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Part 1) Alvington was part of Herefordshire in the late 11th Century; but was joined to Gloucestershire before early 13th Century. during the 13th Century Alvington was within the jurisdiction of the Forest of Dean. In 1327 the parish consisted of 1636 Acres.

In 1145, Walter of Hereford granted to Llanthony Priory (Gloucester) all his land in Alvington; probably the Northern or Upper half of Alvington Parish which was at that point in time all woodland and un-cultivated. The woodland being the prime interest to Llanthony Priory..

In the early 14th Century dissent was rife between Llanthony {who also held Aylburton} and Tintern Abbey, who held Woolaston and Hewelsfield on the South and West boundaries. A continuous state of feuding took place for many years.

An agreement was reached about 1319 which saw both Religious houses mutually sharing the coppicing of the woodland.

By 1539 and the dissolution of the monasteries of Llanthony and Tintern {during the Reign of Henry VIII}, though considerable woodland remained, sufficient areas had been cleared to now begin 'non woodland' management. Inclosing a large part enabled a Deer park to be established in 1606 North East of the then park farm. This had reverted to farmland by the 19th Century.

My information is that the earliest surviving house on the main road is Duncastle Farm House, some of which dates back to the late medieval period. The Globe Inn had opened by 1805 & the Blacksmiths Arms by 1891. References are made to a 'Beer House' in 1856 but to date I have been unable to trace it's location.

My earliest population count is in 1327 when 41 people were resident. This had risen to 459 in 1991.

Has anyone got old photographs or historical documents of Alvington they would be willing to load me so that I can scan them and maybe use them in future updates to this page.

I was very pleased to find photos of St Andrew's Church and your e-mail address on the Internet.

My 5-times-great-grandfather, Amos Griffith was baptised in your church on Boxing Day, 1706 and probably married Mary Price, on June 1, 1750, at Berkeley, Gloucestershire. He later married Elizabeth Hampton on December 27, 1773 at St Chad's, Wybunbury, Cheshire. The present parish church is modern and undistinguished, but the tower of the old church still stands:

My former vicar at St Andrew, West Kirby, told me that the bells are still in the tower and are rung.

Amos' son Thomas was baptised on 30 September 30, 1753 at St Chad, Wybunbury, Cheshire. He was husbandman - farmer or farm worker - and married Anne Edwards, 13 April 1767, at St Mary, Dodleston, Cheshire. NB: compare his birth and marriage dates! I have seen a microfilmed copy of the marriage certificate in Cheshire Records Office in Chester and it was (unsurprisingly) solemnised by Bishop’s licence.

Probably of greater interest to you and your parish is that my research seems very likley to lead to a nine or ten-times grandfather Richard (Richiart) Griffith, born ca. 1455, at Walton, Pembrokeshire, Wales He married Elsbeth or Elizabeth Moore, Wales, in 1470, with whom he had a son, Gruffydd Pengruffydd, about 1519. Richiart fought in Henry VII’s victorious army at Bosworth Field, 1485, having previously fought in Richard III’s army.

It seems that his sovereign knighted him for his services on the battlefield at Bosworth, in the Order of the Bath, Henry elevated him on April 22, 1502, to become a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Since this ceremony is normally held on St George's Day, I presume that in that year April 23 fell on a Sunday, so the service was transferred to the Saturday.