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 at Worcestershire Archives

[Contact details]

		Coverage	Source
Microform	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 Archives [22]

International Genealogical Index (IGI)

[19]

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

Register Copies

At [FreeREG]
Free Internet searches of baptism, marriage and burial records, transcribed from parish and non-conformist registers of the U.K., are available at: http://www.freereg.org.uk/cgi/Search.pl

FreeREG is a new project. The database currently contains a few million records only, so you should not expect to find all your ancestors in the database.

The coverage for this parish currently stands at: Christenings: 1680-1695/6, 1813-25 Burials: 1701-1851

Further records may have been added since this posting

Monumental Inscriptions and Associated Documents

At BMSGH Shop
Pershore Abbey
Abbey Church of the Holy Cross & St Andrew

At BMSGH Reference Library [7 ]
Pershore Abbey
Abbey Church of the Holy Cross & St Andrew

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

At Society of Genealogists [59] :-
PERSHORE (Abbey) : Monumental Inscriptions: in Bloom's Worcestershire Monumental Inscriptions, part 1 [Manuscript.] IN: Bloom's Worcestershire Monumental Inscriptions, part 1 Published , Nd. Author Bloom, J Harvey (transcription.)

PERSHORE (Abbey) : Monumental Inscriptions: Worcestershire Churchyard Inscriptions [Manuscript.] IN: Worcestershire Churchyard Inscriptions Published , Nd. Author Bloom, J Harvey (transcription.)

PERSHORE (Abbey Church of the Holy Cross) & (St. Andrew) : Monumental Inscriptions: Worcestershire monumental inscriptions vol. 15 [Typescript.] IN: Worcestershire monumental inscriptions vol. 15 Published Birmingham : Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry, Nd. Author Farmer, G R (transcription.) Source D: Birmingham & Midland Soc. for Genealogy & Heraldry

War Memorials

For the names of those included on a War Memorial at Pershore Abbey see:
http://www.rememberthefallen.co.uk/memorial/pershore-abbey/

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 Archives, 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 Archives [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 Archives [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

Other Sources

Pershore Abbey : an illustrated guide Published Nd. Author Campling, Christopher R Source D: E McDougall. Society of Genealogists

A short hand-book of the abbey church of Pershore & the church of St. Andrew Published 1935 Author Lawson, F R Edition Reprint of 1915 vol. Source D: Ardingly College. Society of Genealogists

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