Cirencester, Gloucestershire Genealogy

England   Gloucestershire

Parish History
Cirencester Parish presents an awe-inspiring image with elaborately carved stonework encasing its multiple windows and a decorative lace sky-line border. This ancient Cotswold parish still dominates the busy market street, but has almost been engulfed by modern businesses, near the once famous wool and corn market areas.

A closer view of the stonework on this parish shows the chiseled precision of the stone masons who labored to create the unique lace pattern along the roof-line of the parish.



"The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Gloucester, and in the patronage of the Bishop of Gloucester. The church, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, is a magnificent structure in the decorated style of English architecture, erected in the fifteenth century, with a lofty embattled tower crowned with pinnacles; its interior and exterior are richly adorned in the most elaborate style, and it contains several chapels of exquisite beauty and many sepulchral monuments." Samuel Lewis, (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.) Vols. I-II, p. 459

Lady Chapel
"The Lady Chapel dates from 1240, when the cult of the Virgin Mary was especially popular and such chapels were added to churches around the country." "The Lady Chapel is dominated by the Bridges Monument, the magnificent tomb of the early 17th-century lawyer Humphrey Bridges, his wife, and eleven children. The couple's effigies lie flat with their hands clasped in prayer; Humphrey looks sober and reverent while his wife looks warm and loving." Cirencester Parish Church, "What to See,"(Sacred Destinations)10 June 2007, 

The Bridges Monument



The man with the ruffled collar (above) positioned at the head of Humphrey Bridges is also a part of the Bridges Monument.

"In 1620, Mrs. Elizabeth Bridges founded an almshouse, with a small endowment, which has been subsequently augmented; and there are various minor bequests for the benefit of the poor, and for apprenticing children." Samuel Lewis, (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.) Vols. I-II, p. 459

The Effigy Tomb of John Master

"Across the way is the luxurious, reclining effigy tomb of John Master, a late-17th century gentleman" Cirencester Parish Church, "What to See,"(Sacred Destinations)10 June 2007, 

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 conformists 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 Gloucestershire 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.