English Bicknor, Gloucestershire
Historical Description
Bicknor, English, a village and a parish in Gloucestershire, on the verge of the county, at the river Wye, about 1 mile NE of Symonds Yat station on the Ross and Mon-mouth branch of the G.W.R., and 3 miles N of Coleford, under which there is a post office; money order and telegraph office, Lydbrook, 2 miles W. Acreage of parish, 2209; population of the civil parish, 623; of the ecclesiastical, 431. Bicknor Court stands on a cliff overhanging the Wye, and commands a fine view. The Crown is lord of the manor. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol; net value, £210 with residence. The church is ancient, partly Norman, has a low embattled tower, and contains two ancient stone effigies. There is an almshouse for 6 aged persons.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
| Ancient County | Gloucestershire | |
| Ecclesiastical parish | English Bicknor St. Mary | |
| Hundred | St. Briavells | |
| Poor Law union | Monmouth | |
| Registration district | Monmouth | 1837 - 1937 |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The register dates from the year 1561.
The Gloucestershire Parish Registers are available online at Ancestry, in association with Gloucestershire Archives.
Churches
Church of England
The Virgin Mary (parish church)
The church of the Virgin Mary is a building of stone in the Norman and later styles, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave of five bays, aisles, south porch and a low embattled western tower, containing 5 bells and a clock: the stained east window of the south aisle is a memorial to Henry and Mary Ann Davies: in the north aisle are two ancient monuments with recumbent figures, the date of which is unknown: the church was thoroughly restored in 1908 at a cost of about £1,322, and a stained window erected to the late John Burdon: there are sittings for 350 persons.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
For births, marriages, and deaths in English Bicknor from 1837 to 1937 you should search for the Monmouth Registration District.
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for English Bicknor from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Bicknor, English (St. Mary))
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Gloucestershire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of English Bicknor are available from a number of sites:
- Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- Google Streetview.
- National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
- OpenStreetMap.
- old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
- Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)
Newspapers and Periodicals
The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following newspapers covering Gloucestershire online:
- Gloucester Citizen
- Gloucester Journal
- Gloucestershire Chronicle
- Gloucestershire Echo
- Cheltenham Chronicle
- Cheltenham Looker-On
Visitations Heraldic
The Visitation of the county of Gloucester, 1623 is available on the Heraldry page.