See Norden, _Speculi Britanniae Pars: an Hist. and Geogr. Descrip. of the County of Essex_ (1594) (edited for the Camden Society by Sir Henry Ellis, 1840, from the original MS. in the Marquis of Salisbury's library at Hatfield); Nicholas Tindal, _Hist. of Essex_ (1720); N. Salmon, _The Hist. and Antiq. of Essex_ (London, 1740)--based on the collections of James Strangman of Hadleigh (v. _Trans. of Essex Arch. Soc._ vol. ii.); P. Morant, _Hist. and Antiq. of the County of Essex_ (London, 1768); P. Muilman, _New and Complete Hist. of Essex from a late Survey, by a Gentleman_ (Chelmsford, 6 vols., 1770-1772, London, 1779); Elizabeth Ogbourne, _Hist. of Essex_ (London, part i., 1814); _Excursions through Essex, illustrated with one hundred engravings_ (2 vols., London, 1818); T. Wright, _Hist. and Topography of Essex_ (1831); W. Berry, _Pedigrees of Families in Essex_ (1841); A. Suckling, _Memorials of the Antiquities, &c., of the County of Essex_ (London, 1845); W. Andrews (ed.), _Bygone Essex_ (London, 1892); J.T. Page (ed.), _Essex in the Days of Old_ (London, 1898); _Victoria County History, Essex; Transactions of the Essex Arch. Soc._ from 1858. An account of various MS. collections connected with the county is given by H.W. King in vol. ii. of the _Transactions_ (1863). ESSEX, KINGDOM OF, one of the kingdoms into which Anglo-Saxon Britain was divided, properly the land of the East Saxons. Of its origin and early history we have no record except the bare statement of Bede that its settlers were of the Old Saxon race. In connexion with this it is interesting to notice that the East Saxon dynasty claimed descent from Seaxneat, not Woden. The form Seaxneat is identical with Saxnot, one of three gods mentioned in a short continental document probably of Old Saxon origin. Bede does not mention this kingdom in his narrative until 604, the year of the consecration of Mellitus to the see of London. The boundaries of Essex were in later times the rivers Stour and Thames, but the original limits of the kingdom are quite uncertain; towards the west it probably included most if not the whole of Hertfordshire, and in the 7th century the whole of Middlesex. In 604 we find Essex in close dependence upon Kent, being ruled by Saberht, sister's son of Aethelberht, under whom the East Saxons received Christianity. The three sons of Saberht, however, expelled Mellitus from his see, and even after their death in battle against the West Saxons, Eadbald of Kent was unable to restore him. In the year 653 we find North-umbrian influence paramount in Essex, for King Sigeberht at the instance of Oswio became a Christian and received Cedd, the brother of St Chad, in his kingdom as bishop, Tilbury and _Ythanceastere_ (on the Blackwater) being the chief scenes of his work. Swithhelm, the successor of Sigeberht, was on terms of friendship with the East Anglian royal house, King Aethelwald being his sponsor at his baptism by Cedd.