Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire
Historical Description
Mitcheldean, Micheldean, or Dean Magna, a small town and a parish in Gloucestershire. The town stands in Dean Forest, 1 mile E of the boundary with Herefordshire, 2 miles S of Mitcheldean Road station on the G.W.R., and 6 NNW of Newnham; an ancient place, it takes its name partly from the word mickle, or great, and partly from its situation in Dean Forest, and has a post, money order, and telegraph office (R.S.O.), and a police station. The parish comprises 579 acres; population, 730. There is a brewery, and cement, brick, tile, and stone quarry works. Bradley Grove is the chief residence. The Wilderness, formerly the seat of the Colchester family, is now an asylum for lunatics in connection with Barnwood House, Gloucester. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol; net value, £95 with residence. The church is ancient, of various periods, consists of nave, S aisle, two N aisles, chancel, and porch, with tower and lofty spire, and contains an ancient font, some wall-paintings of the time of Edward IV., and several old tablets and brasses. It was restored in 1853 and again in 1893. There are Congregational and Bible Christian chapels.
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 | Mitchell Dean St. Michael | |
Hundred | St. Briavells | |
Poor Law union | Westbury |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The Phillimore transcript of Marriages at Michel Dean 1680-1812, Gloucestershire is available to browse online.
The parish register dates from the year 1680.
The Gloucestershire Parish Registers are available online at Ancestry, in association with Gloucestershire Archives.
Churches
Church of England
St. Michael (parish church)
The church of St. Michael is an ancient building of stone in several styles, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave of four bays, one south and two north aisles, south porch and a western tower, with lofty spire, containing a clock with chimes and 8 bells: there are four stained windows and several ancient tablets: on a set of panels over the chancel arch are some paintings of the time of Edward IV. (1461-83), representing "The Day of Judgment," and scenes from the life of Our Lord: the pulpit dates from the reign of Henry VII.: there is a brass to the two wives, Margery (Hodye) and Alice (Walwyn), of Thomas Baynham esq. ob. 1444: the church was restored in 1853, at a cost of £5,000, under the direction of Mr. Woodyer, architect, of Guildford, and further improvements, including the erection of a carved oak chancel screen, were effected in 1878 and 1891-3, at a total cost of over £1,500: a reredos in white marble, containing 16 life-sized figures, was erected in 1913 in memory of the late H. F. Jones, surgeon, of Mitcheldean: there are sittings for 700 persons.
Congregational
Congregational Chapel
The church of St. Michael is an ancient building of stone in several styles, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave of four bays, one south and two north aisles, south porch and a western tower, with lofty spire, containing a clock with chimes and 8 bells: there are four stained windows and several ancient tablets: on a set of panels over the chancel arch are some paintings of the time of Edward IV. (1461-83), representing "The Day of Judgment," and scenes from the life of Our Lord: the pulpit dates from the reign of Henry VII.: there is a brass to the two wives, Margery (Hodye) and Alice (Walwyn), of Thomas Baynham esq. ob. 1444: the church was restored in 1853, at a cost of £5,000, under the direction of Mr. Woodyer, architect, of Guildford, and further improvements, including the erection of a carved oak chancel screen, were effected in 1878 and 1891-3, at a total cost of over £1,500: a reredos in white marble, containing 16 life-sized figures, was erected in 1913 in memory of the late H. F. Jones, surgeon, of Mitcheldean: there are sittings for 700 persons.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Mitcheldean from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Dean, Mitchell (St. Michael))
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Gloucestershire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Mitcheldean 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.