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"Adbaston parish, on the western verge of Staffordshire, adjacent to Shropshire, and 5 miles W of Eccleshall, comprises the four townships of Adbaston-cum-Knighton, Bishop's Offley, Flashbrook & Tunstall, which support their poor conjointly, and contain about 5330 acres of land and 610 inhabitants. In Adbaston, there are only a few scattered houses. The Bishop of Lichfield is lord of the manor.[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851]
Bishop's Offley is a small village one and a half miles N of the parish church, and includes the hamlet of Outwoods, or Outlands, where William Wakeley died in 1714, aged 125 years.
Flashbrook forms the south division of the parish, being about two miles S by W of the church. It includes a few scattered farm houses and cottages, and also the ancient seat of Batchacre, which is now occupied by a farmer, but formerly had a spacious park, and was considered extra-parochial until 1816.
Knighton, a small ancient village, upon an abrupt declivity, is on the borders of Shropshire, six miles N of Newport. About two miles SW of Knighton is Ellerton Grange, the pleasant seat of V Vickers, Esq.
Tunstall township has a few scattered farm houses, half a mile E of Adbaston, and is mostly high land, with a fine prospect to the south."
Monumental Inscriptions for Adbaston, St Michael have been transcribed and published by the Birmingham & Midland SGH.
The population of Adbaston parish in 1831 was 601; in 1841 it was 610 divided as follows: Adbaston, 39; Bishop's Offley, 201; Flashbrook, 109; Knighton, 137; Tunstall, 124.
"The Parish Church, St Michael, is an ancient structure, with a lofty tower containing four bells. The Dean of Lichfield is patron of the perpetual curacy, in the incumbency of the Rev JH Bright, MA.
In Bishop's Offley is an Independent Chapel, built in 1845."
[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851]
Church of England Registers
The parish register of the parish church of St Michael commences in 1600. The original registers for the period 1600-1943 (Bapts), 1600-1967 (Mar) & 1600-1916 (Bur) are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.
Bishops Transcripts, 1660-1856 (with gaps 1686-9, 1695-9 & 1721-7) are deposited at Lichfield Record Office.
A transcript of the registers for the period 1600-1839 has been published in two volumes by the Staffordshire Parish Register Society and reprinted by the Birmingham & Midland SGH.
Nonconformist Church Registers
The original registers of Offley Marsh Primitive Methodist Chapel, Marriages 1926-1942 are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office:
The parish became part of Newport Union following the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.
[Last updated: 21st May 2000, Mike Harbach. ©1998, 1999, 2000]