Nibley, North (St. Martin)

NIBLEY, NORTH (St. Martin), a parish, in the union of Dursley, Upper division of the hundred of Berkeley, W. division of the county of Gloucester, 2½ miles (N. W.) from Wotton-under-Edge; containing 1305 inhabitants. The parish comprises 3240a. 1r. 27p., of which 132 acres are common land. The manufacture of woollen-cloth was formerly carried on to a great extent, but the mills have been long untenanted, and the trade discontinued. There are some quarries of stone for building, and for repairing the roads. The right to the manor was litigated between the families of Berkeley and Lisle for nearly 200 years, during which William, Lord Berkeley, and Thomas, Lord Lisle, had recourse to arms to decide their right; on May 20th, 1470, the parties met on Nibley Green with their respective followers, amounting to nearly 1000 men, of whom 150 fell in the combat, and amongst them Lord Lisle, who was shot in the mouth with an arrow, which decided the contest. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £95; patron, J. Jortin, Esq.; appropriators, the Dean and Canons of Christ-Church, Oxford. The church lately received 60 additional free sittings, the Incorporated Society having granted £50 in aid of the expense. A chapel has been built at the extremity of the parish, by George Bengough, Esq., who appoints a curate, to whom he pays £150 per annum. There is a place of worship for Independents. William Purnell, in 1763, bequeathed £300 for teaching, and an estate for apprenticing, boys; the total annual income is £57. It is said that Tindal the reformer resided here.