Hamstall Ridware, Staffordshire Genealogy

Parish History
Hamstall Ridware St Michael and All Angels is an Ancient Parish in the county of Staffordshire. Other places in the parish include: Hay End, Netherton, Sandborough, Olive Green, Rough Park, and Nethertown.

HAMSTALL-RIDWARE (St. Michael), a parish, in the union of Lichfield, N. division of the hundred of Offlow and of the county of Stafford, 5½ miles (E. N. E.) from Rugeley; containing 391 inhabitants. The parish is bounded on the south by the river Trent, which separates it from King's-Bromley; and comprises 2959a. 1r. 27p., the soil being generally fertile, partly a rich loam and partly of lighter quality. The surface is mostly flat, with some rising ground, and the low lands are watered by the river Blythe, which flows through the parish into the Trent. The ancient manor-house, formerly a splendid mansion, of which the gateway-tower is still remaining, is now occupied as a farmhouse; adjoining the gateway is an exploratory tower fifty feet high, commanding an extensive view over the surrounding country. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £6. 1. 0½., and in the gift of Lord Leigh: the tithes have been commuted for £268, and the glebe comprises 33 acres. The church, an ancient structure in the decorated English style, has some remains of stained glass, and numerous interesting monuments to the Combermere and Egerton families; a marble tomb erected over the remains of fourteen brothers and sisters of the same family; and a tablet to the memory of the Rev. Thomas Alastree, "who was a minister 54 years, composed 500 sermons, and preached 5000 times." A school was erected in 1809; and there are several benefactions for the poor. In cleansing a ditch near the church, a very ancient silver sacramental cup was found.

From: A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 396-401. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51003 Date accessed: 14 April 2011.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Staffordshire BMD have indexes for births marriages and deaths. Due to March 2011 reorganisation of the registration service for South Staffordshire districts the historical registration indexes for this district have been located at the Newcastle under Lyme registration district (formerly held at Lichfield) and applications for certificates need to be directed there. Please refer to the "Updates" page of Staffordshire BMD for further information.

Church records
Include here information for parish registers, Bishop’s Transcripts and other types of church records, such as parish chest records. Add the contact information for the office holding the original records. Add links to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection

Census records
Include an overview if there is any unique information, such as the census for X year was destroyed. Add a link to online sites for indexes and/or images. Also add a link to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Poor Law Unions
Lichfield Poor Law Union, Staffordshire

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Staffordshire Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
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