Rochford Rural District was a rural district

Rural district

Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...

 with an area of 146.01 square kilometres in the county

County

A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...

 of Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It was created in 1894, in 1897 the parish of Leigh

Leigh-on-Sea

Leigh-on-Sea , sometimes called Leigh, is a civil parish in Essex, England. It is part of Southend-on-Sea for administrative purposes. It became a civil parish in 1996. The council tax was increased to support it. A town council was formed. Leigh is the only parish in Southend...

 was removed to create the Leigh-on-Sea Urban District. In 1926 the parish of Canvey Island

Canvey Island

Canvey Island is a civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary in England. It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks...

 was removed to create the Canvey Island Urban District

Canvey Island Urban District

Canvey Island Urban District was an urban district in the county of Essex, England. It was created in 1926 out of the civil parish of Canvey Island, previously in the Rochford Rural District....

. In 1929 the parishes of Hadleigh

Hadleigh, Essex

Hadleigh is a town in southeast Essex, England, on the A13 between Benfleet and Leigh-on-Sea with a population of about 18,300.-History:Hadleigh is known for its castle, and the country park that surrounds it. The castle has been a romantic ruin for a few hundred years, but parts of two towers are...

, South Benfleet and Thundersley

Thundersley

Thundersley is a district in the north west of the Castle Point Borough, in south east Essex, England, about 35 miles east of London.-Toponymy:...

 were removed to create the Benfleet Urban District

Benfleet Urban District

Benfleet Urban District was an urban district in the county of Essex, England. It was created on 1 October 1929 by the merger of the civil parishes of Hadleigh, South Benfleet and Thundersley, all previously in the Rochford Rural District....

, at the same time the parishes of Rayleigh

Rayleigh, Essex

Rayleigh is a market town and civil parish in the District of Rochford in Essex, England, located between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea. It lies to the east of central London. It has a population of 30,196, having expanded rapidly in the 1960s.-Toponymy:...

 and Rawreth

Rawreth

Rawreth is situated between Wickford and Rayleigh.The area is mainly agricultural, sparsely populated and with a small amount of industry.Historically, most of the farmhouses in Rawreth were moated manors, many of which survive today....

 were removed to create the Rayleigh Urban District

Rayleigh Urban District

Rayleigh Urban District was an urban district in the county of Essex, England. It was created in 1929 by the merger of the civil parishes of Rayleigh and Rawreth, both previously in the Rochford Rural District....

.

Since April 1, 1974 it has formed part of the District of Rochford

Rochford (district)

Rochford is a local government district in Essex, England. It is named for one of its main settlements, Rochford, though the major centre of population in the district is the town of Rayleigh...

.

At the time of its dissolution it consisted of the following 12 civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

es.

• Ashingdon
  Ashingdon
  Ashingdon is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located about north of Rochford and is southeast from the county town of Chelmsford...
  
  
• Barling Magna
• Canewdon
  Canewdon
  Canewdon is a village in north Rochford District of Essex in England, approximately 4 miles northeast of the town of Rochford. Canewdon is situated on one of the highest hills of the Essex coastline from which St. Nicholas church affords wide views of the Crouch estuary. Canewdon parish extends...
  
  
• Foulness
  Foulness
  Foulness is an island on the east coast of Essex in England, which is separated from the mainland by narrow creeks. The large island had a usually resident population of 212 people in the 2001 census, who live in the settlements of Churchend and Courtsend, at the north end of Foulness. The island...
  
  
• Stambridge
• Great Wakering
  Great Wakering
  Great Wakering is a village in Essex, England. The nearest large town is Southend which is approximately four miles to the west of the village...
  
  
• Hawkwell
  Hawkwell
  Hawkwell is the second largest village and civil parish in the district of Rochford in Essex, England Rayleigh being the largest. The 2001 census gave a population for the parish of 11,231....
  
  
• Hockley
  Hockley
  Hockley is a large village and civil parish in Essex, England located between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea. More specifically it lies between Rayleigh and Rochford. It came to prominence during the coming of the railway in the 1890s and at the 2001 census had a population of 13,616 people, many...
  
  
• Hullbridge
  Hullbridge
  Hullbridge is a village and civil parish in the Rochford district of Essex in east England. Bordered to the north by the River Crouch, and semi-isolated from the nearby towns of Hockley and Rayleigh, Hullbridge has a population of around 7,300 ....
  
  
• Paglesham
  Paglesham
  Paglesham is situated in the north east of the Rochford Rural District, Essex. The Parish of Paglesham includes two hamlets of East End and Church End, which are situated near the River Crouch and Paglesham Creek. It is part of the Roach Valley Conservation Zone.At the East End is The Plough and...
  
  
• Rochford
  Rochford
  Rochford is a small town in the Rochford district of Essex in the East of England. It is sited about 43 miles from Central London and approximately 21 miles from the Essex county town, Chelmsford...
  
  
• Sutton
  Sutton, Essex
  Sutton is a civil parish in the District of Rochford in Essex, England. It is located between the River Roach and the adjoining Borough of Southend on Sea, and includes the Hamlet of Shopland...