Editing Dagenham (section)

===Manor of Barking===
Dagenham has been historically defined by its [[Civil Parish#Ancient parishes|ancient parish]] boundaries. The parish of Dagenham was formed in the medieval period from part of the huge manor of Barking, which was owned by the Nunnery of [[Barking Abbey]]. The Barking manor also included [[Barking, London|Barking]] and [[Ilford|Great Ilford]],<ref name="auto"/> which reversed the usual situation where a parish would be divided into one or more manors. As with other manors, the area held declined over time, and Barking Abbey was dissolved in 1539. The parish boundaries remained constant and were used to define Dagenham right up until the [[Municipal Borough of Dagenham]] was abolished in 1965.