Rochford, Essex Poor Law Union

History
A parliamentary report of 1777 recorded parish workhouses in operation at Rochford (for 24 ), Hockley (20), and Rayleigh (20). Rochford Poor Law Union formally came into being on 30th October 1835. Rochford Union workhouse was built in 1837 on a site at the north side of West Street in Rochford. The building cost in the region of £5,000 and accommodated 300 inmates. It was designed by William Thorold who was also the architect of the Norfolk workhouses at Depwade Poor Law Union, Guiltcross Poor Law Union,  Thetford Poor Law Union,  Walsingham Poor Law Union and  Wayland Poor Law Union. An infirmary was added at the north-west of the workhouse in 1858 and a chapel in around 1865. In May 1916, the aged and infirm block was taken over by the military authorities for housing German prisoners of war. In 1920, the workhouse infirmary became known as Rochford Hospital and expanded in the 1920s with a new board-room block at the south of the site, additions to the infirmary and nurses' home, and a new block for mental and feeble-minded patients. The board-room block was also subsequently used as a chapel. In 1930, the infirmary was handed over to the control of Southend-on-Sea's Public Health Committee. It underwent further expansion to the north-west and the hospital site was renamed Southend Municipal Hospital, later becoming Rochford General Hospital. In 1930, the workhouse part of the site was transferred to the Public Assistance Committee and was renamed Rochford House. The main building was rebuilt in stages during the 1930s. After 1948, the former workhouse became Connaught House old person's hostel, and was later known as the Roche Close home for the aged. Most of the former workhouse buildings were demolished in the late 1990s.

Acacia House Children's Home
In the early 1900s, the Rochford union operated a children's home in Acacia House at the junction of South Street and East Street in Rochford. The building is now used as council offices.

Constituent parishes
Ashingdon, Essex Barling Magna, Essex Canewdon, Essex Canvey Island, Essex Eastwood, Essex Foulness, Essex Great Stambridge, Essex Great Wakering, Essex Hadleigh, Essex Havengore, Essex Hawkwell, Essex Hockley, Essex Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Little Stambridge, Essex Little Wakering, Essex North Shoebury, Essex Paglesham, Essex Prittlewell, Essex Rawreth, Essex Rayleigh, Essex Rochford, Essex Shopland, Essex South Benfleet, Essex South Fambridge, Essex South Shoebury, Essex Southchurch, Essex Southend St John the Baptist, Essex Sutton, Essex Thundersley, Essex

Records
Essex Record Office, Wharf Road Chelmsford CM2 6YT. Holdings include: Guardians' minute books (1835-1930); Births (1837-1930); Deaths (1914-22); Lists of poor in workhouse (1774-1829); Newspaper cuttings (1894-1936);

Websites
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Rochford/Rochford.shtml Workhouses website