Ashton Keynes, Wiltshire Genealogy

England   Wiltshire

Parish History


"The Church of the Holy CrossBold text' is an ancient edifice of stone, partly of Norman date, and consists of chancel with north chapel, nave of four bays with aisles, north and south porches and an embattled western tower containing five bells.' The earliest Christian worship offered here was before the present building, in Saxon times. Three Saxon-style pilaster buttresses remain on the north wall of the chancel (12th century).1



"The original chapel was linked with the chancel towards the end of the 13th century when the arches were cut in the old walls. In the 14th century there was a demand for more altars, so it was divided into two, the western chapel being dedicated to St. George.  From this chapel a staircase led up to the rood-loft, which most remarkably appears to have been across the north aisle only.  The rood-loft was lit by a square window which is now blocked up but can be seen from the outside of the church.  The lintel of the doorway is part of a re-used grave slab.  Over the arch one can see a very beautiful reredos (a decoration to go above and behind an altar) of the 14th century; this may not have been its original position.  The oval panels would have contained pictures or statues in the four corners of the central oval are symbols of the four evangelists (Matthew--a man, because he emphasizes the manhood of Jesus; Mark--a lion, because he teaches especially about Jesus as King; Luke--an ox, as he brings out the thought of Jesus as priest; John--an eagle, because he teaches about Jesus as God, the Word, and the eagle soars right up above the earth). "The Church is predominantly Norman, being added to over the years, and one can see how the pillars vary according to the century in which they were built. Adjacent to the Norman arch are old Norman stones noticeable by the slanting hand-chiselled lines, these being in contrast to the new smooth sawn stones.  This method of tooling stone is characteristic of Norman work, a and is not found later in the Middle Ages.  To the side of the chancel is a blocked-up doorway (15th century); when looked at from outside, sundials are scratched on the walls (the priest came out of this door to see the time for the next service.)"



The Church Walk
The gate of the Ashton-Keynes Parish Church Walk has a carved dedication to Max Johnstone, Vicar of Ashton-Keynes 1962-1967.

The peaceful tree-lined walk, in early spring, is bordered with lovely yellow daffodils.

About mid-way along the Church Walk, The Colin George Bodman memorial bench graciously provides a place to rest before continuing the long walk to the Parish Churchyard. A brass plate mounted on the back of the bench bears the following message:

"Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there, I did not die. Sit with me and rest for a while, and remember me with a happy smile."

This Church Walk approaches the Church through the Churchyard, where many loyal parishioners are buried.

Celtic crosses adorn many of the graves.

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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
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Census records
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Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Wiltshire 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

Gazetteers
"ASHTON-KEYNES, a parish in the hundred of Highworth, Cricklade, and Staple, county of Wilts, 4 1/2 miles (W.) from Cricklade, containing, with the chapelry of Leigh, 1151 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Wilts, and diocese of Salisbury, rated in the king's books at (pound) 16, and in the patronage of Robert Clack and others.  The church is dedicated to the Holy Cross."1 1 Samuel Lewis, ''A Topographical Dictionary of England Vols. I - II, (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Family History Library 35 North West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah), p. 60''(British Ref. Area, 942 E5L 1996)

"ASHTON-KEYNES, pa., tp., and a pleasant vil. N. Wilts. 4 w. of Crickland; ac. of pa. 4,260. of tp. 2,800, water 16; soil gravel and clay, subsoil variable. The ancient church of the Holy Cross, restored 1876-88, has traces of Norm. work.  The remains of a monastery, surrounded by a moat, adjoin the churchyard.  In the vil. are the remains fo four ancient stone crosses.  A. House is a seat in the pa." 2 2'"Cassell's Gazetteer of Great Britain And Ireland, A Complete Topographical Dictionary of the United Kingdom,Italic text' (Cassell And Copmpany Limited, London, Paris & Melbourne, 1893) p. 89

"ASHTON-KEYNES, a parish in Cricklade district, Wilts; on an affuent of the Thames, 2 1/2 miles N NE of Minety r. station, and 4 W of Cricklande. It includes the chapelry of Leigh; and has a post-office under Cricklade.  Acres, 3,820.  Real property, (pound) 8,086.  Pop., Ashton-Keynes HOuse is a chief residence.  The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Gloucester and BRistol.  Value, (pound) 325.  Patron J. Pitt, Esq.  The church is good; and there are two dissenting chapels, and charities (pound)119."3 3The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales,1838. (British Ref. Area, 942 E5 Vol 1) p. 89-90) '''

Web sites
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