Location and general description
The tiny village of Coln St Dennis lies at the confluence of two deeply incised Cotswold valleys and is, as its name suggests, on the river Coln. It is just upstream from Coln Rogers, Gloucs, and Calcot, Gloucs, neither of which are now more than small hamlets. Still further downstream lies Bibury, Gloucs., then Coln St Aldwyn, Gloucs, Hatherop, Gloucs, and Quenington, Gloucs. A couple of hundred meteres to the west of the village lies the route of the Fosse Way (a Roman road).
In 1803 Rudge [Rudge, 1803, 106] stated ' It came afterwards to the family of the Masters, of Cirencester, who sold it to the Darells, of Oxfordshire, and Edward Darell, Esq. is the present lord of the manor. Considerable estates, independent of the manor, are held by the families of D'Oyley and Howse. Caldecote, or Calcott, is the only hamlet. Nine freeholders voted in 1776. Population, 80 [in about 1700]—112 [in about 1770]—163 [in 1801]. Houses inhabited, 30.'
Buildings
The parish church is St James.
 | Wall plaque to KEMP: "Near this Place is Deposited in hope of a Blessed Ressurrection the Remains of S'r BENJAMIN KEMP Bar't who departed this life January ye 25. 1777 Aged Sixty Nine years _ in Youth an Excellent Scholar & through Life an Honest Man, He was the only Son left of a Numerous Progeny, of S'r ROBERT KEMP Bar't of Gissing in Norfolk, by his second Lady a Miss BRAND, But the Family Seat is now at Ubbeston in Suffolk: the above S'r ROBERT had Four Wives & Fifteen Children the Title descends to a Cousin _ & the Estate to a Neice of the late Baronet. Miss KEMP, Daughter of the Rev'd Mr THOMAS KEMP _ This Marble was Erected as an Affectionate & Grateful Tribute to his Memory by his Executrix & only Surviving Sister, Mrs SHORTE of Sevenoaks in Kent, Youngest Daughter of the said S'r ROBERT, & now the only Surviving Child, and Relict of DARELL SHORTE Esq'r of Wadhurst in Sussex." |
 | Wall plaque to HOWSE: "Near this place were interred ye bodies of JOHN HOWSE & MARY his Wife He died May 13. `1760. Aged 87. She died Dec. 13. 1743. Aged 68. Also WILLIAM & RICHARD their Sons WILLIAM died Oct'r. 13. 1748. Aged 5. RICHARD died Jul. 22. 1744. Aged 31. Also SAMUEL READ their Grandson who dies Sept'r. 15. 1747. Aged 13. And also JOHN HOWSE & MARY his Wife He died April 17. 1796. Aged 86. She died Nov'r 2d. 1779. Aged 70. Also HANNA their Daughter who died Sept'r. ye 2d. 1809. Aged 82." |
 | Wall plaque to BRIDGES: "Neer this place was Interred the Corps of John Bridges Sen November the first 1679 Elizabeth his Wife April ye tenth 78 John Bridger his Grandsone October ye fourteenth 88 John ye Son of ye above De. John Bridges Sen ye 19th of April 94 & William his Son ye 1 of Oct 1701" |
 | Headstone for RADWAY (incorperated at the base of the gatepost) "Here lye the bones of John Radway who departed this life the [broken, part of a 5 showing, from the layout it was probably 15] day of February Anno Domini : : : 1677" |
People
The TURK family
The TURK family of nearby Coln Rogers, Gloucs., owned property at Calcot, just over the river from Coln St Dennis and lacking a church of its own.
The RADWAY family
The RADWAY name is more frequently found in the churchyard at Chedworth, Gloucs.
The HOWSE family
The HOWSE family were at one point substantial land owners in Coln St Dennis. They are likely to be related to the HOWSE family of Swinbrook, Oxon., as they were related to the TURK family of Coln Rogers by marriage into the KILLMASTER family.
Related links
A selection of links to other sites with information about this place
- GENUKI have a GENUKI Coln St Dennis page.
Bibliography
- RUDGE, Thomas, The History of the County of Gloucester: Compressed and brought down to the year 1803, Vol 1 of 2, G. F. Harris, 1803