Clearwell 1282 -> (General)

by Roger Griffiths , Thursday, June 11, 2009, 11:37 (5718 days ago) @ slowhands

In the period first mentioned, Clearwell was in the parish of All Saints, Newland. As Newland was such a large parish there were sattelite chapels known as chapels of ease, ie you don't have to walk so far. There was one at Clearwell (My great grandfather was baptized there 1831). There's one there now although the building dates from 1866. Bream was another one until it became a parish in it's own right in 1813. Coleford and Redbrook too. Clearwell became a parish in 1830 and a fine new church was built.

I don't think there was any bar to ordinary folk getting bmb at abbey's or cathedrals. Equally, gentry used village churches. I lived at Hedgerley once and two of lord Chief Justice Jeffreys (the hanging judge)daughters were married there.

Roger