Acton Turville, Gloucestershire Family History Guide
Acton Turville is a chapelry of Tormarton Ancient Parish in Gloucestershire.
Parish church: St. Mary
Parish registers begin: 1665
Nonconformists include: Baptist
School: erected in 1862 for boys and girls.
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
Acton Turville Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
Acton-Turville, a parish in Chipping-Sodbury district, Gloucester; near the Fosse way and under the Cotswold hills, 5½ miles E by S of Chipping-Sodbury, and 7½ E of Yate r. station. Post-town, Badminton under Chippenham. Acres, 1,009. Real property, £1,424. Pop., 310. Houses, 68. The property is not much divided. There are traces of a sanctuary built by some one of the Saxon Kings. The living is a vicarage, united to the rectory of Tormarton, in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol. The church is good.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A Fullerton & Co. N.d.c. [1870-72]
Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales 1850
Acton-Turville, 4 m. E. Chipping-Sodbury. P. 311.
Source: Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales; Second Edition; C. W. Leonard, London; 1850.
Lewis Topographical Dictionary of England 1845
Acton-Turville (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Chipping-Sodbury, Lower division of the hundred of Grumbald’s-Ash, W division of the county of Gloucester, 5 ¾ miles (E.) from Chipping Sodbury; containing 311 inhabitants. This place, which lies on the border of Wiltshire, is exceedingly well situated with respect to means of communication, roads branching off from the village to the towns of Malmsbury, Chippenham, Bath, and Chipping Sodbury, respectively. The living is a vicarage not in charge, united to the rectory of Tormarton in 1344.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis Fifth Edition Published London; by S. Lewis and Co., 13, Finsbury Place, South. M. DCCC. XLV
The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales 1840
Acton-Turville, a chapelry in the parish of Tormarton, Gloucestershire; 6 miles east of Chipping-Sudbury, on the road from Bristol to Malmesbury. Living, a curacy in the archd. of Gloucester and dio. of Gloucester and Bristol, subordinate to the rectory of Tormarton. Patron, the vicar of Tormarton. A stone-building, dedicated to the Virgin, in the centre of the town, was formerly used as a sanctuury. There is a foot-post to Luckington. Pop., in 1801, 156; in 1831, 236. Houses 48. Acres 940. A. P. £1,264. Poor rates, in 1837, £61.
Source: The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales; A Fullarton & Co. Glasgow; 1840.
Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland 1833
Acton Turville, co. Gloucester.
P. T. Chipping Sodbury (113¼) 6 m. E b S. Pop. 215.
A parochial chapelry in the lower division of the hundred of Grumbald’s Ash, subordinate to the rectory of Tormarton, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Gloucester; certified value of living 6l. 13s. 4d.; church ded. to St. Mary; patron Rector of Tormarton.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland by John Gorton. The Irish and Welsh articles by G. N. Wright; Vol. I; London; Chapman and Hall, 186, Strand; 1833.
Complete Pocket Gazetteer of England and Wales 1807
Acton Turvil, (Glouc ) a village about 5 miles from Chipping Sedbury [sic], in the middle of which is an ancient building, erected by one of the Saxon kings for a sanctuary. Distant from London by Chippenham 102 miles 2 furl. by Malmsbury 106 m. 2 f. On the right is Badminton House, the residence of the duke of Beaufort.
Source: Complete Pocket Gazetteer of England and Wales; Crosby Rev. J. Malham; 1807.
Parish Registers
Marriages at Acton Turville 1671-1723
NOTE . — Register No. I , 12 inches long by 7½ wide ; 8½ pages . Parchment cover and pages . Writing indistinct and bad, evidently been burnt; condition very bad. Commences 1665, ends 1729. Contains — Marriages and numerous Baptisms and Burials. One quaint entry being as follows : – “A poore traveeiling woeman, her name unknown, taken up dead, was buried according to the Act and the fift day of December. Ye oath made by Ann Long and Elizabeth Danson before me, John Phillips, chaplaine to ye lord marquis of Worcester. ”
Register No. II is a single sheet of parchment, measuring 1 foot 22 inches in length by 9½ inches, endorsed on back , “Acton Turville Register, from ye year 1719 to 1729”; in fair condition, but writing indistinct and faded. Eight Marriages and several Baptisms and Burials.
Register No. III, in good condition, strongly bound in leather boards; parchment pages, 12 by 6 inches, stamped in red leather on covers, “Acton Turville Register, 1732. Thomas Philips, churchwarden.” This Register contains only Baptisms and Burials, and ends in 1812; more than half the pages unused. The Parish Register returns 1831, states that Volumes I and II contain Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1665 to 1729 and 1732 to 1812.
It would appear that from 1723 until 1839 no Marriages took place here, but all Acton Turville weddings were celebrated at Tormarton, the rector of which was responsible for divine service at Acton Turville and West Littleton. The Register now in use was begun in 1839, and from that date to 1847 inclusive only ten Marriages were celebrated at Acton Turville. See page 71 post. These extracts have been made by the Rev. W. S. Fossett, and are now printed under his supervision, after collating the proofs with the Registers.
Marriages at Acton Turville 1671 to 1723 – HathiTrust
Transcriptions
The marriages for Acton Turville are included in those for Tormarton
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Directories
Acton Turville Kellys Gloucestershire Directory 1856
Acton Turville is a township, parish, and village. 7 miles east from Yate station, 9½ from Chippenham, 13 from Bath, 17 from Bristol, and 103 from London, in Grumbald’s Ash Hundred, Chipping Sodbury Union, West Gloucestershire, Bristol archdeaconry, and Gloucester and Bristol bishopric. This situated an the high road from Malmesbury to Bristol.
The church of St. Margaret is an ancient stone building in the early English style, which has been thoroughly restored and considerably enlarged. It has an elegant pyramidal bell turret, 1 bell, nave, aisle, chancel, new font, and porch. The living is a vicarage annexed to Tormarton, with residence and 25 acres of glebe land; the Rev. J. S. M. Anderson, M.A., is the incumbent, the Rev. John H. J. Morison, M.A., is the curate.
The Baptists have a chapel. There is a school for boys and girls, supported partly by the weekly payments of the children, and partly by voluntary contributions. The population, in 1851, was 323; and the acreage is 1,009. The soil is light loam; the subsoil is oolite. The Duke of Beaufort is lord of the manor, and sole landowner.
Ivy Leaze is three-quarters of a mile south-east; Swallow Holes, half a mile north-west, on a brook; Withey Moor, 1 mile north-west; New House, 1 ½ miles west; Warren, 1 ½ miles south-west.
GENTRY.
Isaac Miss Ellen
Morison Rev. John H. J., M.A.
TRADERS.
Baker Hannah (Mrs.), draper & grocer
Cam Wm. boot & shoe maker
Cole Thomas, farmer
Comely John, farmer
Daw James, farmer
Evans Mary (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Goulter James, jun. farmer
Goulter James, sen. farmer
Long Jesse, pianoforte tuner
Minett William, farmer
Sainsbury James, stonemason
White Henry, carpenter
Woodey Mary (Mrs), ‘Fox & Hounds’
Letters though Chipping Sodbury. The nearest money order office is at Badminton.
Carriers to Bath – Henry Pugh, from Sherston, passes through Saturday; Charles Bell, from Luckington, passes though Saturday.
Source: Post Office Directory of Gloucestershire with Bath and Bristol. Printed and Published by Kelly and Co., 19, 20 & 21, Old Boswell Court, St. Clement’s, Strand, London. 1856.
Acton Turville Kellys Gloucestershire Directory 1863
Acton Turville is a parish and village, 7 miles east from Yate station. 9½ from Chippenham, 13 from Bath, 17 from Bristol, and 103 from London, in Grumbalds Ash hundred, Chipping Sodbury union and county court district, West Gloucestershire, rural deanery of Hawkesbury, Bristol archdeaconry, and Gloucester and Bristol bishopric; it is situated on the high road from Malmesbury to Bristol.
The church of St. Mary is an ancient stone building in the Early English style, and has been thoroughly restored and considerably enlarged; it has an elegant pyramidal bell-turret containing 1 bell, nave, aisle, chancel, new font and porch. The living is a vicarage, annexed, together with the chapelry of West Littleton, to Tormarton, joint annual value £800, with residence and 25 acres of glebe land, in the gift of the Duke of Beaufort; the Rev. J. S. M. Anderson, M.A., is the incumbent; the Rev. W. Winstone Hayward is the curate in charge, and the Rev. George Frederick Le Mesurier, M.A., of Exeter College, Oxford, is the assistant curate.
The Baptists have a chapel. The population in 1861 was 310; the acreage is 1,009. The soil is a light loam; the subsoil is oolite. The Duke of Beaufort is lord of the manor and sole landowner. A new school for boys and girls was erected by his Grace the Duke of Beaufort in 1862, which is supported by her Grace the Duchess of Beaufort.
Parish Clerk, Jesse Long.
Comely Mr. John
Isaac Miss Ellen
Le Mesurier Rev. George Fredk. M.A
Baker Richd. draper, grocer & genrl. dlr
Cam William, boot & shoe maker
Chapel Samuel, farmer
Evans Mary (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Goulter James, farmer
Goulter Theophilus, farmer
Harding Elizabeth, toll collector
Long Jesse, mason
Minett William, farmer
Sainsbury James, stonemason
Smith Charles, carpenter
Tanner James, brick, tile & drain pipe manufacturer
White Henry, carpenter
Woody Mary (Mrs.), Fox & Hounds
Letters through Chipping Sodbury.
The nearest money order office is at Great Badminton
Mixed Free School, Mrs. Matilda Whitfield, mistress
Carriers to Bath.— J. Smith, from Sheraton, passes through, Saturday; Charles Bell, from Luckington, passes through, 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.
Acton Turville Morris Gloucestershire Directory 1876
Acton Turville is a village and parish in Chipping Sodbury union, containing by the census of 1861, 310, and in 1871, 314 inhabitants, with 1090 acres of land; in the deanery of Hawkesbury, archdeaconry of Bristol, diocese of Gloucester and Bristol, hundred of Grumbolds Ash, West Gloucestershire; 7 miles east from Yate station, 9 ½ south-west from Chippenham, 13 north from Bath, 17 north-east from Bristol, and 103 from London, on the road from Bristol to Malmesbury.
The vicarage, in the incumbency of the Rev. R. Herbert Mullens, is valued at £200 per annum, with residence and 20 acres of glebe land, and is in the patronage of the Duke of Beaufort. The church is an ancient edifice, in the early English style, consisting of nave, chancel, aisle, and porch with an elegant pyramidical bell turret containing one bell. There is a school for children of both sexes, which was erected by the Duke of Beaufort in 1862, and is supported by the Duchess of Beaufort. The Duke of Beaufort is lord of the manor and owner of the soil. The rateable value of this parish is £1179.
Mullins Rev. R. Herbert, vicar
TRADES AND PROFESSIONS
Baker Richard, grocer and general dealer
Brown William, shopkeeper
Butler William, farmer
Cam William, boot and shoemaker
Fry Thomas, farmer
Goulter James, farmer
Long Jesse, mason and parish clerk
Minett William, farmer
Norton William, “Fox and Hounds” inn
Sainsbury James, stonemason
Tanner James, brick, tile, and drain pipe manufacturer
White Henry, carpenter
Chippenham is the post town, and Great Badminton the nearest money order office.
Free School – Miss Helen Freegard, mistress
Carrier – J. Smith, from Sherston to Bath, passes through every Saturday.
Source: Morris & Co.’s Commercial Directory & Gazetteer of Gloucestershire with Bristol and Monmouth. Second Edition. Hounds Gate, Nottingham. 1876.
Maps
Administration
- County: Gloucestershire
- Civil Registration District: Chipping Sodbury
- Probate Court: Court of the Bishop of Gloucester (Episcopal Consistory)
- Diocese: Gloucester and Bristol
- Rural Deanery: Hawkesbury
- Poor Law Union: Chipping Sodbury
- Hundred: Grumbald’s Ash
- Province: Canterbury
- County Court District: Chipping Sodbury