Blunsdon St Andrew, Wiltshire
Historical Description
Blunsdon-St-Andrew, a parish in Wilts, 3 miles SE of Cricklade station on the M.R. and S.W.R. Post town, Swindon; money order and telegraph office, Stratton St Margaret. Acreage, 3784; population, 902. The titheing of Blunsdon-St-Leonard (or Broad Blunsdon) was united with Blunsdon-St-Andrew in 1884, and together form one civil parish, under the name of Blunsdon-St-Andrew, but are still separate ecclesiastically. Population of St Andrew, 109; of St Leonard, 793. The church of St Leonard is a handsome stone building in the Early English style; it was restored in 1872. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol; net value, £283 with residence. Patron, the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. The church of St Andrew is a small stone building in the Early English style. The living is a rectory; net value, £177. There are also Methodist, Baptist, and Wesleyan chapels. Blunsdon Abbey is a seat in the neighbourhood.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
| Ancient County | Wiltshire | |
| Ecclesiastical parish | Blunsdon St. Andrew | |
| Hundred | Highworth | |
| Poor Law union | Highworth and Swindon |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Cemeteries
The churchyard of Broad Blunsdon was closed for burial purposes by Order in Council on the 31st July, 1888, and a cemetery, 2 roods in extent, provided at the cost or £165.
Church Records
The register of St. Leonard's dates from the year 1679.
The register of St. Andrew's dates from the year 1650.
Findmypast, in association with the Wiltshire Record Office, have the following parish records online for Blunsdon St Andrew:
| Baptisms | Banns | Marriages | Burials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1650-1859 | 1668-1836 | 1668-1859 |
Churches
Church of England
St. Andrew, Little Blunsdon (parish church)
The church of St. Andrew, Little Blunsdon, is of stone, in the Early English style, and consists of chancel, nave of three bays, south aisle, south porch, and a turret at the west end with 2 bells: the church was completely restored and the windows filled with stained glass in 1869: there are 120 sittings.
St. Leonard (parish church)
The church of St. Leonard is an edifice of stone, in the Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular styles, and consists of chancel with chantry chapel, nave of four bays, south aisle, south porch and an embattled western tower, with pinnacles, containing 6 bells: there is a memorial to Lady Susanna Ernle, 1669, a brass with the figure of a knight in armour; and a wall tablet to John and Philadelphia Potenger, 1691: in 1902 a memorial window was erected to the late Mrs. Auchnuty, widow of the Rev. A. C. Auchnuty M.A. curate here 1871: the chantry chapel retains a piscina: the church was restored in 1872, and affords 250 sittings: in the churchyard (closed to interments in 1888) are the base and portion of the shaft of the old village cross, now converted into a sun-dial.
Baptist
Particular Baptist Chapel
Primitive Methodist Chapel
Wesleyan Chapel
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Blunsdon St Andrew from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Blunsdon (St. Andrew))
Maps
Online maps of Blunsdon St Andrew are available from a number of sites:
- Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- Google Streetview.
- National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
- OpenStreetMap.
- old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
- Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)
Newspapers and Periodicals
The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Wiltshire papers online: