• Domesday Book
• Family Names
• Rectors of Minchinhampton
• Rectors of Avening
• The Sheppard Family
• Rodborough Surnames from 1327

Domesday Book
The Domesday book was conceived by William the Conqueror in 1086, firstly as a means of knowing the taxable capacity of the kingdom (and hence whether he could raise more taxes to pay for his army) and secondly to assess the strength of the barons and determine whether he had the capacity to put down rebellious lords.
So he sent out commissioners into every part of England south of the Tees to record the land and its resources, and to discover to whom it belonged.
The commissioners heard sworn evidence from witnesses in every 'hundred' - the smallest unit of local government. This evidence was then spot-checked by inspectors.
The Domesday Book recorded that barely 5% of land by value remained in English hands. Just over a quarter was owned by the King and his officials; another quarter by the church and the remaining 40% in the hands of 170 odd Norman barons.
In the Domesday book Minchinhampton is described as having about 30% of its area under woodland. There were 32 Villeins, 10 Bordarii and 10 Servi or Serfs.
The Villeins were small landowners or farmers and freemen; the Bordarii were also free except they had to do a certain amount of work for the local lord of the manor. The serfs were no more than slaves and passed from owner to owner. Indeed, until it was made illegal by the Normans, there was a healthy slave market for serfs operating in England.
In Avening almost of the parish was wooded. There were 24 Villeins, 5 Bordarii and 30 serfs.

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Family Names
 

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The Rectors of Minchinhampton
 
 

Rectors of Avening
 
 

*Robert Frampton was born in 1622 and was famous as a preacher. He fought as a royalist in the Civil War; he was headmaster of Gillingham School and was appointed Bishop of Gloucester in 1680. He directed his clergy not to read the Declaration of Indulgence and was one of seven bishops committed to the Tower in 1688. In 1691 he was deprived as a non-juror but was allowed to retain the living of Standish.
**George Bull was an eminent theologian born in 1634 and died 1710. He became Bishop of St David's in 1705 after a number of church appointments in Gloucestershire. He was a prolific publisher of theological works and sermons.
***Philip Bliss, born in 1787 and educated at Merchant Taylor's School and St John's College, Oxford. He was ordained as a priest in 1818 but also had many positions in the University of Oxford including principle of St Mary Hall. He compiled and edited many antiquarian works, including editions of Wood's.

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The Sheppard Family
The Sheppard family were one of the pre-emminent families in Minchinhampton and Avening for over two hundred years.
They were descended from a family seated at Peasmarch in Sussex and Battersea, London.
They first appeared in Gloucestershire in Horsley, where the following entries are seen in the Parish Records:
Baptism
Elizabeth, daughter of William Sheppard, June 22 1622
Sarah,       do. do. do., June 27 1624
Samuel, son of do. do., March 26 1627
Anne, daughter of do. do., 1628
Dorothy, do. do. do., 1637

Marriage
Samuel Sheppard and Elizabeth, 1627
Joseph Clifford and Mary Sheppard, August 14, 1638
John Mills and Judith Sheppard, September 21, 1654

Burial
Philip Sheppard, September 20, 1623

This Philip Sheppard left three sons, William of Hempstead, John of Tetbury and Samuel of Minchinhampton, and one daughter Rebecca, wife of Charles Hillar. Samuel purchased the Manors of Minchinhampton and Avening off Lord Windsor and the line continued to own the manors until 1838. The line descended as follows:
Samuel married Isabel North of Buckington, Wilts. He died March 11th 1672.
-Philip married twice; Elizabeth Capel of Essex and Frances daughter of Lord Seymour.
 Philip died in 1713 ages 82.
  -His second son Samuel married Anne Webb, daughter of Thomas Webb of Stroud.
   -His son Samuel married Anne Darell of Rockhamton, Surrey.
    -His son Edward inherited the estate in 1770 and built Gatcombe Park. He married Sarah Cox of Kemble Park, Glos. They were succeded by their son Philip the last owner.
Philip lived extravegantly and the bills mounted. He was described as easy going but had a great taste for sport and expensive amusments. Despite raising money through mortgaging the estates more deeply he eventually had to sell in 1812: Avening to William Playne and Minchinhampton to David Ricardo. Philip went off to live in Dunquerque in France, out of reach of his creditors and died in 1838.

Rodborough Surnames from the 1327 Subsidy Roll
Alsleye, Berue, Brechcombe, Buter, Coteriche, Elevaunt, Greenhulle, Horstone, Huwelot, Jonete, Larke, Saundres, Spilman, Taillur, Walkare.
(More Gloucestershire names from the 1327 Subsidy Rolls can be found here.)

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Graham Thomas