Fingringhoe, Essex Genealogy

England   Essex   Essex Parishes



Parish History
A brief history of Fingringhoe by Samuel A. Lewis is:

FINGRINGHOE (St. George), a parish, in the union of Lexden and Winstree, hundred of Winstree, N. division of Essex, 4¼ miles (S. E. by S.) from Colchester; containing 581 inhabitants.

From: Lewis, Samuel A.,A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848).

Fingringhoe is an Ancient Parish in the county of Essex. Today it is known as St Andrew’s, but was originally dedicated to St Ouen, patron saint and former Bishop of Rouen. This came about because in 1046 the manor of Fingringhoe was granted by Edward the Confessor to the Abbey of St Ouen and Fingringhoe became part of the priory of West Mersea, itself a cell of the French abbey. Why the substitution of St Andrew for St Ouen? This may have been due to an early 18th century misreading of St Awdeon or St Audoenus, alternative forms of Ouen.

The diocese of Chelmsford was created in 1914, prior to this Essex parishes were in the jurisdiction of the Bishops of London until 1845 when they transferred to the diocese of Rochester. The diocese of Chelmsford has 474 parishes and 600 churches and is the second largest region in the church of England outside London.

A prominent feature in the centre of the village, the north wall of St. Andrew's Church dates back to the 12th century. The strange tradition of offering raddishes at Christmas is practiced here. It is said to be a medieval sign of friendship.

One theory has it that the meaning relates to the land belonging to the Fingringas, the descendants or followers of a man of similar name. Another is that it comes from the Danish (subsequently Old English) word for “finger” and thus the finger of land that diverts the Colne eastwards between Roman River and Geedon Creek.

Fingringhoe is a village and civil parish in Essex, England located five miles south-east of Colchester. The centre of the village is classified as a conservation area featuring a traditional village pond and red telephone box. The Roman River flows nearby before entering the River Colne.

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

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
Lexden and Winstree 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
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