Tetbury

"TETBURY, a parish, post, and market town, in the hundred of Longtree, county Gloucester, 5 miles N.W. of Malmesbury, its post town, and 7 S.W. of Tetbury Road railway station. It is at the southern extremity of the county, bordering on Wilts, and near the source of the river Avon, over which is a long bridge or causeway, leading into the Malmesbury road. The Great Western railway and the Roman Ackman Street pass near the village. The parish contains the tythings of Charlton, Doughton, Elmstree, and Upton.

Tetbury is a petty sessions town under a bailiff and two constables, who are elected annually at the court leet of the feoffees of the manor. The petty sessions for the town and hundred are held in the townhall on alternate Wednesdays in rotation with Horseley and Rodborough. The town consists principally of one long street, which is paved and lighted with gas, and is crossed at right angles by two shorter ones, with a market-place at the intersection. There are a bank, savings-bank, townhall, market-house, police station, and union poorhouse.

The population in 1861 was 2,285, and of the parish 3,274. There are extensive maltings, breweries, and woolstaplers, but the staple trade of the place is in agricultural produce. British and Roman coins of the lower empire have been found on the site of an ancient camp. The Poor-law Union comprises 13 parishes or places, of which 11 are in Gloucestershire, and 2 in Wilts.

The living is a vicarage* with the curacy of St. Saviour's annexed, in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol, value £771. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, was rebuilt in 1781, with the exception of the tower, which contains a clock and eight bells. In the interior are monuments and effigies, some of which are of great antiquity. The parochial charities produce about £653 per annum. There is an endowed National school for both sexes. The Independents, Baptists, Wesleyans, and Plymouth Brethren have chapels. Market day is on Wednesday. Fairs are held on Ash Wednesday and 22nd July, and on the Wednesday before and after 10th October for corn, cheese, cattle, and horses."

"CHARLTON, a tything in the parish of Tetbury, in the county of Gloucester. It is situated near Tetbury."

"DOUGHTON, a tything in the parish of Tetbury, in the county of Gloucester, 2 miles S.W. of Tetbury."

"ELMSTREE, a tything in the parish of Tetbury, county Gloucester, 2 miles S.W. of Tetbury."

"UPTON, a tything in the parish of Tetbury, county Gloucester, 1 mile N.W. of Tetbury."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]