Alvechurch, Worcestershire Family History Guide

Alvechurch Ancient Parish in the county of Worcestershire included 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 Parish was situated in Droitwich Rural Deanery until 1880, Northfield Rural Deanery 1880-92, and Bromsgrove Rural Deanery from 1892. The ecclesiastical boundary was altered in 1853 with the refounding of Wythall Ecclesiastical Parish and also in 1913 when part of the parish was lost to The Lickey Ecclesiastical Parish in the diocese of Birmingham.

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.

Alvechurch Parish Registers

Search online registers of baptisms, marriages, banns and burials including digitised images of original records and registers and indexed transcriptions.

Baptism, Marriage and Burial Records

These records include images of Church of England parish registers of baptism, marriage, and burial records.

Alvechurch, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812

Alvechurch, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1812-1922

Marriage and Banns Records

These records include images of Church of England parish registers of marriages and banns records.

Alvechurch, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1947

Death and Burial Records

These records include images of Church of England parish registers of deaths and burial records.

Alvechurch, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1997

The following Worcestershire Monumental Inscriptions, hosted by Findmypast, are a collection of transcriptions created by the Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy & Heraldry.

Alvechurch St Lawrence Monumental Inscriptions 1288-1989

Alvechurch Parish Records

An index of parish records of people from Alvechurch Worcestershire. The index includes information from Calendar of the Quarter Sessions papers Worcestershire v1.

School Records

The National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870–1914 collection offers a rare glimpse into the educational journeys of children across England and Wales during a transformative era. These records often capture names, dates of birth, parental occupations, and school attendance patterns – making them invaluable for family historians, local researchers, and anyone tracing Victorian or Edwardian ancestry. You can view them free with a Findmypast Trial.

Alvechurch, Rowney Green Church Of England School 1907-1914 Admissions

Quarter Session Records

The records below have been extracted from the book Calendar of the Quarter Sessions papers Worcestershire v1.

(1604). Articles shewinge and declareinge the badde behaviour and ill disposition of the life and conversation of Thomas Clarson of the town of Alvechurch in the said County of Wigorn Taylor for evading appearance at the Musters. I. 9.

28 November 1607. Recognizance before Sir Richard Grevis by ….. John Miller and William Carter Yeoman all of Alvechurch for the appearance of Robert Eade Hugh Nicols otherwise Parnidge the elder William Lylly and Richard Taylor of Alvechurch Labourers for their appearance to answer for assaulting the daughter of Roger Darby to the danger of her life. XLII. 27.

(1607). Indictment of Hugh Nicolls otherwise Parsonage the elder Hugh Nicolls otherwise Parsonage the younger John Nicholls otherwise Parsonage William Lelly and Richard Taylor all of Alvechurch Labourers for an unlawful assembly and for assaulting May Darbye at Suckley to the endangering of her life. XLII. 55.

25 September 1613. Recognizance before Thomas Warren by Thomas Hyet John Lett and Thomas Moore Shoemakers all of Alvechurch for the appearance of the said Thomas Hyet and for his keeping the peace towards George Garrett, Discharge endorsed. XX. 43.

25 September 1613. Recognizance before Thomas Warren by John Godson of Burcot Yeoman John Rastell of Bromsgrove Yeoman and Thomas Clarkson of Alvechurch Tailor for the appearance of the said John Godson. Discharge endorsed. XX. 52.

25 September 1613. Recognizance before Thomas Warren by Thomas Hilman Cooper John Rastell Yeoman both of Bromsgrove and Thomas Clarkson of Alvechurch Tailor for the appearance of the said Thomas Hilman. XX. 53.

(1615). Petition of George Grove of Droitwich praying to be relieved of a child 7 years old that had wandered from Alvechurch to his house and to whom he had given help for charity he having 5 children of his own cannot keep it. XXII. 76.

5 March 1616. Recognizance before Sir Richard Grevys by Anne Porter of Alvechurch Spinster Newman Taylor and Ralph Perrott both of Alvechurch Yeoman for the appearance of the said Anne to answer for the abuse offered by the said Anne Porter to one William Lyllie Constable of Alvechurch in the execution of his office. XXIII. 37.

5 March 1617. Recognizance not executed by William Lyllie Yeoman Jane Hall Spinster and John Taylor Yeoman Thomas Taylor Yeoman Philip Lunden Yeoman and Newman Taylor Yeoman all of Alvechurch for their appearance at Sessions to give evidence against John Lydiatt and Mary his wife and Anne Porter for beating and wounding the said Jane Hall and for abusing the said William Lyllie Constable of Alvechurch, XXIII. 43.

5 March 1617. Recognizance before Sir Richard Grevis (not executed) by John Lyddiatt Nailer Newman Taylor Yeoman and Ralph Persell Yeoman all of Alvechurch for the appearance of the said John Lyddiatt and Mary his wife to answer for beating and wounding Jane Hall of Alvechurch Spinster and for the misdemeanour and abuse offered to William Lyllie Constable of Alvechurch, XXIII. 57.

5 May 1617. Recognizance before Thomas Warren by John Lyddyat of Alvechurch Nailer John Millward Cooper and William Carter Yeoman all of Alvechurch for the appearance of the said John Liddyat at Sessions and for his keeping the peace towards William Lilley of Alvechurch Yeoman. XXIX. 35.

11 June 1617. Recognizance before Thomas Warren by John Guest of Bromsgrove Barber William Curtis of Alvechurch Yeoman and Robert Edes of Alvechurch Tailor for his appearance at Sessions and for his keeping the peace towards Diana Hawes wife of William Hawes of Ham Green in the Parish of Feckenham Husbandman. XXIX. 36.

7 August 1618. Recognizance before Sir Francis Egioke by Tristram Lett Bailiff of Allchurch and William Carter of Alvechurch for the appearance of William Lett at Sessions, XXVl. 74.

20 September 1619. Recognizance before Sir Francis Egioke by Hugh Acton of Alchurch Yeoman for his appearance at Sessions to answer to the complaint of Margery Rabersley for not performing an order. XXX. 76.

27 December 1619. Recognizance before Sir Richard Grevis by Robert Neede of Alvechurch Husbandman to appear at Sessions and give evidence against William Lett for shooting, XXXI. 79.

27 December 1619. Recognizance before …… by William Carter of Alvechurch Yeoman to give evidence against William Lett of Alvechurch Husbandman. XXXI. 27.

27 December 1619. Recognizance before Sir Richard Grevis by Ralph Lyddyate of Alvechurch Husbandman to appear at Sessions and give evidence against William Lett for shooting with a piece contrary to his Majesty’s laws. XXXI. 74.

27 December 1619. Recognizance before Sir Richard Grevis by Robert Mede of Alvechurch Husbandman to give evidence against William Lett for shooting. XXXl. 79.

Historical Directory Transcriptions

Alvechurch Bennetts Business Directory 1899

Parish History

Alvechurch

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

Alvechurch, a village and a parish in Bromsgrove district, Worcester. The village stands adjacent to the Worcester and Birmingham canal, and to the Redditch branch of the Bristol and Birmingham railway, near Icknield-Street, 5 miles NE of Bromsgrove; and it has a station on the railway, and a post office under Bromsgrove.

It was formerly a borough; and it had, from the time of Henry II. till the time of Charles I., a palace of the Bishops of Worcester. Fairs are held on 3 May and 11 Aug. The parish is cut, for local purposes, into the sections of Yields of Town-Green, Barn-Green, Ferrill with Hopwood, and Lea End. Acres, 6,747. Real property, £12,518. Pop. 1,713. Houses, 352. The property is much subdivided. A chief residence is Bordesley Park, 1½ mile SE of the village. A tunnel of the canal, nearly 3 miles long, begins at Hopwood.

The living is a rectory in the diocese of Worcester. Value, £1,200. Patron, the Bishop of Worcester. The church, excepting the tower, was recently rebuilt, at a cost of £3,200. There are a mission chapel, a Baptist chapel, an endowed school with £36 a year, and charities £33. Moore, the nonconformist, and Hicks, the author of “Thesaurus,” were rectors.

Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales 1840

Alvechurch, a parish in the division of Northfield, and hund. of Oswaldslow, union of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire; 4½ miles east-north east from Bromsgrove, and 2 west of the Birmingham and Gloucester railway. Living, a rectory, a peculiar of the see of Worcester, and in the patronage of the bishop; rated at £24 16s. 8d.; gross income, in 1822, £1,027.

There is a work-house here founded in 1816. The revenue of this charity is £36 a-year. An hospital for nine persons was founded by Nicholas Lewknor of Hadzor, in 1580, and incorporated by Queen Elizabeth. The yearly income of the charity is £33 6s. 8d., which is distributed among the inmates of the hospital. The other charities connected with the parish produce £12 7s. per annum.

There are seven daily and three Sunday schools. The Worcester and Birmingham canal passes through this parish. Alvechurch was formerly a borough, but has fallen greatly into decay. The bishops of Worcester had a palace here. Pop., in 1801, 1,228; in 1831, 1,548. Houses 307. Acres 6,820. A. P. £10,176. Poor rates, in 1837, £599.

Source: The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales; A Fullarton & Co. Glasgow; 1840.

Worcestershire Delineated C. and J. Greenwood 1822

Alvechurch – a parish in the hundred of Oswaldslow, middle division, 5 miles E.S.E. from Bromsgrove, and 117 from London; containing 269 inhabited houses. The Birmingham and Worcester canal passes through this parish, and forms a junction with the Stratford and Avon at King’s Norton.

Alvechurch was formerly a market town, containing several streets, now decayed; and the Bishops of Worcester had a palace here. The church is an ancient structure, consisting of a nave and north aisle, partly of Saxon architecture, with a square tower pinnacled, of more modern date. Here is a good free grammar school and hospital, founded by Nicholas Lewknor, of Hadsor, in 1580. The living is a rectory, not subject to the jurisdiction of the Archdeacon; Rev. J. F. Tonyn, incumbent; instituted 1801; in the patronage of the Bishop of Worcester. Population, 1801, 1228 – 1811, 1344 – 1821, 1413.

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.

Crosby’s Complete Pocket Gazetteer of England and Wales 1815

Allchurch (Worc.) a village situated in the road to Leicester, through which the Roman way called Ickneld-street passes. It has an old church, containing many antique monuments; an alms-house, founded in 1580, and a charity school for 20 poor children. Formerly Allchurch was a borough, and market town, aud contained several streets, the very names of which are now forgotten. Here also was formerly a palace belonging to the see of Worcester. Distant from Bromsgrove 5m. Population, 1344. Fairs. Apr. 22, and St. Lawrence’s Day.

Source: Crosby’s Complete Pocket Gazetteer of England and Wales 1815; Baldwin, Cradock & Joy.

Laird Description of Worcestershire 1814

Alvechurch, though now in decay, has formerly been a place of considerable consequence, if we may judge from the names of the streets, which now retain little more than their appellation. Its church is ancient, and is dedicated to St. Lawrence; it is evidently Saxon, but with a more modern built tower, and six tuneable bells: it has also some monuments. Here are two fairs annually for cattle, sheep, and lambs, on the 22nd of April, and the 10th of August the day of its patron saint.

Source: A Topographical and Historical Description of the County of Worcester, by Mr. Laird. Printed for Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, Paternoster Row; and George Cowie and Co. successors to Vernor, Hood, and Sharp, 31, Poultry, London. Printed circa 1814.