Genealogy Notes for the Village of South Shoebury, Essex
A miscellany of pictures and data arising out of research into the KIRBY's family trees (but not all linked to them). This is a work in progress so please treat the data with appropriate caution. For related information see www.the-kirbys.org.uk, Ancestor List, Place Index and Wills Index

Background on the area, including pictures and a general history,  may all be found on the South Shoebury Parish web site.

Beach huts on stiltsThe shore is lined for many yards with unusual stilted beach huts. There were there in the early 1960s when I used to visit as a lad. They were still going strong when I visited in 2005. A strip of low grassy land follows the shore from Thorpe Bay eastward to the prominent local landmark of Shore House. beyond that lies army property.

White's Directory of 1848 describes the village, the text may be found at History House.
In the 1850s Shoebury's fortunes changed. The Army opened a garrison and a rail link to London arrived. You can find more on the history of the Garrison at the site for the 36th Heavy Air Defence Regiment. With the ending of the Crimean War in 1854 the Garrison became permanent and was used for testing. In 1862 an act of parliament was passed to appropriate land for the army ranges and the army became a long term fixture. The prosperity of the area must surely have improved as a result.

Buildings 

Shore House

The Shore House

People

The KIRBY family

John KIRBY (chr. 1790-1877), ag. lab., is listed in the 1841 Census as aged 50 and living at Well House, South Shoebury, Essex. In 1851 he was still at Well House, but by 1861 he had moved to Shore House, South Shoebury, where he was listed again in 1871.

Some of the KIRBY families from Great Wakering, Essex, had offshoots in South Shoebury.

Related links

A selection of links to other sites with information about this place

Bibliography


 
     
Any transcripts and images on this page are Copyright R I Kirby 2008 unless stated otherwise.