THIS week Down Memory Lane looks at one aspect of the use of the word Thurrock.

The word can be described as of Anglo-Saxon origin meaning either “the bottom part of the boat where the bilge water collects” or “a dung heap in a field”, both interesting descriptions, but not clear how or why the name came to be associated with our area.

The parishes of West Thurrock, Grays Thurrock (originally Thurrock) and Little Thurrock would appear to be the nucleus of a chieftain’s estate of post Roman date as the earliest Anglo-Saxon settlers arrived by boat down the Thames and began to set down their pioneer farming roots (they wer not all mercenaries!).

However, I have noticed at least two commercial uses of a corrupted ‘Thorrock’ (note the use of an O instead of U in the word).

One is the Grays-based Seabrooke Brewery, which used a brand of ‘Thorrock Beer’ in the 1920s.

I recently noticed in the Thurrock Museum collection a box of ‘Thorrock’ finest quality safety matches (average of 34 matches per box) bought in a Tilbury shop in 1966, sold under the name of E.V. Saxton but of foreign manufacture.

The company set up by E.V. Saxton (who died in 1939) was a well known and established Grays and district tobacconist and newsagent.

The main shop was in Orsett Road, but the company had a wholesale operation as well and it appears this business carried on in West Thurrock until 1999, when it was purchased by a bigger company. I wonder if readers have other examples of souvenirs or products with Thurrock or Thorrock on them?