page_title: Iron Acton
section_title: Poyntz Chapel
hierarchical_section_title: Iron Acton / Parish church / Poyntz Chapel
caption_attribution_description: English: View eastwards towards the Poyntz Chapel in the east end of south aisle of Church of St James The Less, Iron Acton, Gloucestershire.
context_page_description: Iron Acton is a village, civil parish and former manor in South Gloucestershire, England. The village is about 2 miles west of Yate and about 9 miles northeast of the centre of Bristol. The B4058 road used to pass through the village but now by-passes it just to the north.
  The "iron" part of the toponym originates from the iron that used to be mined near the village. "Acton" is derived from the Old English for "farm with oak trees". Still today there is an oak wood in the village beside the River Frome.
  The civil parish also includes the smaller villages of Latteridge and Engine Common.
context_section_description: The altar at the east end of the south aisle forms the focal point of the so-called Poyntz Chapel, which is not a separate chamber or structure. This is not to be confused with the Poyntz Chapel (formally termed "Chapel of Jesus") built by Sir Robert Poyntz (d.1520) within The Gaunt's Chapel, Bristol.
  Against the south wall is a 16th-century canopied tomb erected for a now unknown member of the Poyntz family. Of the three heraldic escutcheons comprised within the structure two are now blank and one bears the arms of the Acton family, from which the Poyntz's inherited the manor, A fess indented. No inscription survives. The tomb was covered with many layers of whitewash until this was removed in the 19th-century restoration.
  Dividing the Poyntz Chapel from the chancel are a pair of stone effigies set on slabs at floor level. The figures show an armed knight of the 14th century beside a female figure, possibly his lady, but perhaps of a slightly later date. The knight is believed to represent Sir John Poyntz (d. 21 Sept 1376), son of Sir Nicholas Poyntz (d. 12 July 1311) feudal baron of Curry Mallet, Somerset, by Matilda Acton, his 2nd wife, daughter and eventual heiress of Sir John Acton (d.1312) of Iron Acton. Buried beneath an incised slab set into the floor in the centre of the Poyntz Chapel is Robert Poyntz (1359–1439) between his two wives, 1st, Ann (family unknown), 2nd (marr. pre. 1389) Katherine FitzNichol, daughter of Sir Thomas FitzNichol of Hill, Gloucestershire, many times MP for Gloucestershire. Two other tombstones commemorate Florence Poyntz (d.1598) and Hugh Poyntz (d.1604), son of Sir Nicholas Poyntz (d.1585/6) by Margaret Stanley, daughter of Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby.
caption: View eastwards along the south aisle towards the Poyntz Chapel. High on the east wall to the right of the window can be seen hanging the funeral helm with spur and piece of leather surcoat borne on the funeral bier of Sir John Poyntz(d.1680)[6]
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