History
In Saxon times, the location on which the church now stands was surrounded by tidal marshland. This is the probable location for the minster church established by St Cedd at Tilaburg which is mentioned in Bede's History of the English Church.
In the 1860s, Coalhouse Fort was constructed on the bank of the Thames, close to the parish church. This fort was an active part of the defences of London up to and including World War II, having originally been developed as a precaution against French ironclads approaching London up the Thames it was refortified with new armaments as threats changed over the years.
From 1894 to 1936 East Tilbury was part of the Orsett Rural District. The East Tilbury Civil Parish was abolished in 1936 when the area became part of Thurrock Urban District.
The construction of a Bata Shoes factory in the 1930s resulted in substantial development in East Tilbury. The factory has since closed down.
The Bata company developed not only a factory, but also a town for workers, built in the modernist style, and a sizeable estate of listed buildings remains. A sizeable Czech workforce was relocated here, and has merged into the local community after connections were lost with Czechoslovakia after the Second World war. John Tusa's father became manager of the factory.
Read more about this topic: East Tilbury
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