Village History
Embedded Files
Taken from a presentation by Andrew Brooks (Bishop's Offley Resident)
The earliest recording of the ‘Village’ name is in the Domesday Book in 1086/7 with the appearance of the name “Offeleia” (see right).
It is an old English, Anglo-Saxon name and is believed to be related to a settlement that was probably late 6th to early 7th Century.
The derivation of the first part of the name is open to some question but could be one of:
Ofer – a flat topped ridge, hill;
Offa – a name of a local land owner, or
Offa – a King of Mercia.
The second part:
Leah – is believed to mean woodland clearing or glade
Speculating on some very some very early history, Iron Age Bishop’s Offley was in the middle of the Cornovii tribe lands – the capital was probably a hill fort on top of the Wrekin.
Between AD 47 to 410 Bishop’s Offley was part of the Roman territory Britannia Prima and Vespasian, Head of a Roman army is believed to have developed Eccleshall. The Roman Villa & Bath House at nearby Hales dates to the 1st Century.
By 450 AD Bishop’s Offley was probably part of the Celtic kingdom of Powys. Then by the early 7th century the Anglo Saxons were prevalent and Bishop’s Offley was part of Mercia. During the 8th century Adbaston parish was given to the see of Lichfield.
Staffordshire probably came into existence in the 10th century and was initially made up of five hundreds. The Pirehill hundred (which includes Bishop’s Offley), was first recorded in the 940s AD. It is thought that the initial settlement (predecessor to the village) was established much earlier.
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