Oldbury sup. mo'. Wm. Leigh, Rector, a Call', fur. Marshfeild. Derham. Coldaston. Wickwar. Bitton. Charfeild. John Meredith, Vicar, a Call', fur. Chipping Sodbury. Marmaduke Chapman, a muskett, fur. Tithderrington. Horton. Dodington. Weston Birt. Badmington magna. Wapley. Miles Gloucester Even Powell, Rector, a pike, fur. Xoper Leigh, Rector, a Call', fur. John Hemborne, Rector, a Call', flaske, tuch box, and head peece. Wm. Capel, Vicar, a sword, dagger, and belt. John Mustra, Vicar, a sword, dagger, and head peece. Berkeley. Rockhampton. Bagpath. Frempton. Thornbury. Oselworth. Horses I DURSLEY DECANAT. Edw. Green, Vicar, a light horse, furnished. Hugh Stoddard, Rector, a sword, dagger, William Fry, Rector, a Calliu', fur. John Sprint, Vicar, a muskett, furnished. 18 Miles Gloucester Muskett, 1 the total number of Pikes, 39 John Sanak'e, Vicar, a Call', fur. Horses, Call', 4 Musketts, 25 Notes on the Parish Registers of Kempsford. THE 66 HE earliest register is a narrow folio parchment, with sheets loose and unbound, and a few margins worn and defective, but generally in good condition. The sheets appear to have been folded in sixes, and the first sheet of six leaves, or twelve pages, containing the records of almost 45 years, is missing. The entries begin at the top of the page, thus :-" Bapt. A.Do. 1573. Anna Fildman filia Johñes Fildman, bapt. decimo nono, die Aprilis." After this, the entries are in English, and the years are reckoned from March to March. The third entry reminds us of the classics in the rather unusual christian name of "Virgill." The baptisms in this year are eighteen, of which two are marked "spuria." There is one marriage, but no burial. After this, the baptisms vary from six to nineteen in a year. The highest number of marriages was seven in 1594. The highest number of deaths in 1583, 1590, and 1591, when there were 10, 9 and 9 respectively. In 1574 and 1597, there were no deaths and no marriage. In 1575 there were 6 baptisms only, all girls, one of whom was "spuria." The first death recorded, was Walter Wilks* in 1575. In 1581 "John Chamberlayne, Gent., and Elizab. Thinne" were married. The commonest surnames are Cove, Peart, Richins, Adams, Costard. The christian names are chiefly William, Anne, Robert, Humphrey, Katherine, Joan, John. In 1598, a confusion of pages occurs, and many entries are repeated. In 1599 begins "interred" instead of "was buried." A different handwriting comes in here. The previous entries have been copied by a scribe from the early paper register books, and the writing is neat, even, and of good style. After the interments for 1601, at the bottom of the page, is signed, H. Blackborne, clerk, Rob. Gynner, Thos Hewer, John Beyton, Churchwardens. After the entries for 1603: "From ye aforesaid year of our Lord, 1602, until ye year 1618, ye Register is defective." Same repeated on another page with "through negligence" added. On the next page, "Henry Blackburne, Vicar; Churchwardens, William Gynner and William Hewer." From 1618 to 1639 the entries are well and consecutively kept. In 1637, "Epaphroditus Munden was bapt." In the years 1639 to 1642 inclusive, * The oldest legible tombstone in the churchyard in May, 1888, is "Here lyeth the body of Francis | Wilkes, who was | buried ye xxii | day of March | An. Dom. 1634." confusion and omission is the feature observable in the register book; 1643 to 53 is regular and orderly; the following memo. will explain why: "Memorand: that Edward Hitchman, Minister and Batchellour of Law, was inducted into the vicaridge of Kemsford (by Mr. Christopher Nicholoson of Faireford) upon the 21st Day of March, Anno Dom. 1642." This vicar entered all the burials by themselves, and also the baptisms. There are no marriages entered. No entries were made in this register from 1653 till the restoration of Charles II. in 1660, when the record goes on again as regularly as before. There is no note or memorandum either about the year 1649 or 1660. The burial of the vicar, Edward Hitchman, is noted 23rd, Aug., 1672. A fresh hand begins the entries for 1673, and the succeeding years are not so neatly kept as those before. The loose leaves of this No. I. Register Book end with the burial of "Sir Henry Frederick Thynne, Kt. and Bart. (forfiture paid) March 17th, 1679." The affidavits are noted for the years 1678-79. The baronet not being buried in woollen, a fine of £5 had to be paid. Only one reference to the civil war occurs thus: John the Soldier was buried 27th June, 1647.” The government of Oliver Cromwell, having abolished the book of common prayer, took from all incumbents the right to keep the parish records. A layman was appointed by the parish to keep the registers. As this Cromwellian book was often destroyed, it is a matter for congratulation that the parish of Kempsford has preserved its register of this period. It is a small 4to parchment book, well-bound in parchment, having many leaves cut out in the middle, but matter of great interest in the end Page 1. February the 16th, 1653. "Walter Couling, of Kempsford, being chosen Register of the parish of Kempsford | aforesaid, and approved on according to the Statute, was sworne the day and yeare | above written, to keep a true register | and fairly enter in writing in this book, | all publications, marriages, births of children, and burialls of all sorts of persons, and the names of every of them, and the days of the month, and yeare | of publications, marriages, births, and burialls, and the parents', guardians', and overseers' names, before me." John Gearing. Leonard Cowling, appointed registrar, 20 Jan., 1655. There is only one loose leaf of "publications" and marriages, of which the first is "Thomas Haynes and Mary Gillot were published 3 lordes days, beginning the 12th of March, 1653, and were married the 29th of March, 1654." The average of these "Publications" is three per year to 1657, when a gap occurs. Then follow what seems to be the clerk's memorandum of burials, baptisms, and marriages, from 1695 to 1700. The back of the book is filled with a list of the briefs sent into the parish. A page or two is wanting, but the list is perfect from 1694 to 1744. They deal mostly with fires, and are appeals from Great Britain and the Continent. The amounts collected are various, from nothing to £21: 0; but 2/- to 2/6 is the commoner amount. "Buscot" fire, an appeal close to home, resulted in 00:00:00. So did many others. The amounts "in all" are returned to Cirencester by the churchwardens. The second register is a thick folio parchment volume from 1686 to 1774: adorned with a most flourished title page Kempsford Register, began by Mr. Huntington, Anno Dom. 1686." The " christenings" come first, and are of the usual character. The "marriages" are singular, in respect of so many strangers and non-residents. They average about 3 per year. From 1686 to 1700, out of the total of 22, there were 13 non residents. The first entry in the "burials" is John Scott, Vicar, 1686. Sojourners" were buried, and suicides were interred without Christian burial in 1754, &c., and in "1750, Mary Pert, dying excommunicate, was buried wthout ye office of Xtian burial, May 28." At the end of this Registrar are some interesting notes: as "Persons of this Parish Excommunicated: Mary Orchard, July 26th, 1743". Also "An account of the Vicars, since 1555," apparently began and written by Sam. Clark, A.M., Aug. 6, 1735, and continued by the succeeding vicars, until the present time. There are notes about population, thus: 1732 | 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 People.. 482 657 850 885 1003 1007 951 Houses.. 109 In the baptismal register for 1813-40 there are many interesting parish memoranda by the Rev. Thomas Huntingford, Vicar; and a very complete account of the opening of the Church in 1858, after its restoration by the Rev. J. R. Woodford. ADIN WILLIAMS. A The Deightons of Gloucester. S some reference to the Deightons occurs in the article on the Williams family, p. 112, ante, the following details may be of interest to the reader. John Deighton, of St Nicholas, Gloucester, chirurgeon, sheriff of the city 1620 and 1624, had 3 sons: John born in 1605, who died in infancy; another of the same name born in 1607, and Thomas; and five daughters: Jane,* Frances, Katherine,* Mary, and Damaris, so that the inscription in St Nicholas church, copied by Bigland, is not quite accurate. A letter is extant in the Harleian MSS. which John Deighton wrote about 1636 to the editors of Foxes' Acts and Monuments to correct an error of Foxe's, respecting the martyrdom of Horne at Newent. In it he says he knew Foxe who died in 1587. This letter has been published in Narratives of the Days of the Reformation, edited by Nicholls (Camden Society). In his will made 31 Jan., 1639, and proved 21 May, 1640, John Deighton leaves to his daughter Damaris and her heirs several houses in Westgate Street, some pieces of ground and leaseholds, and appoints her sole executrix. To Richard Deighton he leaves a pair of gloves, and appoints him one of the overseers of his will. Two of the witnesses are Nathaniel and Samuel Deighton. The parentage of John, Richard, Nathaniel, and Samuel Deighton is not known, and there is nothing in the will but the coincidence of an uncommon name to show that they were relatives. John Deighton's arms on his tombstone were, according to Bigland, Argent, a lion passant between three crosses crosslet fitcheé gules, the same as those borne by Robert Dighton, of Sturton, Lincolnshire, illegitimate son of Christopher Dighton, fourth in descent in the Lincolnshire pedigree of the family. Richard Deighton was also a chirurgeon of St. Nicholas', Gloucester. He had a son Richard baptized in 1623, and two daughters. In 1636, he married secondly Elizabeth Whithorne, a widow with one son. By his will, dated 26 Dec., 1936, he bequeathed to his wife £20, and to his son Richard Deighton, Jane married John Lugg, who came of a very numerous and influential civic family in Gloucester. Katherine married Samuel Hagbourne at St. Nicholas Church, 26 Dec., 1633. The three sisters, Jane, Frances, and Katharine, with their respective spouses, sailed for New England, 1636-7, where descendants of the two first named live at the present. |