History of Barking in 1862, Post Office Directory
Barking
The market has dwindled down to the exhibition of a few street stalls on
Saturday nights, but the fair is maintained in much of its original state; it is
held on the 22nd October.
Until within the last few years the town derived its chief support from the
fishing trade, carried on to a great extent, but of late years this has greatly
diminished, the facilities afforded by railways for bringing the fish to market
having caused smack owners to resort to such places as Grimsby, from whence they
can avail themselves of three or four market days at Billingsgate, instead of
keeping fish three or four days in the well of the smack whilst running up the
river; this circumstance has greatly injured the trade of the town. Some smacks
are built here, and there are still lofts and rope yards.
There are chapels for Independents and Wesleyans, Baptists, Roman Catholics,
national and Wesleyan schools, savings bank, metropolitan police station, etc;
and the town is lighted with gas.
The parish contains 12,516 acres of land and 225 of water; separated from West
and East Ham and Little Ilford by the river Roding, from Dagenham by the Rom,
and having the Thames on the south. It is divided into four wards; Barking in
the south-west; Ilford, or Great Ilford in the north-west; Chadwell in the
north-east, and Ripple in the south-east. The population of Barking ward and
town in 1861 was 6,700, including 1,300 absent in deep sea fishery.
Eastbury House, about one mile from Barking, is an old brick building, in which,
according to tradition, some of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators held meetings;
but a counter tradition places the facts in quite an opposite light, by
affirming that its only connection with the plot consisted in its being at that
time the residence of Lord Monteagle, one of the parties having most reason to
dread its success, and who here received a letter warning him of his danger; any
way it is a most interesting piece of antiquity, and one which its present owner
has partially restored At the mouth of the Roding creek, on the Thames, are
magazines.
Rippleside is a straggling village in Barking parish, 2 miles east of Barking,
and 9 from London, near the Thames bank, in the Romford county court district.
The population in 1861 was about 350, included in the above 6,700. To the north
west are Porters and Parsloes.
This parish is in the Eastern postal district.
Post Office - William Henry Stephens, Broadway, postmaster. Letters dispatched
at 9.25 am, 12.25, 4 & 9 pm; delivered at 9 am, 2, 7 & 9.15 pm. Money order
office open from 9 am to 6 pm. Post Office savings Bank open daily same hours as
money order business
Insurance Agents :-
Accidental Death, George Martin, Broadway
Alliance, Theodore Carter, Heath Street
Atlas Fire & Life, George Martin, Broadway
Emperor, William Bailey, Axe Street
General Life & Fire, William henry Stephens, Pavement; D Cordery, 1 Rosetta
Villas, Barking Road
General Hailstorm, George Martin, Broadway
Globe Fire & Life, James Linsdell, Heath Street
Manchester Fire, George Martin, Broadway
Norfolkfarmers Cattle, George Martin, Broadway
Norwich & London Accidental Death, George Martin, Broadway
Phoenix Fire, William Ashmole
Reliance & East of England, Henry William Earle, Fisher Street
Royal Exchange, Frederick Davidson, East Street
Star, Charles Granville, Broadway
Sun Fire & Life, Edward Fitt, Broadway
Unity, William Knowles, Fisher Street
World & Accidental Death, James Holmes, Broadway
Public Establishments
Savings Bank, High Street, Mr C Mumford, actuary; open every tuesday evening
Police Station, William Vaughan, sergeant
Gasworks, Fisher Street, David Hulett, proprietor
Stamp Office, William henry Stephens, Broadway
Public Officers:-
Parish Clerk, Joseph Edlin, Broadway
Registrar of Births, Deaths & Marriages, Richard Daniel Wilding, North Street
Places of Worship:-
St Margarets Church, Rev Henry F Seymour, MA, vicar; Rev Octavius Slocock, BA,
curate
Independent Chapel, Broadway, Rev Joseph Smedmore, minister
Primitive Methodist Chapel, ministers various
Wesleyan Chapel, East Street, ministers various
Baptist Chapel, Queens Road, ministers various
Catholic Chapel, Station Road, Rev james Gilligan, priest
Public Schools:-
Broadway Public (mixed), Broadway, Thomas Price Griffiths, master; Miss
Reckabina Rans, assistant mistress
Catholic (mixed), Linton Road, Miss Catherine Heney, mistress
Infant, Mrs Mary Matilda Mull, mistress
National (for boys & girls), North Street, Richard Wilding, master; Mrs Wilding,
mistress
Carriers to London - A van for Aveley calls at the George Inn, morning daily &
returns same evening, for goods & passengers; James Leftley & John Jaggers, from
their own houses, morning, return the same evening
Railway - London, Tilbury & Southen, Frequent trains during the day to Fenchurch
Street, Bishopsgate, North London & all the stations on the line.