Walton-in-Gordano, Somerset Genealogy

England   Somerset

Parish History
WALTON-IN-GORDANO (St. Paul), a parish, in the union of Bedminster, hundred of Portbury, E. division of Somerset, 14 miles (W.) from Bristol; containing 217 inhabitants. This manor was owned by Ralph de Mortimer, kinsman of William the Conqueror; some of his family were earls of March, and under them the manor was held for several generations by Richard de Walton and his descendants. The parish is bounded on the west by the Bristol Channel, and is situated about two miles north of Clevedon, a favourite wateringplace, nearly opposite to Cardiff. It comprises 1153a. 2r. 22p., of which 120 acres are common or waste land. Stone is abundant, and there is a quarry. The living is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £9. 15. 5., and in the gift of P. J. Miles, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £180, and the glebe comprises 25 acres. The church is a plain edifice, built about 1710, and enlarged to nearly double its original size in 1838. Some remains exist of a more ancient church at the foot of the hill occupied by Walton Castle, an octangular pile, embattled, and crowned at each angle with a turret; the principal entrance to the castle is on the east, and the keep is in the centre of the area.From: 'Walton - Walton, Wood', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 453-457. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51374 Date accessed: 08 March 2011.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
Contributor: Include here information for parish registers, Bishop’s Transcripts, non conformist and other types of church records, such as parish chest records. Add the contact information for the office holding the original records. Add links to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection

Census records
Contributor: Include an overview if there is any unique information, such as the census for X year was destroyed. Add a link to online sites for indexes and/or images. Also add a link to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Somerset Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.
 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
Contributor: Add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.