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"Abbots Langley is a village and parish in the hundred of Cashio, situated a short distance to the west of the main road to St. Albans, between that town and Kings Langley, nearly two miles from the latter place; it formerly belonged to the abbey of St. Albans, and thus obtained its present designation. This parish is reputed to have been the birth-place of Adrian IV, the only Englishman who ever attained the pontifical dignity, which he enjoyed, however, but four years; in 1159 he received his death by poison, said to have been administered by a citizen of Rome, whose son he refused to create a bishop; his English name was Nicholas Breakspeare, and a farm near the village is still called 'Breakspeare farm:' as head of the church he was imperious and arrogant - a disposition that was forcibly exemplified by his refusal to invest the emperor Frederick with the imperial diadem, till that monarch had previously prostrated himself before him, and held the stirrup of his horse while he mounted. The church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, is a commodious and rather a handsome structure, having a chapel connected with it; the church contains some handsome and ancient monuments. Richard II was interred here, though his remains were subsequently exhumed and removed to Westminster. There are two free schools in the village, and at Bedmond (within the parish) is a chapel for the independents. The Grand Junction canal passes through the parish, and a view of the London and Birmingham railway can be obtained from the village. The parish of Abbots Langley contained, in 1831, a population of 1,980 persons."
[From Royal National and Commercial Directory and Topography of Herts, Pigot & Co., London, 1839]
The Parish Registers for the periods:-
are deposited at Hertfordshire Record Office, County Hall, Hertford, SG13 8DE. [D/P64]
Entries from the Marriage Registers for the period 1538-1837 are included in The Allen Index at Hertfordshire Record Office.
The period 1538-1882 is covered by the IGI.
Transcripts of the parish registers for the period 1538-1904 are deposited at the Society of Genealogists, 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, LONDON, EC1M 7BA.
The following records for churches in the ancient parish of Abbots Langley are also available at Hertfordshire Record Office, County Hall, Hertford, SG13 8DE.:-
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[Last updated: 03 May 2003 by Paul R. Joiner]