History
The dock was constructed at the site of Dagenham Breach, an area of flooded marsh caused by the breaching of the sea wall in 1707, and repeatedly flooded in the 18th Century. After a number of failed attempts, in 1865 Sir John Rennie built a jetty and a branch railway, but the company failed financially. The site was acquired and Dagenham Dock was constructed over 30 acres (120,000 m2) from 1887 by Samuel Williams.
Early in the 20th Century HMS Thunderer, the last major warship built on the Thames, was fitted out at a new jetty, still known as the Thunderer Jetty.
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Tacitus (c. 55–117)