Essex, the name of five counties in the United States. I. A N. E. county of Vermont, bounded N. by Canada, and E. by the Connecticut river, which separates it from New Hampshire; area, 790 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 6,811. The surface is rough and mountainous, with numerous small lakes and ponds scattered over it. The soil is well watered, but, except in the valley of the Connecticut, not remarkable for fertility. It is traversed by the Grand Trunk railway from Portland to Montreal. The chief productions in 1870 were 13,613 bushels of Indian corn, 107,589 of oats, 229,-941 of potatoes, 18,809 tons of hay, 233,285 lbs. of butter, 24,132 of wool, and 178,188 of maple sugar. There were 1,383 horses, 2,543 milch cows, 4,341 other cattle, and 5,716 sheep; 2 flour mills, 27 saw mills, and 6 starch factories. Capital, Guildhall. II. A N. E. county of Massachusetts, bounded N. by New Hampshire, and E. and S. E. by the Atlantic and Massachusetts bay, and traversed by the Ipswich and Merrimack rivers, the latter of which is navigable as far as Haverhill by vessels of 200 tons; area, about 500 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 200,843. The surface is generally rough and the soil hard and rocky; but it is carefully cultivated, and in many places has been rendered very productive.

The chief sources of wealth are commerce and the fisheries, for the prosecution of which the long line of seacoast broken by beautiful bays offers great advantages. The fishing interest is more extensive here than anywhere else in the United States. The interior towns are extensively engaged in the manufacture of leather, shoes, and cotton. The Boston and Maine and the Eastern railroads, with several branches, pass through the county. The chief productions in 1870 were 9,256 bushels of rye, 94,033 of Indian corn, 27,427 of oats, 20,653 of barley, 310,807 of potatoes, 50,299 tons of hay, and 335,885 lbs. of butter. There were 3,177 horses, 9,076 milch cows, 5,636 other cattle, 1,254 sheep, and 4,938 swine. There were 2,821 manufacturing establishments; capital employed, $29,777,160; value of products, $96,990,868. Those most important were 445 of boots and shoes, 111 of boot and shoe findings, 12 of cotton goods, 21 of woollen and 13 of worsted goods, 79 of carriages and wagons, 13 of hats and caps, 2 establishments for printing cotton and woollen goods, 6 for bleaching and dyeing, 24 for preparing morocco, 76 for currying leather, 59 tanneries, 14 flour mills, 34 machine 6hops, 5 paper mills, 43 yards for building and repairing ships, and 10 manufactories of cordage and twine.

County towns, Salem, Lawrence, and New-buryport. III. A N. E. county of New York, bordering on Lake Champlain, and bounded N. partly by the river Au Sable; area, 1,656 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 29,042. The country along the lake shore is tolerably level, but the N. W. part is occupied by the Adirondack mountains, which are covered with thick forests. Tahawus or Mt. Marcy, 5,337 ft. high, is the principal summit, and the highest in the state. The county is drained by the head waters of Hudson river, and by Bouquet and Schroon rivers, which afford valuable water power, and has numerous small but picturesque lakes. The soil is well watered, and there are immense beds of magnetic iron ore. The chief productions in 1870 were 49,850 bushels of wheat, 100,662 of Indian corn, 317,-790 of oats, 49,184 of buckwheat, 406,122 of potatoes, 60,211 tons of hay, 993,974 lbs. of butter, 260,800 of wool, and 64,654 of maple sugar. There were 5,664 horses, 8,026 milch cows, 9,012 other cattle, 62,664 sheep, and 2,958 swine; 12 manufactories of carriages and wagons, 6 of charcoal, 3 of furniture, 20 of iron in various forms, 1 of nails and spikes, 1 of marble and stone work, 2 of sashes, doors, and blinds, 3 of starch, 2 of woollen goods, 7 tanneries, 17 saw mills, and 8 flour mills.

Capital, Elizabethtown. IV. A N. E. county of New Jersey, bounded E. by Passaic river and Newark bay, and W. by Passaic river; area, 200 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 143,839. The surface is generally level, but there are two elevated ridges in the W. part, known as First and Second mountains. Much of the soil is highly fertile. It is traversed by the New Jersey, the Newark, and Bloomfield, and the Morris and Essex railroads, and the Morris canal. The chief productions in 1870 were 7,579 bushels of wheat, 6,249 of rye, 66,192 of Indian corn, 22,107 of oats, 73,060 of potatoes, 11,328 tons of hay, and 125,232 lbs. of butter. There were 1,426 horses, 2,858 milch cows, 1,248 other cattle, and 1,164 swine. There is a large number of manufacturing establishments, chiefly in Newark, the capital. V. An E. county of Virginia, bounded N. E. by Rappahannock river; area, about 300 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 9,927, of whom 6,650 were colored. It has an uneven surface in the W. part; the soil is generally sandy, of little natural fertility, but greatly improved by the use of marl, guano, and lime. The chief productions in 1870 were 47,577 bushels of wheat, 264,605 of Indian corn, and 14,757 of oats. There were 624 horses, 3,250 other cattle, and 3,055 swine.

Capital, Tappahannock.

Essex #1

Essex, a S. W. county of Ontario, Canada, comprising a peninsula between Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair; area, 700 sq. m.; pop. in 1871, 32,697. It is separated from Michigan by the Detroit river, and is traversed by the Great Western railway. Capital, Sandwich.

Essex #2

Essex, a county on the E. coast of England, bounded S. by the river Thames, and bordering on Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, and Kent; greatest length from S. W. to N. E., 60 m.; greatest breadth, 45 m.; area, 1,657 sq. m.; pop. in 1871, 466,427. Except in the N. W., where there is a continual succession of hill and dale, the surface is nearly level, and in the S. and E. is partly occupied by large marshes. The soil is fertile, and the farms are accounted among the best in the kingdom. Wheat is the staple production. The county is famous for its veal. Valuable fisheries and oyster beds furnish employment to the inhabitants of the coast and adjacent islands. Silk is manufactured, and straw plait is made for London use. The principal channels of communication are the Eastern Counties railway and its various connections, and the rivers Thames, Lea, Stort, Chelmer, Stour, and Colne. Chelmsford, the county town, Colchester, Harwich, and Maldon are the chief towns.