Orsett Rural District facts for kids

The Orsett Rural District was a special area in south Essex, England, that had its own local government. It was like a local council that managed things for the people living there. This district existed from 1894 to 1936. Today, some of its western parts are in Greater London. Most of the area is now east of the M25 motorway and north of the Thames Estuary.

The Orsett Rural District was created in 1894. It was home to many people. Over time, its size changed from about 62.4 square miles to 49.6 square miles. Important towns like Grays or Great Thurrock were not part of this district. Later, Thurrock became the main area that took over from Orsett.

Before 1894, from 1835, the villages in this area were part of the Orsett Poor Law Union. This was a group that helped people who were very poor. From 1875, these villages also formed the Orsett Rural Sanitary District. This group helped with things like keeping the area clean and managing sewers. During this time, the idea of a Civil parish (a local area for government) became separate from an ecclesiastical parish (a local area for the church).

What Areas Did Orsett Rural District Cover?

The Orsett Rural District included many different villages and areas. These were called parishes. Here is a list of the parishes that were part of the district:

• Aveley (until 1929)
• Bulphan
• Chadwell St Mary (until 1912)
• Corringham
• East Tilbury
• Fobbing
• Horndon-on-the-Hill
• Langdon Hills
• Little Thurrock
• Mucking
• North Ockendon
• Orsett
• South Ockendon (until 1929)
• Stanford-le-Hope
• Stifford
• West Thurrock (until 1929)
• West Tilbury

Changes Over Time

Some of these parishes changed their status or moved to other districts:

• Chadwell St Mary became part of the new Tilbury Urban District in 1912.
• Aveley, South Ockendon, and West Thurrock helped form the new Purfleet Urban District in 1929.

In 1934, parts of Corringham, Fobbing, and Langdon Hills became part of the new Billericay Urban District.

What Happened Next?

The remaining parts of the Orsett Rural District joined the Thurrock Urban District in 1936. However, most of North Ockendon was moved to the Hornchurch Urban District instead.

Today, the Thurrock and Purfleet Urban Districts are very similar to the modern Thurrock area. This area is often known as Thurrock Council.