UK Genealogy Archives logo
DISCLOSURE: This page may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission.

Drayton, Berkshire

Historical Description

Drayton, a village and a parish in Berks. The village stands near the Berks and Wilts Canal, 1½ mile W of the river Thames, 1¼ N from Steventon station on the G.W.R., and 2¼ miles SW of Abingdon, and has a post and money order office under Abingdon; telegraph office, Steventon. The parish comprises 1851 acres; population, 585. The Manor House is a chief residence. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Oxford; net yearly value, £132 with residence. Patron, Lord Wantage. The church is ancient, and has a curious Norman font. There are Baptist and Wesleyan chapels.

Transcribed from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1894-5

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Ancient CountyBerkshire 
HundredOck 
Poor Law unionAbingdon 

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.


Church Records

The earliest existing register dates from 1754, the earlier ones having been destroyed at the great fire of Drayton in the year 1780.


Churches

Church of England

St. Peter (parish church)

The church of St. Peter is a building of stone, consisting of chancel, nave, north aisle, south porch and an embattled western tower containing 8 bells and a clock: the chancel was erected in 1872, chiefly at the cost of the late vicar, and has a stained window representing The Crucifixion: the south porch, added in 1879, is furnished with gargoyles of carved stone, and in the pavement is the following inscription inlaid in lead, "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God I"; these improvements were effected under the superintendence of the late Mr. E. Dolby, architect, of Abingdon: the font is a plain cylindrical work of Norman date: in the north wall of the lady chapel there is an aumbry, and in the south wall a credence and piscina: there are also two other piscinæ in the church: in digging a vault in the church in the year 1814 the workmen came upon some elaborate and beautiful old carvings in alabaster, representing The Betrayal, The Scourging, The Crucifixion (now missing) and The Entombment of Our Saviour, The Adoration and The Annunciation: there are 200 sittings: the churchyard cross was restored in 1871.

Baptist

Baptist Chapel

There is a Baptist chapel.

Methodist

Wesleyan Chapel

There is a Wesleyan chapel here.


Civil Registration

For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.

Drayton was in Abingdon Registration District from 1837 to 1974


Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Drayton from the following:


Land and Property

The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Berkshire is available to browse.


Maps

Online maps of Drayton are available from a number of sites:


Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Berkshire papers online:


Visitations Heraldic

The Visitations of Berkshire 1532, 1566, and 1665-6 is available online.

DistrictVale of White Horse
CountyOxfordshire
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Postal districtOX14
Post TownAbingdon

Advertisement

Advertisement