Heritage

This painting depicts the death of Watt Tyler
part of our history
www.thurrock-community.org.uk/historysoc/fobbing.html

Corringham & Fobbing Facts 

Mesolithic hunter and gatherers once roamed the marsh and gravel terraces of Corringham some 10,000 years ago, living of the local resources. The carefully worked flint tools, discovered by local archaeologists, evidence a range of working tools for dealing with wood cutting to fine butchery skills in skinning and cutting meat.
   The earliest known coins ‘Potin’ have been discovered at Corringham, over 2000 were discovered, some showing evidence of manufacture in a strip and then cut to produce an individual coin. Through typology they are dated to 75-50bc and indicates trade with the Roman Empire before the invasion.
   The origin of the name Corringham might be derived from a Saxon chieftain’s name Curra, followed by -ing (followers) and -ham (home). Anglo-Saxon settlements discovered at Mucking give testament to cultural invasion from Europe on a large scale perhaps prompted by economic or environmental influences.
   St. Mary’s Church is unique in Thurrock church architecture with its Norman Tower, while the church and graves bears the scars of bomb damage which occurred on the 8th December 1940. Three bells are hung in the tower dating to, 1580, 1617 & 1629.    www.thurrock-community.org.uk/historysoc/corringham.html 
   Corringham had two mills, one mentioned in the Doomsday account was probably a water mill, a later mill mentioned in legal documents in 1493 is probably a windmill, this appears to have become ruinous as by 1631, Corringham folk had to go to a windmill in Fobbing to get their grain milled.
   Lord of the Manor in 1317 William Baud, obtained a grant from the Crown to hold a market each week on Tuesday and Friday, as well as a yearly fair from the 20th-22nd September.   
   In 1895 Kynoch’s of Birmingham purchased 200 acres of marsh to set up a new explosive factory, In 1899 a Light Railway to transport the many explosive manufacturer workers out to the marsh and riverside site was approved. The factory closed in 1920 and was purchased by Cory bro’s Ltd and became known as Coryton. 
   In 1819 a customs riding officer caught two men on the Haven Marsh, who had smuggled goods, which had just been landed, on their horse and cart, the men had the goods and horse and cart confiscated, on top of the excise charge and prosecution for assaulting the customs officer.
   The manors within Corringham included, Corringham Hall, Old Hall and Bowers Gifford, while local farmsteads include Ferrings, Reedham, Well, Herd, Northlands, Oak, Brickhouse, Shell Haven, Iron Latch, Oil Mill and O0zedam. Some of these names have been lost to the local community others survive as buildings or incorporated into road names.

Population figures for Corringham;
1801 - 210
1811 - 211
1851 – 261
1861 - 229
1871 – 268
1881 – 491
1891 – 268
1901 – 582 

It is not easy to calculate population figures for the old parish boundaries are different to the modern ward boundaries. 

The pubs and Inns in Corringham include The Bull, certainly one of the oldest timber framed houses in the parish, dating perhaps from the 16th century, Records suggest the use as an ale house from 1582 – when an ‘unnamed’ ale house was reported as under “ill rule” The Bull has been recognised under the names The Bell and Black Bull. The other pubs was ‘The Three Compasses” and an Off Licence “The Dukes Head” later known as the “Old Cellar”.

The Forum would like to thank Jonathan Catton, Thurrock's Heritage & Museum Officer for the above.

Other Sites.
www.historyhouse.co.uk/essexc18a.html