Alvechurch, Worcestershire Family History Guide
Alvechurch is an Ancient Parish in the county of Worcestershire.
Other places in the parish include: the village of Alvechurch and the hamlets of Forhill, Hopwood and Lea End in the north, Barnt Green in the west and Rowney Green and part of Weatheroak Hill in the south.
The village has a number of medieval half-timbered buildings, as well as a plethora of Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian buildings.
The church of St Laurence dates back to 1239. It is situated on high ground, and was probably the site of an earlier Mercian church, although nothing remains of the earlier wooden building. Much of the church was rebuilt between 1858 and 1861 by William Butterfield.
Nonconformists in Alvechurch include: Baptist, General Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Wesleyan Methodist.
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
History
Alvechurch means “Ælfgyth’s Church.” In the eighth century, Ælfgyth founded a church on the site of the church of St. Laurence.
King Offa of Mercia gave the land forming the parish to Bishops of Worcester in 780. The parish is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1068 as “Alvievecherche” with a small population of under 20 people. In the 13th Century the Bishop of Worcester built a palace in the village, and a weekly market and an annual fair were established.
The Bishop’s Palace was pulled down in the 17th century, the only remnants being part of the moat and a yew tree which formerly stood in the palace grounds.
From the 19th century to the mid twentieth century there was a brick factory in the hamlet of Withybed on the edge of the village. Other local industries included nail and needlemaking.
