Redmarley D'Abitot

History

The name Redmarley comes from 'woodland clearing with a reedy pond', from the Old English words hrëod and lëah. An alternative cod-derivation has been suggested as from the local red heavy clay or marl. The difficulty with this explanation is that the word marl entered the language many centuries later. D'Abitot is thought to come from Urse d'Abetot, who was Sheriff of Worcestershire and who held the manor in 1086.

Sometimes a circumflex is placed on the 'o' of d'Abitot, but this usage has been criticised. As Eric Smith says: "It is to be regretted that the Gloucestershire County Council placed a circumflex in the signs on the A417. This is emphatically incorrect, both historically and linguistically, Abitot is a word of (Germanic) Anglo-Saxon origin."

Great Domesday

In the reign of William the Conqueror, a report on Redmarley D'Abitot was in the Domesday Book of 1086. People mentioned include: Aethelric; Alvred; Alweard; Ansgot; Azur; Beorhtric son of Aelfgar; Beorhtwine; Cyneweard daughter of Sigrefr; Dodda; Durand; Ealdraed, etc.

Battle of Redmarley

Redmarley's fields were the site of a battle in 1644 during the Civil War. About 2000 to 3000 troops were involved and Royalist leader General Mynn was killed.

Governance

The village falls in the 'Redmarley' electoral ward. This ward stretches south to Pauntley. The total ward population taken at the 2011 census was 1,856.

Famous residents

• Alice Roberts was living with her widowed mother, Julia, at Hazeldine House in Redmarley at the time of her engagement to the composer Edward Elgar.
• Barbara Cartland's mother, Polly Scobell, grew up at the Down House and as a small girl Barbara was a regular visitor from Pershore.
• Corporal Thomas Priday, the first British soldier to lose his life in the Second World War, lived here.

Distances from Redmarley

• 3 miles north of Newent
• 5 miles south of Ledbury
• 10 miles north west of Gloucester
• 16 miles south-east of Hereford File:The Causeway, Redmarley D'Abitot - geograph.org.uk - 850481.jpg|The Causeway File:Redmarley D'Abitot, Old house opposite the church.jpg|Old building File:The Village Hall, Redmarley D'Abitot - geograph.org.uk - 368591.jpg|Village hall File:Redmarley D'Abitot War Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 886929.jpg|War memorial File:Fine-looking house, Redmarley - geograph.org.uk - 849716.jpg|Once an inn File:Market gardening land near Redmarley - 1 - geograph.org.uk - 1711539.jpg File:Snow covered farmland, near Redmarley - geograph.org.uk - 1726381.jpg File:Exit from Pauntley Court - geograph.org.uk - 850781.jpg File:Poppy invasion, Ryton - geograph.org.uk - 1335295.jpg File:Meadow cranesbill - geograph.org.uk - 1335397.jpg

References

References

1. "Parish population 2011".
2. [http://www.thelocalchannel.co.uk/redmarleyparish Welcome to Redmarley D'Abitot]
3. (2001). "Redmarley D'abitot CP (Parish)". [[Office for National Statistics]].
4. Youngs, Frederic A Jr.. (1979). "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England". [[Royal Historical Society]].
5. Mills, A. D. (1991): ''A Dictionary of English Place-Names'', Oxford University Press.
6. [https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/GLS/RedmarleydAbitot/index.html Redmarley D'Abitot at genuki.com]
7. [[Domesday Book]]
8. Warde, Eric (2007): ''Prosperity to this Parish, A History of Redmarley D'Abitot''
9. "Ward population 2011".
10. John Pearson (Henry Cloud), ''Barbara Cartland: Crusader in Pink'', Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1979