Gilston is a village and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in the
East Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire is one of ten Non-metropolitan district, local government districts in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire. The largest town in the district is Bishop's Stortford, and th ...
district of
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
, England. It is located a little over one mile north of the town of
Harlow
Harlow is a town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a Planned community, new town in 1947, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire, and occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the ...
in the neighbouring county of
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
. Together with the nearby village of Eastwick, it forms the
parish council of Eastwick and Gilston Parish Council. It is within the
Hunsdon ward of East Hertfordshire District Council. At the
2001 Census, the population was 180, and 228 at the 2011 Census.
[
]
History
The name derives from ''Gedel'' or ''Gydel'', an Old English
Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
personal name, and ''tun'', meaning farm or settlement. A variation in spelling may be seen as "Gedeleston", in a legal record in 1424.
The Parish Church of St Mary dates from the 13th century, and is Grade I listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
. The churchyard includes a listed memorial to the Johnston family, and there is a 17th century tomb of the Gore family of Netherhall and an 18th century tomb of the Turvin family of Terlings Park in the church chancel. The Gore family included a Lord Mayor of London
The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...
and the Gore and Turvin families both included a High Sheriff of Hertfordshire
The High Sheriff of Hertfordshire was an ancient Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the foundation of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years. On 1 April 1974, under the provi ...
.
See also
* The Hundred Parishes
The Hundred Parishes is a cultural heritage initiative focused on an area in the East of England recognized for its high concentration of cultural and historical significance. Although without formal recognition or status, the concept has the ble ...
References
External links
Gilston (A Guide to Old Hertfordshire)
History of Gilston in East Hertfordshire , Map and description
Villages in Hertfordshire
Civil parishes in Hertfordshire
East Hertfordshire District
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