Madresfield Worcestershire Family History Guide
Madresfield is an Ancient Parish in the county of Worcestershire.
Church: St. Mary The Virgin
The registers commence with the year 1742
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
Madresfield, a parish, with a village, in Upton-on-Severn district, Worcester; under the Malvern hills, 2 miles NE of Great Malvern r. station, and 6 NW by N of Upton-on-Severn. Post town, Great Malvern.
Acres, 1,192. Real property, £2,013. Pop. in 1851,175; in 1861,271. Houses, 52. The property belongs to Earl Beauchamp. Madresfield Court, the Earl’s seat, is a moated Tudor mansion, and stands in a well-wooded park. Bricks, tiles, and drain pipes are largely made at Dripsill.
The living is a rectory in the diocese of Worcester.. Value, £230. Patron, Earl Beauchamp. The church was rebuilt in 1867, and is in the decorated English style, and has a tower and spire.
There are an endowed school, and charities £8.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
A Topographical Dictionary of England 1831
MADRESFIELD, a parish in the lower division of the hundred of Pershore, county of Worcester, 6 miles (N. W. by N.) from Upton upon Severn, containing 202 inhabitants.
The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Worcester, rated in the king’s books at £3. 13. 11½., and in the patronage of Earl Beauchamp. The church exhibits some portions of ancient architecture. Ann Bull, in 1705, bequeathed £25, for the produce of which six children are taught to read.
Madresfield Court, a fine ancient mansion, is the seat of Earl Beauchamp.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis 1831
Worcestershire Delineated C. and J. Greenwood 1822
Madresfield – a parish in the hundred of Pershore, lower division, 5 miles N.N.E. from Upton, 6 from Worcester, and 116 from London; containing 39 inhabited houses.
It is a rectory; the Rev. Reginald Pyndar, incumbent; instituted 1793; patron Earl Beauchamp. Population, 1801, 153 – 1811, 151 – 1821, 202.
Madresfield-Court, in the above parish, the seat of the Earl of Beauchamp.
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.
Universal British Directory 1791
Maddresfield is six miles from Worcester, adjoining Malvern Link. Here is the seat of William Lygon, Esq. member of parliament for the county, situated in a healthy pleasant spot. This place has also a charity-school.
Source: Universal British Directory 1791
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Directories
Bentley’s Directory of Madresfield 1840 – Archive.org
Lascelles & Co.’s Directory and Gazetteer of the City of Worcester & Neighbourhood 1851
Madresfield Littleburys Worcester Directory 1905
Distances – 2 miles S. of Malvern Link, and 6 ½ S.W. of Worcester.
Population – In 1901, 173 in the civil parish, 314 in ecclesiastical parish. Acreage, 911.
Postal Information – Post and Telegraph Office; George Moore Troughton, Sub-Postmaster. Letters are received through Great Malvern; the deliveries commence at 7.50 a.m. and 4.40 p.m.; despatched at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on week-days, and at 7.0 p.m. on Sundays. Money order, telegraph, insurance, and annuity business transacted. Post town, Malvern.
Parish Church (St. Mary The Virgin) – Rev. H. H. Williams, M.A., Rector; Rev. W. D. Drew, B.A., Curate; Right Hon. Earl Beauchamp and William Crump, Churchwardens; George Moore Troughton, Parish Clerk.
Elementary School (boys and girls) – Miss Minnie Martin, Mistress.
St. Agnes’ Industrial School (for 17 orphan girls) –Miss S. Sutton, Matron.
Madresfield Estate Office – Arthur Allesbrook, Estate Agent.
Madresfield Agricultural Club – Arthur Douglas Melvin, Hon. Secretary.
Police Station – Charles Hurren, Constable.
Residents
Allesbrook Arthur, chasuble agent to the Rt. Hon. Earl Beauchamp, Estate office
Beauchamp, the Rt. Hon. Earl, K.C.M.G., J.P., D.L., Madresfield court
Crump Wm., head gardenr. to the Right Hon. Earl Beauchamp, Madresfield gardens
Drew Rev. W. D., B.A., (curate)
Hull – , farm bailiff to Earl Beauchamp
Kings Geo., wheelwright (and in Newland)
Lea George, former, Falconer’s farm
Love F. A., house stwrd. to Earl Beauchamp, The Villa
Martin Miss Minnie, schoolms., School ho.
Sutton Miss S., matron, Industrial home
Tilt E. B., farmer, Hayswood farm
Troughton George Moore, sub-postmaster and parish clerk, Post office
Vincent Mrs., Church cottage
Williams Rev. H. H., M.A., The Rectory
Source: Littlebury’s Directory of Worcester & District. Tenth Edition. Printed and Published by Littlebury & Company, The Worcester Press, Worcester. 1905.
Madresfield Littleburys Directory 1879
Madresfield is a well-wooded and fertile parish, 2 miles N.E. of Great Malvern, 7 S.S.W. of Worcester, and 6 N.W. of Upton-on-Severn; is in the western division of the county, hundred of Lower Pershore, union and highway district of Upton, petty sessional division and county court district of Great Malvern, and polling district of Malvern Link. The population in 1861 was 271; in 1871, 252; inhabited houses, 50; families or separate occupiers, 56; acreage, 1,192; annual rateable value, £2,307. The soil is loam and marl; chief crops, wheat, beans, fruit, and hops. The Right Hon. Earl of Beauchamp is lord of the manor and owner of most of the land. Madresfield is in the diocese and archdeaconry of Worcester and rural deanery of Powick; living, a rectory, value £230, with residence; patron, Earl Beauchamp; rector, Rev. George Shaw Munn, M.A., Trinity College, Oxford, who was instituted in 1856. The church of St. Mary the Virgin is a handsome edifice in the Decorated style, erected in 1867 on a new site near the court. It consists of chancel with vestry and organ chamber, nave with south porch, tower with a peal of six bells and a spire. The chief features internally are the roofs of chancel and nave, a high oak screen surmounted by a cross on which is painted the figure of our Saviour, a painting of the Institution of the Eucharist over the altar, and the stained glass in the east and chancel windows; the pulpit, font, and oak seats are from the old church. The registers commence with the year 1742. There is an endowment of about £100 by a former Earl Beauchamp for educational and other purposes. Here is an industrial school for orphan girls, founded by the late Countess Beauchamp. Madresfield Court is the seat of the Right Hon. Earl Beauchamp, P.C., D.C.L., Lord-Lieutenant of Worcestershire, and Lord Steward of Her Majesty’s Household. It is a fine Elizabethan mansion, beautifully situated, commanding charming views of the Malvern hills, and was entirely restored in 1864-69, with very considerable additions. The late court was an ancient structure, surrounded by a moat, and picturesquely overgrown with ivy. Among many curious and valuable relics of former days, Madresfield court contains some bed furniture worked by Queen Anne and the Duchess of Marlborough. Clevelode, a hamlet or chapelry, was annexed to Madresfield in 1595, but the chapel was destroyed long ago. Dripshill is 2 miles S.E. Dripshill House is the residence of the Rev. Robert Lloyd, M.A.
POSTAL REGULATIONS. – Letters are received through Great Malvern. The nearest money-order and telegraph office is at Malvern Link. Letters for Dripshill are received through Upton-on-Severn.
Parish Church (St. Mary’s). – Rev. George Shaw Munn, M.A., Rector; Mr. John Hill, Churchwarden; Thomas Caswell, Parish Clerk.
Parochial School (boys and girls). – Miss H. Hodgkins, Mistress.
Industrial School for Orphan Girls. – Mrs. Louisa Trapwell, Matron.
PRIVATE RESIDENTS.
Allen Rev. Charles, The Rhydd
Beauchamp The right Hon. Earl, P.C., D.C.L. (Lord-Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of the county of Worcester, and Lord Steward of Her Majesty’s Household), Madresfield court; and 13 Belgrave square, London, S.W., and Carlton club
Lloyd Rev. Robert, M.A., Dripshill ho.
Munn Rev. George Shaw, M.A., J.P. (rector), The Rectory
AGRICULTURAL & COMMERCIAL.
Betty James, farm steward to the Right Hon. Earl Beauchamp
Caswell Thomas, parish clerk
Cobley Mrs., farmer, Clevelode
Cox William, head gardener to the Right Hon. Earl Beauchamp
Doorbar Henry, farmer, Portocksend farm
Hill John, farmer, Hayswood farm
Hodgkins Miss Helah, schoolmistress, Madresfield school
Kings George, wheelwright and carpenter
Munn George Eustace, farmer, Nog end
Trapwell Mrs., matron of industrial school
Source: Littlebury, Littlebury’s Directory and Gazetteer of Worcester & District, Third Edition. Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. 1879.
Madresfield Billings Directory of Worcestershire 1855
Madresfield is a small parish, about 2 miles from Great Malvern, with a population in 1851 of 175 inhabitants.
The Church is a very neat stone edifice, but without any architectural features worthy of note. The Living is a Rectory, in the gift of Earl Beauchamp. Rev. Thomas Phillpott, Incumbent; Thomas Castle, Clerk. Service – 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
There is a school in the parish, supported by Earl Beauchamp.
DIRECTORY
Beauchamp The Right Hon. the Earl, Madresfield Court
Phillpott Rev. Thomas, Incumbent, Rectory
Bowcott Thomas, blacksmith
Harrington Thomas, farmer and brick and tile manufacturer, Portock’s End, Dripshill Works, and at Broad Street, Worcester; house, Wick
Cobley William, farmer, Cleveload
Hill William, farmer, Portock’s End
Stone Richard, farmer
Twinberrow John, farmer
Warner William, miller and farmer
Source: Billings Directory of Worcestershire 1855
Maddresfield Lewis Worcestershire Directory 1820
Maddresfield, 2½ miles from Upton-upon-Severn, containing 25 houses, and 153 inhabitants.
Allen J. H. esq.
Beauchamp, Right Hon. the Earl of
Clark Thomas, farmer
Cowles Thomas, farmer
Jefferys Rev. Mr.
Lygon Hon. Col. Henry M.P.
Lygon Hon. Col. E. P.
Ricketts William, gent.
Turnberrow John, farmer
Warren Francis, farmer
Source: S Lewis Worcestershire General and Commercial Directory for 1820.
Family History Links
The Worcestershire and Dudley Historic Churches Trust Site
Administration
- County: Worcestershire
- Civil Registration District: Upton upon Severn
- Probate Court: Court of the Bishop of Worcester (Episcopal Consistory)
- Diocese: Worcester
- Rural Deanery: Powyke
- Poor Law Union: Upton upon Severn
- Hundred: Pershore
- Province: Canterbury
- Highway District: Upton upon Severn
- Petty Sessional Division: Great Malvern
- County Court District: Great Malvern
- Polling District: Malvern Link