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Grists of Wiltshire

Another important location associated with the Grist family is Lacock in Wiltshire, a picturesque village in the south-west of England. The Grist family has deep roots in Lacock, with records dating back to the early 17th century. The Lacock Grists were primarily farmers and were known for their successful dairy farming and cheese production. The family was also involved in the brewing industry and operated several successful pubs in the area.

The Grist family of Wiltshire is one of the oldest recorded families in the county. They were primarily associated with the village of Lacock, which is located in the western part of Wiltshire, near the border with Somerset. The earliest recorded member of the Grist family in Wiltshire is believed to be Richard Grist, who was born in the village of Lacock in 1625. He is believed to have married a woman named Ann, and they had several children, including a son named William, who was born in 1652. William Grist went on to become a successful farmer and landowner in Lacock. He married a woman named Mary, and they had at least four children together. One of their sons, also named William, was born in 1684 and went on to become a successful clothier. Over the centuries, the Grist family continued to live and work in Lacock, and many of them were involved in the wool and cloth trades. Some members of the family also served as constables, churchwardens, and overseers of the poor.

Richard Grist first appears in the Poor Rates List for Bradford for 1807.The Previous occupant is shown as Benjamin Richardson, Cloth Worker, in Zachariah Shrapnel`s will of 1794. The Grists are a family of Bakers originating from Lacock they no doubt continue as Bakers using the premises of Shrapnell House (7 St. Margarets Street) until 1819, when another Baker Richard Carpenter takes over the lease from the Shrapnell`s. The Marriage License below shows him , aged 28, marrying Mary Briant, aged 24 in Bradford on Avon in 1774.Information from www.freshford.com

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Grist family of Wiltshire became involved in a wider range of professions and industries, including banking, brewing, and photography. One of the most famous members of the family was William Henry Fox Talbot, who was born in Melbury Abbas in 1800 and is considered to be one of the pioneers of photography. He was the son of a wealthy landowner and member of Parliament named William Davenport Talbot, who was related to the Grist family through marriage.