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- the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia
Rode (formerly Road) (#22 on map) is a civil parish in Somerset, England located 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Frome (#F) and 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Trowbridge in Wiltshire. The village was formerly in Wiltshire, before being transferred to Somerset, probably in 1844. (It was in Somerset by 1870 according to John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72.)
The village lies within a mile of the Wiltshire border and is the easternmost settlement in Somerset. The Wiltshire village of Southwick is only 2 miles (3 km) to the east.
The parish was part of the hundred of Frome and the Frome Rural District (1894-1974). According to the UK census of 2011, the parish had a population of 1,025.
For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article Rode, Somerset.
Historic Descriptions
1822 - Somersetshire delineated by Christopher & John Greenwood
A parish in the hundred of Frome, 5 miles N. N. E. from Frome ; containing 232 inhabited houses, and 257 families, 42 of whom are employed in agriculture, 213 in trade, manufacture, or handicraft, and 2 not comprised in either class. Road was formerly a large market-town, the charter for which was obtained by Laurence de St. Maur, from Edward the First; it has no market at present, but is a very considerable village, and the population has increased nearly one-fourth within the last ten years, in consequence of the improved state of the very handsome houses in the neighbourhood. The river Frome woollen manufacture, the proprietors of which have built some runs through the parish, turning several mills in its course; a fair is held here on the Monday after August i29th. The church is situated nearly half a mile from the village ; it is dedicated to St. Lawrence, and consists of a nave, chancel, and side aisles, with a tower at the west end containing six bells. The living is a rectory, in the deanery of Frome, and is consolidated with Woolvington; Rev. Charles Glossop, incumbent; instituted 1812. Population, 1801: 927; 1811: 957; 1821: 1217.
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1929 - Somerset by George Woosung Wade & Joseph Henry Wade
Road, a village on the borders of Wiltshire, 4 m. N.N.E. from Frome. The church has a heavy embattled tower, from the top of which Charles II. is said to have reconnoitred the surrounding country after his hurried flight from Worcester. The interior is disappointing. There is an empty canopied recess in the S. aisle, and a piscina in the chancel.
Research Tips
General Somerset Tips
- The Somerset Heritage Centre (incorporating what was formerly the Somerset Record Office and the Somerset Local Studies Library) can be found at its new location at Langford Mead in Taunton. It has an online search facility leading to pages of interest, including maps from the First and Second Ordnance Survey (select "Maps and Postcards" from the list at the left, then enter the parish in the search box).
The Heritage Centre has an email address: archives@somerset.gov.uk.
- Three maps on the A Vision of Britain through Time website illustrate the changes in political boundaries over the period 1830-1945. All have expanding scales and on the second and third this facility is sufficient that individual parishes can be inspected.
- Somerset Hundreds as drawn in 1832. This map was prepared before The Great Reform Act of that year. Note the polling places and representation of the various parts of the county.
- Somerset in 1900, an Ordnance Survey map showing rural districts, the boundaries of the larger towns, the smaller civil parishes of the time, and some hamlets and villages in each parish
- Somerset in 1943, an Ordnance Survey map showing the rural districts after the changes to their structure in the 1930s
- Maps provided by the National Library of Scotland are also very useful. This map is currently set to an area now in the Sedgmoor District as it existed in the late 19th century, but can be moved to anywhere in the county using a variety of background maps. There is a very good search facility.
- A Vision of Britain through Time has a group of pages of statistical facts for almost every parish in the county
- GENUKI gives pointers to other archive sources as well as providing some details on each parish. The emphasis here is on ecclesiastical parishes (useful before 1837)
- A listing of all the Registration Districts in England and Wales since their introduction in 1837 and tables of the parishes that were part of each district and the time period covered with detailed notes on changes of parish name, mergers, etc. The compiler has gone to a lot of work to provide this material. Respect his copyright.
- The FamilySearch Wiki for Somerset provides a similar but not identical series of webpages to that provided by GENUKI
- English Jurisdictions, a supplementary website to FamilySearch outlining local parish boundaries in the middle on the 19th century. The information provided is especially useful for establishing the relationship of the ecclesiastical parishes in large towns and cathedral cities.
- The Victoria History of the Counties of England – History of the County of Somerset, produced by The Institute of Historical Research at the University of London is a scholarly website with articles tracing the history of individual parishes which are sorted into their hundreds, the early subdivisions of the county. It traces the ownership of estates and manors, describes the local church in detail, and usually provides a map of each parish. The volumes for Somerset are much more recent than those for other counties. It appears to be a work in progress, only covering about half the county so far. A map of the places covered in the series is given in Volume 6, but 3 more volumes have been published since then. If a parish is included there will be a note in its Research Tips.
- The Somerset and Dorset Family History Society
- The Weston super Mare Family History Society
- The Bristol and Avon Family History Society
- A list of all Somerset parishes with online transcripts of parish registers The size of Somerset makes this a huge project. If it does not yield what you are looking for, try getting in touch with the organizer with patience and politeness.
- Somerset Online Parish Clerk project home page
- A collection of West Somerset Parish Register Transcriptions are online courtesy of Martin Southwood
Online Transcriptions
Other Resources
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