Romford Rural District facts for kids

The Romford Rural District was a special area in Essex, England. It was a type of local government from 1894 to 1934. This district surrounded the town of Romford, but Romford itself was a separate area.

Over time, the Romford Rural District changed a lot. It started as mostly farmland. But as London grew, it became more like a suburb with many new homes. Because of these changes, parts of the district were separated in 1926 to form new areas called urban districts.

How Local Areas Were Formed

Before the Romford Rural District was created, there were other ways local areas were managed. These systems helped with things like caring for people who were poor.

Early Local Management

In 1836, the Romford Poor Law Union was set up. This was a group of local areas called parishes that worked together. They helped people who needed support. The parishes included Barking, Cranham, Dagenham, and Romford.

A year later, in 1837, the same area became the Romford Registration District. This district was used to record births and deaths.

Sanitary Districts

Later, in 1875, the Romford Rural Sanitary District was created. This was to help keep areas clean and healthy. Some towns like Barking Town, Ilford, and Romford had their own local boards. These boards managed their own health and sanitation, so they were not part of the larger rural sanitary district.

Creating the Romford Rural District

The Romford Rural District was officially created in 1894. This happened because of a law called the Local Government Act 1894. It was based on the older Romford rural sanitary district.

Romford Town's Special Case

Before 1894, the town part of Romford was managed by a "local board of health." When the new law came in, the Romford parish was split. The town part became the Romford Urban parish. The rest of the area became the Romford Rural parish.

The Romford Urban parish formed the Romford Urban District. The Romford Rural parish was part of the larger Romford Rural District. This arrangement did not last long. In 1900, the two Romford parishes joined again to form one bigger Romford Urban District.

Parishes in 1911

By 1911, the Romford Rural District covered about 29,720 acres (120 square kilometers). It included the following parishes:

• Noak Hill
• Havering-atte-Bower
• Dagenham
• Great Warley
• Hornchurch
• Upminster
• Cranham
• Rainham
• Wennington

Dagenham and Hornchurch Become Urban Districts

In 1925, the parish councils of Dagenham and Hornchurch asked to become urban districts. This meant they wanted more control over their local services.

Why They Changed

• Dagenham was growing very fast. It included a huge housing area called the Becontree estate. Many people were moving there.
• Hornchurch was also seeing a lot of new houses being built. It was becoming a busy suburban area.

The Romford Rural District Council did not want these areas to leave. Some local groups, like the Hornchurch Ratepayers' Association, also disagreed. But in 1926, the changes happened. The parish of Hornchurch became the Hornchurch Urban District. The parish of Dagenham became the Dagenham Urban District.

End of the District

In 1934, the Romford Rural District was officially ended. The remaining parishes were moved to other nearby districts.

Where the Parishes Went

• Noak Hill and Havering-atte-Bower joined the Romford Urban District.
• Great Warley, Upminster, and Cranham were mostly split between the Hornchurch Urban District and the Brentwood Urban District.
• Rainham and Wennington joined the Hornchurch Urban District.

Today, the area that was once the Romford Rural District is part of the London Borough of Havering and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in Greater London. In 1993, some parts of Great Warley were moved to the Brentwood Borough in Essex.

Images for kids

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  Map of Romford Rural District in 1911, showing its parishes.

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  Map of Romford Rural District in 1931, just before it was abolished.