Tillingham, Essex Genealogy

England   Essex   Essex Parishes



Parish History
Tillingham St Nicholas is an Ancient parish.

There are two chapels, the Peculiar Peoples chapel and the Congregational Chapel, and the 14th century parish church of St Nicholas. The Peculiar People opened their Chapel in 1867 and still continue to worship although now part of the Union of Evangelical Churches.

Tillingham is also mentioned in the H. G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds. It is the place where the narrator's brother arrives at the coast following his exodus from London during the Martian invasion.

Tillingham is a small village and civil parish located 8 miles (13 km) from Burnham-on-Crouch and 3 miles (4.8 km) from Bradwell-on-Sea, which for local government purposes is in Maldon District and the ceremonial county of Essex in England. It is one of the villages that make up the ancient Dengie Hundred, which is bounded by the River Blackwater and River Crouch.

Tillingham village is clustered around the main street with a historic centre that has been designated as a conservation area.

Here is an 1848 historical perspective of this parish:

"TILLINGHAM (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the union of Maldon, hundred of Dengie, S. division of Essex, 14 miles (E. by S.) from Maldon; containing 1106 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the seashore, and comprises 4135a. 3r. 29p., whereof 2973 acres are arable, and 1123 grass. The surface rises gradually from the marshes till it attains a considerable elevation; the lands are watered by numerous fine springs, and the soil is generally fertile. The living is a vicarage, in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's, London (the appropriators), valued in the king's books at £25. 3. 9.: the great tithes have been commuted for £797. 17., and the vicarial for £335. 15.; there is a parsonage-house, and the glebe comprises 12 acres. The church was rebuilt, at the expense of the inhabitants, in the year 1708."

From: Samuel A. Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 357-360. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51344 Date accessed: 13 April 2011.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
Contributor: Include here information for parish registers, Bishop’s Transcripts, non conformist and other types of church records, such as parish chest records. Add the contact information for the office holding the original records. Add links to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection

Online images are available Seax - Essex Archives Online From the Essex Record Office St Nicholas parish registers, Bishop's transcripts

See also Tillingham Baptist Church Monumental Inscriptions

Essex Online Parish Clerks (OPC)

Census records
Contributor: Include an overview if there is any unique information, such as the census for X year was destroyed. Add a link to online sites for indexes and/or images. Also add a link to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Index for the Census may be searched at FamilySearch Historical Records

http://www.1881pubs.com/ for details of public houses in the 1881 census

Poor Law Unions
Maldon Poor Law Union, Essex

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Essex Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
Contributor: Add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.