Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for SPRINGFIELD

SPRINGFIELD, a suburb and a parish in Chelmsford district, Essex. The suburb stands on the river Chelmer, adjacent to Chelmsford; communicates with that town by two bridges, crossing two branches of the river; takes its name from numerous springs, falling into the Chelmer; contains wharves, gasworks, and the county jail; and has a post-office under Chelmsford. The jail was built in 1825, at a cost of £56,000; and has capacity for 330 male and 42 female prisoners. The parish comprises 2,878 acres. Real property, £13,300; of which £786 are in canal-cuts from the Chelmer. Pop. in 1861, 2,566; of whom 242 were in the jail. Houses, 536. The property is much subdivided. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Rochester. Value, £1,016.* Patron, the Rev. A. Pearson. The church was erected in 1867. A chapel of ease was built in 1843. Charities, £42. Goldsmith resided sometime at S., and is supposed to make allusions to it in his "Deserted Village." Strutt, the author of "Sports and Pastimes,'' was a native.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a suburb and a parish"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Springfield CP/AP       Chelmsford RegD/PLU       Essex AncC
Place: Springfield

Go to the linked place page for a location map, and for access to other historical writing about the place. Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.