Bidford on Avon, Warwickshire Family History Guide
Bidford on Avon is an Ancient Parish in the county of Warwickshire.
Other places in the parish include: Broom, Barton, and Marlcliff
Parish church:
Parish registers begin: 1644
Nonconformists include: Wesleyan Methodist
Fairs: April 11, September 10
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
Bidford
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
BIDFORD, a village, a parish, and a subdistrict, in the district of Alcester, Warwick. The village stands on the river Avon, 3¾ miles SSE of Alcester r. station, and 7 WSW of Stratford-on-Avon; and has a post office under Bromsgrove. It was once a market town; and it consists chiefly of one long street.
One of the houses in it was the old Falcon inn, traditionally said to have been a haunt of Shakspeare, for drinking ale and playing at shovel-board. An absurd story is current that the poet and some of his companions engaged here in a drinking contest with a party of the natives; that he and his companions lay down after it under a crab-tree in the neighbourhood, and slept there from Saturday evening till Monday morning; and that, being urged on awakening to go back and renew the contest, he exclaimed, “No, I have had enough; I have drinked with
‘Piping Pebworth, dancing Marston,
Haunted Hilbro’, hungry Grafton,
Dudging Exhall, papish Wicksford,
Beggarly Broom, and drunken Bidford.
The parish includes also the hamlets of Barton, Broom. and Marlcliff. Acres, 3,240. Real property, £8,167. Pop., 1,565. Houses, 370. The manor was held by William the Conqueror; was given, by the Empress Maud, to the monks of Bardsley; and passed to the Clarkes, the Danets, and the Skipwiths. Bidford Grange House was a picturesque old edifice, with unequal gables. The scenery, over much of the surface, is richly beautiful; and has fine spots on “the smooth-flowing Avon.” Blue flagstone is quarried.
The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Worcester. Value, £213. Patron, the Rev. T. Boultbee. The church was mainly rebuilt in 1835; and is in the Norman style, with a tower.
There are two Methodist chapels, a working-men’s institute, a national school, and charities £107. The subdistrict comprises four parishes. Acres, 9,280. Pop., 2,749. Houses, 643.
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
Bidford, 4 miles S. Alcester. P. 1567
Source: Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales; Second Edition; C. W. Leonard, London; 1850.
Barton
Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales 1850
Barton, 1 mile S.E. Bidford. P. incl. therein.
Source: Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales; Second Edition; C. W. Leonard, London; 1850.
Parish Registers
Marriages Out of Parish
Below is a list of people who were from Bidford-on-Avon but who were married in another parish.
John Slater, of Biddford, & Isabell Cox, of Mid. Lit., lic. 27 Nov. 1662 at North & Middle Littleton, Worcestershire.
Thomas Harrison, of Biddford & Francis Johns, of N. L. 8 Dec. 1666 at North & Middle Littleton, Worcestershire.
Jamys, a godson of the parysh of Bydford, & Margery Pyrry … … 3 Aug. 1555 at South Littleton, Worcestershire.
William Harward, of Bidford, & Eliz. Restal, of S. L. 24 Nov. 1730 at South Littleton, Worcestershire.
William Harward, of Bidford, Warwickshire, b., & Sarah Careless, of S. L., s., lic. 12 Jan. 1786 at South Littleton, Worcestershire.
George Hunt, of Bidford, co. Warwick, b., & Jane Allchurch, of S. L., s. 25 Dec. 1802 at South Littleton, Worcestershire.
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Use for:
England, Warwickshire, Bidford on Avon
Poll Books
Bidford Poll Book 1868
Below are the names of those that voted in the South Warwickshire Election, 1868.
Bidford
140 Adkins, John, the younger
141 Ashwin, Manley
142 Bagshaw, Arthur
143 Bennett, William
144 Bicknell, Charles Frederick
145 Boultbee, Thomas, Rev.
146 Brown, William
147 Candy, Rev. Charles
148 Chare, Henry
149 Close, John
150 Collett, John
151 Cooke, Thomas
152 Crowther, Henry Edward
153 Crowther, Clement
154 Davison, John
155 Eden, John
156 Edkins, Henry
157 Ellis, James
158 Fluck, John
159 Fosbroke, William
160 Fosbroke, George Haynes
161 Harward, William
162 Harvard, Matthew
163
164 Hemming, William
165 Hemus, John
166 Hendley, George
167 Hodges, Thomas
168 Hodges, John Payne
169 Houghton, John
170 Holland, John
171 Huband, Thomas
172 Hughes, James
173 Hunt, Solomon
174 Jackson, Thomas
175 Jones, Charles, Rev.
176
177 Mason, Richard
178 Matthews, Joseph
179 May, William
180 Milward, James
181 Milward, Robert
182 Mills, Joseph
183 Mills, James
184 Mills, William
185
180 Quiney, John
187 Richards, Joseph Walker
188 Ricketts, Thomas
189 Robbins, Francis
190 Robbins, Francis
191 Shakle, John
192 Sheaf, Thomas
193 Sheffield, George
194 Slatter, Jonathan
195 Sidebottom, James
196
197 Smith, Thomas
198 Smith, John William
199 Smith, John Allen
200 Smith, William
201 Stubbs, William
202 Tipping, William
203 Timms, John
201 Trenfield, John
205 Upton, Edward
206 Vincent, John
207 Wadley, Thomas
208 Wakefield, William
209 Wall, John Walker
210 Wilcox, Thomas
211 Wilkes, Alexander
212 Woodward, William, Rev.
List 2.
213 Ainge, Frederick
214 Banks, Thomas
215 Brotheridge, William
216 Cooper, George
217 Churchley, William
218 Dunn, Uriah
219 Gardner, George
220 Hirst, George
221 Lane, John
222 Toole, George
223 Russell, William
224 Stanton, John
225 Stanley, Richard
226 Trenfield, Thomas
Total 15 15 54 54
Source: Poll Book, South Warwickshire Election, 1868: H Mills. Printed and Sold by H. T. Cooke and Son, High Street, Warwick; 1869
Directories
Bidford Bennett’s Business Directory for Warwickshire, 1914
Bidford or Bitford Universal Directory 1791
Was incorporated by Queen Elizabeth, and held two fairs, one on the 6th of May for cattle, &c. the other for cattle, hiring servants, &c. and a market on Friday. It is situated on the bank of the river Avon, seven miles from Evesham, seven from Stratford, fifteen from Warwick, eighteen from Worcester, nine from Campden, four from Alcester, and one hundred from London.
The manor belongs to Lady Skipworth, who holds a court-leet, by her deputy, once a year. The place was formerly considerable, but is now much reduced. – The following are the principal inhabitants:
Gentry, &c.
Rhodes William, Gent.
Slatter Thomas, sen. Gent. (F.)
Slatter Thomas, jun. Gent. (F.)
Wilks Edward, Gent. (F.)
Walford John, Esq. (F.)
Clergy.
Holyoak Rev. Henry, Vicar
Law.
Harbidge William, (F.) Attorney & Bailiff of the Corporation
Traders, &c.
Ashwin Manly, Farmer
Backer Robert, (F.) Cooper and Victualler (Bull’s Head)
Biddle Henry, Farmer and Maltster
Biddle George, Shopkeeper
Bossward John, Carpenter
Bossward John, Peruke-maker
Beezeley Samuel, Chandler
Butler James, Butcher
Bowler Ellin and Margaret, Governesses
Chamberlaine John, Cordwainer
Chare Thomas, (F.) Farmer
Edkins John, Stone-mason
Edkins Henry, Butcher and Shopkeeper
Elvens John, Stone-mason
Evans Edward, Stone-cutter
Gardner George, Fisherman
Gardner Luke, Net-maker & Fisherman
Gray Thomas, Linen-weaver
Haines Nathaniel, (F.) Wheelwright
Hale Thomas, Carpenter
Hale John, Cordwainer
Hatton James, Fishmonger
Helthon Thomas, Carpenter
Hemming John, Taylor
Hemming Thomas, Farmer
Hemming William, Farmer
Hodges John, Farmer
Honton George, Stone-cutter
Hurst George, (F.) Farmer
Hurst Henry, Farmer
Hurst John, (F.) Farmer
Jones John, (F.) Taylor
Jones William, Carpenter
Nicknolds Thomas, Taylor
Oakes Elizabeth, School-mistress
Oakes Job, Sunday-school Master
Osborn Edward, Blacksmith
Osborn John, sen. Farmer
Osborn John, (F.) Farmer and Miller
Osborn Mark, (F.) Soap-boiler, Chandler, and Grocer
Osborn William, Blacksmith
Owin Richard, Bricklayer
Popplewell Mary, Shopkeeper
Price John, Stone-mason
Quiney John, sen. (F.) Farmer, Maltster, and Victualler (Malt Shovel)
Quiney John, Baker
Redding John, Wheelwright
Rhodes Richard, Farmer
Roper Henry, Carrier and Waggoner
Rushell John, (F.) Maltster
Rushell Thomas, Gardener
Sale Ann, Manuta-maker
Sale John, Cordwainer, Parish Clerk, & Victualler (Boot)
Sale Thomas, (F.) Cordwainer, Maltster, & Victualler (White Hart)
Sale William, Shoemaker
Scriven Richard, Stay-maker
Sheaff Rich. (F.) Weaver & Bleacher
Sheaff Samuel, Farmer
Smith Thomas, Maltster
Stanley John, Carpenter
Tomes Elizabeth and Benjamin, Sadlers and Collar-makers
Tomes Eliz. Victualler (White Lion)
Turbyfield Robert, Brick-maker
Wadley William, Farmer
Walford Thomas, (F.) Chandler
Warmington Joseph, Bricklayer
Wheeler William, Miller and Baker
Wilkes Job, Stone-mason
Wilkes John, (F.) Stone-mason and Victualler (Apothecaries Arms)
Wilkes John, Stone-mason
Wilkes Joseph, sen. Victualler
Wilkes Joseph, jun. Stone-mason
Wilkes Paul, Stone-mason
Wilkes Solomon, (F.) Stone-mason
Source: Universal British Directory 1791
Administration
- County: Warwickshire
- Civil Registration District: Alcester
- Probate Court: Court of the Bishop of Worcester (Episcopal Consistory)
- Diocese: Worcester
- Rural Deanery: Warwick
- Poor Law Union: Alcester
- Hundred: Barlinchway
- Province: Canterbury