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Audley Places in Wiltshire

 In Wiltshire there are the following places associated with the Audley surname;

    •        Audley Chapel, Salisbury Cathedral
    •        Audley House, Salisbury
    •        Sir Audley Arms, Chippenham
  Audley Chapel, Salisbury Cathedral
   AudleyChapelfromchoir
  Edmund Audley became Bishop of Salisbury in 1502. He built Audley Chapel within Salisbury Cathedral and lived in Audley House (see below)
  Salisbury5   Salisbury2
   Inside the Audley Chapel    Ceiling of the Audley Chapel
  Salisbury3   Salisburyshield1
    The Ceiling Bosses in Audley Chapel, Salisbury Cathedral
   Salisburyshield2
     Coat of Arms on Alter Cloth
  Audley Chapel was built (perpendicular style and of Bath Limestone, possibly Haslebury) by Bishop Audley (1502-24) as his chantry and was built in honour of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Refurnished as memorial to Bishop Lovett 1936-46. Frieze with shields bearing Audley’s arms and those of diocese. Niches formerly contained effigies removed during Reformation. Inside two bosses displaying his arms, eastern one surrounded by roses and pomegragnates symbolising Henry V111 marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Her symbol was ordered to be excised everywhere after their divorce, but this one couldn’t be – or was overlooked. On east wall mutilated carving of Assumption (chapel was damaged during Reformation) is now covered by painting of Virgin and Child. Altar frontal shows Audley’s initials (EA) and design of Tudor roses and pomegranates with arms of diocese. Altar cushion bears intitials of Edmund of Sarum. Kneeler has dragon based on carving on cornice outside. These are all the work of the Sarum Group of Embroiderers and were done in 1980. Bishop Audley’s tomb is on the south side of the chantry, set into the wall.
‘Externally the chapel is richly decorated with Audley’s initials and his heraldry, together with HIS and Maria monograms. The chapel was brightly coloured externally and internally, making it a conspicuous target for Reformation iconoclasts’. (from Sumptuous and Richly Adorned by Sarah Brown)
     Audley House, Salisbury
     Salisbury6.jpg
     Sir Audley Arms, Audley Road, Chippenham (photos taken in 2019)
 

Chippenham3

 

  Chippenham1  

Chippenham2

The date of 1937 is the date the public house was built and the ‘Coat of Arms’ is that of the brewery that built the inn; namely ‘Ushers of Trowbridge’

 

The book ‘Chippenham Street Names’ by Chris Dallimore states ‘Audley Road along with Dallas Road and Neeld Crescent are named in honour of Sir Audley Dallas Neeld  (1849-1941) who was Baronet of Grittleton, MP and Mayor of Chippenham. Dallas Road was proposed in 1923  by the ‘Neeld Trust’  to be built on land owned by them . Houses were built here c1937. 

 

I have been  unable to confirm that Sir Audley Dallas Neeld was either an MP or a Mayor of Chippenham.  I understand that the had a career in the Army and was the Sheriff of Wiltshire for the year 1905.   People are recorded living in Audley Road in the 1911 census; whereas people are not recording as living in Dallas Road until 1939 registers and it would appear that Neeld Crescent was built even later.

If the above publication is correct then the ‘Coat of arms’ on the Inn sign is incorrect as it is the Coat of Arms of the  Audley Family as used prior to 1391 and not the Coat of Arms of the Neeld Family. The Audley Family did have partial ownership of the  Manor of Broughton  Gifford  9 miles south of Chippenham from 1338 to  1532 and the coat of arms on the ‘Inn sign’ is appropriate to the early part of this period, namely 1338 to 1391. (Source A History of the County of Wiltshire Vol 7 pages 51 to 59 by Victoria County History 1953)
Also  George Thicknesse-Touchet (1758 – 1818); the 19th Lord Audley , died at  Sandridge Lodge, near Melksham  and is buried at Melksham. His Coat of Arms was the ‘Audley coat of arms’ quartered with the ‘Touchet Coat of Arms’. Melksham is 8 miles south of Chippenham .

       

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