Due to the growth of the settlement and the arrival of the ecclesiastical parish of St John the Baptist, in 1842, Southend formed a local board.

In 1877, the local board merged back with Prittlewell, with the new Southend district also including the settlements of Westcliff-on-Sea and Chalkwell.

[2] The local government district originally consisted of the South End of the parish of Prittlewell.

In 1877 the local government district was merged back with the parish of Prittlewell, which included the settlements of Westcliff-on-Sea and Chalkwell.

[9] At the same time, the former area of Shoeburyness Urban District, consisting of the parish of South Shoebury (1031 acres) was gained.

[10][11][12] Further offices opened in Alexandra Street, but plans were developed to build a new school, library and town hall on land owned by the council at Victoria Circus.

[13] A design by H. T. Hare was chosen, with an estimated price of £16,350, with a grant of £5,000 provided by Essex County Council towards the cost.

[13] In 1919, land was purchased on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Carnarvon Road to build a new further education college to host both the school of art and the evening class institute,[14] however the site was reassigned to be the home of a new town hall in 1934.

[17] The first Chief Constable was Henry Maurice Kerskake who had previously held the same role at Dewsbury Bourough Police.

The first was for Southend on Sea to become a non-metropolitan district with many powers returning to Essex County Council.