FECKENHAM

Descriptive Notes:

Directories:
FECKENHAM, a parish in the upper division of the hundred of HALFSHIRE, county of WORCESTER, 7 miles (E. by S.) from Droitwich, containing 2383 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Worcester, rated in the king's books at £9, endowed with £400 private benefaction, £400 royal bounty, and £1500 parliamentary grant, and in the patronage of the Rev. Edward Neal. The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. There is a place of worship for Independents. A free grammar school was founded by Sir Thomas Cookes, Bart., and endowed with £ 50 per annum, arising out of lands in the neighbourhood, a regular attendance at which for two years renders young men eligible to scholarships established by the founder in Worcester College, Oxford; but preference is given to those educated at the school at Bromsgrove. This place gave name to an adjoining forest, and has long been noted for the manufacture of needles and fish hooks. There are fairs for cattle on March 26th and September 30th: a court leet is held in October, when a constable is chosen. John de Feckenham, an eminent Roman Catholic divine, and the last abbot of Westminster, was born here; he held disputations with Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer, but performed kind offices for many others of the persecuted protestants in the reign of Mary. [Topographical Dictionary of England 1831 by Samuel Lewis]

Status:
Ancient Parish [25]
Ecclesiastical boundary altered as follows:
In 1850 to help create Headless Cross Ecclesiastical Parish (with Ipsley Ancient Parish & Tardebigge Ancient Parish)
In 1950 to help create (with Headless Cross Ecclesiastical Parish) Astwood Bank with Crabbs Cross Ecclesiastical Parish [25].
Astwood a separate parish in 1981.[5]
Civil boundary altered:
In 1894 to create Feckenham Urban Civil Parish from the part of Feckenham Ancient Parish in Redditch Urban District. [25]

Location:
O.S. Ref: SP009616
7½ miles east of Droitwich along the B4090
Callow Hill, 2 miles north & Ham Green 1½ miles north form a district of scattered houses. Hunt End, 2½ miles N.E. and 2 south from Redditch is a village in Feckenham parish. Astwood Bank is a large and pleasant village and hamlet, in the parish of Feckenham, 2 miles N.E. from Feckenham, 3 south from Redditch and 1½ west from Studley and Astwood Bank ... [57]

Parish Church:
St. John Baptist, The Square, Feckenham

Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction:
Archdeaconry & Diocese of Worcester until 1974, Archdeaconry of Dudley & Diocese of Worcester (1974 - *) [25]

Hundred:
Upper Halfshire [11] [25] [28]

Poor Law Union:
Alcester, pt Redditch [25]

Adjoining Parishes:
Tardebigge; Redditch; Ipsley (Warwickshire); Hanbury; Coughton (Warwickshire); Inkberrow; Bradley [1]

Parish Registers:

		Coverage	Source
Microform at WLHC	Christenings	1538-1940	[5]
	Marriages	1538-1950	[5]
	Burials	1538-1957	[5]
	Banns	1809-1912	[5]
Transcripts at WLHC	Christenings	1538-1899	[27]
	Marriages	1538-1900	[27]
	Burials	1538-1894	[27]
Originals at WRO	Banns	1754-86	[12]

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

International Genealogical Index (IGI):
[19]

		Coverage
Parish Registers	Births / Christenings	1538-1875
Astwood Baptists	"	1788-1837

Register Copies:
At Society of Genealogists [68]
St. John the Baptist: Christenings 1538-1940, Marriages 1538-1950, Burials 1538-1957, banns 1754-86, 1809-1912 [Microfilm.] - Published Salt Lake City Genealogical Society of Utah 2004 
St. John the Baptist : Christenings 1538-1899, Marriages 1538-1900, Burials 1538-1894 (3 vols) - Published Feckenham Parochial Church Council 1997 - Author: Atkins, Elizabeth A et al. (trans.)

Monumental Inscriptions and Associated Documents:
St.John the Baptist BMSGH microfiche [53]
St.John the Baptist Worcestershire Library and History Centre [51]

At Society of Genealogists [59] :-
St. John the Baptist: Worcestershire monumental inscriptions, vol. 7 [Typescript.] - Published Birmingham : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, 1989 - Authors: Bushell, L (trans.) & Farmer, G R (trans.)

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- 91 Redditch Library
1861- 91 Warwickshire County Record Office
1841 51 81 91 Stratford upon Avon Library & Information Centre
Callow Hill 1881 Stratford upon Avon Library & Information Centre
Warwickshire 1891 census returns: Alcester registration district RG 12/2480-2483 [Microfilm.] - Published London Public Record Office 2003 Society of Genealogists

Search Services (Fee paying) - BMSGH and Independent:
Burial1660-1840 Worcestershire Burial Index
Marriage see Worcestershire Marriage Index

Manorial Records:
Worcestershire Record Office [50]
Account of the boundaries of the manor 31 Eliz; Court book 1706-18; Court rolls, various dates 1377-1588

Parish Records on microform at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [13]
Overseers accounts 1675-1821
Churchwardens accounts 1742-1932
Bastardy accounts 1836-37
Examination book for poor relief 1831-36
Paupers pay accounts 1836-43
Parish houses rent book 1840-48
Vestry minutes 1803-37
Select vestry minutes 1818-25
Vestry minutes 1825-1947

Schools Records:
The following school records are original documents. Note reference number and contact staff at Worcestershire Record Office:
Feckenham C E School
Log book - 1914-58 - Ref: BA 2409 

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

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© Arthur Lewis and contributors 2008
Comments, additions, corrections etc to Arthur Lewis
Last updated on 29th March 2008

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