons of Easter and Whitsuntide. The thicks, or what may be called forest lands in the county, are about 370 acres, exclusive of Hainault and Epping.

ENCLOSURES, FENCES, AND EMBANKMENTS

Essex has been for ages an enclosed county, so that there was no field here for the great parliamentary exertions which have been made in so many other counties. About 3500 acres at the two Chesterfords, were enclosed by act of parliament in 1803; and the rise of rent was from 10, 12, 14, to 20s. per acre. The Naseing Enclosure was a very extraordinary regulation of a most valuable common of 453 acres. By an utter neglect of the fences surrounding it, there was some danger of the bounds being lost, and that encroachments might gradually take in material parts of it; it was also stocked in a manner that deprived the poor of the benefit which they have reaped under a better arrangement, and which they undoubtedly enjoyed after the proposed alteration had been made. The circumstance in the regulation of this common most worthy of attention, was the effect of the assistance given to the poor to stock land, which was first afforded those about Naseing by Mr. Palmer. it was observed, that before this took place, “the people there were a sad lawless set. „Afterwards it was remarked, “there were not more orderly people in the county.” And what made them so? giving them property in live stock; and by advancing them money, all repaid in two years.

The Essex fences generally consist of hedgerows, of various kinds of wood, hazel, maple, ash, oak, elm, black thorn, white thorn, bramble-bush, with timber and pollard trees, interspersed and growing in them at different distances. These hedges, especially in soils not perfectly dry, have commonly a ditch on one side, from one foot and a half to three, and even four feet deep, and about one-third wider at top than at the bottom.

The gates are infinitely diversified, according to the taste, genius, or fancy of the proprietor or his agents. Bridle, or spur-way gates are chiefly for the passage and use of persons on horseback; the stiles also in Essex, made merely for the convenience and passage of foot travellers, are as diversified in their forms as the gates.

The sweet briar and the elm are employed as hedge plants; the former is to be seen about Layer de la Haye, and nearly all the way thence to Mersey Island; it forms a very thick fence, but perhaps not very secure.

The whole coast of Essex to the Ocean and the Thames is embanked, with no exceptions, but at Harwich, South End, and Purfleet.

These embankments are mostly old, with several new ones of saltings contiguous to older intakes, proportionably to the degree in which the sea retires. The sea has lately gained on all the coast of Tendring hundred, and many able men think the embankments will be carried away, as they were about thirty years ago at Osyth. The greatest work of embanking was begun in April, 1801, on the Earl of Winchelsea’s estate on Foulness Island; three hundred and thirty acres were taken in by two of his Lordship’s tenants, who were to have it rent free for 21 years. They were excluded from ploughing it, but by making ditches they divided it into proper fields. There being no fresh water on it, they drive the cattle to what are called the uplands.

One of the best, if not the most considerable decoy in the county, is in Mersey Island, and rented with a small farm of sixty acres, by Mr. Buxton of Layer de la Haye. “He was so obliging,” says the author of the Agricultural Survey of Essex, “as to accompany me thence into Mersey, and to show me his decoy. Not having before viewed a decoy in the taking season, I had not remarked the practice of each person taking a piece of lighted turf stuck on a table fork in his hand, to approach the decoy; as the wild ducks, it is said, would certainly smell the person without this precaution, and immediately quit the pond. I found the expences of this decoy considerable; two men who attend it, who are paid above a hundred a year; repairs, nets, rent, &c. amount in all to about three hundred a year. Ducks are sometimes so low as 14s. a dozen.

“The contrivance for taking dun-birds was new to me. At the decoy for them near Ipswich, there are a series of high poles, to which the nets are attached, for taking them in their flight; and these poles are permanent. At this Mersey decoy, to which this bird resorts in large quantities as well as ducks, the net poles are suspended when not at work.

“Mr. Lee has a decoy at Goldhanger, in which he took at one haul one waggon load and two cart loads of dun birds; but the disturbance made, frightened such as escaped so much, that he took no more that season.“

TITLES CONFERRED BY THE COUNTY

Harwich gives the title of Baron to the Hill family. Maldon, Viscount to the Capel Coningsbys, and the county itself that of Earl to the same family. Rockford, Earl to the Nassau de Zulensteins. Waldon, Baron to the Ellises. Easton Parva, Viscount to the Maynards. Hoo, baron to the Villierses. Much Haddon, the same to the Maynards. Writtle, the same to the Petres.

EMINENT CHARACTERS AND LEARNED MEN, &c

This county is abundantly prolific in biography. Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor of England under Henry VIII. was a zealous assistant to the king in seizing the monasteries. He died in 1544. Richard de Badow, the original founder of Clare Hall, Cambridge, born at Badow towards the close of the 13th century. Sir Thomas Bendish, Bart, ambassador to the Ottoman Porte, during the protectorship of Oliver Cromwell, born at Bower Hall, and died in 1674. Sir Anthony Cooke, tutor to Edward VI. died 1576. Samuel Harsnet, Archbishop of York, born at Colchester 1561. Sir William Dawes, a learned prelate, born near Braintree 1671, died 1724. Sir Walter Mildmay, founder of Emanuel College, Cambridge, born at Chelmsford, died 1589. Sir Harbottle Grimstone, a distinguished lawyer, horn at Bradfield Hall near Manningtree, died 1683. Sir John Hawkwood, born at Hawkwood, near Sible Hedinghain, died at Florence in Italy, 1394. John Ray, the celebrated Naturalist, born at Black Notley 1628, died 1705. John Suckling, poet and dramatic writer, born at Witham 1613, died 1641. Dr. Plume, Archdeacon of Rochester, bom at Maldon 1630, died 1704. He founded the Plumian Professorship of Astronomy and experimental Philosophy at Cambridge.

Newspapers printed in this county: Chelmsford Chronicle, on Fridays; Chelmsford Essex Herald, Tuesdays; Colchester Gazetie, Saturdays.

ASSIZES AND QUARTER SESSIONS

The former of these for the County, called the Lent and Summer Assizes, are holden at Chelmsford, and the Quarter Sessions are holden here and at Colchester.

CIVIL AND ECCLESIASTICAL DIVISIONS

The county of Essex is divided into 20 parts, of which 14 are hundreds; five half hundreds; and one a Royal liberty. These are subdivided into about 400 parishes and townships, and 25 towns.

Essex is in the diocese of London, and contains three archdeaconries, and 15 deaneries: it returns eight members to Parliament, viz. two for the county, two for Maldon, two for Harwich, and two for Colchester: is in the Home Circuit, pays 24 parts of the land-tax, and provides 960 men for the militia.