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England Glastonbury

Guide to Glastonbury history, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Welcome to the Glastonbury page


Glastonbury is a very ancient town. It is located in the western regions of the British Isles, and was never conquered by the Romans. William the Conqueror also never really entered this region, and it was left to later kings to finally assimilate it into the kingdom later known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Pre-Roman times, it was part of a loosely federated group of Celtic or Germanic peoples, spreading from Ireland, through Wales, Scotland, Devon and Cornwall, and continuing through Brittany, Normandy, and modern day Belgium, Holland, and Northern Germany.

They were not barbaric in nature, but settled in small villages and towns. It is believed that there were schools and even institutes of higher learning we might call Universities in southwest England, Brittany and Normandy.

South and West of Glastonbury, and located in what is now Cornwall, are tin deposits. The Phoenicians discovered the tin deposits of the British Isles through their own exploring and seeking out of new products and markets for them. They kept the knowledge of the Cornish tin mines a closely guarded secret so they could control trade in the metal and charge a high price for it.

The fact that tin trade existed is too well attested to need proof. Herodotus as early as 445 BC speaks of the British Isles as the Tin Islands or Cassiterides. Pytheas (352-323 BC) mentions the tin trade, as does also Polybius (circa 160). Diodorus Siculus gives a detailed description of the trade

It is reputed that the tin used in Solomon's Temple was Cornish in origin.

The reference for the above information on tin in ancient Britain can be found in the following link: http://phoenicia.org/britmines.html.

According to very strong traditional and mythological indicators, Christianity came to Glastonbury at a very early date. The first wattle church was reputed to have been built in 67 AD.

The abbey was founded in the 7th century and enlarged in the 10th century. It is one of the oldest Christian locations in England.

Glastonbury is linked through tradition, legend, and balladry, with 2 major figures in antiquity. While there is no specific evidence for the following, a number of eminent writers have attested to the veracity of this information.

It has been identified as the location of the graves of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. It was alleged that in 1191 the discovery of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's tomb was made by monks associated with the Abbey. In 1184, a great fire at Glastonbury had destroyed the monastic buildings and all the records, and so this discovery by the monks could not be confirmed, but had been a tradition for hundreds of years previously.

The second legend associated with Glastonbury is attested to by Dr. Vaughn E. Hansen in his book, "Whence Came They", as well as by other major authors.

Joseph of Arimathaea was the Biblical figure who took Jesus' body after the crucifixion. He is reputed to be the uncle of Jesus. This would provide support for the fact that he was able to claim the body, as close living male relatives would have been given that right by Jewish custom.

Legend has it that when Jesus died, Joseph thought it prudent to flee Palestine, and after many travails he came to Britain with a company of followers. When Joseph came to Britain he was granted land at Glastonbury by the local king. The story has prevailed for thousands of years, and among the tin workers in Cornwall, up until the last century, there was a ballad sung that included the words, "Joseph was a tin man..."

Glastonbury Genealogy:

Somerset Historical Center

Genuki

For the cemetery, and grave information:

Glastonbury Cemetery

Geneanet Glastonbury

Forbears Glastonbury

To locate a grave in Glastonbury, use the following link: Findagrave Glastonbury

Local Newspapers:

Central Somerset Gazette