PERSHORE HOLY CROSS

Descriptive Notes:
A monastic community had been established in Pershore by 689, coming under Benedictine rule in the 10th century. In 1090 the Norman Abbey was built, the south trancept and tower piers remaining to this day. Through the centuries, and particularly in 1223 and 1288, the building was severely damaged by fire. In 1540 the Abbey was surrendered to the King's Commissioners at the time of the Reformation. The monastic buildings, the Norman nave, the Lady Chapel and St Edburga's Chapel were demolished and their building materials were sold for what they could fetch. To their credit the parishioners of Pershore bought the monks' choir for £400 to be their parish church. Some alterations were carried out in later centuries including a restoration by George Gilbert Scott in 1852. Only a small portion of the original building now remains but it is still an impressive and beautiful structure.

Status:
Ancient Parish [25]
Originally a part of Pershore Abbey but a separate parish from the Dissolution. Included chapels at Strensham & Upton Snodsbury, both of which were separate parishes by 1535. Abolished civilly in 1949 to help create Pershore Civil Parish. Abolished ecclesiastically in 1729 to help create Pershore St Andrew with Pershore Holy Cross Ecclesiastical Parish. [25]

Location:
O.S. Ref: SO948458
The parish of Holy Cross includes the northern and western parts of the town of Pershore and stretches north-west to Kempsey and Pirton.
[From: 'Parishes: Pershore, Holy Cross', A History of the County of Worcester: volume 4 (1924), pp. 155-163. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42873. Date accessed: 15 February 2008.]

Walcot nearly 2 miles N.W. from Pershore and Wadborough, nearly 4 miles N.W., are hamlets. Broughton, 2½ miles N.N.W., is a chapelry annexed to Pershore. [57]

Parish Church:
The Abbey Church of the Holy Cross, Abbey Rd.,Pershore

Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction:
Archdeaconry & Diocese of Worcester [1] [25]

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

Poor Law Union:
Pershore [3] [25]

Adjoining Parishes:
Norton Juxta Kempsey; Stoulton; Peopleton; Pinvin; Wyre Piddle; Wick; Pershore St Andrew; Besford; Pirton; Kempsey [1]

Parish Registers:

		Coverage	Source
Microform at WLHC	Christenings	1539-1948	[5]
	Marriages	1540-1964	[5]
	Burials	1539-1908	[5]
	Banns	1754-92	[5]

There is a gap in the baptism registers for the period 1642-82.[5] Bishops' Transcripts:
Begin 1616 Worcestershire Library and History Centre [22]

International Genealogical Index (IGI):
[19]

		Coverage
Parish Registers	Births / Christenings	1540-1597
	Marriages	1614-1812

Monumental Inscriptions and Associated Documents:
Pershore Abbey BMSGH microfiche [53]
Abbey Church of the Holy Cross & St Andrew BMSGH microfiche [53]

At Worcestershire Library and History Centre [51] :-
The Holy Cross & St Edburga
Sepulchral monuments of Pershore (1929 microfilm)

At Society of Genealogists [59] :-
Abbey: Bloom's Worcestershire Monumental Inscriptions, part 1 [Manuscript.] - Author Bloom, J Harvey (trans.)
Abbey: Worcestershire Churchyard Inscriptions [Manuscript.] - Author Bloom, J Harvey (trans.)
Abbey Church of the Holy Cross & St. Andrew: Worcestershire monumental inscriptions vol. 15 [Typescript.] - Published Birmingham : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry - Author 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.
The findmypast.co.uk website offers access to the 1911 census. This is a Subscription or PayAsYouGo site. 
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]

Search Services (Fee paying) - BMSGH and Independent:
Burial 1682-1851 Worcestershire Burial Index
Marriage see Worcestershire Marriage Index

Parish Records on microform at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [13]
Overseers of the poor accounts & vestry meeting minutes 1753-77
Churchwardens accounts & vestry meeting minutes 1906-32
Bell ringers' meeting minutes 1904-33
Service register 1914-23, 1930-61
Confirmation register 1937-58
Amherst Charity Account book 1880-1939
General account book 1916-26
Communicants roll & register 1924-26
Scrapbook re Pershore War Memorial. Early 20th cent - loose pages in book containing lists of service men's names & information about them
Sepulchral monuments of Pershore transcribed in 1929
Parochial Church Council Finance Committee Minutes 1931-51
Names of persons elected to serve on various parochial committees & other activities 1938-52
Parochial Church Council Meeting Minutes 1939-49

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© Arthur Lewis and contributors 2008
Comments, additions, corrections etc to Arthur Lewis
Last updated on 8th February 2010

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