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Essex

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"A county in the east of England, lying on the German Ocean, bounded by Suffolk, Cambridge, Hartfordshire and Middlesex; and separated by the Thames from Kent. It is about 54 miles long, and 48 broad, and is divided into 18 hundreds. Its surface is level, yet sufficiently varied not to be monotonous; but, excepting at a few points, the coast is flat and marshy. The rivers are the Thames, the Stour, the Lea, the Chelmer, the Blackwater, and the Coln. The soil is varied, but on the whole it is an admirable corn county. It has also excellent pastures; and some woods of considerable extent, such as Epping Forest. It produces in addition to farm produce, oysters called natives, and some few textile manufactures. Chelmsford is its county town, Colchester is a place of some importance." [Barclays Complete & Universal English Dictionary, 1842-1852]

"ESSEX, a county (maritime), bounded on the north by the counties of Suffolk and Cambridge; on the west by those of Hertford and Middlesex; on the south by the river Thames, which separates it from Kent; and on the east by the German ocean: it extends from 51° 30 to 52° 7 (N. Lat.), and from 0° 3 to 1° 1 (E. Lon.), and includes one thousand five hundred; and thirty-two square miles, or nine hundred and eighty thousand four hundred and eighty statute acres. The population in 1821 amounted to 289,424. ... More" [A Topographical Dictionary of England (1831) by Samuel Lewis]

Essex is a county in the East of England immediately north-east of London and is one of the home counties. It borders the counties of Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south and London to the south-west. The county town is Chelmsford, which is the only city in the county. 
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex)

Essex used to extend all the way to Stratford but the expansion of London has lead to the south east portion being annexed by Greater London, which now extends out to approximately the M25 motorway.

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Archives & Libraries

Essex - Archives and Libraries - links and information.

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Census

Essex - Census - links and information.

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Church History

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Church Records

Essex - Church Records - links and information

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Civil Registration

Essex - Civil Registration - links and information.

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Description & Travel

Thomas Cromwell. Excursions in the county of Essex: comprising a brief historical and topographical delineation of every town and village . . . (2 vols.). London, Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown (1818-19) [Hathitrust]

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Directories

A Topographical Dictionary of England (1831) by Samuel Lewis (Copyright Mel Lockie 2016) -  here is the section relating to the county of Essex.

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Gazetteers

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

"ESSEX, a county situated on the eastern coast of Great Britain, and lying between 61° 27' and 52° 6' N. lat., and 0° 4' W. long., and 1° 17' E. long. It is bounded on the N. by the counties of Suffolk and Cambridge, W. by the counties of Herts and Middlesex, S. by the estuary of the Thames, and S.E. and S. by the German Ocean. Its greatest length is 63 miles, and greatest breadth 37 miles, with a circuit of about 208 miles, including 56 miles of low, marshy, and broken coast. It contains an area of 1,533 square miles, or about 981,120 acres, of which nine-tenths are arable, meadow, and pasture, and about 60,000 forest. The population, according to the census of 1861, was 404,851, showing an increase of 35,533 since 1851. The first inhabitants of Essex recognised by authentic history, were the Trinobantes, a powerful tribe, who, at the invasion of Cæsar, allied themselves with Rome. In 43, after the defeat of Caractacus, the Trinobantes were subdued, and their capital, Camalodunum, taken, and made the seat of a Roman colony, which was, however, destroyed in the revolt of Boadicea. Her overthrow by Suetonius, near Waltham, decided the reduction of South Britain, which then became the Roman province of Flavia Cæsariensis. On the arrival of the Saxons, Essex formed a small kingdom, which from its relative position caused its possessors to be designated as East Saxons-hence its present derivation. The kingdom of the East Saxons included parts of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. Essex played a considerable part in the war between Alfred and the Danes; and in 1016 Assingdon was the scene of a bloody battle between Cnut and Edmund Ironside.

"BARSTABLE HUNDRED, one of the 20 hundreds or subdivisions of the county of Essex, situated in the southern part of the county, and bounded on the N. by the hundred of Chelmsford, on the E. by the hundred of Rochford, on the S. by the river Thames, and on the W. by the hundred of Chafford. It comprises the following parishes:- North Benfleet, South Benfleet, Bowers Gifford Bulphan, Great Burstead, Little Burstead, Chadwell St. Mary's, Corringham, Doddinghurst, Downham, Dunton, Fobbing, last Horndon, Horndon-on-the-Hill, West Horndon, Hutton, Ingrave, Laindon, Langdon Hills, Mucking, Nevendon, Orsett, Pitsea, Ramsden-Bellhouse, Shenfield, Stanford-le-Hope, Little Thurrock, East Tilbury, West Tilbury, Vange, and Wickford with part of Thundersley, and the extra-parochial liberty of Lee Chapel. The hundred extends over an area of about 73,290 acres."

 

"BECONTREE HUNDRED, one of the 20 hundreds or subdivisions of the county of Essex, situated in the south division of the county, and bounded on the N. by the hundreds of Waltham and Ongar, on the E. by the liberty of Havering, on the S. by the river Thames, and on the W. by the county of Middlesex. It contains the parishes of Barking, East Ham, West Ham, Dagenham, Little Ilford, Low Leyton, Walthamstow, Wanstead, and Woodford St. Mary. The forests of Lower Epping and Hainault are within this hundred, which comprises an area of about 36,000 acres."

"CHAFFORD, a hundred in the S.W. portion of the county of Essex. It contains the parishes of Aveley, Childerditch, Cranham, North and South Ockendon, Rainham, South Weald, Stifford, Grays and West Thurrock, Upminster, Great and Little Warley, and Wennington, comprising about 35,000 acres. Chafford deanery, in the diocese of Rochester, is nearly conterminous with the hundred"

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Genealogy

The LDS Family Search Wiki has extensive resources for Essex Genealogy at county and parish level.

Essex Genealogy and Family History Resources - Ancestry (subscription).

Essex Surnames List, provided by UK Surnames.

Essex Look-up Exchange.

East of London FHS Name Index (Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge Boroughs).

There is a discussion group devoted to Essex genealogy, groups.io/g/Essex-UK

Family History Societies covering Essex.

Essex Family History website - the geographical area covered by this site is the rural area of Eastern Essex

Essex Genealogical Records - the Forebears portal to Findmypast and other subscription services.

Essex section of DustyDocs - "links to free genealogical websites containing parish records".

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Historical Geography

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History

The Victoria County History of Essex - see VCH Essex and British History Online.

Emmison's Elizabethan Life series (Essex County Council, 1970-1978) - Titles: Home, Work and Land; The wills of Gentry; The wills of Merchants; The wills of Yeomen; Disorder; Morals and the Church Court. "Emmison was County Archivist for Bedfordshire between 1925 and 1938 and County Archivist for Essex between 1938 and 1969. His ‘energetic and imaginative approach impressed many’ and Essex was considered to have the leading record system in the country. In time the Essex Record Office became a publishing house for local history and Emmison became a prolific author. ..........His Elizabethan Life series ‘demonstrated the richness of sources for the period and his ability to relate local material to the wider canvas’." [Wikipedia]

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

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Societies