TENBURY

Descriptive Notes:
Now called Tenbury Wells

Directories:
TENBURY, a parish in the upper division of the hundred of DODDINGTREE, county of WORCESTER, comprising the market town of Tenbury, and the hamlets of Berrington, Sutton, and Tenbury-Foreign, and containing 1668 inhabitants, of which number, 1008 are in the town of Tenbury, 22 miles (N. W. by W.) from Worcester, and 134 (N.W. by W.) from London. The town is situated on the southern bank of the river Teme, from which it derives its name, having been originally called Temebury. It consists chiefly of three streets, leading respectively to Worcester, Bromsgrove, and Cleobury-Mortimer, partially paved, and the houses in general but indifferently built.

The surrounding country is rich, and very productive of hops and apples, and great quantities of cider and perry are made, forming a principal source of trade: there is also a considerable malting trade, and a tannery. A canal, commenced in 1794, originally intended to extend from Leominster to Stourport, but not completed the whole distance, passes within half a mile of the town. The river Teme, which here separates Worcestershire from Shropshire, is crossed, at the northern entrance into the town, by a bridge of six arches

The market, granted by Henry III in 1249, is on Tuesday; the building for the corn market is an ancient structure, but the butter-cross is more recent. Fairs are on April 22nd, May 1st, July 18th, and September 26th.

Petty sessions are held once in two months and a court leet and court baron by the lord of the manor.

The living is a vicarage, with the perpetual curacy of Rochford annexed, in the archdeaconry of Salop, and diocese of Hereford, rated in the king's books at £21, and in the patronage of the Rev. George Hall. The church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was rebuilt in 1777, the old building having been swept away by a flood, in November 1770 : it is a spacious and neat edifice, having formerly had a chantry attached to it, which was valued, at the period of the suppression, at £5. 0. 6. per annum. There is a place of worship for Particular Baptists.

The National 'school was founded in 1816, and is supported by voluntary contributions. The principal charity arises from some houses and lands given by Mr. Philip Baylis, which having been let by the feoffees in 1767, on lease for ninety-nine years, at a rental of £7. 10. per annum, little benefit is derived from them. Races are held, annually in July, on a good course about a mile south of the town. [Topographical Dictionary of England 1831 by Samuel Lewis]

TENBURY-FOREIGN, a hamlet in the parish of TENBURY, upper division of the hundred of DODDINGTREE, county of WORCESTER, containing 260 inhabitants. [Topographical Dictionary of England 1831 by Samuel Lewis]

Status:
Ancient Parish [25]
The township of 'Tenbury' (Tenbury Borough) was in Worcestershire (Doddingtree Hundred) as was the chapel at Kyre Magna, which ecclesiastically was called 'Kyre Wyard', a separate parish by 1535. Included in Herefordshire (Wolphy Hundred) was the chapel at Rochford, which was transferred to Worcestershire (Doddingtree Hundred) in 1844 for civil purposes and was a separate Civil Parish in 1866 in Worcestershire, so that Tenbury was entirely Worcestershire from 1844. [25]

Location:
O.S. Ref: SO594683
On the Shropshire border of the county, 22 miles N.W. of Worcester & 16 miles S.W. of Kidderminster on the A456
The parish of Tenbury is divided into two parts, called the Town and the Foreign, with the hamlets of Berrington, 2 miles west, and Sutton, 1 mile S.E. [57] [44]

Parish Church:
St.Mary

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

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

Poor Law Union:
Tenbury [3] [25]

Adjoining Parishes:
Little Hereford (Herefordshire), Burford (Shropshire); Knighton on Teme; Rochford; Hanley Child; Kyre Magna; Bockleton; Leysters (Herefordshire); Middleton on the Hill (Herefordshire); Brimfield (Herefordshire) [1]

Parish Registers:

		Coverage	Source
Microform at WLHC	Christenings	1653-1967	[5]
	Marriages	1654-1967	[5]
	Burials	1653-1967	[5]
Transcripts at WLHC	Marriages	1754-93	[27]
	General	1655-1779	[27]
Originals at WRO	Marriages	1654-1983	[12]
	Banns	1824-1956	[12]

Bishops' Transcripts: At Herefordshire Recprd Office

Transcripts at Worcestershire Library and History Centre: 1662-1718 [27]

International Genealogical Index (IGI):
[19]

		Coverage
Baptist	Births / Christenings	1820-1836

Register Copies:
Hereford Diocese marriage licence registers 1663-96, 1709-1843 [with contemporary indexes] [Microfilm.] - Published Salt Lake City Genealogical Society of Utah Society of Genealogists [68]

Nonconformist:
Cross St Baptist: Births 1820-1836 Worcestershire Library and History Centre [30]

Monumental Inscriptions and Associated Documents:
Register of graves, 1919 & extension to graveyard, 1919-29 (microfilm) Worcestershire Library and History Centre [51]
Tenbury : MIs: in Bloom's Worcestershire Monumental Inscriptions, part 2 [Manuscript.] - Author: Bloom, J Harvey (trans.) Society of Genealogists [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:
1841-1901 at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [14]

At Society of Genealogists :-
Herefordshire 1851 census consolidated index of the registration districts in the county of Herefordshire [including some out of county entries found in cross county districts] [Microfiche.] - Published : Herefordshire FHS, 1999 - Author: Hamden, John ed.

Herefordshire 1851 census index [CD-ROM] - Published Herefordshire FHS - Author: Herefordshire FHS (comp.)

Herefordshire 1851 census returns : Tenbury registration district HO 107/2040 [Microfilm.] - Published London : Public Record Office, 1996

Worcestershire 1851 census index HO 107/2040 : Tenbury registration district [Microfiche.] - Published , 1997 - Edition Privately published - Author Friend, A F (trans.)

Worcestershire 1851 census returns : Tenbury registration district HO 107/2040 [Microfilm.] - Published London : Public Record Office, 1996

Worcestershire1861 census returns : Tenbury registration district RG 9/2083-2084 [Microfilm.] - Published London : Public Record Office, 1996

Herefordshire 1891 census index [CD-ROM] - Published Herefordshire FHS 2002 - Author Herefordshire FHS (comp.)

Worcestershire 1891 census returns: Tenbury registration district RG 12/2319 [Microfilm.] - Published London Public Record Office 2003

Search Services (Fee paying) - BMSGH and Independent:
Burial 1653-1862 Worcestershire Burial Index
Marriage see Worcestershire Marriage Index

Manorial Records:
Worcestershire Record Office [50]
Sutton: Court rolls 1529, 1563-99 some gaps; Extent [c.1550]
Sutton Sturmey: Court rolls 1718-27; Plan 1778; Survey 1778

Parish Records on microform at Worcestershire Library and History Centre [13]
Inventory of church furniture & ornaments 1865-1914
Register of graves 1865-1919

Schools Records:
The following school records are original documents. Note reference number and contact staff at Worcestershire Record Office:
Sunday School Tenbury Baptist Chapel
School register - 1901-06 - Ref: BA 8299/8

Tenbury C E School
Admission register - 1877-1947 - Ref: BA 11825/1(i) (v)

Tenbury Infants' School
Admission register. Note: This volume includes a manuscript copy of the scripture syllabus. - 1899-1911 - Ref: BA 11825/1(ii)
Summary of attendances register - 1891-1947 - Ref: BA 11825/1(v), 2 (ii)-(iv)

Tenbury National School
Admission register - 1906-11 - Ref: BA 11825/1(iii)
Summary of attendances register - 1905-12 - Ref: BA 11825/2(i)

Tenbury St. Michael's C.E. School
Log book - 1875-1923 - Ref: BA 531/17

Tenbury St. Michael's College
Register of [admissions] of probationers, boarders and commoners - 1857-1916 - Ref: BA 9796

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:
Registration District of Tenbury in the counties of Hereford, Shropshire & Worcester in 1851 [Worcestershire part] [Microfiche.] - Published Hereford : Herefordshire FHS, 1996 - Author Herefordshire FHS (comp.) Society of Genealogists

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© Arthur Lewis and contributors 2008
Comments, additions, corrections etc to Arthur Lewis
Last updated on 3rd April 2008

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