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Castle Cary

Apr 15th 2018

By: Kerry

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Castle Cary is a small market town in Somerset which developed around the site of an old castle built around the 10^th century which is no longer existent. It’s a well kept pretty town with numerous old buildings. Initially I thought it was the location of a family baptism but on checking records realised I’d forgotten about finding a much more likely one in Bristol. However given its antiquity I was keen to visit. I discovered that it has an old and still functioning factory weaving horsehair into quality furnishings. Also, horsehair mattresses used to be very common in years gone by. I had one as a child and remember it being quite comfortable. Unfortunately, its museum was closed. Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Cary and other sites have information about Castle Cary’s past and I suggest you read. I am too far behind with blog posts to provide any reasonable overview of this or other locations in the foreseeable future.

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Main Street

Market Hall Built 1855

Market Hall – another aspect

The Roundhouse – lockup in street behind Market Hall It was a temporary jail.

House

Houses

The George – Old Hotel

Back of The George

View from hill where castle had been built

Another view from hill

Feline resident in its backyard

We then headed north to Bristol continuing along the scenic routes instead of the motorways. Following are 3 scenes viewed prior to bypassing Wells again.

Somerset scenery

scenery 2

Scenery 3

Castle Carey, UK
Wells Cathedral

Apr 15th 2018

By: Kerry

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We were driving further into Somerset after after a long day spent visiting Winterbourne Down, Abbot’s Leigh, Ham Green, Pill and Easton in Gordano when our eyes were captured by the towers of Wells Cathedral. While not on our itinerary we detoured for a quick visit. Wiki tells us that it was started in 1175 on the site of a previous church and built over many years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells_Cathedral It looks interesting and it’s a pity we didn’t have time to visit inside. Below are some photos shot late in the afternoon.

Wells Cathedral 1

Cathedral 2

Cathedral 3

Cathedral 4

Cathedral Clock

Green 1

Green 2

Green 3

Green 4

We then continued our journey towards our destination for the night.

Below is a photo from the following day as we headed north to Bristol.

Wells Cathedral – country road A completely different aspect of the building.

UK, Wells
Easton in Gordano

Apr 12th 2018

By: Kerry

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Easton in Gordano is another small community nearby and

St George’s Church

well known to earlier family. Martha Lancashire/Hopton was born into the Cox family in Easton in Gordano and her family is recorded in parish registers. We discovered that her mother’s family name appears on several stained glass windows and tombstones.

Main Aisle

Baptismal Font

This font is little more than a hundred years old and was not used for family baptisms.

Inside church

Stained glass windows with a family name

Churchyard

Church and cemetery

Church and family

Family name tombstone

Soldiers memorial

Pill Another nearby community

Pill and bridge over Avon River

Somerset scenery

Easton in Gordano, Family History, UK
Abbot’s Leigh

Apr 11th 2018

By: Kerry

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After a quick lunch we hit the road to Abbot’s Leigh. It’s one of several small communities in a triangular section south of Bristol between the Severn and the River Avon. The Lancashires (Robert was Martha Hopton’s first husband), the Hoptons and some of their descendants lived in that area from the time of the Lancashire marriage in 1804 to sometime in the latter part of the century when a grandson was reported to have trained polo ponies at Ham Green, one of the other communities and also one often recorded by family as a place of birth in census records.

Our interest in Abbot’s Leigh arose from knowledge that it was the burial place of Robert Lancashire’s second wife. I knew nothing else about her so was keen to see if a tombstone would help. In addition, two of the Hopton children had been baptised there. The parish had thoughtfully compiled a record of burials and a map and we hit the jackpot. The tombstone was located near the entrance to the church and most of the writing was still clear. The interesting piece of information was that Sarah Lancashire had died a year after marrying Robert Lancashire and was buried with her previous husband, William Dyer, and a host of others of the same surname. A few mysteries remain to be unravelled.

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Holy Trinity Church Abbot’s Leigh

Nearby

Neighbours

Inside church

Baptismal font

Dyer tombstone

The tombstone was located behind the trees in the first photo. The church was beautifully cared for. It was Easter Saturday. Many arrangements of fresh flowers added a vibrancy to the environment. Children had created small arrangements of flowers which were located at the entrance to the church.

Our next location was another church a few kilometres away.

Abbot's Leigh, Family History, UK
Ledbury to Winterbourne Down

Apr 11th 2018

By: Kerry

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My Somerset born third great grandmother lost her husband in 1809 leaving her with three young daughters. Two years later she remarried and proceeded to have another family. Many years later she and her husband were buried at Winterbourne Down. We drove from Ledbury to see if we could find a tombstone while on our journey south into Somerset.

Scenery

Road through farm

Roadside scenery

Hedgerow. All hedgerows looked to have been cut recently.

Church yard entrance

Cemetery

Cemetery 2

View from cemetery

Likely location of burial. This is the oldest section of the cemetery behind the church and the likely location of Martha and John Hopton’s burials. No tombstone was evident. I’ve never seen any evidence suggesting that they were well off so I was not certain of seeing one.

Family History, UK
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