In the latest of her occasional articles reflecting on the history of Thurrock and wider south Essex, Susan Yates - chair of Thurrock Historical Society - takes a look at the borough's old church and reflects on a tragedy that claimed young young lives at a nearby refinery.

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ST Marys Church in Old Corringham is the oldest surviving church in Thurrock. 

Grade I listed, it sits in the village surrounded by 16th, 17th and 18th century houses and opposite the 15th century Bull Inn. If only they could talk? One wonders what stories these buildings would tell. The church and the pub were always the heart of any village and Corringham would have been no exception.

The church has a late 11th century west tower with pyramid roof, which is one of the most important early Norman monuments in Essex without buttresses and with its two rows of blind arcading.

The chancel and nave date from the same period. The north aisle is 11th and 14th century as is the north chapel. It is built of ragstone rubble and flint. Interestingly it is believed that the herringbone pattern of the masonry in the south wall of the chancel dates the church to back before the Norman invasion or perhaps came from an older church on the same site.

Inside the church are two brasses the first in the floor of the chancel and chantry chapel to Richard de Beltoun Rector circa 1340 and the other to a civilian circa 1450 who could be Thomas Baud Esquire, Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire, who held the manor of Corringham. 

There is another brass between the chancel and St. Katherine's chapel to Robert Draper, parson of Corringham, who died 18th December 1597 which bears the following verse:

• "As thou art so was I
• As I am so shalt thou be"

Outside the church not far from the porch is the grave of Frank James Jiggins, aged 15 years of Alston Villas, Corringham. Frank was a Scout Patrol leader with 1st Fobbing Scouts and  the son of Mr and Mrs James Jiggins. Young Frank was killed in an explosion at Shell Mex Limited's Shell Haven premises.

According to the Thurrock Gazette the accident on Thursday 28th August 1924 also caused the death of Herbert Ravening aged 41 years, a widower of Fulham and injured A. Brown, J. Jacobs, J.W. Pocket and Oliver James Nunn. Frank Jiggins was employed as a messenger boy by Shell Mex Ltd. 

At the inquest it appears that Mr Jiggins testified that he heard of the accident about 12 noon and later in the mortuary he identified his son's body. It is thought Frank died instantly whereas Herbert Ravening died a week later from burns received in the explosion, although on morphine, he still remained conscious and told his father, when questioned after the incident, that he did not know what had happened only that he was eating his lunch with Frank, both sitting on the front of the lorry which was being filled with petrol for delivery, when an explosion blew them both off and it started raining petrol. 

The petrol ignited and rained down like a fountain. Frank died immediately from trauma although his body did sustain burns after his demise.

Frank was buried on the following Tuesday with full Scout honours and a large attendance of sympathisers. Frank Jiggins was also a member of the Fobbing Church Choir and a Sunday Scholar. There was a parade of Scouts and Cubs and the service was conducted by the Rev. F. Davis.

The cause of the tragedy was never established although a couple of theories were expounded.  

The first theory was that a stray spark from the train engine ignited the fuel resulting in an explosion. The second theory was that Mr Pocket, one of the injured men, was wearing shoes with nails in the soles and that he accidentally dragged his feet across the ground and the nails in the soles of his shoes caused a spark which ignited the fuel causing the explosion. 

Whatever the cause, whoever was responsible, if anyone, it is a sad story and a tragic end for one so young.