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Barking and Dagenham Archives and Local Studies Service

Records of the parish of Barking


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): BD74

Held at: Barking and Dagenham Archives and Local Studies Service

Title: Records of the parish of Barking

Date(s): 1558-1926

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 313 bound volumes

Name of creator(s): Parish of Barking

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Barking Abbey was founded in the later part of the seventh century by St. Ethelburga. The earliest charter of the Abbey, relates to a gift of land being made by Hodilred, King of Essex. Although all the places mentioned in this charter cannot be identified with certainty, it is fairly certain that it is referring to all the land between the River Roading and Dagenham Beam River. Barking is not appears to be identified as Beddanhaam or Budinhaam, while Dagenham is called Deccanhamm. It is not known when Dagenham became a separate parish. Although it is likely to be fairly early due to the date of the dedication of the Parish Church St. Peter and St. Paul's.

For secular purpose the land granted by the charter remained in the hands of successive abbesses of Barking, and formed part of the large Manor of Barking until the Dissolution. It remained a royal manor until 1628, when it was mortgaged to Sir Thomas Fanshawe. On his death it was passed to his daughter who sold it to Sir Orlando Humphreys in 1717. In turn it was brought by Smart Lethuillier and then inherited by the daughter of his brother Charles, who was also the wife of Sir Edward Hulse.

The parish of Barking, included parts of Ilford, as well as Barking. These two areas were separated for ecclesiastical purposes in 1830, but remained one civil parish until 1888. Before this division, the parish was about thirty miles in diameter. It is probable that the early inhabitants would have worshipped at Barking Abbey and then St. Margaret's Church, which was located on the southern edge of Barking Parish. Those that lived north of this towards Ilford, would have attended the Chapel of the Leper Hospital, and later the Chapel at Aldborough Hatch, built in 1653.

The rapid urbanisation during the beginning of the nineteenth century caused problems in the administration of public health and welfare, which the vestries of such districts were incompetent to deal with. The bad name of the town vestries, meant reformers ignored the spirit of local patriotism and the historic descent of local government. After the Poor Law of 1834, ad hoc bodies were continually being created to carry out different tasks that were previously undertaken by the local vestry. Barking, for example found itself within the Romford Poor Law Union. The maintenance of the highways was taken over by the 6th Highway District in 1867. In addition to this the provision of education was put into the hands of an elected School Board in 1889. Barking also had its own Board of Health from 1853 to 1855.

However unity was restored with the establishment of the Barking Urban District Council under the Local Government Act of 1894. The vestry of the parish of Barking, continued to meet despite its diminished power in order to discuss church and secular business, as well as to receive charity accounts after 1895. The overseer also remained in office until the introduction of the Rating and Valuation Act in 1925.

This administrative history was largely based on a book by J. E. Oxley, entitled Barking Vestry Minutes (1955).

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

This collection comprises the following records of the parish of Barking:

Vestry minute books, 1694-1926 (BD74/A)

Baptism registers, 1558-1812 (BD74/B/1)

Burial registers, 1656-1812 (BD74/B/2)

Minute books of the Overseers' of Barking Parish, 1786-1927 (BD74/C/1)

Overseers' account books, 1765-1798 (BD74/C/2)

Overseers' rate books, 1739-1836 (BD74/C/3)

Valuation lists of the Overseers' of Barking, 1784-1830 (BD74/C/4)

Disbursement books of the Overseers' of Barking, 1819-1820 (BD74/C/5)

Receipt and payment books of the Overseers' of Barking, 1868-1887 (BD74/C/6)

Churchwardens' account books, 1777-1823 (BD74/D/1)

Churchwardens' rate books, 1738-1866 (BD74/D/2)

Surveyors' account books, 1830 (BD74/E/1)

Surveyors' rate books, 1828-1844 (BD74/E/2)

Rate collection books for the Barking Town Ward, 1747-1772 (BD74/F/1/1)

Rate collection books for the Ilford Ward, 1728-1829 (BD74/F/1/2)

Rate collection books for the Chadwell Ward, 1744-1778 (BD74/F/1/3)

Rate collection books for the Ripple Ward, 1744-1779 (BD74/F/1/4)

Poor rate books for Barking, 1837-1916 (BD74/F/2)

Valuation lists for Barking, 1842-1929 (BD74/F/3)

Rental books, 1763-1778 (BD74/G)

Notice books, 1769-1839 (BD74/H)

Apprenticeship books, 1818-1844 (BD74/J)

Land terrier books, 1829-1840 (BD74/K)

Minute book of the Directors' of the Poor for the Parish of Barking, 1855-1893 (BD74/L/1)

Report by the Wharf Keeper of Barking Town Quay, 1893 (BD74/L/2)

Minute book of the Barking and District Savings Bank, 1818-1843 (BD74/M/1)

Declarations and new depositors' books of the Barking and District Savings Bank, 1824-1852 (BD74/M/2)

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

The arrangement is based where possible on original order, as well as according to the format of the material and chronology.

Conditions governing access:

The material within this collection is open to research by appointment at the Barking and Dagenham Archives and Local Studies Centre. For further information about visiting the reading room please contact localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk or telephone 020 8227 2033.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Material within this collection can be reproduced at the discretion of the Borough Archivist. For further information about conditions governing reproduction please contact localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk or telephone 020 8227 2033.

Finding aids:

For additional information on the content of this collection please contact localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk or telephone 020 8227 2033.

Detailed catalogue

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

This collection was previously held by Essex Record Office.

ALLIED MATERIALS

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Archivist's note: Catalogued by Clare Sexton, Assistant Archivist in accordance with ISAD(G).

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: The fonds level description was originally created in 2012 and was added to Aim25 in 2014.


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Banks | Financial institutions | Finance
Burial records | Documents | Information sources
Parish records | Documents | Information sources
Poor rates | Rates (documents) | Documents | Information sources
Primary documents

Personal names

Corporate names
Parish of Barking

Places
Barking | Essex
Barking and Dagenham