Fobbing is a small village and former
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in
Thurrock
Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The l ...
,
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, England and one of
Thurrock's traditional (Church of England) parishes. It is located between
Basildon
Basildon ( ) is the largest town in the borough of Basildon, within the county of Essex, England. It has a population of 107,123. In 1931 the parish had a population of 1159.
It lies east of Central London, south of the city of Chelmsford and ...
and
Corringham, and is also close to
Stanford-le-Hope
Stanford-le-Hope is a town, former civil parish and Church of England parish situated in the county of Essex, England. Often known locally simply as Stanford, the town is within the unitary authority of Thurrock and located 23.8 miles (38.4  ...
. In 1931 the parish had a population of 734.
Fobbing is one of seven
conservation areas
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
in Thurrock.
History
The place-name ''Fobbing'' is first attested in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086, where it appears as ''Phobinge''. It appears as ''Fobinges'' in 1125, and ''Fobbinges'' in 1227. The name means "Fobba's people", Fobba being a shortened form of the name Folcheorht.
Fobbing was one of the main villages involved with the
Peasants' Revolt
The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. The revolt had various causes, including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Black ...
. On 30 May 1381, the commissioner John Bampton summoned the Fobbing villagers, as well as villagers from
Corringham and
Stanford
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
, to
Brentwood to answer as to why they had not paid tax. The villagers told Bampton that they would give him nothing. Bampton then moved to arrest the villagers. A riot ensued in which the villagers attempted to kill Bampton, who managed to escape to London.
Sir Robert Belknap was sent to investigate the incident and to punish the offenders. On 2 June, he was attacked. By this time the violent discontent had spread, and the counties of
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
and
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
were in full revolt. Soon people moved on London in an armed uprising. In 1981 a metal sculpture by B R Coode-Adams was erected as a memorial to the Peasants' Revolt at Fobbing to commemorate the 600th anniversary .
St. Michael's Church is renowned for its historic association with the
smuggling
Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.
There are various ...
trade. At one time the church was near the waterfront of Fobbing Harbour. Smugglers sailed up Fobbing Creek guided by the distinctive church tower but after the
great flood of 1 February 1953, the creek and harbour were sealed up by a dyke and drained. Underneath the church there are claimed to be many
tunnels which were used by smugglers in the 14th century.
On 1 April 1936 the parish was abolished to form Thurrock, part also went to
Lee Chapel
University Chapel (formerly Lee Chapel) of Washington and Lee University is a National Historic Landmark in Lexington, Virginia. It was constructed during 1867–68 at the request of Robert E. Lee, who was president of the school (then known as W ...
.
Public house
![White lion fobbing](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/White_lion_fobbing.jpg)
The White Lion public house is situated at the top of Lion Hill.
Notable people
* The mathematician
John Pell was appointed rector here in 1661
*
Thomas Baker (Peasants' Revolt leader)
Thomas Baker, an English landowner, was one of the leaders who initiated the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.
Thomas Baker's holding was "Pokattescroft alias Bakerescroft" in Fobbing. This holding still exists, although by the time of the 19th-centur ...
was born in Fobbing
Notes
External links
{{Thurrock parishes
Villages in Essex
Populated places on the River Thames
Former civil parishes in Essex
Thurrock
Peasants' Revolt