Dinton Village Gallery

Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)

Baverstock - Compton Chamberlayne - Fovant - Steeple Langford - Teffont Evias - Teffont Magna - Wylye

Websites

Duncan and Mandy Ball's - Website for photographs of St Mary the Virgin
GenUKI - For information relating to Wiltshire and Dinton
University of Leicester's - Website has historical Wiltshire directories free to view
Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre - The Wiltshire County Archives for all historical documents and the place to obtain original copies 
Wiltshire Community History - Historical information for parishes within the Wiltshire County jurisdiction.
Register of One-Place Studies - Dinton Entry
Old Maps - Historical Map archive showing Dinton

Parish Church Of St. Mary

St. Mary the Virgin is a dignified cruciform church; the C14th chancel with its elegant windows is a particularly striking feature; it has a roof ornamented with carved bosses. Having no aisles, the nave is sombre, but has an interesting west window and an early north doorway.  Much of the building, nave, crossing, transepts, north doorway and square font of purbeck marble date from the early 13th century. The nave windows were apparently inserted in the 14th century. Later in the same century the chancel was rebuilt on a grand scale. It is of ashlar masonry externally and on both north and south sides has three uniform windows with reticulated tracery. Two of these contain original stained glass.  The large east window has interlacing tracery of the same date. The two upper stages of the tower were added, or rebuilt, together with the vault above the crossing about the middle of the 15th century. At the same time the south wall of the south transept was rebuilt, and the north wall of the north transept repaired and a new window inserted.  An octagonal stair turret in the angle between the nave and north transept is surmounted by a conical roof below the level of the belfry and is connected to the tower by a short passage. A great deal of restoration work was carried out during the later 19th century under the direction of William Butterfield, the well-known church architect. In the churchyard there are the remains of the steps and socket of a medieval stone cross. Architectural historian Pevsner describes St. Mary's as ‘A dignified church with the crossing tower as its centre, essentially Decorated, but with older and younger parts’. In the west transept are the organ and royal coat of arms of George II, dated 1740, both are memorials to the 17th century composer Henry Lawes, one of the outstanding composers and Court musicians of his day, and his brother William Lawes, a gifted musician, who were born in the village and have both been ‘Masters of the Kings Musick’ The church has a peal of 6 bells, rung from the crossing.  Numbers 1 to 5 are all of 17th-century date. Number 6, dating from about 1350, is the heaviest, weighing 16 hundredweight. The bells are regularly rung for services and weddings.

St. Mary's Church Gallery

Church Memorials

Parish Registers held at WSHC

Baptisms 1559-1920
Marriages 1559-1997                      
Burials 1558-1979

Parish Registers in Wiltshire 1888

Parish History

Dinton is a village located on the northern bank of the River Nadder, in the south of the Wiltshire county. It is about 8 miles west of the cathedral city of Salisbury and about 5 miles west of Wilton. Dinton is about 85 miles south west of London, or about 2 hours drive from London. The population, between 1801 and 2001, has varied between about 400 to around 600 residents during that time.

Ancient Monuments

Dinton has one Ancient Monument listed - Wick Ball Camp

Books

Tales of a Carter's Daughter by Lou Winter

Civil Registration

1837-April 1936 Wilton Registration District
April 1936-Present Salisbury Registration District

Population

Population Figures 1801-2011

Buildings and Land

Agriculture

Cattle Plague Regulations 1867                  Foot & Mouth Disease 1870        

Listed Buildings

Grade I - Buildings of outstanding architectural or historic interest:

Hydes House & Walls & Gatepiers                   St. Mary the Virgin

Grade II* - Buildings are particularly important and of more than special interest:

Little Clarendon                 Philipps House           

Grade II - Buildings are nationally important and of special interest:

National Trust Properties

Dinton has 5 properties that are owned and conserved by the National Trust:

Dinton Lodge

Is located opposite St. Mary's Church. "Dinton Lodge is a late C19 house which appears to incorporate sections of an earlier mid C18 house. Its distinctive and rather unusual architectural detailing makes it of special historic interest and as such it is part of a valuable group of buildings and makes a significant contribution to the historic character of Dinton." (British Listed Buildings)                Dinton Lodge Gallery

Dinton Lodge 2015

Hyde's House

Formerly the Old Rectory. This was sold to Mr. Bertram E. Philipps in 1924 and was renamed Hyde's House after Edward Hyde, the first Earl of Clarendon, who was born in a house on or near to the site of the Rectory House in 1609. Hyde's House was also given to the National Trust on 4th April, 1943 by Mr. Bertram E. Philipps.          Hyde's House - Not open to the public. Hyde's House gardens - open for selected Charity days.                 Hyde's House Gallery

Tenants of the National Trust 2012

Lawes Cottage

Lawes Cottage is named after Henry Lawes (believed to be his birthplace) the well-known composer, singer and teacher of the 17th Century. He was a leading songwriter for the period of Charles I of England. Lawes Cottage adjoins the property of Little Clarendon and was included in the bequeath of Little Clarendon to the National Trust on 7th July, 1940.                    Lawes Cottage Gallery

Lawes Cottage Controversy 2005

Little Clarendon

Little Clarendon and 29 acres of land was bequeathed to the National Trust on 7th July, 1940 by the widow of (Rev) George Herbert Engleheart & his daughter, on the condition that they remain as tenants. Mrs. Engleheart & her daughter also had a condition that Little Clarendon only be rented out to practicing Roman Catholics.                  Little Clarendon - Open to public- Very Limited Times (2014 - 4 Monday's in the entire year only 2-5 pm)               Little Clarendon Gallery   

Little Clarendon - Gifts to the Nation 1940               Held in Trust for the Nation 1997

Philipps House formerly Dinton House

Formerly Dinton House. Dinton House and 200 acres of parkland was given to The National Trust on 4th April, 1943 by Mr. Bertram E. Philipps on the condition that it was renamed Philipps House. Mr. Phillips had purchased the property in 1916. The Wyndham family had lived in Dinton House since they had it built in 1816.          Philipps House - Open to public on 2 half days a week. Dinton Park - Open to public everyday.                 Philipps House Gallery

Wyndham Residency

Dinton - Dalwood Letters 1827-1853

George Wyndham (1801-1870), farmer, wine-grower & pastoralist, was born at Dinton, Wiltshire, the third son of William & Laetitia Wyndham of Dinton House, Dinton, an old and prominent family. The Dinton - Dalwood Letters are a collection of letters written to George & Margaret Wyndham of "Dalwood" in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia from his parents and family back in England. The letters were donated in 1960 by Mr. Alward Wyndham. George Wyndham & his son John are responsible for the Dalwood Vineyard - the oldest continuous commercial vineyard in Australia and is now known as Wyndham Estate (Wines).

Spooky Tale

There once was a Benedictine "cell" in Dinton, probably between the church and the present Philipps House.     Old Mrs. M. A. Burton lived most of her life at The Kennels, a cottage on the south side of Dinton Park. For many years she worked as a maidservant for the Wyndhams at Philipps House, then called Dinton House. Mrs Burton died in the winter of 1959, at the age of 92. She several times affirmed that she had often heard singing coming from a place, which she described as "between the church and Dinton House".    Mrs. Burton was present at the burial of (Rev) Mr. Engleheart outside the private chapel at his house - Little Clarendon, Dinton. When she heard the priest chanting the funeral mass, she turned round and said to a mourner standing by "That is the music I heard within the park".  Dr. R. C. C. Clay believed that  Colonel Chettle cut a trench between Philipps (Dinton) House from the church and found some foundations and a holy water stoop (now in the private chapel at Little Clarendon).    [Story reproduced from UncannyUK with kind permission]

Railway

Dinton Railway Station was opened on 2nd May, 1859 as part of the first stage of the Salisbury to Yeovil route. Dinton Station was one of six stations that were opened between Salisbury and Gillingham in that first stage. The railway line was originally a single track & used for passenger traffic only. From 1st September, 1860 goods were also handled and work on doubling the track began in 1861 and was completed in 1870.      A railway spur line was built from Dinton station to Fovant for easier transportation to the World War 1 military camps located in at Fovant, Compton Chamberlayne & Sutton Mandeville.The spur lines was used to transport troops, wounded soldiers, equipment and supplies. It was opened on 5th March, 1915 and closed on 18th December, 1920.      Dinton Railway Station was closed to passengers on 7th March, 1966 and to general goods traffic on 18th April, 1967. The former "Up" platform remains in existence complete with the station buildings, which are now in private ownership & used as a private residence.     Read more about Dinton Railway Station                  Dinton Railway Gallery

Public Houses

Directory of Public Houses, Inns & Taverns 1939

Penruddocke Arms

This is located half a mile outside the village between Dinton and Barford St. Martin. It was previously known as The French Horn.

Fire at the French Horn 1828

Wyndham Arms

This closed in the 1970's & was situated near the Railway Station. It is now used as a private house. This building should not be confused with the current Wyndham Arms listed below.  In 1861, an application for a licence was made for the Wyndham Arms, at the railway station, and was refused.

Wyndham Arms

This is located on Hindon Road, the main road running through Dinton. The Wyndham Arm's is a mid 1930's hostelry with a distinctive white painted frontage. In the past this has had several other names including The East End, The Swordsman, and The Waggoner's Rest

Property For Auction, Let or Sale

Jesses 1994           Converted Former Methodist Chapel 2013              Pound Cottage 2013               Sandhills House 2015           Gardeners Cottage, Snow Hill 2015

Crime and Legal Matters

Directories

Education

Dinton School Gallery

School Photos  

Can you help name the children in the photographs included in these two documents.  If so please contact the administrators from the drop down menu at the top of the page

 School Photo c1929                               School Photo c1935

Emigration and Migration

Employment and Business

Agriculture & Gamekeeping

Game Lists & Game Keepers 1788-1855                   Game Licenses 1834               Making Hay in Unfavourable Weather 1883

Apprentices

UK Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices 1710-1811                 Apprenticeship Records for John Weeks the Younger 1824

Apprentice records published here may not necessarily mean that the apprentice was from the parish but was apprenticed to a master within the parish.

Harry Bush 1741

Communications

Postal Telegraph Sub-office Opened 1872                  British Postal Service Appointments 1874-1898

General Items

Wiltshire Retirement Archives for Samuel Yates 1877-1879

Labourers

Wiltshire Labourers 1871

Manufacturing

Dinton Brickworks Gallery

Markets & Shows

Pitched Market Proposal 1847                Cattle & Poultry Show 1852                 Timber for Sale 1858                 Barley Sold 1870

Medicine

Holloway's Ointment & Pills - Eliza Dew 1853

Miscellaneous Documents

Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship

Protestant Non Conformity                 Roman Catholicism

Dinton Methodist Chapel

Dinton Methodist Chapel Gallery

Primitive Methodist Chapel 1895

People and Parish Notables

The People of Dinton Photo Gallery

Accidents, Sudden Deaths and Suicides

Awfully Sudden Death - Edward/Edwin Douty 1856                 Accidents 1868-1871                  Accident - William Thorn & William Head 1869

Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies

Oddfellows' Order 1868 & 1871

Bonfire Boys 1890-2009

The earliest known record of the Dinton Bonfire Boys comes from a photograph of the Banner & participants of the Dinton Bonfire Boys with the date November 5th, 1890. Back in the Victorian era, the day was a celebration of the defeat of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, which was a failed assassination attempt against King James 1 of England. The plot was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of England's Parliament on 5th November, 1605, as a prelude to a revolt. One of the plotters was Guy Fawkes, who had 10 years military experience & he was given charge of the explosives. An anonymous letter was sent to the authorities, warning of the intended plot & during a search of the House of Lords, at about midnight on 4th November, 1605, Fawkes was discovered guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder and arrested. At the trial of eight of the conspirators, including Fawkes, on 27th January, 1606, they were convicted and sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered.          In January, 1606, during the first sitting of Parliament since the plot, the Observance of 5th November Act 1605 was passed, making services and sermons commemorating the event an annual feature of English life; the act remained in force until 1859. The tradition of marking the day with the ringing of church bells and bonfires started soon after the Plot's discovery, and fireworks were included in some of the earliest celebrations.          In Dinton, the celebration of the defeat of the Gunpowder Plot took the form of a procession, which gathered at the Railway Station - which was also the location of the original Wyndham Arms pub. The procession, dressed in costume (mainly clowns), would end with a bonfires and the letting off of fireworks and crackers. Money was raised during this time & donated to charity.          It remains the custom in Britain, on or around the 5th November, to let off fireworks. Traditionally in the weeks running up to the 5th, children made effigies supposedly of Fawkes (out of old clothes stuffed with newspapers) to be burnt on the November 5 bonfire.           For almost 120 years, since 1890, with a few breaks for wars and the odd year between retiring organisers and a new generation, people have been watching the fireworks displays put on by the Dinton Bonfire Boys.          In 2009, the current team of Dinton Bonfire Boys decided that the November celebration would be their last due to increasing health & safety and licensing red tape which had ended a long running tradition.

British Legion

Legion Fruit, Flower & Vegetable Show 1938

Friendly Societies

Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1827-1871          Wiltshire Friendly Society Anniversary Celebrations 1846

Horticulture

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy Notices 1887-1898

Census Returns Transcripts

1841          1851          1861           1871           1881          1891          1901          1911

Deaths, Funerals & Memorial Services  

Elections and Polls

Entertainment

Village Festivities 1838                 Christmas Festivities 1838                  New Year's Eve Dance 1937

Family Notices

1800-1849          1850-1899          1900 - Present

Funeral Reports

Mrs. Marcus Dimsdale 1919

General Items

Sincere thanks from Thomas Miles & Anna Hayter 1820                   Andrews Newspaper Index Cards - James & Phillips 1937-1947

Inquest Reports

Local Government Appointments

High Sheriffs for Wiltshire 1758-1856

Marriages and Wedding Reports

Obituaries

Walter Bailey 1861                  Rev. Charles Humphrey Cholmeley 1895                   Miss Constance Penruddocke 1936

Parish Notables

Edward Hyde - 1st Earl Of Clarendon                 Henry Lawes - Musician and Composer                William Lawes - Keeper of the Kings Music

Reverend George Herbert Engleheart

Personal Research Items

Tuck Family Research Burial Extracts - This item was donated by Ken Tuck and contains entries that may or may not relate to the Tuck family however they have been published as such.  Many refer to Quaker burials found across the county

Sport

Fishing

Fishing Advice in a New Zealand Newspaper - G. Ansdell 1904

Hunting

South Wilts Hounds 1840-1869                    Letter to Editor Regarding South Wilts Hunt Meeting 1871                  Otter Hounds at Dinton 1902

Taxes

Falstone Day Book 1645-1653          UK Death Duty Registers 1796-1811                 Appointment of Select Commissioners for Land & Assessed Taxes 1842

Testimonials

Walter Bailey Testimonial 1856                  In Recognition of Services - Jane James 1870                  Testimonial in an Agricultural Flyer - D. Coombes 1913

Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse

Probate

Inquisitions Post Mortem of Lands Held

William, Earl of Pembroke 1630 

Parishioners Wills

Thomas Parham Proved 1833 

War, Conflict and Military Matters

Dinton War Graves Gallery                  Dinton War Memorial Gallery

The War Memorial stands in the northern end of the churchyard, which was supplied by Mr Bertram Philipps of Philipps house (formerly Dinton House). The memorial was carved in the shape of a cross, commemorating the men of Dinton who gave their lives in World War 1 and World War 2. The War Memorial was originally unveiled on 12th December, 1920.

Boer War

Reservists Leave for the Front 1899       Wiltshire Yeomanry - Volunteers for Active Service 1899

WWI

Casualties of WWI

Parishioners who Served in WWI

 Wounded Servicemen

T. S. Snook 1915

Word War II

Casualties of WWII

Douglas Arthur Richard Bacon                 George Forsyth Cairns                James Thomas Clark                 Guy Robert Hextall Harding    

Spooky Happenings

Sergeant Melbury, of the Admiralty Police at the G/E Depot at Dinton, has two dogs. He is often on duty at night. When he is on night duty, at exactly 3.30 am every morning, the two dogs rush to the main gate growling and with the hair on their backs bristling. The gate and fence are lit by arc lamps. The sergeant always investigates but never finds any cause for the dogs' alarm.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks Andrew Stacey for his knowledge, assistance & supply of photographic material in helping to build the information on this page.  Thanks also Andrew for his transcripts of the Dinton-Dalwood Letters.

Special thanks to Mike Glover for his invaluable information on the Dinton Bonfire Boys & Fireworks magazine for permission to use their articles.

Grateful thanks to Cathy Sedgwick for her submissions during her time as OPC