Abberley Worcestershire Family History Guide
Abberley is an Ancient Parish in the county of Worcestershire.
Civil Parish: Abberley
Abberley parish includes: Netherton, ¾ of a miles N.E.; Brook End, ½ a mile E.; High Oaks, near Bewdley, E.; Abberley Hill is on the south side of the parish.
Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 Abberley Parish ceased to be responsible for maintaining the poor in its parish. This responsibility was transferred to Martley Poor Law Union.
Church: St. Michael; St. Mary
Parish registers begin:
- Parish registers: 1558
- Bishop’s Transcripts: 1638
Nonconformists in Abberley include: Wesleyan Methodists
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
Beeton’s British Gazetteer 1870
Abberley, a parish of England, in Worcestershire, 5 miles S.W. from Bewdley. Pop. 692.
Source: Beeton’s British Gazetteer 1870. Ward, Lock & Tyler, Paternoster Row, London.
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
Abberley, a parish in Martley district, Worcester; near the river Teme, 5 miles SW of Stourport r. station. It has a post-office under Stourport.
Acres 2, 636. Real property, £4,238. Pop. 692. Houses, 132. The property is much subdivided. Abberley hills are about 800 feet high. The rocks display the caradoc formation, and include lime and coal. An ancient camp occurs at Woodbury. The poet William Walsh, the friend of Pope, was born at Abberley Lodge, and buried in Abberley church.
The living is a rectory in the diocese of Hereford. Value, £249 (with habitable glebe-house). Patron, Mrs. Moillett. The church is good. Charities, £15.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
The National Gazetteer 1868
Abberley, a par. in the lower div. of the hund. of Doddingtree, union of Martley, in the co. of Worcester.
The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Hereford; val. £249, in the patron, of Mrs. Moillett. The church is dedicated to St. Michael. There is a small free school.
The village is pleasantly situated in a valley near the road from Worcester to Ludlow, at the distance of 4 miles to the S.W. from Stourport. There are fine prospects over the Vale of Severn from the hills around, which rise to the height of 800 feet, and on the slopes of which are sheepwalks and plantations. Limestone and good coal are obtained in the district. This village was the birth place of William Walsh, the poet, a correspondent of Pope and Addison.
Source: The National Gazetteer: a Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands compiled from the latest and best sources and illustrated with a complete county atlas and numerous maps. Vol. 1. Virtue & Co. London. 1868.
The British Gazetteer 1852
Abberley, Worcester, a parish and village in the hund. of Doddingtree, union of Martley: 144 miles from London (coach road 130), 10 from Worcester, 6 from Bewdley. Nor. West. Rail, to Droitwich, thence 11 miles: S.W. of Derby, from which take rail, to Wolverhampton, 61, thence 11 miles. Money orders granted at Worcester: London letters delivd. 9 a.m.; post closes 6 p.m.
Walsh, the poet, a correspondent of Addison’s, lies in the parish church; he was born in 1663, at the manor-house, the seat of his ancestors, and died in 1708. Pope has handed down his name to posterity in the following quotation: “Such late was Walsh, the muses’ judge and friend, Who justly knew to blame and to commend; To failings mild, but zealous for desert, The clearest head, and the sincerest heart.”
The living (St. Michael) is a rectory in the archd. of Salop, diocese of Hereford, valued at £11. 10s. 2½d.: pres. net income, £249: patron, Mrs. Moillett: pres. incumbent, F. Severne, 1828: contains 2,398 acres: 115 houses: pop. in 1841, 559: probable pop. in 1849, 660: assd. amount of property, £3,078: poor rates, £250.
N. 1½ m. is Bower House; S. 1 m. are Abberley Lodge; and 2 m. Whitley Court. The latter, the seat of Lord Ward, is situated on an eminence below Woodbury Hill, in the midst of a richly-wooded domain, and commands a view of the valley of the Severn. The grounds are very tastefully laid out and ornamented. The parish church forms the private chapel of the house, being connected with it by a gallery, which is fitted up as the family pew: it is a chaste building, very splendidly decorated.
Source: The British Gazetteer, Political, Commercial, Ecclesiastical, and Historical: Showing the Distances of Each Place from London and Derby–gentlemen’s Seats–populations … &c. Illustrated by a Full Set of County Maps, with All the Railways Accurately Laid Down. Benjamin Clarke 1852; Published (for the proprietors) by H. G. Collins.
A Topographical Dictionary of England 1845
Abberley (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Martley, Lower division of the hundred of Doddingtree, Hundred-House and W. divisions of the county of Worcester, 4¾ miles (W. S. W.) from Stourport; containing 559 inhabitants.
There are 2564 acres in the parish, the surface of which is well watered by numerous brooks, and the soil is rather above the average infertility.
The village is situated to the right of the road leading from Worcester to Ludlow, in a valley surrounded by hills whose summits afford delightful prospects; the declivities are laid out in sheep-walks, and enriched with thriving plantations. Coal of excellent quality is worked to a considerable extent; and some limestone is found in the neighbourhood.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s books at £11 10. 2½., and in the gift of H. Bromley, Esq.’. the incumbent’s tithes have been commuted for a rentcharge of £333 8. 6., and those of the impropriators for one of £100.
A school was founded under grants by Elizabeth and Victoria Walsh, in 1717, and has an income of £15 per annum, in addition to a house and garden; and there is also an infants’ school. William Walsh, the poet, and a correspondent of Pope and Addison, was born here, in 1663.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis Fifth Edition Published London; by S. Lewis and Co., 13, Finsbury Place, South. M. DCCC. XLV.
The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales 1840
Abberley, a parish and village in the lower division of the hundred of Doddingtree, poor-law union of Martley, Worcestershire; 6 miles south west of Bewdley; and a little to the north of the post-road from Worcester to Tenbury.
Living, a rectory in the archdeaconry of Salop, and diocese of Hereford; rated in the king’s books at £11 10s. 2½ d.; average gross income, in 1831, £250. Patron, in 1835, H. Bromley, Esq.
A free school, at which 10 boys are educated, was established here in 1717.
William Walsh, M.P., a poet of some reputation, was born at the manor-house, the seat of his ancestors, in 1663; and was buried in Abberley-church, in 1708.
The population of this parish, in 1801, was 495; in 1831, 590. Inhabited houses, in 1831, 115. Acres 2,390. Assessed property, in 1815, £3,078. Sum levied for the poor, in the year ending 25th March, 1837, £250.
There is a range of hills to the south of this village, rising to the height of about 800 feet, and extending towards the river Teame.
Source: The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales; A Fullarton & Co. Glasgow; 1840.
A Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland 1833
Abberley, co. Worcester.
P. T. Bewdley (129) 6 m. SW. Pop. 574.
A parish in the lower division of Doddingtree; living, a rectory in the archdeaconry of Salop, in the diocese of Hereford; charged in K.B. 11l 10s. 2½d.; church ded. to St. Michael; patron (1829) R.Bromley, Esq.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland by John Gorton. The Irish and Welsh articles by G. N. Wright; Vol. I; London; Chapman and Hall, 186, Strand; 1833.
Topographical Dictionary of England 1831
Abberley, a parish in the lower division of the hundred of Doddingtree, county of Worcester, 4¼ miles (W.S.W.) from Stourport, containing 574 inhabitants.
The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry of Salop, and diocese of Hereford, rated in the king’s books at £11. 10. 2½. H. Bromley, Esq. was patron in 1828. The church is dedicated to St. Michael.
The village of Abberley is situated in a valley to the right of the road leading from Worcester to Ludlow. The summits of the surrounding hills afford delightful prospects, and on the declivities are fine sheep walks and thriving plantations. Limestone and coal of excellent quality are found in the neighbourhood. A court leet is held annually.
William Walsh, the poet, and a correspondent of Pope and of Addison, was born here in 1663.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis 1831
Worcestershire C. and J. Greenwood 1822
Abberley – a parish in the hundred of Doddingtree, lower division, 6 miles S.S.W. from Bewdley, 12 from Worcester, and 135 from London, containing 112 inhabited houses.
The village stands on the declivity of the hill, a short distance to the right of the road leading from Worcester to Ludlow. Considerable quantities of coal and lime are found in the neighbourhood.
The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Hereford and archdeaconry of Salop; Rev. Francis Severne, incumbent; instituted 1780; patron, R. Bromley, Esq. Population, 1801, 495 – 1811, 545 – 1821, 574.
Abberley Hills, in the above parish, have a considerable elevation, the summits of which are covered with fern and furze, but there are some fine sheep walks and good plantations an the sides: the views from them are very extensive.
Abberley Lodge, the residence of Colonel Bromley, is seated on an eminence, on the left of the road, commanding a most delightful prospect over the adjoining counties.
Source: Worcestershire Delineated: Being a Topographical Description of Each Parish, Chapelry, Hamlet, &c. In the County; with the distances and bearings from their respective market towns, &c. By C. and J. Greenwood. Printed by T. Bensley, Crane Court, Fleet Street, London, 1822.
A Topographical Dictionary of the United Kingdom 1808
Abberley, a parish in the hundred of Lower Doddingtree, Worcester, 8 miles from Bewdley, and 133 from London; containing 82 houses and 495 inhabitants; is a rectory, value 14l. 10s. 2d. and stands near the Kington canal, on the declivity of Abberley Hill.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of the United Kingdom. Benjamin Pitts Capper. 1808.
Parish Records
Registers at Worcestershire Archives
Available on microfilm:
Bapt. 1558-1968
Marr. 1560-1968
Bur. 1559-1968
Transcription copies:
Bapt. 1558-1848
Marr. 1560-1850
Bur. 1558-1847
Banns 1754-1812
FamilySearch
FamilySearch
Census
Census returns for Abberley, 1841-1891
Church Records
Computer printout of Abberley, Worcester, England
Genealogy
History
Occupations
Poorhouses, poor law, etc.
FreeReg
Abberley St Michael and St Mary Parish Register
Directories
Littlebury’s Directory 1879
Abberley is a parish with a very interesting village, situate 12 miles N.W. from Worcester, on the road to Cleobury, 9½ E. from Tenbury, and 4 S.E. from Stourport; is in the western division of the county, Lower Doddingtree hundred, Martley union and highway district, Hundred House petty sessional division and polling district, Worcester county court district, Hereford diocese, Ludlow archdeaconry, and Burford rural deanery.
Its ancient names were Edboldelege, Abbodeley, and Abbot’s Lea. It is a hilly district, commanding charming views over many counties. The soil is marl and clay, with a gravelly subsoil; and the principal crops grown here are wheat, beans, vetches, oats, swedes, and turnips, but not much barley. The acreage is 2,636; annual rateable value, £3,706; population in 1861, 692; in 1871, 607; inhabited houses, 133; families or separate occupiers, 148.
Joseph Jones, Esq., D.L., is lord of the manor, which extends over the parishes of Rock, Bayton, Alton, Shelsley, and Astley. The court is still held at Bewdley, Mr. John Bury being the steward. J. Jones, Esq., is also the principal landowner.
The old Norman church of the parish being dilapidated, a new one in the Early English style was erected in 1850-52, at the expense of Mrs. Moilliet, and was dedicated to St. Mary. In 1873 the fabric was greatly injured by a destructive fire. It was restored in 1877. The local stone and Ombersley stone is principally used in the construction, the pillars, shafts, and steps in the interior being of Devonshire marble. A metal screen separates the chancel from the nave. The east window represents scenes in the life of Christ, and is executed by Messrs. Barraud, Lavers, & Westlake. The organ is placed north of the chancel; builders Messrs. Hill & Son. The chapel, south of the chancel, will seat 70 school children. There are 300 free sittings for adults in the nave. In the tower are six bells, rung by a mechanism which enables one person to ring the whole peal by playing with the fingers on a table with keys. The tower is surmounted by a plain spire. The chancel of the old church was left to be used as a mortuary chapel.
The earliest register is dated 1558. The living is a rectory in the patronage of Joseph Jones, Esq., yearly value £320, with residence, and about four acres of glebe; rector, the Rev. John Lewis Moilliet, M.A., Trinity College, Cambridge, who was instituted in 1865.
There is a charity here, founded and supported by the ancient families of Walsh and Bromley, providing poor children with schooling and clothing; and the lord of the manor, the rector, and the churchwardens are trustees of the charity.
New schools were erected in 1859, being under Government inspection, having a certificated master, a sewing mistress, and a pupil teacher; supported by voluntary contributions; upwards of 100 children are taught.
There is a chapel for the Wesleyans.
Abberley Hall is the seat of Joseph Jones, Esq., J.P., D.L. It was built by Mr. Dawes, the well-known architect of Witley court, for Mr. Moilliet, who formerly possessed the estate, and was purchased by Mr. Jones. It has a lofty tower, commanding the beautiful valley of the Teme, and an immense range of fruitful country. The hamlets and places in Abberley are: – Netherton, ¾ of a miles N.E.; Brook End, ½ a mile E.; High Oaks, near Bewdley, E.; Abberley Hill is on the south side of the parish.
Postal Regulations. – Letters are received through Stourport. The letter-box is cleared at 4.45 p.m. Stourport is the nearest money-order and telegraph office and post town.
Parish Church (St. Mary’s). – Rev. John Lewis Moilliet, M.A., Rector; Messrs. Thomas Warren and George Quarterman, Churchwardens; Thomas H. Brian, Parish Clerk.
National School (boys and girls). – Mr. T. W. Tidmarsh, Master.
Carriers to Worcester. – J. Edwards, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays; stops at the Pack Horse Inn, St. Nicholas street, Worcester; H. Fyfield, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Jones Joseph, Esq., D.L., Abberley hall
Moilliet Rev. John Lewis, M.A. (Rector), The Rectory
Pearson Mrs., The Elms
Pearson Captain E., The Elms
Turner Walter Henry, Esq.
AGRICULTURAL & COMMERCIAL.
Allcott Thomas, bricklayer
Austin Jas., farmer, Walsh’s Charity ho.
Bishop James, farmer, Crundelend farm
Bluck Mrs. Martha, farmer, Church farm
Booth & Hardcastle, coalmasters, pool House colliery
Brazier John, bricklayer
Brian Thomas H., boot and shoe maker, and parish clerk
Cawte J., farm bailiff for J. Jones, Esq.
Davis E., farmer, Brookend & Whopputs
Edwards James, farmer, Oldyates farm
Edwards J., carrier to Worcester
Evans John, cottage farmer, Orchard
Fletcher Oswald, farmer, Up. Crundelend
Freeman Allen, farmer, Bowling green
Freeman William, farmer, Hay oak
Gale Samuel, farmer, Field farm
Haywood James, shopkeeper, Rose cot.
Hill George, beer retailer (Royal George)
Hyde William, farmer, Hay oak
James Henry, farmer & butcher, Town fm.
James Henry, sen., farmer, Hazeland
Jones E., boot and shoe ma., Rosemary cot.
Jones John, Bromley Arms Inn
Jones Samuel, farmer, Hillhead
Jones Thomas, farmer, Crocketts
Jones William, farmer
Knott Joseph, blacksmith
Loveland Henry, wheelwright & carpenter
Merrell John s., farmer, Reynold’s farm
Middleton P., brick & tile ma., Town farm
Miles William, farmer, Elms green
Norwood John, farmer, Beehive farm
Nott James, farmer, Netherton
Palmer Richard, tailor
Phythian William, seedsman and florist, Ironmonger, &c.
Quarterman Mrs. Charlotte, shopkeeper
Quarterman George, grocer, draper, and hatter, Manchester house
Saunders Edwin, carpenter
Skelding William, blacksmith
Stallard James, boot and shoe maker
Tidmarsh T. W., schoolmaster
Turnor Walter Henry, estate agent
Warren Thomas, farmer, The Nurtons
Wilkes John, boot and shoe maker
Wilks Thomas, farmer, Field farm
Source: Littlebury, Littlebury’s Directory and Gazetteer of Worcester & District, Third Edition. Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. 1879.
Lewis Directory of Worcestershire 1820
Abberley, 11 miles from Worcester, and 8 from Bewdley, near the Kingston Canal, containing 82 houses, and 495 inhabitants. The neighbourhood is greatly benefited by having coal-pits, from which the adjoining country is supplied.
DIRECTORY.
Angel Thomas, smith
Bowen John, farmer
Bromley Henry, Esq.
Cook Richard, farmer
Farmer Thomas, farmer
Gill Elizabeth, farmer
Harper George, farmer
Holmes Thomas, farmer
Jones John, victualler
Leeke Richard, farmer
Lingen Henry, farmer
Mantle Thomas, farmer
Mills William, farmer
Mills John, farmer
Palmer Thomas, gent.
Palmer Mrs. Gentlewoman
Palmer Benjamin, farmer
Powick Edward, farmer
Quarterman R. farmer
Severn Francis, gent.
Severn Rev. Thomas
Southall John, farmer
Southall William, farmer
Veal John, farmer
Walker Thomas, farmer
Webb John, Exciseman
White Thomas, farmer
Source: S Lewis Worcestershire General and Commercial Directory for 1820.
Newspapers
Berrow’s Worcester Journal – Newspapers.com
County Express – Worcestershire
Worcester Herald
Worcestershire Chronicle
Worcester Journal – Findmypast
Tenbury Wells Advertiser
Kidderminster Times and Advertiser for Bewdley & Stourport
County Express – Worcestershire
Maps
Vision of Britain historical maps
Administration
- County: Worcestershire
- Civil Registration District: Martley
- Probate Court: Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)
- Diocese: Before 1919 Hereford; After 1919 Worcester
- Rural Deanery: Burford
- Poor Law Union: Martley
- Hundred: Doddingtree
- Province: Canterbury