RIBBESFORD

Descriptive Notes:

Directories:
RIBBESFORD, a parish in the lower division of the hundred of DODDINGTREE, county of WORCESTER, ¾ of a mile (S.) from Bewdley, containing, with the borough of Bewdley, 3798 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Worcester, rated in the king's books at £27. 19. 2., and in the patronage of the Rev. Edward Winnington Ingram. The church, dedicated to St. Leonard, is an ancient and curious structure, in a retired situation, surrounded by wooded heights, which environ the windings of the Severn. Coal exists in the parish, but it is not worked. A weekly market and a fair on St. Margaret's day, were granted by Edward I. [Topographical Dictionary of England 1831 by Samuel Lewis]

Status:
Ancient Parish [25]
Included the chapel & borough of Bewdley. Bewdley was originally an extra-parochial place, sometimes considered in Staffordshire in the 15th century, although usually considered in Worcestershire. Its status in Worcestershire was confirmed by statute 1543. In the reign of Henry VI it was made a chapel of Ribbesford Ancient Parish. It was a separate Civil Parish in 1866 and a separate Ecclesiastical Parish in 1853. Ribbesford was abolished ecclesiastically in 1940 to help create Ribbesford with Bewdley Ecclesiastical Parish. [25]

Location:
O.S. Ref: SO785740
1 mile south of Bewdley along the B4194

Parish Church:
St. Leonard

Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction:
Archdeaconry of Salop & Diocese of Hereford until 1876, Archdeaconry of Ludlow & Diocese of Hereford (1876-1919), Archdeaconry & Diocese of Worcester (1919-21), Archdeaconry of Dudley & Diocese of Worcester (1921 -*) [25]

Hundred:
Lower Doddingtree, part Bewdley Borough / Municipal Borough (until 1866) [11] [25] [28]

Poor Law Union:
Kidderminster [3] [25]

Adjoining Parishes:
Bewdley; Kidderminster; Lower Mitton; Areley Kings; Rock [1]

Parish Registers:

		Coverage	Source
Microform at WLHC	Christenings	1574-1965	[5]
	Marriages	1574-1941	[5]
	Burials	1574-1958	[5]
	Banns	1754-78, 1782-97, 1799, 1802-15,1823	[5]
Transcripts at WLHC	Marriages	1574-1996	[27]
	Burials	1574-1986	[27]
Originals at WRO	Banns	1823-27, 1831-1902; 1965-[70s], 1975-82 (These last two may be Bewdley)	[12]

The registers include entries for Bewdley prior to 1853.[5]

Bishops' Transcripts: Herefordshire Record Office

International Genealogical Index (IGI):
[19]

		Coverage
Bishops' Transcripts	Births / Christenings	1660-1863
	Marriages	1660-1837

Register Copies:
On BMSGH microfiche [9] :-
Part 1 Christenings 1574-1653
Part 2 Marriages & Burials1574-1653
Part 3 Christenings, Marriages & Burials1653-1694
Part 4 Christenings, Marriages & Burials1695-1723
Part 5 Christenings & Burials1724-1764 & M1724-1765

At Society of Genealogists [68]
Christenings, Marriages & Burials 1574-1694 [Microfiche.] - Published Birmingham : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, 1995 - Author: Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry (trans.)
St. Leonard : Christenings, Marriages & Burials 1695-1765 [Microfiche.] - Published Birmingham : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, 1997 - Author: Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry (trans.)

Monumental Inscriptions and Associated Documents:
St.Leonard BMSGH microfiche [53]
St.Leonard Worcestershire Library and History Centre [51]
Flat ledger gravestones in church Worcestershire Library and History Centre [51]
St. Leonard: Worcestershire monumental inscriptions vol. 13 [Typescript.] - Published Birmingham : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, 1993 - Author Bewdley Historical Research [59]

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 - 81, 1901 at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [14]
Worcestershire 1851 census index HO 107/2039 : Kiddermister registration district - Lower Mitton & Bewdley sub-districts [Microfiche.] - Published , 1998 - Author: Friend, A F (trans.) Society of Genealogists

Search Services (Fee paying) - BMSGH and Independent:
Burial 1574-1812 Worcestershire Burial Index
Marriage see Worcestershire Marriage Index

Parish Records on microform at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [13]
Typed transcript of Vol 1 - General 1574-1653

Schools Records:
A handlist of the 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 30th December 2008

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