Description:Elford is an attractive village, situated about 4 miles north-west of Tamworth in a bend of the River Tame.
The name ‘Elford’’ is probably derived from Elle’s ford, Elle being an Old English name. Another theory is that it derives its name from the very large number of eels in the river. The name is recorded in 1004 in the will of Wulfric Spot, the founder of Burton Abbey. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it was called Eleford. At that time the manor was held by the King and its population was quite large for the time with a total figure of 32 recorded. There was sufficient land for 11 ploughs. From the King the manor passed to Sir Roger de Maud and then to the Arderne family.
In 1532-33 a total of 26 families were recorded in Elford. By 1666 when the Hearth Tax was assessed, 61 households were recorded there. The largest house with 15 hearths was Elford Old Manor House occupied at that time by Mary Bowes.
St Peter’s parish church has a splendid setting at the top of an avenue of lime trees. It was restored in 1848 by the architect, Anthony Salvin. Only the tower remains from an earlier date of 1598. The church is justly famous for its many monuments to a long line of lords of the manor: the Ardernes, Stanleys, Stauntons, Smythes, Bowes, Howards and finally the Pagets. The Elford effigies and monuments were the subject of a publication in 1852 by Edward Richardson, the sculptor, who was responsible for their restoration in 1848-1849. The finest monument in the church is the Arderne tomb. However, probably the more famous monument is that of John Stanley, who was killed by a blow from a real tennis ball about 1460. He is depicted holding the tennis ball in one hand while with the other he is pointing at his head.
Education was provided in the village from a very early date under the wills of Rev John Hill in 1614 and Rev William Sawrey in 1792 for the education of the poor. In the 19th century there was also a national school and an infants school, the latter built in 1848 by Mrs Mary Howard who was a considerable benefactor to the village. Her name survives today in the name of the present Howard Primary School.
Elford Hall was built by the Howard family and completed in 1758. In 1936 Francis Paget donated the hall to Birmingham Corporation together with its estate of 650 acres. For part of World War 2 it was used to house Spanish refugees and quite badly damaged as a consequence. The house was eventually demolished in 1964 and the site is now built over with new houses.
The Revd Francis Paget was rector at Elford from 1835-1882 and was an author. He was also something of a social reformer. He wrote against the exploitation of children in the mines and against the exploitation of seamstresses. On receiving a libel action as a result of the latter, it is said that a group of seamstresses clubbed together to send him money for his defence.
The village remained very much an agricultural community until the later 20th century