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Heronsgate (or formerly Herringsgate) is a settlement on the outskirts of Chorleywood (where the 2011 Census population was included), Hertfordshire founded by Feargus O'Connor and the Chartist Cooperative Land Company (later the National Land Company) as O'Connorsville or O'Connorville in 1846. The Chartist Cooperative Land Society was launched by the National Charter Association in 1845 with the aim of resettling industrial workers from the cities on smallholdings, making them independent of factory employers and potentially qualifying them for the vote.
Map of Heronsgate, Rickmansworth, UK
Chartists were invited to subscribe regular amounts towards an eventual £2.50 (£2/10s) share in the venture. Soon the money began to flood in, pennies and shillings at a time, and was deposited in an account held by Feargus O'Connor in the London Joint Stock Bank.
The land was bought on 14 March 1846, the plots allocated by ballot on 20 April 1846 (Easter Monday) and settled on 1 May 1847.
In addition to the 35 plots of land covering 103 acres (0.42 km2), a beer house was also provided, now the Land of Liberty, Peace, and Plenty public house.
The National Land Company was wound up by Act of Parliament in 1851. The estate was administered by the Court of Chancery until the freeholds were sold off by auction on 27 May 1857.
From 1936 to 1955, a villa in Heronsgate was the global headquarters of the International Esperanto-League (since 1947 called World Esperanto Association).
Heronsgate lies by junction 17 of the M25.