Basildon
Encyclopedia : B : BA : BAS : Basildon
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Basildon can be traced as far back as 1086 and is mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Behoter'. This is thought to refer to the 'Beorthals Hill' which was an area near what is now Holy Cross, Church Road just off of Whitmore Way. It appears that the name 'Basildon' comes from the Anglo-Saxon personal name 'Beorhthealh' and 'dun', the Anglo-Saxon word meaning 'hill'. In the past Basildon has been recorded as Berdlesdon, Bretlesden, Batlesdon, Bastelden, Basseldon and Bassendon.
Basildon constituency is considered to be a barometer of public opinion and has returned General Election results in line with the nation since 1974. Basildon is located at Latitude: 51:34:34N Longitude: 0:29:19E.
History
- 1086 - 'Behoter', 'Berdestapia' and 'Leienduna' recorded in the Doomsday Book
- 1381 - (28 June) King Richard II's soldiers defeat rebels at Billericay's Norsey Woods which ends the Peasants' Revolt
- 1620 - The Pilgrim Fathers meet in Billericay prior to sailing to what is now The United States
- 1855 - (1 July) Pitsea railway station is opened
- 1877 - St. Mary's & All Saints Church in Langdon Hills is built
- 1888 - (1 July) Laindon railway station is opened
- 1888 - Wickford railway station is opened
- 1905 - The first piped water supply between Pitsea and Vange is installed
- 1912 - The first telephone in Laindon is installed
- 1922 - Pitsea War Memorial is unveiled in the Broadway, it was later moved to Howards Park
- 1925 - The first Pitsea Market is opened on land near Station Road
- 1929 - The Laindon Picture Theatre opens
- 1930 - The Laindon Recorder Newspaper is published, now called the Basildon & Wickford Recorder
- 1935 - Craylands Secondary School opens, it would later merge with Fryerns and form Fryerns Comprehensive
- 1936 - The A127 nears completion
- 1937 - A Police Station in Pitsea opens
- 1946 - The 'New Towns Act' is past in Parliament
- 1946 - Basildon Town Football Club is formed
- 1948 - Basildon Cricket Club is formed, they play matches on what is now the Tractor Plant
- 1949 - Basildon is designated a new town
- 1951 - Eastern National open a small depot
- 1951 - (18 June) The first New Town tenants move in to houses in Vange
- 1958 - (16 August) The first shop opens in Basildon town centre
- 1958 - (6 September) The new 50 stall Basildon Market opens
- 1960 - The Duke of Edinburgh visits Basildon to open the Carreras Cigarette Factory
- 1961 - (October) Basildon Bus Station is opened
- 1962 - (18 June) All services on the London, Tilbury & Southend railway are now solely operated by electric trains following the withdrawal of steam locomotion
- 1962 - (July) The Mother & Child Statue in the Town Centre is designed by late William Lambert R.A.
- 1962 - (10 November) St. Martin's Church, Basildon is opened
- 1963 - (2 December) Basildon Police Station in Great Oaks becomes operational
- 1964 - The Ford Tractor Plant in Cranes Farm Road opens
- 1965 - Chalvedon Secondary School in Wickford Avenue is opened
- 1967 - Armada Sports Junior Football Club change their name to [Basildon United F.C.|Basildon United Football Club]
- 1969 - (3 February) The Laindon Picture Theatre is demolished to make way for a dual carriageway
- 1971 - Marks and Spencers opens it store in Basildon Town Square No One Enters For Fear Of Consumerism
- 1973 - (1 April) Basildon Hospital in Nethermayne opens
- 1974 - Basildon railway station is opened
- 1978 - Tesco Supermarket opens in Pitsea
- 1980 - Savacentre opens in Basildon Town Centre along with the first phase on the Eastgate Shopping Centre
- 1981 - (20 February) Depeche Mode release their first single, "Dreaming of Me", which reaches #57
- 1982 - (17 April) Yazoo release their first single, "Only You", which reaches #2
- 1984 - (23 June) Alison Moyet releases her first solo single, "Love Resurrection", which reaches #10
- 1984 - (14 April) Wat Tyler Country Park is opened
- 1985 - (November) Eastgate Shopping Centre is completed
- 1988 - The Towngate Theatre opens
- 1990 - (26 September) St. Luke's Hospice is opened by Duchess of York
- 1993 - Basildon athletic's runner Eamonn Martin wins the 13th annual London Marathon on his debut
- 1997- Building of Festival Lesuire Park begins
- 1998 - (July) Fryerns Community School is closed
- 2005 - Barstable School and Chalvedon School federate.
- Some entries appear courtesy of the [Basildon History Online] website chronology.
Census Population
The population of Basildon, including Pitsea, Vange and Laindon as calculated on the census. This eventually included Billericay and Wickford.- 1801 - 707
- 1851 - 950
- 1901 - 638 (Wickford only)
- 1921 - 4,489
- 1931 - 12,968
- 1961 - 48,047
- 1971 - 80,252
- 1981 - 94,232
- 1991 - 161,124
- 2001 - 165,668 (approx. 75% increase in 20 years & 244% increase in 40 years)
From Basildon
- Alison Moyet - Singer, joined Vince Clarke from Depeche Mode to form Yazoo
- Dave Gahan - Lead singer from Depeche Mode
- Martin L. Gore - Lead songwriter, guitar and keyboard player from Depeche Mode
- Andrew Fletcher - Keyboard player from Depeche Mode
- Vince Clarke - Songwriter, founder of Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure
- Eamonn Martin - Runner and London Marathon winner
- Joan Sims - Actress from the Carry On films, born in Laindon
- Scott Robinson - singer from 5ive
- Chantelle Houghton - Winner of Big Brother
External links
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