BREDON

Descriptive Notes:

The ancient ecclesiastical parish of Bredon with Bredon's Norton includes five villages right on the edge of southern Worcestershire, bordering the County of Gloucester. The largest of the villages in the parish is Bredon, the other four being Bredon's Norton (1 1/2 miles north), Westmancote (1 mile N.E.), Bredon's Hardwicke (1 1/2 miles S.W.), and Kinsham (1 mile S.E.). There are two churches, the Parish Church of St. Giles in Bredon village, and a small chapelry in Bredon's Norton. In both churches regular services of worship are held every Sunday.
The village of Bredon is notable for its superb large 14th century medieval threshing barn which runs to an impressive 132 feet. It is noted for its dramatic aisled interior and unusual stone chimney cowling. It is now administered by the National Trust.

Directories:
BREDON, a parish comprising the chapelry of Norton, and the hamlets of Bredon, Hardwick with Mittons, Kinsham, and Westmancote in the middle division, and the chapelry of Cutsdean in the upper division, of the hundred of OSWALDSLOW, county of WORCESTER, and containing 1239 inhabitants, 3¾ miles (N. E. by N.) from Tewkesbury. The living is a rectory, in the peculiar jurisdiction of the rector, rated in the king's books at £72.11.0½ , and in the patronage of the Rev. John Keysall. The church, dedicated to St. Giles, has some specimens of Norman architecture, and contains, among other monuments, one to the memory of Dr. Prideaux, who was dismissed from the bishoprick of Worcester during the parliamentary war. The river Avon flows past this parish, and separates it from Gloucestershire on the west. From the summit of Bredon hill there is a pleasing, view of the vales of Evesham and Cotswold, including the winding course of the Severn. About the commencement of the present century, a fissure opened in the rock in the side of this hill, nearly two hundred yards long, fifteen feet wide, and of unequal depth: the top of the hill is crowned by a Roman encampment, with a double trench. William Hancocke, in 1718, gave land, the rental of which is applied in instructing, clothing, and apprenticing twelve boys. There is an almshouse for eight poor females, Bredon was given by Ethelbald, King of Mercia, previously to the year 716, to his kinsman Eanulph, in order that he might found a monastery here, in of St. Peter, which, previously to the Conquest, was annexed to the bishoprick of Worcester. At Mitton, in this parish, are the ruins of a chapel. [Topographical Dictionary of England 1831 by Samuel Lewis]

Status:
Ancient Parish [25]
Bredon included a chapel at Welland, which was a separate parish perhaps by 1300, a detached chapel at Cutsdean (which was a separate parish by 1866), a chapel at Bredon's Norton ( which perhaps was a separate parish by 1300, but its separate status was not sustained, hence this parish is ecclesiastically called 'Bredon with Bredon's Norton') [25]

Location:
O.S. Ref: SO920369
3½ miles N.E. of Tewkesbury along the B4080.
Westmancote is a small village and hamlet...4½ miles N.E. from Tewkesbury and 1 mile north from Bredon. Mitton, 2 miles south, was formerly a chapelry. Norton-by-Bredon is a hamlet 1 mile N.W. [57]

Parish Church:
St. Giles

Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction:
Peculiar of the incumbent / Archdeaconry & Diocese of Worcester [1] [25]

Hundred:
Middle Oswaldslow [15] [25] [28]

Poor Law Union:
Tewkesbury [3] [25]

Adjoining Parishes:
Bredons Norton; Eckington; Kemerton (Gloucestershire); Ashchurch (Gloucestershire); Tewkesbury (Gloucestershire); Twyning (Gloucestershire); Strensham [1]

Parish Registers:

		Coverage	Source
Microform at WLHC	Christenings	1559-1963	[5]
	Marriages	1562-1963	[5]
	Burials	1559-1963	[5]
Originals at WRO	Marriages	1562-1968	[12]
	Banns	1865-1968	[12]

Bishops' Transcripts:
Begin 1625 Worcestershire Library and History Centre [22]

International Genealogical Index (IGI):
[19]

		Coverage
Parish Registers	Births / Christenings	1559-1875

Nonconformist:
Westmancote Baptist (founded 1779): Marriages 1928-62 Worcestershire Library and History Centre
Church roll: Baptists Kinsham Villa:1875 Gloucestershire Archives

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 51 1901 at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [14]
1851 81 Gloucestershire Archives

At Society of Genealogists :
Gloucestershire 1851 Census index & transcription, vol. 19 : HO 107/1974 - [Tewkesbury registration district] Deerhurst & Overbury sub-districts - Worcestershire part: Index to the 1851 Census for Gloucestershire [Microfiche.] - Published Gloucestershire FHS, 1999
Gloucestershire 1891 census returns: Tewkesbury registration district RG 12/2049-2050 [Microfilm.] - Published London Public Record Office 2003

Search Services (Fee paying) - BMSGH and Independent:
Burial 1660-1852 Worcestershire Burial Index
Marriage see Worcestershire Marriage Index

Manorial Records:
Worcestershire Record Office [50]
Compotus rolls - various years 1375-1525; Court papers 1468-9; Court rolls - various years 1389-1500; Extent c.1265

Schools Records:
The following school records are original documents. Note reference number and contact staff at Worcestershire Record Office:
Bredon C P School
Admission registers (2 vols) - 1916 - 64 - Ref: BA 4275/2
Log books (2 vols) - 1888 - 1964 - Ref: BA 4275/1

Hancock's Endowed School
Indenture of apprenticeship of William Pearce to be a blacksmith - 1883 - Ref: BA 10413/3 (ii)
Log book of Handicraft - 1926 - 39 - Ref: BA 10413/3 (i)
Log books - 1885 - 1946 - Ref: BA 10413/1 (ii) (iii)
Register of Admissions - 1824 - 1986 - Ref: BA 10413/2 (ii) - (iv)

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

Other Sources:
Bredon Hill and Its Villages - R.H.Lloyd (1968) Society of Genealogists
The parish church of S. Giles', Bredon- Published Gloucester The British Publishing Co. Ltd. - Authors: Taylor, J F & Birch, L J Society of Genealogists
Tales from the country : The distant scene, Under the parish lantern & The secrets of Bredon Hill - a country chronicle of the year 1900 (3 vols. in boxed set) - Published London : Coronet Books, 1973 - Author: Archer, Fred Society of Genealogists
When village bells were silent - Published : Coronet Books, 1977 - Author: Archer, Fred Society of Genealogists

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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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