Rainham (from ryne, a watercourse and ham, a village) is a village, parish, with a station on the London, Tilbury and Southend railway, 3 ½  miles north west from Purfleet, 12 by rail from London, 7 ½ north west from Grays, and 5 east from Barking, in the South Eastern division of the county, Orsett petty sessional division, Chafford hundred, Romford union and county court district, and in the rural deanery of Chafford, archdeaconry of Essex and diocese of St Albans,:  the village forms a considerable street on the London Road, and the Ingerbourne brook. Over the latter is a bridge, and there are several quays on the creek, at its junction with the Thames. The church of SS Helen & Giles (the only one in England dedicated to these saints jointly in this order), is an ancient structure of flint and stone of the 12th century, and consists of chancel, nave, aisles, porch and a low but massive embattled tower containing 3 bells, one dated 1618 and the others 1670: the nave is divided from its aisles by three heavy semicircular arches on either side, resting on square columns, with circular shafts at the angles: a grand Norman arch, highly enriched with chevron moulding, opens into the chancel, the windows of which have been greatly disfigured: the tower is constructed of coursed rubble, with ashlar coigns and is entered from the nave by a plain semicircular Norman arch, one tall lancet and three Norman windows lighting its basement: on the south side of the chancel is a narrow priest’s doorway of Norman date: the font is ancient and there are brass effigies on the floor to a civilian and his wife, c 1500.  The register dates from the year 1665, but about 1890 earlier registers dating from 1570, but very incomplete, have been discovered and restored. The living is a vicarage, average tithe rent-charge £327, with four acres of glebe and residence (rebuilt by William Finch esq in 1710), in the gift of the trustees of the late John Godsalve Crosse, esq, and held since 1847 by the Rev Henry George Roche, LL B of St Johns College, Cambridge, who is non-resident;  the Rev Charles Rich Nelson Burrows,curate in charge since 1891: the brilliant satirist and poet, Charles Churchill, of Trinity College, Cambridge, was once curate here, and in describing in verse the effect of his rural discourses, says: “Sleep at my bidding crept from pew to pew”. Here is an undemoninational chapel, built in 1889. In accordance with the directions of various ancient benefactions, bread is given to the poor every Sunday; 10s for preaching a sermon on Ascension Day, 2s to the reader of the Litany and 1s for the parish clerk on the same day. Capt Robert Westley Hall-Dare, of Newtown Barry House, co Wexford, who is lord of the manor, H G Crosse esq. and Sir Thomas Barrett Lennard, bart, of Belhus, Romford, are the principal landowners. The soil is loamy; subsoil, gravely. The chief crops are vegetables, great quantities of which are grown for the London markets. The area is 3,240 acres and 145 water; rateable value, £10,010; the population, in 1891, was 1,669.

Parish clerk, William Gentry

Post , M O & T O & S B & Insurance & Anuity Office (Sub-Office. Letters should have SO Essex added). – Hartley Jennings, sub-postmaster.. Deliveries at 7 & 11.10 am; dispatched to London direct at 11.25 am, 5.15  & 9.40 pm; & at 5,45 pm, via Romford; Sundays, delivery 7.30 am; dispatch 9.30 pm

A School Board of 5 members was formed for this parish in 1893; William Smith, North Street, Romford, clerk to the Board; William Richard Farrow, Cowper Road, Rainham, attendance officer.

School (mixed & infants), built in 1872 for 245 children; average attendance 165 boys & girls & 77 infants; Sutcliffe Hales Jennings, master; Mrs Amelia Jennings, mistress

Railway Station, John Goodman, station master

Brady Rev Nicholas MA [rector of Wennington], Rainham hall

Burrows Rev Charles Rich Nelson (curate in charge), Vicarage

Fowles James, South hall

Randall Edward, Brick house

Shepherd Thomas, Melville Road

Stoker John  William, Melville Road

Swann Henry, Brights

Taylor William Robert, Berwick house

Wright Mrs, Melville Road

Commercial

Alum (The), China Clay & Vitriol Co Lim, vitriol manufacturers, Rainham ferry

Blows Charles, farmer

Blows Frederick Edward, baker

Burrell George, Bell PH

Clapham Jane (Mrs), Three Crowns PH, Rainham Ferry

Daldy & Co, coal & timber merchants

Davis Emma (Miss), dress maker

Earps Catherine (Mrs), coal merchant

Edwards Jesse, shopkeeper

Eastwood & Co Lim, brick & tile makers

Farrow George, boot maker

Farrow William Richard, shopkeeper

Gregory Geo, butcher, Wennington road

Harris Frederick, blacksmith

Hempleman Frederick S & Co, manufacturers of artificial manures; works, Rainham Ferry

Hennesey Mary Richards (Mrs), shopkeeper

Hill Caroline (Mrs), grocer & dairy

Hill Mary Ann (Miss), linen draper

Howell William James, builder

Howgego Walter Wm, wheelwright

Hoy John, farmer, Aylets

Jennings Hartley, draper, Post Office

Joyce John William, Phoenix PH

Kelley Arthur, saddler & harness maker

Manning Eliza (Mrs), farmer, Berwick Ponds Farm

Manning Herbert, farmer, Moor Hall (Letters should be addresses Purfleet SO)

Mayhew George, butcher & assistant overseer

Miller & Johnson, chemical manure manufacturers, Rainham Ferry

Maskell Jeremiah, draper & grocer

Mitchell Edward, farmer & miller, Gerpins (postal address, Upminster)

Parker Charles, hair dresser

Parker Lewis Edwin, boot maker

Parker Sidney Ernest, grocer

Parsons Jane (Mrs), tailor

Randall & Fowles, farmers & market gardeners

Rogers Charles, Angel inn

Salmon & Co Lim, chemical manufacturers & tar distillers, Ferry Road

Saxby George, lighterman

Snelling Peter, beer retailer

Stoker John William LRCP Edin, physician & surgeon & certifying factory surgeon, Melville Road

Strang James, farmer, Rainham lodge (postal address, Upminster)

Swann & Thomson, farmers & market gardeners; & at Wennington

Typke & King, manufacturing chemists, Rainham Ferry

Valentine John, beer retailer

Vinton & Keeble, butchers

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