FAIRFORD, a market-town and parish in the
hundred of BRIGHTWELLS-BARROW, county of GLOUCESTER,
24 miles (S.E. by E.) from Gloucester, and 80
(W. by N.) from London, containing 1547 inhabitants.
The name of this place is of uncertain etymology, being
derived either from the Saxon word faran, to pass, or
the words fair and/ord, in allusion to the convenience
it possesses for crossing the river Colne, on which it is
situated, near the confluence of that river with the
Thames. About the middle of the ninth century, the
manor of Fairford belonged to the kings of Merciaj
and at the period of the Norman survey, to Maud, the
consort of William I.; and after various changes, it
came into the possession of Henry VII., who sold it to
John Tame, a merchant. The town is situated at the
foot of the Cotswold hills, and consists principally of
one long street, irregularly formed, and neither lighted
nor paved; there are several good detached houses, hut
the buildings in general are mean: the inhabitants are
supplied with water from wells and springs as well as
from the Colne, across which are two neat bridges. A
market is held on Thursday, by charter obtained about
1668; and there are fairs on May 14th and Nov. 12th.
The parish is divided into three tythings, viz., the
borough, which is governed by its own constable, East
End, and Mill-town End, each of which has a tythingman.
The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry and
diocese of Gloucester, rated in the king's books at
£13. 11. 5., and in the patronage of the Dean and
Chapter of Gloucester. The church, dedicated to the
Virgin Mary, presents a fine specimen of the style of
English architecture which prevailed about the end of
the fifteenth century, and is also an object of considerable
interest for its curious windows of painted glass;
it consists of a nave, aisles, and chancel, with a central
tower, and is ornamented with buttresses, battlements,
pinnacles, and canopied niches, formerly filled
with statues; the aisles are separated from the nave
and chancel by light clustered pillars, sustaining six
pointed arches on each side: an elegantly carved oak
screen separates the chancel from the nave and aisles;
the former contains some stalls and tabernacle-work:
there is also a very fine oak ceiling, and the pavement
of the church is chequered with blue and white stone.
The erection of this beautiful edifice is attributed to
John Tame, Esq., a rich London merchant, who, in
trading to Italy about 1492, captured a Flemish vessel
bound for Rome, on board of which was a quantity
of stained glass; having purchased the manor of Fairford,
he commenced building the church in ] 493,, but
his death taking place in 1500, it was finished by his
son, Sir Edmund Tame, Knt. The stained glass was
found sufficient to fill twenty-eight windows, with four
or more compartments in eachj some of the .figures,
however, have been displaced, and others .mutilated,
owing to the glass having been removed in the reign of
Charles I., to preserve it from being destroyed, by the
puritans. The paintings are exceedingly well executed,
but by an unknown artist, and consist of representations
of .events in Scripture history, of figures of the Fathers
of the Christian church and of some of the Roman
emperors. Of these windows twenty-five .only r.emain;.
the best is the third in the north aisle, which represents
the Salutation of the Virgin, with a fine perspective
of the interior of the temple; the great east
and west windows retain their original perfection; the
subject of the former is Christ's entry into Jerusalem,
remarkable for the splendour of its colours; that of
the latter is the last Judgment, exhibiting a grotesque
and fearful assemblage of imagery: they are pror
tected by a lattice of wire, constructed in 1725.
In the north aisle is an altar-tomb, with brasses, exhibiting
effigies of the founder and his wife, with escutcheons
and commemorative inscriptions j there are
also monuments to  the memory of Sir Edward Tame
and other persons of distinction. There are places of
worship for Baptists and Independents. A bequest
of £1000 Was made, in 1704, by the Hon. Elizabeth
Farmer, daughter of Lord Lempster, to be expended
in land, for the maintenance of an. afternoon lecture
every Sunday in the church, and for the foundationand
support of a free school, which is also endowed
with a subsequent bequest of £500 by her cousin, Mrs.
Mary Barker, besides other benefactions.. The schoolroom
was erected in 1738.: the total annual income
is £136. 19.; the disbursements are, £60 to the master,
£25 to the mistress, and £5 for books; sixty boys and
sixty girls are instructed on the National plan, the
schools being now connected with the central establishment.
The nomination of .the lecturer, schoolmaster,
and scholars, was vested in Samuel Barker, Esq., and
his heirs. Lady Mico, sister to .Elizabeth, wife of
Andrew Barker, Esq., .gave £400, to apprentice four
boys annually, which was vested in the purchase of
lands in Lechlade, and yields an income of £68.10.;
and she likewise left a weekly gift of bread to the poor,
who enjoy the benefit of several, other benefactions.
This town gives the title of viscount td the Earl of
Hillsborough.