Canvey Island, Essex Genealogy

England   Essex   Essex Parishes



Parish History
Canvey Island was created a chapelry by 1837 from portions of several Essex parishes.

"CANVEY ISLAND, a chapelry, partly in the parishes of North and South Benfleet, Bowers Gifford, Laindon, Pitsea, and Vange, union of Billericay, hundred of Barstable, and partly in the parishes of Leigh, Prettlewell, and Southchurch, union and hundred of Rochford, S. division of Essex; containing 277 inhabitants: the chapel is 6¼ miles (W. S. W.) from Leigh. This island is situated near the mouth of the Thames, and contains 3600 acres: it is encompassed by branches of that river, which, on the south side, is two miles broad; while on the other side there is a passage over the strand at low water, and at high water a ferry-boat is used. A fair is held on the 25th of June. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £58. 10.; patron, the Bishop of London. The tithes have been commuted for £190. The chapel is dedicated to St. Catherine. Service was formerly performed by the vicar, or curate, of South Benfleet; but, in 1837, a perpetual curate was inducted by the bishop."

Canvey Island (area 18.45 km²; pop. 37,479 is a civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary in England. It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks. Lying below sea level it is prone to flooding at exceptional tides, but has nevertheless been inhabited since the Roman invasion of Britain.

The island was mainly agricultural land until the 20th century when it became the fastest growing seaside resort in Britain between 1911-1951. The North Sea flood of 1953 devastated the island costing the lives of 58 islanders, and led to the temporary evacuation of the 13,000 residents. Canvey is consequently protected by modern sea defences comprising 15 miles (24 km) of concrete seawall.

Canvey is also notable for its relationship to the petrochemical industry. The island was the site of the first delivery in the world of liquefied natural gas by container ship, and later became the subject of an influential assessment on the risks to a population living within the vicinity of petrochemical shipping and storage facilities.

Canvey Island was established as a separate civil and ecclesiastical parish in 1881. The formation replaced the 17 divisions of the land held since the Norman era by the neighbouring parishes of North Benfleet, South Benfleet, Bowers Gifford, Prittlewell, Southchurch, Hadleigh, Laindon, Pitsea, and Vange. In 1926, the parish was converted to the Canvey Island Urban District, then dissolved along with the Benfleet Urban District in the Local Government Act 1972 to form the parliamentary constituency and local government district and borough of Castle Point in the county of 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.

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 has both St Katharine later St Nicholas, and St Nicholas.

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 1880 onwards

Orsett Poor Law Union, Essex 1837-1880

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.