Coleford Gloucestershire Family History Guide
Coleford is an Ecclesiastical Parish and a market town in the county of Gloucestershire, created in 1782 from a chapelry in Newland Ancient Parish.
Parish church:
Parish registers begin: 1768
Nonconformists include: Baptist, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Independent/Congregational, Roman Catholic, Society of Friends/Quaker, and Wesleyan Methodist.
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
COLEFORD, a small town, a tything, a chapelry, and a sub-district in the district of Monmouth and county of Gloucester. The town stands on the line of the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk, and Pontypool railway, in Dean forest, near Offa’s dyke and the river Wye, 4 miles ESE of Monmouth.
It consists chiefly of one main street; does a large trade in mineral productions; is a seat of petty sessions and a polling place; and has a head post office, a market-house, and four places of worship. A market is held weekly; and fairs on 20 June and 5 Dec. The environs are picturesque; and one spot was the scene of a skirmish in 1643. The tything includes the town; and is in Newland parish. Pop., 2,600. Houses, 538.
The chapelry includes most of the tything. Pop., 2,376. The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol. Value, £150. Patron, the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. The church was rebuilt in the time of Anne, on the site of a previous one destroyed in the civil war; and has a tower. There are chapels for Independents, Baptists, and Wesleyans. The sub-district contains two parishes, West Dean township, and four tythings of Newland. Acres, 22,672. Pop., 13,964. Houses, 2,814
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales 1850
Coleford, 8 m. S.W. Mitchel-Dean, and 21 miles W. Gloucester. Mrkt. Fri. P. 2208
Source: Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales; Second Edition; C. W. Leonard, London; 1850.
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Directors of Companies
The following people were listed in the Directory of Directors 1881 as directors of companies who were either living in Coleford or the company was based in Coleford or both.
Dixon – Mr Mark Thomas Dixon, Newlands, Coleford, Gloucestershire, is a director of the –
Hallamshire Steel and Iron Company Limited
Bankrupts
Below is a list of people that were declared bankrupt between 1820 and 1843 extracted from The Bankrupt Directory; George Elwick; London; Simpkin, Marshall and Co.; 1843.
Jackman Robert, jun., Colford, Gloucestershire, silk throwster, May 2, 1826.
Young John, Coleford, Gloucestershire, butcher, Sept. 1, 1826.
The London Gazette
WHEREAS a Petition of Thomas Terrett at present and for nine months last past of the town of Coleford in the county of Gloucester Journeyman Carpenter and Cabinetmaker previously and for nine years of the same place Carpenter Builder and Cabinetmaker an insolvent debtor having been filed in the County Court of Monmouthshire at Monmouth and an interim order for protection from process having been given to the said Thomas Terrett under the provisions of the Statutes in that case made and provided the said Thomas Terrett is hereby required to appear before the said Court on the 14th day of March next at two of the clock in the afternoon precisely for his first examination touching his debts estate and effects and to be further dealt with according to the provisions of the said Statutes; and the choice of the creditors assignees is to take place at the time so appointed. All persons indebted to the said Thomas Terrett or that have any of his effects are not to pay or deliver the same but to Mr Thomas Watkin Maddy Clerk of the said Court at his office in Priory street Monmouth the Official Assignee of the estate and effects of the said insolvent. – The London Gazette 1851
Directories
Coleford Universal British Directory 1791
A small town on the borders of Monmouthshire, is in the parish of Newland. It has a tolerable market on Friday, and two annual fairs, viz. June 20 for wool, and December 5 for cheese.
At Lidbrook and Redbrook, 3 miles from this town, are very extensive iron forges and a furnace, the property of Messrs. Harford, Partridge, and co. of Bristol. At Redbrook is also an iron rolling-mill and forge, belonging to Mr. David Tanner, of Monmouth.
Coleford is distant form London 127 miles, Monmouth 6, Newnham 8, Ross 10, and Dean 9. The London post comes in and goes out on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. The Monmouth and Brecon wagons pass through weekly. The post-office is kept by Mr. William Roberts, at the Angel Inn, where the excise-office is also kept. The principal inhabitants are:
GENTRY.
Bennett William, Gent. (F.)
Dew John, sen. Gent. (F.)
Dew John, jun. Gent. (F.)
Edwin Charles, Esq. (F.)
Evans Thomas, Gent.
Fryer Wm. Gent. (F.)
Gage Right Hon. Lord Viscount
Hoskins Hedgwin, Gent. (F.)
Keare John, Gent. (F.)
Mudway Richard, Gent. (F.)
Probyn Edmund, sen. Esq. (F.)
Probyn Edmund, jun. Esq. (F.)
Slaiden Richard, Gent. (F.)
Teague James, Gent.
Watkins John, Gent. (F.)
Yarworth Robert, Gent. (F.)
CLERGY.
Ball Rev. Peregrine, (F.) Rector of Newland
Birt Rev. Tho. (F.) Curate of Breeme
Probyn Rev. J. (F.) Vicar of Abinghall
Thomas Rev. John, (F.) Master of the Free School
PHYSIC.
Elmes Steele, (F.) Surgeon
LAW.
James Thomas, (F.) Attorney
TRADERS, &C.
Court John, (F.) Glazier
Davis John, (F.) Smith
Jones John, Mercer
Roberts William, (F.) Innkeeper
Simmons William, (F.) Tanner
Source: Universal British Directory 1791
Administration
- County: Gloucestershire
- Civil Registration District: Monmouth
- Probate Court: Pre-1541 – Court of the Bishop of Hereford, Post-1541 – Court of the Bishop of Gloucester (Episcopal Consistory)
- Diocese: Gloucester and Bristol
- Rural Deanery: Forest
- Poor Law Union: Monmouth
- Hundred: St Briavels
- Province: Canterbury