Visited Stoke Prior and Tardebigge at the weekend and vert difficult to read and get to some graves. Does anyone know if the MI's have been recorded? Researching BLADON CLARK - Tardebigge RICKARDS - Reddich CHAPMAN - Tardebigge BUCKLEY Also Edward Bladon was a gamkeeper at Tardebigge (Hewell) and records anywhere? He was there 1820 -1875 Helena

Hi Helena Whilst at the Worcester Family History Centre today I had a look at the Monumental Inscription Books and found one for Tardebigge. There are records of two Clarks- Hubert James and Joyce - both born in the early 20th century. I can send the details off list. I couldn’t see a book which included Redditch. The parish was formed out of Tardebigge in 1855. If I may quote from Mike Yegwart’s email of 23rd May concerning monumental inscriptions “If you go to http://bmsgh.org/ then Bookshop on the left panel, then Parishes, etc, in the Worcestershire box you will find a great many parishes have had their monumental inscriptions recorded on to microfiche.” I have had a look at the website and there is a Reddditch microfiche which may contain what you are looking for. Here is the other Tardebigge information:- Thomas Buckley of Hewell Lane died 20 September 1884 aged 76. His grave is in Section D from the Plymouth wall downhill. Hope that makes sense as I don’t know the church or graveyard. In Margaret Dickens book “A Thousand Years of Tardebigge” published by Cornish Brothers Ltd in 1931 Thomas Buckley is mentioned on page 107 as he was Lady Windsor’s bailiff. It appears that in the 1860’s “some of the old farms disappeared altogether, such as the Dial House Farm and Bournes . The Park Gate Farm, opposite the lodges , was pulled down and plantations were made there. This farm, which had been the Home Farm , was transferred to its present position, the large farm buildings were erected, and the old house there was rebuilt for Mr Buckley, the bailiff and called Hewell Lane Farm Homestead, or Hewell Lane House.” I see that Thomas was living there at the time of the 1881 census where he was listed as a farmer with 350 acres. Edward Bladon - I think the Gamekeeper Registration Index which is in a bound volume at the Record Office at County Hall, ceases before 1820, but it may be worth checking. It is certainly a useful way to trace the whereabouts of a gamekeeper in Worcestershire over a number of years. Kind regards Jacquie