Kempsford, Gloucestershire Family History Guide
Kempsford is an Ancient Parish in the county of Gloucestershire.
Other places in the parish include: Dunfield, Whelford, Welford, and Horcutt.
Parish church: St Mary the Virgin
Parish registers begin: 1573
Nonconformists include: Baptist, Primitive Methodist, and Roman Catholic.
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
- Inglesham, Wiltshire
- Castle Eaton, Wiltshire
- Marston Meysey, Wiltshire
- Hannington, Wiltshire
- Fairford
- Lechlade
Parish History
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
KEMPSFORD, a village and a parish in Cirencester district, Gloucester. The village stands on the river Thames, at the boundary with Wilts, adjacent to the Thames and Severn canal, 3 miles S of Fairford, and 10 NW of Shrivenham r. station; is supposed to have occupied the site of a Roman settlement; and has a postoffice under Swindon.
The parish contains also the hamlets of Dunfield, Horcutt, and Welford. Acres, 4,790. Real property, £6,924. Pop., 1,007. Houses, 222. The property is divided among a few.
The manor belonged to Earl Harold; was held, at Domesday, by Ernnlf de Hesding; passed to the Chaworths, the Despencers, the Dukes of Lancaster, the Thynnes, and the Lords Coleraine; and belongs now to Sir Gilbert East, Bart. A castle was built on it by the Thynnes, but has nearly disappeared. A battle is said to have been fought here, about 800, between the Wiccii of Gloucestershire and the Walsati of Wilts.
The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol. Value, £700. Patron, the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. The church was built in the 11th century; altered about the middle of the 14th century, by Henry Duke of Lancaster; was recently in part restored; and has a remarkably fine central tower.
There are a Roman Catholic chapel and an endowed school with £10 a year.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales 1850
Kempsford, 1 m. S. Fairford. P. 998
Source: Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales; Second Edition; C. W. Leonard, London; 1850
Bankrupts
Below is a list of people that were declared bankrupt between 1820 and 1843 extracted from The Bankrupt Directory; George Elwick; London; Simpkin, Marshall and Co.; 1843.
Tombs John, Kempsford, Gloucestershire. cattle dealer, Dec. 19, 1828.
Parish Registers
The Registers of Kempsford 1653-1700
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Gloucestershire Historical Directories
Directory Transcriptions
Kellys Gloucestershire Directory 1863
KEMPSFORD is a parish and village, on the river Thames, in the hundred of Briglıtwells Barrow, Cirencester union and county court district, rural deanery of Fairford, archdeaconry of Bristol, and Gloucester and Bristol bishopric, 3 miles south from Fairford.
DUNFIELD, Horcutt, and Whelford are hamlets.
Parish Clerk, Isaac Couling
Kempsford
Benbow JH esq
Bradford Lieut Col Ralph
Hilton Rev Alfred Giles MA curate
Simpson Mr William
St John Rev Harris Fleming MA curate
Woodford Rev James Russell MA vicar
COMMERCIAL
Allen Job carpenter & wheelwright
Arkell William farmer
Barrett Jesse blacksmith
Booker Edward farmer
Bowley William timber merchant
Chesterman James farmer
Couling Isaac carpenter
Couling Thomas tailor
Dawes John shoemaker
Drew Robert greengrocer
George John Smith baker & shopkpr
Harris James plasterer
Hazell Thomas shopkeeper
Hewer George farmer & butcher
Hewer Thomas farmer
Hewer William mason
Higgs John tailor
Higgs Philip tailor
Iles Richard Albert farmer
Legg John boot & shoe maker
Matthews Thomas George inn & blacksmith
Newman Jane Mrs shopkeeper
Phipp Charles Henry farmer & coal merchant
Russell Thomas beer retailer
Staples George baker & shopkeeper
Tytherleigh James grocer & draper
Webb Jamnes coal merchant
Whelford
Clarke Mr Thomas Pope
Arkell Daniel farmer
Edmonds Richard miller & farmer
Painter John farmer
Poole John Hitchings Queen’s Head baker & shopkeeper
Simpson Henry plasterer
Dunfield
King Mr Richard
Hewer Richard farmer
Horcutt
Beak Daniel farmer
Cross Robert William shopkeeper
Head Uriah boot & shoe maker
Painter Charles farmer
Painter Richard farmer
POST OFFICE James Tytherleigh postmaster. Letters arrive at 7.30 am; dispatched at 6.40 pm. The nearest money order office is at Fairford.
National School Henry Coule master; Mrs Coule mistress
CARRIERS:-
John Collett, to Cirencester, on monday; to Highworth, on wednesday
John Ricketts, to Cirencester, on monday & friday; to Swindon station on saturday
Source: Post Office Directory of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and the City of Bristol, Printed and Published by Kelly and Co., Old Boswell Court, St. Clement’s, Strand, London. 1863.
Administration
- County: Gloucestershire
- Civil Registration District: Cirencester
- Probate Court: Court of the Bishop of Gloucester (Episcopal Consistory)
- Diocese: Pre 1836 – Gloucester, Post 1835 – Gloucester and Bristol
- Rural Deanery: Fairford
- Poor Law Union: Cirencester
- Hundred: Brightwells Barrow
- Province: Canterbury