OPC Vacancy
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Baydon – Chiseldon with Draycote Foliat – Liddington – Little Hinton – Mildenhall – Ogbourne St. George – Ramsbury – Wanborough
Websites
TreelinesUK – John Dymond’s Website. For further information about Aldbourne, email John via the contact us tab on the home page. John Dymond is a consultant for the Aldbourne area.
The Parish Church of St. Michael
The Church of England parish church overlooks the village green and is medieval and a Grade I listed building. The nave and chancel are 13th Century; the east end shows the usual series of transepts and chapels filled with monuments whilst the clerestory, the roof other areas are 15th Century. There is an elaborate Jacobean pulpit and, by way of variety, two Georgian fire-engines of 1778. The tower is a particularly imposing structure but unfortunately lacking the large pinnacles by which it was intended to be completed. The architecture of the church is gothic, restored in the 1860’s by the Victorian architect William Butterfield.
St. Michael’s Gallery St. Michael’s Interior Gallery St. Michael’s Churchyard Gallery
Churchyard Memorial Inscriptions Tour Around the Church Re-opening of St. Michael’s Church 1867 Replacement of the Tower Clock 1887
Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011
Church Officials
Marriage Licenses
William Read & Lydia Gould 1836
Parish Register Transcripts
Baptisms
Marriages
Burials
Transcriptions of complete registers and census entries from 1637 to 1900 sorted chronologically by family will be found on John Dymond’s site, TreelinesUK.
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1637-2005
Marriages 1637-2008
Burials 1637-1992
Parish History
In the heart of the north eastern Downland stands the one time bell-founding town of Aldbourne, watched over by the tall tower of its fine church. The parish includes the tythings of Preston and Upper and Lower Upham. Also includes the areas of Ford, Crowood, Loves, Hillwood, Dudmore Lodge, Hickler Knoll, Warren, North Farm, North Field, East Leaze and Baydon Lottage. The parish also contains the abandoned hamlet of Snap.
Jurisdictions and Population Figures Timeline
Civil Registration
1837 – April 1937 Hungerford Registration District
April 1837 – Present Marlborough Registration District
Popular Culture
In 1971, the village was used as the location of Devil’s End in the Doctor Who episode The Dæmons, starring Jon Pertwee. In 1992 a documentary called Return to Devil’s End was also filmed in the village. In 2014 the village featured as the Village of Overton in the TV drama Glue.
Buildings and Land
Listed Buildings Sale of Hillwood 1797 Owners of Land 1873
Lewisham Castle
Lewisham Castle is a small medieval ringwork about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south-west of the village.
Maps
Ordnance Surveyor’s Drawings 1818
Public Houses
Bell Inn
Situated on the Square and closed in 1958. It is now a residential property.
Blue Boar
Crown
Masons Arms
Situated at 11 West Street. Now a residential property
Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria was situated on West Street. This pub was known as The Queen Inn until 1855 and is now a residential property. Publican in 1900 was Jesse Bray, who died here that year.
Village Pumps
Two disused village pumps survive in the village
Crime and Legal Matters
Crime Reports 1800-1849 Inmates of Gloucester Gaol 1815-1879 Swing Riots Special Constables 1830
Directories
Education
The village has a primary school, St. Michael’s C of E (Aided) School. Built in 1963, the school is on the site of a National school which opened in 1858.
Emigration and Migration
Emigration to Australia
South Australia
Strays
Employment and Business
Agriculture & Land
Apprentices
Wiltshire Society Apprentices
George Augustus Butler 1854 John Spackman 1830 Jesse Westall 1907
Bell Foundries
For at least 130 years Aldbourne had a bell foundry. Bells cast by the Cor and Wells families survive at parish churches at Berwick St. John and Seend. Many others survive at other locations in the UK.
Master Bell Founders 1694-1826 Advert for the Robert Wells Foundry 1772
Communications
Postal Services
British Postal Service Appointments 1737-1969
Community Services
Police
Miscellaneous Documents
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
In about 1669 there were known to be Dissenter Meetings outside the Court House on Thursday and Saturday. These meetings could attract up to 300 people from the area who came to listen to the sermon of the day. Methodists and other non-conformist denominations had strong roots in the parish.
Methodist Church, Lottage Road
In 1968 both groups of Methodists (Primitive and Wesleyans) combined to build Aldbourne Methodist Church in a newly built hall in Lottage Road. This church has closed in recent years.
Primitive Methodist Chapel, West Street
A Primitive Methodist chapel opened in West Street in about 1840, and a new chapel was built on the same site in 1906. This chapel was demolished in 1982.
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Lottage Road
The original chapel was built in 1807, rebuilt in 1844 and was demolished in 1968. A new Methodist Chapel was built in its place.
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Woodsend
Zoar Baptist Chapel, Back Lane
A Baptist chapel was opened in 1841 in Back Lane and rebuilt as New Zoar Chapel in 1868. The chapel was sold in 1914 and demolished at some time after 1931; its burial ground survives.
People and Parish Notables
Natives of Aldbourne are known as Dabchicks, named after the Little Grebe
Accidents
Shocking Accident to A Child 1874
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1827-1871 Hungerford Farmers Club Meeting 1867
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy of James Chapman 1879
Census Returns Transcripts
Coroners Bills
County coroners were introduced in England in around 1194 once established other boroughs and liberties sought the right to have their own coroner. Often in Medieval times the coroner also assumed the role of the sheriff and his duties weren’t limited to holding inquests on dead bodies although almost a full time post they were unpaid for the duties apart from those that were deemed murder of manslaughter when they would receive 13s. 4d. From the 24th June 1752 a law was passed allowing the coroner to claim £1 for every inquest they attended not held in a gaol and also to claim 9d per mile travel allowance from the place of residence. Inquests held in any gaol were performed at a rate totalling no more than £1. These costs were to be paid from the county rates. In cases of homicide the coroner also received the former fee of 13s. 4d. The coroners submitted their bills at the quarter session sittings for approval. Coroners Bills 1752-1796
Elections, Polls & Politics
General Items
Voters Lists Revisions 1843 Political News 1850-1899
Nominations for Office
Councillor Nominations 2015 MP Nominations 2015
Voters Lists
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Voters List 1832 Poll Book 1818
Family Notices
Funeral Reports
General Items
Where is George Palmer 1848 Secrets of Farming Book Subscribers 1863
Inquest Reports
Parish Notables
| Gerald Brenan – Author and Historian – Born 7 April 1894; Died 19 January 1987 | Mavis Cheek – Novelist – Born 25 February 1948; Died 14 June 2023 | Hilda Beatrice Currie – Liberal Politician – Born 24 July 1872; Died 19 September 1939 |
| Ruth Dalton – Labour Politician – Born 9 March 1890; Died 15 March 1966 | Gerald Finzi – Composer and Musicographer – Born 14 July 1901; Died 27 September 1956 | Joy Finzi – Artist – Born 3 March 1901; Died 14 June 1991 |
| Muriel Foster – Writer – Born 13 June 1884; Died 5 February 1963 | Ida Gandy – Writer – Born 9 September 1885; Died 28 September 1977 | Hammond Innes – Novelist – Born 15 July 1913; 10 June 1998 |
| Anthony Marreco – Barrister and Founding Director of Amnesty International – Born 19 August 1915; Died 4 June 2006 | Charles McEvoy – Dramatist, Author and Playwright – Born 30 June 1879; Died 16 February 1929 | Desmond Morris – Zoologist, Ethologist and Writer – Born 24 January 1928 |
| Johnny Morris – Writer and Broadcaster – 20 June 1916; Died 6 May 1999 | Nigel Havers – Actor – Born 6 November 1951. He has a home in the parish. |
Sport
Taxes
Wedding Celebrations
Wedding Celebrations for Labourers of Mr. Chandler 1869
Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse
Probate
National Probate Index 1858-1966
Wiltshire Wills Indexes
Parishioners Wills
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
British Troops on Best Behaviour 1846 Servicemen & Families with the 1st Wilts. Regt. in South Africa 1911
English Civil War
A Royalist force led by Prince Rupert fought a Parliamentarian force in a skirmish at Aldbourne Chase on 18 September 1643, two days before the First Battle of Newbury.
WWI
Casualties
Biographies
Lewis William Aldridge 1915 Frederick Thomas (Tom) Hawkins 1916 Robert Edward Hawkins 1916
Memorials and Commemorations
| Commonwealth War Graves in St. Michael’s Churchyard | Church Roll of Honour Plaque 1914-1918 | Diocese of Salisbury Remembrance Book 1914-1918 |
| War Memorial 1914-1919 |
Those Who Served and Survived
Ernest Wilfred Barnes 1884-1922
WWII
During WWII, U.S. Army paratroopers of Easy Company (part of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division) were based at Aldbourne from late 1943 to mid-1944, in preparation for the D-Day landings of June 1944 and for Operation Market Garden in September. Both Easy Company and the village were featured in the 2001 American miniseries Band of Brothers.
Casualty Biographies of WWII Church Roll of Honour Plaque 1939-1945 War Memorial 1939-1945 Band of Brothers Billet 2004
Casualties
Leonard John Barnes 1942 Ronald Charles Barrett 1943 Harold Kvam 1944
Preston
People
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1827-1871
Probate
Wiltshire Wills Indexes
Snap
The abandoned village of Snap
History
Probate
Wiltshire Wills Indexes
Upham
Crime and Legal Matters
Upham House Bankrupty Sale 1965 Upham House for Sale 1965
