Hi Kay Below is an extract from our Bromsgrove Briefing that goes out to our members. > > The 1851 Religious census of Worcestershire and Birmingham was the > first (and last) attempt by Government to count the worshippers in > England and Wales on a single Sunday. > John's talk will explore why and how it was done, what it tells us > about religion and society of the time and why it was never repeated. > Emphasis will be on the Worcestershire results with some references to > Birmingham. > John edited the Worcestershire Returns for this census and they were > published by the Worcestershire Historical Society in 2000. Basically the census is about Church attendance, C of E, RC, and dissenting Protestants, when the church was erected or consecrated, and space available for worship. It won't give you a list of worshippers, so is of little genealogical use. Nor will it give you individuals stated religion. I suppose it tells you attitude to regular worship, density of churches/chapels/halls etc, if you can workout it out with a map. For those with an academic mind you might also use the general 1851 census. However, you do need to bear in mind some people did travel a considerable distance to worship. No idea whether it is on-line or not, or even in book form. If you are trying to trace an individual minister, who was C of E then you need Crockford's Clerical Directory. Published annually for years. There was also a Methodist Who's Who, but which branches I don't know. Also available for the Methodist researcher is a book with the very very long tittle: "United Methodist Ministers and their Circuits" being an arrangement in alphabetical order of the Station of Ministers of the Methodist New Connexion, Bible Christians, Arminian Methodists, Protestant Methodists, Wesleyan Methodist Association, Wesleyan Reformers, United Methodist Free Churches and the United Methodist Church 1797-1932 compiled by Rev. Oliver Beckerlegge, M.A., Ph. D. London, ISBN 10: *0716200767 / 0-7162-0076-7 * ISBN 13: *9780716200765* Publisher: *Epworth P.* Publication Date: *1968*. It contains circuits and official positions held, which is very useful as they moved around a lot! That's the best I can offer. Mike Yegwart Branch Chairman Bromsgrove BMSGH On 08/05/2010 12:44, Katherine Andrews wrote: > I've never heard of this before. Do tell us more, please. And can this > info be accessed on line or elsewhere? Those of us outside the UK won't be > able to attend the program. > > Kay > > -------------------------------------------------- > From:<eng-worcester-request@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 3:00 AM > To:<eng-worcester@rootsweb.com> > Subject: ENG-WORCESTER Digest, Vol 5, Issue 60 > > >> >> Today's Topics: >> >> 1. Bromsgrove BMSGH May meeting - The 1851 Religious Census- >> open to all (Mike YEGWART) >> >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> Message: 1 >> Date: Fri, 07 May 2010 11:24:24 +0100 >> From: Mike YEGWART<mike.yegwart@btinternet.com> >> Subject: [WOR] Bromsgrove BMSGH May meeting - The 1851 Religious >> Census- open to all >> To: Worcester<ENG-WORCESTER@rootsweb.com> >> Message-ID:<4BE3EA58.8090208@btinternet.com> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed >> >> The Bromsgrove Branch of the Birmingham and Midland Society for >> Genealogy and Heraldry >> >> Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 11th May at 7.45 p.m. >> >> ?The 1851 Religious Census of Worcestershire and Birmingham? >> by John Aitken >> >> former lecturer at the School of Continuing Studies, University of >> Birmingham >> >> The 1851 Religious census of Worcestershire and Birmingham was the first >> (and last) attempt by Government to count the worshippers in England and >> Wales on a single Sunday. John?s talk will explore why and how it was >> done, what it tells us about religion and society of the time and why it >> was never repeated. Emphasis will be on the Worcestershire results with >> some references to Birmingham. John edited the Worcestershire Returns >> for this census and they were published by the Worcestershire Historical >> Society in 2000. >> >> ******************************* >> This event will take place at Bromsgrove Methodist Centre, 19, Stratford >> Road, Bromsgrove, B60 1AS. >> ************************* >> >> -- >> Mike Yegwart >> >> Branch Chairman >> Bromsgrove BMSGH >> >> The Family History Site for North Worcestershire >> >> http://www.bromsgrovebmsgh.co.uk/ >> >> The Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry >> http://www.bmsgh.org/ >>

Hi Mike, Worcestershire's returns were - as you state - published by the WorcHistSoc in 2000, but I don't know if it's still in print or if the Soc still has any stocks. I suspect not, as I bought my copy from WOR RO around 5 years ago. It's an excellent work in that it includes *all* the Parishes that formed WOR in 1851 [the "Ancient County" as adjusted by the County Boundary changes of 1844] whereas the films of the Returns held at Worc RO [or History Centre] merely include those in the then Registration County. Crockfords Clerical Directory was first published in 1858 - for earlier clerics probably the best sources are the Alumni lists of Oxford or Cambridge. Gus ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike YEGWART" <mike.yegwart@btinternet.com> To: <eng-worcester@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 2:17 PM Subject: Re: [WOR] ENG-WORCESTER Digest, Vol 5, Issue 60 > Hi Kay > > Below is an extract from our Bromsgrove Briefing that goes out to our > members. >> >> The 1851 Religious census of Worcestershire and Birmingham was the >> first (and last) attempt by Government to count the worshippers in >> England and Wales on a single Sunday. >> John's talk will explore why and how it was done, what it tells us >> about religion and society of the time and why it was never repeated. >> Emphasis will be on the Worcestershire results with some references to >> Birmingham. >> John edited the Worcestershire Returns for this census and they were >> published by the Worcestershire Historical Society in 2000. > Basically the census is about Church attendance, C of E, RC, and > dissenting Protestants, when the church was erected or consecrated, and > space available for worship. It won't give you a list of worshippers, > so is of little genealogical use. Nor will it give you individuals > stated religion. I suppose it tells you attitude to regular worship, > density of churches/chapels/halls etc, if you can workout it out with a > map. For those with an academic mind you might also use the general > 1851 census. However, you do need to bear in mind some people did > travel a considerable distance to worship. > > No idea whether it is on-line or not, or even in book form. > > If you are trying to trace an individual minister, who was C of E then > you need Crockford's Clerical Directory. Published annually for years. > > There was also a Methodist Who's Who, but which branches I don't know. > > Also available for the Methodist researcher is a book with the very very > long tittle: > > "United Methodist Ministers and their Circuits" being an arrangement in > alphabetical order of the Station of Ministers of the Methodist New > Connexion, Bible Christians, Arminian Methodists, Protestant Methodists, > Wesleyan Methodist Association, Wesleyan Reformers, United Methodist > Free Churches and the United Methodist Church 1797-1932 > > compiled by Rev. Oliver Beckerlegge, M.A., Ph. D. London, > > ISBN 10: *0716200767 / 0-7162-0076-7 * > ISBN 13: *9780716200765* > Publisher: *Epworth P.* > Publication Date: *1968*. > > It contains circuits and official positions held, which is very useful > as they moved around a lot! > > That's the best I can offer. > > Mike Yegwart > > Branch Chairman > Bromsgrove BMSGH > > > > > On 08/05/2010 12:44, Katherine Andrews wrote: >> I've never heard of this before. Do tell us more, please. And can this >> info be accessed on line or elsewhere? Those of us outside the UK won't >> be >> able to attend the program. >> >> Kay >> >> -------------------------------------------------- >> From:<eng-worcester-request@rootsweb.com> >> Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 3:00 AM >> To:<eng-worcester@rootsweb.com> >> Subject: ENG-WORCESTER Digest, Vol 5, Issue 60 >> >> >>> >>> Today's Topics: >>> >>> 1. Bromsgrove BMSGH May meeting - The 1851 Religious Census- >>> open to all (Mike YEGWART) >>> >>> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> Message: 1 >>> Date: Fri, 07 May 2010 11:24:24 +0100 >>> From: Mike YEGWART<mike.yegwart@btinternet.com> >>> Subject: [WOR] Bromsgrove BMSGH May meeting - The 1851 Religious >>> Census- open to all >>> To: Worcester<ENG-WORCESTER@rootsweb.com> >>> Message-ID:<4BE3EA58.8090208@btinternet.com> >>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed >>> >>> The Bromsgrove Branch of the Birmingham and Midland Society for >>> Genealogy and Heraldry >>> >>> Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 11th May at 7.45 p.m. >>> >>> ?The 1851 Religious Census of Worcestershire and Birmingham? >>> by John Aitken >>> >>> former lecturer at the School of Continuing Studies, University of >>> Birmingham >>> >>> The 1851 Religious census of Worcestershire and Birmingham was the first >>> (and last) attempt by Government to count the worshippers in England and >>> Wales on a single Sunday. John?s talk will explore why and how it was >>> done, what it tells us about religion and society of the time and why it >>> was never repeated. Emphasis will be on the Worcestershire results with >>> some references to Birmingham. John edited the Worcestershire Returns >>> for this census and they were published by the Worcestershire Historical >>> Society in 2000. >>> >>> ******************************* >>> This event will take place at Bromsgrove Methodist Centre, 19, Stratford >>> Road, Bromsgrove, B60 1AS. >>> ************************* >>> >>> -- >>> Mike Yegwart >>> >>> Branch Chairman >>> Bromsgrove BMSGH >>> >>> The Family History Site for North Worcestershire >>> >>> http://www.bromsgrovebmsgh.co.uk/ >>> >>> The Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry >>> http://www.bmsgh.org/ >>> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ENG-WORCESTER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi all It appears to still be available via the their website http://tinyurl.com/38rkwyl Mike in Droitwich Gus Tysoe wrote: > Hi Mike, > > Worcestershire's returns were - as you state - published by the WorcHistSoc > in 2000, but I don't know if it's still in print or if the Soc still has any > stocks. I suspect not, as I bought my copy from WOR RO around 5 years ago. >