South Cerney, Gloucestershire

Extract from Kelly's Directory of Gloucestershire, 1889

Transcription by Paul A. Best © 2005

SOUTH CERNEY & CERNEY WICK.

South Cerney is a parish and scattered village situated on the east side of the Ashton and Wotton Bassett road and on the Wiltshire border, with a station (called Cerney and Ashton Keynes) on the Midland and South Western Junction railway, 4 miles south-by-east from Cirencester and 4½ north-west from Cricklade, in the Eastern division of the county, hundred of Crowthorne and Minety, Cirencester union, petty sessional division and county court district,and in the rural deanery and archdeaconary of Cirencester and diocese of Gloucester and Bristol. The parish is watered by the river Churn and intersected by the Thames and Severn canal. The church of All Hallows is a spacious edifice, consisting of chancel, nave of five bays, aisles, south porch and an embattled central tower containing a clock, presented by Mrs Edwards, and six bells: the building dates from the 12th century; the doorways and chancel arch being excellent specimens of Transition Norman work: the chancel is the late Decorated, enriched throughout with the ball flower ornament, and retains sedilia and aumbry and elaborately carved piscina: the south aisle was added in 1862, when the church was thoroughly restored, reseated with open pews, and almost entirely rebuilt : an organ was errected in 1883, at the cost of £160, raised by subscription: the east window is a memorial to W.L.R. Sutton, and in the south aisle are two memorial windows, by Mayer of Munich, to other members of the Sutton family; the west window is a memorial to Mrs Edwards: on the west wall is a tablet inscribed to Walter Portlock, of this parish, who died in 1701 aged 100 years: there are sittings for 500 persons. The register dates from the year 1583.

The living is a vicarage, with the chapelry of Cerney Wick annexed, joint net yearly value £240, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, and held since 1870 by Rev. William Elliot Hadow M.A. of Christ's College Cambridge. Edwards college was founded in 1834 under the will of Mrs Ann Edwards, who left the residue of her property to the Clergy charity, for the relief of the widows and orphans of the poor clergy in the diocese of Gloucester ; the trustees of the charity, in 1839, erected from the funds amounting at the time to £11,000, a row of twelve small houses, on a site given by the lord of the manor; the college is now fully occupied, but has no endowment. Cutt's charity amounts to about £90 yearly; one third of this is for repairs of the church; one third for repairs of the highways; the remainder, assigned for the relief of the poor, is distributed on St Thomas' Day, when Mrs Edwards clothing clothing charity is also distributed. The Sutton family and W. Garne esq. H. Howell esq. J. Howell esq. and the family of the late John Rodbard-Rodbard esq. are the chief landowners. The soil and sunsoil are gravelly. The chief crops are wheat, barley and oats. The area is 3,100 acres; rateable value £5,198 ; the population in 1881 was 943.

Cerney Wick is a chapelry and hamlet, 2 miles southeast, where is a chapel of ease (Holy Trinity) consisting of chancel and nave, with small bell turret at the west gable containing one bell.

Parish Clerk, Richard Wheeler.
Post & M.O.O. & S. B. & Annuity & Insurance Offices -- John Johnson, receiver. Letters are received from Cirencester & delivered at 8.10 a.m. dispatched at 5.30 p.m.
The nearest telegraph office is at Cirencester.
WALL LETTER BOX cleared 5.40 p.m week days only.
National School (mixed) erected, with masters house, in 1820, by Mrs Edwards. for 157 children; average attendance, 118 ; & has an endowment of allotment grounds, producing £20 yearly, left by Mrs Edwards in 1834 ; Edward Parish, master ; Mrs Ellen Parish, mistress.

Station Master, Henry Baker
CARRIER TO CIRENCESTER --- Henry Gassor, mon.wed. & fri.

SOUTH CERNEY.

PRIVATE RESIDENTS.

COMMERCIAL.

[Transcribed by Paul A. Best in February 2005 from a personal copy of the Directory]