OPC Vacancy
Contiguous Parishes (our neighbours)
Chippenham – Colerne – Corsham – Ditteridge – Yatton Keynell
Websites of Interest
Biddestone Village – History, news and Information.
The Parish Church of St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas Gallery St. Nicholas Interior Gallery St. Nicholas Churchyard Gallery
The church is Norman with several original windows. Its most interesting feature is the bell turret over the chancel arch, a 13th century structure perched with considerable skill on the gable and capped by a stone spirelet; inside there are Georgian pews, a Norman font and a gallery at the west end of the nave.
It has been suggested that a gallery in the church was used to accommodate the congregation of Slaughterford whilst their own church was under repair. The gallery would have been accessed via its own entrance thus keeping the two congregations completely separate.
Churchyard Memorial photograph’s have been provided by Lynne and Paul Powell
St. Nicholas Churchyard Memorials
Parish Registers
Please note that the transcripts below may be incomplete or have missing entries and gaps
Baptisms
1688-1699 1700-1749 1750-1799 1800-1824 1825-1849 1850-1874 1875-1899 1900-1924
Marriages
Burials
Parish Registers held at WSHC
Baptisms 1688-1965
Marriages 1688-2001
Burials 1688-1911
Parish History
Biddestone or Bidstone is west of Chippenham. The parish includes the village of Giddeahall
Civil Registration
1837 – Present Chippenham Registration District
Buildings and Land
Samuel Attwood – Conveyance of Land 1859 Sale of Property 1871 Owners of Land 1873
Maps
Ordnance Surveyor’s Drawings 1813-1814
Biddestone Cemetery
The Cemetery was opened in 1915
The following records have been provided by Lynne and Paul Powell
Biddestone Cemetery Memorials Biddestone Cemetery Memorials Gallery
The White Horse Inn
Reputed to be a monks retreat house, dating from the 16th century, closely associated with the 12th century church and manor house, which was originally a monastery. The porchway is unusual, and the mullioned windows and Cotswold Stone fireplace are original. One of the bars is decorated with a collection of horse brasses and hunting horns, and the village is famous for its fine duck pond, the ducks being the property of the present landlord.
Crime and Legal Matters
Crime Reports
Proceedings in Chancery Elizabeth I Era (1558-1603)
Directories
Post Office 1855 Kellys 1867 Post Office 1875 Kellys 1915 Swindon & District 1928
Telephone Connections
On the Telephone 1934 Gideahall
Education
Average School Attendance & Government Grant 1871-1885 Class of 1938
Emigration and Migration
Employment and Business
Agriculture and Land
Apprentices
Apprentice records published here may not necessarily mean that the apprentice was from the parish but was apprenticed to a master within the parish
Edward Bond 1711 John Bond 1712 Joseph Bond 1717
Community Services
Police
Miscellaneous Documents
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
Ebenezer Chapel
People and Parish Notables
Knight Compositions 1628 Wiltshire Friendly Society Membership 1837-1871 Family Notices 1850-1899
Associations, Clubs, Organisations and Societies
Agricultural Shows
Wiltshire Agricultural Show Prize Winners 1904
Census Returns Transcripts
1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911
Coroners Bills
Coroners Bills 1752-1796 Coroner Bills 1752-1796 (St. Nicholas)
Elections and Polls
Poll of Freeholders 1772 Poll Book 1818 Voters List 1832 Voting Lists Revisions 1843 MP Nominations 2015 MP Nominations 2017
Health
Bath Hospital Patient Discharges 1839
Personal Research Items
Tuck Family Research Burial Extracts Tuck Family Research Burial Extracts (Giddeahall) These 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
Poor Law, Charity and The Workhouse
Legacies
Dame Ann James 1798-1848 Unknown Charity Benefactor 1884
Probate
Probate Index 1601-1880 (WSHC) National Probate Index 1858-1966
Inquisitions Post Mortem of Lands Held
Inquisition of Richard Westfield 1625 Richard Blanchard 1631
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorial & Military Gallery
Tudor Period
War Memorials and Books of Remembrance
Biddestone War Memorial St. Nicholas Church Roll of Honour WWI
WWI
Servicemen and Women
WWI Military Exemption Tribunals
British Red Cross/Voluntary Aid Detachments WWI
WWII
Home Guard
Home Guards 1940-1944 Home Guard Awards 1944
Peace Time
Obituaries
Brigadier Charles Ronald Brownlow Carrington 1948
