MARTLEY

Descriptive Notes:
St Peter's Church at Martley has the oldest complete ring of six bells, cast together, in the whole country, made in 1674 by Richard Keene of Woodstock in Oxfordshire.

Status:
Ancient Parish [25]
A chapel at Areley Kings, which was a separate parish by 1535. A hamlet at Hillhampton which was a separate Civil Parish in 1866. [25]

Location:
O.S. Ref: SO756598
7½ miles N.W. of Worcester on the B4204
Hill Top, 1 mile S. by W.; Horsham, 1 mile S.W.; Berrow Green, 1 mile south & Prickley Green, 1 mile north are small hamlets. [57]

Parish Church:
St. Peter

Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction:
Archdeaconry & Diocese of Worcester [1]

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

Poor Law Union:
Martley [3] [25]

Adjoining Parishes:
Shelsley Beauchamp; Great Witley; Astley; Shrawley; Little Witley; Wichenford; Broadwas; Doddenham; Whitbourne (Herefordshire); Clifton on Teme [1]

Parish Registers:

		Coverage	Source
Microform at WLHC	Christenings	1625-1926	[5]
	Marriages	1625-1971	[5]
	Burials	1626-1953	[5]
	Banns	1824-1908	[5]
Transcripts at WLHC	Christenings	1743-1838	[27]
	Marriages	1743-1837	[27]
	Burials	1743-1837	[27]
	General	1626-1743	[27]
Originals at WRO	Banns	1824-1976	[12]

Bishops' Transcripts:
Begin 1628 Worcestershire Library and History Centre [22]

Register Copies:
At BMSGH Shop
St Peter: Christenings 1626-1838 Marriages & Burials 1626-1837

At BMSGH Reference Library [7]
Marriages 1933-1971
Baptisms 1626-1838 Marriages and Burials 1626-1837

At Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office [71]
Christenings 1626-1838 Marriages 1626-1837 Burials 1626-1837 

At Society of Genealogists [68] :-
MARTLEY : Christenings 1625-1924, Marriages 1625-1933, Burials 1625-1953 [Microfilm.]   Published Salt Lake City : Genealogical Society of Utah, 1964

MARTLEY (St Peter) : Christenings 1626-42, 1654-1838, Marriages 1626-39, 1662-1837, Burials 1626-42, 1654-1837   IN: Worcestershire Registers   Published Birmingham : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, 1991   Author Howard, Michael (transcriptions.) Source D: Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry

Monumental Inscriptions and Associated Documents:
Monumental inscriptions in interior of Martley church [1930's-1971] transcript Worcestershire Library and History Centre [51]

War Memorials:
For the names of those commemorated on a War Memorial at  St. Peter's Church see:
http://www.rememberthefallen.co.uk/Casualties/ListByMemorial/Martley St Peter's Church

Census Records:
All the censuses between 1841 and 1901 are now available on a number of fee-paying (Subscription or PayAsYouGo) sites including Ancestry.co.uk, FindMyPast.co.uk, thegenealogist.co.uk and genesreunited.co.uk. The 1911 census is available in full or in part on some of these sites. We are unable to advise on the choice of site since researchers' personal preferences will be influenced by the content and search facilities offered by each site. Some sites offer a free trial.

Access to the library edition of Ancestry.co.uk is widely available at most record offices, including Worcestershire Library and History Centre, and some libraries. You are advised to book time on their computers before making a visit. 

A free-to-view site is being developed at freecen.org.uk for the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1891 censuses.  Coverage of Worcestershire parishes is rather sparse at this time.

Census returns can usually be viewed at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' Family History Centres.

Some repositories offer census details on microform, disc or printed copy. These include:
1841-1901 at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [14]
1891- 1901 Martley Workhouse

At Society of Genealogists :-
Worcestershire 1851 census index HO 107/2041 : Martley registration district [Microfiche.] - Published , 1997 - Author: Friend, A F (trans.)
Worcestershire 1851 census returns : Martley registration district HO 107/2041 [Microfilm.] - Published London : Public Record Office, 1996
Worcestershire 1861 census returns : Martley registration district RG/9 2085-2088 [Microfilm.] - Published London : Public Record Office, 1996
Worcestershire 1891 census returns: Martley registration district RG 12/2320-2323 - Published London Public Record Office 2003

Search Services (Fee paying) - BMSGH and Independent:
Burial 1660-1837 Worcestershire Burial Index
Marriage see Worcestershire Marriage Index

Manorial Records:
Worcestershire Record Office [50]
Court rolls 1556, 1566, 1567, 1568, 1569, 1577, 1589, 1622; Rent roll 1463-4; Tenant list 1555; Rental 15th cent., 1521, 1537, 1538, 1558, 1567-8, 1626, 1631

Parish Records on microform at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [13]
Apprenticeship indentures 1699-1767
Marriage licences 19th cent.

Schools Records:
The following school records are original documents. Note reference number and contact staff at Worcestershire Record Office:
Martley C E Infants' School
Log books - 1920 - 1963 - Ref: BA 3973/ (i) (ii)

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

Directories:
MARTLEY, a parish in the upper division of the hundred of DODDINGTREE, county of WORCESTER, 7 miles (N. W. by W.) from Worcester, containing, with the hamlet of Hillhampton, 1264 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Worcester, rated in the king's books at £22. 10. T. B. Paget, Esq. was patron in 1795. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, has lately received an addition of two hundred and one sittings, of which one hundred and fiftyone are free, the Incorporated Society for the enlargement of churches and chapels having granted £100 towards defraying the expense. [Topographical Dictionary of England 1831 by Samuel Lewis]

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© Arthur Lewis and contributors 2008
Comments, additions, corrections etc to Arthur Lewis
Last updated on 5th December 2011

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