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Romford 1862 Post Office Directory
Romford is an ancient market town and post town, union town
and railway station, in Rochester diocese, Essex archdeaconry, Romford deanery,
seated on the little river Rom, on the high road from London to Colchester, 12
miles east of Whitechapel, 17 south west of Chelmsford, 8 north east of barking,
and 6 south west of Brentwood. It consists mostly of two streets, crossing each
other at right angles; the principal one, in which the cattle market is held,
runs from west to east, is of considerable length, good width, and contains many
capital houses and capacious shops, beside the church, Corn Exchange, Gaol, and
Town Hall. The Eastern Counties railway (London to Colchester) passes close to
the town on a lofty embankment at the bottom of South street: there are separate
stations for goods and passengers; also a station of the Electric Telegraph
Company. Romford is one of the polling places for the southern division of
Essex. The paving, lighting and improving the town is managed by a Local Board
of Health, appointed under the Health of Towns’ Act. The Liberty quarter
sessions are held on the Friday succeeding the county quarter sessions and petty
sessions every Friday. The market for cattle and corn, one of the largest around
London, is held every Wednesday. The fair, chiefly for horses and pleasure, is
held on Midsummer day. Here are gas works; the extensive brewing and malting
establishments of Messrs Ind Coope and Co; agricultural implement works and
foundries. Several new streets are laid out, and many new houses are rising up
in the vicinity of the railway station. There is an endowed National School, and
an infant school on the National plan. There are two other schools connected
with the church; also a British School, and a school for Roman Catholics. There
are an Independent chapel, erected in 1812, endowed with £95 a year, and
originally founded (1794) at Havering Well, where there is still a cemetery
belonging to the congregation. A Baptist chapel, erected in 1847; a Wesleyan
chapel, in 1827; and a Roman Catholic chapel, in 1853. Each of these chapels
have Sunday schools in connection. There are a Savings Bank, a branch of the
London and County Bank, a, and a Mechanics’ Institute. Romford is the capital
of, and within the liberty of, Havering atte Bower, which comprises the three
parishes of Hornchurch, Romford and Havering. This liberty has an ancient,
peculiar, and separate jurisdiction, granted by various charters. The original,
granted by Edward the Confessor, has since received many additions and
confirmations. It is independent of the county, appoints its own magistrates,
has a clerk of the peace, coroner, gaol, quarter and petty sessions, courts of
record and ancient demesne, and a prerogative court of wills. It is governed by
a high steward and three justices: all business relative to the liberty is
transacted in the town of Romford. The parish contains about 6,120 acres. In
1861, the population of the parish was 6,206, and of the town about 4,800.
Market gardening, grazing, and agriculture form the chief occupations of the
people.
Romford union comprises the ten parishes of Barking, Cranham, Dagenham, Great
Warley, Havering, Hornchurch, Rainham, Romford, Upminster, and Wennington. The
population of the whole is 24,607. The Union Workhouse, close to the town, was
built in 1838, and will accommodate 500 inmates; it cost £9,500. In 1850, the
old parish church was pulled down, and a new one erected on the site.
The new church of St Edward the Confessor, is a handsome erection, in the later
Decorated style, built of Kentish rag stone, with Bath stone dressings: it has a
nave, chancel, north and south aisles, with chapels; the tower stands on the
south; it has an embattled parapet, and is crowned with a spire, the whole
rising 162 feet from the ground; there is a peal of 8 bells and a clock. An
additional church, to be called St Andrews, is in course of erection, to which a
district, at the western end of the town, will be assigned; it will be in the
gift of New College, Oxford; the Venerable Anthony Grant, DCL, archdeacon of St
Albans, is the incumbent. Francis Quarles, author of the “Book of Emblems”, was
born in the old manor house, called Stewards. He was an adherent of King Charles
I. Henry Repton, the celebrated landscape gardener, resided at Repton Cottage,
in the hamlet of Hare Street.
Gidea Hall is half a mile east of Romford. Here, in the old mansion, Sir Anthony
Cooke entertained Queen Elizabeth in 1568. “Marshalls”, on the north of the
town, is the seat of Richard Swift, Esq. “Priests”, the seat of Octavius
Mashiter, Esq, is on the Havering Road, 1 mile north. At Dagnam park, at the
extremity of the parish 4 miles north east, is the mansion of Sir Digby Neave,
Bart.
This is in the Eastern postal district.
Collier Row, 2 miles north; Hare Street, 1 mile east; Noak Hill, 4 miles north
east; Prospect Place, 1 mile north, are hamlets in the parish of Romford. At
Noak Hill is a small church or chapel of ease to Romford, served by one of the
clergy from the parish church; there is a National school and post office.
The County Court is held in the Court House, near the railway station, once a
month. The following is a list of the parishes within the jurisdiction of this
court :- Abridge, Aveley, Barking, Cranham, Chigwell, Dagenham, Havering Atte
Bower, Hornchurch, Lambourne, North and South Ockendon, Rainham, Stapleford
Abbot, Stapleford Tawney, Stifford, Upminster, and Wennington.
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