Standing in a secluded space in the Lawn, the chancel is all that remains of Swindon's original parish church, Holy Rood.
The foundations of the church date back to the thirteenth century with a makeover and rebuild in the 1748 when a brick built tower was added.
However, by the mid nineteenth church the old parish church was proving too small for Swindon's growing population and by 1851 work had begun on a new building.
Much of the fabric of the old church was sold off and it is believed that the Goddard's gazebo and ice house was constructed using recycled materials.
Today the building is seldom open to the public but you can join us for a guided tour of the church and graveyard on Sunday July 23 at 2 pm.
I have been studying the Holy Rood parish registers which survive from 1623.
It was Henry VIII's right hand man, Thomas Cromwell, who implemented the introduction of a register recording the baptisms, marriages and burials in every parish. Although few of the earliest records survive those for Holy Rood date from 1623 and are available to view on microfiche at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Chippenham and online at Ancestry.
Scrolling through the online records I came across a record of the Thomson family written in the back of the 1678-1732 register.
Henry Thomson was vicar at Swindon from 1663-1703. His incumbency covered a turbulent time in history. He witnessed the restoration of the monarchy and the reign of Charles II; the accession of James II and the Monmouth rebellion; and the Glorious Revolution of 1685 which saw William of Orange and his wife Mary invited to take the throne.
Henry's reign in Swindon ended as Queen Anne's began. That's an awful lot of history to cover in one person's lifetime. How much did these events affect the little town on the hill.
Meanwhile, Henry's own family history has been recorded in the Holy Rood register. His marriage to Martha Lawrence, the daughter of William, on November 24, 1662. The baptism of their first child, a daughter named Martha, a year later. Subsequent children arrived at regular intervals, all recorded in the back pages of the 1678-1732 register. Elizabeth born 1664; Grace in 1667; Susana 1669, William 1671; Francis 1674; Jane 1676 and finally Stephen born in 1680.
Details of the marriage of three of Henry's daughters is also recorded. Martha married James Fullwood and in 1689 had three surviving children Francis, James and Katherine.
Elizabeth married Arther Garrett in 1695 and Jane married James Barrit in 'January ye 23 1698/9.'
Not all the entries are in the same hand. Did Henry write this account or was it added at a later date? Perhaps a family member with access to the register made a note for posterity.
Join us at Holy Rood on Sunday July 28 at 2 pm when I will be sharing more entries from the parish registers.
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The Goddard family tomb
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The foundations of the church date back to the thirteenth century with a makeover and rebuild in the 1748 when a brick built tower was added.
However, by the mid nineteenth church the old parish church was proving too small for Swindon's growing population and by 1851 work had begun on a new building.
Much of the fabric of the old church was sold off and it is believed that the Goddard's gazebo and ice house was constructed using recycled materials.
Today the building is seldom open to the public but you can join us for a guided tour of the church and graveyard on Sunday July 23 at 2 pm.
I have been studying the Holy Rood parish registers which survive from 1623.
It was Henry VIII's right hand man, Thomas Cromwell, who implemented the introduction of a register recording the baptisms, marriages and burials in every parish. Although few of the earliest records survive those for Holy Rood date from 1623 and are available to view on microfiche at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Chippenham and online at Ancestry.
Scrolling through the online records I came across a record of the Thomson family written in the back of the 1678-1732 register.
Henry Thomson was vicar at Swindon from 1663-1703. His incumbency covered a turbulent time in history. He witnessed the restoration of the monarchy and the reign of Charles II; the accession of James II and the Monmouth rebellion; and the Glorious Revolution of 1685 which saw William of Orange and his wife Mary invited to take the throne.
Henry's reign in Swindon ended as Queen Anne's began. That's an awful lot of history to cover in one person's lifetime. How much did these events affect the little town on the hill.
Meanwhile, Henry's own family history has been recorded in the Holy Rood register. His marriage to Martha Lawrence, the daughter of William, on November 24, 1662. The baptism of their first child, a daughter named Martha, a year later. Subsequent children arrived at regular intervals, all recorded in the back pages of the 1678-1732 register. Elizabeth born 1664; Grace in 1667; Susana 1669, William 1671; Francis 1674; Jane 1676 and finally Stephen born in 1680.
Details of the marriage of three of Henry's daughters is also recorded. Martha married James Fullwood and in 1689 had three surviving children Francis, James and Katherine.
Elizabeth married Arther Garrett in 1695 and Jane married James Barrit in 'January ye 23 1698/9.'
Not all the entries are in the same hand. Did Henry write this account or was it added at a later date? Perhaps a family member with access to the register made a note for posterity.
Join us at Holy Rood on Sunday July 28 at 2 pm when I will be sharing more entries from the parish registers.
The Goddard family tomb
