Elmbridge, originally written Elmerige, is distant 4 miles N. of Droitwich, 4 S.W. of Bromsgrove, and 10 N. of Worcester; is in the eastern division of the county, and hundred of Upper Halfshire; in the parliamentary borough, union, county court district, and petty sessional division of Droitwich; annual rateable value, £3,608; area of parish, 1,694 acres, 2 roods, 23 perches; population in 1861, 391; in 1871, 477; inhabited houses, 95; families or separate occupiers, 114. The Executors of the late Edward Penrice, Esq., are lords of the manor, and the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot has also some manorial rights and land here. The other principal landowners are William Orme Foster, Esq., the Right Hon. Lord Hampton, John Joseph Wilson, Esq., Mr. Harvey Williams, and Mr. Henry Partington. The soil is a strong loam and marl; chief crops, wheat and beans. Hampton brook runs through the parish; the land is rather hilly. Elmbridge is in the diocese and archdeaconry of Worcester and rural deanery of Droitwich. The chapelry has been separated from the vicarage of Dodderhill and constituted a perpetual curacy, with an endowment of £214 17s. 3d. tithe commutation rent-charge; patron, John Corbett, Esq., M.P.; vicar, Rev. Henry Nicholson, M.A., Emmanuel College, Cambridge, who resides at Dodderhill vicarage. The earliest register is dated 1570. The church is situated on an eminence, and is an old stone building, with nave, chancel, north aisle, and bell turret; it underwent restoration in 1851 and 1872, the latter was carried out by Mr. Forsyth, of Worcester. The east window is of stained glass by Hughes & Ward, of London. In the north wall is an ancient brass, dated 1752, to the memory of John Danet, Esq. of Elmbridge hall, a descendant of the ancient family of the Danets of Leicestershire. There is also a monument dated 1674 to the Purshall family. The rent of ten acres of land, supposed to have been derived from the Danet family, is applied to the repairs of the church. William Norris, gentleman, of this chapelry, in 1702, erected a charity school at Cutnal green (in Elmley Lovett parish), for the education of fifteen children at Elmbridge, and endowed the same with £11 yearly. The endowment is now applied to the district school for this and adjoining parishes. Gateley is one mile N.W.; Purshall, Pursell, or Pursall Green contains 24a. 3r. 14p. of waste land; Cutnal Green is partly in this parish and partly in Elmley Lovett.
Postal Regulations. – Joseph Yeates, Sub-Postmaster. Letters arrive by messenger from Droitwich about 8 a.m. Droitwich is the nearest money-order and telegraph office and post town.
Parish Church. – Rev. Henry Nicholson, M.A., Perpetual Curate; Rev. Arthur Charles Dyer, B.A., Curate; Henry Massey, parish Clerk.
Assistant Overseer. – Mr. Robert Paul Greenhill.
Carrier to Kidderminster. – William Jelf, from Cutnal green, on Thursdays.
Private Residents.
Dyer Rev. Arthur Charles, B.A. (curate)
Rees Mr. Thomas Nichols, Apsley house, Cutnal green
Williams Mr. Harvey, Greenfield house
Agricultural & Commercial.
Bellamy Thomas, farmer, Wormsfield
Bryney John, farm bailiff to John Wilson, Esq., Gateley farm
Cartwright George, beer retailer (Live and Let Live), Cutnal green
Edwards Edward, farmer, Hill farm
Ellery William, cot. farmer, Radnall fm.
Farley John, shopkeeper, Cutnal green
Godwin William, farmer, Pursell green
Greaves John, farmer, Broad common
Greenhill Robert Paul, farmer and assistant overseer, Bryan’s green
Griffin George, wheelwright, Pursell grn.
Holmes Mrs. Mary, cot. farmer, Chapel fm.
Hughes Frederick, beer retailer (New Inn), Cutnal green
Jelf William, builder, wheelwright, and carrier, Cutnal green
Jackson Thomas, jun., farmer, Bryan’s gn.
Lane Mrs., farmer, Addis farm
Langley William, miller, Elmbridge mill
Massey Henry, parish clerk
Newry John, cottage farmer
Nickless Mrs. Ann, cot. farmer, Pursell gn.
Nickless Edwin, farmer, Pursell green
Norton Mrs. Elizth., farmer, Holloway fm.
Partington Henry, farmer, Pursell hall
Partridge Joseph, cottage farmer
Stokes Thomas, blacksmith
White Mrs. Jane, farmer, Elmbridge gn.
Wilson John Joseph, farmer, Cashes farm and Hollixy farm; res., The Mordaunts, Crowle, near Worcester
Wilson John, farmer, Gateley farm
Wilson William, farmer, New house
Winnall John, farmer, New House farm
Winnall Thomas, farmer, Blindfields
Winnall William, farmer, Broad lane
Wright Joseph, wheelwright, &c., Broad common
Yardley Samuel, farmer, Pursell green
Yeates Joseph, boot and shoe maker and sub-postmaster, Post office
Source: Littlebury, Littlebury’s Directory and Gazetteer of Worcester & District, Third Edition. Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. 1879.
