Blockley Worcestershire Family History Guide

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Blockley an Ancient Parish and township in the county of Worcestershire. Aston Magna Ecclesiastical Parish was originally a hamlet of Blockley Ancient Parish until it was created a separate parish in 1747. In 1931 Blockley was transferred to Gloucestershire.

Other places in the parish include: Ditchford, Dorne, Paxford, Northwick, and Draycott.

Parish registers begin: 1538

Nonconformists include: Baptist and Primitive Methodist

Adjacent Parishes

Blockley Parish Registers

These records, which span both Gloucestershire and Worcestershire archives, include digitized records of baptisms, marriages, banns, and burials including images and indexed transcriptions.

Blockley, Worcestershire Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812

Blockley, Worcestershire Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1812-1922

Blockley, Gloucestershire Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1913

Blockley, Gloucestershire Church of England Confirmations, 1834-1913

Blockley, Worcestershire Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1947

Blockley, Gloucestershire Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938

Blockley, Worcestershire Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1997

Blockley, Gloucestershire Church of England Burials, 1813-1988

Marriage Licences and Allegations

The following have been extracted from Gloucestershire Marriage Allegations 1681-1700.

1696 May 28 Thomas Walgrove, Blockly, Worcs., 28, and Elizabeth Stantor, Gloucester city, 28, W. [n.s.]

1698 May 31 Crisp Wallington, Stow, 24, and Mary Lane, (?) Dorn, dioc. Worcs., 23: Bdm. Thomas Buckingham, Stow.

1699 Nov. 13 Peter x Wesson, Marston Sicca, 25, and Jane Elmes, Northick, Blocklcy, Worcs., 25.

Historical Directory Transcriptions

Blockley Worcestershire Slater’s Directory 1850

Blockley Worcestershire Pigots Directory 1842

Blockley Lewis Worcestershire Directory 1820

Ditchford Lewis Worcestershire Directory 1820

Northwick Lewis Worcestershire Directory 1820

Paxford Lewis Worcestershire Directory 1820

Parish History

Blockley

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

BLOCKLEY, a village and a parish in the district of Shipston-on-Stour, and county of Worcester. The village stands in a south-eastern projection of the county, on the Fosse way, adjacent to the Oxford and Worcester railway, 3¼ miles NW of Moreton-in-the-Marsh; and has a station on the railway, a post office under Moreton-in-the-Marsh, a church, a Baptist chapel, a Primitive Methodist chapel, and national and British schools. It is an ancient place; and had once a monastery, founded before 855, and a palace of the Bishops of Worcester.

The parish includes also the hamlets of Aston-Magna, Dorne, Ditchford, Draycott, Northwick, and Paxford. Acres, 7,870. Real property, £16,092. Pop., 2,596. Houses, 580. The property is much subdivided. The manor belongs to the see of Worcester. There are stone quarries, silk-mills, and corn mills. Traces of the Fosse way exist, and many Roman coins and other Roman relics have been found. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Worcester. Value, £762. Patron, the Bishop of Worcester. The church is partly Norman, has a modern tower, and contains two brasses of the 15th century. The vicarage of Aston-Magna is a separate benefice.

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 1851

Blockley, a parish surrounded by Gloucestershire, but belonging to the upper division of the hund. of Oswaldslow, union of Shipston-on-Stour, county of Worcester; 3 miles north-west of Moreton-in-the-Marsh; and 10 south-east of Evesham. It comprises the hamlets of Aston-Magna, Blockley, Ditchford, Dorne, Draycot, Northwich, and Paxford. There are 6 silk-mills, which, in 1838, gave employment to 215 hands, within this parish, besides several corn-mills on a branch of the Stour. In the vicinity are some good stone-quarries. Fairs are held on the Tuesday after Easter week for cattle, and on the 10th of October for hiring servants. There is a branch of the Gloucestershire Banking company here.

Living, a vicarage in the archd. and dio. of Worcester; valued at £54; gross income £780; in the patronage of the bishop of Worcester. The impropriate and vicarial tithes of the township of Blockley, and the hamlets of Draycot and Paxford, were commuted in 1772.

The Baptists have a place of worship here; the church was formed in 1820. There are two day and Sunday schools in this parish, endowed with £12 14s. per annum, arising from the interest of bequests. There was anciently a monastery here. Vestiges of the ancient fosse-way of the Romans, are visible within this parish, and many coins and other relics of that people have been found here. Blockley, previous to the Reformation, possessed a bishop’s palace; but no traces of it now exist. Pop., in 1801, 1,569: in 1831, 2,015. Houses 431. Acres 7,660. A. P. £11,722. Poor rates, in 1837, £752.

Source: The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales; A Fullarton & Co. Glasgow; 1851.

A Topographical Dictionary of England 1848

BLOCKLEY (St. Peter and St. Paul), a parish, in the union of Shipston, Upper division of the hundred of Oswaldslow, Blockley and E. divisions of the county of Worcester, 3¼ miles (N. W. by W.) from Moreton; surrounded by Gloucestershire and a small portion of Warwickshire; comprising the townships of Blockley, and the hamlets of Aston Magna, Dorne, Ditchford, Draycot, and Paxford; and containing 2136 inhabitants, of whom 1412 are in the township of Blockley.

It consists of 7571 acres, of which 3190 are arable, 4035 meadow and pasture, and 341 wood; the soil is rich and fertile. The surface is irregular and undulated, and the scenery produced by its shady groves, fruitful vales, and sloping hills, is very pleasing: the land is in good cultivation. There are several silk-mills, worked by small streams which rise in Dovedale, a short distance hence. Fairs are held on the Tuesday next after Easter-week, for cattle, and Oct. 10th, for hiring servants; a manorial court is occasionally held under the Bishop of Worcester, who is lord of the manor, and the petty-sessions for the division are held here.

The living is a vicarage, valued in the king’s books at £54; net income, £762; patron and appropriator, the Bishop: the tithes were commuted for land in 1772. The church is partly Norman, and partly in the early English style; the interior is spacious, and consists of a nave, chancel, and north aisle, with a small gallery at the west end, and is appropriately decorated: the tower was rebuilt in 1725, at the expense of the inhabitants. At Aston is a separate incumbency.

There is a place of worship for Baptists. Premises for a school upon the national plan, were built some years since by Lord Northwick; the endowment, arising from various sums bequeathed by the ancestors of his lordship, amounts to £12. 14. per annum.

In a charter of King Burhred, dated 855, mention is made of a monastery which then existed, and which was subsequently annexed to the bishopric of Worcester: the bishops had a palace here. The Roman Fosse-way passed between this village and Moreton, and urns and other Roman remains have been found on Moor Hill. There are several chalybeate springs.

Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis 1848

Worcestershire Delineated C. and J. Greenwood 1822

Blockley – a parish and township of considerable extent, in the hundred of Oswaldslow, upper division, 10 miles S.E. from Evesham, and 86 from London; containing 235 inhabited houses. Previous to the Revolution, the bishops of Worcester had a palace here, and from the many relics of antiquity found in the vicinity, it is supposed to have been a Roman station. Northwick, Paxford, Aston, Draycot, and Dorne, are hamlets in this parish. It formerly had three chapels, now all destroyed. The church is a noble structure, with a handsome tower erected by the Rushout family, now elevated to the Peerage; who have likewise been considerable benefactors to the poor.

A number of springs rise here, which supply water for several silk mills, the proprietors of which have realized considerable property. The hills abound with stone quarries, the stone of which is chiefly used for dry-walling, as there are no hedges. Blockley has 2 fairs annually, one on the Tuesday after Easter week, and the other on the 20th October; neither of which are of any note. The living is a vicarage; Rev. W. Broughton, incumbent; patron, the Bishop of Worcester. Population, 1801, 1569 – 1811, 1654 – 1821, 1647.

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.

Laird Description of Worcestershire 1814

We now enter the parish of Blockley, a detached part of the county. The town itself lies to the left of the London road, and the view from this point into Gloucester and Warwickshire is extremely pleasing, looking down upon the rich vale in which Campden is situated.

The hills of this parish abound in stone quarries, which are much used not only for building but also for dry walling for which purposes they are very well adapted, as no hedges are to be met with an these hills, so that a stranger might almost fancy himself in Derbyshire. The town of Blockley has several corn and silk mills, which are very beneficial in occupying the industry of the town and vicinity; the comfort arising from which is evident on all sides.

Much credit is due to the parishioners for the care and attention shewn to the Church; in which, however, at different periods, they have been much assisted by the liberality of the Rushout family, now elevated to the peerage. The foundation of this church is very ancient; for a charter of Burhred, King of Mercia, in 855, mentions a monastery here, which Hemingus says was afterwards given to the Bishopric of Worcester.

There is nothing else particularly worthy of notice, except some vestiges of the Roman fosse, at a place called Dorn, within the limits of the parish; and a hill called the Parks, which is opposite the vicar’s garden, and is supposed to have been part of the Episcopal park, which, with a palace, stood here before the Reformation. Blockley has a Fair on the Tuesday after Easter-week for a few cattle; and another on the 20th of October, which is principally a mop, or statute for servants.

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.

Universal British Directory 1791

Blockley is near the limits of Gloucestershire, about twenty three miles from Worcester, and contains several hamlets. Has two fairs yearly, viz. on the second Tuesday after Easter-day, and on Old Michaelmas-day. There were anciently three chapels in the parish, though no vestiges of them remain at present. The church, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, was rebuilt in 1727, having its first stone laid by the Right Hon. Sir John Rushout, Bart. Opposite the vicar’s garden is a hill called the Parks, supposed to have been the park of the bishop of Worcester, who had a palace here, before the reformation.

Principal inhabitants are, John and Henry Franklin, Thomas Peyton, Samuel Spilsbury, and – Wilkes, silk-throwsters. At Northwick is the stately residence of Sir John Rushout, Bart. The park is well stocked with deer, and hath a fine growth of timber thereon, particularly very large oak. Peckford, Aston, Draycot, and Dorn, are hamlets to Blockley.

Dorn is supposed to have been a Roman station, many small coins having been found here: one of Carausius was lately in the possession of the Rev. Mr. Selwyn, the vicar. The hilly parts near Bourton on the Hill, and Camden, abound in stone quarries. Here are chalybeate springs strongly impregnated, some of an incrusting, and others of a petrifying, quality. A brook, which rises in Bourton Wood, flows in a serpentine course through the parish, and has several silk and corn mills thereon; the silk manufacture employs a number of hands, and meets with considerable success.

Source: Universal British Directory 1791

Ditchford

Lewis Topographical Dictionary of England 1845

Ditchford, a hamlet, in the parish of Blockley, union of Shipston-upon-Stour, Upper division of the hundred of Oswaldslow, Blockley and E. divisions of the county of Worcester, 4¼ miles (S. W. by W.) from Shipston; containing 36 inhabitants.

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.

Dorne

Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales Circa 1870

Dorne, a hamlet in Blockley parish, Worcester; on the Fosse way, 3 ¼ miles S of Chipping-Camden. Coins, foundations, and other relics have been found.

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

Lewis Topographical Dictionary of England 1845

Dorne, a hamlet, in the parish of Blockley, union of Shipston-on-Stour, Upper division of the hundred of Oswaldslow, Blockley and E. divisions of the county of Worcester, 1 ½ mile (N.) from Moreton-in-the-Marsh; containing 47 inhabitants. Tradition relates that Dorne was once a city of some importance; and this is confirmed by the discovery of ancient foundations, with some Roman and British coins.

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.

Worcestershire Delineated C. and J. Greenwood 1822

Dorne – a hamlet in the parish of Blockley, and hundred of Oswaldslow, upper division; containing 7 inhabited houses. This place was formerly a Roman station.

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.

Draycott

Worcestershire Delineated C. and J. Greenwood 1822

Draycot [sic] – a hamlet in the parish of Blockley, hundred of Oswaldslow, upper division; containing 35 houses. Population, 1801, no return – 1811, no return – 1821, 197.

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.

Maps

Vision of Britain Historical Maps – includes topographic maps, boundary maps and land use maps

Administration

  • County: Worcestershire
  • Civil Registration District: Shipston on Stour
  • Probate Court: Court of the Bishop of Worcester (Episcopal Consistory)
  • Diocese: Worcester
  • Rural Deanery: Blockley until 1919, Campden (diocese of Gloucester) 1919 –
  • Poor Law Union: Shipston on Stour
  • Rural Sanitary District: Shipston on Stour
  • Rural District: Shipston on Stour
  • Hundred: Oswaldslow
  • Province: Canterbury