House Names and Numbering

When many of these early houses were built, the owners had to identify them in some way as house numbers were not routinely allocated to private estates until much later. The houses were thus given names by their owners, some of which survive to the present day. After the Second World War notices were issued by Thurrock Urban District Council to most houses in the area requiring the householders to display the allocated number within one week from the date of the notice on pain of a forty shilling fine for non- compliance. House numbers are usually odd to the left side of the road and even to the right as viewed away from the town centre.

The names generally fell into disuse after these notices were issued although there are some properties in the area which still have only names rather than numbers.

Today, residents are free to add a name to their house, particularly an original, although the allocated number, where there is one, remains the official address and a name cannot be used in its stead.