Hundreds of Essex facts for kids
Imagine a long time ago, in Anglo-Saxon England, counties like Essex were split into smaller areas. These areas were called hundreds. Essex had 19 of these hundreds. There were also special areas like the Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower and towns like Colchester, Harwich, and Maldon.
Each hundred had its own council. This council met every month. They made decisions about local laws and collected taxes. It was like a mini-government for their area.
Essex likely became a "shire" (another word for county) around the time of King Æthelstan. A very old record called the Domesday Survey from 1086 listed nineteen hundreds in Essex. These hundreds were very similar to the ones used much later, even into the 1900s! Over time, some names changed, like Witbrictesherna becoming Dengie. Also, the special area of Havering-atte-Bower was created from land that used to be part of the Becontree hundred.
What are Hundreds?
Hundreds were old ways to divide land in England. They were used for many years. People used them for things like:
- Justice: Solving local disagreements and minor crimes.
- Taxes: Collecting money for the king or local needs.
- Military: Organizing groups of people for defense.
Historians believe the name "hundred" might come from the idea of 100 families. Or it could be about an area that could provide 100 soldiers.
How Hundreds Changed Over Time
The way hundreds were used changed a lot. At first, they were very important. They were the main way local areas were managed. But as time went on, other ways of organizing local government became more common.
By the 1800s, hundreds were still recognized. However, their main role had lessened. New local councils and systems took over many of their old jobs. Even so, their names and boundaries often stayed the same for a long time.
Parishes Within Hundreds
Each hundred was made up of smaller areas called parishes. A parish was usually centered around a church. It was the smallest local unit. For example, the Chelmsford hundred was a large area. It included many parishes like Great Baddow, Boreham, and Chelmsford itself.
Here are a few examples of hundreds and some of the parishes they contained:
- Becontree hundred: This hundred included places like Barking, Dagenham, and Walthamstow.
- Hinckford hundred: This was a very large hundred. It had many parishes such as Braintree, Halstead, and Castle Hedingham.
- Rochford hundred: This hundred covered areas like Rayleigh, Rochford, and Southend-on-Sea (which grew from places like Prittlewell).
- Tendring hundred: This hundred included coastal areas like Brightlingsea, Clacton-on-Sea (Great Clacton), and Walton-on-the-Naze (Walton-le-Soken).
The list of parishes within each hundred was very long. It showed how detailed these old divisions were.
See also
- History of Essex
- List of hundreds of England and Wales
