Ralph Bigland's interest in Gloucestershire was sparked when he married his
wife Ann Wilkins who came from there. He embarked on research for the
'Collections' on 1750, and worked for some 30 years transcribing the gravestones
of many Gloucestershire church yards, and then produced papers describing each
place in detail. On his death, the work was published in 1786 in two huge
volumes by his son, Richard Bigland, and included many beautiful engravings.
Each place is described, together with its history, but the main feature of
the book is its transcriptions of gravestones and monuments in each parish
church and grave yard.... made in the period from 1750 to 1781. Almost all of
these gravestones have since disappeared or have become illegible by weathering,
and it is this information which is so valuable to family historians.
Bigland did his work 1750 to 1778 ish... he compiled 2 volumes from his work,
but they were not published before he died. He got up to "N" in the alphabet of
places. A couple of years after his death, his son published the completed work
of his father in two volumes (although they were bound as one large book).
110 years later... (1895) a researcher found Bigland's original notes of the
rest of the N's and to the end of the alphabet. The notes that had never even
been compiled and sorted properly, never mind published. He then published two
more volumes in the same format as Bigland's original work, and at the same time
re-published the first two original volumes, making 4 in all, which he naturally
gave the same title as the original Bigland volumes. Even the additional books
don't contain every one of Gloucestershire's parishes, and in fact there are
many more 'missing' after N than before it... as Bigland didn't complete his
ambition of doing them all.
95 years after that .... (1990) the Bristol and Gloucestershire
Archaeological Society reprinted a facsimile edition the 4 volumes of the 1895
publication, and sold them as a limited edition. We have two of
these volumes available (in limited quantity).
This volume covers the parishes (alphabetically) from Daglingworth-Moreton
Valence.
Contents:
List of plates
Foreword by Brian Frith
Daglingworth
Dean Michel, or Dene Magna
Dene Parva, or Little Dean
Forest of Dean
Deerhurst, or Deorhurst
Deinton, or Deynton
Didbroke
Didmarton
Dodington
Dorsington
Dowdeswell, or Dolswelle
Downe Ampney
Downe-Hatherley
Driffield, or Dryffelde
Dumbleton
Duntesborne Abbatis, or Upper Duntesborne
Duntesborne Militis Rufi, or Le Rous
Dursley
Dymock
Dyrham, or Dereham
Eastington
East Leche St Martin, of Burthorpe
East Leche Turville
Ebrington, or Ebburton
Edgeworth
Elberton
Elkestone
Elmore
Elmstone
Fairford
Farmington
Filton
Flaxley
Forthampton
Frampton Cotterel
Frampton upon Severn
Fretherne
Frocester
Guiting Poher
Guiting Militum Templi, or Temple Guiting
Hampnett
Hampton Monialium, Minchin, or Mochel
Hardwicke
Harescombe, or Harscombe
Haresfield
Harnhill, or Harnhull
Hartpury
Hasfield
Hasleton
Hatherop
Hawkesbury
Hawling
Hayles
Hempsted, or Hemsteed
Henbury
Hewelsfield, or Hualdesfield
Hill, or Hull
Hinton, or Hynnington, or Hurstlegh
Horton
Huntley
Kemerton
Kempley
Kempsford
Kingscote
Kingswood
Lassborough
Lassington, or Lassingdon
Lea, or The Lea
Lechelade, or Leachlade
Leckhampton
Leygh, Lye, or The Leigh
Lemmington
Lidney
Longborough
Long Hope
Littleton
Littleton unpon Severn
Longney
Mongotsfield
Marshfield
Marston, Marston Sicca, Dry or Long Marston
Matson, or Matisden
Maysemore
Meysey Hampton
Mickleton
Minsterworth
Miserden, or Musarden
Moreton Henmarsh
Moreton Valence
