History of Barking in 1855, Post Office Directory
History of
Barking
Barking and Rippleside 1855
Places of Worship:-
Public Schools:-
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Barking is a market and fishing town,
and station on the London,
Tilbury, and Southend Railway; 7 miles from Whitechapel church, and 2 south from
Ilford, on the river Roding, which is navigable for barges from the
Thames to Great Ilford.
It is a large town, with several streets lighted with gas. The market is on
Saturdays, and there is a yearly fair on the 22nd October. Barking
derived its importance from the great and rich abbey of Benedictine nuns, built
in 677 by St Erkenwald, Bishop of London, and of which St Ethelburga was first
abbess. The abbess was a baroness, and kept great state; and at the Dissolution
the income was £1,074. Now the great support is from fishing, this being the
chief fishing town near London, and employing above 1,200 persons, and a large
number of boats or smacks, some of which are from 40 to 60 tons burthen, and
have wells to keep the fish alive for the London market. Some smacks are built
here, and there are sail lofts and rope yards. There is a parish church, also
chapels for Independents and Wesleyans, National and Wesleyan schools, savings
bank, police station etc. In a field about a quarter of a mile north of Barking
are some considerable entrenchments, considered to be remains of
a Roman camp. Eastbury House, about 1 mile from Barking, is an old brick
building, in which, according to tradition, some of the Gunpowder Plot
conspirators held meetings. At the mouth of the Roding creek, on the
Thames, are magazines.
The church is an ancient structure in the Gothic style, having a nave, aisles,
chancel, and tower containing 8 bells. The living is a vicarage value £767, in
the gift of All Souls’ College,
Oxford. The incumbent is the
Rev Henry Fortescue Seymour BA.
Barking parish, in Becontree Hundred,
Romford Union, the metropolitan police jurisdiction,
South Essex and
London
bishopric, contains 12,516 acres of land and 225 of water; separated from West
and East Ham and Little Ilford by the river Roding, from Dagenham by the Rom,
and having the Thames on the south. There is some market gardening. It is divided into four wards :
Barking in the south west; Ilford or Great Ilford, in the
north west;
Chadwell in the north east and Ripple in the south east. Westbury House is near
barking; Maysbridge, 1 mile east; Loxford, half a mile north, and Upney, 1 ½
east. The population of Barking ward and town was, in 1851, 4,930, besides 1,213
absent in the deep sea fishery.
Rippleside is a straggling village in Barking parish, 2 miles east of Barking, and 9 from
London, near the Thames bank. The population in 1851 was 435. To the
north west are Porters and Parsloes.
Post Office – William Henry Stephens, Broadway, postmaster. Letters arrive ½ past 7,
Money Orders granted & paid between
Insurance agents:-
Accidental Death, Charles Thomas Dawson, Hart Street
Alliance, Charles Dawson, Broadway
Defender Fire & Life, William Budd, High Street
Essex Economic, William George Beadle, North Street
General Fire & Life, W H Stephens, Broadway
Monarch Fire & Life, Henry Hark, North Street
Royal exchange, Henry Wellington Taylor, East Street
Sun, George law, North Street
Public Establishments:-
Savings Bank; High Street; Charles
Coxhead, actuary; open every Tuesday evening
Police Station, Henry Milsted, sergeant
Gas Works, Fisher Street,
Charles Dawson, secretary
Stamp Office, William henry Stephens, Broadway
Public Officers:-
Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages,
William George Beadle, North Street
Deputy Registrar of Births & Deaths,
Charles Thomas dawson, Heath Street
Parish
Church,
Rev Henry F Seymour, BA, vicar; Rev Henry G Henderson, BA, curate
Independent Chapel, Broadway, Rev G
Corney, minister
Wesleyan Chapel, East Street,
ministers various
Wesleyan, Richard Windatt, master
National (for boys & girls),
North Street,
Richard Wilding, master; Mrs Wilding, mistress
Omnibuses to
London, from george Inn,
at 9 morn & 5 aft; returns from
London at ½ past 11 morn & ½
past 6 even
Carriers to London – A van from Aveley
calls at the George Inn morning daily; & returns sam evening for goods &
passengers: Joseph Leftley & Edward Maynard (by cart) from their own houses
morning, return same evening.
Railway –
London,
Tilbury & Southend. Frequent trains during the day to
Fenchurch Street,
Bishopsgate & all the stations on the line.