Risbridge Hundred

"RISBRIDGE, a district and a hundred in Suffolk. The district comprehends the sub-district of Wickham-brook, containing the parishes of Wickhambrook, Stradis-hall, Denardiston, Stansfield, Cowlinge, Great Bradley, Little Bradley, Great Thurlow, and Little Thurlow; the sub-district of Clare, containing the parishes of Clare, Stoke-by-Clare, Whixoe, Hundon, Poslingford, Bird-brook, Ashen, and Ovington, the three last electorally in Essex; and the sub-district of Haverhill, containing the parishes of Barnardiston, Little Wratting, Great Wratting, and Withersfield, and the extra-parochial tract of Monks-Risbridge, electorally in Suffolk, the parishes of Sturmere, Helion-Bumpstead, and Steeple-Bumpstead, electorally in Essex, and the parishes of Haverhill and Kedington, partly in Suffolk and partly in Essex.

Acres, 53, 664. Poor-rates in 1863, £11, 899. Pop. in 1851, 18, 125; in 1861, 17, 432. Houses, 3, 704. Marriages in 1863, 139; births, 625, of which 57 were illegitimate; deaths, 399, of which 154 were at ages under 5 years, and 15 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years1851-60, 1, 314; births, 6, 151; deaths, 3, 538. The places of worship, in 1851, were 27 of the Church of England, with 7, 459 sittings; 9 of Independents, with3, 848 s.; 4 of Baptists, with 1,050 s.; 1 of Quakers, with270 s.; 3 of Primitive Methodists, with 336 s.; and 1undefined, with 135 attendants. The schools were 17public day schools, with 839 scholars; 34 private day schools, with 650 s.; 32 Sunday schools, with 2, 485 s.; and 2 evening schools for adults, with 24 s. The workhouse is in Kedington; and, at the census of 1861, had 229inmates. The hundred excludes the Essex parishes of the district, but includes ten other Suffolk parishes. Acres, 61, 183. Pop. in 1851, 18, 277; in 1861, 17, 604. Houses, 3, 737."

(From John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72).)

Civil Registration

In 1836, White's Description of the Poor Law Unions and Registration Districts shows this Hundred to be served by the Registration Districts of Risbridge and Thingoe.

See also Suffolk Registration Districts.

RISBRIDGE RD in 1836 - 26 parishes comprising 20 of the 30 parishes in Risbridge Hundred, the exceptions being :- Hawkedon which is in Sudbury Union, Kentford which is in Mildenhall Union, Dalham, Gazeley, Lidgate, Moulton, and Ousden which are in Newmarket Union, Chedburgh, Denham and Depden which are in Thingoe Union. The Union is divided into 3 sub-districts :- Haverhill, Clare and Wickhambrook. Risbridge Monks is extra parochial.

THINGOE RD in 1836 - 46 Parishes of which 15 are in Thedwestry Hundred, 10 in Blackbourne Hundred, 18 in Thingoe Hundred plus 3 in Risbridge Hundred viz. Chedburgh, Denham, and Depden.

Historical Geography

See Vision of Britain for a description of Risbridge through time.

Poor Houses, Poor Law

The Workhouse site has an interesting description of Risbridge Workhouse.