Badcocks, Littledean (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Friday, November 15, 2013, 01:56 (4027 days ago) @ MPGriffiths

A possible link/explanation to the Badcock name may be found in the excellent and perhaps definitive history of the village, this is just an excerpt,

"The Littledean possessions later became known as the manor of LITTLEDEAN. Custody of a bailiwick in the royal demesne woodland of the Forest was probably held with the Littledean lands before 1282 when the bailiwick was in the king's hands. It was restored some time after 1319 to the lords of the part of the manor acquired by Isabel of Dean, and in 1565 the Littledean bailiwick, also known as Badcocks Bailey, was held by Richard Baynham (d. 1580) evidently by virtue of his reversionary right to that part of the manor. The estate later passed to the Vaughans and they were recorded as woodwards of the bailiwick until the late 17th century."

From: 'Littledean', A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5: Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, The Forest of Dean (1996), pp. 159-173.
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23258 Date accessed: 15 November 2013.

and

"and in the 18th century Littledean bailiwick, which had become known as Badcocks Bailey, ceased to be separately distinguished."

From: 'Forest of Dean: Forest administration', A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5: Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, The Forest of Dean (1996), pp. 354-377.
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23268&strquery=bailey
Date accessed: 15 November 2013.

-------------------

Roughly, since the 12-1300s each Royal Forest was governed by a Constable; in our case from St Briavel's Castle who had overall control over ten senior foresters (bailiffs) each administering an area called a bailiwick, hence bailey.

Who Badcock was I'm not sure yet...perhaps the Littledean bailey Forester ?
There are just 41 Badcock PRs in this site's database, none obviously in Littledean that I've found although there are a couple in nearby Abenhall & Flaxley in the 1600s.

---------------

UPDATE: Thanks muchly Admin for finding the earlier thread on this subject, I DO wish I could also remember to search for related old threads BEFORE trying to answer queries, duh...
:-)