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Westbury-upon-Trym (Holy Trinity)

WESTBURY-upon-Trym (Holy Trinity), a parish, in the union of Clifton, partly in the Lower division of the hundred of Henbury, W. division of the county of Gloucester, and partly in the county of the city of Bristol, 3 miles (N. N. W.) from Bristol; containing, with the chapelry of Shirehampton, and the tything of Bishop-Stoke, 5029 inhabitants, of whom 1707 are in Westbury township. A monastery existed here early in the ninth century, which was refounded near the close of the eleventh; it was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, and made a cell to the priory of Worcester, but was dissolved in the reign of Henry I. About 1288, it became a college for a dean and canons, in honour of the Holy Trinity; in 1443, it was rebuilt, and its possessions augmented by William Canning, a merchant, and Dr. Carpenter, who held the see of Worcester, and styled himself Bishop of Worcester and Westbury. Its revenue at the Dissolution was estimated at £232. 14.; and the house, which remained till the reign of Charles I., was burned by Prince Rupert, to prevent its falling into the power of the parliament. Some traces of it are still visible in a mansion erected on its site. The parish is bounded on the south-west by the river Avon, and comprises by survey 5100 acres of land. The substratum abounds with limestone, which is quarried for building and for burning into lime; the celebrated stone called Cotham stone is obtained, and some lead-mines were formerly in operation. About a mile and a half northeast of the village, is a prodigious cavern called Pen-Park Hole. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £630; patron and impropriator, the Rev. Charles Vivian, whose tithes have been commuted for £472, and whose glebe comprises 24 acres. The church, which was formerly collegiate, is an ancient structure, partly in the early and partly in the later English style, with a square embattled tower; the chancel was built by Bishop Carpenter. There are chapels at Redland and Shirehampton. The Wesleyans have a place of worship; and a national school is supported. Wickliffe, prebendary of Aust, and Bishop Carpenter, were natives of the parish, and were interred here.

Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858.

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