Sir Gilbert Denys of Siston, Gloucestershire, was a soldier, and later an administrator. He was knighted by January 1385, and was twice knight of the shire for Gloucestershire constituency, in 1390 and 1395 and served as Sheriff of Gloucestershire 1393-4. He founded the family which provided more Sheriffs of Gloucestershire than any other.
Rubbing from Denys monumental brass, 1506, Olveston Church. Kneeling at left, Maurice Denys(d.1466), son and heir of Sir Gilbert. Sir Walter Denys(d.1506), son of Maurice, to R. The Denys paternal armorials are blazoned at top left: 3 leopards' faces jessant-de-lis overall a bend engrailled
16th century relief-sculpted stone escutcheon of 9 quarters over main entrance to courtyard of Great Fulford House, Devon: *1: Gules, a chevron argent (Fulford) *7: Gules, three leopard's faces or jessant-de-lys azure over all a bend engrailed azure (Denys of Glamorgan and of Siston, Gloucestershire) *8: Ermine, on a cross gules five bezants (St Aubyn of Combe Raleigh) *9: Gules, two bars between nine martlets argent 3, 3, 3 (Chalons of Challonsleigh)
Siston is a small village in South Gloucestershire, England. It is 7 miles (11 km) east of Bristol at the confluence of the two sources of the Siston Brook, a tributary of the River Avon. The village consists of a number of cottages and farms centred on St Anne's Church, and the grand Tudor manor house of Siston Court. Anciently it was bordered to the west by the royal Hunting Forest of Kingswood, stretching westward most of the way to Bristol Castle, always a royal possession, caput of the Forest. The local part of the disafforested Kingswood became Siston Common but has recently been eroded by the construction of the Avon Ring Road and housing developments. In 1989 the village and environs were classed as a conservation area and thus have statutory protection from overdevelopment.
St. Anne's Church, Siston, viewed from the southeast
Siston Court in 1712. Engraving by Jan Kip (1653–1722) published 1712 in Sir Robert Atkyns's The Ancient and Present State of Gloucestershire. Viewed from east
Gate Lodges to Siston Court, grade II* listed buildings
Norman doorway, St. Anne's Church, Siston. In the tympanum is depicted a tree of life.
