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Gloucestershire

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Gloucestershire Towns & Parishes

KEMPLEY, Gloucestershire

Archives and Libraries Bibliography Census Church History

Directories Gazetteers Names, Personal

Archives and Libraries

Guide to Research Sources for the parish of St Mary, Kempley

Bibliography

• Gethyn-Jones, Rev. J. E. - St Mary's Church Kempley and its Paintings. Printed by John Bellows Ltd, Gloucester, 1959.

Census

• Gloucestershire - Census Returns 1841-1901 - all you ever wanted to know about the Census.

Church History

• Photograph of St Mary's Church, Photograph of The Nave of St Mary's Church and Photograph of Wall Fresco in St Mary's Church, Kempley, from Rosemary Lockie.

• Photograph of St Edward the Confessor's Church, and Photograph of St Edward the Confessor's Church (East Face), Kempley, from Rosemary Lockie.

  St Mary's Church is Norman in origin, believed to have been built between 1095 and 1100, by Hugh de Lacy, son of a Norman baron, Walter de Lacy, of Lassy in Normandy, and on the site of an older Saxon Church.

  The church is believed to have been at the centre of an early agricultural community at Kempley, of which few traces now remain. The area around the church is prone to flooding, and whilst early settlers might have benefited from the nearby water supply as a source of power to drive water wheels, there was a gradual drift of population during the 18th and 19th centuries towards other power sources and to higher ground, where the hamlets known as Kempley Green and Fishpool are sited.

  During the 19th century particularly, there was frequent flooding which cut off the villagers from their church and its parson. It was therefore decided a new church was needed, of which the foundation stone was laid in 1902. The new church, St Edward the Confessor, was dedicated on St Stephen's Day, 1903.

  By this time St Mary's church was in a sad state of repair, and the early years of the 20th century saw a struggle for its preservation, and in particular the uncovering, and conservation of the murals. Thanks however to the hard work and perseverance of some dedicated people the church and murals still survive, and the church has now acquired the status of an 'Ancient Monument'. [Reference: see Bibliography section, above]

  Opening hours are 1st March - 31st October 10a.m. to 6p.m.
  Winter months by prior notice - Apply Mrs M.E. Brooke:
  Telephone 01531 660214.

Directories

• Transcription of section of Morris & Co's Directory of Gloucestershire, 1876 for Kempley, by Cathie Bennett.

Gazetteers

• The transcription of the section for Kempley from the National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

Names, Personal

• A list of Kempley Vicars, taken from a board inside the Church.

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