The churchyard, about 60 m (200 ft) above sea level, overlooks the Crouch and Thames river valleys.

Ebba left due to family quarrels and was succeeded by Edwy, who was persuaded by Bishop Earconwald to build a church in 669 which was dedicated to Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury.

William the Conqueror gave 39 lordships in Essex to his half-brother, Odo of Bayeux, and Great Burstead became his capital manor.

Bell number two, built in 1724 by Thomas Gardiner in Sudbury, Suffolk, weighs 450 lbs.(228 kg).

King Richard II's soldiers pursued the Essex men towards Norsey Woods, north-east of Billericay, and the insurgents hastily set up barricades with wagons.

Unpopular with its crew, he bankrupted the ship and survived a near-mutiny only when the Mayflower sighted land.

Martin died on 8 January 1621 and was buried at the Coles Hill Burial Ground in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

After surviving the Mayflower voyage, he died on 24 December 1620 when exploration of Plymouth Harbour had just been completed.

The population of east London were denied the comfort of their beds on 23 September 1916 by police whistles, as the city was attacked by four German zeppelins.

A further burst of machine-gun fire with delayed incendiary bullets severely damaged the airship's gas-filled cells; the ship twisted and turned, blazing from end to end, shedding burning debris as she passed over Billericay's High and Chapel Streets.

Local residents said that it sounded like a train rattling windows, making a rushing noise as it went past, and the fire illuminated the countryside for miles around.

The body of the commander was found in the field, and the rest of the crew died in the L 32's twisted aluminum hull.

[11][10] The 22 crew members of L 32[10] were recovered and placed in a barn near Greens Farm Lane,[13] The next morning, the church road was impassable due to spectators approaching the crash site.

[14] Two days later, the bodies of the Zeppelin crew were transported by road to a prepared burial site.

Cater Museum curator Ted Wright[17] wrote a book, The Fate of the Zeppelin L32;[18] according to Wright, Mr. Frederick Eales, a local of Billericay, noticed a military-looking gentleman passing along the high street and asked if he could help, The gentleman replied that he was a high-ranking German officer seeking the whereabouts of the grave of the men of L32.

Some weeks later, a parcel arrived from Germany containing a glass bowl with a zeppelin engraved on it and a letter of appreciation for Mr. Eales' help.St Mary Magdalene is a parish church in the Deanery of Basildon in the Diocese of Chelmsford.