About the Society

Thurrock Local History Society was founded in 1952. The inaugural meeting was held in December 1952 at the old school in New Road, Grays. Miss Smith whose conception the Society was became its first Chairman. Aubrey Saunders a subsequent Chairman was the Secretary.

In the Autumn of 1956 The Society produced its first journal, Panorama, edited by Glennis Goodyear and still continues to produce its journal annually today.

The aims of the Society were and still are:

To encourage interest and raise local awareness of Thurrock its history and its antiquities as well as to protect insofar as they are able the buildings and monuments in the locality.

To collect photographs, drawings and description of such objects of interest.

The Society began with approximately 10 members. It meets on the third Friday of the month from September to May at St John’s Church Hall, Victoria Avenue Grays. Members are addressed by a variety of speakers whose topics cover a wide spectrum . Group outings are arranged from time to time to places of historical interest.

How to join Thurrock Local History Society

Contact the secretary or e-mail secretary@thurrock-history.org.uk. The subscription is 15 pounds per year, (students 4 pounds, under 16 free) commencing in September when the new series of lectures start. The subscription includes entry to the lectures, which are usually illustrated by slides, plus coffee and biscuits in the interval. Visitors are very welcome to come to the meetings; the fee is 2 pounds per meeting, refunded on becoming a member during a meeting.

Thurrock is on the north bank of the river Thames, about 25 miles east of London. The Thurrock Local History Society covers the area included within the modern unitary authority of Thurrock - roughly the area in the map below. Until Thurrock became a unitary authority, it was in Essex.

The (traditional) Church of England parishes within our area are Aveley, Bulphan, Chadwell (St Mary), Corringham, East Tilbury, Fobbing, Grays Thurrock, Horndon, Langdon Hills, Little Thurrock, Mucking, Orsett, South Ockendon, Stanford-le-Hope, Stifford, West Thurrock and West Tilbury.

The above image was produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Nothing on this web site should be reproduced or copied without the permission of Thurrock Local History Society or the individual the copyright holder.