The name Elberton means the farmstead of a man called Æthelbeorht. The name dates back to at least 1086, when the village was listed in the
Domesday Book. In 1931 the parish had a population of 137. On 1 April 1935, the parish was abolished and merged with Aust.
Elberton Camp The
earthworks of an
Iron Age defended settlement, Elberton Camp, can be found in the Vineyards Brake woodland overlooking the village.
Quakers In 1654, in the wake of the
English Civil War, the influential early
Quaker preachers
John Audland and John Camm held a meeting in the village of "1000 people". Elberton and neighbouring villages remained home to many Quaker families, such as the
Goldney family who from 1674 owned Elberton Manor over multiple generations. The family later sold the manor to the Sturge family, who were also Quakers. Later generations of the Sturge family included the leading
abolitionists Joseph Sturge (1793–1859) and
Sophia Sturge (1795–1845) who were both born in the village. Joseph Sturge purchased a sugar plantation in Montserrat and renamed it
Elberton, hoping to demonstrate the commercial viability of a plantation built on free waged-labour, as opposed to slave labour.
Quarry On the edge of the village lies the former Harn Hill quarry, which has since been filled in as a
landfill site. The expansion of the quarry in 1960s saw the demolition of a number of buildings, including the old vicarage. The landfill now serves as a source for
biogas generation, producing 2.6MW for the national grid.
Miscellaneous From 1799 to 1802 the Welsh antiquarian
Edward Davies was
curate to the village. The organist and composer
Basil Harwood composed a hymn tune named after the village. == St John's Church ==