Hempstead, Littleworth (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Monday, December 03, 2018, 21:38 (1969 days ago) @ grahamdavison

As you say Graham that does seem a very high bias indeed towards marriages !

To be honest I'd never heard of Littleworth until today, it appears to be the small area south of the city centre, between the Docks and the Park, on what is now Spa Road ?. After reading about the area's history I'm still struggling to find where the actual church was where all these marriages took place ??? The nearest is St Marks but think that's in the neighbouring parish of Gloucester City, and it wasn't built until 1847...

This description from 1848 states
"LITTLEWORTH, an extra-parochial liberty, in the union of Gloucester, Middle division of the hundred of Dudstone and King's-Barton, E. division of the county of Gloucester, and adjacent to the city of Gloucester; containing 427 inhabitants, and 30 acres of land. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans."
https://ukga.org/lewis_eng/L/8778.html

Does this imply there wasn't a C of E church ?.

Even by 1871 the population was still very small.
"LITTLEWORTH, an extra-parochial tract in the district and county of Gloucester; adjacent to Gloucester city, and within Gloucester borough. Real property, 2,098. Pop., 501. Houses, 78."
http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/22536

No real help with the query but I've just found this interesting map of Gloucester from 1841.
http://places.wishful-thinking.org.uk/GLS/Gloucester/cityMap.html

So why so did so many marriages take place there ??.
Nowadays one might think it's because it's a particularly picturesque church, but what did it look like then, if there was one ???

Must have been another more daytoday practical reason.
Again, in modern times it's almost as if it's the site of the city's Registry Office, or somesuch place where marriages took place almost daily, but then ??

Was it the the preferred place of marriage for itinerate workers eg sailors from the docks ?

Maybe worth asking at Gloster Archives ?