"GLOUCESTERSHIRE, a west Midland county [Map (right) shows location], situated upon the estuary of the Severn, and bounded north and north-east by Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire
"GLOUCESTERSHIRE, a west Midland county [Map (right) shows location], situated upon the estuary of the Severn, and bounded north and north-east by Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire; by Oxfordshire; south by Berks, Wilts, and Somerset; and west by Monmouthshire, Herefordshire, and the estuary of the Severn; greatest length, south-west to north-east 54 miles; greatest breadth, north-west to south-east, 33 miles; area, 783,699 acres; population 572,433. The face of the county shows varied aspects, of which the most distinctive are the Cotswold Hills, in the east; the valley of the Severn, in the middle; and the Forest of Dean, in the west. Besides the Severn there are numerous important rivers, such as the Avon, Lower Avon, Wye, Thames, and Windrush. The canal system has been largely developed, and several important water-ways of that description pass through the county. Agriculture forms the leading occupation of the rural population; in the hills sheep-farming receives attention; while the rich valley of the Severn has long been famed for the superiority of its products. Its luxuriant pastures especially have originated and supported a great industry in the shape of dairy farms which produce the celebrated Glo'ster cheese. In the west of the county are 2 great coal fields - the Forest of Dean on the north, and the Bristol coal-field on the west. Other minerals are gypsum, barytes, quartz, limestone, and freestone. The manufactures are mostly woollen and cotton stuffs, but at Bristol there are also large hardware manufactures."
[Extract from Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles, 1887]
There is a What's New page that keeps you up to date with the changes made to this page and the contents of the Gloucestershire pages generally.
Ralph, Elizabeth and Hardwick, Nora M - Calendar of the Bristol Apprentice Book 1532 - 1565. Published by Bristol Record Society, 1980. Three Volumes: Vol II, 1542-1552; Vol III, 1552-1565.
Probably out of print, but second hand copies can be found through online bookstores such as Ambra Books (see also below), and John Townsend - Antiquarian Books.
Salter, Mike - The Old Parish Churches of the Forest of Dean. Folly Publications.
Recommended by previous GENUKI maintainer- like others in his Old Parish Churches series, it is extremely well-researched and a regular source of reference.
Ralph Bigland visited many of Gloucestershire's graveyards in the late 18th Century, and recorded the contents of the Memorials he found in a series of 4 volumes, available in the Gloucestershire Record Office. These volumes represent a unique reference source, as many of the Monumental Inscriptions they record have now disappeared, either because the gravestones have been removed, or because their inscriptions are no longer visible. As well as the originals available in the Gloucestershire Record Office, reprints are also available, republished by the Gloucester Record Society, details as follows:- Historical, Monumental and Genealogical Collections relative to the County of Gloucester, ed. B. Frith, 1989-95, published by the Gloucester Record Society. (Volumes 1-4 : ISBN 0 900197 28 5, 0 900197 30 7, 0 900197 34 X and 0 900197 40 4), UK £30 each.
The Britannia, "America's Gateway to the British Isles" Index of Parish Churches features about 10 Gloucestershire Churches. A nice site, providing you can tolerate the constant invitations to take part in online gambling.
John Wilkes produced a series of stunning photographs of many Gloucestershire Parish Churches. These can now be found in montages on Allan Taylor's Cotswold site.
Several Gloucestershire churches are featured on Phil Draper's Church Crawler Website, devoted to news and information about churches in the UK, and worldwide, where the emphasis is on "less-well-known churches that do not appear on the tourist trails of the world". Phil has a particular interest in Bristol's Cathedrals, Chu