South Benfleet, Essex Genealogy

England   Essex   Essex Parishes



Parish History
South Benfleet is an Ancient Parish in Essex.

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.

BENFLEET, SOUTH (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Billericay, hundred of Barstable, S. division of Essex, 4 miles (S. W. by S.) from Rayleigh; containing 707 inhabitants, and comprising 3056a. 1r. 32p. The village is pleasantly situated on the border of a creek which separates it from Canvey Island; and several other creeks enter the parish from the river Thames, which are noted for producing good oysters. A fair is held on the 24th of August. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £16. 5. 5.; net income, £242; patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Westminster; impropriator, J. Perry, Esq. The church is a handsome edifice with a tower of stone, surmounted by a lofty spire of wood.

From: Samuel A. Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 207-210. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50792&amp;amp;strquery=South Benfleet Date accessed: 02 February 2011.

In Roman times the reclaimed area which is now Canvey Island, Essex was joined to the mainland by a road providing access from Benfleet to Camulodunum (Colchester) and Londinium (London). The A130 road from Sadlers Farm roundabout to Canvey Island follows the route of the original Roman road. Its construction in 1971 brought to light a number of artifacts dating back to the early settlements in the area.

The name of the town originates from the time of the Saxon settlers in the 5th Century, when the area was largely marshland. They named the area Beamfleote, meaning "tree stream", being the area where the creeks from the River Thames adjoined the wooded area to the north. The current spelling was adopted at the time the railway service was brought to the area and a railway station built for the town. Throughout the intervening period various documented versions of the names has been 'Benfleota', 'Beamflet', 'Bemflet', 'Bienflet' and 'Bemfleet'. The last was used on John Norden's maps in the 17th Century.

In Saxon times the village became known as South Benfleet when a new settlement, which became known as Little Benfleet, developed to the north of the original settlement. The new settlement did not last, and its site, which has since become known as North Benfleet, is now largely rural.

The railway was brought to the town in 1855. The new South Benfleet railway station connected the town with Southend-on-Sea to the east and London Fenchurch Street station.

People from Benfleet, are often referred to as 'Bennie's', the term is seen as an insult to the town folk of Benfleet. However it is commonly used in the neighbouring town of Canvey Island.

In July 2002 Castle Point District Council named a 6-mile cycle way, from near Benfleet railway station to near Leigh-on-Sea railway station, the "de Neumann Way" after Captain Peter de Neumann, GM

Since the abolition of the Benfleet Urban District in the Local Government Act 1972, South Benfleet, along with Canvey Island, Hadleigh, and Thundersley has formed the parliamentary constituency and local government district and borough of Castle Point.

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
Rochford Poor Law Union, Essex part Billericay 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.