Understanding West Dean vs East Dean - Forest of Dean FHT Forum

Hey all! Been a while since I've posted, but as an American with roots to the Forest, I've always had a hard time discerning the difference between West Dean and East Dean. When I look at census records a lot of the time they're not specific to a town/village. A lot of the time I just see East Dean, Forest of Dean, or Westbury-on-Severn. I know West and East Dean don't really exist anymore and were dissolved/new parishes formed (I believe?). Every now and then a census will mention Whitecroft, or Pillowell or a specific location, but it seems like my family either hopped around quite a bit, or because districting has changed over time, it's become harder to nail down specific locations. Aside from referencing maps on this site, is there a way to differentiate the two districts? I read a book on the Forest by Humphrey Phelps and he made it seem like there were cultural differences between West/East Dean as well at various points. Any insight would be greatly appreciated and thank you for all that you do.

Matt

Google Books (quite an article).

A Compendious Abstract of the Public General Acts of the United..... (9 July 1842)

ABSTRACT OF THE ENACTMENTS

1. The Forest of Dean divided into two townships, by the names of "East Dean" and "West Dean"

2. Each of such townships to maintain its own poor as other townships in England and Wales, and overseers to be appointed.

3. East Dean township shall be added to the Westbury-on-Severn Union, and West Dean to the Monmouth Union; guardians may be appointed for such townships, and the Poor Law Commissioners to determine the proportions in which they shall contribute to the common fund of the Unions.

4. Paid Officers may be appointed to make and levy the rates.

5. As soon as a rate has been made and half thereof collected, overseers to certify collection to the Poor Law Commissioners, and thenceforth be liable to the orders of the board of guardians.

6. The Hudnolls, Bearse, Fence and Mawkins Hazel's to be divided into two district, and annexed by the Poor Law Commissioners to Westbury-upon-Severn

7. Mailscot and a place near the New Weir annexed to the parish of English Bicknor. Walmore and Northwoods annexed to Westbury-on-Severm

etc. etc.

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GENUKI - Full Contents Gloucestershire - also may be useful!

October 22 2005 on this site Admin article

East Dean and West Dean explained. The line was drawn diagonally.... from Lydbrook to Ayeford to form the boundaries.

etc. An Extra-Parochial Place was an area which do not belong to any Parish,

Plus later changes in boundaries, 1853, and 1974

Matt

there were maps in a previous iteration of this site to show the division ( at a point in time) https://forest-of-dean.net/joomla/index.php/resources/11-maps/89-early-map-of-the-paris...

The Forest of Dean was an extra-parochial area in the St Briavels Hundred of Gloucestershire. It was without the usual parish structure until the West Dean and East Dean townships were formed in 1844.

For poor relief, East Dean was grouped into the Westbury-on-Severn Poor Law Union and was included in the Westbury-on-Severn rural sanitary district.

In 1935 a new civil parish of Lydbrook was created from part of its area.
The civil parish was abolished in 1953 and split to create the new parishes of Cinderford, Drybrook and Ruspidge. Part of the former area was transferred to the existing parishes of Awre, Littledean and Mitcheldean.

For poor relief, West Dean was grouped into the Monmouth Poor Law Union and was included in the Monmouth rural sanitary district.

West Dean is the largest civil parish in the Forest of Dean, both in respect of its population and its geographical size.

At the 2001 census there were 10,305 people living in West Dean parish, more than in any of the Forest towns. The size of the parish is a considerable 11,579 acres and stretches from Berry Hill and Christchurch in the north to Bream in the south and from Sling in the west to Viney Hill in the east.

Villages in the civil parish of West Dean
Berry Hill, including Christchurch, Five Acres, Joyford, and Shortstanding
Edge End
Ellwood
Sling
Clements End
Little Drybrook
Bream
Brockhollands
Yorkley
Pillowell
Oldcroft
Viney Hill
Parkend
Whitecroft

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

So sorry for the late reply! Got a newborn over here and time gets away from me...clearly. So on a lot of the census records I've seen, it looks like East Dean comes up the most. Based on what you're telling me (I think I'm understanding), these were more rural areas that weren't always incorporated into a township so they created two large areas of land West vs East. One census record I saw (I believe it was 1881) mentioned Ashton Bridge road as an address which looks like modern day Ruardean? Is Ruardean part of what was known as "East Dean"? I know I've had family reference Ruardean, Littledean and Mitcheldean. Oddly enough, a few years prior to the 1881 census, it looked like at least my great-great grandfathers older brothers were born in Whitecroft.. which would be West Dean and a good amount south based on maps and what not. I've read up as much as I can about the Forest, and it definitely seemed like colliers in particular (which my family was) tended to follow the work. Was it common for people to move so frequently across the Forest? Is it a bit of an outlier? Is it me being American that can't make sense of the records as well? I also know record keeping was less than specific back then as well. Thank you so much for your help. Ancestry DNA is supposedly updating next week and I'm curious to see if there are any genetic communities related to the Forest. I hopped back on this site to look at maps and must have forgot I had this post to respond to.

PS- Were any of these communities in reference part of the "Forest Proper"?

Yeap Id place Ruardean/Lydbrook in East Dean

There was a degree of mobility/ following work within the Forest, but also further afield to Staffordshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, South Wales etc ( as well as some who crossed the Atlantic)

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

This makes sense. My great-great grandfather came to Illinois in the US with his two brothers while the other 10-11 siblings stayed in the Forest. One brother went back as well and eventually settled in Wales. I heard mixed messages on the whole concept. I've heard colliers tended to follow the work, but I've also heard that the Forest was significantly localized with people tending to stay in a particular area. Thank you for all the clarification. My great-great grandfather came over to the US in 1893, so I'm sure the Forest was a different place at that time.

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