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England Bristol

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

HISTORY
Bristol is a very old city. The town of Brycgstow (Old English, "the place at the bridge") appears to have been founded by 1000 and by c.1020 was an important enough trading center to possess its own mint, producing silver pennies bearing the town's name. It was identified as a 'burgh' in the Domesday Book of 1088.

CIVIL ALLOCATION
Early in its history, Bristol was associated with the Shire of Gloucester. Later, it was incorporated into the Shire of Somerset and stayed there for most of its medieval history. Today it is both a county and a city in its own right.

MARITIME CONNECTIONS
Bristol is favorably located on the wide river Severn estuary. Because of this, sailing ships could be warped out from the dock, and could then tack easily out to the Irish Sea.

Because of its location, by the 12th century Bristol was an important port, handling much of England's trade with Ireland, including slaves. In 1247 a new stone bridge was built, which was replaced by the current Bristol Bridge in the 1760s, and the town was extended to incorporate neighboring suburbs, becoming in 1373 a county in its own right.

In the 15th century, Bristol was the second most important port in the country. A number of intrepid sailing masters left from Bristol. culminating in John Cabot's 1497 voyage of exploration to North America and the subsequent expeditions undertaken by Bristol merchants to the new world up to 1508.

Bristol remained important until the advent of steam driven vessels, obviating the need for a wide estuary to tack. Even today, however, Bristol is an important maritime location.

RELIGION
PArallel to its civic importance, the Diocese of Bristol was founded in 1542,together with the former Abbey of St. Augustine, founded by Robert Fitzharding in 1140. becoming Bristol Cathedral. Traditionally this was equivalent to the town being granted city status, which was granted to Bristol in that year.