Billericay

Billericay ( BIL-ə-RIK-ee) is a historic market town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon, Essex, England. It lies 23 miles (37 km) east of the City of London. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 28,562 and the built-up area was 34,075. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Abbot of West Ham, in his Manor of Great Burstead. During the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, the Essex rebels were defeated in a battle with Richard II's forces in the Battle of Billericay. In 1620, four local people were on board the Mayflower as it sailed to Massachusetts, to establish the first English settlement in what would become the north of the United States. The town has long taken a pride in this connection; many businesses and other organisations use the name Mayflower, with the town council and other local organisations using it as their emblem.