ALVECHURCH

Descriptive Notes:

Alvechurch village was important in medieval times. The Bishop of Worcester, who was Lord of the Manor, had a palace there, and many bishops down to the sixteenth century lived there and conducted their business from the palace. ( From the website of the Parish Church of St Laurence at www.alvechurch-stlaurence.org/history.htm)

Directories:
ALVECHURCH, a parish, forming a detached portion of the middle division of the hundred of OSWALDSLOW, locally in the upper division of the hundred of Halfshire, county of WORCESTER, 4½ miles (B. N. E.) from Bromsgrove, containing 1413 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, in. the peculiar jurisdiction of the Incumbent, rated in the king's books at £24. 16. 8., and in the patronage of the Bishop of Worcester. The church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, has Norman pillars; but the chancel displays the early English style, and the tower is more modern. The Bishops of Worcester had a palace here so early as the reign of Henry II, which, after the sale of the manor by the parliament, in 1648, was suffered to fall to decay, and has now entirely disappeared. A hospital for nine persons was incorporated by Queen Elizabeth. The Birmingham and Worcester canal runs through the parish. Fairs for cattle and sheep are held on the 22nd of April and the 10th of August. In 1742, Dr. Worth bequeathed £138. 2. 2., now producing £16 per annum, for the establishment of a free school. The Roman Iknieldstreet passed through Alvechurch, in its course from Alcester towards Lichfield. The learned Dr. Hickes, author of the Thesaurus Septentrionalium Linguarum, held the rectory of this parish. [Typographical Dictionary of England 1831 by Samuel Lewis]

Status:
Ancient Parish [25]

Location:
O.S. Ref: SP026724
3 miles north of Redditch along the A441 & B4120
Rowney Green is a hamlet 2 miles S.E. Barnt Green is a hamlet, or yield, 1¾ miles N.W. Forehill (or Ferrill) is a hamlet or yield, 2½ miles north. Hopwood is a hamlet or yield, 2 miles north. Lea End (or Leyend) is a hamlet, or yield, nearly 2 miles north. Withybed Green is ½ mile west & Weatheroak  2½ miles N.E. [57]

Parish Church:
St. Laurence, Jct.Station Rd. and School Lane, Alvechurch

Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction:
Peculiar of the Incumbent; Archdeaconry & Diocese of Worcester [1] [25]

Hundred:
A detached portion of Middle Oswaldslow, locally in Upper Halfshire [11] [25]

Poor Law Union:
Bromsgrove [3] [25]

Adjoining Parishes:
Kings Norton, Beoley, Redditch, Bordesley/Tardebigge, Bromsgrove, Cofton Hackett [1]

Parish Registers:

		Coverage	Source
Microform at WLHC	Christenings	1545-1968	[5]
	Marriages	1545-1968	[5]
	Burials	1545-1968	[5]
	Banns	1754-1811, 1823-65, 1920-60	[5]
Transcripts at WLHC	Christenings	1545-1837	[27]
	Marriages	1545-1837	[27]
	Burials	1545-1837	[27]

Bishops' Transcripts:
Begin 1609 Worcestershire Library and History Centre [22]

International Genealogical Index (IGI):
[19]

		Coverage
Parish Registers	Births / Christenings	1545-1875
	Marriages	1754-1876
Bishops' Transcripts	Births / Christenings	1609-1700 (57%)
	Marriages	1545-1754 (49%)

Register Copies:
Banns 1754-1811, 1823-65, 1920-60 Society of Genealogists [68]

Monumental Inscriptions and Associated Documents:
St.Lawrence BMSGH microfiche [53]
MIs at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [51]
Details of inscriptions in tombstones Worcestershire Record Office [12]

At Society of Genealogists [59] :
MIs in the churchyard (incomplete): Worcestershire monumental inscriptions, vol. 6 [Typescript.] - Published , 1985 - Author: Wheatcroft, Wyn (transcription)
St. Lawrence: Worcestershire monumental inscriptions, vol. 9 [Typescript.] - Published Birmingham : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, 1991 - Authors: Bushell, L & Farmer, G R (transcription)
St. Lawrence: MIs [Typescript.] - Published , 1991 - Author Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry (transcription)

Census Records:
Access to all the censuses between 1841 and 1901 is now widely available on the library edition of Ancestry.co.uk at most record offices. You are strongly advised to book time on their computers before making a visit.
Many commercial organisations have issued CDs and DVDs covering all the censuses from 1841 to 1901.

Some repositories offer census details on microfiche as listed below:
1841-1901 at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [14]

At Society of Genealogists :
1851 Census Worcestershire, vol. 10 Bromsgrove transcript & surname index : part 1 Stoke Prior & Bromsgrove (part); part 2 Belbroughton, Clent, Hagley, Pedmore, Frankley, Hunnington, Romsley, Tutnall & Cobley, Bromsgrove (part); part 3 Tardebigg, Tutnal & Cobley, Bentley Pauncefoot, Webheath, Redditch & Alvechurch - Published Birmingham : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, 1993-5 - Author: Friend, A F (transcription)

1871 census Greater Birmingham (part) plus Budbrooke, Dunchurch & Leamington surname & folio index plus images of the folios for pieces RG 10/2968-2974, 3076-3086, 3088-3089, 3119, 3134-3160 & 3187-3193 [CD-ROM] - Published Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry 2004 -

Search Services (Fee paying) - BMSGH and Independent:
Burial 1660-1840 Worcestershire Burial Index
Marriage see Worcestershire Marriage Index

Manorial Records:
Worcestershire Record Office [50]
Bailiff's Book containing presentments made at the Court Leet and Court Baron 1806-61; Account of chief rents 1790; Compotus rolls 1524-5; Court book 1707-90; Court papers 1740-1816; Court rolls 1559-1664; Description of boundary of the Manor determined by the Inclosure Commissioners 1819; Jury presentments, suit rolls, tenant lists, correspondence etc 1663-1858; Manor book 18th cent, 1781-1860; Rent rolls 1689; Rental 1695-1702; Stewards' accounts 1808-33; Surveys, valuations, manor books, rent rolls etc 17th-19th cents; Bordesley: Survey 1561
Parish Records on microform at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [13]
Notes on the history of and events in the parish, made between 1873 & 1879
Churchwardens A/C book 1827-1909
Conveyances, concerning Alvechurch schools 1855-84
Overseers of the poor account book 1824-26, 1831-32
Poor rate book 1817 & 1825-27
Highway rate and surveyors A/C book 1831-3
Highway surveyors A/C book 1839-40, 1842-3
Church rate book 1861-2, 1863-5, 24 August 1866, 2 November 1866
Vestry & parish meeting minute book 1829-88
Malt A/C book 1828-36
A/C book & memo book, probably W.Partridge 1837
Alphabetical index to field names 1870
St Thomas day fund A/C 1881-92
National School treasurers cash book 1894-7
National schools minutes of managers meeting 1905-20
Copy of Cofton Hackett tithe apportionment - 20th cent
Register of services 1874-1917
Terrier of church property 1936
Apprenticeship indentures & related papers, settlement certificates & other poor law papers 18th & 19th cent

Schools Records:
The following school records are original documents. Note reference number and contact staff at Worcestershire Record Office:
Rowney Green C E School
Admission register - 1912 - 58 - Ref: BA 3761
Log books - 1884 - 1958 - Ref: BA 2315

A handlist of other records of schools and of other educational establishments held by Worcestershire Record Office for this parish can be found at home.

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© Arthur Lewis and contributors 2008
Comments, additions, corrections etc to Arthur Lewis
Last updated on 19th March 2008

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