England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Keynsham St John the Baptist

The Parish

The parish of Keynsham lies in the extreme north of Somerset forming a lengthy stretch of the county's border, here formed by the River Avon, with neighbouring Gloucestershire. Keynsham sits roughly equidistant between the cities of Bristol and Bath being roughly 6 miles southeast of the former and 7 northwest of the latter. Keynsham once sat upon the route of the A4 (London to Bristol) road but, thankfully, that road now bypasses to the north. Keynsham has a long history and was once a market town in its own right, the proximity to such major centres as Bristol and Bath, however, have stifled such ambitions. The rural portion of the parish would have been farmed with pastoral methods in the majority, within Keynsham, itself, industry flourished in the form of brass mills established in 1706 which also brought many foreign workers to Keynsham. Modern developments have flourished following the arrival of Brunel's Great Western Railway which still grants Keynsham a station and which forged a boom in suburban development as a dormitory town for its larger neighbours, Originally concentrated between church and river Keynsham has expanded to a large village/small town size covering a built area os a mile from southwest to northeast and with barely a 2 mile gap to the conurbation that is greater Bristol. The Avon drains the parish westwards through Bristol and out to the outer Bristol Channel under its iconic bridge. Keynsham is sited at just 12 metres above the sea at the Avon but rises to 70 metres in its outer areas to the southwest views are dominated by Maes Knoll at 197 metres and topped by an ancient hill-fort. Keynsham parish was extensive at around 3,500 acres which would have supported a population of close to 2,300 parishioners. The Domesday record for Keynsham is a truly astonishing one, either the parish was one of the wealthiest in the land or the record refers to a region rather than a specific manor. The population was sufficient to place Keynsham in the top 20% of settlements recorded in that book and the assets are mighty in the detail, held directly by King William the record reveals 89 ploughs, extensive meadows, pastures and woodlands and no fewer than 8 mills making Keynsham a truly important asset for the crown.

The Church

St John's church stands at the centre of the major junction which originally formed the central point of Keynsham, the former route of the A4, now downgraded to the A4175 & B3116, passing in front of its western tower as Bristol Road. There is much documentary evidence dating the foundation of the church more precisely than many, a date of c1270 being recorded for its foundation. From the original 13th century church the chancel remains of the Early English Gothic era showing a few lancets to indicate its authenticity. Also early medieval is the southern aisle in the early 14th century style of the Decorated. Much else of the church resulted from a disaster of 1632 when a steeple which once sat to the east of the northern aisle collapsed into the church destroying parts of the nave, chancel and vestry and resulting in major damage to the tower which was described as "crazed from the top to the foundation". Thus the church was almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century utilising a style (Perpendicular) fashionable a couple of centuries earlier. The Victorian period, 1861 - 1863 in this case, also saw extensive restoration in a lengthy campaign to arrive at today's building. Sitting in the northeastern quadrant of a major intersection formed by a mini-roundabout the church's immediate surroundings are beset by traffic, this is a church to find parking away and visit on foot. Despite its urban setting there are ample views but mostly those of quality are from the surrounding streets waiting for gaps in the flow of vehicles to best advantage.