M7 Surveys: Bristol Chapter

Survey volume M7 is the seventh in the series of eight 'M' volumes, which covers the Ecclesiastical Corporations of Gloucester and Bristol, which were transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners under mid nineteenth century parliamentary legislation. ; This volume covers the surveys carried out on behalf of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners by their appointed land agents, Messrs. Cluttons. The preferments in this volume concern the Bristol Chapter Estates, which were transferred by commutation to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners on 1 January 1862 (effective date) and published in the London Gazette on 10 June 1862 by Order in Council. ; These surveys were essential to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, as the survey reports gave a comprehensive way of clearly ascertaining the extent, condition and value of the preferments being transferred. ; As preferments were transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners from the Ecclesiastical Corporations, the various holdings of the estates were either kept or sold; the land agents supplied recommendatory advice on this matter with the survey reports. ; The volume also has annotations often regarding the disposal of property since the surveys were originally carried out and therefore incorporates later dates.; The geographical areas covered within the volume are as follows: the county of Gloucestershire, parishes of Arlington, Berkeley, Hill, Compton Abdale, Gloucester St. Catherine, Gloucester St. Mary de Lode, Sandhurst, Norton, Olveston, Alveston and South Cerney; and the county of Wiltshire, parish of Bradford on Avon.