There have, however always been close links with Filkins as well. The register contains many references to worshippers from Filkins not willing to traipse over the fields to Broadwell.

The owners of the Manor of Broughton have included some notable characters. During the 16th century it was included with lands given to Ann of Cleves on her divorce from Henry VIII. Much later the Manor belonged to Sir William Burnaby, a naval officer, who is thought to have commanded the first copperÄbottomed ship. Then there was "a gentleman named Cresswell" who bought the hall and promoted boxing tournaments on the lawn. He invited well-known pugilists of the day to show off their skills against unwilling villagers who happened to pass. George Swinford tells of a later Squire Hardcastle who, in the early years of this century, bought himself, at the age of 91, "a new fangled motor-car".

The most illustrious Broughton family has been the Goodenough clan. They had been yeoman farmers in Broadwell and Kelmscott for generations, and came to Broughton in the 17th century. William Goodenough leased the Manor from the Earl of Orkney, and having obtained the advowson, installed his second son, also William, as vicar. The ensuing Goodenough dynasty filled both hall and rectory with distinction. William's son went on to become Bishop of Carlisle, and his son, Edmund, became Dean of Wells. Edmund's grandson, Frederick, returned to the parish of the family's origin (except, of course that it wasn't anymore after the Hervey split), purchasing Filkins Hall in 1922. Several of the Goodenoughs have also been keen natural scientists - Bishop Samuel had a genus `Goodenia' named after him. There have also been prominent soldier Goodenoughs and banker Goodenoughs.

The church registers tell us much about life in the Parish. These are the calamities: just before the service on Christmas morning 1639, half of one side of the church "from the chancel to the doore" fell down. The register states boldly that the incident was entirely "by negligence of the wardens".The succeeding years' accounts are full of expensive items for stone and timber and labour to restore the damage.

Then there are the years of plague: 1603 for instance, when "a putrid fever now raged" and nine villagers were buried, against a yearly average of one.

There are smaller tragedies too. In 1767 there were buried George, Ann and Eleanor Temple "triples in but one coffin", and in 1777 they buried William Lock "who being drunk, fell into a ditch & was drowned".

There is the record of the burial of Daniel Saunders in 1678 "ye first to be buried in woollen". This followed a new law insisting on woollen shrouds to help the English weaving trade.

The inevitable human round is poignantly illustrated by the record of the burial of Jane Saunders and the christening of her grand-daughter, also Jane, on the same day in February 1680.

In the mid 17th century, Vicar Matthew Bull records that he was forced to carry out a burial, though the deceased should have been buried in Broadwell. The dead woman's son-in-law was so insistent as to threaten to dig the grave himself and find his own priest.