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Weeford

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"Weeford is a small village in the narrow and picturesque vale of the Black Brook, or Bourn River, on the Coleshill road, four miles S by E of Lichfield, comprising within its parish 425 inhabitants, of whom 289 are in Weeford township, which includes Thickbroom hamlet, and 136 in the township of Swinfen-and-Packington. Weeford township contains about 2500 acres. Lord Wenlock is lord of the manor, and owns a great part of the soil, and the rest of the parish belongs to JS Manley, S Swinfen, and J Levett, Esqrs, and a few smaller owners.
Packington hamlet, on the north side of the parish, three and a half miles SE by E of Lichfield, contains 810 acres of land, all belonging to John Levett, Esq. The Hall, a handsome mansion, is occupied by William Kendall, Esq.
Swinfen hamlet, two and a half miles SE by S of Lichfield, contains 1370 acres, of which 900 belong to Samuel Swinfen, Esq, the lord of the manor, who resides in the Hall, and whose ancestors were here as early as the reign of Edward III, when they possessed the neighbouring manors of Freeford and Whittington. Swinfen Hall is a magnificent structure, built by the late Mr Wyatt, father of the celebrated architect, and is said to have bought him and his family into professional repute. The farm called the Hill Hall is the property of the Rev Trevor Owen Burns Floyer.
Thickbroom is a hamlet lying on the west side of Weeford, four miles S by E of Lichfield, and is said to have derived its name from the broom with which it formerly abounded. It is a manor and estate of 1200 acres, belonging to John Shawe Manley, Esq, who in 1833, erected here his handsome seat called Manley Hall, in the Tudor style."
[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851]

 

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Cemeteries

A transcript of the Monumental Inscriptions of the parish church of St Mary the Virgin has been published by the Birmingham & Midland SGH.

 

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Census

The population of Weeford parish was as follows:
1801 -- 393
1831 -- 470
1841 -- 425

 

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Churches

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Church History

"Weeford Church, St Mary, is a small neat Gothic edifice, which was rebuilt in 1802, when the east window was embellished with beautiful painted glass, bought from Orleans by Sir Robert Lawley, and representing Pilate on the judgement seat, washing his hands.
The living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Bishop of Lichfield, and incumbency of the Rev Robert Cowpland, MA, who is also incumbent of Hints."

[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851)

 

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Church Records

Church of England Registers
The parish register of the parish church of St Mary the Virgin commences in 1562. The original registers for the period 1562-1890 (Bapts), 1562-1975 (Mar) & 1562-1812 (Bur) are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.
Bishops Transcripts, 1638-1835 (with many gaps) are deposited at Lichfield Record Office.
A transcript of the registers for the period 1562-1812 was published by the Staffordshire Parish Register Society in 1955 and has been reprinted by the Birmingham & Midland SGH.

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Description & Travel

A transcription of the section on Weeford from A Topographical History of Staffordshire by William Pitt (1817)

You can see pictures of Weeford which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

The transcription of the section for Weeford from the Topographical Dictionary of England (1859)

The transcription of the section for Weeford from the National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

The transcription of the section for Weeford from the Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72)

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference SK141039 (Lat/Lon: 52.632672, -1.793103), Weeford which are provided by:

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Military Records

A transcription of the Muster Roll of 1539 for Weeford

A transcription of the Muster Roll of 1539 for Packington

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

Weeford parish became part of Lichfield Union following the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.