Great Wigborough, Essex Genealogy

England   Essex



Parish History
Great Wigborough is an Ancient Parish in the county of Essex. Other places in the parish include: Tiptree

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.

WIGBOROUGH, GREAT (St. Stephen), a parish, in the union of Lexden and Winstree, hundred of Winstree, N. division of Essex, 7 miles (S. S. W.) from Colchester; containing 479 inhabitants. This place, which is bounded on the south by a creek of the river Blackwater, called the Verley, was the scene of a great battle, probably with the northern pirates, to whose incursions it was, from its situation, peculiarly exposed. Near the church is a large tumulus, supposed to have been raised over the bodies of those who were slain on that occasion. The parish comprises 2585a. 3r. 34p., of which 2450 acres are under cultivation, 35 in roads and waste, and 100 covered at high water. The village is situated on the road from Maldon to Colchester. It was formerly of much greater importance, as is evident from several green lanes still retaining the appellation of streets; and there were once extensive salt-works in the immediate neighbourhood, from which circumstance the hamlet where they were carried on is called Salcot-Wigborough. A fair is held at that place on the 24th of August. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £18. 17. 6.; net income, £591; patrons, H. Bewes, Esq., and the Rev. William Fookes. The church stands on a considerable eminence, commanding extensive views of the sea and adjacent country. There is a place of worship for Independents.

From: 'Widcombe - Wigborough, Little', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 568-571. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51405&amp;amp;strquery=great wigborough Date accessed: 13 February 2011.

Great Wigborough is a village in the Colchester borough of Essex, England and forms part of the Winstred Hundred civil parish.

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