Harefield, Middlesex Genealogy

England   Middlesex   Middlesex Parishes   Harefield

Parish History
HAREFIELD (Virgin Mary), a parish, in the union of Uxbridge, hundred of Elthorne, county of Middlesex, 4¼ miles (N.) from Uxbridge; containing 1516 inhabitants. This parish, which is bounded on the west by the river Colne, and intersected by the Grand Junction canal, comprises 4534 acres. The soil is dry and rocky in some parts, in others a rich loam alternated with chalk; the surface, with the exception of a considerable tract of moorland, is hilly, and the scenery pleasingly diversified. The works belonging to the Royal Copper-Mines Company are situated in a hamlet here, which, from that circumstance, has its name. Harefield Park is a handsome mansion,' in an ample and richly-wooded demesne, ornamented with a small lake, and comprehending much beautiful scenery. The living is a donative, in the patronage of C. N. Newdegate, Esq., whose family have long appointed their own commissary; net income, £64; impropriator, Sir G. Cooke. The church contains several memorials of the ancient family of Newdegate, and a splendid monument to the memory of Alice, Countess of Derby, who, about 1637, founded and endowed almshouses for six widows. The Knights Hospitallers had a commandery at Harefield, a cell to that of Clerkenwell; the chapel is still standing, and is in the early English style.

1. Samuel Lewis, ed. "Hardmead - Harescomb," In A Topographical Dictionary of England 407-409. (London: S. Lewis and Co., 1848), Online | here, (accessed: 27 April 2010).

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
To find the names of the neighbouring parishes, use England Jurisdictions 1851. In this site, search for the name of the parish, click on the location "pin", click Options and click List contiguous parishes.

Contributor: Include here information for parish registers, Bishop’s Transcripts, nonconformist and other types of church records, such as parish chest records. Add the contact information for the office holding the original records. Add links to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Middlesex Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Poor Law Unions
Contributor: Add information about the pertinent poor law unions in the area.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.
 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
Contributor: Add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.