COLESHILL

This is a small town about eight miles east of the centre of Birmingham, and is situated on a hill, so the church of St.Peter can be seen easily from afar. The church has a fine Norman font and four Tudor table tombs. The manor was held by the de Montforts, and after the execution of Simon de Montfort in 1495, the Digby family acquired it. Most of the area of the present Chelmsley Wood Estate was in the parish of Coleshill. Hamlets, Fordbridge, Kingshurst, Hawkeswell.

DIOCESE: Lichfield. HUNDRED: Hemlingford. UNION: Meriden

ADJOINING PARISHES: Curdworth, Shustoke, Maxstoke, Little Packington Bickenhill, Water Orton, Sheldon and Castle Bromwich (now both part of the City of Birmingham).

Parish Registers: Christenings: 1538-1982 Marriages: 1538-1979 Burials: 1538-1956.

Bishop's Transcripts : 1538-1846 (gaps) LIC (An unusual example of an early 16th century starting date)

IGI: Christenings: 1538-1875 also Independent Chapel Christenings: 1835-1837. Widely available; BMSGH(PS)

NONCONFORMIST: Roman Catholic: see Source Material and C, M & R Vol.2
Quaker see Source Material
Congregational: Z 1835-1836 WAR
Independent: Z 1833-1837 PRO , COV

MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS: Digby tombs in church, WAR
Brass rubbings, Abell, Digby, Fenton, also at WAR Churchyard and Old Cemetery SoG

PROBATE RECORDS: LIC

CENSUS RETURNS: All WAR
1811,1821,1831 Householders named with household numbers WAR
1841 SUT 1841 51 61 81 BIR
1851 vVII (RR) , SoG
1881 BCP , BMSGH(PS)

INDEXES
Burial 1665-1737 & 1813-1837
Marriage 1754-1837
Poor Law c.1690-1860 Pre 1841 Census

MANORIAL RECORDS: 1495 STR
Various manorial records in the Middleton manuscript collection. WAR
Park Hall Moat (Arden family) Chelmsley History No.3 Summer 1976. WAR
Court Book 1768-1827 BIR
5 documents 1587-1827 BIR
Rent Rolls of the manor of Marston Culy 1711-1767 BIR

OTHER SOURCES: Wakefield of Water Orton, deeds of Coleshill, 17th-19thc.
Wright collection, many deeds, agreements etc, early 19th century.
Ellen Suckling-2 notebooks 1872 and 1876.
An Illustrated Guide...Coleshill...with a short history of the vicars and the lords of the manor 1913.
An account of bequests....in the parish of Coleshill. Coleshill, The Town on the Hill. WWM Vol.1 No.2 1951
Coleshill: a guide to the church and environs, I.M. Barton.
Chelmsley History, published by a Local Studies Course.
Plan of Coleshill 1783. BIR
List of rents and disbursements in Coleshill 1741-1748 BIR
Wingfield Digby, rough pedigree, deeds etc. BIR
Ward Collection drawings.
W.I. Domesday Book 1976.

[Last updated: 18th March 2013 ]