First recorded in 969AD as 'Winintuna', there is a suggestion that Wennington was named for the Saxon chief, Wynna. It is a small, ancient marshland village bounded on the west and north by Rainham, and east by the village of Aveley, and south by the Thames. Its boundary with Aveley was being disputed in the 19th century but ultimately settled in 1842. A manor house existed in 1198, known as Wennington Westminster or Wennington Hall, and the church of St Mary and St Peter was also built about this time. The church stands on a ridge of land across the marshes, and is the only remaining medieval building in the village, although it has seen many changes and alterations. The 12th century doorway remains but most of the present church dates from the 13th century, and the tower from the 15th century. It is believed there had also been a Saxon church on this site, and a church is officially recorded in Wennington in 1042-1044 when Edward the Confessor confirmed the parish as belonging to Westminster Abbey. In 1066, the recorded population of Wennington had been eight, but by 1670 there were twelve houses, and by 1801 there were 91 recorded inhabitants. In the 1880s, when wealthy Rainham industrialists chose to live in Wennington, some prosperity came to the area and the population began to rise, but Wennington remained a rural parish, with agriculture as its main occupation and pasture land predominant. Market gardening had become well established by about 1841, and Wennington was producing large quantities of vegetables, especially peas for the London market. From 1865 onwards, several factories and manufacturers tried to set up in Wennington but with less success. Firstly, the Fresh Meat Preserving Company was founded, but passed to James Ingram & Sons, india-rubber manufacturers, just one year later. In 1881 chemical manufacturers, John Kidd & Company, took over, and they also built a coffee house c1882, which survived until 1973. They leased the factory in 1885 to the Camden Marine Steam laundry, but it burnt down in 1891. Wennington was part of Hornchurch Urban district from 1934, until it became part of Havering in 1965. 2019 the Havering Hoard was discovered in Wennington during an archaeological survey prior to a new gravel pit being opened up. The 453 pieces of bronze was the largest hoard discovered in London and the third .
Henry of Yevele was a medieval master-mason and architect who held lands in Wennington. He was involved
in work on the
Bloody Tower in the Tower of London, and the naves of Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral Wennington Hall
has a
history dating back to the Domesday Book. It was held by Edward the Confessor in the 11th century, and in the
14th
century by Henry of Yevele, who served as Speaker in two Parliaments of Richard II. However, Wennington Hall has
been
rebuilt and undergone many alterations, and is today a modern 20th century building.
Nicholas Brady was rector in Wennington in the late 19th century, and lived at Rainham Hall. He compiled
careful notes on the history of the parish,
and took the lead in the social life of Wennington, encouraging concerts, magic lantern shows and glee clubs,
mostly
centred at the newly built school. Wennington School was built in 1887 adjoining the church. Until then,
children had
been taught in private houses, and in a thatched cottage in Church Lane that had been owned by the
churchwardens. The
cottage has since been demolished, and the school was converted into three dwellings in 1966.
Henry Perigal,a bookkeeper and eccentric amateur mathematician, was a descendent of a Huguenot family
which had immigrated to England in
the 17th century. His life spanned almost the entire 19th century. Although he wrote on many subjects, he is
primarily
known for providing proof for the Pythagorean Theorem in his booklet, Geometric Dissections and Transpositions,
the
details of which are recorded on his memorial in the churchyard of St Mary & St Peter. He was a member of the
London
Mathematical Society, treasurer of the Royal Meteorological Society, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society,
and, at
the age of 94, he became a member of the Royal Institution.
A reformatory ship, called the Cornwall, was moored at nearby Purfleet in 1859? It could accommodate up to 250 boys who had been committed to detention for more than three years. Some terraced houses for its staff were built in Wennington, as well as a large laundry. We have a reminder that the laundry once stood here in the name of Laundry Cottages on Wennington Road.