Ilford is a name that was known to William the Conqueror and to most monarchs
down the ages as they passed through this hamlet on the Great Essex Road,
probably on their way to the royal palace of Havering. Its Saxon and medieval
manor estates were long under the sway of the mighty Barking Abbey and Barking
had the parish church and the port. The Abbey set up Ilford Hospital Chapel, now
the oldest surviving building in the town centre.
By the early 19th century the coaching trade produced prosperous inns in a
growing village and by 1830 Ilford was a separate parish, building its own
church. Nine years later the railway came and brought dramatic growth. The old
estates were broken up for housing and by 1888 Ilford gained civic independence.
No longer a mere ward of Barking, it next became a borough, with a splendid Town
Hall, within forty years of having its first council..
In this new book, the author, who has been researching Ilford's history for
over twenty years, provides a vivid account of its entire past; from prehistory,
when mammoths roamed the Thames Valley, up to the present day, when new
communities, often from Asia, are contributing energy and enthusiasm to its
continuing development. Her narrative is splendidly illustrated and pays
attention to all those long-departed people, who built and developed the modern
towns, from Thomas John Barnardo to Archibald Cameron Corbett and William Peter
Griggs. Though now a 'suburb', Ilford retains its own character, whose essence
has been captured in this very welcome and attractive book.
Contents:
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. By the Banks of the Roding
2. The Roman Influence
3. Under the Sway of the Abbey
4. Caring for Poor Lepers
5. To the Manor Born
6. Down in the Forest
7. The Good Doctor
8. Transports of Delight
9. Home Sweet Home
10. Ilford at War
11. A Multicultural Community
Bibliography
Index
