Place:Christian Malford, Wiltshire, England

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NameChristian Malford
Alt namesChristian-Malfordsource: hyphenated
Upper Town (Christian Malford)source: hamlet in parish
Thornendsource: hamlet in parish
TypeParish (ancient), Civil parish
Coordinates51.508°N 2.053°W
Located inWiltshire, England
See alsoChippenham Hundred, Wiltshire, Englandhundred in which it was located
Damerham Hundred, Wiltshire, Englandhundred in which it was also located
Chippenham Rural, Wiltshire, Englandrural district, 1894 - 1934
Calne and Chippenham Rural, Wiltshire, Englandrural district, 1934 - 1974
North Wiltshire District, Wiltshire, England1974-2009
Wiltshire District, Wiltshire, England2009--
source: Family History Library Catalog
the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Christian Malford is a village and civil parish in the county of Wiltshire, England. The village lies about 4 1⁄2 miles (7 km) northeast of the town of Chippenham. The Bristol Avon forms most of the northern and eastern boundaries of the parish. The parish contains the hamlets of Thornend and Upper Town.

The unusual name is evidently a corruption of "Christ mal Ford", Old English moel, mal being a mark: "Christ’s mal" is Christ’s mark or sign: the cross. Thus the name could be translated "Cross Ford". Deeds from Glastonbury Abbey cartulary relate to Christmalford Manor: in AD 940 King Edmund granted Christmalford to St Dunstan, Abbot of Glastonbury. In 1086 the Abbey of Glastonbury remained tenant-in-chief of Cristemeleforee in the ancient Domesday hundred of Sterchelai (Startley). Later Christian Malford and the other parishes of Startley hundred were amalgamated with additional parishes to form the hundred of Malmesbury. Still later part of Malmesbury Hundred became Chippenham Hundred.

A Vision of Britain through Time provides the following description of Christian Malford from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72:

"CHRISTIAN-MALFORD, a village, a parish, and a [registration] sub-district in Chippenham [registration] district, Wilts. The village stands on the river Avon, adjacent to the Great Western railway, 4½ miles NE of Chippenham; and has a post office under Chippenham. The parish comprises 3,104 acres. Real property: £6,900. Population: 898. Houses: 203. The property is divided among a few. The manor belonged anciently to Glastonbury abbey. The parish is a meet for the Beaufort hounds. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Gloucester and Bristol. Value: £672. Patron: the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. The church is good; and there is an Independent chapel."
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Research Tips

  • From this Ancestry page you can browse the Wiltshire parishes which have parish register transcripts online, quite often from very early dates. However, reading the early ones requires skill and patience. Transcriptions should also be in FamilySearch.
  • A further collection of online source references will be found on the county page for Wiltshire.
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